“…Tohma. Get stronger as quickly as you can. I’ll definitely come back for you.”
“Yeah, don’t worry too much, Akimi. I’ve got a blessing now, so I’ll be fine.”
Although the blessing protects me from attacks by beasts and monsters, it doesn’t cover conflicts with other people, so I still need to work hard to level up.
The god of creation, Kesaran Pasaran, strongly recommended that I live in the Great Forest. That’s probably why. If I’m left vulnerable to humans, the forest—home to beasts and monsters—becomes an ideal hiding place. Adventurers and hunters might occasionally enter the outer edges, but it’s rare for people to come deep inside.
(I guess it’s time for some survival camping and leveling up in the heart of the Great Forest.)
With my summoning magic online shopping and protective blessings, I should be able to live comfortably, even in the depths of the forest.
I was actually kind of excited. Besides camping, which I’ve been obsessed with recently, there’s something else I’ve gotten into—parkour. Moving quickly and smoothly through obstacle courses using just your body.
For someone small like me with good eyesight and decent athleticism, it’s a great fit.
In fighting or team sports, size is a disadvantage, and while I was okay at track and field, it didn’t hold my interest. I tried skateboarding and dancing as I was invited to, but parkour was the only thing that really stuck.
(Now that I’ve reincarnated as an elf—one of the forest-dwelling races—I might be able to master parkour in the Great Forest.)
I can tell this body is incredibly light, yet strong. I can’t wait to run through the forest.
As I fidgeted with excitement, my perceptive cousin noticed.
“…Tohma, you look like you’re having fun.”
“Yeah, I am. I can’t wait to see what I can do with this body. An adventure in another world—I’m so excited for it.”
I grinned, and Akimi, along with Haruto and Natsuki, furrowed their brows.
“Sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Sorry, Tohma-niisan.”
“What’s with the serious tone? Besides, you didn’t drag me into this; we’re all victims here.”
“But still, you died because of us, Tohma-nii!”
“That’s true, but I’m alive again, thanks to your wish. I’m grateful to you.”
Seeing my cheerful response seemed to reassure them a little.
“Well, do your best to get stronger. It sounds like we have centuries to take down the evil dragon, so don’t push yourself too hard. And when you’re powerful enough to sway the nation’s rulers, invite me back.”
It would be nice if I could offer some inspiring encouragement, but that’s the best I can do. At most, I can dangle a bit of “reward.”
“If you level up or learn new skills, I’ll send you some gifts, okay?”
So keep it up. I said with a smile, which made all three of them blush for some reason.
“…Got it. I’ll work hard.”
“Seriously, Tohma-nii, be careful, alright? Your charm is dangerous.”
“Huh?”
“Anyway, you’re forbidden from smiling at anyone other than us. Got it?”
“Huh? Oh, uh, got it, I guess.”
Just then, a fluffy creature plopped down on my head.
“Looks like we confirmed your survival, so I’ll end the communication here. We won’t be able to talk like this again, okay?”
“From now on, we’ll keep in touch via messages on the skill board, right? Understood.”
I heard some complaints, but the fluffy creature cut the video feed without mercy.
“And that’s the end of the tutorial. I’ve sent a magic tome with sealed knowledge into your item box. Read and understand it yourself, okay?”
“Thanks for everything. You’ve been a big help.”
The fluffy creature looked a bit surprised by my sincere gratitude, but I meant it. Thanks to its kindness, I was alive and excited for this new world.
“I’m glad you feel that way. Oh, by the way, all your possessions, including the items stored in the item box, have my blessing. They won’t get damaged or dirty and will protect you, so take care of them.”
I quickly appraised my clothes and saw that they were marked as indestructible, with an auto-repair function. Honestly, it might be more durable than any armor.
“If they get dirty or damaged, just store them in the item box, and they’ll be as good as new. Well, I’ll be going now—have a great time in this other world.”
“Ah…”
The warm presence on my head disappeared. It was a surprisingly short farewell.
Without the lively fluff around, I felt a tinge of loneliness, but excitement was filling my heart more.
I looked around. A vast grassland. My High Elf vision was astounding; I could see far into the distance.
To the north and east, I spotted buildings resembling settlements. To the west, the grasslands stretched on endlessly. And to the south lay a vast expanse of dense green.
“That’s the Great Forest. It looks like it’s quite far from here.”
It must be dozens of kilometers away, but the path is flat grassland.
I have enough supplies and gear, so a leisurely walk should be nice. The sun is overhead; I’ll walk until evening, then set up camp and rest.
“Maybe level up along the way by hunting monsters. I’ll collect any useful materials and trade them for points.”
With that settled, I checked my equipment.
While magic might be my main offense, I doubt I can handle it perfectly from the start. I’m not brave enough to wander this world bare-handed, so I need a weapon.
I opened my item box and found what I was looking for. A camping hatchet. I also had a sickle and an outdoor knife for trimming brush, all gear I’d prepared for maintaining the area around a family mountain cabin.
“Turns out, this firewood hatchet is imbued with a blessing and seems like a powerful weapon against monsters. Thanks, fluffy… or rather, god of creation.”
Feeling grateful, I took a sip of green tea from a summoned PET bottle, then set off toward the forest with the hatchet in hand. I tucked the outdoor knife into my jacket pocket for easy access.
“All right, let’s enjoy this new world.”
My destination: the Great Forest, a magical wilderness.
