Lu Chen decided to take a gamble. He found a well-known blacksmith in town, used his last few copper coins to forge a ring with a rough design, and then deliberately loitered near the tavern Sam frequented.
As expected, Sam and his gang quickly spotted Lu Chen. They aggressively surrounded him, and their leader, Sam, arrogantly grabbed Lu Chen by the collar and hoisted him up. "You've got some nerve, kid, showing your face here!"
Lu Chen forced a calm smile and showed the ring on his hand to Sam. "Do you recognize this? My older brother had someone bring this to me and told me to hand it to you."
Sam looked at the crudely made ring, a flash of doubt crossing his eyes. "Your older brother? Isn't your older brother..."
"Shh!" Lu Chen hurriedly interrupted Sam, saying mysteriously, "Are you going to meddle in my brother's business, too?"
Sam was taken aback by Lu Chen's attitude. Remembering the formidable reputation of the older brother, he couldn't help feeling a bit shaken. He looked closely at the ring in Lu Chen's hand, and the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed—it looked as if he really had seen it somewhere before.
"When is your older brother coming back?" Sam's voice was noticeably weaker by a few notches.
"Soon, maybe in these next few days," Lu Chen said deliberately, keeping it vague. "He also said that if he sees you're still such a good-for-nothing, he'll..."
Lu Chen didn't go on, but the threat was already self-evident. Sam's face turned pale and mottled, and finally, he loosened his grip on Lu Chen's collar.
"Consider yourself lucky!" Sam spat out a harsh threat and left dejectedly with his lackeys.
Watching their retreating backs, Lu Chen let out a quiet sigh of relief. He knew this was only a temporary measure; Sam would figure out the truth sooner or later. He had to find a way to leave the town as soon as possible.
He remembered Cana mentioning that there was a mysterious forest to the east of the town, and very few people dared to enter it. Perhaps that place was his chance.
That night, taking advantage of the cover of darkness, Lu Chen sneaked out of the town and ran toward the eastern forest.
The forest was pitch black, and you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. Towering trees blotted out the sky, and only specks of starlight filtered down through the gaps in the leaves. Lu Chen stumbled forward, his heart filled with fear and unease.
He didn't know how long he had been walking; his throat felt parched and he was utterly exhausted. Just as he was nearing despair, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead.
Overjoyed, he ran toward the light, only to freeze the next second.
A tall figure was standing before him, blocking his path.
The figure was towering, as if it had merged with the surrounding trees. He was draped in a cloak sewn from some unknown animal hide, and two eerie green lights gleamed from his sunken eye sockets. Terrified, Lu Chen stumbled backward, accidentally tripping over a protruding tree root and falling to the ground in a clumsy heap.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" A deep voice came from beneath the cloak, carrying an unassailable sense of authority.
Only then did Lu Chen clearly see that the figure was holding a primitive wooden staff. A gemstone glowing with a soft green light was embedded in the staff head, illuminating his weather-beaten face.
Realizing he might have encountered the Guardian of the forest, Lu Chen forced himself to calm down and said in as friendly a tone as possible, "Hello, I mean no harm, I'm just..."
However, he found he couldn't express himself fluently in this world's language, and could only stutter out a few simple words like "help" and "lost."
Fortunately, the other party seemed to understand his meaning. He looked Lu Chen up and down with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. "You're from the outside?"
Lu Chen nodded and pointed toward the town, indicating that he wanted to leave this place.
"Why leave? That is humanity's last sanctuary." A hint of confusion laced the Guardian's tone.
Not knowing how to explain, Lu Chen could only gesture with his hands, trying his best to convey how he had been bullied by Sam and the others.
The Guardian watched Lu Chen silently, as if judging the truth of his words. After a moment, he let out a long sigh and said, "Follow me."
With that, he turned and walked deeper into the forest. Seeing this, a flicker of hope ignited in Lu Chen's heart, and he hurried to follow.
The Guardian led Lu Chen through the forest. Along the way, he introduced Lu Chen to some precious resources and survival skills within the forest—such as how to determine directions, how to find food and water sources, how to avoid danger, and so on.
