Chapter 2: Forest of Sorrows

The aroma of leaves greeted the three as they entered the forest. Darkness surrounds them as only light piercing through the shelter of trees illuminates their way.

"Let us separate here " said a kid with a black hair and a thin constitution.

"I agree with Y, father said that only by walking your own path can you be acknowledged " affirmed the other kid.

"Okay then, May the will of the world favor us " said Z as he moved.

Z moved into a dark part of the forest. His goal is to go to the 'Lair of Crysonians', one of the places marked in the map. Beasts that are living here have their unique trait, that is having crystals on their body. As crystals are formed through the gathering of world energy, Crysonians have a stronger connection to it therefore allowing humans acknowledged by it to be more sensitive to world energy.

Z extensively prepared for this day. Since 5 years old, he was being trained by his grandfather to hone his physique. He also studied various books that entailed the knowledge of the valley with regards to world energy, beasts, and beast acknowledgement.

He learned that humans are incapable of absorbing the world's energy, hence requiring the help of beasts. Beasts have intelligence on par with humans. This is what separates them from animals. He also came to know that beasts are classified into Red, Orange, and Yellow. This is based on the color you get after you are acknowledged by them. Koga has a red boar which signifies that he was acknowledged by a red class beast.

After acknowledgement, the person can absorb the world's energy. With enough practice, one can change the shade of the tattoo from light to fair to deep. Only then would they reach the peak of their class. Red class adventurers are unqualified to go out of the valley. This was not a rule or anything, it was just that according to his grandfather, a curse was put to the valley which prevented those below Yellow class from leaving.

As he walked toward the direction of the lair, he murmured " This is my only chance. " He thought before that even if he was only acknowledged by a red class beast, he can just just try again at another time but, his grandfather told him that only those below 11 years old can enter the forest and that they can only enter it once, otherwise the person would be killed by the curse. Due to this, the village decided to let the children enter at the age of ten hence giving them the best chance to be acknowledged.

In the history of the village, many already got acknowledged by a Yellow class beast, and many also promised to remove the curse from the village but obviously, none of them did so. Z, was determined to get out and find some way to remove the cage. His parents died of sickness since no one in the village could cure them. This left him with only his grandfather. His grandfather would often tell him stories about the world outside the valley, how there are areas that are just made up of water called sea and mountains taller than the cliffs. This made him long for the world. To see outside. This made him long for freedom even more. To escape the Valley of Repentance.