Briar forest.

Frigid winds bring about a smell tainted with blood. Moonlight pierces through the accumulation of dark clouds, shining over a battlefield.

Numerous figures struggle to survive live amidst a battle.

A bugbear, with a pair of long sharp tusks growing, covered in grey fur, and featuring a face akin to bear; screeches out a piercing howl. Raising his club, the bugbear throws himself against a pair of adventurers.

Wearing a steel vest, one hand grasping a targe, the other a long sword, Keightley rushes onward. A course arm swings the long sword out; a furious chop. An indistinct shimmer. The shoulder of the bugbear was immediately chopped through, splashing forth fresh blood.

Following on, Cliff brandished his great axe, a heavy blow accompanied with angry roar. He calls to another warrior “Edmund!”

He then plunges into the centre of the bugbears, at this location, he is immediately assaulted with the dense smell of blood.

A bugbear meanders over, trying for an attack, hefting his large club. A “Pu” sound is heard, a long sword enters and pieces though the neck --- Weng weng sounds out from the bowstring Carella pulls.

An intense battle, yet brief.

Shortly after, a corpse ridden field.

“A majority of the goblin kind are disgusting, yet these are born naturally gifted soldiers. If it wasn’t for the fact that they lacked armour and suitable weapons, we’d be in big trouble.” Cliff splat out a mouthful of blood, his body had been struck by a large club. Even though he had the protection from leather armour, it still affected his insides.

Raggedly breathing, a burning sensation from the lungs, the body was protesting. The equipped leather armour was in tatters, his great axe seemed to be in critical condition, he wouldn’t be able to brandish it anymore.

“Give me some healing potion.” Knightley threw over a flask of healing potion. It was obvious that the squad wouldn’t contain any sort of magician or priest, those were respectable occupations.

Cliff was somewhat hesitant, yet he didn’t consider the worth of the healing potion for long, he guzzled down the potion.

“Should we give Rumont some?” voiced out Carella, who was unable to endure any longer. Glancing over at a youth on the ground, unconscious, mouth gaping and bleeding from his nose. He had been hit by a cudgel.

“Carella, he’s already dead.” Keightley glanced over at the youth, while speaking.

Carella was silent. In any case, she could tell that the youth wasn’t really dead yet. She thought a bit before saying: “Hey, are we returning to the town of Ricca? We owe about 100 silver coins….”

“Carella, Isaac and Blade have already sacrificed themselves. We need to plan for them, hiring a priest for their remains, care of their family, it all adds up to a large amount.” Keightley responded reluctantly: “Currently, we don’t have any money to return to the town, fortunately…..”

Nothing was said after that word “Fortunately”, there was no need. Who didn’t understand among the 3 survivors?

Rumont was a druid apprentice, he wanted to earn a bit for himself while gaining experience. He had used his identity as an apprentice druid to borrow a large sum in joining the adventure squad. Unfortunately, he was assaulted with three strikes from a bugbear.

“Let’s go, collect up the ears of the bugbears. Even though this wasn’t our mission, it’s still one of the long running guild missions. We can exchange it for a bit of funds.” Keightley was only stumped for short while, before encouraging the others. After all, he was the squad captain, he had quite the responsibilities.

The 3 survivors all took out a small knife. Not fearing the blood and grime, cut off the ears of the bugbears. These were proof of valor.

Shortly after, there was a pair of corpses arranged neatly.

Upon seeing her two comrades, Carella knelt upon the ground. Their faces were distorted, showing dead eyes. They were feeling regret, pain, remorse and unwilling.

Carella was absent minded; she was thinking of past events.

“Let’s cremate, it’ll be the same if we carry their ashes to a priest!” voiced out Keightley, while trembling slightly. From a bag, he pulled out a bottle of strong alcohol. He sprayed it over the corpses and kindling and also drank a mouthful.

A set of flint was brought out by Carella; struck once, embers burst forth. A moment later, a fire was roaring, it lit up the surrounding woodlands.

As the fire burned, the corpses gradually merged amidst the inferno. Keightley was a touch forlorn as he spoke: “This time when we finish our mission, with our good track record with the guild, not to mention that myself has reached level 5 as a fighter. I want spend some cash, making some connections, in the town of Embury, for a position of vice captain of the town guards. While at the same time, we can retire from this adventuring lifestyle.”

Despite the sorrow felt from their comrades deaths, nonetheless, both Cliff and Carella showed a glint in their eyes.

