Evening had already begun to settle when Vorlik, a twelve-year-old boy, hurried along the stone road leading home. The sky was painted in fading shades of orange and purple, and shadows stretched long across the ground. He had stayed too long at combat school again, repeating drills long after the others had left. Now, his heart pounded—not from training, but from fear of being late.
As Vorlik passed the edge of the forest near his village, a strange sound reached his ears. At first, it was faint—branches snapping, leaves rustling unnaturally. He slowed his steps, his instincts warning him. Then suddenly, the forest exploded with movement. Four monsters burst from the trees.
They attacked the villagers without mercy.
Screams filled the air as people were cut down, torn apart, and eaten in the open road. Blood stained the stones. Vorlik stood frozen as terror gripped his body. The village combat team rushed forward, weapons raised, clashing fiercely with the creatures. After a brutal fight, they managed to kill two smaller, weaker monsters, their bodies collapsing lifelessly onto the ground.
But the battle was far from over.
One of the remaining monsters stepped forward. It was larger than the dead ones and frighteningly fast. Its body resembled that of a giant frog, slick and muscular. Without warning, it shot out a long, sticky tongue, wrapping it around the combat chief. Before anyone could save him, the monster dragged the screaming man into its mouth and crushed him with a loud, horrifying crunch.
Shock paralyzed the fighters.
Before despair could consume them completely, a familiar figure rushed forward—Vorlik's father. With a powerful swing of his blade, he severed the monster's tongue. The creature shrieked in pain, and in that opening, a spearman leapt forward and beheaded the frog-like monster in one clean strike.
Then the ground trembled.
From the forest emerged the last monster—the largest of them all. It was shaped like a massive bull, towering over everyone. Its skin was thick and ridged, functioning like natural armor. With a thunderous roar, it charged and struck the entire combat team, sending them flying through the air like broken dolls.
Vorlik's father staggered upright and shouted, "Run! Take your mother and run!"
Vorlik cried back, "But I believe you can kill it!"
His father shook his head grimly. "No. This is a Stage Three monster."
Knowing there was no choice, Vorlik turned and ran. He reached home, breathless and shaking, and told his mother everything. That very night, under the cover of darkness, the two fled the village toward the nearest settlement. Behind them, distant roars echoed, sealing the fate of the life Vorlik had known.
By morning, they arrived at the village of Elm. Smoke rose from chimneys as people began their day. A guard approached them and introduced himself as Lorid, revealing that he had been Vorlik's father's friend. Lorid admitted he had urged Vorlik's father many times to leave the small village—but he had refused, saying he wanted to live and die in his motherland.
Seeing the determination in Vorlik's eyes, Lorid told him he must train—to stop the monsters. Vorlik agreed, explaining that he had already practiced combat in his old village. Under Lorid's guidance, Vorlik trained relentlessly. He learned archery, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, swimming, physical conditioning, and the use of combat spheres. Days turned into months, and months into years. The frightened child became a hardened young fighter.
One day, while scouting the forest with three soldiers, the ground began to shake. Trees snapped as a monstrous figure charged toward them. The bull monster appeared—the same one from Vorlik's childhood. Confident from killing dozens of monsters, Vorlik faced it head-on. But when he raised his sword to block its charge, the beast shattered the blade and sent him flying.
As Vorlik lay broken, memories of his father's final moments flooded his mind.
Then an old man appeared—the village chief, well into his seventies. Calmly, he raised a stone wall to stop the monster's charge, dodged its attack, reinforced his arm with rock, and struck the beast with devastating force. Finally, he slammed both hands into the ground, summoning a massive stone spike that impaled and killed the monster instantly.
The chief helped Vorlik and the others recover and return to the village. Along the way, he taught them about monster stages—from Stage One beasts with claws and teeth, to Stage Five monsters whose magic could threaten entire regions.
Later, Vorlik asked how the chief had learned magic. The old man spoke of loss, purpose, and of the people who lived beyond Mount Sorean, who had taught him while he fled a monster long ago. When asked about his own purpose, Vorlik answered that he would grow stronger so no one else would lose loved ones to monsters.
Satisfied, the chief hinted that Vorlik might one day walk the same path.
With his mother's blessing, Vorlik left for Mount Sorean alone. On the journey, he killed a Stage One monster with a single arrow, hid through a night of monsters fighting for territory, and crossed rivers, bridges, and forests.
At last, near the mountain's peak, Vorlik discovered a hidden village. He stopped, took a deep breath, and felt a powerful new energy flow through him.
His journey had only just begun.