Chapter 6: (the beautiful world outside the cave)
After leaving the grand library, I once again saw the mountainous piles of remains from the enemy's who had fought with one of the guardians, the "crazed watchdog." Its skeleton, armor and his great heavy sword still in front of the giant black door.
"Ha...haha... This place still stinks like crazy" I said while laughing
I picked up some swords from the piles of skeleton corpses, but some were still too heavy for me to wield and in very bad condition.
Then a sword caught my eye. It was a bit dull and chipped, but the handle was still good. It looked like it could still cut things. I decided to take it with me.
As I held the sword in my hand, I gave it a few practice swings, feeling the weight and balance of it. The handle was worn but sturdy, and despite a few chips on the blade, it still looked sharp.
With a flick of my wrist, I tested the sword's movement, feeling the satisfying swish through the air. I couldn't help but smile as I held the weapon in my hand, thinking to myself, "This sword is just perfect, It has the perfect weight and has the best condition than the rest."
As I walked further, I saw the two other big pathways. One was blocked by a wooden plank held in nailed by swords but some were destroyed because I entered once, and the other was blocked by boulders. Continuing on, I finally reached the huge door that creaked open once more.
There I saw the massive statue of a humanoid figure with long hair, four arms, a blindfold, and one hand outstretched beneath the glowing cube floating above it. The cube emitted a soft, star-like light and there were the stone figures of people that are horrified below surrounding the massive statue trying to save their selves.
"This place still the most beautiful~"
The cube, with its six square faces, eight corners, and twelve edges, once again transformed into stairs leading me to another path. As I step on the stairs it sparkle like stars.
"Hmmm...? Where will this path lead me now? It's different from where I've been before."
I finally reached the entrance of the path, and the cube transformed back into its original giant form.
As I followed the new path, the first thing that greet me is skeleton corpse "Wow, this is truly the warmest welcome I've received since stepping foot in this fascinating world of yours. Comparing that to what I've encountered, human skeletons now look like a dog's toy in comparison to them," I expressed gratefully. I said proudly.
I also came across some old used traps that had been left behind by previous people that enter here. Among them, I saw several corpses scattered on the ground. It made me wonder whether they were adventurers, warriors, knights, or wizards.
Each corpses had an arrow penetrating their head or body, and the others doesn't have arm or leg maybe because of traps that sliced them, but the corpse at the very front seems weirder than the others they are all in kneeling position.
Their skulls are cradled in their bony arms and laps, with a sword on their right side. It looks like they have given up completely and accepted that they will die in a way they cannot change. They chose to end their own lives to show that they have lost and can't fight anymore, as a warrior's way of honoring themselves, by cutting off their heads.
They were wearing armor and a small pouch attached to their clothes and armors where they can put their items.
There I was intrigued, so I grabbed one of the old socks. The silk where the sock was made was already too old, so when I tried to carefully tear it open, the whole sock instantly tore down and opened like wet paper. There was something dropped in it, and I saw a flat dark stone fall to the ground, gems, jewelry along with some gold, silver and copper coins.
Clink! Clink! Clink! Thud!
The rock is flat and had a rough edge like obsidian with some runes like engraves in it
"What is this thing? A rock? But it has some runes in it maybe it was a rare stone so I'm gonna pick it up"
"What about these coins?" I asked, holding up the gold coin. I brought it close to the lantern and saw the design on it. The coin featured a kingdom surrounded by fire and lava, atop a flat landscape with mountains and volcanoes on the sides. Ancient text was carved on it, reading "Kingdom of the Prideful Fires" [ES]. On the back, there was an eclipse similar to the ones in the treasure chamber, with a different design. The gold coin depicted a large tree with dragons flying around it, and a kingdom called "Kingdom of the Rampaging Destroyers" [NW].
And the silver and copper coins didn't have anything special on it, unlike the capital of a Kingdom or empire.
"This was a unique currency design, the currency in my world typically features faces of important figures, national plants, animals, or beautiful landscapes. However, their kingdoms were beautiful."
I picked up the coins as well, but the stone slid from my hand due to its flat, glassy, and slippery texture.
It accidentally landed in a wet area with a small puddle of water.
