Lying on the bed, Yang Ze's eyes were fixated on the ceiling. Contrary to what the old man and the woman believed, he was rather calm. Even though his entire body was in pain, his face had a solemn expression.
"Who was it?" This was the only thing on his mind. He was sure that it wasn't just a dream that he saw. He could still vividly remember everything that happened, every second... every minute... He wasn't just recalling the past, he was living in it. And the more he thought about it, the less sense it all made.
But it wasn't the matter of the illusion that troubled him. It was what the man said to him.
"Traveler..."
"Does it mean there are others like me?" With a frown, Yang Ze tried hard to make sense of it. Even though he had been in this world for quite a while, he still knew little to nothing about it. Most of his time was spent either living alone in solitude or roaming around, collecting the spirit stones for the panel upgrade.
If one were to ask him to name ten cities in the vicinity, he would be unable to do so. This was how shallow his understanding of this world was.
"But who could it be??" This was what frustrated him the most. The man's talk was as if he knew everything about him. Not to mention, he calls him a 'traveler'; he even re-enacts scenes from his memories.
"Does that mean he knows everything about my life?"
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Yang Ze felt a chill run down his spine. The other person lurked in the shadows, fully aware of his past and present, while he stood here, still racking his brain, desperately trying to uncover the man's identity.
The more he thought about it, the more he found himself at a loss. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he was panicking inside. For the first time after arriving in this world, he felt he couldn't control the situation. He didn't feel like this when he fought the Innate powerhouse. But now... How could he possibly stay calm? His greatest secret—the fact that he came from Earth—had been exposed. And now that someone knew… even he couldn't begin to comprehend the consequences.
"What do I do... what do I do?"
With each passing moment, Yang Ze's panic grew stronger. In the end, he couldn't even remain still. Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain and forced himself to sit up on the bed.
"Ugh!" With a grunt, he tried to look around, hoping to distract himself. Unfortunately for him, the only thing he could see was the blurry scenery.
Just as he was pondering his next course of action, a transparent screen suddenly appeared before him.
"Huh?"
Startled by its sudden appearance, Yang Ze froze for a moment before slapping his forehead.
"I can't believe I almost forgot about this."
Shaking his head, he cursed himself under his breath before taking a deep breath. Everything he had been through left his memories in disarray. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but in the illusion, he had spent more than two weeks.
Even though he had regained consciousness, those two weeks felt as real as the roof above his head. It was no wonder he had momentarily forgotten the most important thing he had received upon arriving in this world.
Wasting no more time, he narrowed his eyes and focused on the screen before him.
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{Name: Yang Ze}
{Realm: Innate}
{XP: 3150}
{Fishing: Locked (101/500 spirit stones needed to unlock)}
{Personal Space : 3 cubic meters}
{Efficiency: 300 XP/day}
{Level: 3} (101/1000 spirit stones needed to upgrade)
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"Uh!" Other than the amount of XP that has reached a staggering three thousand, there were no changes.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he closed the panel and steadied his breathing. For a moment, he considered drawing in the aura of heaven and earth to gain a better understanding of his current body condition, but after a brief hesitation, he held back.
He had no idea where he was. Those below the Innate Realm might not notice the subtle fluctuations in the heaven and earth aura, but for those who had stepped into that realm, it would be like lighting a fire in the middle of a dark desert—impossible to miss, even from miles away.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his urges and closed his eyes. At this moment, the only thing he could do was rest. He had never noticed it before, but now he could feel his body healing itself at a steady pace—perhaps one of the many benefits of stepping into the Innate Realm that he had yet to fully understand.
After everything he had endured, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. First, he had battled an Innate powerhouse and barely escaped death. Then, he had been trapped in that strange illusion. Even with his strong willpower, staying awake was becoming impossible.
His eyelids grew heavier with each passing second, his vision blurring as he fought to keep them open. But in the end, the fatigue was too much. Slowly, he drifted into a deep sleep.
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Thankfully, there wasn't any illusion after he closed his eyes. This time, he was able to sleep peacefully.
He didn't know how long he had been asleep, but it was the rustling sound of clothes that woke him up.
"Um!?" Opening his eyes in a daze, Yang Ze let out a heavy breath. Unlike before, his memories were no longer in shambles. He remembered everything that happened before.
