Ten Years Later
"Hey, Kaesus! Where's the wood? Isn't it ready yet?" shouted Kiolen angrily. He looked paler and weaker than he had years ago.
One would think, just by looking at his face, that he was nearing the end of his life. Wrinkles covered his face, all his hair had fallen out, and his lips were cracked.
"Alright, alright, you damn old bastard, stop yelling!" came a childish voice from outside. It was Alfonso—now known as Kaesus—struggling to chop the logs with a rusty axe.
After a couple of minutes, he finished and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Though only ten, Kaesus had the build and posture of a fifteen-year-old. His face was handsome, his hair dark as the night and glossy. He had inherited his mother's beauty, and his mature demeanor stood out—shaped by the harsh environment he grew up in, where he had to enter the forest daily to hunt animals while avoiding predators.
In this world, for instance, wolves could grow up to three times the size of regular wolves on Earth. Strangely, these were not areas where such creatures were usually found—almost as if they were fleeing from something far more dangerous and seeking refuge in the outer forests.
All these harsh conditions forged his calm and cautious nature.
Kaesus opened the door and placed the firewood near the fireplace, then sat next to Kiolen.
"Hah, you're getting slow! Has scolding you stopped working?" Kiolen sighed as he added the remaining ingredients to the pot, then placed it over the fire.
"...You know, I really wish you were my real son, Kaesus. Truly," said Kiolen with a deep sense of sorrow. "Cough cough... cough cough... You know, son, my health is deteriorating."
Kiolen coughed violently, his hand stained with saliva mixed with blood. "I can feel the end drawing near."
He reached out and gently stroked Kaesus's head. "...I always loved playing Last Fortress with you. How about one last round before dinner?" He went to the shelf and brought down the game board.
Fifteen Minutes Later
"Ahahaha! I win again, Kaesus, haha!" Kiolen stood up with difficulty, despite being younger than sixty, and brought two bowls of hot soup—made from vegetables and meat.
"Kaesus, I made your favorite soup."
Kiolen handed Kaesus a bowl, and the boy eagerly took it. "You never disappoint, old man! Your soup's amazing—too bad your other skills don't match up."
Kaesus quickly gulped down the soup.
"Easy, boy, take your time. The fun is only beginning."
"Oh, come on, old man! Leave me alone for once!"
"Haha..." Kiolen laughed softly. Then suddenly, as he saw Kaesus had drunk enough, his tone grew sharp and cold, like a hammer striking bone. "...Why do you keep losing on purpose in the game, boy?"
Kaesus froze and responded with surprise, "What are you talking about, old man? Have you gone senile? Why would I do that?"
Kiolen chuckled. "Heh, what's wrong, Kaesus? I was just messing with you!"
"Alright, for a second there, I thought you'd lost your mind." Kaesus turned his head slightly toward a specific corner, then looked back at Kiolen and said, "Well, I'm full. I'm going to sleep." He tried to get up—but his body didn't respond. His tension spiked.
"The Kollilis plant, when added to liquid, releases a yellow pigment. Mix it with Bresel Heart and the pigment disappears—creating a solution that relaxes the nerves and causes paralysis of all four limbs for half an hour..." Kiolen's voice was cold and heavy like steel.
"Why would you do this, old man? Have I wronged you somehow? Haven't I been a good child to you?" Kaesus asked with a voice tinged with fear.
"Oh please, Kaesus. Stop the act and take off the mask." Kiolen's tone was tired. Then he tossed something on the table. "Here, this might help you with that."
On the table lay three plants: Ebrasilia, Kollilis, and Takeldar.
Combined, they caused symptoms such as coughing, hair loss, fatigue, and organ failure. The longer someone consumed them, the worse their condition became—until death was inevitable.
Seeing this, Kaesus's tear-filled eyes locked onto his adoptive father. He wanted to deny it, to explain that he had been collecting those same plants to study his condition, maybe reverse it, maybe help him. But...
That performance would mean nothing to this senile old man.
"...Fine. I give up. Congratulations, old man. You caught me. So, what now?" Kaesus's voice turned cold, his expression emotionless. "...Let me guess. You'll speed up the process of selling me to the slave traders, huh?"
"Heh, just like I expected… Always clever," Kiolen replied sarcastically, then added, "But tell me, how did you figure it out? I don't recall ever acting suspicious. I treated you like a real son. I made sure of it."
He scratched his head, puzzled. "I even spent months sneaking into the town just to study how parents interact with their children. I acted accordingly... So how did you know, Kaesus?"
Kaesus remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Telling you won't change anything now."
Two Years Earlier
While returning along the usual path, Kaesus suddenly noticed moving shadows and quickly hid behind a tree.
"Damn! These damn wolves are always roaming around! Can't they just keep their asses in one place?" He saw the wolves feeding on the corpse of a Gronel—a creature resembling a deer, but twice as large, with three black horns on its head.
Quietly, Kaesus tried to withdraw in another direction. He managed to put some distance between himself and the wolves before running at full speed.
"Hah... hah..." He leaned on a tree after making sure the area was clear and nothing was following him. Good, the wolves didn't chase me even though they sensed me. Kaesus wasn't foolish enough to think they hadn't noticed—wolves' senses far exceeded humans', and his scent would have surely reached them. They were probably too busy filling their stomachs, each trying to eat more than the other.
He caught his breath and continued on.
Fifteen Minutes of Continuous Walking Later
He spotted the town and rushed toward it. Its entrance was marked by a five-meter-high wall of black stone encircling it, and in the center stood a gate of dark grey wood. The trees and plants in this world were either grey or black due to the soil rich in black chlorophyll, unlike the green kind on Earth.
The fruits and vegetables here tasted bitter and pungent, and their juices were deep red, almost blood-like.
Kaesus approached the gate guarded by two towering men. Without showing any nervousness or emotion, he walked confidently past them. The guards didn't even look at him, too engrossed in an argument between themselves.
After passing them, Kaesus picked up the pace.
In front of the market, the place was crowded with people. Kaesus began to feel nervous and overwhelmed—he had only ever interacted with one person in his life… Kiolen.
He pushed forward, glancing left and right, weaving through the mass. The crowd was suffocating and rough, and suddenly he was shoved into someone carrying a box, causing the fruit inside to spill.
"Oh! I'm sorry, sir..." Kaesus tried to apologize, but was cut off.
"Damn it! Can't you watch where you're going, you blind brat?!" the man shouted, crouching quickly to save the fruit before it got crushed.
They were round, black fruits with two grey leaves sprouting from the stem—like apples, except for the color and size.
"You little shi—" The man raised his head, ready to unleash his anger on the culprit.
But Kaesus was gone.
He looked around, confused—no sign of the boy.
Meanwhile, Kaesus was already disappearing into the crowd, calmly observing his surroundings. Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to stand there and wait for the man to finish gathering his fruit and demand compensation... which was exactly what would've happened.