28 Night Of Revelation (1/2)

Nighttime. Some people enjoy it. Some people... not so much. Where do I fall on this spectrum?

Directly in the middle. I'm indifferent about nighttime. There's just as many things to do at night as there are in the day. However, that's only on Earth. And a very specific part of Earth at that. After all, I lived in a developed country with electricity. Without the artificial extension of sunlight, I'd probably be going to bed a lot earlier.

*But... this is no longer Earth. Who knows where I am now?*

Out here, there were simple herbivores that could snuff the life of an ordinary human instantly. Out here, there was most likely a carnivore that hunted said herbivores. Out here, even my own neighborhood, ordinarily a haven, was devoid of any safety. The only bright side of this situation was that my own house seemed safe. But out here, there were no guarantees.

The majority of common carnivores on Earth possessed the strength to totally dominate an ordinary rabbit.

*If these things out here are akin to ordinary rabbits on Earth, how strong is the creature that hunts them?*

I s.h.i.+vered involuntarily. Such a strength could possibly only be achieved by the strongest land animals on Earth.

*Giraffes and elephants would probably be an apt comparison, but any creature with a strength beyond that... is a statistic that ventures into the unknown...*

Naturally, the darkness harbors the unknown. The unknown incites fear. And knowing I could be mauled at any moment out here spiked my adrenaline to nearly max.

I now understood why some people despised the night and feared the dark.

*Haha... I haven't felt this nervous in a while...*

Needless to say, I hadn't experienced life-or-death situations on Earth. Due to where I lived, I would have to actively try to put myself in such a situation. Once again, I'm not a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t. I never have plans to put myself in danger when I don't have to. That includes now.

*However, I don't have a choice.*

I would have to venture outside at some point in the future. My food supply was running low, and I would have to face the unthinkable.

*Killing for a living, huh? Why do I have to go through this?*

I would have to hunt and kill to stay alive. Not my forte.

*Although I have heard that foods procured by your own and taste better... No. That has to be false.*

After all, I was a victim of my own cooking. I knew its taste firsthand. If it tasted better to me... there was no thinking about how it would taste to someone else.

*I hope I don't hospitalize anyone.*

That would truly be a kitchen nightmare.

*Actually, what am I going to do out here?*

I didn't really have a plan, other than acclimating myself to nighttime in this world.

*I guess I'll just... take a walk.*

Nighttime would only last an hour anyway, so there was no real need to plan much for the first night.

*There'll be many more nights to come. Why do I have to worry so much about the first one?*

I peacefully strolled down the stairs of the patio and gracefully headed for my backyard... is how it happened in my head.

*Ah... it's quite difficult to lie to yourself, isn't it?*

My heart rate was up. My senses were sharp. I was shaking in an unsightly manner. Not that I could see myself, though.

In short, I was nervous beyond belief.

*It's okay. I'm just going to take a walk. I've seen my neighborhood at night. I know how it is.*

As I mentally consoled myself, my shoes finally made contact with the gra.s.s, and I spotted what I had set aside earlier.

*There it is.*

Entangled in the lawn was a minuscule crystalline structure. I tore it from the ground along with a few blades of gra.s.s. I stared at it for a while before eventually allowing the few bits of gra.s.s and dirt to fall from my hand.

*I'm glad it's reflecting a bit of light. Wouldn't have found it out here otherwise.*