Demon King Kyuse Descends! (1)

A trembling space! Unparalleled, bizarre colors! My mind was spinning! I had absolutely no idea what had happened to me! This sensation was even more intense than when I first died and was reborn!

"Kuaaaak!"

And so, I crossed the gateway to another world…!

"Kuaaak…!"

I realized with certainty that I had descended to the Middle Realm!

The fact that I had arrived in the Middle Realm became very clear. No longer did my surroundings feel unsteady. A blurry view. An unparalleled daze. Surreal sensations.

My stomach churned… I felt like I was about to vomit!

"Huak, huhuak…!"

But I forced myself to hold back the urge to vomit. There was no use throwing up right now.

What state was I in right now? Did I touch the ground? No. I was currently lying face down. I became aware of this and felt the sensations in my entire body.

My senses were wildly bouncing around everywhere. I needed to stabilize them. This was the pain of dimensional travel. I was sure of it. I had learned that I never wanted to experience it again.

"…"

As quickly as possible, I calmed my mind and regained my senses. I didn't know what danger I might be in at this very moment.

The demons who supposedly performed the Advent Ritual, as Karuti told me, were highly likely to have landed somewhere remote.

Was this that remote place?

"Keohek… hoo. Haa…"

Soon, my breathing steadied, and I lifted my head.

"Huh."

I saw green. An environment covered in lush greenery.

"A forest…? No, a jungle?"

As I exhaled, I deliberately tested my voice. It worked well.

I was not sure if it was a forest or a jungle. Anyway, there were a lot of plants, and there were rocks scattered around.

"A hand axe!"

I fumbled inside my coat and grabbed the hand axe!

I was not sure if it was a forest or a jungle, but there was no such thing as the wilderness. Even if you flipped the word "wilderness" backward, it was still "wilderness," but there was no way this place wasn't dangerous. It was definitely not safe.

If I were a normal demon, maybe I'd be fine, but I was just a freshly awakened demon. I was at a level almost indistinguishable from an ordinary human. And unless trained, humans couldn't survive in the wild.

"Now it begins."

The start of survival itself.

It began now.

I raised my tension and remained alert to my surroundings.

"…"

Sa-rruk.

Sa-rruk.

Insects and bird-like creatures flew among the trees, grass, and vines. I was so damn scared that I felt like my body was trembling. I chewed on that fear! I was lucky! I hadn't encountered anything yet!

Honestly, I'd be lucky to encounter a wild dog, let alone a bear! And the creatures in this forest of the Middle Realm were monsters, not ordinary beasts.

"Alright. Nothing yet."

It was as if I'd been dropped here almost completely naked.

"Items."

First, I checked inside my coat. The items I had stored in my pocket. Upon inspection, nothing was missing. I had my basic tools and a dark magic book. I was really fortunate. I would have been in real despair if I had lost them inside the dimensional gateway.

A premium demon realm coat.

Right now, this coat was my entire possession.

I needed to treasure it.

From now on, the will to survive was absolutely crucial. For now, my starting point was this forest. So…

"I need to find water."

Whether it was a river or a stream, I needed to find drinkable water. Just because I was a demon didn't mean I didn't drink water. Even these bastards died if they didn't drink water.

Let's see.

First, to avoid getting lost… I would need to move very well. Did they say I should designate something like a tree in the distance and move accurately toward it?

Sa-bak-sa-bak.

I proceeded by mimicking a similar pattern while gripping the hand axe tightly. Finding water should be done like in the army.

Sa-bak-sa-bak.

Sa-bak-sa-bak.

Sa-bak-sa-bak.

There were so many plants.

"Damn it, this hand axe."

The hand axe wasn't suitable for clearing such plants. What I needed now was a jungle. I needed a machete. But there was nothing I could do if there wasn't one.

I walked with that thought in mind.

Sa-ag!

"Ah…!"

But damn it, every time it made that sound, my heart felt like it was going to explode!

Pooddeuk!

"Dammit…!"

A strange kind of bird, something I had never seen before, suddenly sprang up, and unidentifiable small creatures quickly passed by.

These little bastards!

"The ecosystem… seems to be thriving."

Were those all monsters?

Seeing so many small creatures meant there were probably larger ones that preyed on them… If you let your guard down for even a moment, fear slowly crept in.

What was the point of fear sticking to my tail like that and coming after me like an insurance salesmen?

Was this why I couldn't be a damn demon king?

