Chapter 2 First Night in the Middle of Forest

  Date: Unknown (First day of Journey)

  The forest, it seemed, was a breeding ground for horned rabbits.

  Hyoren walked toward his destination—another one suddenly jumped from the undergrowth. The rabbit aimed its horn at his fnk.

  The rustle of undergrowth surprised him. He dodged almost instinctively. But his legs were still wounded. His dodge was a split second te.

  "Fuckkk."

  He yelped. The sharp horn of the rabbit grazed his fnk—tearing open his university hoody. Blood trickled from the wound.

  The distraction is enough for him to make another mistake. The rabbit lunged again. He twisted in. Barely dodging the horn attack.

  He gritted his teeth and gripped his sticks. He need to focus.

  The rabbit skidded on the forest floor. It prepared another lunge.

  "You done it, rabbit..."

  Hyoren's mind focused. He anticipated the creature. The rabbit lunged again.

  He sidestepped quickly and used his sticks to hit the rabbit's side head. The concussion knocked the creature to the ground.

  He didn't hesitate. He thrust his sticks to the base of its neck. Killing it.

  Another essence flowed into him. He used his sticks to help him stand.

  "This rabbit is everywhere. Now the water feels distant. Damn it."

  He checked the wound on his fnk. It was shallow—but blood still trickled.

  "But I really need to tend this wound or they will fester."

  He looked up at the dual suns in the sky to check his direction. Then he continued walking toward his destination.

  He walked carefully now. Trying not to alert any rabbit. His pace turned into a snail's crawl. He looked at the ground—avoiding dry leaves and branches. Circling undergrowth so he wouldn't rustle the leaves. He also focused his ears to hear any sounds the rabbits made. The sounds of rustling leaves.

  Not long after, his ears detected a crackle on the ground. He crept closer carefully. Another horned rabbit.

  But when he was halfway there, the rabbit's head turned around. It detected him.

  With a growl, it prepared to attack him again.

  But this was his third time facing them. He already anticipated their lunge.

  And with simir motion as before, he killed the rabbit.

  "My wounds ache. But if I focus… trying to not get caught off guard by those damn rabbits… I should be able to handle them. I still need to be careful, of course. But I think I know their habit already."

  He continued walking and dispatched one more of the creatures before he finally broke through the dense treeline.

  "Damn, this forest is infested by these horned rabbit. Every time I walk, I find them. Is there no predator or other monster to cull them?"

  He arrived at the bank of the river, its current swift and clear. He stood, trying to digest his experience.

  "I didn’t feel any stronger even after those few Horned Rabbit kills. Is there no level up? So what’s the point of absorbing those energy?"

  It was enough to feel, but not enough to truly empower him.

  "It seems each rabbit only gives a few essence. They are fodder. If this world's rules are simir to fantasy, then I need a lot of rabbit kills to level up. If leveling up actually exists, of course. But I will worry about that ter. For now, my priorities are still... how to survive this forest."

  Power was useless if you starved to death. His immediate priorities remained starkly simple: water, food, and shelter. He had found the water.

  Kneeling at the riverbank, he cupped the cool, clear liquid in his hands. It tasted clean and pure, with a faint, sweet aftertaste that tingled on his tongue. He drank deeply, the water sking a thirst he hadn't realized was so profound.

  He then cleaned his leg wounds, carefully so they wouldn't fester or become infected. The blood had completely stopped, and he heaved a relieved breath. Thirst was quenched, wound was treated.

  "The water tastes good and refreshing. There is no contamination, so it should be safe for drinking. My wound is also in good state; by tomorrow it should be completely closed. Water is secured. Next is shelter."

  Hyoren looked up. The suns were already beginning to descend, The night will creep soon.

  The wound on his fnk throbbed. The shallow gash had stopped bleeding, but the torn flesh still ached when he moved wrong.

  "I really should seek shelter first. My wound is aching too. I can't move well in this state."

  He pressed his palm against the torn hoody, feeling the sticky warmth beneath his fingers.

  "Especially while avoiding those pesky Horned Rabbits."

  Hyoren turned his gaze to the river. The water continued its endless flow downstream—clear and cold.

  "River. I should not stray away from this."

  He thought about his options. The water was essential.

