As Grey walked toward the nearest freshwater source, his thoughts drifted to the life he had left behind. He was a fifteen-year-old pro-gamer, making a decent living. His real father, a businessman, was often absent on long business trips, leaving Grey with his new stepmother after his birth mother's death in a car accident.
At first, his stepmother feigned kindness in front of his dad. But the moment his father's back was turned, she began to treat Grey like trash, which drove him to spend most of his time in his room. He complained to his father repeatedly, but his pleas were always met with the same response: "Give her a chance."
Several days later, with his father on another business trip, his stepmother brought a man to the house. Enraged, Grey threatened to send the video to his dad. His stepmother, however, showed no fear and instead threatened him with a rifle from his father's room. Grey gave her his middle finger and turned to run, but a deafening bang rang out behind him. He felt a dull ache spread through the back of his head and saw himself falling. When he woke up, he was here. In this world.
"It's all in the past now," Grey clicked his tongue in annoyance, "There's nothing I can do."
He quickened his pace, and within minutes, he came upon a freshwater source. Luckily, its guardian was nowhere in sight, and the area was peaceful. He crept silently to the bank, carefully washed his hands, and filled his water bottle. His eyes darted around, wary of his surroundings. "I won't be like those fools in animes and light novels," he muttered to himself, "who let their guard down and get attacked."
He put the bottle in his pouch, stood up, and silently walked away from the river. Only when he was nearing the dilapidated house did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
A Meal and a New Plan
Inside the house, the rabbit meat was almost ready. He turned the meat several times, and a fragrant aroma wafted through the air. His eyes widened, and his stomach let out a low rumble. He licked his lips and brought a tender piece of meat to his mouth. It was a little bland without spices, and he frowned, but he ate it hungrily. After a few minutes, the entire rabbit was devoured, and his hunger finally subsided.
"It lacks spice, but it's still the best rabbit I've ever eaten," he said, the sentiment almost making him forget the creature he'd butchered.
Now that he had eaten his fill, he began to plan his next steps. "My parents are dead, and I don't have any relatives nearby. Maybe I should go to Sky Mist Academy. Anyone capable of cultivating is allowed to stay there."
It was a good plan, but the academy was incredibly far away. Traveling on foot would take several years. While teleportation stations existed, the spirit coins required to use them were far beyond his means.
'I'll just focus on getting out of this corroded zone first,' he thought, pushing the long-term plan aside.
He wasn't sure where the corroded zone began or ended, so he didn't know which direction to head. He could easily venture deeper and stumble upon creatures that would snuff out his life in an instant. Remembering the hulking figure of the great Minotaur, the hair on his neck stood on end, and his body shuddered.
The Decaying Leopard
For the rest of the day, Grey decided to get more familiar with his surroundings, exploring the outskirts of the zone while carefully avoiding dangerous creatures. As he studied some of the native life forms, a rustling sound came from a nearby bush. His ears perked up, and he grew vigilant, hiding behind a tree as he waited for whatever was hiding to emerge.
A massive shadow detached itself from the tall bushes, and Grey's pupils constricted. It was a Mutated Leopard. Its flesh was rotten and crawling with maggots. Its eye sockets were empty, but a single, grotesque eyeball resided in its mouth, glowing with a malignant dark glint. Red veins connected the eyeball to the decaying beast's jaw.
The leopard moved with a calm, almost soundless grace, its soft footsteps a sharp contrast to the unsettling rustling of the forest leaves. Grey felt the spirit fluctuations of an eight-level Qi Accumulation cultivator emanating from it.
The air around him felt suffocating. He forgot to breathe, unable to tear his gaze away from the creature. The leopard was a hundred meters away, but Grey felt utterly exposed. If it chose to attack, the distance would make no difference. He would be dead.
'Why is a creature this strong near the outskirts of the corroded zones?' he asked himself, studying the moving shadow from the corner of his eye. He knew better than to look at it directly; it would definitely sense his gaze.
'What the heck do I do?'
Luckily, the creature seemed to be just passing by and paid no attention to him. The grotesque eyeball glanced briefly at his hiding place, a moment that made him hold his breath in terror, but it turned its gaze away, and the leopard continued on its path.
Only after he was sure it had gone far did Grey sigh in relief. He touched his forehead and found it slick with sweat. His clothes were drenched, and the feeling of impending death replayed in his mind.
'So strong...'
A desire to grow stronger surged through him. He found the creature's presence here strange. What could make a mutated beast leave the inner parts of the zone? A treasure, perhaps. But even as his curiosity grew, he had no intention of searching for it.
"I've been out for long enough. It's time to head back," he said, turning and racing toward his broken house. With his cultivation now at the third level of Qi Accumulation, his speed was much faster, but it didn't reduce the distance by much. Inside, he sat down, his thoughts returning to the decaying leopard. He had been so close to death he could feel it—a cold breeze on his cheek that threatened to consume him.
'Let's not meet any more crazy creatures,' he thought, crossing his legs to cultivate. As he took a deep breath, he felt the spirit energy nourish his body. It was refreshing, but another energy was also entering: the corrosive substance left behind by God's power. It felt invasive, almost choking. An insidious aura of decay and death.
'How harrowing!'
He shook his head and continued to cultivate, falling into a trance-like state. The profound feeling of spirit energy enriching his very bones filled him with euphoria.
He opened his eyes only when a loud clap of thunder erupted. A storm was coming. He frowned and gathered more items to brace the door against the fierce winds. Then, a bright pink light illuminated the sky, followed by another earth-rumbling thunder. The pitter-patter of rain began on the roof.
The sound was followed by a sizzling. Grey's expression turned stern as a small hole appeared in the ceiling and a single drop of red rain fell. He scrambled back, and the drop burned a hole in the wooden floor.
'It's acid rain...'
Acid rain was falling in the corroded zone. It was a fitting name, after all. His fear of this place had just grown tenfold. More holes sizzled open in the ceiling, the drops of rain searing the floor. He now understood why the roof, which had seemed mostly intact from the outside, was riddled with holes.