The rhythmic creak of the wooden wheels and the dry smell of grain sacks filled Han Sen's senses. Dust coated the back of his throat, grittier than the mountain ash. He stayed huddled in the corner of the cart, his fingers subtly tracing the warm, invisible shape of Nixi on his shoulder.
He could feel Qin Xuan's gaze. It wasn't the predatory look of the Deacon; it was a weight: a cold, analytical pressure that felt like a needle trying to find a crack in his armor.
"The Cinder Peaks are not a place for the Level 1," Qin Xuan said, her voice drifting from the front of the wagon. She didn't turn around. Her back was straight, her blue robes fluttering in the dry wind. "Most Level 20 warriors don't come back from those woods."
"I was lucky, Lady Qin," Han Sen replied. He kept his voice soft and shaky. "I found a cave. I didn't move for two days."
He felt the subtle vibration of a snort from the guards riding alongside. To them, he was a coward who had survived by hiding like a rat. That was exactly what he wanted them to believe.
[HP: 6/10]
[Mana: 12/12]
His health was recovering, but he was still one stumble away from disaster. As the caravan rounded a bend, the stone walls of Willow Creek appeared. The city was a fortress, built to keep the beasts of the peaks out and the "trash" in their place.
A long line of travelers waited at the gate. At the front stood a stone pillar glowing with a faint, blue light: an Appraisal Monolith. Every person entering the city had to touch it. It was the law.
"Levels and names!" a gate guard barked. He wore heavy iron plate and carried a Level 25 badge.
Han Sen felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. If he touched that stone, it would show his Level 1 status. That was fine. But he didn't know if the stone would react to his Infinite Skill Points or the hidden Phoenix on his shoulder.
[Skill Selection: Basic Deception]
[Allocating Skill Points: 200,000]
[Basic Deception has evolved into: False Reality (Max Level).]
As the caravan reached the front of the line, Han Sen stepped down from the wagon. He felt the heavy, dismissive gazes of the city guards. To them, he was just more filth clinging to the bottom of the merchant's boots.
"You. Level 1 brat. Touch the stone," the guard commanded.
Han Sen placed his hand on the cold surface. He focused his mind on the [False Reality] skill. He didn't try to look strong. He made the stone see exactly what the world wanted to see: a weak, empty shell.
[Name: Han Sen]
[Level: 1]
[Mana: 5]
[Status: Commoner]
The guard laughed, a sharp, mocking sound that drew the attention of the surrounding travelers. "Level 1 and a mana pool of 5? You're barely a person, kid. Move along before you get stepped on."
Han Sen bowed his head and hurried past. He felt the sting of the mockery, but his heart was cold and still. He had bypassed the city's greatest security with a flick of his mind.
Qin Xuan watched him walk away. Her eyes narrowed, her fingers tapping against the hilt of the jade dagger at her waist. She had seen thousands of Level 1s, but none of them walked with the silent, balanced grace Han Sen had displayed for a split second when he stepped off the cart.
"A rabbit hiding in a wolf's den," she whispered to herself.
Han Sen didn't stop until he reached the crowded, narrow streets of the Slums. He needed a place to hide, a place to feed Nixi, and a way to turn his boar meat into silver.
He turned into a dark alley, the smell of rotting vegetables and stale smoke filling the air. He was back in the world of men, but he wasn't the same boy who had left it.
He looked at his 10 HP. He was still a glass cannon, but the fuse was already lit.
"First, we eat," he whispered to the invisible bird. "Then, we start taking back what they stole."