The gentle light of the sun peeked through the patches of leaves, falling onto the man's face. Feeling the light and warmth, the man jolted awake from his slumber.
Shielding his eyes from the bright rays of the sun, he blinked hard before opening his eyes fully.
Before him stood a magnificent sight of a dense forest, and the sounds of the chirping birds filled the forest.
"I… guess, I wasn't dreaming after all…" He mumbled as he tried to stand.
The forest stretched in all directions and seemed infinite. Though there were some gaps among the trees, he couldn't see the end of the forest.
He felt the touch of the wood underneath him and questioned, "Just how big are these trees?"
The previous night, he had slept on one of the tree branches. He had tried looking for a cave, but he couldn't find one. Hence, he was forced to sleep in a tree since he couldn't afford to sleep on the ground.
He knew it was better to sleep above ground than on the ground in the open.
Hence, he opted for the trees.
Also, the trees around here were huge. It was as if these trees had been growing for hundreds of thousands of years.
Upon waking up, he climbed down and began to scrutinize his surroundings. First, he went to the nearby stream that he had found the day before.
The sound of the water intensified as he got close to the stream. Then, as he pushed open a path to the stream, a crystal-clear stream came into his sight.
The water sparkled like a jewel under the sun's glow. Just from this sight alone, he felt relieved. Having a clear source of water in such a situation was something to cherish.
Slowly, he approached the stream. Then, as he got close to the stream, he crouched down to freshen up. Sitting beside the stream, he could see his reflection.
The reflection, however, bewildered him.
"This… is me?" He mumbled in surprise.
Wide face, an unusual shade of green pupils, and a rather unfamiliar appearance.
The reflection in the water was far from the reflection he was used to seeing. This wasn't the face he was accustomed to looking at.
Disbelief reflected in his eyes as he tried to touch his features. However, the reflection mimicked his actions as if convincing him that it was him.
For a while, he couldn't believe that the reflection in the water was his.
But after a while, he became convinced that his appearance had indeed changed.
"Then, it must mean that I've been reincarnated…," He mumbled under his breath. The disbelief and bewilderment had vanished, and now he was much calmer than before.
From this, he came to an understanding that something unnatural had happened to him. Perhaps, he had been transported to another world.
"Sigh~"
Before scooping a handful of water, he let out a sigh.
"Reincarnation, huh? Didn't think I'd get caught up in it…" He mumbled as he turned to look at the blue sky above him.
The sky above was clear, and he could spot a few wisps of cloud floating in the distance. This world looked oddly familiar to Earth. But he still couldn't be sure if he was in the same world or a different one.
"I wonder if others were also caught in it…" He couldn't help but wonder. "Well, let's not think too much about it. First, I need to secure some food."
He propped himself up and squinted at the stream before him. The narrow waterway snaked through the clearing, its current swift but shallow, the surface glittering under slivers of sunlight that slipped through the canopy above.
In the water, he could spot a few fish-like creatures swimming in it. These creatures resembled the fish he was used to seeing and looked different at the same time.
"These things look like fish…" he muttered to himself, voice rough with disuse. "Different, but… close enough."
Though the creatures looked different than the fish he was used to seeing, he didn't have any other choice but to catch them if he wanted to survive.
However, another problem arose as he decided to catch them.
How was he supposed to catch them?
He didn't have prior experience in fishing. Though he had fished before, how was he supposed to catch them barehanded?
He was just some office worker in his previous world. Born and raised in a city, he hadn't been taught the essentials of surviving out in the wild.
Now, all of a sudden, he found himself in such an unfamiliar place as if someone had just dropped him here with the words, "Good luck, Jack… You can do it!"
Those imaginary words stung worse than the wind. Dejected, he dropped his head as he thought about it.
Though his condition was rather depressing, he couldn't afford to sit there and do nothing. If he hadn't been taught before, then it meant that he had to learn by doing.
He then jumped into the stream.
He felt a chill as he jumped into the water. The sparkling spring water was rather cold and refreshing, and the stream was shallow.
First, he tried catching the fish-like creatures bare-handed. However, after multiple failures, he realized that he won't be able to catch them bare-handed.
Those efforts left him exhausted. But at the same time, it provided him with some valuable lessons.
Now, if he wanted to catch these creatures, he would have to trap them first to reduce the chances of them escaping.
Jack then began collecting stones and other materials to create an entrapment. Dragging branches and stones piece by piece through the icy water, he shaped it: a crude funnel of rocks and sticks near the bend, forcing the fish-like creatures toward a shallow pocket where the water slowed to a near standstill.
Twice, however, they slipped through the narrow gaps.
Once, the current nearly tore it apart. But he rebuilt it, knuckles raw and breath steaming in the growing chill.
When it looked sturdy enough to guide them, he realized that he needed something to strike them. Even if he managed to trap them, catching them barehanded was still a rather difficult task.
Hence, he began to search for something to use as a tool.