“I'm very curious, what sustained you? Was it your tenacious will, or the layers of shackles fate bound upon you?”
“I really like something you said: ‘Only the weak accept fate!’”
“I understand. Interesting.”
… …
“She was right… Every step I took was filled with blood, my power was stolen, and I might be selfish… Do you know! My companions fell one by one, and I rose from their corpses. My hands are already stained with blood, but since I’ve come this far, there’s no turning back! This should end… Don’t you agree?”
Blood flowed on the young man’s skin, and conviction burned in his heart.
“Stand up, with your will.
You and I are the same… only the time and space are different. I hope—you won’t become a second me…”
The golden figure slowly rose from his throne, looking down at the young man, and he raised his hand.
“Finally, look back at your past one last time…”
Human Kingdom—Laitanaai
“Your Majesty, the moon phases are becoming increasingly ominous. I’m afraid a great disaster is coming…” The priest, whose body was hidden beneath a wide wizard’s robe, leaned on a sacrificial scepter over a meter tall and stood beside the King, speaking in a hoarse, faint voice.
“Moon phases?” The King of Laitana Yi sat upright on his throne, looking down at his subjects in the hall, his brows furrowed. “How long ago was it that the moon phases appeared in such a state?”
“Your Majesty, it was mentioned in my master’s scrolls that 400 years ago, such a moon phase appeared, and that time it was…” At this point, the Grand Priest’s voice trailed off.
“What was it?” The King straightened his posture, listening intently.
“It was a Blood Moon…” The Grand Priest’s eyes, hidden beneath his robe’s hood, flickered with a hint of fear.
“Blood Moon?” The King’s expression grew even more solemn. “A catastrophe for living beings, a disaster capable of wiping out a small city?”
“No, this time it might be even more terrifying…”
“How much longer?” The King seemed to have made a decision.
“At least a month, at most forty days.” The Grand Priest replied truthfully.
“Disperse the army, station Knights in every city, and assign at least one mage to each city.” The King finally issued his command after a moment of silence.
“Your Majesty, no!” A minister beside him immediately blurted out upon hearing the King’s order.
“Why?” The King fixed his gaze on the minister.
“I’m afraid other countries have also observed the change in the moon phases. If Your Majesty disperses the capital’s forces, other countries might seize the opportunity…” The minister said anxiously.
“Are they abandoning their cities then… It’s possible… But are my people to suffer the slaughter of the Blood Moon?” The King looked at the sky, as if trying to understand the will of heaven, yet found nothing…
“The Knight Order and the army will both expand recruitment. The military expenses will come from the national treasury.”
“But…”
“No buts! Furthermore, seek help from the Adventurer Association, the Mercenary Alliance, and the Hunter Guild. It will come from the royal family, so you don’t need to worry. However, you nobles had best send some people, otherwise—I don’t know what will happen with the Blood Moon…”
The aging King of Laitana Yi slowly sat up and looked down at his assembled ministers.
When the various nobles saw their King’s expression, all their hairs stood on end. “Understood, absolutely, absolutely!”
… …
Li Fenghuang seemed to have slept, a very, very long sleep. He felt as if the world was twisting into a vortex, with light and darkness as the chaos of this vortex, pulling and tugging him, plunging him into an endless abyss, making his mind struggle and become confused.
“What’s wrong with me?”
Li Fenghuang stood on a street in a town, watching the bustling street, the continuous flow of people, and listening to the noise of the crowd. Everything felt so hazy. Everything here was out of place with his original era; it was an ancient Western style. The people here…
At that moment, Li Fenghuang experienced a species-specific face blindness, as if the faces of all humans looked the same. But soon, Li Fenghuang sharply pulled his thoughts back and realized that everyone around him had Western faces.
“I… How did I get here? Where is this?” Li Fenghuang stared blankly at the street before him, falling into a prolonged daze… He was just in…
Where was it? Li Fenghuang couldn't remember. But what Li Fenghuang could recall were all his experiences before coming to this strange place, yet he couldn't for the life of him remember the reason or process of his arrival here.
He tried hard to remember, to recall, but found that he truly couldn't. And as he searched his mind for memories, a strong stabbing pain and dizziness also appeared in his head.
“Hiss…”
That intense feeling made his head ache terribly. Li Fenghuang gritted his teeth, clutched his head, and vigilantly looked around.
“So noisy, no, I need, I need to find a quiet place…”
Li Fenghuang stumbled through the bustling street, like a drunkard who had consumed alcohol, no, more like someone who had consumed fake alcohol… Finally, at an alley entrance, Li Fenghuang could no longer endure the chaos in his mind and collapsed into the alley.
“Young man, are you alright?” An old peddler saw Li Fenghuang leaning against the wall, slumped on the ground, and went over to ask.
“Young man, you look like a foreigner, with that appearance and clothes. Did you come from out of town and are hungry?”
