The warmth from the ring did not fade.
Lin Yuan sat still in the darkness, his fingers wrapped tightly around the simple metal band. The feeling was faint but steady, like heat left behind after touching sunlight-warmed stone. It was not painful. It was not strong. But it was real.
And that alone made his heart uneasy.
He slowly pulled his hand back and stared at the ring in the dim light coming from the crack above. It looked ordinary. No gems. No strange markings. Just dark metal, slightly rough, as if it had been worn for a very long time.
"This wasn't in the novel…"
He was certain of that.
He had read the early chapters carefully. He remembered the important treasures, the rare techniques, the future powerhouses. This ring was never mentioned, not here, not anywhere near the border region.
That meant one thing.
Either this item never appeared because Lin Yuan died too early…
Or the world had already changed.
The second thought made his chest tighten.
If the future could change this easily, then how much of what he knew could still be trusted?
He placed the ring carefully back into the box and unfolded the old parchment. The paper was yellow and brittle, covered in faded writing. Most of the words were unclear, worn away by time, but a few lines were still readable.
"…Path… not of blood… nor fate…"
The rest was gone.
Lin Yuan frowned.
It sounded important, but without context, it meant nothing. He folded the parchment and put it back, then closed the box and held it close to his chest.
Whatever this was, it was better not to touch it too much right now.
Survival came first.
He leaned back against the stone wall and closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to think calmly. Panic would only lead to mistakes, and mistakes in this world meant death.
First problem: his body.
It was weak. Hungry. Injured.
The wound on his shoulder still burned, and he could feel warm blood soaking into the cloth. If he did not treat it soon, infection could kill him even if the wolves did not.
Second problem: location.
This underground chamber was hidden, but it was not a long-term shelter. He did not know if there was another exit. If the wolves returned, or worse, if stronger monsters passed by, hiding here would not save him forever.
Third problem: time.
The mercenary group would not come back tonight. In the original story, they only realized Lin Yuan was missing the next morning, and by then, it was already too late.
But now…
"They might still come," he muttered.
But hope alone was not a plan.
He opened his eyes and carefully examined the chamber.
It was small, no bigger than a storage room. Stone walls. A low ceiling. Broken crates piled in one corner, most of them empty or rotted away. Dust covered everything.
Near the far wall, he spotted a clay jar sealed with wax.
Water?
His heart lifted slightly.
He crawled toward it and carefully broke the seal. Inside was clear water, cold but clean. He did not hesitate. He drank slowly at first, then greedily, ignoring the ache in his throat.
The relief was immediate.
He let out a long breath.
"Good… at least I won't die of thirst."
He tore a strip from his already damaged sleeve and used it to press against his shoulder wound. It was not proper treatment, but it was better than nothing.
As he worked, he thought about his situation again.
In the novel, this border region was insignificant. It only existed to show how cruel the world was before the real story began. But Lin Yuan now understood something he had not noticed before.
This place was ignored, not empty.
There were old ruins, forgotten paths, sealed things buried under dust and time. The watchtower itself was proof.
"If I'm careful… I might survive longer than I thought."
That idea was dangerous.
Hope could be as deadly as fear.
He forced himself to stay grounded.
Even with knowledge of the future, he was still a mortal. No cultivation. No strength. One wrong step, and he would end up just like the original Lin Yuan—dead and forgotten.
After resting for a while, he stood up slowly. His legs were still weak, but at least they did not shake as badly.
He looked up toward the crack leading outside.
Night was falling.
The light coming through had dimmed, turning orange and red.
The wolves were likely still nearby.
"I can't leave yet."
He decided to stay hidden until morning. Moving at night with his condition was suicide.
So he waited.
The chamber grew darker. Sounds from outside came and went—the wind, distant howls, strange calls from the forest. Each one made his muscles tense.
Sleep came only in short, shallow bursts.
Every time he closed his eyes, images of the novel flashed through his mind. Scenes of powerful cultivators flying across the sky. Great sects rising and falling. Catastrophes that wiped out cities.
And somewhere far in the future…
This border region would be destroyed.
Not now. Not soon.
But one day, something buried here would awaken and bring disaster.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes again, heart pounding.
"That's still far away… right?"
He could not be sure anymore.
At dawn, pale light filtered into the chamber.
The world above grew quiet.
Slowly, carefully, he climbed toward the opening and peeked outside.
No wolves.
No movement.
Only the ruined tower and the empty land.
He exhaled in relief.
"It's now or never."
He crawled out of the chamber, wincing as his injured shoulder brushed against the stone. Once outside, he quickly pushed the slab back into place, hiding the entrance as best as he could.
Then he stood there, feeling the cold morning air on his face.
He was still alive.
But danger was far from over.
He looked toward the direction the mercenaries had gone. If he followed their tracks, he might catch up. That would mean food, safety, and medical treatment.
But it also meant returning to the path of the original story.
The path where Lin Yuan was weak, useless, and easily abandoned.
If he went back, would anything really change?
He hesitated.
Then he remembered the ring.
The hidden chamber.
The fact that he should have died already.
"No," he said quietly. "I can't blindly follow the old path."
Still, he could not survive alone either.
After some thought, he chose a middle ground.
He would move toward the nearest border town, not the mercenary camp. It was a longer route, but safer. In the novel, that town appeared later, briefly mentioned as a supply point.
More importantly, it was where a minor event happened.
An event that introduced a future important character.
Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed.
"If the timeline hasn't changed too much… that person should still be there."
He began walking.
Each step hurt, but he endured it. He moved slowly, carefully, watching the surroundings, avoiding open ground when possible.
Along the way, he noticed small details he had ignored as a reader.
Broken weapons half-buried in dirt.
Old warning signs, worn away by time.
This land had seen many battles.
Hours later, his vision blurred, and his legs nearly gave out.
He leaned against a tree, breathing hard.
"I'm still too weak…"
That was the truth.
No matter how much he planned, his body could not keep up.
Just as despair began to creep in, he heard voices.
Human voices.
He stiffened and carefully moved closer.
Ahead, on the road, a small group was resting. Not mercenaries—these wore simple clothes, carrying trade goods and tools.
Travelers.
His heart raced.
This was both a chance and a risk.
If they helped him, he might survive.
If they rejected him…
Or worse.
He took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the tree.
The moment they saw him, several people turned sharply, hands moving toward weapons.
"Stop right there!"
Lin Yuan raised his hands slowly.
"I'm injured," he said, keeping his voice calm. "I'm not a threat."
Their eyes moved to the bloodstain on his shoulder.
Whispers followed.
Then one man stepped forward.
He was tall, with sharp eyes and a calm expression.
Lin Yuan's breath caught.
He recognized him.
Not as he was now—but as he would become.
A name surfaced in his mind.
Someone who would one day shake the world.
And at this moment…
That man was looking straight at him.