Chapter 1: The Unfamiliar Forest

Henry's eyes fluttered open, his mind foggy, the remnants of his fall through the mysterious void still lingering in his thoughts. "Mmm. Where am I?" he murmured, his voice echoing slightly in the unfamiliar surroundings.

He sat up, his head spinning as he tried to piece together his memories. "I remember... a hole that appeared out of nowhere," he recalled, the image of the swirling abyss vivid in his mind. "And then... everything turned blue."

With a deep breath, Henry pushed himself to his feet, his gaze sweeping over the strange landscape. Tall trees, unlike any he'd seen at the campsites he frequented, towered above him, their leaves whispering secrets in a language he couldn't understand. "This isn't the campsite I was at," he muttered, a sense of unease creeping into his voice. "It's like I'm in a completely different forest."

As he stood there, lost in thought, Henry's mind wandered to his father's words, the ones he'd heard so often yet never truly heeded. "You've been focused on work lately. Look, you're making all this money, but you don't even have the time to spend any of it. When will you visit? Go camping with your cousins; it will be fun." The memory of his father's advice brought a bitter smile to Henry's lips. "Great, just when my luck was kicking in, this happens."

At 25, single, and now seemingly stranded in a forest with nothing but his camping gear for survival, Henry couldn't help but yell out in frustration. "Now look at me!"

Yet, as he took in his surroundings, a sense of calm began to wash over him. The forest, for all its strangeness, exuded a peaceful aura. "Maybe they'll find me if I stay here," he pondered, hope flickering in his chest.

His attention was suddenly drawn to a shimmering object nestled in the underbrush. Curious, Henry picked up a stick and prodded the glistening green mass. "It feels like jelly," he observed, poking it again, only to jump back as the object quivered and revealed its true form. "Huh... It's... a slime? That scared me for a second" he said, almost nonchalantly, as the creature seemed to be consuming a dead animal.

But the reality of the situation quickly set in, and Henry's casual demeanor turned to horror. "Ahhh!" he screamed, the blood draining from his face. "What the hell! Am I lost in a different world like those in manga?"

Panic surged through him, and he fell to the ground, his cries of despair filling the quiet forest. "Back! I want to go back! Please, send me back!"

Hours passed, and as the sun began to set, Henry found himself huddled up, his arms wrapped around his knees. The weight of his predicament bore down on him. "What will I do now?" he whispered to himself. With only a week's worth of food and months' worth of condiments and toiletries, survival was uncertain. His camping electronics, powered by a portable solar station, were the least of his worries. "Sigh, will I even be able to survive?" he questioned, the unknown of the night looming ahead.

Henry's eyes snapped open, the echo of his cousin's voice still ringing in his ears. "Henry, wake up!" Tsakelani called impatiently. "Just a few more minutes," Henry mumbled, his mind clinging to the remnants of a vivid dream.

"Come on," Tsakelani retorted. "If you don't wake up, we'll leave you behind." The urgency in his cousin's voice pulled Henry from the hazy realm of sleep. "Was it all a dream?" Henry wondered aloud, disoriented.

"Tsaki! You won't believe the dream I just had," Henry said, sitting up. "It felt so real."

"What are you talking about?" Tsakelani asked, already lacing up his boots. "Did you forget? Today, we're heading over to the river. If you don't hurry up, we'll go without you."

Henry sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I'll meet you halfway there." He climbed out of his sleeping bag, exchanging pajamas for outdoor clothes. As they walked, Prince, another cousin, glanced around. "Where's Henry?"

"He said he'll meet us halfway," Tsakelani replied. But as they continued, Henry's undone shoelaces caught their attention as he ran after them. "Should we tell him?" Prince asked, amused.

"He never changes," Hellen chimed in, chuckling. Henry, still half-asleep, stepped on his laces and stumbled. And then, abruptly, he woke up.

"Was that a dream?" Henry's face fell as he realized the truth. "Guess I'm really stuck in a different world." His first official day in this mysterious place began with uncertainty.

"It looks like it's around 5:30 am," Henry observed, glancing at morning sky. "I'll have to improvise when it comes to measuring time. And I need to be careful with my flashlight; I don't want to attract danger."

His water bottle was nearly empty. "I need to find a water source," he muttered, taking a final sip. "Today's the day I find myself a reliable supply. Better bring all my gear; my sense of direction isn't great."

As he ventured deeper into the forest, Henry wondered if there were other people here. Suddenly, a roar shattered the tranquility. He stumbled upon a fierce battle: a massive green bear clashed with a blue snake. The snake shot ice spears that were as strong as steel towards he bear, while the bear encased itself in a layer of rocks to protect itself.

"I really am in a different world," Henry whispered, panic rising as he saw magical creatures fought infront him solidifying that his in a different world. "I'm going to die." He sprinted away from the battle, heart pounding.

"How the hell am I supposed to survive?" Henry gasped, catching his breath after running for quite sometime. "I haven't even taken fighting classes, now I have to defend against magic creatures. Will I even be able to hunt?" Lost and disoriented, he realized, "Huh... I think I'm lost again."