November 28th
The tenth year of the war:
The King's Special Forces – Unit Three
Led by a teenage boy, they set out to offer aid in response to a distress call that had reached the headquarters of the King's Army.
Upon arriving at the village of Gwa, what they encountered resembled a tragic theatrical scene of a true catastrophe.
The land was scorched beyond recognition, with no sign of life anywhere—only flames consuming the earth. And in the middle of that desolate plain stood a massive stone sword, emanating an aura of dread that seeped into the hearts of the soldiers.
As they silently observed the scene, one of the soldiers spoke:
> "Whoever sent that distress message… I doubt we'll find a trace of them now. Commander, what should we do? Shall we return to HQ?"
As he spoke, a bright red light flared from the north, vanishing after a few seconds—followed by a powerful explosion from the direction of the Pine Forest, accompanied by fierce winds that lashed at the ground. Then came an unsettling silence.
Fear crept into the soldiers' hearts, and a deep sense of unease spread. That was when the young commander began to speak:
> "Whatever happened here… it's likely not over yet. Something is still unfolding nearby—and we need to find out what it is. But first, there's something I need to confirm."
Despite his youth, the men deeply respected their commander. Though anxious, they trusted his decisions.
With strangely calm red eyes, the boy walked toward the stone sword, his mind swirling with questions.
As he moved, the horse pulling the cart grew restless and followed closely behind.
When he reached the sword, there seemed to be nothing unusual around it.
> "This is strange... I was sure I saw something out of place here. Was it just my imagination? Still, I can't believe I'm actually seeing something like this. What on earth happened here? Just a day ago, there was a village in this spot. Now it's nothing but barren land."
While he was deep in thought, the horse nudged his head gently.
The boy smiled and patted it gently.
> "What is it? Are you scared? Did this place unsettle you that much? …I can't blame you. I'm a little scared too."
Then, in a sudden eerie moment of calm, the sky turned pitch-black. The moon rushed toward the earth at an unnatural speed.
Stars shimmered as if dancing with joy.
A warm light then radiated from the north, piercing through the darkness and bringing a strange sense of peace and serenity to the hearts of the warriors.
Moments later, the light vanished—and the darkness dissolved. Everything returned to normal.
> "What… was that? Am I dreaming?"
While the boy was still trying to make sense of what he had seen, a translucent barrier suddenly emerged from the stone sword, enveloping the surrounding area—trapping both him and his horse inside.
The soldiers rushed toward their commander, confused by what was happening.
As the boy struggled to break through the barrier, he saw a massive explosion erupt from the north. Within seconds, the blast reached their position.
In those fleeting, dreadful moments, he saw his comrades consumed by fire—burning before his eyes.
Minutes passed.
The boy rose to his feet, numb from the shock. His head was bleeding from the fall.
And when he opened his eyes, all he could see were the charred remains of his fallen soldiers.
The barrier disappeared—leaving the boy and his horse alone amidst the desolation.
He fell to his knees, blood dripping from his head, as pain and sorrow gripped his heart.
He was moments away from blaming himself for their deaths…
But something deeper—stronger than pain—rose within him.
He stood up and led his cart toward the Pine Forest.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just empty red eyes fixed on the horizon.
After half a day's journey by cart, he reached the edge of the Pine Forest.
There, all he saw was a lifeless wasteland.
At sunset, the scene was haunting.
The silence and gathering darkness could strike fear into any man's heart—yet not a trace of fear appeared in the boy's.
He turned back toward the King's Army headquarters, disappointment heavy on his face.
---
Fourteen days later, near the edge of the Royal Garden, a group of soldiers discovered the boy unconscious by a small lake.
Recognizing his face immediately, they rushed him to the military hospital—a specialized facility for injured members of the King's Army.
The main headquarters—a fortified sanctuary located within the Royal Garden—housed over ten thousand soldiers and was fully equipped with everything from housing to restaurants, hospitals, and training grounds.
It was the most heavily defended human stronghold.
After two weeks of recovery, the boy finally regained some strength.
One day, as he sat on his bed, someone knocked on the door.
A man stepped in—wearing a message courier's cap, dark sunglasses, and standing about 162 cm tall.
> "So… you're the messenger for this division. What is it? I don't recall having anyone who'd send me a letter."
> "To be precise… it's not a letter. It's an invitation—to enter the World Tree."
It was a golden ticket, shaped like a polished plaque and engraved with mysterious symbols.
The boy wasn't interested in whatever it meant. He simply tucked it into his pocket and began dressing.
Then, leaning heavily on the wall from exhaustion, he made his way toward the main army HQ