Louis snapped his eyes open and realized that he was already in a completely different space.
The space was incomparably vast. Above him was a light resembling sunlight, and no matter how far he cast his gaze, he could only see expansive stretches of land. Even so, that was still not all, because Louis could see mist enveloping the surroundings.
He walked toward the mist, but discovered that every time he stepped into it, he was instantly transported back to his original spot, as if this were a land he was not yet able to explore.
Louis did not stubbornly cling to what could not be shaken. He returned to the place where he had first appeared. At that location, a natural pond had suddenly emerged. Its source could not be seen, and it seemed as though the water flowed out from beneath the ground.
The pond was only about sixteen square meters in size, crystal clear, with a faint greenish sheen. What was even more striking was that in one corner of the pond were small lotus leaves. Lotus buds could be seen protruding there, gently swaying, yet there was no sign at all that they were about to bloom.
Louis only glanced at them briefly. What concerned him more was the water of the pond, because he could smell a herbal fragrance and sense an extremely powerful energy emanating from within it.
Acting on instinct, he reached out his hand. The moment his fingertips lightly touched the pond, a cool sensation spread through him, accompanied by a sharp, needle-like pain.
Yet Louis did not hastily withdraw his hand. He was even somewhat astonished, because he could clearly see his hand beginning to change. His pores seemed to open up as streams of black qi continuously spilled out from within.
The pain was undeniable, but the changes were equally obvious.
Without the slightest hesitation, Louis removed his clothes and jumped straight into the pond.
From above, the pond looked crystal clear, as if it were shallow. Only after jumping in did he realize that it was unfathomably deep, so deep that it felt as though no matter how far he dove, he would never reach the bottom.
The water enveloped Louis's entire body. He floated within it, feeling as if his flesh were being gnawed by countless ants. The pain did not stop at the surface but penetrated deep into his internal organs. It was as though his insides were being scorched by fire, only to turn icy cold the next moment, as if soaked in snow and ice.
Louis bit down on his lip until blood seeped out. His hands clenched tightly, his brows drawn together. He did not let out a single groan, nor did he curl up. He simply endured the pain in silence.
Only when his consciousness began to blur, his head swelling, and his lungs aching from holding his breath for too long did he seem to suddenly regain a will to survive.
"Splash!"
The sound of water parting rang out as Louis broke the surface. One hand gripped tightly onto a rock at the edge of the pond while he gasped for air, his chest heaving violently up and down.
A thick black liquid was still continuously flowing off his body, carrying a strong, foul stench. It was not washed away by the water of the pond at all, instead clinging stickily to him, unbearably uncomfortable.
Louis knew this was his limit for today. Holding his clothes, he followed the same intent he had used when entering this place.
He closed his eyes and only felt a powerful surge of energy rise in an instant. When he opened them again, he had already returned to the old, dilapidated, and cramped room.
Sticky slime dripped onto the floor with soft plopping sounds, the trail extending all the way into the bathroom.
Only discarded clothes could be seen on the floor. At this moment, Louis stood beneath the shower, water cascading down from above and quickly washing away the slime clinging tightly to his body.
Louis brushed his hair back. After making sure there was no more residue on him, he walked toward the mirror.
Reflected in the mirror was his current self. The dark circles under his eyes had vanished, replaced by a pair of clear eyes with a cold, sharp gaze.
The contours of his face seemed to be recovering, and the haggard look was gradually disappearing.
At last, he could see a hint of his true appearance, even though it still could not compare to when he had been the Dark God.
But Louis knew that as long as he could endure it and diligently soak in that water, he could push this body's potential to a peak that ordinary humans could never reach.
Louis lowered his gaze to the thumb ring on his hand. The gold patterns flickered faintly with light as he gently touched it.
Who would have thought that this item symbolizing power would also grant him such an enormous advantage in this world. It truly had not been in vain that, in his previous life, he had disregarded everything to become the Dark God.
With this Inner Realm, he could not only store items but also cultivate crops.
Louis dried his hair and felt his stomach begin to protest. He got dressed and decided to deal with lunch while also planning his purchases. He would make a list later to organize everything more easily. This afternoon, he would simply reacquaint himself with this world and buy seeds.
Louis walked into a beef noodle shop at the end of the street where he lived.
The owner was clearly familiar with Louis and asked after him while bringing out the noodles.
Louis did not pay it much attention and said, "I got kicked out."
Hearing that, the owner could not help shaking his head. Being kicked out like that really made no sense. Everyone knew the Alexander family was wealthy beyond measure, yet Louis, whom they had raised, did not know how to ingratiate himself with them.
Louis did not care what the owner thought.
He quickly finished a bowl of noodles. His sense of taste was now somewhat more sensitive than that of ordinary people.
The noodle shop was obviously crowded, a sign of good flavor, yet when it reached his mouth, all he could feel was a rough, coarse texture.
Louis could not help frowning. He knew this was his own issue. He could only force himself to swallow it, pay the bill, and then leave.
Behind him, the television was still broadcasting the latest news. Recently, the ocean currents in the Golden Sea Belt had been chaotic. Within a single month, two consecutive tsunamis had struck, forcing residents near the coast to evacuate in haste.
People discussed it noisily.
"Nature is really getting harder and harder to predict. I heard even the most advanced technology right now cannot keep up with disaster forecasts."
"I do not know if it is just my imagination, but natural disasters seem to be happening more often lately. The weather in City S is sunny in the morning and rainy by afternoon."
"It is not an illusion. I feel it too."
It was indeed not an illusion. This was simply the early sign of the apocalypse.
At first, it was only erratic climate changes and an increase in the number of natural disasters. This very month was the period when everything was most chaotic. A month later, everything would return to calm.
When people thought that nature had finally stopped raging, the apocalypse suddenly descended. It turned out that everything before had merely been the calm before the storm.
Louis did not stop walking as he left this poor neighborhood behind.
The outside world was completely different from the cramped scenery of the small district. High-rise buildings stood densely packed together.
Louis held his phone. Because he had not touched it for a very long time, even though some memories remained, everything still felt unfamiliar to him, making his movements seem clumsy and slow.
He finally found a nearby supermarket on the navigation app. Fortunately, it was quite close to where Louis was standing, so he went on foot.
At this time, the supermarket was not crowded. Louis walked around once and stopped in front of the seed counter. He selected a full range of fruit tree seeds. Some types were not available at the counter, but he could buy those online.
That thought suddenly surfaced in Louis's mind, as if awakening a portion of his knowledge. Only then did he remember that he could shop online.
With phone like an elderly person tapping at a screen, he quickly paid and then left with the seeds.
Only after stepping outside did he notice that the sky had grown somewhat overcast.
That made sense. When he had gone out for lunch, it was already close to three in the afternoon, and it seemed he had wandered around the supermarket without paying attention to the time.
Louis bought another bowl of beef noodles for dinner. He should have gone straight home, but at that very moment, a black bundle suddenly fell from above.
Louis retreated at lightning speed. The black bundle narrowly missed him, landing right in front of him and coming to a stop by his feet.