Chapter 1: Fallen into a Hole!

Nice to meet you. I'd be happy to continue the text for you!

Today, I'm going hiking in the nearby low mountains.

However, early in the morning, as I was walking along a footpath near my home towards the station, I fell into a hole.

I had been enjoying the refreshing breeze of early summer and the songs of the birds while walking, so why did this happen?

Falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling, falling...

A continuous descent that seemed to never end.

Surroundings shrouded in darkness.

There was no light around.

Wait, which way did I fall from?

And before I knew it, my consciousness faded into darkness...

"A blue ceiling..."

No, it was a blue sky.

It wasn't an unfamiliar ceiling or a white ceiling, but a clear blue sky.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a grassy field.

Deep within nature.

In the mountains, probably.

The place where I was lying down was mostly flat.

It seemed like a clearing in the woods, slightly elevated compared to the surroundings.

In the distance, there were towering mountain ranges, and on the opposite side, the forest stretched endlessly.

It felt like the foothills of the mountains. It was neither cold nor hot, just comfortably temperate.

My smartphone had no signal here.

The GPS was not functioning.

According to my smartphone's time, it was a little past 10 in the morning.

I believe I fell into the hole a little after 6 in the morning.

I had been walking along a footpath in Hachioji City's southern region, a well-developed urban area, so why...

I noticed that there were many unfamiliar plant species around.

Hmm, could this be a subterranean world?

There were even fruits growing here, but I've never seen anything like this.

I mean, there were apple-like fruits at the tips of bamboo-like plants that were about 1 meter tall.

These fruits had a candy-like coating that glowed.

Seriously, they look like candy apples!

"Is this a festival food stall?"

Haah, haah, haah. I got excited and blurted that out without thinking.

It's probably a case of escaping reality, I guess.

A little farther away, there was something else unusual.

On the branches of a peach-colored weeping willow-like tree, there were clusters resembling rice cakes.

And on the branches of a black weeping willow-like tree, were those mini daifuku?

Suddenly, I looked up at the distant sky.

I stared closely.

I stared fixedly.

Wait, are those dragons flying?

Before I could react, the dragon-like flying object disappeared over the mountain.

Could this be isekai (another world) transportation?

Did I die and get reincarnated?

Surely... it's a dream.

If I pinch my cheek...

Ouch, it hurts.

This is not a dream.

Hahaha...

What should I do now?

Are there any people in this world?

How advanced is their civilization?

What about food?

A place to sleep?

Am I safe?

What about my belongings?

Ah, right!

I brought something with me when I left today.

Backpack, rain gear, compact tent, camping equipment, 4 meals and 8 emergency rations, 2 bottles of 500mL water, 1 bottle of 500mL tea, binoculars, camera, tablet computer, solar charger, smartphone, 3 towels, spare clothes, 2 eco-bags, 12 zipper bags, 3 shopping bags, 5 sample bottles, gardening tools, pruning shears, kitchen scissors, geological hammer, stationery set, basic toolset, first aid kit, wallet, etc.

Today, I was planning to take pictures on top of the mountain and post them on my blog.

I brought the camping gear to make my stay on the mountain comfortable.

I was also planning to stay at an onsen (hot spring) resort tonight.

Despite my appearance and actions being those of someone in their 30s, my recent source of enjoyment, at the age of over 60, had become soaking in a good hot spring while surrounded by nature.

With the equipment I currently have, if I apply my knowledge of outdoor activities, I could probably survive for about 8 days. My main concern is water.

Can I return?

Even if there are people, we might not understand each other.

The security here is probably terrible.

Are there dangerous animals?

No, there was one just now. A dragon!

In the end, am I screwed?

I can't see any prospects for the future.

What should I do? I'm in trouble.