Chapter 15: (part 2- the beautiful world outside the cave)
Then, when I turned around, I realized that I had come out of a cave on a small rocky hill.
Then, as I looked up slowly at the hill peak, then I noticed a thick branch of a tree that was larger than any others I had seen earlier. Stepping back while staring at the sky, but all I could see were the branches, so I decided to climb up, I left my belongings and pressed onward, After a few minutes. I finally reach the top of what I thought was a small hill, I realized that the hill I was climbing was actually a humongous crater, in the center of the creater is an incredibly massive tree. This tree was significantly larger, perhaps 40-50 times bigger than the others. It was a tree that even the myths didn't mentioned, an ancient and leafless tree, as if it had been there for millions of years. Its peak was hidden in the clouds that couldn't be seen, and it was dark with constant thunder showing, although I couldn't hear it for some reason mayb because how far I am.
The tree had a unique color, a mix of dark brown and dark red with hints of bright red, veiny-like, glowing, resembling fire or magma. Its surface was rough, almost like scales. Beneath the tree is a very large, old kingdom, but with larger buildings compared to a regular kingdom. The kingdom is now destroyed, surrounded by the ruins of the buildings, different sizes of corpses, and artifacts such as armors, arrows, and swords from the war that happened long ago. They were almost eaten by overgrown plants covered with vines and tree roots. This kingdom is an ancient civilization, also known as the kingdom of [Draconis Aeternum], which Bahamut had mentioned.
As I stare at the view, my tummy suddenly gets hurt again and creates a loud sound. I clench my stomach, growling!!
Then the mushrooms that I had seen earlier might be edible, so I go down to examine what they are. I put my monocle on my right eye and grab one of my books.
When I open it, something falls - a piece of paper. It falls to the grassy ground. I pick it up and open it; it's a map. There are landscapes, mountains, forests, rivers, and in the center is a round landscape with a drawing of a kingdom with a tree called [Draconis Aeternum]. On the map, they were surrounded by seven large circles. Inside the edge of each one sat a smaller, colored dot—each marked as a *Pillar*. They were spaced far apart, curling into a loose spiral like across the page. Each Pillar had a different color. I didn't know what they meant. Or why they were placed that way.
I ignore it, fold it, and put it on the back page of the book because I'm not interested right now.
"But now I'm more interested in the mushrooms"
"I'm so hungry that I might be able to eat a horse..... Wait ain't that too exaggerating and that is not right..... Did I hit my head?... No I'm alright.... Thankfully I didn't touch the plant inside the cave, just grabbing something might have poisoned me, and that is not a human thing to do. Maybe half a day has passed since I got here, and all the walking is making me more hungrier."
On the first page is a detailed drawing of a tree called "Ancient Trees of the Forbidden Forest".
The author exclaimed, "These ancient trees were the first things I saw on my journey to the northwest, where the domain of the rampaging god of destruction is located. My purpose was to research the creatures and plants living in this forbidden forest."
The Forbidden Forest is home to dragons and spans over 50,456 miles wide, filled with giant trees. The place had a slightly higher oxygen level, maybe 2 ~ 3 percent, a place with richer, denser, purer and abundant mana particles compared to the human world, also the mysterious elements that can only be found here are mixed up in the air, and lastly the humidity in this Forrest caused the insects to evolve. As a result, tiny ants grew as big as mice, and flying insects became bigger than birds.
"Wait... Wait.. wait was science a thing here too, not just sorcery and magic? Or because it was translated so I can understand it?"
Age: Over tens of thousands of years
Species: Ancient trees
Warning: Do not proceed further; you may find yourself in a treacherous territory.
I gazed at the towering trees and inquired, "So these are the ancient trees?"
Then, I noticed a round, brown ball at the top of the trees. "Maybe some kind of fruit," I said, and noticed some of them were laying on the ground.
And then, I started to read the journal and saw the drawing of the fruit.
- "Brownbark Quencher a fruit that only grows in the giant trees in the northwest, where the trees are surrounded by rich underground waters like springs. It was as big as an adult human head and was quite tough to open, but in the stem where it was connected is where a soft layer where you can drink."
"It was slightly sweet and cold to the mouth and refreshing."
