Step by step he moved, dragging his feet, until he finally got near the mouth of the cave.
Light was coming in from outside for the first time, spilling in, bright, too bright, after being in the dark for so long.
The shine hit straight into his eyes, it was sharp, it was stabbing his pupils and he squeezed tight. He was not ready for the sudden burst of light.
He lifted his hand up quick, covering his face, squinting through his fingers. "Ahhh, too bright… it's blinding me…"
A few seconds passed. His eyes slowly adjusted, the brightness calming down. He lowered his hand.
"Finally… fresh air…" he muttered, sucking in deep like he had never breathed before.
Then his head tilted up, eyes wide, mouth opening bigger. "Woww…" Like a child watching a fireworks first time.
For a second he thought he was stepping into some amazing world, like in the games, shining castles, glowing towns, blue sky so wide. But when he actually looked, his face froze.
In front of him was forest. Just forest. Tight, packed and dark.
Trees stood everywhere, shoulder to shoulder, so close that the light barely slipped between them like soldiers standing in line, row after row.
The trunks were thick, rough, black lines on the bark like scars. The branches stretched above him, knotted together, covering the sky like a roof made of green.
Water dripped down from the leaves, cold, hitting his shoulder.
As the drop of water hit the shoulder of his, Lhe jumped like a spooked cat touched by fire, his back straight, his arms stiff, even his tiny hairs standing up. "Attack! Attack!" he screamed, spinning around wild. His hands flailed like he was fighting invisible enemies.
As he looked on the right side of his shoulder he saw only a small wet mark.
"Cough… cough… damn it… it was just water…"
As Liu Yang stepped forward, his foot sank into a wet pothole.
Cold mud splashed up to his shin, sticking to his leg. "Yaaack!" he shouted, jerking his foot back and shaking the mud our from his leg.
He looked down at his dirty leg, his lips tiwched. "Great, just great. I only got one pair of clothes, and now it's covered in mud. Guess first quest is not fighting monsters but finding a laundry."
He tilted his head up, eyes rolling. "Yeah, I know, I know… you're too lazy to give me a second pair anyway… so fine, I'll find one myself."
Then he sighed, dragging his muddy foot forward again, muttering under his breath.
He kept walking, his head turning left and right, eyes wide as he looked at the trees around him.
As he looked above, the branches twisted into each other, stretched across like a net, blocking the view of the sky. L
Drops of water slid down the leaves and fell onto his shoulders, making him flinch every time.
His gaze dropped lower. Bushes crowded under the trees, messy and tight.
Herbs poked out from them, long and grass-like, glowing faint blue at the tips. Near the roots of the trunks, flowers bloomed red and yellow. The petals opened and closed, slow and steady, like mouths filled with teeth.
The air was heavy and damp, the smell of wet soil mixed with rot pressing into his nose. He waved his hand in front of his face, coughing as his steps slowly moving forward.
Then he heard a sound coming from deeper inside the forest. It was like wings, buzzing loud and sharp, not like flies but more like giant mosquitoes flapping in the deep part of forest.
Liu Yang froze mid-step, his ears straining. A low croak followed, deep and loud, too deep for any frog.
A shiver ran down his spine. "W-what the hell… don't tell me… this whole forest is watching me…"
He stood still. His body was stiff and his breath was stuck in his chest. He felt the silence like darkness surrounding him from all sides.
Then a sound came from the right side. It was a sharp snap like a branch breaking under a foot. He turned his head fast and his eyes opened wide but there was nothing there. Only trees stood tall and still.
Then a sound came from the left side. It was the soft rustle of leaves brushing against each other. He turned his head quickly but again the sound was gone and he could not see anyone there.
Then from behind him a low sharp sound came like someone stepping on a branch on the ground. His shoulders jumped and he almost tripped forward. He turned around fast. But there was nothing. Nothing at all. Only the forest.
"Fuck… damn… Having super hearing in this place… it's not a gift… it's a curse… better not to hear at all…"