  "I don't want to lose my source of easy drinking water and cleaning my wound."

  He stood at the water's edge, weighing his choices. The river stretched before him in both directions—cutting through the forest.

  Downstream. The water grew wider and calmer as it flowed away from the mountains. Based on his knowledge from Earth—which he hoped could be applied in this other world—civilization usually existed along rivers. Settlements needed water. Trade needed transport. Going downstream might increase his chances of finding a vilge. A town. Other people.

  But upstream. The river grew narrower. Rockier. The terrain was rougher—the current faster as it descended from somewhere higher. The water led toward the mountains. He might not find civilization there. But mountains meant caves. Cliffs. Natural shelters that were easily defensible.

  Hyoren weighed his immediate needs against his long-term goal.

  Shelter was paramount. He needed a safe pce to rest and recover before he could even think about the journey to civilization. His wounds demanded attention. His body demanded rest. And the forest was filled with creatures that would exploit any weakness.

  He made his choice.

  "Upstream for now. Civilization can wait."

  The mountains called to him. It was the harder path—but it offered the best chance of surviving the night.

  Hyoren started walking upstream. One hand gripped his spear. The other pressed against his wounded fnk. Each step sent a dull ache through his side, but he pushed forward.

  He walked slowly. His wounded fnk burned with each step.

  He still encountered horned rabbits along the way. Three more of the pests crossed his path. He kept cursing them under his breath—each encounter draining more of his already limited energy.

  The first two fell quickly. The third, however, managed to graze his leg. His reactions had slowed.

  He looked up. The dual suns hung low on the horizon—painting the sky in shades of gold and silver. In a few minutes, the forest would plunge into complete darkness.

  The river still flowed near him. The forest grew denser here. The terrain surrounding the water was rockier—boulders and stones jutting from the earth. But he still hadn't found any shelter.

  He sat on one of the rocks. Resting. His legs ached. His fnk throbbed. He scanned the surrounding area through tired eyes.

  "No caves yet. No cliffs. What are my options..."

  He rubbed his face with a dirt-streaked hand.

  "I can't just sleep on the ground. The rabbits will kill me in my sleep."

  Hyoren shook his head.

  "And I can't just stay awake the whole night. Damn..."

  He looked up again. This time at the towering trees above him. The wide boughs stretched outward from thick trunks. Dense leaves overhead.

  An idea formed in his mind.

  He had already climbed trees once before—to survey his surroundings. But that time, he had climbed to the very top. He had only seen horned rabbits on the forest floor. But what if there were other monsters that resided in the trees? Snakes. Or creatures that could climb like monkeys.

  He weighed the options carefully.

  "Okay. I will climb the trees. But I will only settle on a short branch instead of climbing into the top this time."

  Hyoren stood. His muscles protested. But he grit his teeth and pushed through the pain. He continued walking. Looking for the perfect tree.

  Not long after, he found it.

  Between two towering trees stood a smaller one. The lowest bough was only a few meters from the ground. If there was danger in the tree above him, he could easily jump without breaking his legs. A calcuted risk—high enough to avoid ground monster, low enough to escape the danger from above.

  He quickly scanned the ground. Looking for vines. His eyes found them—thick, pliable vines crawling along the forest floor. He grabbed a handful. He would use them as makeshift rope to secure his body to the branch.

  While gathering vines, his hand brushed against waxy fern-like leaves. Wide. Cool to the touch.

  "These leaves might not do anything to my wound. But the coolness might alleviate the ache a bit."

  The suns had completely set by the time he finished gathering. Darkness enveloped the forest.

  With a handful of leaves and vines, he climbed the tree. The rough bark made it easy to find handholds, but the dull ache in his legs and fnk made his climb slow.

  He gritted his teeth and climbed.

  As he settled on the first wide, strong branch, he heard yelping sounds from below. He looked down.

  "Damn. Those rabbits again..."

  Two rabbits had gathered at the base of the tree. Their red eyes locked onto him—glowing faintly in the darkness. They growled.

  One of them tried to jump. Its powerful legs unched it upward—but the leap fell short. It nded back on the forest floor with a soft thump.

  His heart rate quickened. Panic bubbled in his chest.

  "I hope they can't climb. I hope they can't reach me."

