The sun's rays hit the face of a 10-year-old kid who slowly opened his eyes, surprised to find himself in the middle of the forest.
Thump.
A burning sensation pierces Zorka's chest as he collapses to the ground.
"Oh God, what's happening? Why am I alive again?" Zorka mutters, groaning in pain.
Memories flood into Zorka's new body, bringing impactful recollections.
The name carried by his body is the same, 10 years old, born to the magical couple Demista and Renata. His parents are powerful wizards.
However, Zorka didn't inherit any magic at all. His small body carries the poison of a fire flower that poisoned his heart, leading to a tragic death.
At the same time, Zorka comes from another world, hit by a truck on his way home. A 25-year-old man, a healer and poison expert, thought his soul was heading to the afterlife.
Instead, he's reborn into the unfortunate kid's body. The last memory of the kid before dying was his abduction by shadow forces, orchestrated by his own father, Desmita. Zorka was poisoned and dumped in the Sorgindua forest.
"What kind of father poisons his own child?" Zorka murmurs.
Getting up, Zorka changes his position from lying down to sitting against a tree.
Unbeknownst to him, a monster lurks behind the tree.A two-headed, eight-legged wolf-like monster is about to attack Zorka. At that moment, Zorka holds his chest, closing his eyes. Suddenly, the wolf-like monster leaps toward Zorka.
The monster growls, one head sniffing the air as if sensing that the kid in front of it is unwell.
Hearing the growl, Zorka is startled. The surprise deepens as a towering five-meter creature stares at him with a deadly aura.
"Damn!" curses Zorka.
"Just born again, and already facing two disasters."
Slowly, Zorka gets up. The monster watches, grinning, its sharp teeth looking menacing.
The monster suddenly pounced on Zorka. Despite his weak body, Zorka managed to dodge its attack.
He ducked and rolled as the wolf's jaws almost snapped at him. With all his strength, Zorka ran.
Running in a bit of a chaotic way, leaping over large tree roots. The wolf-like monster, failing to catch its prey, continued to chase Zorka.
While running, Zorka's eyes spotted wild medicinal plants. Quickly, he plucked them as he continued running.
Dandelions, Milk Thistle, and hawthorn berries – he grabbed them on the go. His eyes kept scanning, hoping Zorka would find a hiding spot.
Zorka saw a large tree with a big gap near its roots. From his perspective, his body seemed to fit into that gap.
He turned towards the tree and entered the gap. Luckily, there was a Wild Garlic plant near the tree's roots.
"Wild Garlic! I'll use it to mask my scent. I'm sure the monster relies on its sense of smell, much like a wolf," Zorka thought to himself.
He picked the wild garlic and quickly slipped into the gap between the tree roots. Swiftly, he rubbed the Ramsons all over his skin.
The smell of garlic filled the air. Zorka paused for a moment, making sure the chasing monster was still close. Indeed, the monster wasn't far from his hiding spot.
Both heads sniffed the air, searching for their prey. The monster heads seemed puzzled, convinced they were following the human in that direction, but the scent seemed to vanish, masked by the lingering Ramsons in the air.
The monster looked around, one head pointing towards the tree with the gap where the wild garlic grew abundantly near its roots.
One head seemed to signal the other. Witnessing this, Zorka, who was observing them from the gap, pulled himself tighter, afraid of being discovered.
The wolf-like monster approached to investigate. However, the increasingly strong smell of garlic made them snort.
"Quick, go! Quick, go!" Zorka muttered to himself.
Discovering his prey had vanished and catching a whiff of the nauseating wild garlic scent, the monster turned and leaped, running off into the dense forest. Only the echoes of its frustration reverberated through the woods.
Hearing the monster's roar, Zorka's hair stood on end. Before long, he stepped out from his hiding spot.
He tidied up the wild herbs he'd picked and searched for tools to grind his antidote ingredients, eventually finding a flat and a round stone.
Without water to clean the ingredients and the stone, Zorka had to grind them without washing.
Once everything mixed, he squeezed out the juice, collecting it in a leaf-shaped funnel. Carefully, Zorka drank the concoction he'd made.
He cautiously went back into the gap between the trees to take a short break. The medicine started working in five minutes, making Zorka feel drowsy. In no time, he fell asleep in that tree crevice.