Lu Chen listened intently while trying hard to commit this knowledge to memory. He knew this knowledge would be the key to his survival in this otherworldly realm.
"My dwelling is just ahead," the Guardian said, pointing to a clearing not far away.
Lu Chen looked up and saw a few tall trees growing in the clearing, with a crude wooden cabin built among the branches, looming vaguely in the night.
"You can rest here tonight, and tomorrow morning, I will send you out of the forest," the Guardian said, then turned and walked toward the wooden cabin, leaving Lu Chen standing alone in place, his heart filled with confusion and unease.
He knew he still had many questions to ask this mysterious Guardian—such as who he was, why he was helping him, and what kind of secrets this otherworldly realm actually concealed...
As night fell, the temperature in the forest plummeted. Lu Chen wrapped his thin clothes tightly around himself and looked around at his surroundings by the faint starlight. Brook's dwelling was even cruder than he had imagined; the wooden cabin could barely shield them from wind and rain, and inside there was only a wooden bed covered with hay and a rough wooden table.
"You must be hungry, right?" Brook's voice came from outside, interrupting Lu Chen's train of thought.
Lu Chen snapped back to his senses and saw Brook holding a string of roasted wild rabbit, which was giving off an enticing aroma. Only then did he realize he hadn't eaten all day, and his stomach had long since started protesting.
"Come on, try my cooking." Brook handed the roasted meat to Lu Chen, while he himself scooped a bowl of clean water from a wooden bucket at the side and drank it.
Lu Chen took the roasted meat and devoured it ravenously, too busy to talk. Watching him eat like a starved ghost, Brook couldn't help shaking his head, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes.
"Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you," Brook said calmly. "Once you're full, I have some things to tell you."
Lu Chen nodded and slowed down his eating. As he ate the fragrant roasted meat, he curiously sized up Brook, his mind full of questions.
"You must have a lot of questions you want to ask me, right?" Brook seemed to see right through his thoughts and asked.
Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Ask whatever you want to know. As long as I know, I'll tell you," Brook said.
"Who are you? Why are you helping me?" Lu Chen asked. "And what on earth is going on with this other world?"
Brook was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke. "I am the Guardian of this forest. My duty is to protect the living beings here from the invasion of outsiders."
"Outsiders?" Lu Chen asked quizzically. "Do you mean me?"
"That's right." Brook nodded. "You are the first otherworldly person to come here."
"Then why did I come here?" Lu Chen pressed. "What kind of place is this anyway?"
"I don't know." Brook shook his head. "I only know that this is a forgotten world, a world full of danger and opportunity."
"Danger? What kind of danger?" A sense of uneasy foreboding rose in Lu Chen's heart.
Instead of answering his question directly, Brook pointed to the pitch-black depths of the forest in the distance and said, "Do you see those black mists?"
Lu Chen followed his gaze and saw that the depths of the forest were shrouded in a layer of thick black mist, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, sending chills down one's spine.
"What is that black mist?" Lu Chen asked.
"That is the shadow of this otherworldly realm, the nightmare of all living creatures." Brook's tone grew heavy. "They are everywhere, infiltrating every crevice. Once you are entangled by them, your soul will be devoured, turning you into a walking corpse."
"That terrifying!" Lu Chen couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
"Therefore, you must leave here as soon as possible," Brook said. "This is not a place where you belong."
"But..." Lu Chen wanted to say something more, but Brook cut him off.
"There are no 'buts'." Brook's tone admitted no argument. "I will teach you some survival skills, and tomorrow morning, you will leave this place."
Lu Chen wanted to argue his case further, but seeing Brook's firm gaze, he knew he couldn't change his mind.
Early the next morning, Brook taught Lu Chen how to determine directions, how to find food and water, how to avoid danger, and so on.
"Remember, don't trust anyone, and don't get close to that black mist," Brook exhorted. "I hope we have a day when we meet again."
"Thank you, Brook," Lu Chen said gratefully. "I will remember your words."
With that, he turned and walked toward the edge of the forest, his heart filled with confusion and apprehension about the future. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he know what he should do, but he knew he had to survive—in order to find the way home, and to unravel the secrets of this otherworldly realm.
However, little did he know that danger was quietly descending...