As I bent down to pick it, the rock suddenly reacted weird. It began emitting smoke, similar to that of a fire, and the water around it started boiling and bubbling. Then, it sparked.
I stepped back and shielded my face with the book I had, thinking it was going to explode.
Pssst.... Suddenly, the water beneath it evaporated, and then it cooled down very fast. I picked it up and carefully put it in my pocket securely.
"This stone might come in handy for cooking a meal or keeping myself warm! I won't need to search for or create fire using sticks or rubbing two rocks together," I said excitedly.
Then i started walking for a few minutes And found myself back at the spot where I first arrived in this world. I felt grateful and amazed at the short memories that flooded back, reflecting on all that had happened along the way inside the cave.
"So the staircase that led me is the pathway to a shortcut. I didn't even know there were multiple tunnels in the cave because of the dark surrounding, last time I was here and didn't know what to do, I keep bumping and hitting my head and carefully ran my fingers in the wall. I look like a chicken in the night that is too blind to see my surroundings."
Then I kept on walking in the dark cave, and with the lantern, I could see better now. I can avoid stepping on sharp slippery rocks and hitting my head in the cave, the light from the lantern helped me see where I was going. The cave had many multiple tunnel up, down and side by side, but like a big natural maze. I walked for a long time, maybe 2-3 hours, trying to find my way out, but I still couldn't find the exit.
After much walking, finally I saw a tiny bit of light far away. It made me super excited, and I hurried towards it. I had the lantern, the books, and the sword with me. The light seemed like a sign that I could finally escape from this cave.
"Could that be the cave's entrance!?" I wondered, feeling out of breath as I carried my lantern, book, and sword. With each step, my feet throbbed in pain, as if they might cramp at any moment. My arms ached and shook under the weight of the books and sword, making it feel like they might give in at any second now.
"Ouch!" I winced, as each step sent sharp stabs of pain through my tired legs.
But again I once again increase my pace towards the possible entrance of this place,
As I drew closer to the cave's entrance, my breath came in short gasps. "Just a little more," I said to myself, feeling a mix of excitement and exhaustion. With a final push, I finally reached the entrance.
As I took my first step out of the dark cave, the sudden burst of bright light overwhelmed my vision. It was so intense that I had to shut my eyes tightly, as I had never experienced such brightness before I came here.
"Argh... Again my eyes! My eyes!!!!!! Why!!!!!!! They were always the ones being harassed argh... All the freaking time you're always going for the eye!!!!!"
"In the cave when I first arrived, I looked like a chicken in the dark, now that I'm outside, it's like I'm an owl on a sunny day, it hurts!!"
But even with my eyes closed, I could still feel the familiar warm rays of the sun gently caressing my skin.
"It's warm but not too hot it feels so comfortable"
The air smelled really fresh, like a mix of clean air and grassy scents.
"Ahh... I've never breathed air this clean before. No funky chemical coming from the factory or car fumes to spoil it. Just pure nature freshness."
It was so peaceful... I can hear the birds chirping happily it was so melodic, like a little musical instrument in the sky. The gentle flapping of their wings added a rhythmic beat to the melody. The soft rustling of leaves in the breeze was like a gentle percussion, creating a calming harmony of sounds in the air.
"there was No car horns blaring, no heated arguments echoing through the surrounding. Just peace." It wrapped around me, soothing my senses like a gentle caress, and I found myself already falling in love with the peaceful surrounding.
As I slowly adjust to the bright light, I carefully open my eyes and notice that my feet are sinking into a lush carpet of green grass. The grass feels soft and ticklish against my bare skin as I step forward, feeling the blades brushing against my feet and knees.
In front of me, there was a wall with patches of green moss clinging to its rough, bumpy surface. The wall had a mix of brown and black colors, creating a unique texture against the greenery surrounding it.
"Hmmm... A wall? A type of landscape or some type of rock formation?"
When I lifted my gaze, i saw a the most immense trees I had ever seen. Their towering height made it almost seem like a wall at first glance, it was a forest filled with enormous trees that are taller than buildings and a thick branches that look like a log.
"Is this the forest Bahamut was talking about?"
Large leaves were slowly falling from the huge branches, creating a mesmerizing sight as they gracefully floated down to the grassy ground.
