Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King

be worth a try.

Before I give up, I will try first.

Muttering this in my mind, I search around for a clear “target” with faster steps than before.

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“Haha, I finally found it…”

Finally, I found the tree and terrain that I considered a good ‘target’.

It’s been more than 30 minutes since I made up my mind to start looking for it.

(The ground is roughly 3 meters higher than the others, and the tree is seemingly quite tall.
First, the trunk is much thicker than the others.)

While checking my surroundings, I first jump towards a branch to try and reach it.

But, as I have expected, I can’t reach the lower part of the branch.

So first, I need to make it possible to grab the first branch.

I see.

First, I am using my Duralumin Case as a foothold.

This should give me an increase in height of about 15 cm.

If I set the bag vertically, I may sprain my foot at worst if I end up in an accident, so I don’t have to go that far.

Needless to say, the sturdiness of the case is its main selling point, so it will not break at all when I, a 13-year-old, stand on it.

I made sure to step on the corner of the bag, to prevent any dents, to maintain the height of the bag.

Then I take off my belt, pick it up, and throw one end of the belt over the branch.

The belt slips through the top of the branch and hangs from either side of the branch.

Now, if I could get a hold of each of the belts on either side, I should be able to climb up the trunk and hang my feet on the foothold!

Once you get that far, it’s just a matter of perseverance.

First, jump!

Got it!

Now I just have to climb up with my feet parallel to the ground…ugh…without the buckles, my hands are slipping…it’s tough.

But I managed to hang my foot on the branch.

When both of my feet are on the branch, I can hang my hand down and pull up, although it will be hard on my abdominal muscles.

All that I have to do now is to rely on my muscular strength! Full power for the first time in 15 years!

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Half an hour later, there is now a man on the verge of exhaustion clinging to the top of a tree looking at the sun that is about to set.

Who is that person? Of course, it was me.

I have by no means climbed to the very top.

It is too high and scary, and the branches are too thin and dangerous, but even without going so far up, I manage to get a 360-degree view of the landscape.

It is the result of persistence and careful selection of large trees, the environment in which it grows, and a difference in elevation.

And what are the results?

The result is a view of a large forest that spreads across the entire field of view like a sea of trees.

There is no town, no plains or grasslands in sight, just an endless expanse of dark green sea.

There is no visible exit from the sea of trees.

It is as if Acorn Head has been trying to kill us from the very beginning.

However, I still can’t believe that Acorn Head is actually trying to kill me from the very beginning.

Despite my hopeless situation, I can’t help but smile.

I am not in despair or out of my mind.

So, what made me feel that way?

There are three reasons.

One.

In the 360-degree panoramic view, I can see a fairly wide range of mountains stretching out in one direction.

Although I cannot grasp how far it is from my vantage point, it seems to be a group of mountains with a considerable elevation.

So, that means.

If I continue on in a direction away from the mountains, there is a good chance that I will reach a human settlement.

Humans like the plains, and this world is probably no different.

Two.

It is now easier to confirm a precise orientation.

The setting sun may not be the same as the setting sun on earth, but I can determine the direction using that.

If it is the same as on Earth, even a novice would know that the direction in which it sets is the west.

But there is something else that I noticed while I was frantically climbing up the tree branches.

It is my wristwatch, which is a conversation starter for salesmen.

Although I am not uninterested in brands, I am interested in functionality, so I am using a watch made by a certain Japanese manufacturer.

I now noticed that the wristwatch had a compass function.

I never use this function in my daily life, so it was not surprising.

It is fortunate that I found the wristwatch in my field of view because I am climbing a tree, which is a stance I usually do not take.

Three.

Three, I am able to find a slight but lingering gap in the dark-green field of vision.

This can be nothing more than the presence of a river.

If I had been told that it was a fault line, I may have died of shock.

And since the gap extends away from the mountain range, I expect that the river is descending with a slight difference in elevation.

In other words, going down the river will allow me to rehydrate and get closer to the area where people will be living! 

There are still many unresolved issues…

I mean, the sun is about to set, and I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight…!

Still, it is the first day that I feel as if the future has opened up a little bit.