Opening my eyes, what I saw in front of me was neither hell nor heaven, but a forest. A weird, yet unmistakeably, a forest.
Why am I in this forest? Is this what the afterlife looks like? A forest? I thought to myself in confusion.
The trees in this forest are different from the ones I used to know. Their barks was red-brown in colour and leaves, dark green. Rather than normal trees, they looked like painted one's.
What a truly weird forest this is.
Ignoring the weird, coloured trees. I walked forward, but a problem arose.
What's wrong with my feet? I thought in question but still did not panic.
Looking down, I stared at my feet and was slightly surprised at what I saw.
Whose feet are these? It's certainly not mine, and yet I can feel it. The cold ground beneath my feet, every grain of sand, I can feel it.
[Ding]
A sound went off in my ear as a screen appeared in my vision, drawing my attention.
[Name: Conray Darwns
Level: 1 (0/10)
Race: Goblin
Talents: Crafting (Lv. 1) Fertility (Lv. Max)]
This is? I was surprised when I saw this screen.
It looks like some sort of video game screen, but what's up with the Race category?
Noticing this, I turn my attention towards my bare green feet again.
Have I turned into this goblin creature? Although bizarre, it's still nothing compared to dying and waking up in a forest.
I don't know what I look like yet, but even if I knew, I wouldn't care. Since I've gained another chance at life, why waste it.
Even if I turned into this goblin creature, I'll embrace its full potential.
So, goblin body, even if I don't know who you are, but since i am now you. I'll make sure you achieve what I couldn't.
With full-on determination, I walk forward.
-7 hours later-
(What the heck is this?) I wondered in shock and disbelief as I stared at the indecent act done by the group of goblins.
As I was shocked by their indecency, a small goblin came up to me. He had a large piece of meat in his hand and handed it over to me.
Looking at the familiar shape of the meat, my heart froze. (Is this a human leg? Surely not, right? But it does look like one. Don't tell me that the meat I ate before was also human?)
Doubting life, I sat there staring blankly at the human meat in front of me and couldn't help but regret why I came here in the first place.
"Tskutsku." The small goblin said as he shoved the meat into my hand.
Looking at the meat that was placed in my hands, I cried without tears.
(I have finally degraded to the lowest of lows.)
-6 hours ago-
I swallowed as I looked at the rabbit burning over the flames.
"Finally, I have something to eat." I said in a language that did not sound like one I knew, but nonetheless, I still knew what I said or this body knew what it said.
Holding the rabbit on a stick over the flames, my mind drifts off in thought.
I already know what I look like, and honestly, it's ugly. Pointed ears, sharp teeth, the iconic green skin, but luckily I still had something covering me. Or else I'm afraid I'll truly go mad seeing myself naked everyday.
The screen that appeared, on the other hand, was very useful, especially the levelling part, which I now know about.
For instance, a creature I killed, such as this rabbit before me, gave me 5 experience points, which is what those points are called. There's also this viewing thing that lets me see what the creature is, its talent and its level.
This rabbit stewing in front of me is Level 1, the same as me. So if I kill one more rabbit like this one, I should probably reach level 2, but that will prove very hard.
Unlike normal rabbits, these rabbits are super fast, hence their name, Swift Rabbit. I had to literally seduce this one into my trap, with a few green leaves I picked up.
Skills are something very useful, like crafting. It took a long time, but with my knowledge and the help of this skill, I successfully made my first trap, even this fire before me was started using my crafting skill.
But I have no idea how to level it up and fertility, although I have a vague guess at what it is, but I really hope its not true. In an endless forest like this, such a skill are totally useless to me.
(Oh, the meat's ready.) Smelling the smell of the cooked rabbit, I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.
Taking the stick off the fire, I stared at the roasted rabbit as saliva dripped from my mouth.
'Gulp'
I swallowed and stretched out my hand. The moment my fingers touched the rabbit, I felt a scorching burn.
"Ahh!! Hot!" I screamed in pain and let go of the stick while sucking on my scorching fingers.
Fortunately, the burning sensation soon stopped, leaving a throbbing pain in my fingers.
Turning my attention towards the rabbit on a stick laying in the dirty sand, I felt helpless and also angry with myself. (Why did I have to be so greedy. Now the only food that literally took me almost an hour to get is gone.)
Grrrrrr
My stomach grumbled in anger.
Listening to it, I felt weak in my legs and slumped on the ground.
Grrrrrr
My stomach protested again.
"Just shut up, won't you? I'll get some food, just wait a bit." Feeling helpless about my stomach's protest, I stood up using all the strength I had left.
Like a zombie, I walked forward, searching aimlessly as I muttered constantly. "Food. I must find food. Food..."
Not walking very far, I fell over on my face.
Grrrrrrrrr
(Just let me sleep.) I thought, having absolutely no energy to speak a word aloud.
Grrrrrrrrr
My stomach still grumbled, not giving in to reality, but I did. I gave in because, rather than being awake, I was slowly falling asleep.
My green eyes slowly closed, shutting themselves as my mind rested in peace. I had fallen asleep in a forest in a dangerous world. I have no way of knowing what dangers may be lurking. Yet I slept.