Matsurize held the rabbit by its tail with his left hand, lifting it high while his right hand was busy inside the dead rabbit's belly. Before long, a variety of organs and innards, along with a lot of blood, spilled out of the rabbit.
He knew he couldn't start a fire—he didn't even know how—so Matsurize was clear on one thing: he would have to eat the rabbit raw. However, he also understood that eating the organs raw could be dangerous. So, he removed all of the rabbit's organs and innards.
The scene was gruesome. When his right hand finally emerged from the rabbit's belly, it was soaked in blood, sticky and slimy with who-knows-what clinging to it. The sight and feel of it made him want to vomit. Earlier, hunger had kept him from feeling too disgusted, but now the blood-covered hand nearly sent him over the edge.
Despite the revulsion, Matsurize held it together. He knew that, at this point, his primary task was to fill his stomach. No matter how disgusting it was, nothing could stand in the way of his need for food.
He wiped the rabbit meat with leaves from a nearby tree and used a sharp stone to carve off a chunk of fresh meat. He tossed it into his mouth and started chewing. It was tough, stringy, and had a horrible, gamey taste—definitely not appetizing. But it would fill his stomach.
Compared to the food from his previous life, this was far worse. However, in this unfamiliar world, and with his gnawing hunger, he had no choice but to continue eating the bitter rabbit meat. One piece wasn't enough to satisfy him, so he continued cutting off chunks, one after the other.
Back in his previous life, Matsurize had a massive appetite—he was something of an eating champion. And even in his current, thinner body, he still had that huge appetite, which seemed out of place for someone so skinny.
As he devoured the rabbit meat, his mind wandered to random thoughts. He wondered how someone with his appetite could be so thin. Clearly, the previous owner of this body had lived a very hard life.
Before he knew it, the rabbit meat was gone, and all that remained was the bloody skin. Finally, he felt somewhat full. He knew he couldn't count on another lucky encounter like this one—there would be no more waiting by a tree for a rabbit to run into it.
Throwing away the bloody rabbit skin, he picked a direction and, while it was still light, continued his search for the source of the smoke.
His goal had now become much simpler. Before, it had been about finding food, but now that his hunger was temporarily satisfied, his focus shifted to alleviating his sense of isolation.
It wasn't just about whether he had the ability to accomplish his goals—he knew that if he stayed alone for too long, he would lose his mind. The loneliness would drive him crazy.
Looking up at the sky, he saw the sunlight fading between the tree branches and felt the temperature drop. He quickened his pace. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stand still.
After walking for a while, he noticed the air around him growing colder. He realized that nightfall brought another danger: the cold.
Matsurize touched his thin clothes—a simple shirt and pants—and his shoes, which were full of holes. Compared to his shoes, the clothes were at least intact, though they were old and worn.
With such gear, wandering around in the forest at night wasn't safe. He quickened his pace again, feeling the dampness of his clothes against his skin. He thought back to when he first arrived in this world, waking up on the beach with wet clothes.
He hadn't gotten any useful information from the body's previous owner, but he suspected that the original owner might have been in a shipwreck. It seemed likely that this person wasn't a local resident of this area.
As he wandered aimlessly, lost in thought, the thing he feared most happened. Time does not bend to human will—night had fallen.
Darkness came quickly. One moment, he could see the distant landscape, and the next, as the saying goes, he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.
He had no idea where to go, but he knew he had to stop walking. The trees in the forest were so dense that their crowns blocked out even the moonlight, making the already dark night even darker.
Matsurize could only rely on the faint glow of moss and insects to find his way.
He didn't have many options, but one idea came to him: climbing a tree and spending the night in its branches.
During the day, he had noticed that the trees in this forest had thick trunks and sturdy branches, making them ideal for spending the night. Luckily, he remembered seeing a large tree not far from where he was—a tree with rough bark, perfect for a beginner climber like him.
Using his memory, he made his way to the tree in the dark. Fortunately, it wasn't far away, or he wouldn't have found it.
Grabbing hold of the rough bark, which was layered like scales, Matsurize began to climb. Before long, he reached the lower branches, but to be safe, he climbed a bit higher, settling into a spot where the branches met the trunk.