As the sun rose, it cast its light upon a world still cloaked in morning's chill. On a vast plain stood two hundred people, clad in armor and gripping their swords and spears tightly. They were the soldiers of the Kingdom of Astria.
Led by their commander, the Astria forces marched toward Ignia territory to wage war. But beneath the cold steel of their armor lay a bitter truth—these were not trained warriors, but rather civilians forced into service to defend a kingdom beset by conflict.
Among them, only one looked truly terrified. A young man with crimson hair and light blue eyes named Rea. His name was Rea.
As they passed through a dense forest, they were suddenly ambushed from the treetops. Dozens of arrows rained down, killing several Astrian soldiers.
The Astria commander shouted, "Ambush! Hold your ground and fight back!"
Ignian forces emerged from the underbrush and charged in with brutal ferocity. Though the Astrian commander fought on the front lines, his troops were outnumbered and inexperienced. Within minutes, the entire Astrian force was slaughtered, leaving only Rea alive.
Overcome with fear, she fled, pursued by several Ignian soldiers. She ran until she saw something strange: trees with blood-red leaves. She plunged into the forest, forcing her pursuers to halt at its edge.
The Ignian soldiers exchanged uneasy glances "That's the DemonForest."
Not one of them dared to take a step further. The forest was known as Hell, a forbidden zone untouched by mankind.
Meanwhile, Rea looked back and realized his pursuers had vanished. He gasped for air and glanced around. All he saw were red trees and an eerie silence. He didn't know it yet, but he had entered the Demon Forest.
As he tried to catch his breath, a massive shadow loomed behind him. He turned and saw a monstrous beast that resembled a bear, but was far more terrifying. It had horns, glowing red eyes, and claws the size of a man's arm.
The monster swung its claw. Rea narrowly dodged it, but his helmet was badly cracked from the impact.
How am I supposed to fight this? I could die from a single hit.
The beast attacked again. Rea blocked, but his sword shattered. The next blow sent him crashing into a tree. His arm was severely injured and nearly useless.
The monster roared, ready to tear Rea apart.
Am I really going to die here? This can't be...
Desperate, Rea forced his body to move. He dodged again, and the beast's claw got stuck in a tree. Seizing the moment, Rea slashed at one of its eyes.
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the air. The monster thrashed wildly. Rea jumped up, ran behind it, and leaped onto its head. Gripping its skull with his nearly limp left hand, he stabbed the broken remains of his sword into the creature's head again and again until it finally died.
Rea staggered, breathing heavily; his body was weak, and blood dripped from his arm. He limped through the forest until he found an old hut hidden among the crimson trees. He went inside.
Inside the hut, a human skeleton lay on a bed. Beside it, a table held a letter. "I have lived in this place for a long time. This place is a nightmare. No wonder they call it Hell. I don't think I'll last much longer. Whoever finds this letter should take the sword and armor in this room. But beware: once you wear them, you will become a Cursed Human."
Rea looked toward the door beside the room. He opened it and found a set of dark red armor mounted on the wall. The helmet was closed with no visible visor mechanism, and a piece of cloth dangled from the top as if it were hair. Beside the armor was a red longsword in a metal scabbard.
He hesitated.
This forest was not a place where one could survive without power. Driven by the will to live, Rea began putting on the armor.
As the armor fully encased him, unbearable pain erupted. His body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, blood pouring out from the cracks in the armor. Rea screamed and tried to rip the helmet off, but it wouldn't budge. He was trapped.
Five minutes passed. The pain gradually subsided. Blood pooled on the floor. Trembling, Rea finally managed to lift off the helmet and touched his face—only to find no wounds at all.
As the armor fully encased him, an unbearable pain erupted. It felt like his body was being torn apart from the inside. Blood poured out from the cracks in the armor. Rea screamed and tried to rip off the helmet, but it wouldn't budge. He was trapped.
Five minutes passed. The pain gradually subsided. Blood pooled on the floor. Trembling, Rea finally lifted the helmet and touched his face, only to find that there were no wounds.
What's going on? I'm sure I was bleeding. There should be injuries.
He glanced at the skeleton on the bed, then reread the letter.
I don't know what's happening, but it seems I've become a Cursed Human.
With reverence, he carried the skeleton and buried it outside the hut. Though he had no idea what awaited him in the Demon Forest, one thing was certain: He had changed, and he would never be the same again.
To be continued.....