Though the walls inside the well were circular, the part exposed above ground was square. Four wooden blocks crossed over each other to form the character for "well" [井]. The well cover Sū ěr had tossed onto the grass was also adorned with an exorcism talisman and a rope knot.
He couldn't recognize the type of wood. Even though their surfaces had been weathered by time and green vines grew between the intersections, there was no sign of rot. Tapping it with a finger produced a solid sound; it hadn't been hollowed out by insects.
This was abnormal.
A shrine. But not one of those famous ones that tourists list as a must-visit. It was the kind of small shrine found all over Japan... a "neighborhood shrine"?
It was simply too small. Even its location wasn't on some high mountain, but a slightly raised hill. The edges were very smooth, merging seamlessly with the surrounding city—yes, Sū ěr, having flown up, had seen a city!
Even the tallest buildings were only about five stories high. No skyscrapers existed. Most were one or two-story houses. But the utility poles along the streets and the neatly connected wires inexplicably made Sū ěr feel like he was about to burst into tears.
Is this a hallucination? Or a common trope in novels and movies where the protagonist enters a memory world in their own mind? Is this a fake world built from his memories?
He bit his knuckles hard until deep, pale teeth marks were left. The pain was immediate, not delayed or fake. When Sū ěr bit his finger to the point of almost bleeding, he suddenly realized that in his first life, he had never traveled to Japan. Trying to construct such foreign scenery based only on 2D animation, manga, and no more than five blurry real-life photos was nothing but a pipe dream.
So, this was all real?
"Do you need me to help with some 'pain therapy'?" Think asked with a grin, clearly sensing Sū ěr shock. She had already scouted the area and guessed his reaction.
"...Thanks, but no. Also, that's not called 'pain therapy'," Sū ěr replied with a weary look. He knew exactly what she wanted to do.
It was roughly late spring turning to summer. Even though it was close to noon, it didn't feel too hot. Sū ěr gazed at the sun. For a normal person, it was bright enough to cause blindness, but for him, it was no problem.
The same light and temperature, no different from the sun he had gazed at a day ago. Sū ěr found no anomaly.
He always identified as human, but he knew his current body better than anyone. Forget poisons or curses; even disease and pain had long since left him. Yet this very body had a headache from the recent experience that was almost unbearable. Even now, his forehead was throbbing with a faint pain.
Was this the price? Or was this the pressure one must endure when truly crossing time to a future countless years away? If this was the price, was it only this much?
He closed his eyes, intending to establish a connection with this corner of the world as usual. This time, however, Sū ěr found that the active response he used to get by just reaching out was now like a half-awake person—even when pushed, they only grumbled without much reaction.
No— Sū ěr suddenly opened his eyes. This feeling was more like a dwarf pushing a giant. Perhaps for the dwarf, he had used all his strength, but for the giant, it wasn't even an itch.
Had the world grown after a long time?
"It's possible," Think nodded. "If everything before us isn't an illusion, then we've skipped an unknown amount of time to reach this era. Anything could have happened in the intervening years... Or, to be simpler, why don't we just find someone to ask? If it's a world you're familiar with, where would you go to check for information?"
"Baidu... er, if it's Japan, it should be Google? But we don't even have a phone. Should we use a TV... No, there are places like libraries," Sū ěr analyzed quickly.
He recalled the city he saw when flying over the treetops. He couldn't judge the exact year, but the cars on the road, the people's clothes, and the buildings showed it hadn't reached the era before his first transmigration. It was relatively "backwards," or perhaps this was just a remote town.
Regardless, if one wanted to collect information quickly without the internet, a library was the most comprehensive and convenient place.
And this shrine—why did he appear in a well here? Sū ěr didn't believe it was a mere coincidence. Both the shrine and the well must have something special; he needed to check carefully.
Sū ěr, who maintained a connection with the world, was confident that no deity or yokai was behind this. This meant the time-traveling passage was likely a naturally formed anomaly.
Even with signs of a scorching summer sun, the air didn't feel dry. Reaching out, he could feel moisture on his skin. A coastal city?
"Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"
"Ah! Taro! Slow down! Hey!"
While Sū ěr and Think were checking the well, they suddenly heard constant barking. Mixed with the barking was the voice of a young girl. She sounded very young, her voice still carrying a touch of innocence and immaturity.
They exchanged a glance. Think temporarily hid her form, while Sū ěr stood by the well and waited, with no intention of running.
Is it someone from this shrine? Sū ěr guessed.
He and Think didn't have to wait long. Soon, a girl leading a dog was forced to rush out.