Moonlight filtered through the thick canopy. Water droplets softly struck the leaves, threading a gentle rhythm through the silence of the forest. Branches shifted under the weight of rain, sending shadows dancing beneath.
Perched fifteen meters up one of the damp, prickly trees, Ryan struggled to find any comfort. The cold, wet forest air clung to him, and his suit offered about as much protection as wet cardboard.
His mind drifted back to Earth, lingering on thoughts of his mother. What was she doing right now? Did time flow the same way on Earth as it did here? Was he even within the Milky Way Galaxy? Why was magic present in this world yet absent from Earth? But above all else he just wished he could just let his mother know he was still alive… well, probably not for long.
Ryan's stomach growled, breaking his train of thoughts. Food was becoming an increasingly pressing issue. But he knew there would be no chance of finding any food in the dark.
He grimaced, thinking practically. Another night or two without food wouldn't kill me, and if I could wield magic soon, I might even be able to hunt the animal that caused those claw marks. Ryan chuckled to himself due to the absurdity of the situation. Maybe it was time to try the meditation Jake had mentioned.
"Crack"
Ryan froze, his heart pounded.
Something heavy was coming. Its weight so heavy that it crushed the fallen sticks and even the branches that covered the ground.
Carefully, Ryan leaned over the branch he was on, scanning the shadows below.
A massive silhouette moved slowly beneath him, four-legged and monstrous.
Its shape resembled a buffalo, but much, much larger, its curled horns gleamed in the moonlight.
Ryan pressed his back tight against the tree trunk, every muscle tense.
The creature sniffed the air, seeming to sense something nearby.
Ryan's pulse quickened as he heard it approach closer and closer.
And then the cracking of branches… stopped… directly beneath Ryan.
It was so close that Ryan could hear the creature's heavy breathing.
It's going to find me! Crap, what do I do, what do I do?!
Suddenly, another sound pierced the night, a shrill, terrifying screech.
It hadn't come from the buffalo, but from something deeper in the forest.
A creature burst into view. It was a monstrous fox-shaped beast, moving like a phantom, its massive tail trailing behind. It lunged forward at impossible speed, closing the distance between it and the buffalo in moments.
A whip-like snap echoed as the fox's tail swung sideways, tearing through a tree effortlessly. It smashed into the buffalo and the buffalo staggered, but it wasn't down.
The buffalo monster shook its head to regain composure.
Ryan stared, not daring to breathe.
Recovering quickly, the buffalo opened its gaping maw.
A pale glow built within its throat.
"WHOOSH" Something moved quickly in the wind, but it wasn't either of the creatures.
Half a second later, the fox fell limply to the forest floor, twitching, before remaining still.
The fight had lasted at most, a few seconds.
Ryan shuddered.
The buffalo monster approached its kill slowly, beginning to feed. Bones cracked sharply, and flesh tore.
Ryan squeezed his eyes shut, trembling as nausea rose sharply. The iron scent of blood filled the air, overwhelming and heavy.
He held back a gag, forcing his body to stay still, silent and unseen. The creature fed leisurely, and after half an hour or so, it disappeared into the night.
How is this a low-risk world Jake!? I take everything back, I am a weak, very weak human, please let me go back to Earth.
Ryan sat motionless for hours, muscles stiff with fear, until finally dawn's soft glow filtered through the trees. Only then did he descend carefully from his perch and cautiously approach the fallen creature.
The fox lay grotesquely, its neck nearly severed, head hanging loosely by a strip of sinew. Intricate lines glowed faintly along its fur, blue, ethereal and strange.
The rain, which had mostly stopped by now, must have washed away most of the blood.
The creature might've been a beautiful sight, if not for the gaping chest wound, dangling head and the smell of blood.
Turning away with disgust, Ryan noticed a massive, dart-shaped rock embedded deep into a nearby tree.
So that's how the buffalo monster had killed it.
If I don't learn magic soon, I'll share a similar fate to this creature.
Ryan's stomach twisted again, insistent on food. His eyes drifted over to the fox carcass, but he recoiled immediately when he saw some movement beneath the flesh.
Maggots maybe? No, this is a different world but it could be something similar. Regardless, I am not touching that…
Having already scoured the nearby area yesterday for food without success, he felt his desperation rising. Searching further out risked encountering that buffalo again… or something worse.
But there was another option, he could try harnessing magic to protect himself.
First, though, he had to check if there was civilisation anywhere nearby.
Climbing back up his tree, Ryan pushed through thinning branches until he reached the treetop. Balancing carefully, he scanned the horizon.
Nothing. There was nothing.
No towns, no smoke, no signs of life.
Just an endless, overwhelming sea of trees stretching infinitely in all directions.
Slowly, and defeated, Ryan went back down and sat on his perch.
He closed his eyes and drew in a deep, soothing breath.
Focus. Calm. Find the magic.
He pictured shimmering threads of magical blue energy surrounding him, reminiscent of games from his childhood.
But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how long he spent, he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Desperation grew into simmering frustration. When he finally opened his eyes, the sun was high overhead.
How long had he been sitting here, meditating uselessly?
Ryan sighed heavily, fatigue and hunger gnawing at him. He glanced around, looking for anything that might provide sustenance. A faint rustling nearby caught his attention, and he cautiously turned his head. A small, squirrel-like creature scurried quickly up another tree, its movements agile and silent.
Ryan's primal instincts rose in him, and he briefly considered chasing it, but the idea quickly vanished. There was no chance he could catch something so nimble.
He leaned back, eyes drifting upward to the branches around him, barren and fruitless.
"Magic better work soon,"he muttered, or I'm going to become monster food before I even get a chance to die heroically.