I’ll just head in the direction of where the sun is rising. Eventually I’ll find something.
As he trekked through the dense forest, Ryan scanned the surroundings with a mixture of dwindling hope and frustration.
"Nothing here as well. Just trees, bushes, puddles..." Ryan’s voice trailed off as he caught sight of a 2-inch-long millipede wriggling along the forest floor.
"And insects... I could... No, no, I can’t. I can’t eat that..." A shiver ran down his back as he quickly averted his gaze.
Seventeen years ago...
"Hahahaha!" A young blonde child, Ryan, ran around, his bright laughter echoing through the park.
"Slow down, boy!" A blonde, middle-aged man, Ryan’s father, shouted; chuckling to himself as he watched his son’s antics.
As the sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees, young Ryan and his family settled down for a picturesque picnic in the heart of the sparse park. The air was filled with the sounds of nature, punctuated by the occasional chirping of birds and rustling of leaves. Ryan’s parents unpacked the contents of their picnic basket with care, laying out an assortment of sandwiches, fruits, and snacks on a red and white checkered blanket spread out beneath a towering oak tree.
Unknown to the family, a tiny creature was wriggling about on the picnic blanket, its numerous legs propelling it forward with remarkable speed.
Eager to satisfy his growling stomach, Ryan wasted no time in reaching for one of the sandwiches, his mouth watering at the thought of the delicious bite ahead. With his blonde hair tousled by the gentle breeze, he eagerly took a bite, savouring the combination of flavours as he chewed contentedly.
But as he bit down a second time, something unexpected and crunchy caught his attention. Puzzled, Ryan paused mid-chew, furrowing his brow as he inspected the sandwich more closely. To his horror, he spotted half a millipede stuck between the ham and cheese.
With a yelp of disgust, Ryan spat out the mouthful of sandwich directly into his father’s distraught face.
Back to the present...
Ryan shivered, seventeen years later and that painful memory still lingered.
I still remember the look on Dad’s face, Hahaha... Where did you go Dad?
Ryan shook away that thought and continued on his journey through the forest.
A sudden rustling sound echoed out from the bushes behind Ryan.
What was that!
Taken off guard, Ryan threw himself forward, rolling away in an attempt to get as far from the sound as possible.
"Oh, just a small animal," said Ryan, looking back in the direction of the noise where a small furry animal was.
"Wait, why am I not stopping?" Ryan muttered as the ground dipped beneath him.
His roll turned into a tumble, and before he could steady himself, gravity took the wheel. Trees blurred past. Bushes whipped by.
"Damn it, there were berries on that," Ryan muttered as he whizzed past a bush heavy with ripe fruit. A break in the trees flashed ahead—too fast to stop.
Splash!
Ryan went headfirst into water.
"Ahh! Blub, blub, blub," Ryan sputtered as he struggled to keep his head above the surface.
Ryan didn’t do well with water.
Sixteen years ago...
Ryan fell into a pond during a family picnic.
Family picnics were often rife with tragedy in the Ray family.
Back to the present...
Ryan clambered as fast as he could out of the lake. His heart pounded with fear. He had a deep fear of what could be under that murky blanket of water, which was only amplified by being in a world filled with monsters.
Ryan began checking out his surroundings. He was in a clearing, a valley enclosed by daunting cliffs and slopes on all sides, with no creatures and a small lake. The remaining space was taken up by loads and loads of bushes, littered with glistening, crimson berries.
Success!
Ryan jogged toward the closest bush, eyes wide. He gave the berries a half-hearted glance—nothing looked very deadly.
If it weren’t for him on the verge of starvation, maybe he would have tried to test whether were poisonous.
"If I die from this fruit, I’m haunting Jake personally," he muttered, tossing one into his mouth.
Mhm! These are great! They taste similar to cherries. Bursts of joy and sweetness enveloped his taste buds, but that wasn’t all. Ryan felt the smallest change in his body.
He felt stronger, ever-so-slightly stronger.
These berries make me stronger? I love this world!
Ryan now averted his gaze to the diminishing sunlight, "It’s getting late, probably half an hour from sunset."
"I should go find a safe, tall tree before long... After a few more berries, though." Ryan chuckled to himself.
After ten minutes of gobbling down scores of "Cherry strength boosters" (Ryan’s name for them), his strength had increased and his stomach was satiated. Though he had no idea by how much his strength had increased and sadly, with each new berry he ate, he could feel the strength-increasing effect lessen.
With the sun quickly setting, he pocketed a few berries and discovered a suitable tree on the outer edge of the valley—situated on the slope he had came down.
"Time for mana sensing attempt two." Ryan declared, sitting cross-legged beneath the tree. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.