Published: August 25, 2025
Today, two chapters are posted simultaneously.
This story is the first chapter.
Four days later
It had been just four days since leaving the first base, and we had already reached the “frontline” of the Tree Sea. The journey so far had been remarkably smooth, avoiding contact with magical beasts as much as possible, steadily pressing deeper into the forest. The routine hadn’t changed much since the first day; the scenery was an unbroken jungle in every direction.
If anything, as we ventured deeper, each Heat Dissipation Tree lining the forest became gradually thicker, and the gaps between the trees widened. But this was only noticeable when reflecting on the day, so it could be considered negligible.
On the other hand, two significant changes stood out. First was the “change in magical beasts.” The variety and number of magical beasts increased, and stronger ones began appearing. The raptor packs that had appeared from the beginning now included larger individuals, and by yesterday, having at least 50 of them around was the norm.
It was really a relief that I hadn’t thought about confronting them head-on and pushing through.
The second notable change was the “condition of the bases.” Given the danger level of the Tree Sea so far, it was naturally extremely risky to camp out in the open. Therefore, the bases inside the forest were spaced so that, at the shortest, it took several hours on foot to get from one to the next, and at the longest, only about a day.
Because the bases were so close, I passed through six of them within these four days… but out of all of them, only the first base felt like somewhere I could actually stay the night. To be honest, it wasn’t like I couldn’t stay at the third base either—it was more like I’d rather not, but it was possible.
From the fourth base onward, every place was marked by a severe shortage of supplies and dilapidated facilities, and above all, the people living there seemed stretched thin. To put it simply, “the security was abysmal,” so if someone like me, looking like a child, tried to stay the night, it was easy to predict that I’d be attacked by evening. In other words, it was a lawless zone.
The frontline base where I was now was terribly run-down, barely even a village. The residences were at best crude shacks, with some tents of poor quality. Defense mainly relied on barrier magic maintained by residents and sentries, along with human vigilance. There were wooden fences and barricades, but their effectiveness was questionable.
According to Mr. Ashton, the guard, even adventurers active in the Tree Sea rarely make the frontline their base. While they might occasionally venture deeper for some reason, they usually operate near the first base.
Choosing to set up a base in the frontline, where the environment was hopelessly harsh and life-threatening, was reserved for either very strong people or hardened hermits. Or those who, for some reason, “couldn’t live anywhere else.”
…So why was I thinking about all this now…?
“C-rank? Ha! That means nothing around here!”
“This isn’t a place for kids like you!”
“You’ve got food, right? Hand it over quickly.”
“This is our turf. Who the hell gave you permission to come in?”
“I-it’s reckless to go further alone. Take my advice and come with me—”
I was right in the middle of being harassed.
At first, three dirty men who were obviously not ordinary folk blocked my path and started giving me trouble. An older man heard them and stepped in to mediate, launching into a one-sided lecture. As more people gathered, the situation escalated to what it was now.
Dealing seriously with these kinds of people was pointless. It only drained energy, so it was better to ignore them until they got tired. In my past life, I was more often looked down on than envied… but the approach was the same, so it was a minor difference.
“Heh, this is unusual.”
“No idea how he got this far, but he’s done for.”
“Of all people, it’s that trio and the old man.”