Chapter 43: Dewdrop

[Pine Verdure]

Type: Wooden Sword

Rarity: Rare (Blue)

Effects:

+15% Damage to Undead Creatures (Solar Flare)

+20% Damage to Snake and Scorpion-type Creatures (Solar Flare)

Description:

A specially crafted wooden sword from an ancient sect. Its rare material, formed under harsh and exacting conditions, grants it impressive potency against certain types of creatures.

Notes:

“Since entering the sect, I have deeply engraved into my heart the teachings of my Master and the support of my fellow disciples. Now, news has reached me that my hometown is plagued by disasters of snakes and scorpions, leaving the common people in utter misery. Though my strength is meager and my talents sparse, I dare not forget the kindness of past sustenance. Therefore, I boldly beseech you, Master, to permit this disciple to descend the mountain to eliminate the demons and bring peace to the people.”

— Inner Disciple of the “Bamboo Spring Daoist Temple” · Li Haoran

Xia Nan’s gaze lingered on the text, a surge of astonishment gripping his heart.

“This… as expected, it really is an item from another world!”

With this, everything made sense—the completely disparate architectural styles he had encountered along the way, the cave he had just found himself in, and the colossal black snake coiled within it.

Though he had no idea what kind of cataclysm had caused it, there was no doubt that these things originated from another world entirely different from the fantasy realm he currently inhabited. Furthermore, they had been integrated into this space in a fragmented form.

Xia Nan couldn’t help but feel incredibly fortunate.

His attribute panel cheat, which he had retained after transmigrating, initially seemed far less useful than the standard “systems” from his memory that came with leveling up and stat allocation, since it only displayed information on equipment and items.

In reality, however, it had provided him with immense assistance in every aspect. Whether it was the Beheading Longsword left abandoned in a corner of Barnes’s blacksmith shop, or the truth he had just deduced through the panel’s data—without the aid of this cheat, it wouldn’t just be difficult to make a single step forward; he certainly wouldn’t be as composed as he was now.

Not to mention this piece of blue rare equipment in his hands, which looked completely ordinary on the outside, as if it truly were just a standard wooden sword.

Xia Nan pulled a piece of the scarce bandage material from his backpack and carefully wiped away the grime caked onto the blade.

As he did, the wooden sword’s true form, previously masked by the sandy soil, gradually revealed itself.

It was roughly three feet long, a one-handed sword slightly shorter than his Beheading Longsword. The entire body was crafted from dark brown ebony, possessing a warm, gentle texture. The hilt and guard were seamlessly integrated with a short, rounded, minimalist design that blended completely into the blade, devoid of any superfluous decoration.

Judging strictly by appearances, aside from its unique coloration and a few distinct stylistic details, it seemed no different from a wooden sword used for daily training.

Only Xia Nan knew that this seemingly ordinary one-handed sword was a genuine enchanted weapon in this world.

He examined the blade closely and saw that its surface was nearly immaculate after being wiped down, looking almost brand new. He then fished out a hemp rope he had purchased before his departure from his backpack, binding it securely to his back along with the Beheading Longsword.

Turning his gaze back to the pale skeleton slouched against the stone wall, Xia Nan paused, letting out a silent sigh.

Although there were no other objects surrounding the corpse to prove its identity, through the information provided by the panel, he could roughly confirm that this was the “Li Haoran” mentioned in the note.

Correlating this with the massive snake carcass in the cave, the sudden influx of snakes and insects in the Mist Forest, and the “disaster of snakes and scorpions” mentioned in the description, the connections became fairly clear.

Unfortunately, the bones of this righteous warrior had now traveled to an alien world alongside the place of his demise. No one here knew him, and aside from Xia Nan, it was likely no one would ever know his story.

If he hadn’t agreed to join the half-elf’s squad, and if he hadn’t plunged deep into the Mist Forest with the team, this skeleton would probably have lain quietly inside this stone cavern forever, keeping company only with the corpse of the giant snake that killed him. Even if some unfortunate adventurer happened to stumble in here in the future, they would likely only be shocked by the size of the snake, without paying any mind to this skeleton or this ordinary-looking wooden sword.

Thoughts swirled in his mind.

Finding an exit wasn’t something that could be rushed in a matter of minutes, and there was currently no pressing danger to face. Xia Nan’s expression steadied. He bent down, carefully straightening the skeleton that had slumped over due to him pulling out the scale, and laid it flat on the ground.

The cave was entirely enclosed by rock, making it impossible to dig a proper grave. Instead, he gathered loose stones from around the cavern and piled them over the skeleton until it was completely buried. He even pulled out the dagger at his waist, found a slightly longer stone, carved the man’s name onto it, and drove it into the center of the rock pile.

Given the limited conditions, this was the absolute best he could do.

Xia Nan didn’t know the customs of the world the man came from, but since it was similar to the ancient civilizations of his past life’s world, the concept of “returning to the earth for peace” should still apply. Consider it a token of his respect.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he took one last look at the stone mound in the corner of the cave before withdrawing his gaze.

Now, it was time to find a way out.

Just as he was about to start tracing the perimeter of the stone cavern to inspect it thoroughly, the wooden sword he had just tied to his back suddenly radiated a sharp, burning sensation.

“Hmm?”

Surprised, he reached back, gripped the hilt, and drew it.

Then, as if guided by an invisible force, the tip of the sword pointed directly at the exact spot where the skeleton had been slouched just moments before.

The stone wall suddenly blurred for a fraction of a second.

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

Buzz—

In an instant, the cold, dead-grey wall vanished. In its place appeared a small, exquisitely concealed stone chamber.

The ghostly blue glowing fungi, which had previously only grown randomly between the rock crevices, seemed to be consciously concentrated at the top of this chamber. The gathered light shone down from overhead like a spotlight.

Right in the center of the beam of light was a conical, protruding stone ridge, and climbing upon it was a vibrant green vine. Hanging from the tip of the vine was a delicate, small gourd.

The gourd was entirely golden-yellow, its jade-like, translucent surface shimmering with a dazzling brilliance under the light.

But all of this—everything before his eyes—no longer mattered to the current Xia Nan.

The moment the stone chamber was revealed, his entire mind and absolute attention were instantly locked onto the opening of the hanging gourd—

A brilliant, radiant golden dewdrop, suspended and on the verge of falling.

It felt as though it were the very origin of all the illusions around him, the absolute focal point of all these otherworldly anomalies.

“Ting.”

A sound like jade striking jade echoed in his ears. The dewdrop vibrated faintly, looking as though it would drip down in the very next second.

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

The dewdrop seeped directly into his skin.

Boom—

Countless phantom images twisted violently before his eyes. The stone walls, the vine, the bioluminescence—all of it lost its color, receding like a tidal wave.

That familiar sensation of intense vertigo washed over him once more.

In the very next second, Xia Nan found himself standing right back among the thick shrubs and dense trees of the Mist Forest.

Within his field of vision, the translucent characters of the attribute panel began scrolling past like an absolute waterfall of text.

(End of Chapter)