Gideon opened his eyes to be greeted by the brilliant surroundings around him as the calm wind gently brushed his cheeks. He groaned softly while stretching his arms in the air. He didn't notice it last night because of the darkness, but as his gaze wandered below, the obvious decrease of trees was revealed from the high branch of the tree he was on. In addition, brown and green footpaths could be seen from a distance, indicating that the portion of the woodland he was in was being used as a route.
When he noticed that the wooden branch was still in its original position, he immediately stood up and checked the markings on the branch; the markings, as well as the half-cut leaf, were still there. He made no movement.
Gideon's enlarged eyes were drawn to the scenery from a distance. Civilization's silhouettes were finally revealed. Although the silhouettes were still far away, the brown roofs and plantation were visible enough for him to recognize them. It would still take a day or two to get there, but it was more than enough reason for Gideon to smile with relief.
Gideon's body was unable to conceal his excitement. His shoulders shivered as he focused his gaze on the settlements, his hand on his brow blocking the ray of the morning sun.
Gideon let out a long sigh as he lowered his hand. "Just a little more," he said to himself, his voice relieved. Then he descended from the tree and continued his journey in the direction of the first settlement he saw.
Gideon noticed a significant decrease in the number of Unicorn wolves and Bristle boars lurking around as he traveled through. Unlike before, when those monsters patrolled every now and then, he barely encountered any, and if he did, the monsters were not approaching him, but rather fleeing when they saw him, as if the supposed vicious monsters in this area were afraid of humans, which they were. Gideon's movement speed increased as a result of not having to climb up trees every time he encountered a monster, and his traveling improved further once he reached the nearest footpath. He moved quickly, the fastest he had been since he arrived in this world.
Gideon just scratched his brow as he watched the entire pack of five Unicorn wolves flee from him. They were squeaking and scurrying around with their tails between their legs. "Ah... Those horned wolves dwelling in the deeper part of this forest would be quite proud if they saw you running like that," he muttered to the monsters who were already out of his sight due to their speed.
He walked toward the miniature river in front of him, descended his mouth to the water, and looked around for any signs of hostility. And, contrary to his expectations, nothing jumped on him, and he quenched his thirst peacefully and without interruption. He continued on his journey.
He eventually arrived at the path that the adventurers from nearby towns were taking to gather materials for their quests. Several kilometers away, there was a massive clearing connecting those paths through the forest, where adventurers could rest and prepare for their quest, which included fighting dangerous monsters. The 'Intersection Clearing,' a place where many of the monsters would not dare to stay for long or attack the resting adventurers. Gideon, on the other hand, came from the southeastern part of the forest, which was still far and deep into the forest's thickness, but he would eventually reach it if he continued his journey along the footpath he was on. But it all depended on him not encountering any danger along the way.
Naturally, not every monster would flee at the sight of a single unarmed human. Right along Gideon's path. They were entities lurking nearby, doing as their queen directed. They were just staring at Gideon silently with their red orb-like eyes. Despite being the same size as lions, they made no sound as they moved between trees due to their lightness. Their massive pincers were closing and opening, with countless spikes that could easily cut or lift a human. Their massive exoskeleton gradually emerged from the trees, revealing a behemoth of insects with fiery red hard coverings and long twitching antennae. They traveled quickly on their long, thin six legs, which could traverse any terrain. A monster that resembled ants on Earth, but with a terrifying difference in size.
They were the most common group of monsters in this area of the forest due to their ability to easily increase their numbers in such a short period of time that no matter how many were killed, more would sprout. And, while they were not as dangerous as the vicious Noir Tailed Garavons, they were also not thought to be as safe to fight with. A swarm of these creatures could eat an entire adult cow to the bone in minutes. And Gideon, who had nothing but a wooden branch, was an easy target that they would not let go. The Fire Ants.
As Gideon walked between the trees. He came to a halt when he heard birds flying away from the trees around him. His cautious gaze darted around as he raised the wooden branch he was holding. "Of course, there's no safe haven in this forest; there's always an abomination waiting to jump on me."
The monsters lurking by then revealed themselves, walking out from the concealment of the trees in a swarm. Gideon shook his head when he saw the massive red insects. His widened eyes darted around, trying to count the number of his opponents. Gideon was currently near their nest area, far enough away to avoid being swarmed without a place to go, but close enough to encounter a large group.
"Welp, I'm out," he said as he ran away from the crowd that was about to pursue him. But before he could get very far, one of the ants jumped in front of him.
A massive insect stood in front of him, making him appear insignificant in comparison.
Gideon screamed in astonishment, waving his wooden branch in front of him. However, it was halted when the ant's pincers easily caught the wooden branch in a tight grip. Gideon attempted to reclaim his wooden branch by pulling it repeatedly with all of his strength, but he failed. He let go of the wooden branch after several brief attempts and shrugged, his enlarged eyes darting to the massive ant holding his only weapon.
"You want it? Take it, You oversized dung-eating critter!" He said, panicked, as he wandered his eyes around the place. "A giant fire ant, huh? What do you have this time? Fire breath?" His gaze was drawn to the path where no ants could be seen.
However, it appeared as if the Fire Ant had decided to respond to his question. The wooden branch Gideon had been carrying for days was instantly consumed by fire and reduced to ashes. Unlike their earthly counterparts, the term Fire Ant was given to them because of their capacity to create fire with their pincers. The skill, Ablaze Pincers.
Gideon, on the other hand, fled from the creature and its companions. Heading down the trail he was on, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Yup, ask the giant fire ant if it can make fire. What a nice idea," he joked to himself, trying to remain calm despite being on the verge of a very dangerous situation while fleeing for his life.