The night sky slowly relinquished its grip on the world below, unveiling the first subtle hints of dawn. A tranquil hush cloaked the landscape as if nature itself held its breath in anticipation of the approaching day. The inky darkness began to surrender to the soft strokes of light that heralded the imminent sunrise.

On the eastern horizon, a gentle glow emerged, a prelude to the grand spectacle that awaited. The darkness ebbed away, unveiling a canvas painted in hues of purple, pink, and oranges. Silhouettes of trees and distant hills gradually took form against the emerging tapestry of colors.

The first ray of sunlight, a golden spearhead, breached the horizon, casting its warmth upon the world. A herald of hope, it kissed the sleeping earth, coaxing it into wakefulness. The sky, once a sea of indigo, transformed into a masterpiece of gradients, each passing moment revealing a new stroke of brilliance.

The morning sun came bearing new lights commencing this new day with new hopes and beliefs. But inside that dense forest, it seemed as if the golden brilliance of the sun had failed to conquer against the canopies of tyrannous trees. Failing to cover the whole, those brilliant rays of the mighty sun squeezed themselves through the gaps in between as their last desperate attempt.

The chorus of awakening birds welcomed the sun with a symphony of melodies, their songs a celebration of the new day. Dew-laden leaves and grass sparkled like scattered diamonds, catching the first light. The air, cool and crisp, now carried the promises of a fresh beginning.

Getting his sleep disturbed by nature's alarm noises inside the cave Alex opened his eyes waking up from deep slumber. It was the second day in this world. It seemed he didn't get inside that realm either after he slept yesterday for the second time.

'Is there a rule about how many times I can enter inside? I have to keep researching.'

His mind raced as soon as he woke up. At last surrendering to his situation, he decided to think about that matter another time. He got up from his leafy luxury and came out of the cave. Another day he missed the beauty of the forest during the morning as he was sleeping or correct to say passed out.

He felt as if he was inside paradise after witnessing the wonder of nature. An art crafted with care. Still, he acknowledged the hidden knife behind the beauty he was witnessing.

'It alright to indulge myself sometimes but I shouldn't drop my guard inside this forest full of dangers.'

He reminded himself. After that, he started doing some light stretching, running, and a daily workout routine. It was a daily activity for Alex in his previous world. As especially this routine helps him immensely in his present situation, he decided to continue this routine.

After that, he got cleaned externally as well as internally. After feeling refreshed, he ate his fruity breakfast. He decided to rest for a while then go for a hunt.

'I need more fighting experience and also those monster cores to gain power. I can build up my experience inside that realm but for now, there are only two types of enemies to fight inside as I haven't met any other and a real fight would be more helpful and rewarding before I know more about that realm and its mechanism.'

After a short break after breakfast, he checked all the weapons gathered after the fight with goblins. There were mostly spears and he was already quite used to it so he equipped that and the slingshot as a secondary weapon. After all preparations, He went out to hunt and explore. He wanted to take some water with him but he couldn't find anything to use as a container.

He got back to the area where he diverted yesterday to check out the noises. All the way he was marking the trees, that's why he could easily find his way inside this maze-like place.

He decided to go straight from that point. He would look for other monsters, more food, and if possible, a route to go outside of this place. He was sure there would be an end to this forest if he continued moving straight. He decided to not abandon that cave for now as finding another safe place like that would be difficult.

'I would explore as deep as possible by taking my cave as a resting place. I would abandon that place after I find another one like that or if the situation calls for it. At present, I should explore more and gather more cores as those would be the key to my survival.'

The dense forest hummed with life as Alex stealthily navigated the labyrinth of towering trees and thick underbrush. The quiet rustle of leaves underfoot masked his approach, a testament to the cautious nature he had developed after his small time in this mysterious world.

As he moved deeper, the forest seemed to tighten its grip, casting shadows that danced in the dappled sunlight. Alex, armed with his rugged but sturdy spear taken from goblins and a slingshot dangling from his side, remained vigilant, senses heightened. The air was thick with the earthy scent of moss and the distant chatter of unseen creatures.

Suddenly, the silence shattered. A cacophony of guttural growls and the crude clattering of weapons echoed through the forest. Alex instinctively crouched behind a gnarled tree, his sharp eyes discerning the source of the disturbance. There they were, a group of goblins, their crude weapons brandished with malicious intent.

