Huh, what was that sound? Wind?

Kane gently opened his eyes. His vision was blurry for a moment, then he saw the dark orange sky and the sunset.

Wh… Where am I?

Raising his upper body, he looked around. It was a bit hard to see. After seeing a patch of tall dark brownish trees in front of him, he concluded that he wasn’t in the castle hall anymore.

Why am I in a forest, and how can I even be alive…? My heart was... He stroked his left chest.

“My heart! Why is there no hole… wait, these aren’t even my hands. My voice is also different! What’s going on here…” Kane stared at his unfamiliar small body and short limbs. No muscles in his arms and neither his abs. He had tender white skin as if he had bathed in the legendary fountain of youth.

“I’ve turned into a child… Ugh… My head…” All of sudden, a sharp, acute pain invaded his forehead.

Kane saw fragments of memory. After he gained new information regarding the previous owner, Kane now understood his current circumstances. He had “possessed” a 12-year-old kid. They both share the same first name but with different pronunciations. The kid’s real name was Kane Foxsnove.

He also saw his current appearance from the memory. The pair of crimson horns protruded from his forehead. He sighed at the fact that he was no longer a human. He was now a part of a race called oni.

Oni were a humanoid race. They had the same characteristics as Kane’s current body, except they had red skin and pointy ears. The color of their horns, eyes, and hair were sometimes different from each other. They had immense physical strength when compared to other races, so they made for solid warriors or laborers.

Their traits had some similarities to the typical demon-like Xervatia. No wonder some people referred to them as ‘the descendants of the demon,’ even though they had almost no connection to them whatsoever.

Kane’s current body wasn’t that of a pure oni. He had both oni and human characteristics. In other words, he was a mixed-race.

The kid had been living with his father just right next to the forest. Not too far from the house, there was an oni village.

The previous Kane had been chopping firewood to help his father until he had stumbled upon a strange-looking plant. The leaves were spiral, black with red veins. It produced fruit that was identical to the common berry. If not for the scent, he wouldn't have even known the plant’s whereabouts because it hid in the shadows. Not knowing that it was a poisonous plant, he foolishly ate it to satisfy his curiosity. Unpleasant sensations occupied his body before he passed away. Then the memory fragments ended.

“It seems he ate matured Whorled Black-weed Berry. That plant isn’t edible, unlike other normal berries. But still, he should have at most got a fever for about four days unless he was really allergic to it. What an unlucky brat.” Kane determined the reason why he had died.

“So, I got reincarnated, huh? I always thought that was just a myth. What’s the reason behind this?” Kane pondered. He thought it probably had something to do with his killer, albeit he had no proof.

Kane had no hatred against Xervatia, nor did he desire revenge. It was more a feeling of… gratitude. He doubted that he would be reincarnated with his memories intact if she hadn’t killed him. She had even left his soul alone unlike any other normal demon would. Without her interference, he would have died anyway from his injury. Nevertheless, she 'stole' Kane’s sword. He must retrieve it before a calamity occured, since this was a demon possessing one of the most powerful weapons in the world.

However, Kane spared no empathy for the king. After he was “saved,” which was actually capturing and forcing him to sign an unbreakable contract when he was in his weakest state, the king forced him to create weapons for the kingdom without ever paying him. Kane had also been receiving poor treatment for 3 months until he had satisfied the king with his creations. Wanting to break free, Kane had come up with a plan to kill the king indirectly by creating a cursed weapon and then giving it to the king. The divine sword would absorb the life force of the user each time they used it. Obviously, he hadn’t expected a demon to possess the sword.

“Xervatia, just wait for me.” Kane was determined to meet her again. A lot of questions popped up in his mind: where was he right now? Was this even the same world? How much time had passed since he had died? And would the curse remain on that sword? He had no answer to those questions, so he buried them back in his mind.

Standing up, he noticed there was a forest ax beside him. The edge had many chips and rusts, showing extensive use without proper care. It was the previous Kane’s ax.

“And now I’m a lumberjack. What a coincidence!” Kane smiled. They shared the same trait: they both used axes, although Kane wasn’t a lumberjack before.

“Kane, I’m home!” A deep loud voice echoed throughout the grassy field. An oni who wore primitive leather clothes appeared in front of Kane. His stature was as large as a bear. He had an unkempt beard and goatee around his jawline, whereas his hair was short and tidy. Kane somehow understood the man even though he was unfamiliar with the oni language.

“Welcome back, Dad,” Kane answered him in oni language. His tongue spoke it fluently. Based on Kane’s previous memory, the name of this person was Ezar Foxsnove. He took care of Kane alone without his wife. His father had never told him the reason for the absence of Kane’s mother.

“You didn’t chop all the firewood. What happened?” Ezar glanced at the wood chopping block beside Kane. A pile of firewood still remained intact.

“I’ll tell you later, let’s just go home and eat. I’m hungry.” Kane stood up and wiped his cloth of the dirt.

“What… fine, we will talk at home.”

Kane ran to his home.

He observed the surrounding forest while running. The forest was filled with Black Bloodwood trees, a type of tree that was more durable and much stronger compared to ordinary hardwood trees. It was similar to an oak tree and had a dark red-brown color. For that reason, the trees were sought by many, especially in small cities. Those trees were his father’s main income.

Kane’s house was humble. It was a wooden log cabin made from dark brownish logs, the same wood as in the forest. No other buildings were present, only the grass field along with the forest. A long dirt path connected his house to the village.

