As Matsurize climbed higher up the tree, his vision gradually cleared, and by the light of the moon, he took in the nighttime scenery of the dense forest. Earlier, he had stuffed a few wild fruits into his shirt pocket, and now, sitting in the tree, he casually ate them while enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
Night had just fallen. In the human world, nightfall typically signals rest and sleep, marking a shift from the activities of the day. But in this thick forest, the arrival of night meant it was time for nocturnal predators to begin their hunt.
The forest grew lively with the sounds of night creatures—chirping insects, calling birds, and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Matsurize lay back, half-reclined on a sturdy tree branch, listening to the symphony of the night. He found it strangely soothing.
In his previous life, he had moved to the city when he was very young, and although it was a small town, the urban atmosphere was still pervasive. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed the peace and beauty of nature like this—it felt so comfortable.
As the night deepened, the base of the tree was shrouded in complete darkness. Looking down, all Matsurize could see was a black void—nothing was visible below. Time passed, and he eventually drifted off to sleep.
"Snore… snore…" His snores echoed around the tree.
The tree he had chosen to climb was one he had spotted by chance during the day. When night fell suddenly, he had remembered it was nearby and easy to climb, so he had ascended it. However, he hadn't noticed something important: the lower part of the tree was covered in strange markings that had made it easier for him to climb, but these marks were not natural.
The grooves and gashes in the bark weren't random—they had been made by repeated impacts and sharp blades. Some were fresh, while others were old, and this was a frightening sight that hinted at something very dangerous, though Matsurize remained blissfully unaware of this.
Oblivious to the danger, Matsurize slept soundly, snoring away. Little did he know, trouble was brewing.
He didn't wake up because of a terrifying animal's roar, nor because of a nightmare. No, it was hunger that woke him. His stomach was empty again.
In his previous life, he had eaten three large meals a day and still felt hungry. Now, all he had eaten was a few wild fruits and a single rabbit. Even though the rabbit had been somewhat plump, it was still a small animal, and it wasn't enough to stave off his hunger for long. No wonder he was starving again.
Despite his intense hunger, he didn't immediately climb down from the tree. Not because he had a great sense of caution, but because he was wary of the carnivorous animals that might be roaming the forest at night. Looking down at the pitch-black forest floor, he couldn't see anything and had no idea how high he had climbed. For the first time, his fear of heights overtook his hunger as he clung tightly to the tree's branches.
But just as he was grappling with his fear, disaster struck.
"Awoooo! Awoooo!"
Matsurize jumped in fright. If his ears weren't deceiving him, that was the sound of wolves howling. He clung to the tree trunk even more tightly, silently praying. He mumbled to himself, "Please don't come here, please don't find me. Buddha, Taoist Immortals, God, Heaven, all the deities, please protect me!"
He called upon every deity he could think of, praying for his safety.
But as the saying goes, what you fear most often comes to pass. He gripped the tree in an awkward, undignified posture, and that's when he heard it: a series of loud thuds, followed by more and more. In no time, the tree he was clinging to started shaking violently.
Matsurize looked down, but with the darkness and the thick canopy blocking his view, all he saw was blackness. Occasionally, he caught glimpses of metal glinting in the moonlight, but he had no idea what was causing the tree to shake so fiercely.
Unbeknownst to him, the culprits were a pack of Blade Wolves, the dominant predators in this part of the forest. These wolves were similar to ordinary wolves, except for the one or two sharp horns growing from their heads. These horns were incredibly sharp, resembling weapons, which was how the Blade Wolves got their name.
At the base of Matsurize's tree, about a dozen Blade Wolves were gathered. With their superior night vision, sense of smell, and hearing, it was clear they had already detected Matsurize's presence.
The marks on the tree that had helped him climb up? Those were made by the Blade Wolves ramming into the tree with their sharp horns. The claw marks on the tree were also left by their razor-sharp claws.
Blade Wolves regularly rammed trees with their horns to relieve the discomfort caused by their fast-growing horns, much like how certain animals in Matsurize's previous world, like antelope, used trees to scratch their itchy antlers.
Matsurize, of course, knew none of this. All he knew was that there was a pack of wolves below, and they had him cornered. He could only hear the howling and the sounds of something crashing against the tree, but he couldn't see anything.
Had the wolves not noticed Matsurize, they would have left by now. But since they had detected him, and being wolves, they shared a common trait with predators: patience. They could wait.
Tonight, there was no way Matsurize would be able to come down. As for what might happen in the morning—well, that would depend on the situation.