บท 6: Part 3
It has been three months since Takagi was left alone in the forest. In that time, he gained immense power and became proficient in every known magic in this world. He had become the self-proclaimed king of the forest and mastered the art of survival. He even managed to conquer the mightiest beast in the forest.
"In reality …only an hour has passed since they left. I need to stop daydreaming and focus on getting some food before sundown," Takagi reminded himself.
Being alone was a subject Takagi was well-versed in. His greatest companion was himself. He stood up from the log he was sitting on, noticing that the group had left behind an axe and a small knife. Determined not to underestimate himself, Takagi set aside his emotions and prepared to survive alone in the forest. The group had taken the stew that Okadio had prepared and burned the wooden spoons and bowls they had used. Takagi's goal was to remember everything the group had said and left behind.
"Unfortunately, I don't have a notepad to jot down important information. I guess I'll have to rely on my memory alone... Wait," Takagi paused, suddenly struck by a great idea to preserve important information.
He grabbed the knife and started carving every important detail word for word. The Kingdom of Leotus and Uzzul stood out as the most crucial names for Takagi to remember. Although he hadn't heard of the kingdom, it sounded human, and Uzzul appeared to be the nearest city or town to his location. Carving those names onto the small log where Ameria had been sitting, Takagi deemed them the most worthy of remembrance.
"These should be enough for now. Next up, I need to figure out what I'm going to eat next," Takagi contemplated.
Although he had recently eaten, Takagi knew that he had to find food now to avoid regret later. He ventured deeper into the forest, marking each tree he passed with a slash to prevent getting lost. Takagi might be hopeless, but he wasn't foolish. He remembered Estelar pointing in a particular direction and mentioning an abundance of fruits roughly 500 steps away. Despite being left alone in the forest, Takagi acknowledged that everyone had left him with valuable information. However, the most valuable to him was knowing that Ameria was a true elven goddess he would fight every day just to stand beside. The thought made him blush.
"I wonder what month it is. Judging by the forest, it seems like spring. But how do their calendars work? I remember setting it up so that there are 425 days in a year... So, 425 days from today, I need to find out where that Kingdom is," Takagi contemplated, dreading the fact that he would have to wait a whole year, equivalent to almost one year and a half in his time.
Takagi had a rough idea of his location based on the visual map in his mind. He recalled Okadio saying he found him near the ocean and that he was near the border of Minrow and Rovkre. From that information, Takagi inferred that he was inside the land of Rovkre, just west of the border.
"If I head west from here, there should be a town near the Bay of Vilfum," Takagi pondered.
The Bay of Vilfum was a bay connected to the western oceans. Originally founded by elves, the town had been taken over by orcs since it fell within Rovkre. Takagi found it intriguing how the land he had envisioned had come to life on its own.
As Takagi neared the 500-step mark, he discovered a vast number of fruit trees and plants, but to his disappointment, there were no fruits.
"That lying piece of shit!" Takagi angrily exclaimed before composing himself. He realized that Estelar and Ameria had likely picked all the fruits. He couldn't be angry at his goddess for that.
"I'm lucky to be alone in a forest. Other lands could be much worse. For example, there's the harsh hot desert in the country of Jute or the treacherous midland jungles in Rovkre," Takagi remarked, shivering at the thought of being in the jungles.
Takagi faced a predicament: find food or become someone else's food. This reality became evident when he spotted a lone red wolf in the distance. Takagi feared the wolf, recalling documentaries where similar animals hunted for their next meal and called for their pack to join in.
"This sucks. It's my first day out here, and I've already been marked as prey," Takagi lamented.
Takagi cautiously moved away from the wolf until it went on its own route, away from him. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and continue walking in a different direction, still on the hunt for fruits to bring back to camp. As he walked, he looked up at the mountain range that bordered the two countries, using it as a reference to determine east and west.
"I should probably try to make my way west and see if that town is still thriving. Although I would much rather head to Uzzul, I have no idea where that town is," Takagi contemplated. He longed for civilization, a warm bed, and food to eat. He knew that reaching the town would take several days of hiking.
