The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was blowing fiercely across the vast meadow. In this expansive field, several large, lush trees could be seen growing.
Beneath one of these thick, shady trees, a young man was lying on the grass, asleep. The wind blowing in the hot weather of the meadow made him sleep even more soundly.
This young man was Arthur, who had transmigrated to a world of wild beasts. Arthur had not yet realized that he was deeply asleep beneath one of the trees in this meadow, in a world filled with dangerous creatures.
Time passed, and soon it was late afternoon. The night fell quickly over the meadow, and Arthur, still fast asleep, eventually woke up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around, feeling confused, and noticed that it was beginning to get dark.
"Is this a dream? Where am I?" Arthur muttered, bewildered.
Arthur was shocked by the scene before him. He was supposed to be in his small rented room, not lying in a meadow with a large tree behind him.
To make sure he wasn't dreaming, Arthur pinched himself. When he realized the pain was real, he became even more confused. He then hit his head against the ground to double-check, still unsure whether what he was experiencing was real.
"What is happening here?" Arthur asked, still in disbelief.
He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. "I've never known there was a place like this on Earth," he thought, convinced that no such place existed, since he had memorized all of Earth's geography back when he was in university.
As Arthur tried to recall where he might be, night descended even faster than expected. It was difficult for him to see in the growing darkness because he was under the thick canopy of the tree, which blocked the moonlight, leaving only shadows around him.
Arthur quickly decided to walk toward an open area of the meadow, away from the trees, so that the moonlight could guide him through the darkness.
"What a beautiful sky. I never knew the night sky could be this magnificent," Arthur thought in awe.
The stars twinkled brightly, and the surface of the moon was clearly visible, even without a telescope.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion!
The sound startled Arthur, and he immediately looked toward the source of the noise.
From a distance, Arthur saw what appeared to be an explosion coming from one of the large trees to the south. Curious, he decided to investigate, thinking that he might find some clue about where he was, as he was certain that no such place existed on Earth.
The distance from Arthur to the large tree was about 500 meters, and from the place where he had been lying, to the explosion site, it was about 1,000 meters. As Arthur walked toward the source of the explosion, he observed his surroundings. He noticed that in this vast meadow, the large trees grew about 1,000 meters apart.
The trees varied in size. The one where Arthur had been lying was about twelve meters tall, with thick foliage. But the tree he was heading toward appeared to be even larger. From a distance, Arthur estimated it to be at least twenty meters tall.
As Arthur neared the source of the explosion, another loud "boom!" rang out. He was now close enough to witness an incredible sight.
A massive fireball had formed in the air and suddenly shot toward an enormous bird, causing a huge explosion.
In the opposite direction from the giant bird, Arthur saw a young man with a headband and striking red clothing. He was dressed in what looked like martial arts attire, though it appeared more elegant, suitable for formal wear.
"Now, you'll become one of my beasts!" the young man shouted at the giant bird.
The young man quickly formed another fireball in the air. What had been the size of a tennis ball now grew to the size of a house. As the fireball expanded, the young man shouted an incantation, sending the massive fireball flying toward the giant bird.
The enormous bird screeched in fury, and the fireball collided with it. The bird seemed to be no match for the fireball's strength and fell, crashing into the branch of a large tree.
Seeing that the giant bird was likely near death, the young man chanted another incantation. From his chest, white smoke in the shape of chains emerged and flew toward the bird. The chains entered the bird's body, and its previously vengeful and furious expression shifted to one of submission.
The bird rapidly shrank, from the size of a house to the size of a butterfly.
"Come in!" the young man muttered, and the now tiny bird flew toward his chest and disappeared inside.
Arthur, who had been watching this in shock, wondered if he was seeing an illusion. He rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
While Arthur was still trying to process what he had just witnessed, the young man turned toward him, seemingly noticing that someone else was nearby.
"I don't sense any aura from this person. Is he a mortal, not a hunter?" the young man murmured, staring in Arthur's direction. He then began walking toward him, wanting to confirm the stranger's identity.
In the world of wild beasts, mortal humans rarely wandered in the wilderness. They usually stayed in cities, which were the safest places from wild beast attacks. Noticing that Arthur lacked the aura of a hunter, the young man became curious. Why would someone so unprepared be wandering around the dangerous wilderness?
The wilderness was indeed a perilous place for mortals, with wild beasts roaming freely, ready to strike at any moment. However, there was something even more dangerous than wild beasts: demon hunters, who delighted in torturing mortals and treating them as slaves.