I stood beneath the fruit tree, looking up at those tempting red fruits on the trunk, falling into contemplation.
The trunk was probably three or four meters high—nothing for a human, but to me now, it might as well be a skyscraper.
However... weren't squirrels supposed to be good at climbing trees?
I tentatively placed my paws on the bark. The rough texture of the bark transmitted through my paw pads, and surprisingly, I could clearly feel every subtle groove and pattern on the bark.
"Let's give it a try."
I took a deep breath and began climbing upward with all four limbs.
To my amazement, this was much easier than I'd imagined. My claws gripped the bark firmly, my hind legs pushed hard, and my body easily moved upward a significant distance. That fluffy tail behind me maintained balance, keeping me from falling.
This body's instincts were guiding my every movement.
Within a few breaths, I'd climbed to the first horizontal branch.
"Ha, so simple!" I excitedly looked at the fruit now within reach.
They were fist-sized red fruits with smooth skin, emanating a faint sweet fragrance. I reached out a paw and plucked one, bringing it to my nose to smell.
Very fragrant.
But... could it be poisonous?
I hesitated, then carefully took a small bite.
"Mm!"
Juice instantly burst in my mouth—sweet with a hint of refreshing tartness. The flavor was more intense than any fruit in my memory, that sweetness directly impacting my taste buds.
And there seemed to be no adverse reaction.
I waited a while, and after confirming no signs of poisoning, I continued eating with relief. Soon, I'd gnawed the fruit down to just its pit.
[Gained 1 Experience]
[Experience: 6/100]
Huh, eating fruit also gave experience?
I looked at the system notification, thoughtful. It seemed in this world, eating anything gained experience—just a matter of how much.
My stomach was still growling, so I picked several more fruits and slowly ate them.
[Gained 1 Experience]
[Gained 1 Experience]
[Gained 1 Experience]
[Gained 1 Experience]
[Experience: 10/100]
After eating my fill, that feeling of weakness finally receded. I sat on the branch, dangling my hind legs, and began seriously thinking about what to do next.
First, I'd been transported to a fantasy world with magic beasts.
Second, I possessed a game-like system ability that let me view information about myself and other magic beasts.
Finally, I was currently at the bottom of the food chain and could be eaten at any moment.
"I need to get stronger quickly..." I murmured to myself, "but I can't be reckless."
That Vine Serpent from earlier had left too deep an impression. In this dangerous forest, one wrong judgment could cost me my life.
I had to proceed steadily.
I pulled up my panel again.
[Cheek Pouch Squirrel]
[Level 1/10]
[Experience: 10/100]
[A small magic beast that generates space with its cheek pouches, non-threatening, agile movements, highly alert]
[Traits: Cheek Pouch Space, High Sensitivity]
[Skills: Leap, Bite]
"Cheek Pouch Space..." I stared at this trait, my curiosity piqued once again.
Since it was called "Cheek Pouch Space," it should have something to do with my cheek pouches, right?
I tried puffing out my cheeks, but nothing happened.
"How do I use this..." I scratched my head, then suddenly thought—maybe it wasn't about "doing" something, but rather "thinking" it?
I closed my eyes, concentrated, and tried to sense my own body.
At first, there was nothing, but gradually, I felt a strange sensation—as if in the location of my cheek pouches, there was a very, very small space, empty yet truly existing.
Found it!
I tried to "touch" that space, imagining putting the fruit pit in my paw into it.
The next second, the fruit pit in my paw suddenly disappeared.
"Success!" I opened my eyes, excitedly looking at my empty paw.
The feeling was wondrous—I could clearly sense the fruit pit was inside my "Cheek Pouch Space." I tried taking it out—
The fruit pit reappeared in my paw.
"Haha, this is so convenient!"
Like a child discovering a new toy, I experimented several times. Put it in, take it out, put it in, take it out.
However, I quickly discovered the limitation—the space was very small, probably only able to fit about five or six fruits. But there seemed to be no weight limit, because I found a rock about my size and put it inside. It seemed anything I touched could be placed in the space.
