Chapter 43

【Green Pine】

Type: Wooden Sword

Grade: Rare (Blue)

Effect:

+15% damage to Undead (Sun Flame)

+20% damage to snake and scorpion creatures (Sun Flame)

Description:

A specially crafted wooden sword from an ancient sect; the rare material formed under harsh conditions gives it considerable power against certain types of creatures.

Note:

"Since entering the sect, I have been grateful for the teachings of my Master and the support of my fellow disciples, which I shall keep in my heart. Now, hearing that my hometown suffers from the plague of snakes and scorpions, and the people are living in misery, though I am weak and unskilled, I dare not forget the kindness of my upbringing. Therefore, I boldly implore my Master to permit me to descend the mountain to eliminate the demons and bring peace to the people."

— Li Haoran, Inner Disciple of "Bamboo Spring Temple"

Xia Nan's gaze paused, and he couldn't help but feel surprised.

"This... it really is a product from another world!"

With this, the disparate styles of architecture he had encountered along the way, the cave he was currently in, and the massive black snake within the cave, all had explanations.

Although he didn't know exactly what had happened, there was no doubt that these things came from another world, one completely different from the fantasy world he was currently in.

And they had merged into this space in some fragmented form.

Xia Nan couldn't help but feel fortunate.

The "Attribute Panel" golden finger he had brought with him after transmigrating seemed to only display information about equipment and items, far less useful than the "systems" with leveling and stat-point functions he had read about.

But in the real world, it had provided him with immense help in every aspect.

Whether it was the Decapitation Longsword left in the corner of a blacksmith shop, or the truth he had just uncovered through the panel information.

If not for the bonus of this golden finger, he wouldn't be able to move a single step, let alone be as composed as he was now.

Not to mention this blue rare-quality equipment in his hand, which looked plain and unremarkable, as if it were truly just an ordinary wooden sword.

Xia Nan took the remaining gauze from his backpack and carefully wiped the dust off the sword.

The posture of the wooden sword, previously hidden under the sandy soil, gradually revealed itself before him.

About three feet long, a single-handed sword, shorter than the Decapitation Longsword;

the whole body was made of dark brown ebony, with a warm and soft texture; the hilt and blade were integrated in a simple, short, and round design, with no unnecessary decorations.

Judging solely by its appearance, apart from the color and some stylistic details, it seemed no different from a wooden sword used for daily training.

Only Xia Nan knew that this seemingly ordinary single-handed sword was a bona fide enchanted weapon in this world.

He examined the blade carefully, seeing that there were few marks on its surface after wiping, as if it were brand new.

He then fished out the hemp rope he had bought before leaving from his backpack and tied it to his back along with the Decapitation Longsword.

Looking at the pale skeleton slumped against the stone wall in front, Xia Nan's gaze lingered, and he sighed silently.

Although there were no other items around the corpse to prove its identity, through the information on the panel, he could roughly confirm that this was the "Li Haoran" who had left his name in the note.

Combined with the massive snake corpse in the cave, the large number of snakes and insects that had suddenly appeared in the Mist Forest, and the "plague of snakes and scorpions" mentioned in the note,

he could also roughly infer the connection between them.

It was just that the remains of this righteous man had now followed his burial place into another world.

No one here knew him, and apart from himself, no one would likely ever know his story.

If he hadn't agreed to join the half-elf's squad and hadn't followed the team deep into the Mist Forest,

the other party would probably have just lain quietly in this grotto, accompanied by the corpse of the giant snake that killed him.

Even if some unlucky adventurer were to accidentally wander in, they would likely only be surprised by the size of the snake and wouldn't give this skeleton or this plain wooden sword a second thought.

Thoughts flowed through his heart.

Finding a way out wasn't something that could be done in a moment, and there was no pressing danger to face right now.

Xia Nan's expression paused; he bent down and straightened the skeleton that had collapsed when he pulled out the scale, laying it flat on the ground.

The cave was surrounded by rock on all sides, making it difficult to dig.

He found some stones nearby and piled them over the skeleton until it was completely buried.

He even took out the dagger from his waist, found a slightly longer stone, carved the other's name on it, and stuck it in the center of the stone pile.

Conditions were limited, so this was all he could do.

Xia Nan didn't know the customs of the world the other party came from, but since it was similar to the ancient civilizations of the country he lived in during his previous life, the concept of "returning to the earth for peace" should exist.

It could be considered as having done his part.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he took one last look at the stone pile in the corner of the cave.

Only then did he withdraw his gaze.

Now, it was time to find a way out.

And just as he intended to carefully circle the edge of the grotto,

the wooden sword he had just tied to his back suddenly emitted a burning sensation.

"Hmm?"

He felt surprised, reached out to grab the hilt, and drew it.

Then, as if guided by something, the tip of the sword pointed exactly to the spot where the skeleton had been leaning.

The stone wall suddenly blurred for a moment.

Instinctively, Xia Nan held the wooden sword in his left hand and gently tapped its surface.

Hum—

In an instant, the cold, ash-grey wall vanished.

Replacing it was a small, exquisite stone chamber.

The faint blue light-fungi that had just been growing in the rock crevices seemed to have consciousness, as they were concentrated on the ceiling of the stone chamber.

The condensed beam of light shone down from above like a spotlight.

And in the center of the beam was a conical protruding stone ridge, and a green vine climbing upon it.

Hanging from the end of the vine was an exquisite, tiny gourd.

The gourd was golden all over, and its jade-like, clear, and transparent surface flickered with dazzling fluorescence under the illumination of the light.

But all of this, everything before his eyes,

in the eyes of the current Xia Nan, no longer mattered.

The moment the stone chamber was revealed, all his heart and attention were focused on the opening of the dangling gourd—

that brilliant, golden dewdrop, shimmering with dazzling light, hanging but not yet falling.

It was as if it were the source of all the illusions around, the very center of all these otherworldly objects.

"Ding."

A sound like jade striking jade reached his ears; the dewdrop vibrated faintly, as if it were about to drip down the next second.

Xia Nan instinctively stepped forward, cupping his hands to catch it.

The dewdrop seeped into his skin.

Boom—

Countless phantoms twisted before his eyes; the stone walls, vines, and fluorescence faded in color like a receding tide.

It was that familiar feeling of dizziness again.

The next second, Xia Nan was standing once again among the shrubs and dense forest of the Mist Forest.

In his vision, the translucent characters of the attribute panel scrolled by like a screen refresh.

(End of chapter)