2 Chapter 2 - The Boy

It was a cold night in Rustwood Forest, a seemingly odd regularity. In truth, every night in the forsaken region bore the intensity of perpetual coldness. However, tonight held a peculiar malevolence.

Vast canopies of trees shivered beneath the assault of the stormy wind that wove through their branches like ghostly fingers. Their twisting wails formed a haunting chorus, accompanied by the sinister symphony of the creatures that lurked in the shadow. Silently, the cold fog thickened and no one could see past their hands anymore.

A tall figure dashed through the rough terrain of the forsaken woodland. His blaring footsteps reverberated through the stillness and attracted eyes of varying unsettling shapes, but he couldn't care less.

"Closer!"

Light had just struck gold. He felt the thrill of anticipation coursing through his veins. Years of meticulous planning were about to pay off; he could practically taste success. All that stood between him and the culmination of his efforts was surviving the night.

Light stopped to catch his breath. Before he could continue, a chilling chatter echoed through the forest. His eyes widened as he saw an elongated shadow slither around the trees. 

'What?' It sent shivers down his spine!

The sinister chatter intensified as the colossal shadow moved. 'A monster! What kind? No, it can't end here. I have to come too far to die now.'

Light held his breath and waited till the shadow passed. After making sure it was safe, he decided to take it slow and continued his journey.

He smiled. 'Just have to make it to the bunker beyond the bridge. Almost there…'

After the Advent, every land except the safe zones became uncharted territory. Rustwood forest was one such. It was a unique uncharted zone situated beside the Charmire zone. 

Rumours were that, before the Advent, it was once a buzzing metropolis. However, the apocalypse came, and then the monsters followed, and Rustwood quickly became claimed by plants, trees, and monsters. It couldn't stand the test of time, and its original name became lost. Now, it took the form of a riveting modern-day Amazon forest, concealing untold horrors.

"Ahh. I'm close!" Light arrived at a rickety bridge. He took a step forward, but stopped and contemplated his actions.

The bridge was the fastest way to get to the other side of Rustwood forest. Coincidentally, it was also the quickest way to die. That was because beyond the bridge was the true Rustwood forest. It was a land that even the most famed hunter didn't dare tread carelessly. 

Light knew himself pretty well. He wasn't a hunter, nor did he have the talent of one. He was just a regular human trying to survive in the real world.

Light had half the thought of going back, but that was as far as the treacherous thought went. After everything he had done, there was no going back for him!

'It's now or never!' Light solidified his conviction and stepped onto the bridge.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice rang out, "Light Dorin. Born February 15, 2077. Evaluation—Ordinary citizen of New Sun Order."

Every hair on Light's body rose instantly. Because of the thick fog, he couldn't trace the voice, but he knew it came from up ahead.

'Was I tracked?' Light widened his eyes as he considered the possibility.

However, he shot down that thought. He couldn't have been tracked. Not to brag, but years of planning had crafted an exceedingly genius plan.

"To the rest of the world, Light Dorin is way at the other end of Charmire! Heh, no one would expect that I'm actually in Rustwood. So, what is this?" Light mumbled under his breath.

The voice echoed, "Light Dorin. Married a rich widow in 2091 and was assigned to the bureaucratic office a year after. Year 2092—the wife of Light Dorin mysteriously passed away. Year 2093—Light Dorin took a new wife from the suburbs."

Dread crept over Light. Something was wrong. Light could feel it. His instinct and experience from years of dabbling in the underworld screamed at him. He wasn't surprised that someone made a profile of him.

No, the tone of the voice was what rattled him instead.

Light instantly hissed, "Who are you?!"

The voice felt cold and detached. But he could sense a vibrant nature in it. Perhaps this was the doing of someone relatively young. But that didn't make sense either!

"In one decade, Light Dorin rose through the civil ranks and began his reign of corruption. He secretly stashed up enough money to make a fortune."

Light grimaced as he listened and reached out for his backpack, revealing a dagger that shone with a cold gleam. He wasn't sure what this nonsense was, but he wouldn't be stopped here!

"I will only ask one last time. Who the fuck are you? And what do you want?"

Silence enveloped the forest, broken only by the haunting moans of the trees as they delighted in the tense air building around the bridge.

"A month ago, Light Dorin purchased an invaluable item which put a target on his back. Light Dorin was rumoured to have begun preparing for a zone transfer."

