Chapter 1:I m just begun

That night, dry winds blew through the ruins of wooden shacks and tattered cloth that made up the bandit slums. On top of a hill, a small boy sat in silence, idly playing with a knife in his hands.

"I’m alone tonight... I like that. I don’t have to pretend to be a good kid."

My name is Shun, the son of the Reaper bandit leader. I’m a nine-year-old boy—though my soul has lived for eighteen years.

"It’s cold... If only I had a jacket."

I’m talking to myself again.

Footsteps approached from behind.

"Shun, why are you here?"

My father’s deep voice cut through the night air.

I glanced back. "Just getting some fresh air. The camp stinks of rotten meat."

My father snorted. "Do what you want. But tomorrow, don’t even think about skipping hunting practice."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away. I let out a small sigh. "Yeah, yeah..."

For a moment, I thought to myself. Why wait for tomorrow’s hunting practice when I could just start now? What’s the worst I could run into around here?

With that thought in mind, I made my way into the forest.

---

Rabbits darted through the underbrush, fleeing from something.

That something was me.

I had been wandering through the forest for a while, searching for animal tracks. This was the first creature I’d found. My plan was to sneak up on it through the bushes, but the rabbit noticed me and started running.

I chased after it. Every now and then, the rabbit glanced back to check if I was still following. Of course, I was! I wasn’t going to stop until I caught it.

After all, there was nothing fun in this world. No friends. No phones, laptops, or anything like that. I was so bored that even chasing a rabbit felt like entertainment.

But just as I was starting to get tired, the rabbit stopped running and stared at me.

I was about to dash after it again—

Rustle.

The bushes nearby shook.

I froze.

And then, out of nowhere—

CHOMP!

A massive boar lunged forward and swallowed the rabbit whole in a single bite.

Panic surged through me. I stumbled back, falling onto the ground. My body refused to move for a moment.

When I finally snapped out of it, I bolted.

I knew I couldn’t win.

But what the hell—? Since when did boars eat rabbits?!

---

Two hours later, I finally made it back to camp.

I trudged through the settlement, exhausted. But then, something made me stop in my tracks.

Lying on the ground was a slave. His left leg was missing. The blood had already dried.

I stared at him for a moment. "Is he dead?" I muttered.

A bandit nearby turned to me and laughed. "Of course! You think someone can survive without a leg?"

Then, his expression shifted awkwardly. "Ah... Sorry, kid. Didn’t realize you were the boss’s son."

I didn’t care.

A dead slave was nothing unusual here.

I simply walked past him, just like everyone else.

But deep inside, a thought lingered.

"If I keep living like this, I might lose my humanity."

---

The night passed peacefully.

The next morning, I stood in line with the other children. In front of us, my father stood tall, his voice booming as he spoke.

"Go out there and get your own food! You’re not allowed to return for three days. If you come back early, you’ll be assigned as a pack mule!"

I swallowed hard.

Being a pack mule didn’t sound so bad... until you realized it was just as terrible as being a slave. No rights. Treated like dirt by the other bandits.

My father continued, "Now go! Prove that you’re not useless trash!"

I stared at the forest ahead.

There was no turning back.

Three days in the wild... Will I survive?