Tristan began by digging a grave for the bodies of this body's parents, then moved on to clearing the corpses of orcs and boars from his traps. He skinned the boars, cut their meat, and prepared a fire to roast the meat as his food supply. After that, Tristan crafted many spears and dug numerous additional trap holes, dedicating himself to this task for a few days. Before starting, he looked up at the sky and said,
"I'll summarize what this body's father said when I was in that dark room before, just so you don't get bored watching me do repetitive tasks."
"Why am I talking like this, you ask? I don't know, it just came to me, haha. Well then, I'll get back to work."
With a chuckle, Tristan resumed his tasks, his focus unwavering as he continued to prepare his defenses.
Tristan began explaining what the father of his body had told him.
"We're in the kingdom of Caelotria. Within this kingdom are three powerful families that protect it, and one of them is the Ciyane family."
"My father, Gran Ciyane, was the second son of this family, known for his extraordinary talents in both swordsmanship and magic. Gran Ciyane was highly anticipated to become the rightful heir to the Ciyane family, in contrast to his older brother, Gerrad Ciyane, who only possessed average skill in both swordsmanship and magic."
"However, Gerrad excelled at governance, making him suited to a ministerial role. But Gerrad wasn't satisfied with that idea and devised a scheme to eliminate his father before any decision about the heir could be finalized."
"Gerrad sought the help of our family's arch-rivals, the Lavindra family. They specialized in magic and held a deep-seated resentment against Gran Ciyane for outshining them in the magic arts."
"Right after Gerrad Ciyane murdered their father, his scheme was discovered by Gran Ciyane. Unfortunately, Gran Ciyane was too late, catching Gerrad red-handed but unable to act fast enough to stop him. Without warning, Gerrad cried out, accusing Gran Ciyane of the murder and shifting all blame onto him."
"All the noble families under the Ciyane household supported Gerrad's accusations. Gran Ciyane hadn't anticipated that Gerrad's scheme ran far deeper than expected; the Lavindra family had assisted Gerrad by coercing those nobles into supporting their twisted plot. Even the exclusive knights, who had been like family to Gran Ciyane, betrayed him."
"With no one left to stand by him, and for the sake of saving his only child and wife, Gran Ciyane fled towards the Sylvaria Forest. The Sylvaria Forest surrounds a cursed woods known as the Netherbane Forest. During his escape, Gran Ciyane didn't expect that he would be pursued by assassins specially trained by the Lavindra family."
"With great effort, Gran Ciyane and his wife managed to escape and make it to Sylvaria Forest, heading toward the meeting point with a friend who had promised to help protect his small family. When they finally met, Gran Ciyane discovered, to his shock, that this friend was a sorcerer capable of transforming into anything that she killed."
"The sorcerer stabbing him in the back. With a face full of sorrow and fury over the death of his closest friend, Gran Ciyane fought with all his might, eventually managing to kill the sorcerer. However, the fight had taken too long, allowing Lavindra's pursuers to catch up. This time, the Lavindra family sent one of their strongest dark magician, Mortis Lavindra, the infamous Death-Tamer."
"Mortis Lavindra immediately unleashed his skill, summoning a horde of undead, monster like orcs, wolves, goblins, and even a few ogres was out from some black-hole on the ground. Without wasting any time, Gran Ciyane grabbed his child, took his wife's hand, and rushed deeper into Sylvaria Forest."
"As Gran Ciyane spotted the border of the cursed Netherbane Forest, the dwelling of monstrous creatures, a plan formed in his mind. He would lure Mortis Lavindra into the cursed forest, hoping to use the monsters there to his advantage. Gran quickly handed his child to his wife, Alinda Ciyane, and instructed her to hide the child somewhere safe while he distracted Mortis Lavindra. After ensuring their child was hidden, Alinda rushed after her husband as they plunged into the cursed forest."
"Gran Ciyane kept running toward the cursed forest, dodging monstrous attacks and slaying several along the way. But as he approached the cursed forest's entrance, Mortis Lavindra's undead creatures blocked his path, herding him toward a cliff near the forest's border."
"Exhausted from the relentless assault, Gran found himself cornered. In that critical moment, his wife, Alinda Ciyane, arrived, joining him in fending off the creatures with her wind magic. Gran Ciyane made several attempts to strike Mortis Lavindra, who controlled the undead, but Mortis was always shielded by hidden shield of bone that surrounded him. Both Gran and Alinda, now weary and cornered at the cliff's edge, were suddenly pierced by bone spears from Mortis."
"Gran turned to his wife, and whispering, 'Forgive me for everything, I can't even protect you and our son' and Alinda smiled, replying, 'No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side.'