Looking at the ceiling, he finally let out a sigh of relief. His previously blurry vision was restored, letting him finally see the world around him.
"I am sorry. Did I wake you up?"
Before he even had the time to observe his surroundings, his train of thought was interrupted by a soft and gentle voice.
"You are?" This was the first time Yang Ze was able to see the person who rescued him from the dire situation. It was a woman in her early thirties with a headful of black hair falling like a waterfall. She was wearing a long grey robe with an intricate golden carving of a small tree on the sleeves. Her face was simple yet exquisite. It wasn't filled with charm or beauty, but instead with wisdom and a bit of naivety, forming a stark contrast with her appearance.
"I am Ye Wan." Her reply was brief as her eyes scanned the boy in front of her. She wanted to see his current body condition, but due to her limited knowledge, she was unable to do so effectively.
"Where am I?" Ignoring her poking fingers around his body, Yang Ze asked in a feeble voice. This was what he wanted to know the most. If he were still in the vicinity of the battle, then it might spell some trouble for him. In that case, he needed to make plans for the future. After all, judging from the action of that innate powerhouse, it didn't seem like he was working alone.
But before he could think further, a soft voice brought him back to his senses.
"For someone who just came back from death, you sure do ask a lot of questions." With a snort, Ye Wan put aside the clothes she was holding before speaking further. "How are you feeling?"
"....." Yang Ze was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect her to refute him so directly. But now was not the time to get into arguments. Taking a deep breath, he nodded in response. "Much better now."
"Hmm." Ye Wan just nodded in response.
For a moment, a brief silence enveloped the room as the two of them just looked at each other awkwardly. It wasn't until the sound of another set of footsteps echoed that this silence was broken.
"You are awake."
"Hmm..." Looking at the old man slowly approaching him, Yang Ze nodded in response. He had heard this voice before, but now, seeing the old man in front of him, Yang Ze felt a sense of serenity. It was as if the old man in front of him was one with nature.
The old man looked to be in his seventies, with a head full of white hair and a clean-shaven face. Wrinkles covered his skin, showing the many years he had lived. But his eyes were different. Instead of being dull and tired like most old men, they were bright and full of life, as if time itself forgot to leave its traces.
"How do you feel?" Ignoring Yang Ze's gaze, the old man pulled the table near the bed before sitting on it comfortably. He then grabbed Yang Ze's wrist to measure his pulse.
"I feel..." Before Yang Ze could answer the question, the old man waved his hand, interrupting him in the middle.
"Your condition seemed to be getting better." With a nod, he spoke further. "Within a day or two, you will be able to move around. As for how long it would take you to get better..."
He squinted his eyes for a moment before exhaling a mouthful of air. "It is hard to say."
"You should take some rest." After patting Yang Ze on his shoulder, he looked at Ye Wan beside him as he slowly tilted his head towards her, signalling her to follow him.
"Thank you." Even though there were a lot of questions Yang Ze wanted to ask, he held them inside. Now was not the time. Once he recovered, he would have plenty of time to explore things further. But for now... He needed rest.
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"Are we seriously not going to ask anything?" The moment the old man and Ye Wan walked outside the house, Ye Wan asked while furrowing her brows. She couldn't understand why her master would prevent her from asking any questions.
"Now is not the time." Shaking his head, the old man spoke softly. "Didn't you see the confusion on his face? At the moment, he is in no condition to answer any of our questions."
"Besides..." He narrowed his eyes while looking at his own disciple. "Do you really intend to involve yourself in this?"
"You rescued the boy, and I treated him. Isn't it enough?" He kept on walking as he spoke further. "Why involve ourselves in matters that have nothing to do with us?"
"Let's just leave it here. After he recovers, let's part ways."
These were his true thoughts. After all, he had seen things like these countless times. When he first started his practice, he too was like his disciple, eager to help everyone... be a chivalrous hero. But over time, he understood that things were rarely as they seemed. The less they get involved in others' matters, the better it is for everyone. It was a lesson taught in blood.
"....." Ye Wan didn't reply but just narrowed her eyes, but from the expression on her face, it was clear that she disagreed with what her master just said. She just let out a sigh as her eyes darted towards the door. As for what she was thinking... only she knew.