The forest was cloaked in shadows, the pale moonlight trickling through the canopy in broken silver strands. Crickets chirped faintly in the distance, their song blending with the rustle of wind through the leaves.
A faint glow pulsed as golden light wrapped around a dying beast.
Its body—a horned Ashclaw Boar—shuddered one last time, its tusks cracking apart as the Life Simulator completed the process.
[Temporal Energy absorbed.]
[You have gained 2 Years of Life Simulation Time.]
Yan Xiu exhaled, wiping a bit of blood from his cheek. He looked down at the husk of the 1st Order beast with a faint smile and patted its side.
"Oh, this one would've become pretty strong…" he murmured. "Sorry, buddy."
The forest had gone quiet. Yan Xiu sat down on a fallen log, stretching out his legs with a grunt. The night air was cool, laced with the scent of pine and dried blood.
"It's gotten late…" he muttered, glancing up at the night sky through the trees. "I should head back."
He leaned back slightly, eyes half-lidded, and asked aloud, "Life Simulator, how much Life Simulation Time do I have now?"
[You have: 26 Years of Life Simulation Time.]
A grin crept onto his lips. "Not bad…" he said, reaching into the leather sack at his side and pulling out a few glowing monster cores. They clinked softly as he rolled them in his palm.
"I even got a pretty good haul today… Coming here to hunt really paid off."
He chuckled, closing the bag and tying it securely. But as he stood up and looked around, his smile slowly faded.
The trees all looked the same now—silent, towering, and utterly unfamiliar.
Yan Xiu blinked, then turned in a slow circle.
"Ehm… where… did I come from?"
A long silence answered him.
He had no idea where he was.
"Sigh…"
Yan Xiu dragged a hand through his hair, the tiredness finally catching up to him. The forest around him was now a wall of shadows.
"I guess I should just find a shelter for the night," he muttered. "I can't see anything now. I'll probably be able to go back once there's light."
He adjusted his bag and began moving, each step guided more by instinct than sight. The underbrush rustled softly beneath his feet, and the occasional hoot of a distant owl echoed in the dark.
He passed tree after tree, brushing aside low-hanging branches and stepping over gnarled roots. Every rock or outcrop he saw, he inspected for a place to settle. Yet nothing felt quite right—too exposed, too damp, too narrow.
Then, a thought struck him.
"…Can't I just simulate myself going straight in every direction until I find the way back?"
He slowed to a stop, considering it seriously.
But then he shook his head.
"Nah…" he said aloud, his voice quiet but resolute. "If I grow too reliant on the Life Simulator… what'll I do if I ever lose this power?"
He took a breath and resumed walking. "Besides, I haven't even gone that deep into the Black Wind Woods. There's nothing to worry about."
Just as he said that, something flickered in the corner of his eye.
A faint, light blue glow—barely visible, but unmistakable—was seeping through the trees to his left.
"…What's that?" Yan Xiu murmured, narrowing his eyes.
Curiosity sharpening his steps, he moved toward it. The glow grew stronger with every meter, casting ghostly glimmers on the trunks and moss around him. He slipped between two thick trees—and froze.
There, nestled between a rock face and a tangle of roots, was a small cave. The light was pouring from within, soft and steady, like moonlight captured in mist.
Yan Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A luminous cave?" he muttered. "Now that's not something you see every day…"
...
Yan Xiu stepped inside the cave, his heart pounding with anticipation. The soft blue glow bathed everything in an otherworldly hue, making the stone walls glisten like glass.
But as soon as he passed through the narrow entrance, his steps faltered.
"…What?"
The cave was enormous—far larger than it had any right to be. From the outside, it looked like a cramped alcove barely big enough to lie down in. But here, the ceiling stretched high above like the belly of a hollowed mountain. The air was still, cold, and strangely charged, humming faintly with unseen energy.
And at the very center of it all stood a shimmering portal, blue as the day sky, tall enough to dwarf even the largest of beasts.
"W-What's this…" Yan Xiu breathed, his throat dry. "A p-portal?"
The light of it was hypnotic, pulsing like a heartbeat. His hand inched forward, almost involuntarily, reaching for the swirling energy—but just before his fingers touched it, he pulled back.
It could kill him. Or worse.
"Life Simulator!" he called out. "Simulate me touching this portal."
The interface flickered to life.
[Simulating…]
[Yan Xiu touched the portal. His hand passed through as if into water—vanishing into another space. When he pulled it back, it returned safely.]
[0.0000004 Years of Life Simulation Time used.]
Yan Xiu stared at the screen for a long moment.
"…So, it's not dangerous to touch," he muttered. He turned his gaze back to the portal, expression cautious. "Then…"
"Life Simulator, simulate me entering the portal and seeing what's inside."
But this time, the response was different.
[Your Time Dao is too weak to simulate entering this dimension.]
"Eh?" Yan Xiu blinked. "My Time Dao is too weak? Since when did I have a Time Dao?" He paused, brows furrowing. "I don't think I ever cultivated such a Da—"
Suddenly, a searing pain lanced through his skull.
"—ghkk!"
He stumbled back, clutching his head. It felt like something had just tried to surface—a memory, or a truth—but was violently crushed by an invisible force.
"Fuck…" he growled through gritted teeth, forcing his breathing to steady. "Fine. I won't question it."
Slowly, he raised his eyes again to the portal. Its glow reflected in his dark pupils—now filled with a quiet fire.
He didn't know what lay on the other side. He didn't have some quest to fulfill. Ever since he woke in this world, with no memories and no identity, he had been adrift. His only compass had been instinct—telling him to grow stronger, to seek answers, to survive.
And this portal…
It called to him.
Maybe the truth lies beyond.
He took a breath, steeled himself... and stepped into the unknown.
To be continued...
***
***
How was this chapter? Liked it?
This is the little arc I promised, it won't be that long, but I hope you'll enjoy it.