The distance between the chopping woodblock and his house was only about a minute’s walk. This location made chopping the felled trees into logs easier for Kane’s father.

Kane swung the door open, revealing the house’s interior. Almost everything in the house was made from Black Bloodwood, except the fireplace. Based on Kane’s previous memory, his father had crafted the furniture alone in a year. Ezar then entered the house and prepared dinner, and Kane sat on the dining chair.

First, I must become strong. But how? Perhaps I should buy a weapon and then temper my body.

To train my body as quickly and effectively as possible, I have to brew some basic strength potions. I wonder if I can find the necessary ingredients.

Kane had studied alchemy in his first life, but no more than the basics. He definitely couldn't brew all the advanced potions such as the invisibility potion, full recovery potion, etc because they required magic. He had studied it in his free time or when he got tired from smithing or fighting.

“What’s in your mind, Kane?” A voice from the kitchen interrupted Kane’s train of thought. His father carried two polished wooden plates and some metallic utensils. He cooked roasted rabbit meat with fried potatoes. A simple meal, yet it aroused Kane’s appetite and smelled nice. A moment later, they started eating.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about the dish. It’s more delicious than usual.” Kane replied as he cut the meat. He didn’t wish to involve his father in his problems. It also would be too unusual for a kid to be planning to make potions.

“Glad you noticed. I got a new recipe from one of our neighbors, Ellai, because I helped her move stuff. She even personally taught me!”

“That’s great, Dad. You should ask her for more food recipes.” His compliment on the food was actually genuine.

“Right, right. I’ll ask her later.” Ezar nodded in agreement. “Why didn’t you finish your task, Kane?”

“When I was chopping some firewoods, I accidentally hit myself on the head because I lifted my ax too fast. It was very painful, so I lay down for a while until I fell asleep. I’m sorry, Dad,” said Kane with an innocent expression. He could only lie to him because the truth was far too bizarre. He wanted his family life to be just the same as usual for now. Also, telling the truth would only worsen the situation.

“Ahahaha, that’s really silly. You should be careful next time, Kane,” he laughed. Kane was relieved that his father believed him.

“Can I go to a blacksmith or a weapon shop?” Kane switched the topic.

“Oh? You can, but what do you want to buy? I thought you’re not interested in that stuff.” Ezar raised his eyebrows.

“An ax that is suitable for both utility and combat. A tomahawk. My current hatchet is too old.”

“To-mo-hawk? What is that?” asked Ezar, tilting his head. Never once had the word ‘tomahawk’ entered his ear.

When Kane saw his father’s expression, he just realized that the ax wasn’t common because it was a native weapon. In his past life, he knew this weapon from one of his acquaintances he had met when adventuring. He had liked that person’s tomahawk, but it was too small for him at that time. Now the situation was different, and he needed a compact weapon.

“Ah, never mind. I just want to buy a higher quality weapon, better than my hatchet,” said Kane. He knew it’s a bit demanding but he didn’t mean it. He was curious about his father’s wealth.

“I see. I’m sorry Kane because right now I can’t afford any expensive items. Not even a basic sword nor a battle-ax.” Ezar scratched his head, feeling bad for disappointing Kane.

Kane nodded. He had already expected this, so he shot another question, “Then, can I buy a dagger instead? Any quality will do.” He decided to get his ax using one way or another.

“A dagger, huh? Sure.”

“Thanks, dad!” Kane smiled.

“But, there’s one condition.”

“What condition?”

“You must agree to let me train you every day. You said that you want to buy a dagger, which means you’re going to use it for fighting. I have no qualms about that. However, using a dagger, or any weapon, requires careful handling and skills, so I must teach you how to use it. I don’t want you to injure yourself,” warned Ezar.

His father once told the previous Kane before that he was a mercenary for many years. Later, he retired because he yearned for a peaceful life. Clearly, he had plenty of experiences from his line of work.

“Fine by me.” Kane shrugged. Despite knowing that he probably should be the one to teach his father, it was better to stay humble. He too hoped he could learn something new from his father.

“By the way, what is today’s date?” Kane asked again.

“Hmm, it’s 9th Draengar 7782, I think.”

“Still the same day, huh,” Kane murmured. He knew that he had died on the same date. This means he could still catch up with her.

“What’s the matter, Kane? Is there something important coming up?”

“No, nothing. I just forgot today’s date.”

The father and son later chatted for an hour and finished their dinner before each went to their own bedroom.

Kane’s bedroom was plain and simple. The bed was installed at the right corner of the room beside the door. A wooden bucket for his personal needs was placed on the left corner. All of them were made from Black Bloodwood.

Kane lay on his bed. He stared at the night sky through his bedroom window. The bluish full moon hung along with the twinkling stars.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to buy a dagger and train with my father. In the afternoon, I will search for the potion ingredients. I will make the ax later.”

Of course, he wasn’t going to make a high-ranked weapon. Not only was it time-consuming, but it also required specific materials plus equipment, as well as great strengths that only his previous body had. In other words, it was impossible — at least for now.

There were two reasons why he wanted to make his own weapon. First, he could adjust the handle to his hand size more easily and make it as suitable as possible for himself, which probably couldn’t be achieved by other blacksmiths. Second, he wanted to test his blacksmithing skills using his current body.

“Perhaps it’s not too strange once I become a smith apprentice? I’ll decide when I meet the blacksmith,” Kane pondered. He closed his eyes and decided not to think about it too much.

Kane fell asleep and thus ended the first day of his reincarnation.