After another horrible night, the first rays of sunlight graced the great forest of Kamut.
With small dark circles around my eyes, I crawled out of the cave.
The first thing that (did not) enter my eyes was the ‘spider’ that I had killed with my life on the line.
“Good thing it was outside,” I happily laughed with a tired yawn.
There was almost nothing left of the ‘spider’. Not even the acid-like poison.
Only the traces of ‘something was there’ were left. There wasn’t even blood that was previously pooled on the ground.
This was the great forest of Kamut, one of the nine forbidden zones on this planet.
‘Here I am, a small, helpless lifeform who was just a few steps away from saying goodbye to this beautiful world,’ a shiver ran down my spine.
I was glad I covered the cave, even the small hole left was covered with a rock from inside.
I could only thank lady luck here, if some dangerous beast fancied a small human like me, I would have entered the afterlife.
“Huuuu…”
Releasing a long breath and forgetting about my possible breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I splashed some (Water) on my face.
‘Survival is horrible…’
If not for this miraculous ability to stay calm, I might have died many times by now just from an unstable heart and fear.
This was nothing less than a blessing.
“Ok~! Let’s find some treasures and food so we could live in this damn hell,” I smiled brightly to forget about, or to try to forget the negative things.
Putting on the armor that I made from the ant shells last night, I checked it again.
“Indeed. Light and strong. This should do for a while,” I nodded and jumped on a nearby tree.
Today’s objective was to gather supplies for the next some days so that I don’t have to go out from my dan much often.
*
============
[Mana grass]
-A natural herb filled with Mana.
-Increases Mana pool of users by 0.1%.
-Don’t work when the user already has a large amount of Mana.
============
There was an abundance of this rare thing in one open area. Thanks to dad, I knew a lot about herbs and how to recognize them.
Just like right now, there was some normal green grass mixed with this special herb with a small blue line.
Spotting this small thread-like line was difficult so identifying these herbs was most difficult with normal eyes.
‘Well, not for me.’
With the help of my [Mystic Eyes], I could see these small lines very clearly. Even spotting a small dot on the grass was possible with them.
Differentiating normal plants from poisonous or dangerous plants and herbs was easy for me if I knew about them.
But I was still lacking in knowledge.
I can’t just pick up anything that I knew was good for me either.
There were things that I can’t take even if they were before my eyes.
Just like that [Sanctrin].
I knew it would be a good material while making new enchanted arrows.
But, it was surrounded by a bunch of [Red fang catchers].
Small plants with real fangs.
They weren’t poisonous but their bites were enough to paralyze your mind.
I didn’t even want to go near there.
‘If I had an appraisal skill, things might have been much easier,’ I thought while collecting another blade of grass. ．
Once I reach (tier-2), I should try working on my [Origin Skill].
I had to get strong here, to escape, and protect my family in the future.
The thing that happened to me, could have happened to dad or mom.
This hell was also a great opportunity for me.
‘Let’s go,’ clearing the area, I walked towards the next spot.
*
Standing before a huge tree that seemed to reach the skies, I looked up.
This a [Great baniya], known for its tough and light wood known to mankind.
It also had some apple-like blue fruits that were edible.
The only problem was… the height.
Even with my [Mystic Eyes], I couldn’t see the top of the tree.
It was good that I didn’t need to go to the top for fruits or wood but the problem wasn’t that.
This great tree homed many beasts, insects, and plants.
It had its own separate special ecosystem.
Intruding on these beings was the same as making them all my enemy.
I had to do everything naturally and slowly.
I looked at the apple-like fruit that was almost half my size.
If I try, I could barely shoot it down with every bit of Mana I had.
I would be not using multiple arrows of wind attribute to somehow cut that thick joint between branch and fruit.
I had to be accurate with my judgment because if I accidentally hit the [Poison sting bee] hive slightly above it…
‘I would be dead. Painted with holes all over my body,’ I gulped with just the thought of missing the shot.
This was the only food I could find after my long search throughout the area.
Going too far was out of point as the only safe place for me here was my small cave.
And as I was right now, spending another day without eating would surely be unbearable.
Enduring all those weird noises at night and fighting to stay awake was… devastating.
Shacking my head I took a few steps back.
Taking out my magic bow, I took a deep breath.
Focusing all my attention on the joint of fruit, I closed my eyes.
‘It’s been a long time since I felt like this…’
Everything around me started to disappear, only leaving a red thread connecting my line of sight and the apple.
I knew what I had to do now.
I had gone through life and death situations and I was getting close to something.
A wide smile spread out on my face and I released the arrow of condensed wind particles.
The feeling of being alone with the target in a void.
A lone world of darkness where no light enters or leaves.
There, the thread represents the goal and chances of achieving that small success.
This was something that was still in the form of a seed.
I had a long way before this seed would sprout, turn into a plant, grow into a small tree then a big tree, and someday a great tree like the one before me.
My efforts, struggle, and my entire life are its water and sunlight.
This wasn’t magic nor it was my [Origin Skill].
It was something new, something different.
Something warm which was cold before.
Something that was pure strength.
The arrow traveled on the thread at a rapid speed, my eyes barely keeping the track of it.
And then…
The arrow struck the correct spot, disappearing into the surroundings just after that.
My calculation was right on the spot this time.
The distance, amount of Mana, and other factors were perfect.
The big fruit, half of my size falls from the tree.
Surprisingly, it was still in perfect condition even after the fall from such height.
“Finally! I have something to eat!”
With tearful eyes, I walked forward to pick up the fruit.
Though it was heavy, I knew I can move it to my cave.
It took me two hours for that but I finally made it back.
I had to move through trees so I had tied it to my back.
Now… it was before me.
Cutting down a small piece of the fruit with the tough outer skin, I took a small bite.
The inside was juicy and soft, despite the little tough outer shell.
“Hmmm~. It’s sweet~!”
This normal sweet fruit felt heavenly to me.
Hunger can make anything taste better…
Now, I had something to at least eat for the time being.