Chapter 2 - I was suddenly in the middle of the forest
When I woke up, I realized that I was floating. I wasn't flying in the sky, but floating about one meter above the ground.
........ mmm, what's going on here?
Forcing my hazy head to work at full power, I tried to figure out the situation but I couldn't come up with a good explanation for it.
Well, anyway, I'm floating. That much I can understand. The question is why am I in the middle of the forest?
The ground was moist because of the hundreds-years-old-looking trees densely covered the surrounding area. My body, as though being washed away in the wind, was floating through the gap between trees towards the depth of the forest.
Humans do not fly, this must be the power of magic.
All right, the next question is --- who in the world casted this magic on me!?
It's unlikely that I casted the floating magic on myself while half-asleep. I mean, I don't have magic wand after all.
This is most likely my parents who did it, but….
"Mom? Dad?" (Ash)
I wonder if this is going to be a surprise trick.
I thought so and called to my parents. However, there was no answer from them. Inside the quiet forest, only my voice echoed.
"Or rather, how long will I float---!?" (Ash)
Suddenly, my body was being pulled down by the gravitational force --- it seemed that the floating effect had ran out. I tried to correct my falling posture, but my body hit the ground before I could do it.
"What the hell with this situation!?" (Ash)
If it's really Dad or Mom who casted the magic, this means they also the ones who brought me to this forest. However, why did they bring me to this kind of place? Could it be they've abandoned me?
"No, no way, yeah, that's impossible...." (Ash)
I desperately denied that possibility. I just couldn't think of a reason for they to abandon me.
I mean, I have been brought up with love until now, and I have never said something selfish to them.
I've passed the rebellious phase in my previous life, so I've never rebelled against my parents in this world.
In addition, raising me should have been many times easier than raising other children, and I’ve been helping out with the chores as well.
There’s really no reason for them to abandon me in this place.
Since I couldn't explain why I was in the middle of the forest, I decided to go home and ask it to Dad or Mom directly.
"Yeah. Let's go home first!" (Ash)
Today is the day I will get the magic wand I've dreamed of. I wonder when was the last time I was this excited. At least, this is the first time after I was reborn into this world.
"I shouldn’t be wasting my time in this place!" (Ash)
I started to walk. I kept walking, walking, walking, walking, and finally….
“Where am I!?” (Ash)
I was completely lost.
The surrounding area is dimmer than the place where I woke up, and the air is also damper. It looks like I've walked further deep into the forest. If I were a normal five-year-old, I would have been crying out of fear now.
I'm not afraid because of my mental age is far higher than my physical age, but above all, it’s because I'm a trained martial artist.
I've never gone serious after being reborn in this world, but my martial arts should've not been dulled. Though this body is still young and lack of strength, I should be able to defeat a wild boar or two.
The problem is the monsters….
There are monsters in this world, so don't leave the town carelessly --- Dad often told me this. I've never seen them directly though. I guess monster is not something that you can find easily. More importantly, I don’t know if I can defeat them with this body.
"If here is deep in the forest, that means I can get out from this place if I go to the opposite direction." (Ash)
Having decided that, I started to walk towards the opposite direction.
There is no sign that I will be able to get out of this forest anytime soon. To make it worse, I'm really hungry right now. I have not eaten anything today, and walking around inside the forest makes me even hungrier.
"Let's take a short break...." (Ash)
When I was walking while considering such a thing, a nearby huge rock came into my field of vision. There was a gaping cavity in the huge rock that I have no recollection of being there until a while ago.
Good timing. Let's take a break over there!
I walked towards the rock. The rock looked more and more huge as I got closer to it. Many pointed rocks which looked like an icicle, extended from above and below, giving the impression of monster fangs.
Then suddenly, a pair of eyes opened on the top of the cavity and they were directed at me. Shortly after that, the rock slowly stood up while making a loud rumbling sound.
"It's not a rock! It's a monster!!" (Ash)
I've never seen a monster, but this must be it. There's no way this thing is an animal!
*roooaaaaarrrrrrrrrr!!!*
The monster let out an intimidating roar. Immediately after that, the monster which was hundreds times bigger than wild boar, came rushing at me while blowing away the trees on its track.
I couldn't even stand upright because the earth is shaking, let alone run away from this monster.
This is bad.... I'm going to be killed!!!
Facing the approaching death, I suddenly felt the power surging inside my body.
◆
This part is not from Ash’s POV.
Someone was racing through the forest at incredible speed. Pure white hair and beard --- from his appearance, it could be seen that he was a veteran of life (an old man).
I heard the roar of a monster while I was eating.
I'm sure it was coming from the boss monster of this area --- Behemoth.
Originally, Behemoth was a calm creature. This didn't mean Behemoth was weak, but it was because there was almost no other creature that could threaten it. Behemoth would remain calm even when dozens of wizard surrounded it. This was possible because Behemoth was one of the strongest creature existed.
That Behemoth roared that loud, I wonder what's going on....
The Lord of the Forest who always remains calm under any circumstances, is feeling threatened --- this is the first time in these thirty years.
There's no other explanation besides some kind of ridiculously strong creature has appeared in this forest. As the guardian of this forest, I can't afford to leave such a monster alone.
"This should be the place...."
The old man slowed down and looked around cautiously.
"That...!?"
The old man rushed towards a child who was lying unconscious in front of a huge rock. The child was covered in blood.
"Did this kid get attacked by monster?"
The old man put his palms together and started to pray for the child, however....
“…….. nnnn.”
The child groaned.
He’s still alive!?
The old man who was holding the child in his arms, noticed something amiss.
"No wounds.... This is not his blood...."
This kid is indeed covered in blood but his body is not damaged.
This means there's a wounded person somewhere around here.
When the old man raised his face to look for the injured, some kind of liquid fell onto his face. He wiped it with his palm and finally realized that it was blood.
"............"
The old man fearfully looked overhead. There was a large hole drilled in the object that he thought was a rock, and blood overflowed from there.
"Th-This is…. impossible...."
The old man walked to take a closer look at the huge rock while still holding the child.
"Behemoth!?"
It was the death of the forest lord who had a hole on his face. The hole drilled Behemoth's face and continued until its anus, and the child who was lying unconscious beneath it, was showered by its blood.
“This means…. this kid had killed Behemoth…!?”
In other words, the reason behind the frightened Behemoth, is also this kid.
The moment he thought so, the old man’s body started trembling. Not out of fear, but from the excitement. The old man then smiled unconsciously.
"I finally found it, my successor........"