One month.
That was how long Aiden Valen had survived inside the Forbidden Forest.
A month ago, he entered this place as a helpless summoned hero.
A person who knew nothing about this world.
A person who could barely escape from a single monster.
Now…
He was still not strong enough to challenge the deepest parts of the forest.
But he was no longer helpless.
The forest had become his teacher.
Every injury.
Every battle.
Every night spent hiding from monsters.
Everything had changed him.
Aiden walked between the ancient trees, carrying a small bag made from monster leather.
Inside were herbs, food, and several strange materials he had collected.
His clothes were damaged.
His hair was longer.
His body carried several scars.
But his eyes were different.
They were sharper.
More cautious.
More experienced.
He stopped near a tree and looked at the marks carved into the bark.
Aiden had learned to mark his path.
The Forbidden Forest was enormous.
Without directions, anyone could become lost forever.
“Thirty days…”
He looked toward the sky hidden above the trees.
“I’ve been here for thirty days.”
At first, he only wanted to survive.
But now…
He needed to leave.
The forest had given him strength.
But it was not his final destination.
Aiden continued walking.
After several hours, he heard something unusual.
A sound he had not heard in a long time.
Running water.
He immediately changed direction.
The deeper he went, the louder the sound became.
Then the trees finally opened.
A wide river appeared before him.
Clear water flowed between the rocks, reflecting the sunlight above.
Aiden stood silently.
A river.
In this world, a river meant more than water.
It meant life.
Animals.
Plants.
Possibly civilization.
Aiden crouched beside the river and drank.
The cold water refreshed his tired body.
“This is a good place.”
He decided to follow the river.
If there were villages or cities nearby, rivers were the most likely paths people would build around.
But he also understood something.
Where there was life…
There were monsters.
Only a few hours later, Aiden sensed movement near the riverbank.
Three creatures emerged from the bushes.
Small, but dangerous.
They looked like wolves with dark green fur and sharp claws.
Aiden immediately recognized them.
Forest Fang Wolves.
The weakest monsters he had encountered.
But weak did not mean harmless.
The first time he fought a monster, he nearly died.
Now…
He calmly reached for a weapon he had made himself.
A simple blade created from monster materials.
The wolves attacked together.
Aiden moved.
Not backward.
Forward.
He avoided the first bite, turned his body, and struck the monster’s side.
The blade cut through its fur.
The wolf fell.
The other two attacked from both sides.
Aiden jumped back.
Then he touched the ground.
A small amount of black energy gathered around his fingers.
Nothingness.
He had learned one important thing.
His ability was powerful.
But it was dangerous to use constantly.
So he trained his body as well.
He would not become dependent on one power.
The black energy touched one wolf.
The creature disappeared instantly.
The final wolf escaped.
Aiden watched it run away.
He did not chase.
Survival was not about killing everything.
It was about making the correct choice.
A message appeared before his eyes.
**[Monster Defeated]**
**[Experience gained]**
**[Level increased]**
Aiden stopped.
A transparent screen appeared.
For the first time in this world, he saw his own information.
**Hero Status**
Name: Aiden Valen
Level: 7
Class: Unknown
Ability: Nothingness
Skills:
* Survival Instinct
* Basic Swordsmanship
Inventory:
* Locked
Aiden stared.
“So this exists…”
The other heroes probably had the same thing.
Maybe they assumed everyone already knew.
He focused on the word inventory.
Suddenly, another message appeared.
**[Hero Inventory unlocked]**
**[Space Storage available]**
Aiden’s eyes widened.
A small empty space appeared inside his mind.
A place where he could store objects.
He picked up the monster’s core.
A small green crystal remained after the wolf disappeared.
When he touched it—
The crystal vanished into his storage.
Aiden smiled slightly.
“This changes everything.”
Monster cores.
A way to store supplies.
A system to track his growth.
The kingdom thought he was useless.
But they never gave him the chance to understand his power.
Aiden continued following the river.
During the next two weeks, the river became his path.
Every day, he hunted.
Every day, he fought.
He collected monster cores.
He learned which creatures he could defeat.
Which ones he should avoid.
His level increased.
His sword skills improved.
His understanding of Nothingness grew.
He discovered that his ability was not simple destruction.
It removed existence.
But the more powerful the target…
The more energy it required.
Aiden needed strength.
Real strength.
Not just a mysterious ability.
One evening, as the sun disappeared beyond the trees, Aiden sat beside the river.
A pile of monster cores rested beside him.
He looked at them quietly.
Two months ago, he was an ordinary person from Earth.
Now he was a summoned hero surviving in a deadly forest.
His old self would never believe this.
Aiden looked toward the direction where the river continued.
Somewhere beyond it…
There was a world waiting.
Kingdoms.
Races.
Adventures.
And answers.
But before he reached them…
The Forbidden Forest still had many secrets.
And something deep within the forest had already noticed his growth.
A pair of ancient eyes opened in the darkness.
Watching.
Waiting.