  Another rabbit scratched at the tree. Its cws raked against the bark. But the metallic ironwood proved too sturdy. The attack only left small marks.

  Minutes passed. Each second stretched into eternity. The rabbits circled the tree. Jumping. Scratching. Testing.

  Then—finally—they gave up. The two rabbits turned and hopped away. Their yelping faded into the distance.

  Hyoren heaved a sigh. Some of the tension in his shoulders eased. His heart rate began to slow.

  "Lucky... they can't climb."

  He exhaled slowly. The tension in his chest began to rex.

  "Now I can only hope there's no threat from above."

  He looked up. Towards the roof of leaves that formed a roof above him. Praying to no specific god. To nothing in particur. Just hoping.

  He brought the waxy leaves to his wound. The coolness pressed against his torn flesh—soothing. A small mercy in this hostile forest. He pressed them gently against the gash on his fnk.

  He then secured himself to the bough with vines. Tying them tightly around his waist and the branch. Secure enough that he wouldn't roll off in his sleep. But loose enough that a few hard pulls would break him free if he needed to escape quickly.

  Night wind started to whistle through the branches. It cut through his torn hoody. Made him shudder.

  "It's so cold."

  He tried to hug himself. To preserve what little warmth his body still held.

  "My wound aches."

  The throbbing had settled into a constant ache. The cool leaves helped. But the pain never truly faded.

  "I'm hungry. I'm tired."

  He couldn't remember the st time he had eaten. The st time he had drunk anything more than a few handfuls of river water.

  He imagined his st meal on Earth. Sitting at his usual spot in the cafeteria. The steam rising from the bowl. The rich, milky broth.

  "I want to eat tonkotsu ramen again..."

  He looked up. The dual suns of the day had already vanished. The sky now stretched above him—endless and dark. Full of twinkling stars. Thousands of them. More than he had ever seen in the light-polluted skies of Tokyo.

  The suns were repced by three moons. A blue one. A red one. And a deep bck one that seemed to suck all color from the sky around it.

  "Dual suns. Three moons."

  He stared at the alien sky.

  "Air which is full of alien feeling... magic... rabbits the size of dogs with sharp horns who want to kill me the seconds they see me."

  The words came out hollow. He was listing the impossible things. Cataloging the wrongness of this other world.

  He closed his eyes. Trying to forget everything. To push it all away. But the images only grew stronger. More vivid. His old life. His old world. The normalcy he had taken for granted.

  He opened his eyes. Looking into the distance. At nothing in particur.

  "What did I do to deserve this..."

  His voice cracked.

  "This is unlike what I ever read and imagined about transporting into another world..."

  He thought about all the fantasy stories he had read. The light novels. The manga. The web novels. The games he had pyed.

  "Where is the goddess who summoned me... Where is the annoying princess who summoned me to fight the demon king and save the kingdom."

  He looked at his hands. Calloused. Dirty. Bloodied.

  "Where is the usual cheat given to the protagonist??"

  Without realizing it, streaks of tears started to appear from the corners of his eyes. They ran down his cheeks.

  Whenever he read stories about being transported to another world, the protagonist always got a head start. Even in stories that depicted hardship, they still received hidden cheats. Unique skills. Overpowered abilities. A helping hand from fate. And they could use those gifts to escape desperate situations.

  "This is not what I imagined."

  His voice was barely a whisper now.

  "This is unfair."

  The reality struck him to the core. He had always imagined himself as the protagonist of the stories he read. The hero who would rise above. Who would triumph.

  But reality was not so kind.

  He looked up again. His tears had already dried—leaving cool trails on his cheeks.

  He tried to remember his life on Earth. The life he had left behind.

  Hyoren didn't have any family left. His mother had died of sickness when he was still a baby. He had no memory of her. No face to recall. Only the empty space where a mother should have been.

  And his st anchor. His father.

  He tried to remember him. His deceased father who had died three years ago. The man had been a strict father. Often away overseas. Deployed as a soldier. He had only retired when Hyoren was ten years old.

  That was when he had started becoming obsessed with teaching him survival.

  Hyoren remembered the endless drills. The forced marches. The lessons on how to find water, how to build shelter, how to identify edible pnts. The endless lectures on preparedness. On survival. On what to do when everything went wrong.

