The Darkness Was Comfortable for Me

Chapter 6: Transfer and the Scent of the Forest

I was covered in a dazzling light at the same time as the countdown hit zero. I couldn’t endure it and ended up closing my eyes.

Right after, I felt like I was floating in the air, as if the floor had disappeared.

I reflexively flailed my arms in order to grab onto something, but there was nothing to grab onto, and I ended up falling without being able to do anything.

The next instant…

I was standing in a forest with lush tall trees covering my vision.

The rustling of trees shaking with the wind, the dense scent of green.

I can’t see a single human aside from me.

I understood the situation here and gulped.

—Random Transfer.

Unluckily…no, you could say it was inevitable that I have been transferred deep inside a forest.

It is not like there isn’t the chance for there to be a city if I were to walk for a bit, but…that would be way too optimistic.

[Pin Pon Pan! Welcome to the parallel world, Chosen Number 1000, Kurose Hikaru. I will give a simple explanation of the Status Board! First, please bring out your Status. It is okay to say it out loud or think of it in your mind.]

That voice suddenly resonated in my head.

There’s no one around.

Looks like the God side is going to be giving a tutorial to the Chosen.

“Status.” (Hikaru)

A half-transparent window showed up in the air.

It is of decent size, about the size of a PC screen.

[In that Status Board you can obtain a variety of information: exchange for Items, Skills, and Gifts; check your popularity rank, real time viewer numbers, remaining points, and the amount of Crystals in your possession.]

Looks like I can get a variety of info by changing tabs.

I ran out of time in the middle of allocating my points, so I still have 24 points remaining. Looks like I can use these points in the parallel world too.

[You can use Crystals themselves to trade for Items, but you can also exchange 30 for 1 point. You can obtain Crystals from your viewer popularity and events.]

I see, the more popular you are, the easier it is to get points, and it would make the isekai life easier.

[For the exchange of items, please push the button for the item page. If you have leeway in points, you can exchange them now.]

“…More importantly, is it safe right now?” (Hikaru)

I ask what I was wondering at first.

I am in a deep forest in who-knows-where after all.

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There’s the chance of suddenly being attacked by a monster.

Even just staying here might have dangers approaching.

[Your safety is secured when in the middle of the tutorial. There’s a barrier to keep away the living beings around.]

I see. If a Chosen were to suddenly appear in a city, it would shock the inhabitants after all. This must be their consideration in those parts -this also applies to monsters.

“Then, is it okay to take my time choosing my items?” (Hikaru)

[It is.]

My remaining points are shown in the status window.

24 points; that’s my lifeline.

“I want clothes and shoes, but…” (Hikaru)

Maybe this was the service from God, I am not barefoot. I don’t know when, but I am wearing sandals. My clothes were also not that hospital gown, but cotton up and down. I even have underwear.

It does feel like the bare minimum, but I am grateful.

In that case, there’s other items with higher priority.

I got Random Transfer after all. I won’t be able to do anything if I don’t know my current location.

I opened the items page and chose the map.

[World Map: 1 Point]

[Highly Efficient World Map: 3 Points]

[Map of Surrounding: 1 Point]

[Highly Efficient Map of Surrounding: 5 Points] x4.

According to the explanation, all maps have the ability to show your current location, so it should be enough to exchange for a world map with 1 point. The map of surroundings is a map that shows information in a radius of 10 kilometers, so I won’t be exchanging points for it right now.

The problem is whether to make it the normal world map, or the highly efficient one.

The difference of 2 points is big. For the Chosen that didn’t get the Basic Pack, the remaining points are their literal lifeline.

It is better to think that using points carelessly will push me closer to death.

“I say that, but being frugal here is a bit…” (Hikaru)

Just before I pushed the button to exchange it, I stopped.

Because I thought of the possibility of there being a city or a village right around the corner.

It is a Random Transfer, so the chances are low, but it is possible.

I can’t use my points so easily when 1 point might be the result of tears ahead. I should be more careful here.

I should at least confirm my surroundings. It wouldn’t be too late to decide after I have obtained as much information as I can.

I stop the exchange and decide to confirm all the items I can currently exchange for. If I don’t act properly according to the situation, what awaits me is death.

“If I exchange for something, will it appear immediately? From out of nowhere?” (Hikaru)

[Yes, it will instantly appear from above the Status Board. It is advised to avoid being seen doing this by the inhabitants of the world as best as possible.]