Beneath the trees, there were mushrooms of different sizes, some were bigger than a car, some were as big as a human, and the smallest ones were as big as a liter of soda. They came in different colors and shapes, with some being very colorful with a mix of colors, spots, and patterns, while others were plain brown or white like normal mushrooms.
I carefully bent down and put the sword and books down. Then, I slowly sat in the grassy ground, feeling pain all over my body - my feet and arms were shaking.
"Phewww! My arms, legs, and back hurt," I said while gently pounding my lower back like an old man, and added, "that feels a lot better."
Then, I realized that I had a potion in my pocket. I reached into my pocket, opened the potion by biting the wood seal and then spit out the wooden seal, and took a sip.
I slowly bring the glowing green liquid potion closer to my lips. It enters my mouth and goes down my throat. At first, it feels weird. It's cold, fishy, bitter, and slimy like goo.
But I can feel my fatigue, nausea, and exhaustion slowly disappearing.
After another sip, my stamina is restored. The last sip makes my body, which was about to fall due to sore muscles, feel new again, like nothing happened.
"The thick and slimy texture and strange taste of the potion feels weird."
I start to stand up and stare at my body, i started to clench my fist and flex my muscles and notice that my body feels different. My muscles feel tighter than they did just a while ago, maybe because of the potion's effect. Or it was just my imagination
"My body feels great!"
Then, when I turned around, I realized that I had come out of a cave on a small rocky hill.
Then, as I looked up slowly at the hill peak, then I noticed a thick branch of a tree that was larger than any others I had seen earlier. Stepping back while staring at the sky, but all I could see were the branches, so I decided to climb up, I left my belongings and pressed onward, After a few minutes. I finally reach the top of what I thought was a small hill, I realized that the hill I was climbing was actually a humongous crater, in the center of the creater is an incredibly massive tree. This tree was significantly larger, perhaps 40-50 times bigger than the others. It was a tree that even the myths didn't mentioned, an ancient and leafless tree, as if it had been there for millions of years. Its peak was hidden in the clouds that couldn't be seen, and it was dark with constant thunder showing, although I couldn't hear it for some reason mayb because how far I am.
The tree had a unique color, a mix of dark brown and dark red with hints of bright red, veiny-like, glowing, resembling fire or magma. Its surface was rough, almost like scales. Beneath the tree is a very large, beautiful kingdom, but with larger buildings compared to a regular human kingdom. The kingdom is now destroyed, surrounded by the ruins of the buildings, different sizes of corpses, and artifacts such as armors, arrows, and swords from the war that happened long ago. They were almost eaten by overgrown plants covered with vines and tree roots. This kingdom is an ancient civilization, also known as the kingdom of [Draconis Aeternum], which Bahamut had mentioned.
As I stare at the view, my tummy suddenly gets hurt again and creates a loud sound. I clench my stomach, growling!!
Then the mushrooms that I had seen earlier might be edible, so I go down to examine what they are. I put my monocle on my right eye and grab one of my books.
When I open it, something falls - a piece of paper. It falls to the grassy ground. I pick it up and open it; it's a map. There are landscapes, mountains, forests, rivers, and in the center is a round landscape with a drawing of a kingdom with a tree called [Draconis Aeternum]. And They were being surrounded by 7 different circles with different colors, and I don't know why.
I ignore it, fold it, and put it on the back page of the book because I'm not interested right now.
"But now I'm more interested in the mushrooms"
"I'm so hungry that I might be able to eat a horse..... Wait ain't that too exaggerating and that is not right..... Did I hit my head?... No I'm alright.... Thankfully I didn't touch the plant inside the cave, just grabbing something might have poisoned me, and that is not a human thing to do. Maybe half a day has passed since I got here, and all the walking is making me more hungrier."
On the first page is a detailed drawing of a tree called "Ancient Trees of the Forbidden Forest".
The author exclaimed, "These ancient trees were the first things I saw on my journey to the northwest, where the domain of the rampaging god of destruction is located. My purpose was to research the creatures and plants living in this forbidden forest."
The Forbidden Forest is home to dragons and spans over 50,456 miles wide, filled with giant trees. The place had a slightly higher oxygen level, maybe 3 ~ 4 percent, a place with higher mana particles compared to the human world, also the mysterious elements that can only be found here are mixed up in the air, and lastly the humidity in this Forrest caused the insects to evolve. As a result, tiny ants grew as big as mice, and flying insects became bigger than birds.