Right now, I was a demon, a demon king, a loser, and just a primitive being. And a fallen primitive being at that.

"Let's go."

I gritted my teeth.

I moved forward again.

The little monsters. Let's try hunting them if the opportunity arises. I had never done anything like that, but hunting was essential if I was going to survive here. You had to eat.

It was while I was walking like that.

"Hmm?"

At intervals, I saw things like fruits growing on trees or vines. Something red. Blue. Fruits that looked like nothing I had seen on Earth.

Fruits.

Fruits.

"I should gather these."

For now, I cautiously approached the tree with the blue fruits… This thing wasn't a plant monster or anything, right?

"…"

While thinking like that, I examined the tree. It didn't seem to have any strange shapes, but I should be able to survive by being cautious.

Ggwa-ak.

With a tight grip on the hand axe, I investigate the potential danger.

"It's okay."

Fortunately, it was just a tree.

I reached out and picked the blue fruit while carefully scanning my surroundings.

"…!"

Great!

I had obtained fruit! I felt all sorts of emotions bursting forth at the thought of obtaining a random item!

The blue fruit was slightly larger than a tangerine, and its skin was soft. I could feel moisture inside. It seemed to be a fruit full of juice.

"I wonder if I can eat this."

I didn't know if it was edible. I had never seen it before. I didn't know if it might be poisonous. Demons had some resistance to poison, but I was not foolish enough to experiment on my own body.

"Karuti."

Karuti would have told me everything if she had been here at a time like this.

Anyway, there would probably be an opportunity to test it.

For now, let's keep it.

Fortunately, I had brought a rope and a small bag. I put the blue fruit inside and continued walking.

While walking, I came across various fruits. There were fruits that looked similar to those on Earth, as well as completely new types of fruits.

I cautiously gathered such fruits and placed them in my bag.

For now, it was better to collect as much as I could. The weight wasn't much of a burden yet. I didn't know what they were, but I should pick them up for now.

"The fruits here are abundant… and there are creatures that eat them."

Small-sized creatures.

So, there were quite a few small-sized monsters. Some looked like flying squirrels, while others resembled spiders the size of puppies. There were even some plump and large birds.

During my journey here, I witnessed many such creatures.

Goaaah!

Kyaaaah!

These little ones were either eating the fruits or fighting amongst themselves. Watching them fight was entertaining, but as soon as I tried to catch one, they all ran away incredibly fast, and I couldn't catch a single one.

Hoodadak!

"These little bastards are so fast."

They really bolted away quickly.

"Hmm."

For now, I checked the fruits that the bird-like creature among them was eating. It was in my bag, too. Was it not poisonous? Perhaps that bird had a unique constitution.

I should just check and keep it.

I shouldn't eat it just yet.

While conducting extreme observations and remaining vigilant, I continued to move.

"I found it…!"

Finally, I spotted a place where water was flowing!

"Whew!"

Seeing the water, I felt relieved, and my mood started to improve drastically! Yes, humans needed water to survive. Obtaining that alone should naturally boost my spirits.

"…"

Were there any other creatures around?

First, I confirmed that there weren't any, and then I approached the stream cautiously. Fortunately, there was nothing else. So, I scooped up water with my hands and washed my face.

"Haah…"

Rinsing my face with the cool water calmed me down.

Swik.

I took a water container from my bag right away.

"I need to drink water."

Normally, drinking such water without purification wouldn't be a good idea. But I was a demon. There's a small amount of magic power inside me, so it should be fine.

That's what I believed.

Ggulggul.

"Kya. It tastes good."

Something entered my mouth, and I felt alive.

After refilling the water container, I moved away from the stream.

Next on the list.

"I need to dig a pit."

The immediate task was to dig a pit. You couldn't just sleep anywhere in a place like this. Someone might come by at night. So, I needed to dig the ground and create a hiding place.

It was still daytime.

There was still plenty of time until the sunset. But there was no suitable tool other than the hand axe, so it's clear it would be late if I started now.

"I need to move quickly…!"

Paat!

I immediately started digging for a suitable spot. Selecting the right location for a hiding place was crucial. But once you found and created a proper hiding place, you would be able to rest there. So, I needed to find one.

Was it ridiculous for a demon king to look for a hole to hide in?

A demon king should already have monsters under control. Ruling over them. That was the image, right? But right now, there was nothing I controlled under me.

Sasasak!

That was how I searched for a spot to dig a pit.

To survive!