Rise of the Hegemon

A strange place

The sounds of rustling leaves and nearby birdsong quickly filled my ears.

I wildly looked around and an astounding sight met my eyes, towering trees surrounded me, their trunks wrapped in old most. The uneven ground was covered with a blanket of fallen leaves and protruding tree roots.

I'm in some kind of a forest.

Did that strange void drop me here? how? and why?

As questions began to pop up one after another inside of my mind, I tried to recall the events that transpired as I arrived to this place, that strange feeling as I fell through the void while the world around me shift and bend as if the laws of physics doesn't exist.

I began pinching myself, in hopes that I couldn't feel any pain and all of this is just a big bad dream.

But the sensation of pain was undeniable; beyond that, my consciousness remained intact throughout the entire descent through the void and everything seems incredibly real.

Despite my internal efforts to reject such notions, I know that deep within me believes that everything that has happened so far is, in fact, a reality.

Not to mention, a small part of me has already come to a conclusion.

A conclusion that I do not want to believe.

It's possible... but surely there should be some other way to return home.

Right?

Shaking my head to dispel such negative thoughts, I muster all the willpower and remaining resolve within me to search for any possible solution that could lead me back home, nevertheless, this effort doesn't deter the small seed of dread from steadily taking root within me.

First, I have to find any way to leave this forest before darkness falls, just the thought of spending a night in the middle of this forest alone with nothing on me is insane.

I then fearfully turned towards the sea of trees around me, my eyes piercing straight towards the endless woods in front of me.

Those seemingly harmless vegetation could be concealing anything if night finally descends, in fact, the possibility of danger lurking out there right now is enough to send shivers down my spine, a now rising tide of panic and fear begins to grip me.

As the weight of my situation dawns upon me, I couldn't help but notice my growing rapid and shallow breaths. Each inhale feels insufficient and my chest tightens with every exhale.

What's happening?

It didn't take too long for me to realize that I'm hyperventilating, the physical manifestation of the fear and panic that have taken hold of me.

My vision began to blur as my body struggled to find its flow, my mind racing faster than my breaths, I then clench my fists as I tried to regain control of my body.

After what seems to be an eternity, my racing heart gradually began to steady, I slowly reclaim command of my trembling limbs, the grip of panic releasing its difficult hold.

Wiping the sweat on my forehead, I began to steady my once shaking legs.

"I need to quickly get out of here." I mutter to myself.

But first, I need to keep calm, my brain's no use to make decisions if I'm panicking.

I took a deep long breath before placing my sights on the woods in front of me when a memory of my past suddenly appearing inside of my head.

I once read a book about surviving in a wild forest, but unfortunately, I've forgotten most of it, but there are a few basic tips I could still remember such as slowly backing away while maintaining eye contact if I find myself face to face with a bear, or if you're bitten by a snake, instead of sucking the venom, I should instead focus on seeking help, though I doubt if there's any in this fucking forest.

Well, aside from a dozen more tips, there isn't anything I could think of right now.

I stared at the unfamiliar sky above and sighed, with any stroke of luck, I could hopefully come across any individuals who could offer any help to this damn situation I now find myself in, before or after I leave this forest.

I also noticed that my backpack is missing... not that I could do anything about it right now.

Then, I started to trudge in the unknown woods, towards a direction I knew nothing of, only driven by both hope and resolve, the sound of crunching leaves and snapping branches filling my ears as I haul myself across the uneven ground.

A frown began to form on my face as I sidestep every obstacle in my path, whether it was the sprawling roots of trees, imposing boulders that seemed insurmountable, or vegetations so thick that I have to make a small detour just so I could pass through it.

And as for any wild animals, luck seems to be on my side as I haven't yet encountered anything aside from a few frightened rabbits and small strange looking mammals. Hell, strange could even be an understatement.

While the flora and fauna in this place bear a resemblance to those back home, there are a handful whose appearances screams strange and alien.

One such encounter was from a raccoon-like creature with antler horns, I was moving along a narrow path when I stumble upon the particular creature, my body quickly froze as me and the strange creature went into a staring contest which seems to last for an entire minute before the creature ran off into the woods, probably out of fear or something else.

As I continued making my way, I began to encounter more and more of them, each one different from before, two-headed squirrels, armadillos that towered half an average human's height, though they made an attempt to reach me, they're too slow and I quickly outran them, however their size could formidably prove to be intimidating.

There's also squirrels with golden shiny furs, hedgehogs but their spines are made out of tiny little flowers, and much many more.

As for the trees and vegetations.. well they all look the same and familiar to me, there's none that stood out peculiar among them, They're how I thought forest trees and it's surrounding vegetations would look like.

There's also a thought that came across my mind.

These creatures doesn't exist on earth.

As I stumble upon more of them, each one further contributes to the conclusion that a small part of me had made earlier.

