Chapter 6: A place of Beginnings

The days came and go in a blink of an eye. I don't know how far we walked but, I have a feeling that it's probably quite a distance away from my original starting point. The forest seems to be never-ending. Not that it's a bad thing for me. Traveling without any restrictions, no destination, the adventure of seeing a new part of the forest was exhilarating.

"It's so hot," I whisper as I walk at the shallow water of the stream. The cold flow passing around my foot was enough to help me cool down a bit. I took off my shirt earlier and placed it inside my potato bag. I know, roaming an unknown forest without a shirt on is a stupid choice knowing the fact that an unknown bug can just come and bite me but, I think it's the same with a shirt on. It's not like I have any gear to repel any poisonous mosquitos. Not like I have seen any at this point.

My day consists of following the stream, taking a few breaks to feed Soda, and taking a breather. Sometimes, while he ate, I would catch a few fish to keep restocking my pile. He also sometimes randomly go off into the forest to only come back with a horned vampire rabbit in his mouth. It would be hard to believe it's been only a couple of days since we met but, we have formed a bond strong enough to work well together without any effort. It's as if we can read each other's minds.

"Soda, let's camp here, the sun should be setting soon." I place the spear and potato bag near a tree before I start gathering sticks and dried leaves to make a fire. Making a campfire is now an easy task and I got it roaring in no time. I take out the stone ax and sharpen the edge using a flat rock near the water since it's starting to get dull. After a few whacks on some branches, I got an A-frame tent with leaves covering it.

I had enough cooked meat and fish so I didn't bother cooking the raw ingredients and just heated what I already had prepared the day before. Just like that, nighttime was back and we were surrounded by darkness all over again.

Soda would sleep soundly beside me and I would look at the convenience store skill now and then to feel excited and give myself the motivation to push forward for tomorrow. Analyzing it, it's a given fact that there is civilization in this world. I just haven't found it yet. If there wasn't, the currency would never exist in the first place. I went to sleep after watching the stars up in the night sky. It's an amazing sight every time and it helps put me to sleep faster than staring into the dark.

Like clockwork, I woke up around sunrise and quickly got ready for another day of my journey. After eating breakfast, we set off to look for our permanent home. Today was a bit on the cooler side. The breeze carried the fresh smell of the forest. The stream's sound was as calming as I remembered yesterday.

"This might be never-ending," I thought to myself as I take out the waterskin from my bag. I take a few sips as I watch Soda keep alert beside me. He never ventures too far away from me and somehow, I feel safe he's around to watch my back. "Soda wait here, let me try climbing a tree to get a better layout of the land."

Soda barks in return and I start looking for a tree that overtowers the rest. It didn't take long to find one that looks like it lived for a century.

I never really tried climbing a tree since I didn't want to risk getting hurt but, without a destination or a good layout of the land, I might be following this stream to either a dead end or maybe a denser forest. What I'm looking for is maybe a patch of plain or at least, an area where there are fewer trees that can give me better land for building a house.

I could just build right here on the spot but, I'll need to cut a few trees and some of these trees are too thick to chop down with my stone ax. Not only that, the forest is a bit thick making some of the trees grow close together. This means the soil underneath might be too weak even to hold a foundation due to a lack of sunlight in certain areas.

The last thing I want is to either a tree fall on me while I sleep or a landslide happening underneath me. The only way to fix this is to chop down a few trees and get some sunlight through. But then what about the tree stumps? That would need a lot more energy to dig out of the ground.

After resting for a bit, I start climbing the tree. My body is in a lot better condition than my old world and for some reason, it feels like an easy task. I was like a monkey, placing my foot at a certain location and using my whole body to climb bit by bit till I reach a height that I can overlook above the forest.

"Whoa..." I whisper as I take a good look around. It looked like the forest was never-ending. I see a mountain at a distance away but what caught my attention is an even larger tree. It wasn't close to where we're at but it was large enough for me to even notice at this distance. The surrounding area of the large tree seems to have fewer trees. I can see from the top that it's a lot less dense around it. The leaves on the tree were vibrant green compared to the forest. It stuck out like a sore thumb.

I carefully climb down while taking mental notes in its direction. Now I have a choice, to either continue following the stream hoping that, I come across a village or another location, or venture deeper into the forest away from the stream and see if I can settle down near the large tree. Maybe there's already a village around it. It didn't take long to choose. Since we're close to it, might as well take a look at the area.

My heart is pounding a bit venturing deeper into the forest. This is the first time I stray away from the stream and I feel like I can easily get lost away from it with all the trees looking the same in every direction. I mark most of the trees I pass by to help me find my way back to the stream just in case that area is not what I expected. I was nervous since it's becoming quieter and quieter now that I can barely hear the stream.

Who knew that a simple sound can give me such comfort that, it being taken away just sends my mind into a frenzy. I take out the spear and clench it with both hands. "Calm down, I got this."

I notice Soda is more alert and he'd pace himself around me. He'd look at an area for a few seconds as if something is there but then would look away to look at a different area. He kept doing as we continue to venture deeper into the forest.

I notice the sun is starting to ascend and by the looks of it, we only have a few hours left till darkness arrives. It felt like an eternity with such forest silence around me that, I didn't notice we spend almost half of the day trying to reach the large tree. But my nervousness slowly turns into excitement as I start to see the forest clear out a bit. I felt weird at one point as if the heaviness in my chest was lifted and I was able to breathe again.

"Whoa," I whisper slowly entering the clearing and I was glad I chose to come here. It was beautiful. It looks like a small oasis in the middle of the forest. Flowers surround the area as the sunlight illuminates most of the clearing. But what's amazing is the large tree in the middle. surrounded by water as clear as the sky.

It looks like it's on a tiny island and the looks of it, this might be the oldest tree I have seen in my life. I scout the area and I can see a stream coming in from one side as it connects to the tiny lake around the tree. Then another stream will exit back towards the forest.

I'm guessing that, if I kept following the stream, it will lead me back here. More like, me and Soda took a shortcut through the forest. Now, I was excited. The area around the water had enough clearing that I can build a few tiny huts around it and still have land to spare for farming.

I approach the water surrounding the area and it was clearer than the stream I have been following. I could see directly to the bottom and by the looks of it, it might be at least waist-deep.

Different fishes in abundance swim freely and some look too good to be eaten. Some are too tiny yet, the small ones swim around in a group of their kind. It was like a whole fish economy at arms reach.

"Soda, this is it! This is our home!" I was happy to finally find a spot I can start from. I took off my shirt and dive right into the water. It was cool under yet the surface was warm from the sun. The fishes swam away from me the minute I cannonballed into the water.

I knew all the types of fish in the area. rainbow fish, flower fish, groupies, freshwater tuna, goldfishes, chub, trout, white trout, black trout, mini trout, there was too many to even remember. But one thing is for sure, not one fish in the water is poisonous. But then again, eating something that looks like a rainbow screams poison back in my old life.

I swam some more while Soda ran around trying to catch butterflies. I decide to swim towards the tiny island where the large tree is located. For something that's under a shade, the ground felt warm. I approach the large tree and it feels majestic to even be so up close to it. The minute I touch it, I was startled by a notification right in front of me.

I've heard of stories back in my world. A tree considered planted by the gods. A sacred tree where life originated. A story, a legend that is constantly being passed down from one generation to the next. Who knew, that at this moment, I would be standing right in front of it.

NOTICE:

The Sacred Yggdrasil Tree