"Wait... Wait.. wait was science a thing here too, not just sorcery and magic?"
Age: Over tens of thousands of years
Species: Ancient trees
Warning: Do not proceed further; you may find yourself in a treacherous territory.
I gazed at the towering trees and inquired, "So these are the ancient trees?"
Then, I noticed a round, brown ball at the top of the trees. "Maybe some kind of fruit," I said, and noticed some of them were laying on the ground.
And then, I started to read the journal and saw the drawing of the fruit.
- "Brownbark Quencher a fruit that only grows in the giant trees in the northwest, where the trees are surrounded by rich underground waters like springs. It was as big as an adult human head and was quite tough to open, but in the stem where it was connected is where a soft layer where you can drink."
"It was slightly sweet and cold to the mouth and refreshing."
"So it was a fruit"
Then i Curiously said, "how about the mushrooms?."
"During my extensive research, I delved deep into the mysteries of this place. Despite the challenges I faced, I maintained my composure with my resilience to poison and toxicity. Among the edible mushrooms I discovered were the brown meat shrooms, white stringy Mushrooms, Embercap, Woods Glimmercap, Fairy Ring Dreamcap, Sylvan Serenade Trumpet, and Emberglow Hymmshroom. These mushrooms had a delightful taste. However, others exuded a potent earthy flavor and aroma, accompanied by some side effects."
- "The brown meat mushrooms - have thick white stems and compact brownish caps. When cooked, they emit an earthy smell but taste like a rich meat flavor. They have a very chewy texture that can be difficult to chew if cooked for too long over a fire. The very root of the mushroom has a sour taste, as one person said, 'I ate the root first and it's so sour but the cap taste like a cow meat."
- "The white stringy mushrooms - are thin and spindly, resembling a filamentous bundle of straws with tiny pinhead caps. They have a crispy texture when consumed and leave a minty fresh breath. Eating too many of these mushrooms can make your body feel very refreshed and open up all your pores. One person warned, 'If you consume too many of these, you'll end up coughing really bad as it feels you had an ice on your lungs.'"
- "The Embercap - is a mushroom with a bright orange cap. When I tasted it, the sweet and slightly spicy flavor was delightful, and it is believed to raise body heat. As I savored it, I couldn't help but exclaim, 'This one is tasty and has a great texture! The most normal mushroom of them all.'
- "The Woods Glimmercap - with its pale, luminescent white cap and delicate silver veins, immediately caught my eye. Eating this mushroom was said to enhance awareness and deepen one's connection with nature. However, my experience was different, as I found myself struggling to think clearly for an hour after consuming it. It was as if my mind was clouded by its effects.
- "The Fairy Ring Dreamcap - led me to encounter a mushroom with a squat, round cap adorned with colorful dots reminiscent of a fairy ring. Despite its whimsical appearance, eating this mushroom can make you sleepy and give you vivid dreams of fantastical creatures and strange landscapes. I couldn't help but note, 'Well, it isn't poisonous, so it was edible, hehe.'
- "Lastly, The Sylvan Serenade Trumpet - shaped like a trumpet with a velvety texture and a deep green color. The promise of evoking feelings of peace and harmony akin to nature's symphony intrigued me. Unfortunately, all it brought me was a sharp stomach ache, devoid of the promised sense of calm. It left me exclaiming, 'Yeah right!!! Eating this mushroom just gave me a stomach ache for days!!!!, The one that said that it has some great effects, I will hunt you down!!! For giving me a fucking wrong information"
"The guy that write this journal seems really pissed off"
Then I turned the page and saw the inedible mushrooms,
- "Shimmerstalk – The Shimmerstalk flaunts a dark purple stem speckled with shimmering blue dots. Its cap, a profound black, shines when light touches it. Eating this mushroom can trigger intense hallucinations, making your senses extra sharp. A tiny insects might even make you feel uneasy. "This mushroom is the worst I've tried. It tastes awful and makes me feel like someone's watching me from behind the trees."
