I was wrapped by a dazzling light.
（Where is this place…? ）
I was suddenly standing inside an unknown forest.
Until a moment ago I was on my way to climb a local mountain. It was a famous mountain to which I was familiar with from a young age, and one which I’ve climbed many times.
(Did I get lost!? No, that's not it)
What I was climbing was a local mountain, in the early summer, and during daytime. It might’ve been dangerous if this was winter time, or if I was mountain climbing at night, but there is no way I can be lost with the current situation.
(Is that a beech tree? … No, this is the first time I see this kind of tree)
I try to confirm the kind of trees growing nearby by force of habit.
I am somewhat familiar with different animals and plants. However, this is the first time I see the kind of trees that are around me.
I haven’t even seen them even in the field guide of Japanese trees.
“That's right, I have to confirm my current location…”
I tried to calm down by speaking my thoughts. After all, you need a clear head to objectively check your position.
Then I took out the compass from my pocket and checked the direction. At the same time, I also observed the surrounding branches and leaves, along with the direction at which the moss was growing.
By acquiring the most information is the best way to get the most accuracy.
“After that, would be the position of the sun, ri… ght…?”
And finally, my gaze moved towards the sky and I became lost for words. I was astonished by a sight that went beyond my imagination.
“What's is… next to the sun? Are those moons? Moreover… two of them.”
It was an unbelievable sight.
Looking up, there was indeed a bright and shinning sun.
But two moons could also be clearly seen right next to it. Even though it was such a bright day.
“In other words… this mean this is not the Earth.”
That was the reasoning I came to while I remained calm.
Until a moment ago, there was the possibility that myself, who lost consciousness, got somehow lost in an unexplored forest.
I mean, there are still many trees, plants and animals on Earth that humanity has not discovered yet. It was possible since I saw trees that I didn’t know about.
But as I looked up to the sky, that possibility disappeared.
The lack of the familiar sky I’ve seen since the time I was born, proved that this was not the planet where I was born and raised.
“Is this another planet? Or a parallel world? ……”
One of those possibilities was the answer.
Since I was breathing without any discomfort from a while ago, the air might have the same components as on Earth. If this was really another planet, to have the same component ratio as the Earth’s air, that would be an astronomically small probability.
“Well then, what should I do to survive…”
I remain wary of my surroundings while thinking.
I understood this was not Earth, but a different world. For the sake of convenience, let's call it “parallel world”.
The problem is, what to do next, in order not to die.
I don’t really feel the desire to stupidly walk to my dead, and I’m not a lazy person either. I don’t want to die unnecessarily, I want to live a long life.
And in order to do that, my highest priority is to find a way to survive in this unknown world.
“The degree of danger might be 『Equivalent to a jungle on Earth』… …might as well add『The largest』to that, I wonder if this is how I should see this.”
I had hobbies about outdoor activities such as climbing. Therefore, I’m able to understand the scariness of nature to a certain extent.
No matter how advanced the civilization develops through scientific knowledge, people are weak.
They are the weakest of creatures even unable to overcome dogs and cats, of course, that is without the support of the power of weapons and tools.
The fur that once protected the human body degenerated, exposing humanity’s soft and unprotected skin. Moreover, human strength is weak, even lacking claws and fangs.
Even a tempered martial artist has low probabilities of winning against a wild animal, if at all. In reality, it doesn’t work at all like it does in the manga or TV.
Another disadvantage of people is that they consume more physical strength by being bipedal, compared to quadruped animals, and they are easier to topple over.
Their digestive capacity is low and along with the lack of thermal resistance, makes humans easily prone to diseases such as colds.
I mean, can people really live naked in snowy mountains or deserts? The answer is no, it is impossible.
“People are the weakest among all creatures.”
That is the answer I got after calmly thinking about it.
“Now, to confirm my own situation. Breathing is fine. My body temperature also seems stable. “
While speaking I continue to check my surroundings.
“OK. Next is securing food and a source of water. Then, find a safe place where I can rest, although I doubt I can find one in this forest… That would be the top priority.”
I was taught a survival rule, the『Survival Rule of 3』.
That rules states:『You can survive for 3 Minutes without air or in icy water, you can survive for 3 Hours without shelter in a harsh environment, you can survive for 3 Days without water, you can survive for 3 Weeks without food』therefore, with the priority order decided, I proceeded to act.
For now, I'm lucky that breathing is not an issue, and the temperature here is not harsh.
If this was a world with a different air component ratio than Earth, I would have died in the first three minutes. Also, if this was a desert or a snowy biome, I would have lasted only 3 hours.
Luckily, those two are secured for now. I wonder if I should thank god or the devil.
(No… I guess there aren’t gods nor devils in this world either.)
Anyway, I can at the very least survive for three days, so now I need to secure water and food. There is still some food left in the backpack too.
“Well then… which direction should I start heading towards?”
I decided to leave this place while checking the direction on the compass.
There was also a desire to remain in this place.
『I wonder if there is a way to go back to Earth? 』I was still relying in that faint sliver of hope.
But really, this place looks dangerous.
If you were to camp here forever, it might take all your effort to keep yourself from starving to death, or being attacked by wild animals and die. I need to get out of this forest if I want to live.
I already said it, but I’m not a person with a suicidal wish.
I plan on living a long life.
Having those thoughts, I started to walk through this deep forest, in order to live.