Chapter 3

Yūto's Adventure, Day 1.

Just an hour after starting to walk, I was already lost in a forest that resembled a sea of trees.

(Damn, there's hardly any high ground to be found despite the slight undulations...)

For someone like me, who doesn't have outdoor activities as a hobby, this was my first major forest exploration.

As I took shallow breaths, I couldn't help but grumble to myself about how harsh this was.

The ground undulated, and the roots of the towering trees obstructed my path, while the leaves of the shrubs blocked my view as if trying to seal off the way.

Although I had the goal of finding high ground or a river, aimlessly wandering without a clear target would only waste my physical and mental strength, and I might end up losing heart.

Fortunately, the direct sunlight was blocked by the countless leaves, so the forest wasn't extremely hot.

The temperature was tolerable enough to keep my loose suit jacket on, at least with one hand free.

However, the seasonal difference from Japan wasn't noticeable, and the strong humidity made sweat trickle down my cheeks.

In such conditions, I walked cautiously, alert to my surroundings, and listened intently for the sound of flowing water while thinking.

In my bag, I had a smartphone, a company-issued feature phone, a wallet, a large notebook with several pens, a plastic board, a hand mirror, a business card holder, a calculator, a set of stamps, a stack of contracts and documents for emergencies.

None of these items seemed to offer a solution to my current predicament.

I had already confirmed that my phone had no signal, rendering it useless.

In addition to that, my bag also contained cigarettes, a work flashlight, and spare batteries, as well as plus and minus screwdrivers.

However, holding these items in my hands wouldn't help me in this situation.

The meeting was scheduled for 2 PM in the original world. Considering the time I spent transferring and assessing the situation, I had been walking for nearly an hour...

Perhaps the sun might start to set in this world as well.

I had no idea what cycle this new world followed for a day, but if there was a possibility of sunset, I needed to hurry.

With no bed, water, or fire secured, my growing anxiety would only further drain my strength.

(Calm down, calm down... Mr. Kasahara always taught me that a salesperson must remain calm, think clearly, and be passionate inside.)

My relationship with my boss at the company wasn't bad.

He was an excellent salesperson and, with a long tenure since joining the company as a new graduate, he was promoted to section chief last year, despite being the same age as me.

We had once been colleagues, so we used formal language at work but spoke casually in private, which made for a rather awkward relationship...

Originally, I was poor at interpersonal relationships and often escaped into games, but he was one of the few friends I had and a boss I could confide in.

(The appointment time has long passed. They must have called the company. I'm sorry, Mr. Kasahara. I'm causing trouble by not being able to return to the office... I'm really sorry...)

While silently apologizing to someone I might never see again, I suddenly noticed the belt Mr. Kasahara had given me as a gift when I was promoted to section chief.

It was a high-quality belt that didn't stand out.

"Pay more attention! A suit is a salesperson's battle uniform!"

I remembered his usual catchphrase.

Unlike cheap belts, the leather of this one didn't wear out easily, and I was quite satisfied with it and used it often.

I looked at the trees in my line of sight and examined the branches closer to the ground.

I had already tried climbing several times, thinking that I might be able to see a bit further if I could get up higher.

However, even though I could touch the lower branches of some trees by jumping, I couldn't wrap my hands around them and had to give up on climbing.

I regretted my decision to grow a year younger, which had made me over 25 cm shorter.

But.

(Maybe I can make it with the belt...)

I looked for a tree that stretched higher and had plenty of branches to climb, with the first branch as close to the ground as possible.

Ideally, it would be on a slight hill.

It was worth a try.

Don't give up before you try.

With this thought in mind, I searched for a clear 'target' with a faster pace than before.

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

"Heh, I finally found it..."

After more than 30 minutes of determined searching, I found a tree and terrain that could serve as my 'target.'

(The ground is about 3 meters higher than the surrounding area, and from below, it looks like a tall tree. The trunk is much thicker than the others.)

I cautiously approached the tree and tried to jump and grab a branch.

However, as expected,

I couldn't even touch the lower branches.

The other conditions were good, but the initial branch was too high to reach.

So.

I decided to use my aluminum case bag as a stepping stone.

This should give me about 15 cm of extra height.

If I stood the bag vertically, I might sprain my ankle, so I didn't go that far.

Of course, the bag was sturdy enough that a 13-year-old like me wouldn't break it, but it might dent. To maintain the height, I stepped on the corner of the bag that wouldn't dent.

I took off the belt, held it in my hand, and threw one end over the branch while stepping on the bag.

The belt slipped over the branch and hung down on both sides.

If I could grab both ends of the belt, I should be able to climb up using the trunk as a foothold!

Once I got that far, it was just a matter of determination.

First, I jumped!

Got it!

Next, I tried to climb using only my feet, parallel to the ground... Ugh... The side without the buckle was slippery... Tough.

But I managed to get my foot on the branch.

Once my foot was on the branch, I could hang on with my hands, even though it was tough on my abs.

It all came down to my strength!! It's been about 15 years since I used my full power---

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

Thirty minutes later, a man on the verge of death was looking around in the fading sunlight.

Of course, it was me.

I hadn't climbed to the very top.

The tree was too high and the branches too thin, but I could still get a 360-degree view of the surroundings.

I had carefully chosen the tree and its environment to get the best view possible.

And what I saw was a vast forest that stretched as far as the eye could see.

There were no towns, plains, or grasslands, just a sea of dark green that continued endlessly.

In other words, there was no visible exit from the forest.

It felt like the forest was trying to kill me from the start.

However.

Despite the view, the corners of my mouth were turned up.

I wasn't despairing or going crazy.

So, what made me feel this way?

There were three reasons.

One.

In the 360-degree panoramic view, I could see a range of mountains stretching over a wide area in one direction.

I couldn't gauge the distance, but the mountains seemed to be quite high.

This meant that if I headed in the opposite direction from those mountains, I had a good chance of finding a populated area.

Humans prefer flat land, and this world was probably no different.

Two.

It became easier to determine the direction.

The setting sun—though it might be something else—allowed me to judge the direction.

Even a layperson knows that the direction of the setting sun is west on Earth.

Additionally, while desperately climbing the branch, I noticed something.

It was my wristwatch, which could be a conversation starter for a salesperson.

I wasn't uninterested in brands, but I used a practical, unobtrusive watch from a well-known domestic manufacturer for work.

I had just realized that this watch had a compass function, which I had never used in my daily life.

The unusual position of climbing a tree had fortuitously brought the watch into my field of vision.

Three.

In the sea of dark green, I noticed a narrow, long break in the color.

This could only be a river.

If it turned out to be a fault line, I might die of shock.

The break seemed to extend away from the mountain range, and I suspected that the river was flowing downward with a slight gradient.

In other words, if I followed the river downstream, I could replenish my water supply and get closer to an area where people might live!

There were still many unsolved problems...

In fact, with the sun setting, I had no idea where I would sleep tonight!

Still, it felt like the future had opened up a little on this first day.