Unfortunately, all Takagi could find were a meager amount of small berries. He grew frustrated at the challenge of finding food in the forest. He decided to head back to camp, following the trees he had marked. Once he arrived, Takagi faced another difficult challenge: he needed a fire that would last until morning. If only he knew some magic spells to summon and control fire. In truth, Takagi possessed knowledge of every magic spell but lacked the ability or understanding of how to cast them. It was getting dark, and Takagi refused to sleep in the cold, dark night.
An idea sparked in Takagi's mind—he remembered the technique of creating friction with wood to start a fire. However, he had forgotten the specific method. Despite his limited knowledge of survival skills, Takagi felt clueless in the outdoors. He found some dry wood and set it up as he had seen in movies. Violently rubbing his palms and fingertips together and applying downward force to the wood on the ground, he was pleasantly surprised when a fire finally ignited.
"Yes! Yes! And then there was fire!" Takagi celebrated in excitement. Fregran had left behind a few chopped pieces of firewood, which Takagi gladly used for his fire. He settled on a mossy log, feeling relieved. The sun had completely disappeared, and the dark night sky began to blanket the surroundings. The sounds of most animals faded away, leaving only the subtle crunching of the berries Takagi was munching on.
"It's a struggle to be alone in the woods. I can't even imagine doing this every day—waking up and wondering what food I'll eat or if there will even be food. It sounds exhausting. I miss it all—I miss being able to watch my favorite anime before bed or writing another chapter for my book," Takagi lamented, slowly closing his eyes and preparing to rest for the night.
The next morning was hazy, with birds chirping in the distance and limited visibility. Near the camp, Takagi could be heard digging away at wood with a knife. The noises were rough yet clear, coming from Takagi himself. He had awakened a while ago, unsure of the exact time but assuming it was early, possibly earlier than his usual waking hour. However, he didn't feel tired; instead, he felt ravenous.
"And day one," Takagi declared to himself, carving a tally and labeling it as "the days." He had planned to use charcoal to draw on a piece of chopped wood, but he realized that carving would be more permanent. Feeling hungry, Takagi set out to find food, retracing the path he had taken the day before. This time, he was slightly more familiar with the route.
"There's the tree shaped like a Y, and here's that rock with the odd cracks," Takagi remarked, naming the passing landmarks he had memorized.
In the distance, he heard rustling in the leaves, which startled him, wondering if it was a larger animal like a bear or a wolf. "Or maybe... food. But how would I kill it? I don't think I've ever killed anything before," he pondered. A deer emerged from the bushes, reminiscent of the one Buluni had killed and used for the stew that left Takagi hungry. His mind raced with thoughts of how he could catch it.
"Maybe I can throw the knife and hope it hits him. Or wait, I remember Buluni tried the same, but the deer kept running. So even if I were to stab it, it would most likely run away, and I'd lose my knife. Maybe a spear," Takagi contemplated aloud.
With newfound determination, Takagi rushed back to the camp and carved himself a spear. It took some time, but he successfully fashioned a wooden spear from a suitable branch. His only predicament arose when he returned to find that the deer was nowhere to be seen. "Of course, it wouldn't wait around for me to kill it," he thought.
As the day cleared up and the fog lifted, Takagi noticed improved visibility. Seizing the opportunity, he continued his quest for food and exploration. Takagi still wore his prisoner's rags, low-quality clothing that offered minimal warmth or protection. In his right hand, he held the knife left by the group, and in the other, the axe. Using plant fibers, he had fashioned a rope during the previous night, which he used to strap the spear to his back. Takagi felt like one of those people he had watched in videos living in the wild for several years, and he considered himself fortunate to have watched such seemingly mundane content in the past.
"Hold on, is that a river?" he exclaimed with surprise.
In the distance, he spotted what appeared to be a river with crystal-clear, blue water. He rushed over, kneeling to take a sip.
"Ah, this water tastes delicious. I can't believe I'm so happy to drink water. But I haven't had any since they left. Wait... huh?!" Takagi cried out, his reflection catching his attention.
"Are you kidding me? I look like an elf! Blonde hair, pointy ears, and look at my skin—I look so young!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
Takagi realized that he possessed physical characteristics that differed from his previous human form. He had a tail that wiggled and fang-like teeth that nearly bit his tongue the day before. However, he had never considered himself an elf. Touching his ears, he discovered their pointed shape. Takagi had assumed that everyone he had met was exaggerating the fact that he had become an elf.
"Am I really that clueless? How did I not realize this?" he muttered, grasping his face.