The goblins, shorter than Alex but swift in their movements, appeared to be hunting or patrolling the area. Their green, saggy skin camouflaged them well in the verdant surroundings. Alex clenched his spear, determination etched on his face.

One of the goblins, wielding a crude dagger, approached Alex's position. Alex, seizing the opportunity, readied his slingshot with a small stone. As the goblin drew closer, Alex let the stone fly, striking the goblin on the shoulder. It screeched in pain, drawing the attention of its companions.

The skirmish began. The goblins, enraged by the ambush, charged toward Alex with a fervor. Alex, swift as the wind, dodged their attacks with agile movements. His spear became an extension of his will, parrying strikes and delivering swift counterattacks.

A second goblin lunged at him from the side, but Alex anticipated the attack. With a sidestep, he avoided the dagger's edge and thrust his spear into the goblin's side. The wounded creature recoiled, giving Alex a momentary advantage.

Yet, the forest was not kind to those unfamiliar with its depths. Alex found himself entangled in vines, a misstep that the cunning goblins exploited. Two more goblins closed in, slashing at him with wicked blades. Alex, resilient and undeterred, used his spear to fend off their attacks, the clang of metal against metal ringing through the forest.

He pushed those goblins with his spear. They couldn't withstand the force and got several steps back giving Alex a moment of rest. Getting the opportunity, he cut those vines and immediately freed himself from their entanglement.

Seizing a brief respite, Alex decided to change tactics. He loaded his slingshot with another stone, aiming at the goblin who appeared to be their leader. The projectile struck true, disorienting the goblin and disrupting their coordinated assault.

Emboldened by the small victory, Alex unleashed a flurry of precise spear strikes. The goblins, now thrown off balance, struggled to regroup. With calculated movements, Alex dispatched one after another until only the leader remained.

The leader, though battered, displayed a fierce determination. Alex, undeterred, faced the goblin head-on. A clash of blades ensued, each combatant vying for dominance. With a final, decisive thrust, Alex drove his spear into the heart of the goblin leader, ending the confrontation.

Breathing heavily, Alex surveyed the aftermath of the skirmish. The forest, once again, fell into an uneasy silence. The goblin threat had been vanquished, but the challenges of this mysterious world persisted, lurking within the shadows of the dense foliage.

After the battle ended Alex let go of his spear and slapped his face. The resounding of that hard slap echoed throughout the forest. He made a mistake before, and that slap was the punishment. It was nothing like death, but he could have died due to his mistakes before.

'First, I didn't use magic... ah so I am not used to it that's why OH! Don't give me that crap...Don't!'

Another slap and another. As he counted one mistake after another he continued slapping. At this point, his cheeks were red like a tomato bruised by his continuous self-harm. He stopped. A mad glint in his eyes, a burning desire for survival relaced his naive-looking innocent face.

'It may look like I am losing my mind, but I needed that. I need to get a grip. Ahh... those slaps hurt... hahaha...'

Alex laughed loudly. It was a comical sight but quite concerning. First, he killed those monsters, then slapped himself, and then started to laugh like a maniac. Did he lose his mind?

'No, I am not. Ok, let's collect my loot.'

He picked up the crude dagger as it was awkward to use a long spear to collect monster cores. He collected five cores, one dagger, three blades, and a spear. He checked out those blades.

He didn't do anything to those bodies as he thought they would be eaten by the forest soon. He had thought of digging a hole and burning those bodies inside, but he quickly discarded that thought. He placed his belief in nature as it would devour them easily.

'These blades are already worn out. Goblins couldn't have made these. I think they collected these from humans or other species who are quite intelligent and civilized. And most important they visited this forest before. Maybe I will meet them in the future.'

He had already accepted his awakening in another world and assumed the presence of other intelligent races. It was a somewhat good sign as the early he accepted his situation better.

He decided to go back to the cave. He wasn't injured but tired. He collected his haul and returned to the cave. He killed some slimes while returning making his collection of cores as five goblin cores and five slime cores.

He would rest for the day and absorb those cores inside the inner realm. Yes, he named it like that. After having fruits for lunch he started meditating, preparing himself to enter the inner realm.