My journey through the forest was, at best, difficult… and at worst, hellish.
From simple scavenger rabbits to, for some reason, a massive white serpent capable of swallowing a wolf whole—this place was filled with creatures as strange as they were deadly.
If I had to give this place a name, I would call it the White Inferno.
Everything here was hostile: the snow, the silence, the shadows creeping between the trees. Every corner reeked of danger and death.
In the scale of this forest, I was at the very bottom of the food chain—
a mere insect among monsters capable of tearing mountains apart.
Even my ability with fire was pitiful. I could barely ignite a tiny flickering flame—weak, trembling, almost laughable in comparison to the power of the beasts around me.
But although I lacked strength, I possessed something none of them did: intelligence.
I was weak, yes… but cunning.
And I took pride in that.
I knew how to use the terrain, how to hide, how to wait.
If one plan failed, I had another—and if that one failed too, there was always the option to run, to vanish into the snow and live another day.
Fortunately, I hadn't yet been discovered by the truly terrifying things that roamed this forest.
When exhaustion overtook me, I would return to my cave: eat, sleep, and tend to basic needs before resuming the endless cycle of vigilance and caution.
Despite everything, my situation wasn't entirely hopeless.
Terrible, yes—but not yet hellish.
I had begun studying the creatures, observing their behavior, habits, territories, and hierarchies.
Every detail, no matter how small, could mean the difference between life and death.
For example, scavenger rabbits usually inhabited burrows beneath large, dry trees.
They didn't hunt—they waited.
They only came out when drawn by a strong scent of blood, gathering in swarms.
Individually weak, but dangerous in numbers.
A tide of claws and fangs capable of tearing apart the careless.
I also discovered they had a constant rivalry with the ice wolves, territorial predators that dominated a large section of the forest.
Their battles were brutal, often leaving both sides exhausted and vulnerable—easy prey for other creatures lurking nearby.
But among these territorial fights, there were beings of another level…
Area Guardians, or as I preferred to call them—mini-bosses, in gaming terms.
They were the strongest, temporary rulers of their domains.
They patrolled constantly, annihilating anything that entered their territory.
When two of these titans met, the battle that followed was apocalyptic: trees torn from the ground, ice shattered, the land reshaped.
The victor claimed the loser's territory—only to later die at the claws of another even stronger beast.
It was an endless cycle of violence, destruction, and renewal.
As for me, I was far too weak to fight an Awakened Beast.
So I became a scavenger.
I waited for two monsters to clash, for one to fall—then swooped in to finish off the weakened survivor and claim their fragments and flesh.
That was how I survived—and slowly grew stronger.
Days passed like that.
Always moving carefully, always wary—because the Rabbit King was still out there, hunting me.
We would meet again eventually, I knew it.
I only hoped it wouldn't be soon.
One afternoon, while watching from the branches of a tall tree, I saw an ice bear finishing off a pack of ice wolves.
The wolves were similar to normal ones, but their metallic blue fur gleamed in the light, and a sharp horn jutted from their foreheads like an icy spear.
They were tall—reaching up to my chest on all fours and over two meters when standing upright.
Terrifying… and worse, they were Awakened.
I had learned that the hard way—by killing one that was weakened days before.
They thought, coordinated, fought in teams.
Their teamwork was impressive, but not enough to stop the bear.
Unlike the first ice bear I had encountered—the one I'd barely managed to defeat—this one was perfectly healthy.
Its wounds were minimal, almost nonexistent.
Its claws ripped through thick hides like paper, its movements devastatingly fast.
The fight ended in seconds.
A complete massacre.
"So this is the difference between an Awakened Beast and a Fallen Beast…" I thought, shivering.
"The difference is… brutal."
My theory was confirmed: these creatures were ranked.
A Dormant Beast was weak.
An Awakened Beast was terrifying.
And a Fallen Beast… was overwhelming—something beyond reason.
Just wondering what kind of monster could kill a Fallen made my soul freeze.
The bear devoured part of the wolves' bodies before finally wandering off.
I waited a few minutes, watching the direction it had gone.
Once I was sure it wouldn't return, I climbed down from the tree.
I approached the corpses, drew my knife, and with some effort split open their chests.
After a few minutes, I extracted six glowing fragments from their remains.
Crushing them between my hands, I felt a familiar rush of energy surge through my body, warming me, strengthening me.
I was about to leave when I saw them—
From the shadows beneath the trees, several scavenger rabbits emerged, freezing as their eyes met mine.
—Of course… the smell would bring them —I muttered, gripping my knives.
They hesitated for a second… and then charged.
A dozen of them, all rushing straight for me.
—Come on, then! Let's see which scavenger survives! —I shouted, charging forward to meet them.
The first one leapt—but now I could follow its movements perfectly.
They even seemed slower than before.
I sidestepped and slashed, leaving a deep wound across its body.
It fell to the ground, blood staining the snow.
Two more attacked.
I buried my knives into their skulls before feeling a sudden impact on my back.
Another had tried to impale me, but my jacket absorbed the blow.
I spun and kicked, sending it flying into another rabbit—both crashing together.
Seizing the momentum, I pressed the attack.
My blades moved with speed and precision.
The air filled with the sound of steel slicing flesh, of claws scraping ice.
Blood sprayed against the snow, bright and warm.
Two minutes later, silence.
The rabbits lay scattered across the crimson-stained snow.
My breath was heavy, muscles burning, sweat mixing with the cold air.
After catching my breath, I grabbed two of the carcasses.
I had to move quickly—before something else came, drawn by the smell.
It took some time, but I finally made it back to my cave.
As soon as I stepped inside, I exhaled in relief.
A faint smile spread across my face.
—Finally… finally, I can fight those damned rabbits —I whispered, genuinely happy.
I had spent days studying their behavior, their attacks, their reactions—and today, that knowledge had paid off.
But I knew it still wasn't enough.
It wouldn't be until I killed the Rabbit King himself.
I clenched my hand into a fist.
That rabbit represented more than just an enemy.
It represented my weakness, fear, and despair.
If I truly wanted to survive—if I wanted to live—
I had to overcome it.
—I have to surpass myself… —I murmured.
I began preparing the rabbit meat.
I'd already devised a method to gather water: using a beast's skull to melt snow, then boiling it for drinking.
The process was long and exhausting—but worth it.
That was the price of survival in the White Inferno.
A constant cycle of struggle, observation, and learning.
And though I was still weak…
for the first time, I felt like I was finally moving forward.