Morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, dappling the ground with spots of light. Lu Chen took a deep breath, the fresh, damp air invigorating him. Brook's warning was still fresh in his mind, but he needed to familiarize himself with this world as quickly as possible and find a way to survive.
He bent down, carefully inspecting the surrounding vegetation in hopes of finding some edible fruit or herbs. According to Brook's description, many strange plants grew in this forest; some possessed miraculous properties, while quite a few were highly toxic.
"Huh? What's this?" Lu Chen spotted a cluster of bushes bearing bright red fruit shaped like oversized strawberries, which exuded an enticing aroma. He remembered Brook mentioning a plant called Fire Crystal Fruit, reportedly sweet-tasting and capable of restoring stamina.
He rubbed his hands together excitedly, and just as he reached out to pluck one, he suddenly felt empty air beneath his feet. Before he could even react, he was hoisted upside down into the air.
"Ha! Caught a fat sheep!" a rough voice shouted from nearby.
Lu Chen struggled to raise his head and saw a burly man carrying a thick wooden club walking toward him. The man had a fierce, scarred face and hostile eyes—clearly not someone to be trifled with.
"Who are you? Why did you grab me?" Lu Chen asked, fighting down his fear.
"Kid, you stepped into my trap. What do you think I grabbed you for?" the man sneered. "Be a good boy and do as I say, and maybe I'll leave you an intact corpse."
Only then did Lu Chen realize he had been strung up by a crude slipknot trap. It was cleverly designed, using the elasticity of tree branches and the toughness of vines to suspend its prey high in midair, making escape impossible.
"What do you actually want?" Lu Chen asked, knowing this wasn't the time to fight back; he had to find a way to buy time.
"What do I want?" The man tapped Lu Chen on the head with his club and said with a contemptuous tone, "Judging by your soft skin, you aren't a local, are you? Speak! Where are you from, and what are you doing here?"
Realizing he couldn't expose his true identity, Lu Chen fabricated a lie: "I... I'm a traveler. I got lost and stumbled in here by mistake."
"A traveler? Lost?" The man clearly didn't believe him and sneered, "You look more like a scout sent by those outsiders! Tell me, are you lot plotting against our forest?"
A chill ran through Lu Chen's heart. Could this man know about the existence of other worlds? He forced himself to stay calm and denied it: "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just an innocent traveler."
"Hmph, you won't shed tears until you see your coffin!" The man lost patience, brandishing his wooden club as he snarled, "Since you refuse to tell the truth, don't blame me for being unpolished!"
Right at that moment, the sound of rapid footsteps approached, and a clear voice rang out from nearby: "Stop! What are you doing?!"
At the same instant, a lithe figure emerged from deep within the woods, accompanied by a sharp shout: "Stop! What are you doing?!"
Following the sound, Lu Chen saw a young girl standing a few paces away, carrying a woven vine basket brimming with bright mushrooms. She had long golden hair, blue eyes like clear lake water, and a smattering of freckles across her fair skin. Though dressed in simple burlap clothes, she could not hide the youthful vitality radiating from her.
"Riya, why are you here?" A flash of panic crossed Sam's eyes when he saw the girl, but it quickly gave way to a fierce expression. "This is none of your business, go on home!"
"Sam, you're bullying people again!" Ignoring Sam's warning, Riya walked straight up to him, a hint of reproach in her tone. "Let him down right now! What you're doing is wrong!"
"How I do things is none of your damn business!" Fly into a rage out of humiliation, Sam shoved Riya aside, pointed at Lu Chen, and snarled, "This punk is an outsider—heaven knows where he's from. He's probably here to steal from us!"
"Even if he is an outsider, you can't just grab him without rhyme or reason!" Riya locked eyes with Sam, utterly unafraid. "Look at him, completely unarmed. Does he look like a bad guy?"
"I..." Sam was rendered speechless by Riya. He looked from Lu Chen to Riya, a struggle flickering in his eyes.
Seizing the opportunity, Riya crept beneath Lu Chen and carefully examined the trap's construction. Having grown up in the forest, she knew all sorts of traps like the back of her hand and quickly found a way to undo it.
"Don't move!" Riya whispered to Lu Chen, then drew a small knife from her waist and began sawing through the vines binding him.
"You dare!" Seeing this, Sam flew into a rage, raising his club to strike Riya.
"Stop!" Lu Chen shouted, struggling desperately. Though hanging upside down, he was still much stronger than Riya, and his frantic thrashing managed to free one of his hands.
Startled by Lu Chen's move, Sam hadn't even reacted before Lu Chen grabbed the vine holding him and yanked hard, throwing the entire net off balance.
Riya reacted quickly too, slicing through the remaining vines. Deprived of support, Lu Chen plunged heavily to the ground.
"Run!" Riya grabbed Lu Chen and bolted straight into the depths of the forest without looking back.
Stunned for a second, Sam roared with fury and gave chase.
Lu Chen and Riya darted through the dense woods, Sam's angry bellows echoing closely behind them. Though physically strong, Lu Chen was unfamiliar with the terrain and was quickly outpaced by Riya.
"Leave me! Go on ahead!" Lu Chen panted, knowing that staying behind would only weigh Riya down.
"No, I won't leave you behind!" Riya shook her head firmly. "Keep up with me, I know a shortcut!"
Guiding Lu Chen through a labyrinth of turns, Riya finally shook off Sam's pursuit. The two stopped beneath a massive oak tree, gasping for breath.
"Thank you, Riya." Lu Chen looked at her with gratitude, knowing he would have been in grave danger today had it not been for her.
"Don't mention it," Riya smiled. "As long as you're safe."
Looking at the kind and brave girl before him, Lu Chen felt a surge of gratitude and admiration. He knew that to gain a foothold in this other world, he not only needed to learn the language but also make more friends. And Riya was undoubtedly a trustworthy friend.
Lu Chen looked gratefully at Riya as the sunset's glow gilded her golden hair. "Riya, thank you so much today. If it weren't for you, I truly wouldn't have known what to do."
"It's nothing," Riya said with a hearty laugh. "Sam is just like that—he loves bullying outsiders, don't take it to heart. And you, why did you run off out here all by yourself? This forest is very dangerous."
Sighing, Lu Chen told Riya about his predicament: how he had transmigrated here with empty pockets and no knowledge of the language. Sympathy filled Riya's blue eyes as she listened. "So what are you planning to do now?"
"I don't know," Lu Chen shook his head. "I can't even understand the local language, let alone know where to go." He clenched his fists. "But I'll work hard to survive. I have to find a way back home!"
Seeing the determination in Lu Chen's eyes, Riya felt a nameless wave of admiration. She untied a small cloth pouch from her waist and handed it to him. "Here, these are the mushrooms I foraged today. Take them and eat."
"I couldn't possibly..." Lu Chen instinctively declined.
"Just take it," Riya insisted, stuffing the pouch directly into his hands. "Your top priority right now is to fill your stomach so you can figure things out." She thought for a moment before adding, "How about this? I'll take you to see someone. She might be able to help you."
A glimmer of hope ignited in Lu Chen's chest. "Who?"
Riya smiled mysteriously. "You'll see when we get there." With that, she turned and headed deeper into the forest. "Come with me."
With mixed feelings of apprehension and anticipation, Lu Chen followed Riya. As the sun gradually set, the forest grew darker, and the distant calls of unknown birds added an air of mystery. He didn't know where Riya was taking him, nor what awaited him, but he faintly sensed that perhaps this was the beginning of his new destiny...