After waking up, Zorka feels thirsty and hungry. He quickly leaves the tree crevice, scanning the forest around him.
The pain he felt earlier has eased a bit. Seems like the antidote he made only relieved the pain.
"Gotta find the antidote for the fire flower poison. But before that, I need to look for water and food. My stomach really needs filling," mutters Zorka, rubbing his belly.
Zorka checks out the forest, being a poison expert who's used to roaming around in the woods. He spots signs of water, follows them, and listens for the sound of splashing. Soon enough, he finds a spring forming a clear, rocky-bottomed pool.
Using his hand, Zorka scoops up water and drinks it eagerly. After quenching his thirst, he looks around the spring.
"Usually, fruit trees are near water," he notes.
Following his intuition, Zorka discovers wild fruits, picks them, and collects them using big leaves.
With a good amount of fruit, he heads back to the tree crevice – a safe spot for the night. He decides not to leave the forest now, especially with evening approaching. Forests get dicey at night, and wild animals get active.
To avoid getting into trouble, Zorka stays put for the night in the crevice. Plus, he wants to make sure he's in top shape to make a quick exit from the Sorgindua forest.
Zorka walks through the forest, his eyes scanning for something elusive – the Shadow Root. In his previous world, the Shadow Root was his antidote for the venom of the fire flower. He once dealt with a case involving a mafia boss poisoned by that same flower's venom. By studying symptoms and the venom's effects, Zorka found the remedy. Luck struck when he realized similarities between the poisons and antidotes in both worlds. As Zorka tries to recall where the Shadow Root usually grows, he mutters to himself, "Let me think. It likes mossy places, avoids the sun, and hangs out near snake nests." Thinking about snake nests gives Zorka the shivers. He fears encountering a massive, ferocious serpent – a stark contrast to facing a two-headed wolf monster. But fortune smiles on Zorka. Spotting a large moss-covered tree, he finds a snake nest. The small hole assures him it's not a monster. Nearby, a dark-colored plant with sharp leaves and a ginger-like scent catches his eye. Carefu
Mansion Kayleigh. The house of the powerful wizard couple, Demista and Renata.Two shadowy figures faced Demista in the dark of night."The mission's done, Master. We've disposed of the child in Sorgindua," reported one of them."Chances are he's dead by now. The fire blossom poison must have wrecked his heart."Demista, seated in his study, remained silent. He opened his desk drawer, took two pouches of gold coins, and tossed them to his two shadowy soldiers."Good job. But in the future, don't appear in front of Renata. She probably already knows what you've been up to.”And it turns out, what Demista said was true. Renata, locked in the tower, went berserk."You bastard, Demista! Where is my son, Zorka?"Renata unleashed her lightning-infused magic, creating an electric storm in the tower. Unfortunately, Renata's magic couldn't break the barrier Demista created to imprison her.The thunderous sound sent shivers down the spines of those residing in Mansion Kayleigh. They couldn't fa
Meanwhile, the wooden cart pulling a wagon of children moved at a moderate speed. Zorka couldn't sleep all night.The rattling wheels crossing the rocky road shook the small bodies inside the wagon. Suddenly, the cart stopped.Slam!The wagon door opened roughly. A bald man opened the door. Behind him, a middle-aged man was seen starting a bonfire."Hey, kids, wake up!" Hogs barked."Tsk, Hogs. Don't be rough on them. You'll only make them scared," said the man who lit the bonfire."Hurry up, Wellder. Those kids need to get ready now," Hogs replied sharply.Wellder chuckled at Hogs' attitude. "Take it easy; the slave auction is tonight. We've got plenty of time. Treat them well, Hogs. Don't let them get hurt; it reduces their resale value."This time, Hogs growled. "Yeah, yeah... I get it, old man. Now, where are their spare clothes? They need to clean up in the river so they're not all stinky.""Just look behind the wagon. I'll prepare breakfast for them. It could be risky if they ge
