Once upon a time, there was a small fishing village located in the southern regions of the Land of Dawn. The villagers were hardworking, dedicating their days to fishing and supporting their community. Among them, was a brave and enthusiastic man named Badang, who tirelessly helped others overcome their difficulties in life.
However, strange events started to occur in the village not long ago. Despite the villagers' efforts, their fishing trips yielded no results, and their fishing tools began to break. Many believed that it was the curse of a mystical water monster. As the village's food supplies dwindled, Badang decided to take action and uncover the truth. He did not believe in the existence of the water monster.
Early one morning, Badang set out to fish as usual, but this time he was determined to solve the village's problems. He went to the river near the village and set a fishing trap. In addition to placing plenty of fish as bait, he hid a giant fishing net nearby, hoping to catch whoever or whatever was causing trouble. Soon enough, the river began to bubble, and a strange creature emerged from the water, next to Badang's trap. The monster was devilish and fearsome, with fiery eyes, long hair, and a beard. It started to steal the fish and destroy the trap. Badang swiftly threw the giant fishing net to trap the monster, but it broke free and attacked him relentlessly. Without hesitation, Badang engaged in battle with the creature, despite its surprising strength. In the end, he managed to defeat it by impaling it with a fishing spear.
Badang noticed a magical gem sparkling inside the monster's body. As he approached it, the creature begged for mercy, revealing that it was once an elf who lived in the river. The creature had accidentally consumed fish corrupted by evil energy and underwent a horrible transformation. The elf had returned to its natural state and regurgitated all the fish it consumed, along with the evil energy. Badang let the creature go and received a stream of powerful energy in return. His injured arms were restored and became even more powerful than before. Badang continued to help the villagers day and night, and their lives slowly returned to normal.
However, Badang couldn't forget about the southern mountains mentioned by the creature. For the safety of his village, he was determined to find the source of the evil energy within the mountains. He traveled across the islands toward the Land of Dawn, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead.
Khmer Storytelling:
