Alex woke up groggily. Lifting his head, he propped himself up, sitting on the ground. The pain was mostly gone. Seeing his mana back at full, he triggered Immortal Body with 10 mana.
A refreshing wave washed over him, and he felt good as new again, although his clothes were in tatters, with only a few pieces preserving his dignity.
He had gone through things he'd never thought possible—jumping from frying pan to fire, willingly or unwillingly, had led to this moment. Standing up, he looked around. Large and small trees surrounded him, reminiscent of the jungles on Earth. As he walked, he examined the trees, breaking a few branches and scouting for any signs of danger nearby.
Finding nothing, he chose a random direction and started walking. The sun was still not fully up, and he didn't know any reliable way to find north here. Judging from his almost healed state when he woke, he'd probably slept through the night and woken at dawn.
After many hours of trekking, the scenery changed slightly. He started to notice trees bearing small fruits and berries. Taking a deep breath, he savored the refreshing air filling his lungs. Alex still wasn't sure why he had been dropped in this forest when the others were sent to kingdoms or empires, at least from what he understood while listening to Sylvester. The only conclusion he could draw was that he hadn't had a fixed destination. Through luck and effort, he'd managed to follow the summoning, which had been easier because one of the original twenty‑eight people was missing. He had assumed he'd be sent to that person's destination, but it seemed Sylvester had put some failsafe in place—leaving Alex in the middle of nowhere instead.
He was hungry and thirsty. It felt strangely new; his other body no longer needed sustenance, and during his descent to this lower realm he hadn't felt hunger or thirst that was actually real. It was just phantom left from his feelings.
Walking toward a nearby berry tree, he used his hard‑earned skill: Eyes of Reprise. Just the name made it feel powerful, given who Reprise was, though its rank was only B.
Information surfaced in his mind:
Blue Berries of Qin – Red skin with blue flesh, slightly bitter‑sweet. A staple of the Qin continent.
Slightly toxic when eaten before fully ripe.
A lucky find. He picked a few from the small tree, popped them into his mouth, and chewed. A sweet taste spread across his tongue with a faint bitter aftertaste that somehow made him want more. The berries weren't just sweet; they were juicy, easing both his hunger and thirst.
He picked all the ripe ones he could find, collecting and eating them as he moved. With his clothes too torn to hold anything, he walked with his hands full, moving from tree to tree, eating and walking, walking and eating, for what felt like hours. By then, the sun was high, warming the world with merciless light and heat.
His struggle finally paid off when he heard the sound of water nearby. Running toward it, he soon came across a small stream of crystal‑clear water. He climbed down to the bank and stopped at the shore. Looking down at the surface, he saw his face for the first time since coming to this world. It looked the same as it had on Earth, albeit a little more refined. There were no marks on his skin; it was smooth and unblemished. Even after walking under the sun for so long, he wasn't tanned or burned. His eyes were clear, with perfect white sclera and blue irises.
He scooped up some water and splashed it over his face, feeling his worries melt away under the cool touch. Another handful went to his lips, and he drank deeply. He repeated the motion until his stomach felt ready to burst, then finally sat down, leaning back on his hands and staring up at the sky.
Although he was lost and stranded, he felt at peace. He knew the way forward and what he wanted to do.
He stood and decided to make camp here. The nearby trees were tall and dense, offering shade and shelter from the elements. Cutting some wood, he began building a rough shelter, aided by his earth and water magic and the strength of his cultivation.
Once the makeshift shelter was done, he sat inside and took out some spirit crystals, arranging them in a circular pattern around him. Settling in the middle, he began to cultivate, absorbing the spirit energy.
After a few hours of cultivation, he felt refreshed in both body and mind, in a way that was deeply satisfying. He also felt more energetic and stronger.
No wonder cultivators spend months doing nothing but cultivating, he thought.
Since his energy reserves were full, he decided it was time for his first sync with the body outside the world.
He drew a magic circle—the next in the series of formation that he used to desent inside the world called - World‑descent-formation—and initiated the ritual.
Once the link formed, he felt both bodies under his control. Although the body inside the world had increased its cultivation by a little, the one outside progressed much faster, focused solely on cultivation with nothing to do but turtle up in the Crystal Palace.
He felt the transfer of power and finally heard the message:
Skills synced to System 0 –
Farming (A)
Eyes of Reprise (S)
Soil Enrichment (A)
Oh wow, that's a big jump when skills sync to the main body. I wonder how this works when this body only has the low‑rank versions.
What will happen when levels sync? I can't imagine the main body getting the exact same levels as this one…
Stepping back into the one‑room house, Alex cultivated until the next morning. After taking a dip in the river, he started moving along the riverbank, hoping it would eventually lead him to some place with people.