Within the bushes, the figure didn't emerge at all—instead, everything fell silent the moment he tensed up and stood alert, his weapon pointed at empty air.
"Weird…"
He let his guard down slightly, but he knew full well he had to stay wary of everything around him. This wasn't his world, after all—one wrong move, one moment of laziness, and he could easily lose his life.
Resuming his trek through the forest in search of resources and supplies, he soon came across a pile of sturdy sticks and lengths of rope. High up in a nearby tree sat an abandoned bird's nest—perfect for holding and carrying the mushrooms he planned to gather. Gripping the rope tightly, he tossed one end over a thick branch and began to climb slowly but steadily. His arms burned as if they might tear at the seams, yet his resolve never wavered. He managed to snatch the nest, then slid back down using the rope for support. After untying it from the branch, he grinned with quiet pride.
"That was a piece of cake."
He tied the rope to both sides of the nest, securing it firmly to fashion a small, serviceable basket he could carry with ease.
As he started collecting mushrooms, a strange sound echoed through the trees. To his left, a sabertooth tiger was tearing into a deer carcass—bones jutted out at odd angles, and glistening organs lay exposed. The sight was so revolting he nearly retched.
Steeling himself with every ounce of courage and willpower he possessed, he gripped his tool and charged forward. With one swift, decisive strike, he slammed it into the tiger's head—shattering bone, piercing the skull, and driving straight into its brain.
"That's a head start."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he carried the heavy sabertooth tiger to the large rock where he had previously made his tools. But before slicing through its flesh, he first gathered some wooden logs and threw them onto a patch of ground with fewer flammable trees and plants. He set about starting a fire – it took half a day just to coax a single spark to life, but he eventually succeeded in building a temporary campfire.
Next, he fetched a large stone and used his tool to flatten it. This task took another half day, as he needed to make it smooth enough to cook the sabertooth tiger meat safely, ensuring he wouldn't contract any harmful diseases.
Afterwards, once all the work was done, he had succeeded. He ate the freshly cooked sabertooth tiger meat without any trouble. Looking up at the sky, he realized it was already nighttime. He gathered a pile of large leaves, but instead of laying them on the ground, he placed them on the large rock – a safe spot where he could rest for the night. Soon enough, he fell asleep without incident.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
When morning came, he roamed the forest again. Using a bird's nest as a makeshift basket, he collected mushrooms, along with various fruits he came across: blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and more. He gathered everything smoothly, satisfied by the forest's abundant life and nourishment – it felt like a place he could call home forever.
His jacket had grown dirty from all his wandering, but instead of discarding it like waste, he wrapped it around his neck to serve as a temporary cape for his journey. As he traveled through the forest throughout the day, the sun began to set on the horizon. He found himself at the edge of a cliff; though he nearly stumbled and fell to his death, he paused to take in the view – it was truly beautiful and striking.
The forest stretched endlessly before him, but in the distance, he could see open plains and rolling hills. As he started planning his descent, a baby mammoth suddenly let out a roar and pushed him toward the cliff edge.
Stunned, he tumbled down from the great height. Without wasting a second, he moved to save himself – first extending his arms to help soften the fall. Most of his supplies were just fruits and sticks, but then he remembered the rope fastened at his waist. He snatched it up and hurled the tip toward a tree branch; it caught fast, sending him swinging to safety.
"...Phew."
He dropped gently to the ground, scanned his surroundings carefully, and then continued walking deeper into the forest.
Amidst all the dangerous herbivores he encountered along the way, his hard work finally paid off when he spotted a small village with just a few houses. He had been planning to find it quickly, yet somehow he'd stumbled upon it without even trying.
The dirt pathways were empty – not a single villager in sight, save for a young girl with chains bound around one leg.
"What the?..."
Suddenly, he heard the jingle of coins inside a pouch. When he turned around, three slave traders were walking toward him, smirks on their faces as if proud of the deal they'd struck.
"Oh? Are you new here? You certainly don't look like a slave… more like a commoner who scrapes by just to survive and buy what you need! I can see you've got a basket there… you really are poor, aren't you?"
He paid no mind to their taunts about his circumstances, his gaze fixed on the girl – she looked as if she'd been through hell and back, only to face it all over again.
"Tell me," he said in a cautious tone, unsure if they were hiding blades or weapons on their persons. "What do you want with this girl?"
The trader on the right – a man with long, greyish hair – stepped forward to speak.
"We're here to collect her! After all, we make our living by buying and selling slaves, and this one is no ordinary captive… she's a true gift from the gods! She's precious beyond measure, and we intend to see she's cared for by good people!"
He didn't believe a word of it.
"I most certainly don't think you are good people."