The old man looked at Li Fenghuang’s appearance.
“But it doesn’t look like it either.”
Although he said so, he still took out a small, hard piece of black bread from his Pregnant, which was his ration for the day.
His hand hesitated for a few seconds in the middle of the bread, then moved to the side, forcefully breaking off a small piece and handing it to Li Fenghuang.
“This is…”
“Eat it, you won’t be hungry after you eat.”
The old man also couldn't help but break off a small piece of black bread, put it in his mouth, and ate it with relish.
“Thank you, but no need, I’m not hungry.” Li Fenghuang glanced at the old man, and then the world seemed to become chaotic again like a kaleidoscope.
“Hey, old man, taxes!”
A middle-aged man with a Western face stood at the old man’s stall, violently knocking on the old man’s simple, worn wooden cart with his hand.
“Where is this?” Li Fenghuang came back to his senses from his daze, and his mind gradually cleared, but there seemed to be some force still influencing his thoughts, like the murmurs that linger in one’s mind after waking from a deep dream, but upon closer listening, there was no trace.
Li Fenghuang carefully surveyed his surroundings, and it was as he had seen before: indeed, all the surrounding buildings were ancient Western architectural structures, and all the people on the street also had Western faces. Judging by their clothing, they looked like medieval Western attire from several hundred years ago.
“Where is this?”
Li Fenghuang muttered to himself.
“This is Buweier Town. What’s your situation? You don’t look like a local. Do you have any identification?” The man smiled, looked up, and glanced at Li Fenghuang, his gaze lingering on his face for a few seconds, as if trying to ascertain Li Fenghuang’s background.
“No, I don’t.”
“You don’t have any identification? From the Adventurer Association, Hunter Guild, or Magic Temple, any would do.” The man probed.
“No…” Li Fenghuang answered, while thinking to himself that, based on his previous reply, it seemed this world must contain extraordinary powers.
“None? Then we’ll have to arrest you and interrogate you properly…”
“You…” Just as Li Fenghuang was about to question the man, he felt his sleeve being gently tugged a few times.
It was the old man who had been next to him. He slightly tugged Li Fenghuang’s sleeve and whispered in his ear, “Young man, don’t be impulsive. You’re a foreigner, and it’s your first time here. As long as you pay some taxes, these adults won’t make trouble for us.”
The man didn’t refute the old man’s words; instead, he showed an expression that said ‘you know what’s good for you’ and waited there for Li Fenghuang’s next move.
Li Fenghuang shook his head, “But I really don’t have any money.”
“You can’t even pay taxes. It seems truly necessary to lock you up for a few days.”
Before Li Fenghuang could say anything else, two Soldiers in light armor emerged from the alley entrance and immediately arrested the bewildered Li Fenghuang on the spot.
“No, listen to me, I really…”
No matter how Li Fenghuang explained, the two Soldiers ignored him. One of the Soldiers even kicked him because of his nagging.
“Damn it…”
Li Fenghuang stumbled from the kick, almost falling to the ground, but what could Li Fenghuang do now? These two Soldiers had real weapons, and he hadn't even figured out basic information. He could only swallow his anger and accept his fate.
And the man who had initially entered the alley to collect taxes seemed to have quickly finished collecting taxes from all the stalls in that alley and was now slowly walking behind the two Soldiers.
【Host: Li Fenghuang (Level 1)
Current Rage: 50/100 (Increasing)
Adrenaline: 0
Health: 100
Defense: 0
Strength: 0
Attack: 0 (+5)
Mana: 20
Movement Speed: 15
Health Regeneration: 1/s
Mana Regeneration: 1/s
Skills: None
System Backpack: Copper Shortsword (Damage: 5), Copper Axe, Copper Pickaxe, Copper Coin * 10】
As Li Fenghuang was being escorted, several lines of text appeared in his mind.
“This is… terraria? And it’s Calamity?” Li Fenghuang suddenly realized the situation.
Shouldn’t this panel be game data? Why am I here? And how do I go back?
In the real world, Li Fenghuang still had family and friends. Over a decade in the real world, things he couldn't let go of had long existed. Li Fenghuang was not like the characters in other novels he had read, who could abandon everything without a care. At this moment, Li Fenghuang felt no joy or curiosity, because he simply couldn't accept suddenly arriving in a strange and unfamiliar place, even though it was terraria…
Well, although this terraria has jailers and no jade… *cough cough*, it's a pity. But at least this terraria doesn't have any big canned armies asking you if you're loyal. If they ask, just say you're loyal, but just don't go…
But why would someone pull me into terraria for no reason? Don’t I have family and friends?
No, absolutely not, I must find a way to leave!
Li Fenghuang thought this all the way, and also looked back at the alley he had just been in. He should be able to return there, right…
And so, Li Fenghuang was escorted by the two Soldiers until they arrived before a Knight wearing full armor, who clearly looked like a captain.