"I don't believe it" I whispered in gritted teeth as the dread within me began to rise.

It's either I discovered a new land in Earth, full of new species and potential resources... or-

I quickly shook my head from such thoughts.

It cannot be..

But the former also seems to be unlikely, there's no chance-

"It's impossible!" I find myself suddenly shouting, scaring and driving the nearby animals away.

It took me a few seconds to realize that both of my hands are now shaking again, not to mention the cold sweat dripping from my forehead.

Arguing with my own thoughts? really?

I cannot afford going mad in the middle of some unknown forest. Damn the conclusion! I must prioritize of getting out of here alive, and then where I'm finally in a situation where I could consider myself as safe and secure, were I to finally decide on what I'll do and... think afterwards.

I took another deep and long breath before turning towards the stretching woods in front of me.

Refusing to entertain another such thoughts, I continued on my way through the woods, feeling a small glint of determination within me.

As I ventured deeper into the forest, I could now feel the fatigue sink in, all of my limbs seems to grow heavy at each passing moment, especially my legs, each step requiring more effort than the last. Not only that, my muscles began to ache now, followed by a dull sensation that begins to spread throughout my entire body.

I then notice my movements slowing down, and a sense of weariness settles in, sapping at any remaining energy left inside of me, my breathing then becomes a bit more laborious, each inhale and exhale requiring great effort.

I need to rest.

I look around and found myself a thick tree with a small space between it's protruding roots that I could comfortably use as a resting spot.

With a groan, I dragged my exhausted body towards the spot and sat below, my back slowly resting towards the solid rough trunk of the tree.

How long has it been since I were tossed in this place.

Two hours? three? six?

Shit, I've lost track of time...

As I sat in complete silence, I also then began to notice how dry my throat is and how I badly needed to gulp an entire gallon of water right now.

I need water...

Only now do I regret not sipping those puddles of water I came across on my way here; however, it's too late to go back now. Then again, I wasn't thirsty at that time, and what kind of person, raised on Kangen and faucet water, would consider drinking from a puddle?

Sighing, I lick my now dry lips in an attempt to moisten them.

Suddenly, a resounding guttural roar pierced the air, its effects rippling through the surrounding landscape and causing the ground beneath me to quiver ever so slightly. In response to the tremendous noise, a multitude of birds that had been perched nearby took flight in a flurry of wings, filling the sky with a chaotic burst of movement. The roar's intensity was tremendous, carrying a weight that spoke of power and dominance, sending a chill down my spine.

Fear stirred within me as I turn towards the direction where the roar came from, which happens to be in front of me.

Holy mother of fucks!

My eyes about to burst out from their sockets, my limbs trembling rapidly, and my entire body completely frozen to the ground, I stared wide eyed at the massive bear who materialized a few distance away from me, crushing the trees and brushes that stood in it's path, a testament to it's immense strength and power.

Although I've never seen a bear before, I very well know how a bear looks like. But this thing in front of me? it's no bear... it's a damn monster!

It stood at least 7-8 feet tall, its hulking form casting a daunting shadow after it emerged from the thick underbrush, the creature's fur was a mix of deep browns and red, ruffled and dense, giving it an imposing presence... and not to mention that it looks very angry.

And then, our eyes met.

Fear and shock began to overwhelm me as I stared jaw slacked at the monstrosity who was now; in fact, heading towards me.

Reason and logical thinking immediately disappeared within me and was replaced by instincts which took control of my entire body as I quickly made a dash through the woods.

I could no longer feel the tiredness and fatigue that fell upon me earlier as I continued running, the massive bear in tow.

Pants leave each of my breath as I desperately ran through the unknown forestry, my heart beating like a hundred drums as I clumsily avoided any obstacles I stumbled upon on my way.

I know it's dangerous and risky, it would only take a single trip and everything would end right here, but it's better than becoming a lunch for the chasing bear behind me.

I could hear the crashing and felling of trees as the bear continued to chase me. I cast a quick glance behind and saw the beast tearing its way through the unfortunate trees in its path. I also witnessed a few small animals caught up in the chase, getting crushed under the relentless heavy paws of the bear.

"Fuck!" I curse, my eyes darting away, focusing once again on the direction ahead. However, what suddenly met my gaze wasn't the flat but uneven forest floor, but instead a steep, downward slope, leading to a... tiny stream?

It didn't take long for me to realize that I'm heading towards the very middle of a small ravine, it's height a few meters tall.

Oh god..

With all my might, I put all my power in stopping myself from reaching the jaws of danger, but my efforts were for naught, with my momentum carrying me, I ended up tripping on my own feet before stumbling and rolling on the ground below, I feel the dirt on the ground hit my face, then the stones, and then rocks.

Agonizing pain erupted throughout my body as I rolled and tumbled down the slope. After mere seconds, a searing impact of rough wood met my face, and then everything faded to black.

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CHAPTER DONE!!