While I was looking around the perimeter around my camp it still felt familiar to me. Since forests should still look and feel like forests even in other worlds. I stayed in the camping area I made while I was busy figuring out this world.

Because this isn’t earth anymore. The ground itself is already unusual with bits of crystals seemingly appearing when I dig down a layer of it for a sample. Plus the compass is going crazy, the magnetic poles of this world are seriously messed up.

I gave myself a really good time to think things through and keep myself as calm as possible. But as I was thinking the ground suddenly started to shake. It’s not an earthquake for sure, seeing the birds fly out from the trees means something.

Some kind of monster or animal is on its way here. So I grabbed my shotgun to check if it’s properly loaded. Good, the fire had died off by now so I hid myself by the trees with my bag with me.

The creature approaches…

“The hell is that kind of bear.” I murmured to myself as I saw a gigantic bear with some kind of rocks.

A can of bear spray will definitely not work on this grizzly looking bear. Seems like the bear is looking around the camping area.

It’s on to me, I shouldn’t run for now. Until I’m not spotted, and running is a bad idea if you’re escaping a bear that’s the lasting you want to do. I released the safety from the gun ready for firing.

The bear looked in my direction with smoke coming out of its nose. Seems like it’s pissed off or something. And without question the bear started charging in my direction and hit the tree, cutting it in half.

I rolled over just in time. And immediately shot its head twice with my shotgun…

But the bullets bounced right off his head… It didn’t kill it. I quickly reload my shotgun as I fallback.

I tried again this time on center mass. Didn’t budge, not even push him back.

“I’m really screwed am I?” I sighed and did what should be the last thing you should.

I quickly made a run for it onto the dense forest while trying to reload the shotgun again just to keep it loaded.

“Woodsman… Heed my words…” A whisper goes through my head in a different voice this time.

I couldn’t focus on the voice first as I tried to give some distance between me and the raging bear behind me. I found a trenched area so I hid myself there as I tried to regain composure as the bear slowed down from the dense forest trees that kept it slowed down.

“Woodsman… Focus your mind… Focus on your weapon…” That voice again.

“I don’t really get what you mean by your mysterious voice.” I know talking to something you know that won’t answer back it’s ridiculous.

“Listen Woodsman… The creature is powerful… Only you can take it down…”

I can’t tell if that mysterious voice is screwing with me or not but I can barely make the damn bear twitch. How does it expect me to take it out?

“Focus your weapon… Woodsman, focus on your weapon… Do it…”

“If you say so, what change does that even make-” I tried to talk again but got interrupted by the shotgun suddenly started glowing with engravings marking it.

“Hope this works as you intended, you mysterious voice.” I waited until the growl of the bear got close enough.

And… Now! I spring out from the trench and shoot the bear with my shotgun. This time it actually worked!

Center mass and one on the head. The bear immediately fell on the ground after that. Confirmed, I’ve killed that creature finally… It took a while but I finally did it.

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I unloaded my shotgun and this time the shells flew out blue instead of the orange I brought.

“That shouldn’t be blue… But I guess I still have a lot of questions about this world since I just came here a few hours ago.” I reloaded my shotgun to make sure the creature is totally dead.

I walked closer to it and it’s back was filled with crystals. Geez, I never thought I would see such a bear in this world. I suddenly remembered what I said earlier about forests should be similar to what we have in our world… I’ll take back what I said.

Meanwhile somewhere on the other side of the forests…

*Bang* *Bang* A loud, crackling sound of two consecutive shots being fired. Echoes from a far heard by many but a few know where and who made that kind of sound.

“You hear that?” A young woman cups her ears to properly hear the echoes of the gunshots.

“He’s back.” An older woman walks forward looking on the horizon from where the sound came from.

“Ma’dam, should we deploy someone out there to meet our famed guest of honor?” One of the guards asked.

“Yes and no at the same time I have a person in mind to take charge in this warm welcome of his. After all these years.” The older woman walks away from the balcony.

“Understood Madam.” The guard leaves.

“Ria, I want you to make sure our guest of honor arrives here safe and sound. He has a lot of explaining to do, after he left our world to return to his home world.” The old woman told a short story from her memory.

“I will do what I must to give him a proper welcome back here, Mother.” Ria replied.

“Let everyone know that the Former Hero has returned.” The older woman turned to her subjects as she gave out her orders.

The subjects prepared everything in their wake as they were instructed by their leader. She sits down by her table remembering some kind of memory from her looks.

Back in the forest…

I walked closer to the dead bear-like creature. From the looks of it this thing has the same structure as a bear. But it has those crystal looking rocks on its back. I wonder if it's a hard material.

Then again I saw that my normal shells were just ricocheting from his head. Its blood is still red from the looks of it, it seems like nothing out of the ordinary from there on. Just the rocks sticking out.

I let out a sigh of relief after that and tried to return to the path I saw from my camp. I noticed where the bear went through and walked back followed the trail back to my place. The trees here are super packed.

The ground is dry because of this. Thankfully we’re not on a mountain if a landslide ought to happen. I managed to walk back to my camp but before I walked over to it I noticed a person checking out the campsite I made.

“It’s a girl from the looks of her outfit. She wears proper forest gear from the looks of things.” I mumbled.

I kept my head low to keep myself from being noticed that might startle her. While I try to give out a good distance from her I accidentally stepped on a twig…

“Who goes there?” The startled girl raised her knife to keep herself armed for danger.

I guess I have to show myself now or else it’ll only get worse from here.

“Wait, wait, wait I’m just a normal person here.” I raised my hands as I slowly rose up from the bush.

“How did you manage to enter this sacred forest?” Asked the girl.

“I don’t know actually one minute I was in another world, now I’m suddenly here with no warning whatsoever.” I replied.

“You’re not the Guest of Honor I was supposed to escort to our village.” The girl replied.

“Guest of Honor, what do you mean?” I asked.

“The Hero that saved this forest decades ago. The owner of that weapon that’s on your back.” The girl pointed her knife towards me at the weapon.

“Wait the shotgun? How was it a weapon of your Guest of Honor?” I asked again, trying not to aggravate her.

“That weapon saved millions of lives here when he was previously here.” The girl pressured me into answering questions as her knife got close to my neck.

“Wait, you mean my Father!?” I replied, raising an eyebrow.

“How do you know the Guest of Honor?” She’s becoming more aggressive in terms of questions now.

“Okay, okay I’ll answer. He’s my Father, this was his heirloom to me after he passed away a few years ago!” I reluctantly answered back.

Shocked, the girl recoiled back a bit after hearing that my Father was dead. I never thought it myself Father is known somewhere else other than he was just a woodsman back at home.

“You said you’re the Guest of Honor’s son right?” The girl barely regained composure and asked.

“Yes, I did also. How did you know my Father anyways?” I replied and asked as well.

“That’s a long story. I have to tell the village about this. Come, the situation in the forest isn’t safe at the moment. You’ll be safe in our village while you’re there. Tell me about how you were the Guest of Honor’s son.” The girl reached out her hand to help pick me up after sheathing her knife.