"Looks like I'll need to develop this slowly..." I nodded thoughtfully.
Since I could store things, at least I wouldn't have to worry about short-term food problems anymore.
I picked several fruits and placed them in my Cheek Pouch Space, then continued observing the surrounding environment from the tree.
From this height, the view was much more expansive. I could see the general terrain of the forest—dense woods extending in all directions, what seemed to be a clearing in the distance, and I could faintly hear the sound of flowing water.
Just as I was observing, a series of soft sounds came from not far away.
I immediately became alert, lowered my body, and looked toward the source of the sound through gaps in the leaves.
A rabbit was hopping in the grass beneath the tree.
No, that wasn't an ordinary rabbit—its tail had several sharp spines growing from it, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
The system panel automatically popped up:
[Thorn-Tail Rabbit]
[Level 3/15]
[A rabbit-type magic beast with tail spines, timid but will counterattack with tail spines when startled, runs very fast]
I looked at the rabbit, twice my size, quietly staying in the tree and observing its movements.
It seemed to be searching for food, hopping through the grass, occasionally lowering its head to nibble on tender grass below. Every so often it would alertly raise its head, prick up its ears, and listen to the surrounding movements.
"Very cautious..." I mentally noted this characteristic.
In this dangerous forest, vigilance was key to survival.
After observing for a while, I decided to leave this place. Although this fruit tree was safe, I couldn't stay in one spot forever. I needed to learn more about this forest and find a truly safe place to shelter.
I carefully moved along the branch, jumping from this tree to an adjacent one.
Leaping between tree canopies seemed to be instinctive for squirrels—my body naturally calculated distance and angle, easily completing one jump after another.
"So moving through the trees is this convenient..." I thought to myself. "No wonder that Tree Sprite Mouse ran so fast."
After moving through the trees for about ten minutes, I discovered several other magic beasts.
A beetle crawling on a tree trunk, the same as the Stone Beetle from before.
Two Tree Sprite Mouse jumping between branches—they seemed to be chasing each other.
And a Vine Serpent coiled around a tree trunk—I immediately took a detour the moment I spotted it from afar.
"The distribution of magic beasts in this area..." I mentally recorded everything.
I noticed that the closer to the forest's edge, the fewer types of magic beasts there were, and they were relatively weaker. Deeper in the forest, where those trees grew taller and denser, I could vaguely feel a sense of oppression.
"There must be more dangerous magic beasts deep in the forest..."
Absolutely couldn't go that way.
At least not now.
The sun gradually slanted westward, and I found a fairly satisfactory tree hollow.
This hollow was located in a sturdy old tree. The entrance wasn't large, but the space inside was just right for me to curl up in. Most importantly, its location was well-hidden, obscured by several branches and a cluster of leaves, making it difficult to spot from below.
I crawled into the hollow and began organizing this new home.
I cleared out the dead leaves and debris inside, spreading some soft moss and fresh leaves. Though simple, it was at least a safe resting place.
By the time I finished, the sky had darkened.
I retrieved a fruit from my Cheek Pouch Space and slowly nibbled on it while contemplating today's experiences.
Right after being transported here, I'd encountered danger, but I'd survived, and I'd even found a safe shelter.
But I still had no clue why I'd come to this place or how to get back.
"Let's try leveling up first. Wonder what happens when I reach the level cap." I swallowed the last bite of fruit and said to myself.
[Gained 1 Experience]
[Experience: 11/100]
After finishing the fruit, I curled up in the tree hollow, listening to the sounds of the forest outside.
The swish of wind through leaves.
The calls of unknown birds in the distance.
And the heavy footsteps of some large magic beast—those sounds were far away, but enough to keep me vigilant.
"This world..." I looked at the darkening sky outside the tree hollow. "Really is dangerous."
But at the same time, I also felt a strange sense of excitement.
In this world, I had the chance to start from zero, gradually grow stronger, and ultimately become an existence standing at the apex.
"But for now, let's sleep!" I closed my eyes, letting exhaustion envelop me.