Deep in the Darklands Forest lies the troll homeland.
There's a mountain here with a cave on top—the sacred place where trolls complete their ritual of passage.
Survivor Daniel is inside right now!
Well, more accurately, it's Shakus Mivian of the troll clan who's in there.
If the ritual goes right, that means his bloodline will awaken, and the troll Shakus Mivian will officially become an adult.
In other words, Shakus Mivian is about to gain real power—the right to fight for resources and women.
Outside the cave, over a thousand trolls have gathered, all eyes fixed on the entrance, waiting with desperate hope.
What are they waiting for?
They're waiting for troll warriors like Shakus Mivian—ones who might actually awaken their bloodline!
Day and night keep rolling by, and three full days pass. The trolls are getting more and more restless.
Finally, on the fourth day around noon, weak sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines down on the cave entrance. That's when trolls start crawling out of the cave, one by one.
Every troll that makes it out gets crazy emotional when they see their families—like they've been born again or something.
Shakus Mivian's no different. Right now he's hugging his big brother tight, too choked up to say a word.
"Way to go, Shakus!"
Shakus's brother is also a troll warrior, and he's holding onto his only surviving little brother, getting all misty-eyed.
Especially today, when Shakus finished the ritual and actually made it out of that cave.
"Shakus, my good brother, I'm so damn happy!"
"You've got the power to protect yourself now—I finally kept my promise to Mother!"
"Hahaha... Shakus, my good brother, let's head back! I'm gonna build you the strongest tent and help you marry the most beautiful girl in the tribe!"
His brother Grehl pounds Shakus on the back so hard it sounds like thunder, showing just how pumped he is that the family and tribe have gained another bloodline warrior.
Shakus doesn't say anything—he's still soaking up the joy of seeing Grehl again, hasn't quite snapped back to reality yet.
Faced with this brother who cares so much about him, Shakus really enjoys this feeling of being looked after and close to someone.
...
Down the mountain, in Snapping Turtle Valley, there's a settlement made up of a 2,000-strong troll tribe.
Shakus follows his brother, walking into the settlement along with two other trolls who successfully awakened their bloodlines and completed the ritual.
"Look, the chieftain and the others are back!"
"It's Shakus—the chieftain's brother! He made it!"
"And there's Beigar, and Lander too—they survived!"
"Demon God above, our tribe just gained three more bloodline warriors!"
"..."
The moment they walk into the valley, the settlement trolls look at Shakus with joy, curiosity, relief... all kinds of emotions.
Of course, those same looks are also directed at Beigar and Lander, who also became bloodline warriors.
"Shakus, Beigar, Lander—wait up a sec! I'm gonna grab some beast hides from storage for you guys."
Brother Grehl lets out a big laugh, waves over some older troll warriors who came to greet them, and heads straight for the deep part of the valley.
After watching his brother leave, Shakus turns to Beigar and Lander.
"Come on, let's go pick spots to set up our tents. Don't you guys want to get some beautiful girls living in your own tents as soon as possible?"
Hearing this, Beigar and Lander both start grinning like idiots, not even trying to hide how excited and pumped up they are.
For a troll, showing off your strength isn't just about having a buff body and serious power—it's also about how many beast hides are hanging outside your tent and how many girls are living inside it.
Deep in the valley, in the most prestigious area—the exclusive residential zone for troll warriors—Shakus picks out a spot to build his tent.
It's a pretty far back location, right next to some old-timer troll warrior who's clearly seen better days.
Right after he picks the spot, his brother Grehl shows up with a bunch of tribe members carrying beast hides.
"Shakus, check it out! All these beast hides are the tribe's contribution to help you build your tent!"
"They're all top-quality complete hides—I personally picked them out from storage!"
Shakus walks up and bumps his right arm against Grehl's right arm to thank his brother and the tribe.
Grehl lets out a hearty laugh, waves his left hand, and the trolls behind him step forward to start digging holes and burying bones to build Shakus's tent.
Grehl takes a huge iron hammer from one of the tribe members and hands it to Shakus with a smile.
"Shakus, you gotta be the one to drive in the first magic bone of your tent!"
Shakus doesn't hesitate—he takes the massive hammer and channels the bloodline power inside him.
The next second, a black tattoo suddenly appears on Shakus's exposed arm, black flames spring up in his hand, and then Shakus lets out a war cry.
The big hammer comes down, and the first magic bone for the tent drives deep into the ground—so deep you can barely see it anymore.
"Yes! That's my brother right there!"
Seeing this, Grehl's eyes light up and he can't help but burst out laughing.
"Hurrah!"
"Hurrah!"
"..."
The tribe members who came to help build Shakus's tent also start cheering "Hurrah! Hurrah!"
Shakus smiles but doesn't say anything. He knows exactly why his brother and the tribe members are so happy.
Personally driving in the first magic bone of your tent is a troll tradition with several meanings.
First, it shows off the troll warrior's bloodline power, displaying your strength to the tribe and claiming ownership of the tent as a true warrior.
Second, when Shakus drives in the magic bone himself, the tent connects to Shakus's bloodline and to the tribe's sacred artifacts, making this tent perfect for Shakus to rest and train in.
The rest of the work can be left to the other tribe members.
After that, brother Grehl pulls Shakus aside and asks quietly.
"Shakus, why didn't you pick a spot closer to my tent?"
"You gotta know the elemental energy is denser over there—way better for training, right?"
Shakus shakes his head, looks at his caring brother, and says seriously.
"Grehl, that little bit of elemental density isn't even enough for you alone to train with!"
"Well..."
Brother Grehl is stumped, doesn't know what to say to that.
After a long pause, Grehl puts his hand on Shakus's shoulder and says very seriously.
"Get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow I'll have the Great Elder take you guys out hunting to complete your troll warrior trials!"
Shakus nods, and his face gets serious the moment he hears the word "hunting."
Because outside the valley lies endless forest.
In this world, forest means danger—it means magical beasts everywhere.
"Remember, be careful out there. Listen to what the Great Elder says—he's got tons of experience. Do your best!"
Brother Grehl glances around at the tribe members gathering nearby, then leaves with the guys who were building the tent.