I don't know how to describe this feeling; it's like entering the lion's den. It's scary. In front of you is a great natural predator, things you don't understand and don't want to understand. You feel so small and insignificant in the face of absolute strength. It's impartial to everyone; if you're weak, you die, if you're strong, you survive. Sometimes, to survive, you need to be a coward. You need to know when to give up and run. If you consider yourself a hero, you'll likely end up dead, sacrificing yourself. Obviously, you'll be remembered, and stories, music, poetry, even tales, myths, and legends will be told about you, but you won't be there to see it for yourself. In time, you'll likely be forgotten. Time doesn't forgive anyone. Thousands and hundreds of stories are told in these forests; many heroes gave their lives to defend their group or friends. In the end, you die, and they keep on living. "Sacrifice,", i don't have that kind of mentality.
I don't consider myself a hero. I want to live, no matter how or what I have to do to achieve it. I'm selfish with myself; after all, one's instinct for self-preservation is stronger than anything else. A basic instinct that every human has in critical moments that threaten your life. Senses sharpen, and your pupils dilate. You feel adrenaline coursing through your body to increase your chances of survival.
Entering the forest, you hear nothing, absolute silence, unsettling and gloomy. Not a ray of light appears in this place. Of course, you can still see; it's as if it's barely dusk. It's always like this. It's as if time is frozen in this place. You can't identify if it's day or night; that's a problem because creatures are more active at night. There's no warmth; it's cold. You need to come well bundled up, but at the same time not too much. Although it only affects people below the gold rank, the reason is quite complex, but it's not time to give explanations yet. There are many trees; the only sound is the wind. Everyone is prey, and everyone is a hunter at the same time. It's not so dangerous; we're still in zone 1, but we shouldn't let our guard down. We walk quickly with the least possible noise.
"This place is unsettling," Elsa whispers.
"We need to walk at about 5 kilometers per hour to cover the 50 kilometers in 10 hours. Although there are always variables, at most, in 1 or 2 days, we'll be in zone 2," I reply.
"Considering that, if we encounter any monsters on the way, it could add another day," says Elsa. "You're right. We need to find a place to rest. We arrived in this place in the morning; we have a few hours before it gets dark. Let's speed up our pace."
From the moment I entered this place, I took my sword out of the ring. You always have to be prepared for everything.
"Seriously, damn it, how can a place give you so much chills? Although the trees are separated by about 10 to 20 meters, you can have a perfect view of the place, but all you see ahead are more trees. Some are marked with claws or in bad condition; there clearly were battles here. This means that creatures inhabit this area. If you look at the sky, you'll only see a gray sky. This is the perfect place to feel depressed."
***
We walk without problems for the next few hours. Although going deeper into the forest is more dangerous, I can't do anything. But the environment doesn't change; it's a very peculiar feature among the zones. Each one has something that characterizes it, and zone 1 is surrounded by trees.
But the feeling that someone is watching you every moment never goes away. It's as if you're being watched from all directions; it's uncomfortable. There's no place to relax; this can cause stress and fatigue, even hallucinations. It's as if the forest is playing with your mind; that's why some adventurers end up crazy and commit murders in these same forests. It corrupts you from within; a path full of bottomless holes. If you fall into one, you won't be able to get out.
***
After walking a few more hours, we find a suitable place where we can camp, and yes, it is indeed a tree. Its trunk is very wide, and if you climb a bit, you can find a hole in it. It's of considerable size; a maximum of 3 people can fit. It's a perfect place for us.
I can feel it; the atmosphere changed quickly. It became heavier. This means that night is approaching. The trees sway, and the ambient mana becomes thicker. The hunting hour has begun.
You can hear everything outside; voices and screams. From one moment to another, it went from absolute silence to total chaos, footsteps, and sounds of things running.
"WAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAA"
"Boom!"
"Grrrrr"
"Help! Help! Help!"
"Don't listen to me! Don't listen to me! Don't listen to me! Don't listen to me!"
Total chaos; deep and monstrous inhuman voices. Every human being is afraid of the unknown; afraid of what they don't have rational and logical comprehension of.
"I'm scared, damn it. As a modern person, who hasn't seen any ghosts or monsters in their life, right now, I'm surrounded by them. But still, my blood is happy, excited, and eager for a slaughter. My two personalities clash from time to time. I'll have this problem until I unlock my lineage. I'm unstable right now. Taking deep breaths, I gather courage. If I continue like this, I won't live in this place," I think mentally.
BOOM!
Something hits the tree, taking me out of my thoughts.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Again and again, the tree shakes. Quickly, I make a hole on the other side. I don't have time to think; they smelled our scent, and they know we're here. I won't let the tree fall; we'd be surrounded. Although they are rank 1 monsters, if there are many, it's a problem.
"Jump quickly!" I tell Elsa. She quickly understands the situation and jumps first. I follow her from behind.
But I feel multiple pairs of eyes in my direction; I feel more than 20 monsters near us.
"Run, don't look back!"
Holding her hand, I drag her with me.
I look back, and I see them clearly. Beings very tall, almost 1.50 meters. Their limbs are extremely thick, their bodies are very large compared to their small heads. They have a permanent smile on their faces; they have no eyes. And they're following us. For their size and shape, they run as fast as I do. Completely black; they're perfect for night hunting. The area somehow becomes darker, but it's still visible. I know what these monsters are called: "Happy." The moment they catch you, they start laughing hysterically while eating you alive. The more you scream in pain, the more they laugh. They only stop when you're dead, and again, silence.