It casually gave me a hint of this world.

What I can at least gather from that was that, in this world, it is unnatural for items to show up from nowhere. It is common sense, but not common sense.

This is not Earth. I am in a parallel world with mysteries everywhere.

“So, where is this? Is there a village closeby?” (Hikaru)

[I can’t answer that.]

“Can I get a hint?” (Hikaru)

[You can use Crystals to get hints. It will be after the explanations here are over and your adventure starts though.]

“In other words, it hasn’t started yet.” (Hikaru)

[That’s right. Not all earthlings have basic knowledge of isekais after all.]

I confirm the status window again. It has been a decent amount of time since I have been transferred here, and yet, my real time viewer count is still zero.

I see, it is still in a state where they can’t see, huh. Or maybe they can see, but the numbers aren’t showing. Or it might be that no one has taken notice of me because I wasn’t originally a Chosen.

…Well, I don’t really want to be seen though.

[What will you do about the item exchange?]

“I won’t for now.” (Hikaru)

[Now then, the explanation for the Status Board is finished. And now, for the last thing, we will be granting you a random special favor as a beginner from the Physical Abilities category or the Resistance category.]

They are unexpectedly generous.

When I check, I see that I got Poison Resistance Level 1.

“Poison Resistance huh. I would say this is a win?” (Hikaru)

Poison Resistance is 3 points.

The 5 point ones would be a jackpot, so this would be an average win.

Anyways, my survival rate has increased with this.

[You are free to live however you please in this world. The viewers will always be with you. If you obtain their cooperation, you should be able to lead a fulfilling life. Good luck.]

After wishing me luck one-sidedly, the voice went silent.

At the same time as this happened, I felt the rustling and the presences of the forest had gotten denser.

A strange feeling as if something unknown was brushing my skin.

It really hadn’t ‘started yet’.

We have now started.

In that case, I have no time to waste.

I took off my sandals and began to climb the large tree nearby that I had locked on beforehand.

Fortunately, it is a strange tree with branches jutting out in complex manners, and it was tall. The surface of the tree is similar to a japanese beech. I think I can somehow climb up this.

There was the fear of poisonous bugs, but let’s believe that the Poison Resistance I got is doing its work here.

Anyways, what’s important here is the speed.

“Guh, yoh, hah!”

I barely have any experience climbing trees, but I am currently terribly desperate. When I looked down, my stomach flinched, but I somehow managed to climb up pretty high.

And…

“Haha… Seriously…?” (Hikaru)

What spread before my eyes was a forest as far as the eye can see, and mountains.

There were no human settlements in sight.

Nature everywhere without a single trace of human hands in 360°.

Of course, there might be a settlement somewhere, and if I were to cross the mountain, there’s the chance I could find a city.

But overcoming this forest with dense presence and a mountain…just that alone will be an adventure on thin ice -I clearly understood that here.

I went down a bit and sat at a thick branch, brought out the Status, and exchanged Highly Efficient World Map for 3 points.

The status window tab shone, and the [World Map] entry appeared.

It looks like the Highly Efficient Map isn’t an actual physical item, but an ability that is expanded into your Status.

“Now then…this will decide whether I live or die, huh.” (Hikaru)

My hand pointing at the Map tab was trembling.

And yet, it was strange that there was a part of me that was strangely calm.

Just how much distance would it be in order to safely arrive at a human settlement?

I have used 3 points, so I have 21 points remaining.

Can I do something with just that much?

I don’t have any physical buffs, and am just your average person with [Affection of Spirits] and [Night Vision].

I am a bit resistant to poison, hard to fall ill, and don’t grow old as fast, huh.

I have no survival skills, and it is not like I can run fast.

Of course, I have no combat capabilities either.

“Please…!” (Hikaru)

I pray to God as I open the map.

“…Fufufu! …So the Random Transfer is for the early laughs, huh. Haha…” (Hikaru)

…A dry laugh that expressed my despair came out from my mouth.

The Highly Efficient Map is certainly highly efficient.

It is telling me where the closest city is and the distance to it; there’s no power as reliable as this.

But that’s exactly why it had plenty enough destructive power to crush my hope.

I am currently in the Ringpill Continent, at the Demonic Lands of the East.

Surrounding Population Density is 0 out of 10 levels.

Danger Level 4 out of 6 levels.

The closest human location is the East Fortress and it is 373 kilometers in a straight line.

I was transferred to the center of a deep deep forest.