Takagi believed he resembled a cat-person rather than a traditional elf. Another detail that bewildered him was the horns atop his head. Confusion consumed him as he contemplated these new revelations. However, his thoughts were interrupted by something squirming in the water—something scaly and blue. Takagi immediately reached for his spear and attempted to impale the creature. After two missed attempts, he succeeded on the third try, catching his first meal alone. The fish wriggled on the tip of the spear, and minimal blood stained the water.
"Today is a success! I can't believe I caught four fish. I'm going to feast today!" Takagi joyfully strutted back to the fire pit.
Upon reaching the fire pit, Takagi chopped more wood, started another fire, and placed the fish over it using a stick to skewer them and burying the stick at an angle in the ground near the fire. His next goal was simple—he needed a shelter where he could be undisturbed by animals and bugs. The thought of lying down on the dirt and risking a huge centipede crawling into his ear disgusted him. However, constructing a wooden shelter required woodworking skills and knowledge of structures, which Takagi lacked.
"Oh well, I should probably start chopping down trees and gather enough wood to begin the project," Takagi concluded, ready to tackle the new challenge ahead.
Once again, the birds chirped in the early morning, signaling Takagi to wake up and hunt for food in the forest. Tallying the new day was his first task of the day.
"65, 66, ... and 67," Takagi whispered as he carved the tally marks.
"Day 67, the two-month mark really drove me crazy, but I guess I've composed myself now," Takagi thought.
He sheathed his knife in a small hilt on a worn-out hide belt. His prisoner's rags had torn and become ragged, making him look like a homeless man. He glanced over at his makeshift shelter that looked very unstable, aimed to protect him from dangerous animals seeking him as their feast. Throughout the two monthsTakagi's speed and familiarity with the forest had significantly improved.
He sprinted to an area known as a deer feeding ground, feeling hungry as always in the morning. His routine involved waking up to the birds' chirping, carving a tally, hunting for food, crafting, bathing in the river, collecting water, finding fruits, and chopping wood. Every day followed the same pattern, except for this particular day when he spotted two deer.
"Now's my chance to feast. I haven't tasted deer in a while ever since that day I love the taste of deer!" Takagi cried out with joy.
Holding a sharpened wooden spear, he extended his arm back, assuming a perfect posture and focusing his mind. He had practiced his throwing technique daily and felt confident in his accuracy. Taking a step back, flexing his arm, and focusing, he prepared for the throw. However, his left foot landed on uneven ground, causing him to lose balance and twist his ankle.
"Shit... that hurts. No! They got away!" he exclaimed in frustration.
Overwhelmed by the weight of loneliness, Takagi collapsed to the ground, on the verge of tears. However, words of encouragement entered his mind, spoken in his grandfather's voice.
"Remember, Takagi, your story isn't over. If things aren't going your way, turn the page and write the next chapter. You'll find that it always gets better."
These words brought calmness to Takagi's troubled mind. In the distance, he noticed a wolf slowly approaching. The sight of the wolf didn't startle him, as he had grown accustomed to their presence, maintaining a respectful distance. Gradually, he realized that this wolf resembled the first one he had encountered. Trying to stand up, Takagi stumbled and fell, attempting to rise once more. He knew that showing any sign of weakness would make him an easy target for the hungry wolf. The wolf sensed that he was injured and began to make his move towards takagi. Limping with haste, Takagi desperately tried to escape the pursuing wolf.
"Why did I have to roll my ankle in the heart of the forest? Come on, hurry, hurry!... RAAH!" Takagi exclaimed, turning around to face the wolf, attempting to scare it away and assert his dominance. However, his efforts failed. Turning back around, he realized that the ground beneath him had given way, revealing a deep cave entrance. Unable to avoid the fall due to his injured ankle, he screamed as he tumbled into the cave. The wolf, running at full speed, followed him but also fell into the cave.
"FUCK!" Takagi screamed in agony.
Falling to a height of nearly 20 meters, a height that would be fatal for an ordinary person, Takagi miraculously landed on his feet and knees. He expected to hit the rocks headfirst, resulting in instant death, but instead, he lay there with a severely broken body, only able to move his arms and head. The pain was unbearable as he felt his broken ribs and noticed his leg bones protruding through the skin, causing him to scream in agony.
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