- "Whisperroot – These mushrooms resemble human ears and come in a reddish-brown color. Trying one may lead to hearing things in the forest. Some say it feels like their ears are being torn, driving them a bit crazy. "It's like when there's a mosquito buzzing in your ear as you try to sleep – so irritating!"
- "Shadowspore Fungus – This toxic mushroom sports a dark, nearly black cap adorned with glowing purple spores that emit a spooky aura, blending into the shadows. "This could add a cool touch to my home décor."
- "Deathcap Canopyshroom - With a red cap streaked with green veins, the Deathcap Canopyshroom stands tall in the forest. Its stem twists like fingers reaching out. "It seems to want to shake hands."
- "Nightshade Cryptospore - This mushroom's deep purple cap sucks in all light. Its spores can paralyze and kill if eaten. "I ate it, but nothing happened because I'm very resistant to toxins."
- "Obitus Lurkershroom - The Obitus Lurkershroom is a fungus with a black, leathery cap that gives off a bad smell. Its spores can make people feel very sad and hopeless. "It smells so bad, I didn't go close to try it. Who would want food that smells like a fart?"
- "Hazeblight Spirefungus - The Hazeblight Spirefungus is a tall mushroom in the forest with a twisted, spire-like shape. Its spores create a thick, poisonous mist that covers the area, making it hard to see and breathe. "It stings my eyes and is good at keeping insects away. But if you breathe it in and don't resist poison, you'll slowly die. It's more harmful than the others."
- "Smiling Shrooms - These mushrooms are smaller, maybe 10 inches tall, with a creepy appearance. Their heads look like they are smiling with human-like eyes. If you eat them, your cheek muscles freeze, making you smile with red eyes, and you might feel like you're dreaming and high. "Yeah, it still didn't affect me, haha."
"Why do I feel like the author of this book has 0 survival instinct? No normal people will try to eat a mushroom that they have just found in the ground without a hint of information. But he seems like he is enjoying his work and life to the fullest." I said while making fun of the author of the journal.
Then, my tummy started growling and rumbling, signaling hunger once again. "Oh no, now is not the time for reading," I thought. I cautiously made my way down the grassy hill, picked up my sword, and carefully cut the stem of the brown meat mushrooms.
"These mushrooms alone can't provide all the necessary nutrients for everyday eating. I might become malnourished if I only rely on them. I need to find protein and calcium to build up my muscles. Otherwise, my muscles and bones could lose their strength and density."
I tried to find some small animals such as wild chickens like peasants or a rabbit or a dear boar.
I carefully walked and walked to the surroundings of the trees and near the cave where I came from and saw a white fluffy creature a rabbit eating grass but something isn't right, it has antlers that are similar to a dear. I carefully stepped forward and tried to catch it to cook it but it was too fast to catch with an upper hand due to the surrounding that I'm not used to, after trying to catch it for 30 minutes, I still didn't catch it. It's much easier to catch them if they were in their rabbit hole.
"Ha....ha..ha Rabbits were so fast haha... If this keeps going my stamina might drain. I guess I need to find some other sources, if there was a prey then there will be a predator. I hope that I might find something very slow like a non poisonous snake."
As I tried to find other food, something rattled in my back beneath the high Grass. I carefully pointed my sword towards it and pushed the grass to see if it's a small animal or a snake but what I saw is a cricket as big as a fist.
I screamed, cursing the creature in front of me, "F*&k! What is that weird-looking creature!?... Is that supposed to be a cricket that's huge, that's disgusting."
Chirp!, crick!, chirp!, crick! ("What the f*&k is this hairless goblin wearing some kind of feather, he looks disgusting.") - Just for fun dialogue haha.
Then I paused and reached to my chin, and said, while staring at the cricket in front of me, "Wait a minute, aren't crickets edible and have high protein and calcium content that surpasses that of a cow, and they taste like chicken? But still, it looks disgusting. What am I going to find later, a giant cockroach or what?"
"This might be my source of food for now." I swung my sword downward and slashed, although it seemed like a crappy move because I didn't have any experience with a sword, it was still fast enough to slice one of the cricket's legs so that it couldn't jump now to escape.
It tried to jump but was not able to jump too far, so I slashed it over and over again until it died.
"Finally, it died, haha..." I lifted it by its legs and went down to cook it.