Blue skies, white clouds, a gentle breeze brushing across the grassy fields like a soft blanket.
The wind carried poetry, and the promise of distant horizons.
"What the heck… did I get dragged out here? Still back home?"
A teenager suddenly sat bolt upright as if rising from his deathbed, his clear eyes filled with the same confused innocence you'd expect from a college student.
Zhang Hao wore a plain white T-shirt, with an orange jacket over it, its hood lined in white. Below, a pair of light blue casual pants. Around his neck hung a magenta-colored camera.
He was an otaku. Just like always, he had gone to a convention with his camera in hand. And then… something happened. The next time he opened his eyes, he was here.
He couldn't understand a thing (and in his hometown accent, that confusion was even more obvious).
Why in the world had he ended up in this strange and unfamiliar place?
The air was unbelievably fresh, carrying the faint fragrance of grass. The scenery was as beautiful as a painted scroll.
"Hiss!"
Zhang Hao pinched his cheek hard. The sharp pain made him suck in a breath of cold air.
He was wide awake. This wasn't a dream. Back in the country, it'd be impossible to find air this fresh.
Which meant… he had transmigrated.
Why him, of all people, to get so "lucky" at a comic convention?
Arghhh! Why me? Why do I have to transmigrate?!
Zhang Hao flopped back onto the ground like a salted fish that had lost all its dreams.
My life-sized figures… my anime girl body pillows… my terabytes of uncensored study materials…
Before crossing over, he hadn't been some wealthy young master, but he definitely hadn't wanted to transmigrate at random either. Nothing beat staying cozy at home.
The figures and pillows were one thing—but if anyone found those "study materials," it'd be a social death on the spot.
Forget it. Best not to think about going back—he probably couldn't anyway.
Unless someone had completely given up on life, nobody would really want to transmigrate. Who knew what dangers might be waiting?
Zhang Hao forced himself to sit up and looked around. He was in the middle of a forest. It looked peaceful enough.
But there weren't any landmarks to identify the place. For now, he couldn't tell what world this was.
"Oi, oi, oi… System-kun? Cheat-kun? Goldfinger-kun…?"
Thinking of all the usual perks transmigrators got, he started calling out. There had to be something, right?
The classic "start with nothing, three meals in nine days" survival mode?
Hell no—he wasn't having that.
He'd read enough transmigration novels to know the drill: protagonists always got some kind of cheat to help them thrive.
He was a transmigrator too, so surely he'd get one… right? Right??
No matter how he shouted, there was no reply. He could practically see a flock of crows flying over his head. The awkwardness made his toes curl.
Still nothing, no matter how many times he called.
"What the hell?"
"Damn it! I cross into another world and they don't even give me a cheat? How's a guy supposed to live like this?"
Zhang Hao's face turned pale. Before crossing, he'd just been a homebody. Sure, he wasn't overweight with a beer belly, but he had the fitness of an average guy. Running two blocks left him gasping for air. How was he supposed to survive in another world like this?
He had no idea how dangerous this world was. If it was one of those hell-level worlds, transmigration was basically the same as his death sentence.
If other transmigrators ever found out he died right after arriving, they'd laugh themselves to death.
"All I've got is this camera…" Zhang Hao picked up the device hanging from his neck, falling into deep thought. This couldn't possibly be his golden finger, could it?
That sweet, mechanical chime of a system notification never came. His hopes sank straight to rock bottom. He would've even accepted some trashy support system—he wasn't picky.
Right now, the whole world felt hostile and dangerous, the unease gnawing at his chest, impossible to shake off.
It was the normal human reaction—being suddenly thrown into a strange, unknown place. Even moving to an unfamiliar city made people uneasy, let alone an entire world.
At least he wasn't panicking blindly. That was already better than most.
He steadied his breathing and tried to encourage himself.
Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it.
There was no going back. His mission now was survival. He didn't want to just die meaninglessly.
First things first—he needed to find out if there were any creatures or buildings he recognized. Then he could figure out what world this was.
Heaven bless me—please don't let it be some nightmare death-trap world…
"Looks… kind of familiar…"
He hadn't walked far when he spotted several plants at the base of a tree. They were wildflowers glowing with a faint blue light.
Something about them was familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. Still, that was a good sign—it meant this was probably a world he knew.
Forget it for now—better to get out of this forest first.
Once he found a landmark or a recognizable creature, he could finally confirm where he was and start planning. For now, exploring was all he could do.
A three-meter drop blocked his path. Zhang Hao carefully climbed down using both hands and feet. Without medicine, even a small wound could lead to infection, inflammation, and eventually… well, death.
He ran through every bit of survival knowledge he could recall. His life was only worth one coin here—he had to be careful.
"A wild boar?"
He caught a glimpse of movement between the trees. It looked familiar somehow, but he didn't think much of it and kept moving toward the forest's edge.
Wild boars existed in every world.
Still, he didn't dare chase after it. There was a saying: first the boar, then the bear, then the tiger. A wild boar's fighting power was no joke. He was just an ordinary guy. With no weapons and no traps, the only option was climbing a tree.
That aside, the scenery really was breathtaking. No noise, no smog—just serenity.
Following a small path out of the woods, Zhang Hao found himself staring at a scene so beautiful it touched his very soul.
Warm sunlight spilled over him, and his eyes closed on their own.
This world… was wonderful. No exhaust fumes from cars, nothing but peace and relaxation. His body and mind finally eased a little.
The earlier anxiety had already faded quite a bit. With sunshine like this, he just wanted to find a good spot to bask in it.
So far, it didn't seem like this was a war-torn world. That alone was a relief.
If this was a "daily life" world, then Zhang Hao might actually live quite a while.
Fear of the unknown was natural. But so was curiosity. At the very least, the scenery here had already captured his heart.
Back before transmigrating, he'd often thought—once he saved up enough money, he wanted to retire somewhere with views this beautiful.
"Hm?"
Zhang Hao opened his eyes. Something moved ahead. He crept closer, every nerve on edge.
Please don't let it be some kind of monster…
Step by step, he inched forward.
When he finally got a clear look, he froze in place, rubbed his eyes, and pulled the exact same face as an old man seeing a smartphone for the first time.
This was…