  He had been an unreasonable father. Demanding. Harsh. Sometimes cruel in his expectations.

  But he had been his anchor. His only family.

  And his death from cancer had been the catalyst for Hyoren's decision to become a doctor. To go to Tokyo University. To study medicine. To save others from the disease that had taken his father.

  "Dad... what should I do in this situation..."

  Hyoren closed his eyes. His tired body helped force him to conserve energy. Trying to heal his wound. The memory of his father was the st thing he thought of before he succumbed to sleep.

  ***

  He woke up. Not in the forest. But in a dream.

  The world was in monochrome. Shades of gray and bck and white. He instantly knew this was a dream. Memories of his past pyed before his eyes like a film.

  He stood in the backyard of his home. Watching the old scene repy. He couldn't do anything. Only watch.

  "Hyoren, go outside now!"

  The image of his father appeared. He looked younger. Healthier. Without any trace of someone battling cancer.

  "But Dad, I want to finish this manga over the weekend."

  Young Hyoren—ten years old—protested. His small face scrunched in defiance.

  His dad punched him on the head.

  "Shut up. Now. Follow me. We will run! Today you should run for 5 km!"

  The scene blurred. Shifted.

  He stood in the middle of a forest now. Trees surrounded him. A bow was pressed into his younger hands.

  "Aim carefully. Release it now!"

  His father directing twelve-year-old Hyoren how to kill a deer for the first time. With trembling hands and a few smacks to the head, he managed to kill one after hours of hunting. The animal had stared at him with gssy eyes. He had vomited after.

  “Dad. I can’t do this anymore!”

  Hyoren vomited again. Compining.

  But his father only wait until he stop vomiting, and continue his lesson. During that day, Hyoren manage to kill another deer. While still vomited afterwards.

  The scene blurred again.

  A game animal y in front of the two of them. A knife was pced in young Hyoren's hands.

  "Now dissect this! Separate the hide from the meat! Don't break the hide! You need to learn how to tan after this!"

  His father teaching him how to dissect game animals and process their spoils. The smell of blood. The resistance of flesh. The proper cuts. The proper technique.

  Another Hyoren appeared—now fifteen years old. He sat zily in sofa, reading a light novel about a hero summoned to another world. Lost in fantasy. Escaping from the school and harsh training.

  But his father snatched the book away.

  "Not again, Hyoren!"

  Young Hyoren protested. But his father dragged him to the car. They drove to a riverside. The scene of his father forcing him to learn how to create primitive gear from stones. How to knap. How to bind. How to make something from nothing.

  The scene blurred again.

  Hyoren already looked like he was in his third year of high school. A trace of sickness had already appeared on his father. The coughing. The weight loss. The gray pallor beneath the tan.

  "I already taught you all my knowledge, Hyoren. Now it's up to you how to use and expand it."

  He smiled at Hyoren. A rare gesture coming from him.

  "Now if you are stranded. Or war suddenly breaks out. Or you are thrown into something impossible. You can survive. Use this knowledge well. I won't live that long anymore. But my knowledge and training will live in you."

  Hyoren was crying in the memory. His younger self.

  It was the scene from when his father had finally told him he was battling cancer. The diagnosis. The death sentence. The countdown to the end.

  Current Hyoren could only watch. He couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Only observe.

  And gradually—it strengthened his heart.

  His father had already trained him. All the knowledge of how to survive impossible scenarios had already been drilled into him. Day after day. Year after year. The harsh lessons that had seemed so cruel. So unnecessary. So excessive.

  They had been preparation. For this. For the impossible.

  He nodded to the now-still figures of young Hyoren and his father. His resolve was made.

  And finally—he could speak.

  "Dad. I understand. This is the impossible scenario you talked about. The impossible scenario you always prepared me for."

  He took a deep breath in the dreamscape.

  "I almost forgot. I almost forgot everything you gave me.”

  He nodded.

  “But I promise, Dad. I will survive. No matter what this otherworld forest throws at me. I will use your knowledge. To survive... no... to thrive."

  Gradually, the scene disappeared. Dissolving into bck.

  Hyoren woke up at dawn. The light of the dual suns filtered through the leaves above him. The scared eyes were gone—repced with resolve.