Bam!
Feeling irritated after being unable to find his way back and getting lost further into the forest, Alexander picked up a stone from the ground and threw it on the tree nearby, striking it with a loud sound.
Of Course, it wasn't just a method of venting out his frustration. It was a way to let other people find him and also a way to alert nearby animals to stay away.
He was weak, to begin with and if a wild animal suddenly appears in front of him, he'll be done for. So he decided to make loud sounds to let animals know of his presence. Animals usually don't come near if they know about someone's presence. Of course it'll be another case if there was some notorious animal in the vicinity.
Slowly walking around, he found an abandoned cottage. Though it was completely ruined due to weathering effects, it was still a good sign for him, "At least it's not too deep into the forest. Now that the sun is setting down, I need to hide somewhere. This is really a god sent gift!"
He looked up and through the thick cover of trees above, he could see the sky illuminated in a golden hue. Sun must be going down by now. Moreover it was getting darker and darker around him. He can't just stay in open and allow animals to openly feast on him.
"Let's collect some firewood first. And light up a fire."
Fire isn't just a state of matter. It's actually a source of motivation and support for many. Whenever someone is lost in the wilderness like this, not only fire keeps them warm, protects them from wild animals and becomes a way to let others find them. It also provides mental relief, calmness, and sense of security.
Gathering up the dry fallen sticks from the ground, Alexander reached the tattered cottage. But he didn't enter immediately, he waited for some time and found out a long stick from the bundle of sticks he collected.
Bam!
Keeping his sack and bundle of sticks on the dry ground, Alexander kicked open the door with a light kick.
Though with his limited physical capabilities Alexander can't kick very strongly, yet the door was blasted into wooden splinters with just a light touch.
'Heck! Isn't this too weak to be considered wood? How the hell has it stayed here for so long? Even a passing rat can blast open this door.' Corner of his mouth twitched as he saw the scene in front of him.
Dazzling! Super Dazzling!
'I can f**king breakthrough as a superhero into entertainment industry if I record this and make it viral on internet'
'But social media in this world… is of too low quality. I'll do something about it after getting out of here.'
'Leave it, let's continue exploring the dungeon… cough cough.. let's explore this cottage'
He shook his head, and used his long stick to poke through the layer of rotten leaves on the floor of the cottage before actually entering it. However, 5 seconds passed after his expedition started, he retreated back immediately.
Was there something?
Yes! Or else why would he retreat immediately?
Was it lethal?
Hell yeah! It was as lethal as the tongue of a tiger! It literally scraped off his skin!
Huh? What was it?
What else can it be? The smell of the rotten leaves. Just buy sheer quantity, Alexander guessed that this cottage was untouched by a human from the past three years at least. And the accumulated rotten smell of leaves, literally burnt his nose.
'Heck! Leave me aside, even a pig won't stay here. It's a trap. If I would have entered directly, I would have been dead already sure to suffocation. I'll just stay under the open sky then. There's no other choice.'
Having no other choice, and looking around the dark forest, Alexander decided to just spend the night along the wall of the cottage. At least it'll save him some energy and time while keeping guard against the arrival of predators from behind his back.
Cr-r-u-n-c-h!
Heck! The lady luck smiled at him again. His back, which was still facing the deep forest while he was thinking, shook as he heard cracking up of twigs from behind.
'I am really lucky today!'
Alexander smiled weirdly, as if he was a pig going to be slaughtered, and turned his head towards the source, thinking what it can be? Tiger, Wolf, Bear or All of those combined?