Venomcoil noticed something. None of the kids dared to admit it, except for one child who, from the beginning, had caught his attention by keeping a distance from the others.It was Zorka. Venomcoil directly stared at Zorka, who was startled upon realizing that Venomcoil seemed to suspect him.Venomcoil slithered, moving closer to Zorka. Unconsciously, Zorka stepped back. Although impressed by the beastmaster, he couldn't escape his fear of the giant reptile.Honestly, at that moment, Zorka panicked.The snake approached Zorka. Its head, initially upright, now leaned towards him. It extended its forked tongue.Zorka's eyes showed fear. He hoped that the river water he used to clean his body would remove the scent of his poison.Venomcoil suddenly raised its head, forming an "S" with its neck."This human child is the owner of the poison!" Venomcoil shouted.Hogs, who was interrogating other kids, was distracted by Venomcoil. He saw a thin, messy-haired child being threatened by the sna
Zorka was shocked witnessing the death of the level two beastmaster snake. Its body dried up and turned into ashes. Then, a rumbling sound echoed in the cave, startling Zorka.His body trembled uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered loudly. Meanwhile, from the stone shaped like a dragon's head, a bluish light emanated."Groar, not enough! Low-level monster energy can't break this curse!"A heavy, furious voice resonated, making Zorka's heart race. Sweat covered his body, even though the air in the cave was icy. "Wh-who is it?" Zorka suddenly retorted, strengthening his resolve to inquire of the figure speaking.Hearing the voice of a child responding, the voice chuckled."Ah, I seem to have forgotten about this little creature.”Zorka was startled to hear the voice calling him. Something emerged from the dragon head statue. A transparent dragon spirit revealed itself.Seeing this, Zorka crawled backward and curled up, crossing his arms in front of his face."Dra-dragon! Please don't
The explosion destroyed the cave where Azurks was cursed. Earlier, Azurks instinctively wrapped Zorka's body in a protective bubble spell, shielding the kid from the cave debris.Meanwhile, Hogs, now conscious and being treated by Wellder, was shocked. The kids screamed in fear. A sudden earthquake hit the valley, accompanied by explosions, rocks, and soil scattering.What was even more terrifying was the rumbling growl followed by the emergence of a blue crystal dragon wriggling out from the river and the shattered ground.Azurks's shimmering scales glint under the sunlight. Zorka, floating within a magical bubble, looks amazed witnessing the valley destroyed by Azurks' emergence.Meanwhile, Wellder and Hogs tremble, collapsing in fear. The kidnapped kids, terrified, faint."What creature is that?" shouts Wellder, hugging Hogs.Hogs, wide-eyed, can't utter a word. His body shakes, and his teeth chatter from the fear felt by Wellder.Roaaar.Azurks roars."At last, I'm free!”Zorka sc
"Wow, amazing!" Zorka's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the glowing round ball floating in her hand. Suddenly...Pop!The magic vanished without a trace, leaving Zorka startled. Azurks snorted, smoke puffing from his nostrils."Tsk, looks like you need practice to control your magic power.""See, I told you it's better if you do it. Punish them, make them helpless," Zorka said.Without a word, Azurks immediately flapped his wings. A wave of magic with a blue lightning-shaped fire element struck Hogs and Wellder directly.Bam!Thunder roared, shocking Hogs and Wellder as they got zapped by thousands of volts of lightning magic. The jolt messed up their nerves, making their bodies go limp."Alright, what are you gonna do with them now, Zorka?" Azurks asked."I'll take them to the nearest town or kingdom. Find some royal officers who deal with criminals like them. Then..." Zorka glanced at the unconscious kids."I'll take these kids back home. I'm sure their parents are freaking out and sa
After turning in the two criminals and the evidence, Zorka asked the kingdom's law enforcers if he could use his wooden cart and horses to take the kidnapped children back home. However, they said no because the cart and horses were considered evidence. Instead, they arranged for a law enforcement horse-drawn carriage, and an officer was assigned to accompany the kids.Learning this, Zorka initially decided not to go with them. He wanted to wander around and didn't want to return to Kayleigh's mansion yet, feeling it wasn't the right time to go back to his birthplace. But..."No way. You have to take us home. Didn't you say you'd take us to our houses?”"Yeah, your words were a promise, don't break it!""We'd actually be happy if you came along to take us. Boohoo."All the kids protested when they found out Zorka didn't keep his word in the savannah valley."Zorka looked confused by the situation. Azurks laughed seeing his master getting more puzzled."So, what's the deal? You better