He had been traveling nonstop for a while now, occasionally noticing movement below the canopy, though he never had the chance to investigate.
A loud growl suddenly halted his movement.
He stopped in his tracks and immediately used his ultimate skill, Eye of Providence. By now, he was getting used to using it; activating it had become slightly easier.
The growl came from below.
Curious, he decided to check.
He carefully moved down the branches to take a closer look.
Close enough to observe, but high enough to remain unnoticed.
On the ground was a creature difficult to describe.
A lion… but not a lion.
Its twin tails were like those of a scorpion, while its head resembled a lion's—except for the long, saber-like fangs protruding from its jaws.
In front of it lay another creature, bloody and lifeless.
A red bear, just as massive as the strange predator.
He focused his gaze on the creature, and a translucent screen appeared.
Name: Crimson Manticore
Classification: B-Class Monster
Description:
A territorial apex predator found in deep forests.
He watched in silence.
His heartbeat hammered against his ribs.
The Crimson Manticore roared once more, a deep, brutal sound that rolled through the forest. Then it clamped its jaws onto the carcass of the red bear and dragged the massive body away, slowly disappearing into the deeper shadows of the forest.
He remained where he was.
Seconds stretched into minutes.
His body refused to move.
His legs trembled as the echo of the roar lingered in his ears.
Traveling above the ground had been the right decision.
He wiped a sweat on his forehead. Breathe in, breathe out.
Eventually, the forest returned to silence.
Only when the last traces of the creature's presence faded did he finally move.
Carefully, he steadied himself against the branch.
This time he climbed even higher into the canopy, moving forward as quietly as possible, keeping to the upper branches where the shadows were thick and the ground far below.
Hours passed before he stopped again.
"Is that a sound of water?" he muttered to himself.
He closed his eyes and concentrated.
Sound.
Faint at first.
Then clearer.
Water… falling somewhere in the distance.
He catches his breath for a brief moment, then moves again.
This time, he changed direction, moving carefully through the trees toward the sound.
The closer he traveled, the louder it became.
Eventually, he stopped on a branch near the riverbank.
Before him flowed a wide river. The water was crystal clear, moving steadily downstream before disappearing over a distant edge.
A waterfall.
That must have been the sound he heard earlier.
He studied the landscape for a moment. The massive tree was still far in the distance.
"Hmmm... this river was likely connected to the one I had seen earlier."
After scanning the surroundings carefully, making sure there was no threat, he finally descended to the ground.
His boots touched soil for the first time in hours.
Slowly, cautiously, he approached the river.
The water was clear and the current gentle.
The river itself was wide, though he couldn't judge how deep it was.
He crouched and scooped water into his hands.
Cold.
He drank, then splashed some over his face.
"Ahhh..." He exclaimed as the chill washed away some of the tension clinging to his body.
For a moment, he just lay on his back near the riverbank, arms spread, staring up at the sky. With the forest canopy no longer shielding him, the sun hung directly overhead, blazing at its zenith.
Nearly half a day had passed since he woke in this world.
After resting a little longer, he stood.
Night would come soon.
He has to find a shelter before then.
Climbing back into the trees, he began searching for a suitable place.
Exploring the forest floor for a cave or hollow was too dangerous.
That left him with one option.
He would build above ground.
He moved through the canopy until he found two large trees growing close together, their branches twisting and overlapping like tangled arms.
Perfect.
He hung his satchel from a branch before getting to work.
Moving carefully through the surrounding trees—and checking the forest below from time to time—he began gathering materials.
Fallen logs.
Long sturdy branches.
Smaller sticks he cut free with his sword.
One by one, he dropped them beneath the entangled trees.
Soon, a small pile formed below.
Next came the vines. He searched until he found several strong lengths suitable for tying.
Not far away, he spotted something familiar.
Are those Banana trees? He thought to himself as they looked familiar to him.
He approached them and inspected.
They bore no fruit, but their large leaves were almost identical to the banana trees he knew.
He used the Eye of Providence to appraise them.
Name: Broadleaf
Quality: Common
Description: A tree commonly found near riverbanks.
He cut several and added them to his growing pile.
When everything was ready, he returned to the twin trees.
After surveying the branches again, he tied a vine around the first log and pulled it upward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He laid the log across two thick branches, one end resting on each tree.
Then he secured it with the vines.
Another log followed.
Then another.
Piece by piece, a rough platform began to take shape between the trees.
A floor made of logs.
After hauling the remaining materials into the trees, he began reinforcing the platform.
Four thick logs were raised upright at the corners of the floor, secured tightly with vines to serve as pillars. He left one quarter of the platform open, reserving it as a small balcony overlooking the forest below.
Then, he prepared four more logs, trimming their ends with his sword so they would fit more cleanly. One by one, he lifted them into place, binding them between the pillars with vines. The structure slowly took shape as a simple rectangular frame.
Once finished, he stepped onto the platform and bounced lightly.
The wood creaked.
But it held.
Satisfied, he moved on to the roof.
From each corner pillar, he tied a long stick slanting inward toward the center, forming a rough pyramid-shaped skeleton above the structure.
At the peak, he bound the four sticks together, then added more branches across them to strengthen the frame.
With the skeleton complete, he fetched the broad leaves he had found earlier. Carefully, he layered them across the roof, overlapping each leaf so rain would slide off rather than seep through. More sticks and vines secured them in place.
He repeated the process along the sides, weaving leaves and branches together to form walls. A small opening was left as a doorway.
When the work was finished, he stepped out onto the balcony and studied the structure.
A rough treehouse. But sturdy.
He gave a small nod of satisfaction.
By now, the sky above the forest had begun to change.
Streaks of deep red stretched across the horizon like arrows shot through the clouds, while the canopy below slowly sank into shadow.
Night was coming.
He grabbed his satchel and climbed down once more.
Not far away, he collected the wild berries he had spotted earlier.
Near the riverbank, he also cut a length of bamboo, hollowing the inside with care before washing it clean in the current. A small piece of carved wood served as a simple lid once he filled it with water.
With food and water secured, he climbed back up into the trees.
He had wanted to search for more food, but with night approaching quickly, the idea felt dangerous. He still knew nothing about the forest. Losing his way in the dark would almost certainly be fatal.
So, he stayed.
Leaning back against the balcony floor, he let his thoughts wander while the evening slowly deepened around him.
Hours passed. And the forest began to change.
Sounds that belonged only to the night slowly rose from the darkness, forming a strange chorus beneath the trees.
Moonlight started to slip through gaps in the canopy, painting pale streaks across the forest floor.
He pushed himself upright and stepped toward the edge of the balcony.
Wild berries rested in his palm as he looked down.
Creatures that had been absent during the day now began to emerge from the shadows.
Monsters of different shapes and sizes moved quietly through the forest, many of them passing toward the river before disappearing again into the trees.
Using the Eye of Providence, he appraised as many as he could.
Some were edible.
Their classifications varied, though the majority appeared to be only Class E or Class D.
Still, he had no intention of underestimating them.
There were no visible levels on them.
No visible stats to show how strong or weak the monsters were.
No visible measure of strength, speed, or endurance.
For all he knew, he might not even possess any combat ability.
The only thing he could count on was his inhumane speed and agility.
As for combat strength...
The only way to find out would be to fight.
And that was an experiment he was in no hurry to conduct.
He finished the berries—his dinner for the night, if they could even be called a proper meal—and remained there for a little while longer, quietly watching the nightlife of the forest below.
Eventually, he stepped back inside.
Lying down on the rough floor of the treehouse, he closed his eyes.
As his consciousness started to fade, a quiet thought slipped from his lips.
"Good night to me... if I survive it."