"So it was a fruit"
Then i Curiously said, "how about the mushrooms?."
"During my extensive research, I delved deep into the mysteries of this place. Despite the challenges I faced, I maintained my composure with my resilience to poison and toxicity. Among the edible mushrooms I discovered were the brown meat shrooms, white stringy Mushrooms, Embercap, Woods Glimmercap, Fairy Ring Dreamcap, Sylvan Serenade Trumpet, and Emberglow Hymmshroom. These mushrooms had a delightful taste. However, others exuded a potent earthy flavor and aroma, accompanied by some side effects."
- "The brown meat mushrooms - have thick white stems and compact brownish caps. When cooked, they emit an earthy smell but taste like a rich meat flavor. They have a very chewy texture that can be difficult to chew if cooked for too long over a fire. The very root of the mushroom has a sour taste, as one person said, 'I ate the root first and it's so sour but the cap taste like a cow meat."
- "The white stringy mushrooms - are thin and spindly, resembling a filamentous bundle of straws with tiny pinhead caps. They have a crispy texture when consumed and leave a minty fresh breath. Eating too many of these mushrooms can make your body feel very refreshed and open up all your pores. One person warned, 'If you consume too many of these, you'll end up coughing really bad as it feels you had an ice on your lungs.'"
- "The Embercap - is a mushroom with a bright orange cap. When I tasted it, the sweet and slightly spicy flavor was delightful, and it is believed to raise body heat. As I savored it, I couldn't help but exclaim, 'This one is tasty and has a great texture! The most normal mushroom of them all.'
- "The Woods Glimmercap - with its pale, luminescent white cap and delicate silver veins, immediately caught my eye. Eating this mushroom was said to enhance awareness and deepen one's connection with nature. However, not only was it rare and hard to find — my experience with it was different, as I found myself struggling to think clearly for an hour after consuming it. It was as if my mind was clouded by its effects.
- "The Fairy Ring Dreamcap - led me to encounter a mushroom with a squat, round cap adorned with colorful dots reminiscent of a fairy ring. Despite its whimsical appearance, eating this mushroom can make you sleepy and give you vivid dreams of fantastical creatures and strange landscapes. I couldn't help but note, 'Well, it isn't poisonous, so it was edible, hehe.'
- "Lastly, The Sylvan Serenade Trumpet - shaped like a trumpet with a velvety texture and a deep green color. The promise of evoking feelings of peace and harmony akin to nature's symphony intrigued me. Unfortunately, all it brought me was a sharp stomach ache, devoid of the promised sense of calm. It left me exclaiming, 'Yeah right!!! Eating this mushroom just gave me a stomach ache for days!!!!, The one that said that it has some great effects, I will hunt you down!!! For giving me a fucking wrong information"
"The guy that write this journal seems really pissed off"
Then I turned the page and saw the inedible mushrooms,
- "Shimmerstalk – The Shimmerstalk flaunts a dark purple stem speckled with shimmering blue dots. Its cap, a profound black, shines when light touches it. Eating this mushroom can trigger intense hallucinations, making your senses extra sharp. A tiny insects might even make you feel uneasy. "This mushroom is the worst I've tried. It tastes awful and makes me feel like someone's watching me from behind the trees."
- "Whisperroot – These mushrooms resemble human ears and come in a reddish-brown color. Trying one may lead to hearing things in the forest. Some say it feels like their ears are being torn, driving them a bit crazy. "It's like when there's a mosquito buzzing in your ear as you try to sleep – so irritating!"
- "Shadowspore Fungus – This toxic mushroom sports a dark, nearly black cap adorned with glowing purple spores that emit a spooky aura, blending into the shadows. "This could add a cool touch to my home décor."
- "Deathcap Canopyshroom - With a red cap streaked with green veins, the Deathcap Canopyshroom stands tall in the forest. Its stem twists like fingers reaching out. "It seems to want to shake hands."
- "Nightshade Cryptospore - This mushroom's deep purple cap sucks in all light. Its spores can paralyze and kill if eaten. "I ate it, but nothing happened because I'm very resistant to toxins."