"You think you know everything? You fucker! When I get you…" Light fiercely raged as a red hue spread across his face. At the mention of the item, he knew he had been schemed against. The voice in the fog predicted his every move and even knew he would use the bridge. 

'It's all talk,' Light sneered in his mind and continued walking. He was tracing the location of the voice. 

At first glance, he appeared to have been wholly enraged by the voice, but each time he spoke, he slyly advanced closer to the hidden person.

"Seven hours ago, Light Dorin's family was spotted at Charmire's border. They were attacked and killed. However, Light Dorin was nowhere to be found. The truth of the matter is that Light Dorin never planned on leaving with his family."

"A decoy." Light trembled, and he ruefully spat, clenching his fist in anger. He never would have thought his attackers would stoop so low to attack innocent people.

"A decoy, Light Dorin. A wonderful plan, etched stealthily for years. Make it or break it, right…Light Dorin?"

"Aha!" Light finally traced the voice behind a nearby tree. He slowly walked to it and swiftly struck his blade immediately he saw a silhouette in the fog.

"What?!"

To his horror, his blade struck a mechanical item tied to a small tree. Light bent and inspected the item.

"Looks like an old voice recorder… Oh shit!"

He sensed someone getting closer and turned around, but it was too late. In that instant, a looming figure appeared at close range and held a gun to his head.

"Where is it?" A familiar young voice came out of the attacker's mouth. It was almost perfectly emotionless if not for the tiny vibrance he had noticed earlier.

At the sight of the gun, Light felt fear consume him wholly. That was a raygun. It was designed to exterminate monsters, and he was nothing but a weak human! If the boy pressed the trigger, there was no doubting the outcome!

"Tell me where it is and you will live."

Suddenly, Light realized something. No matter what, a boy is still just a boy. He noticed the boy's grip on the gun was shaky at best. It was a sign of inexperience that was rare in Charmire. The boy was still too fresh.

Light cackled, "Today must be my lucky day. Damn brat, shoot me if you want to!"

Taking a leap of faith, he pushed the cold gun closer to his head and taunted. However, he already knew what the boy would choose. The boy might be smart and cunning, but he wasn't ruthless.

The boy's eyes reflected his pondering mind. 

After a while, he opened his mouth and said, "Alright. As you wish."

"What?" Light froze in shock.

Was he wrong?

A silent click pierced through the forest. The boy pressed the trigger. Light closed his eyes and waited for death to claim him.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Light opened his eyes to see the look of confusion in the eyes of the boy. The boy cursed under his breath and pressed the trigger once more, but nothing came out of the cold tip of the gun.

"Hahaha. My luck strikes again. Who would have thought you would be so foolish to get a faulty raygun?!"

Was the boy really that stupid? Only fools would place their faith in broken gadgets.

Suddenly, the raygun pulsed with a cool energy. The boy quickly understood what to do. He tried pressing the trigger, but Light slapped the raygun away.

"As I would let you. You are dead now, brat," Light grinned and proceeded to attack the boy.

In under five minutes, Light decimated the boy. It was a one-sided massacre. Nothing the boy threw worked against Light. Not even his slick tricks. The physical difference between the two sides was as vast as the land and sky.

Light caught the boy's head and slammed him into the ground. Blood poured from the boy's nose as he groaned in pain.

"Weak! Boy, do you even eat meat? How dare you face me with such a skinny physique? It's like you are begging to die!"

Light might not be a hunter, but he had been in the game long enough to master the basics of combat. And coupled with the enormous physical difference, it was no surprise the boy turned into a popsicle in no time. 

However, the fight made Light gain respect for the young boy. He was relentless. Even after the terrific beating, the boy kept on coming back. 

Light glanced at the cold, calculating look in the boy's eyes. "Hmph, all that big brain and yet you never learned to bite things your own size."

He had to admit it was rare to see a talent like him. Skill might have worked against him if the opponent had a similar age. However, skill wouldn't save the boy today!

After another gruesome minute, the boy fell to the ground with a thud. Light smiled victoriously as he watched the boy finally give up.

"Took you long enough. Haha, you are dead, brat," he gritted his teeth as he remembered the tense pressure the boy put on him all this while.

He moved closer to the boy and taunted, "Any last words?"

Suddenly, a jolting pain surged across his body. Light looked down to see a blade stuck in his neck. His face turned white as he comprehended the horror of the situation.

"Y-You stabbed me?"