Arthur furrowed his brows, unable to make sense of what he had just read. On the contrary, it only deepened his confusion. "How could I possibly know about this world? This makes no sense."
His mind worked at full capacity, but he couldn't come up with a logical explanation. In the end, he stopped dwelling on it due to the unfavorable circumstances. Calmly, he began examining the rest of the abilities he had acquired to see how they could help him.
As expected, thanks to Photographic Memory, he could recall everything he had ever seen or heard. Meanwhile, Logical Analysis helped steady his emotions and slightly boosted his mental acuity—though its low level meant the effect wasn't particularly strong.
As for Dimensional Storage, it allowed him to store anything he wanted in a hidden interdimensional space, much like in video games. This made things easier in many ways.
After sitting in place for a full hour, he finally stood up and made a decision: "I need to find civilization. Staying in this forest isn't a wise idea."
He hesitated for a moment out of fear, but in the end, he mustered his courage and began walking through the forest. Fortunately, the terrain wasn't too rugged, but unfortunately, the woods were filled with thorny shrubs that hindered his movement, forcing him to tread carefully and slowing his pace.
After wandering for several hours, he found no trace of civilization, which made him resign himself to his situation.
Drawing on survival knowledge from documentaries he had watched, he located a suitable clearing and surrounded it with thorny bushes to keep predators away. Then, using two sticks and some tinder, he started a fire in the most primitive way possible. However, due to his lack of experience, it took him a long time, and he even hurt himself in the process.
Huff…
Arthur sat close to the fire, warming his body.
"I should've lived a healthier life in the past. I'm not cut out for this kind of work," he lamented silently. He then took out the First Aid Kit , disinfected the scratches on his hands, and bandaged them. After returning the kit to Dimensional Storage, he gripped the Rusty Sword, which had already proven useful when setting up camp. He held it firmly, ready for any emergencies—especially after hearing distant howls that left him too afraid to sleep.
Drowning in confusion and fear, he raised his head and looked up at the unfamiliar sky, sighing in resignation. "This really isn't my world. The stars are different… and so is the moon."
The moon above him was enormous and split into two distinct colors: the right half was a stunning sky-blue, while the left was a light green. The two hues blended in the middle, creating a mesmerizing sight. Yet, despite its beauty, Arthur couldn't bring himself to enjoy it, too preoccupied with how dire his situation was.
Grrr…
His stomach growled fiercely—he hadn't eaten anything all day. Helpless, he lay on the ground and forced himself to sleep, though it was far from easy.
Time passed agonizingly slowly until morning finally arrived. The moment he woke up, the first thing he did was scan his surroundings to ensure they were safe. Finding nothing amiss, he exhaled in relief, releasing some of his exhaustion.
This time, without hesitation, he quickly got up, grabbed his sword, buried the embers of the extinguished fire, and headed north in search of any signs of human presence.
Like the day before, he found nothing. Just as he was about to give up, however, he heard a familiar sound that made his eyes widen. He sprinted toward the source and arrived at a small river with semi-clear water.
"Water!" He laughed joyfully and bent down to drink, but then hesitated. "Wait, this water isn't clean—it could make me sick." Frowning, he ultimately decided to take the risk. He knew some primitive water filtration techniques but lacked the proper tools.
He drank greedily, then patted his bloated stomach and observed the river. That was when he noticed plump fish swimming in it. Immediately, an idea struck him. He fashioned a crude spear from a long branch and, mimicking survival experts he'd seen, began stalking the fish. After dozens of attempts, he finally caught a large one. Overjoyed, he laughed, momentarily forgetting his troubles.
He then left the riverbank and set up camp in a suitable spot. This time, it took far less effort thanks to the experience he'd gained the previous night.
Looking at the thorn-fortified camp, he sighed. "This is decent progress, but I still have a long way to go."
Next, he painstakingly gutted the fish. Had it not been for his Photographic Memory, which allowed him to recall everything he'd ever seen, he wouldn't have managed.
Fortunately, he had been born in an era of progress where information was readily available. As someone who had grown up during this time, he had absorbed all kinds of useful knowledge from books and shows—and now, thanks to his Photographic Memory, that forgotten information had become a treasure trove he could access whenever needed.
After roasting and eating the fish, he finally felt full, resolving one of his biggest problems. Unlike the first day, his mood was now significantly better. Having found the river, he decided to follow it downstream—after all, most civilizations throughout history had been built near permanent water sources.
…
The next day, he woke at the first light of dawn, accompanied by the chirping of birds. He extinguished the remaining embers, gathered his belongings, and headed toward the river—he hadn't wanted to camp right beside it for fear of animals coming to drink.
Upon reaching the river, he drank deeply, then looked downstream and began following its flow. Luckily, the banks were relatively free of thorny shrubs, making his journey much smoother. Still, he remained vigilant, constantly scanning his surroundings in case of predators. To his relief, he encountered none—though the swarms of mosquitoes were unbearable, forcing him to swat at them endlessly.
"Damn these mosquitoes! If this keeps up, I'll catch some disease."
Grrr…
As he cursed, his stomach let out a sickly gurgle. A strange discomfort settled in, and he looked down at his trembling abdomen with dismay. "I knew that water wasn't clean."
The pain worsened, his insides turning to liquid. He desperately needed to relieve himself.
He sprinted toward a dense thicket, dug a hasty hole, and squatted. Just as he finished and tried to stand up, the system screen appeared before him.
[Temporary Newbie Protection has expired]
[You are now visible to monsters. Proceed with caution.]
Arthur's face froze, his mouth hanging open in disbelief at the absurd timing.
ROAR!
As if the monsters nearby had sensed his presence, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the forest. Without even pulling up his pants, he bolted.