- "Obitus Lurkershroom - The Obitus Lurkershroom is a fungus with a black, leathery cap that gives off a bad smell. Its spores can make people feel very sad and hopeless. "It smells so bad, I didn't go close to try it. Who would want food that smells like a fart?"
- "Hazeblight Spirefungus - The Hazeblight Spirefungus is a tall mushroom in the forest with a twisted, spire-like shape. Its spores create a thick, poisonous mist that covers the area, making it hard to see and breathe. "It stings my eyes and is good at keeping insects away. But if you breathe it in and don't resist poison, you'll slowly die. It's more harmful than the others."
- "Smiling Shrooms - These mushrooms are smaller, maybe 10 inches tall, with a creepy appearance. Their heads look like they are smiling with human-like eyes. If you eat them, your cheek muscles freeze, making you smile with red eyes, and you might feel like you're dreaming and high. "Yeah, it still didn't affect me, haha."
"Why do I feel like the author/writer of this book has 0 survival instinct? No normal people will try to eat a mushroom that they have just found in the ground without a hint of information. But he seems like he is enjoying his work and life to the fullest." I said while making fun of the author/writer of the journal.
Then, my stomach started growling and rumbling, signaling hunger once again. "Oh no, now is not the time for reading," I thought. I cautiously made my way down the grassy hill, picked up my sword, and carefully cut the stem of the the embercap mushroom.
"These mushrooms alone can't provide all the necessary nutrients for everyday eating. I might become malnourished if I only rely on them. I need to find protein and calcium to build up my muscles. Otherwise, my muscles and bones could lose their strength and density."
I tried to find some small animals such as wild chickens like peasants or a rabbit or a dear boar.
I carefully walked and walked to the surroundings of the trees and near the cave where I came from and saw a white fluffy creature a rabbit eating grass but something isn't right, it has antlers that are similar to a dear. I carefully stepped forward and tried to catch it to cook it but it was too fast to catch with an upper hand due to the surrounding that I'm not used to, after trying to catch it for 30 minutes, I still didn't catch it. It's much easier to catch them if they were in their rabbit hole.
"Ha....ha..ha Rabbits were so fast haha... If this keeps going my stamina might drain. I guess I need to find some other sources, if there was a prey then there will be a predator. I hope that I might find something very slow like a non poisonous snake."
As I tried to find other food, something rattled in my back beneath the high Grass. I carefully pointed my sword towards it and pushed the grass to see if it's a small animal or a snake but what I saw is a cricket as big as a fist.
I screamed, cursing the creature in front of me, "F*&k! What is that weird-looking creature!?... Is that supposed to be a cricket that's huge, that's disgusting."
Chirp!, crick!, chirp!, crick! ("What the f*&k is this hairy goblin wearing some kind of feather, he looks disgusting.") - Just for fun dialogue haha.
Then I paused and reached to my chin, and said, while staring at the cricket in front of me, "Wait a minute, aren't crickets edible and have high protein and calcium content that surpasses that of a cow, and they taste like shrimpand nutty? But still, it looks disgusting. What am I going to find later, a giant cockroach or what?"
"This might be my source of food for now." I swung my sword downward and slashed, although it seemed like a crappy move because I didn't have any experience with a sword, it was still fast enough to slice one of the cricket's back legs so that it couldn't jump properly to escape.
The cricket struggled, using its one good leg to push off the ground. Its tiny body twitched, trying to escape.
But it was weak. Too weak.
"Still trying, huh?" I muttered, gripping my weapon tighter.
*Slash!*
My blade struck down. It twitched and struggled, but I didn't stop. Again and again, I slashed, cutting into its tough shell little by little. The cricket let out a faint screech, its body jerking violently.
But no matter how much it struggled, it couldn't fight back.
Soon, its movements slowed. Its body trembled, legs barely twitching. Weak—but still alive.
I exhaled, my breath heavy. "Hah... That took longer than expected."
Shaking my head, I reached down and grabbed it by the legs. It was barely the size of an adult's fist, yet it put up quite a stuborn fight.
"Tsk. Small, but stubborn," I muttered, a smile forming on my lips.
I turned and started walking, the cricket dangling from my grip. "Alright, time to prepare this little thing. No point in wasting such good experimental food."