Lost Forest

'Amazing! Such a beautiful scenery is quite rare even for Earth.' Aezir thought when he entered the forest. The forest was thick and was exuding life. The trees were about 6-7 meters tall. Thick green vines were draping all over the branches of the trees. The dense leaves of the trees protect the forest from the rage of the sun. This was very nostalgic for Aezir since he grew up in a rural area and is quite familiar with this kind of scenery.

This was the first time he got the chance to enter the forest. It was strictly forbidden for them to enter it in their youth since it was said to be extremely dangerous. The timing of the exam is carefully thought out by the village circle. They chose a date when the beasts were the least aggressive. 'This forest reminds me too much of home. I miss Earth.'

He was quite ecstatic when he reincarnated in the village. He never imagined that he would be given a second chance after his death. He could not help but wonder if he was the only one given such an opportunity. He was even more thrilled when he saw that this world contained powers. However, this enthusiasm soon died down due to a mundane life of eating, training, and sleeping.

Day in and out, the only thing he did was train his body through various exercises provided to him by Grandpa Ouwei. He was pretty devoted to training since he knew that it would be pivotal for this day.

Aezir walked and navigated the forest. He threaded very carefully in order to avoid disturbing any unwanted beast. He set his mind on contracting a beast peacefully in order to avoid a fight. But, he is prepared to battle when worst comes to worst. He looked at the map and saw the nearest Advanced Beast lair.

'I must contract an Advanced Beast.' He thought with conviction. Aezir hid and lied to Grandpa Ouwei about the choices he would make in contracting. He was afraid that the old man would not allow him to join the trial if he was to take such a risk. However, Aezir was determined to reach for the skies regardless of the risk. He lived a mediocre life on Earth. He swore that in this life, he would reach for the stars.

After a while of walking, he entered a part of the forest that differed from the rest. He noticed the trees were somewhat cold. When he went deeper, his body temperature slowly plummeted alongside the trees that were getting colder by distance. Soon, he reached a place where the trees were already frozen.

'This is damn cold.' Aezir thought as he rubbed his hands to his arms to induce friction. The cold did not deter him at all. He continued to walk. Soon, frostbites started to fill his fingers. He was wearing ordinary clothing and was void of any powers. He was just a slightly stronger human at this point.

'Damn it!' He thought as the wind blew. His skin is already starting to freeze. He is slowing down by the minute. His skin is already pale, with ice crystals on them. Aezir looked behind where he came from. 'Well, there is no turning back. Might as well see through it till the end.'

He continued walking until he reached a frozen lake and saw a lair of ice in the middle of it. He was certain that the beast was in there. Aezir became ecstatic when he saw the lair. Hope quickly flooded him as he tried to enter the lair.

'What the hell?' He thought as he walked on the lake. The ice actually cracked, which was puzzling to him since he thought that the ice should be thick, especially under the condition of the forest. He still continued to walk, though. At this point, he can barely move. The only thing keeping his motor running is his determination to reach the lair. 'My journey will not end here!' He swore.

There was never a certainty if he will be liked by the beast enough to form a contract with him, but he was still determined to see it. He believed that if he wants to reach the peak, then he must push himself to the top.

Slowly, he walked one step at a time. As time passed, he continuously slowed down. 'Argh!' He shouted in his mind. He was in severe pain since earlier, but he did not pay any attention to it. However, it was not getting better over time. Aezir felt his muscled freezing. He can barely move his fingers anymore, much less his feet. 'Am I really about to be frozen here?' he thought. 'It seems like this is my only option.'

He quickly shifted his body weight will all his strength available to him. He decided to knock the ice and fall into the sea. He just hoped that he would be able to move before he runs out of air. 'Here goes nothing.' He gasped as much air as possible, then he crashed himself to the ice.

"Crack!" The ice shattered easily and allowed Aezir to fall into the lake. He fell down at a rate faster than his expectations which made him scared. The lake was dark and the only source of light was the hole he made from his crash. 'Come on, let me move!' He thought. He continued to fall and soon, the light from above is no longer visible.

'Yes!' He was beyond happy when he felt that he was able to move again. He moved and swam to resurface. However, he abruptly came to a halt due to what he saw.

His mouth was agape releasing all air causing him to suffocate. However, this was the least of his problems. A giant eye much bigger than him is staring at him at the moment. In the deep part where only darkness reigned, the eye became the only source of light. All of his thought ceased under the gaze. No thought entered his mind due to shock before he passed out and sunk. If he had any, he would have been glad that he died of suffocation and not from the mouth of the giant eye.