With her last breath, Alinda passed away in Gran Ciyane's arms. Tears streaming down his face, Gran gazed at Mortis approaching them, ready to end this battle by using his life force to explode and destroy his enemy. But just as he was about to release his energy, he remembered his son. With his last bit of strength, Gran used his life force to leave a hidden message within his ring before drawing his final breath."
"And that's the story of this body's parents. The tale might be a bit cliché, but it's still heart-wrenching. Honestly, this body is burning with anger, but strangely, my mind remains clear and calm. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing for what lies ahead, but for now, it's a blessing, it's keeping me calm like this."
"Back to what I have done this three days. I've dug a total of 30 pits over the last three days, fifteen each day. And on the third day, I made so many spears that I'm practically traumatized just from looking at them."
"I always set aside time to meditate, hoping I might unlock the ability to use mana that way, and I practice with my father's sword every morning and evening."
"Now, it's the fourth day. There are still no signs of the orcs approaching, but I know where they'll come from. I managed to trace their footprints leading from the opposite direction of the river. This cliff forms a giant U-shape, with both ends leading toward the cursed Netherbane Forest. The orcs footprints is coming from the forest near the other entrance of the cursed forest."
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[Skill: Trap Setter-Level 12]
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[Skill: Crafting-Level 16]
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[Skill: Cooking-Level-4]
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[Skill: Observation-Level 3]
[Unlocked skill: Meditation-Level 1]
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[Skill: Meditation-Level 4]
[Unlocked skill: Beginner Swordplay-Level 1]
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[Skill": Beginner Swordplay-Level 4]
[Unlocked skill: Tracking-Level 1]
"Alright, now I'll start my routine that I've been following for the past three days. Later in the afternoon, I'll scout around to check the situation near my cave."
Tristan began his meditation, centering himself before moving on to sword practice with his father's blade.
***
Two days earlier, in the residence of the Marquess Roussane, under the protection of Duke Crimsenne's family.
A knight named Brady reported to his lord, Lucien Roussane.
"My lord, we've detected a large movement of orcs heading southward towards the cursed Netherbane Forest. What should we do?"
"Keep watch and send some of our best knights skilled in stealth to follow their movements. If they intend to attack the Ciyane family, let them handle it on their own and return immediately. Let that cursed Ciyane family deal with the orcs themselves, and if they enter the cursed forest, return immediately and strengthen our defenses along the border near the cursed forest. There's a high chance the monsters may launch their invasion this year."
"Understood, my lord. As you command!"
***
Back to our young boy, Tristan had finished his routine and was preparing to patrol the area around his cave.
"Okay, I have my gear ready. It's time to patrol. I'll head to the river first and then go to the place where I found my parents' bodies. I almost forgot that the bone spear that pierced my parents was a weapon; I need to retrieve it."
As Tristan walked towards the location of the bone spears, he carefully scanned his surroundings, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger.
Tristan arrived at the location and exclaimed, "Damn, what happened? I don't see a single monster carcass around."
He started running towards the cliff. "Fortunately, the spears are still here." He picked up the bone spears and added, "I need to hurry back to the cave and patrol the opposite direction; I have a bad feeling about being here."
As Tristan go something in the shape of a black shadow watched Tristan from a distance.
Tristan arrived at the cave.
Tristan arrived at the cave. "Phew, thankfully nothing happened. I realize that these bone spears are incredibly lightweight." He began to thrust the bone spear. "Let's test its durability and striking power."
With all his strength, Tristan threw the spear, which flew swiftly, piercing through three trees before embedding itself in the fourth. "Wow, not only is it light, but it's also strong. Its striking power is impressive, this could've become one of my main weapons."
Tristan placed the remaining bone spears inside his cave, ensuring they were safe and ready for use. He then set off to patrol in the direction opposite the river, scanning the surroundings with keen eyes, alert for any signs of danger.
After reaching the border between Sylvaria Forest and Netherbane, Tristan climbed a tree to gain a better vantage point and ensure a wide view of his surroundings. From his perch, he scanned the area, moving his gaze left and right until he noticed something moving in the distance, heading in his direction. He focused intently, trying to discern what it was.
Tristan's heart raced as he realized the truth: a large horde of orcs was heading straight for him. "Damn, my instincts were right! There are more orcs than I expected, probably dozens of them,"
Tristan muttered under his breath. "I don't know they're after me or they're drawn to this dark forest, but I need to prepare for anything. Calculating the distance and speed of the approaching horde, I estimated they would arrive by midday tomorrow. I must set more traps," he thought urgently.
"I'll create a series of pits from here to my cave." Without wasting another moment, Tristan dashed off at his fastest speed to retrieve the supplies he had gathered for his spear traps.