To an adventurer, once you obtained a respectable record and reputation, moving on, you could advance into a position of city guards or even get recruited by some rich noble. A stable government position, the best result one could hope for. That said, Keightley, was reportedly the illegitimate son of the baron of Embury. There could be chance in the future of gaining the title of knight and rising in power.

After 10 years of exhausting combat, a number of hardships, a number of life threatening situations. They could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thinking of this, the 3 felt bittersweet emotions.

Shortly, Carella used 2 small bags in which to store the ashes. Afterwards the trio turned away and left, not paying any attention to ground where the young unconscious Romont laid.

The blaze gradually died down. The woods started to exhibit a gloom. In the far distance, a howl of a wolf could be heard.

All of a sudden, a beam of light fell, illuminating the gloomy branches and leaves. It was a small golden coloured horn. Amidst the small horn, a golden luminance was whirling about. As it was floating about in the air, it eventually noticed the unconscious youth. It immediately flew towards and merged with the body.

Suddenly, the youth’s body was shaking, resisting instinctively, but the golden horn was rapidly gaining in strength. One small golden globe of light was domineering another tiny white coloured spirit, unceasingly consuming it.

“Aahhhhh…. Heavens, you played with me, I don’t acquiesce aaaahhhhhh!” Suddenly, the body jumped up, emitting out an immense roar, an undulation rippling to the surroundings.

If it wasn’t for the fact it was a forest, with nary a man around, this string of Chinese, besides making undulations, would at the very shock a couple of people, it might even disturb the gods.

This youth was dancing about, his arms flailing around. Qian Pin Ji gradually became aware, gasping large breaths.

“Eh, I didn’t die?”

Qian Pin Ji rushed out of the surrounding woods and assessed the surrounding area in the dusk. He saw the area in a complete disarray, the vestiges of a fire, and further out, corpses scattered about.

Seeing this, he felt flustered, immediately sitting down by the bonfire.

Qian Pin Ji attempted to rub his face, in attempts to clear his mind. But upon seeing his hands, he was shocked still. His hands, or more accurately, his current pair of hands, was one he was familiar with.

These were a youth’s hands, rough, coppery in colour, full of callouses, bulky knuckles and full of strength, these hands were huge compared to his original white coloured hands.

Qian Pin Ji was frightened, he was madly looking about. Far off, he saw a creek. He promptly went to it. He used the water’s reflections as a mirror.

Qian Pin Ji discovered that it wasn’t his own face staring, a prominent midline, sunken cheeks, a youth’s face, it wasn’t even remotely oriental in nature. In fact, it was similar to Earth’s Europeans. However, it was indeed young and quite handsome face.

There was an idiom, a scene which recalls past memories, which is to say, that an outside image would help trigger and access long term information. Qian Pin Ji suddenly felt a burst of confusion, a large amount of bizarre and strange memories was flooding his mind.

“I come from the town of Ricca, I’m called Rumont? A shop apprentice, a druid’s apprentice?” Some of his memories weren’t clear, he had a somewhat blank expression. He soon picked himself up: “No, wrong, I’m no Rumont, I’m Qian Pin Ji. Right, I passed though!”

“I am Qian Pin Ji.” He was self-affirming. Somewhat at the same time he thought: “At the same time, I’ve assimilated Rumont’s memories.”

The two were inseparable, mutually accepting each other. Moreover, Qian Pin Ji was leading the unification of the host. As a matter of fact, Qian Pin Ji had comprehensive grasp of the youth’s memories.

“Aahhhh, I crossed over, I didn’t die, what a relief, I’m alive.” as he reaffirmed this fact, he calmed his emotions. In the early years of study, and when he was being educated of society, he understood the significance of acknowledging reality. Simultaneously, he had perused the net of stories of crossing dimensions. He was easily able to accept the fact that he himself had crossed over; 100 percent.

Moreover, more importantly, he was alive!

“On this world, I am Rumont, a druid apprentice!” said Rumont. Pursing his lips out, he studied his current circumstances.

Around him, a long wolf’s howl sounded. This howl sounded over from far off in the woods, bring about a cold and eerie sensation.

The newly reborn Rumont, started trembling, knees weak, was stumped for a period of time. He was then startled when he thought about a certain thing, he promptly started searching: “My Shen Nong horn? Where is it?”

He was heavily relying on the Shen Nong Horn.

Suddenly arriving into this strange world, even if he was a nerd proficient in literature and animation, it was still a situation hard to swallow. If he didn’t have the Shen Nong horn, what could he do?

He suddenly started to feel suffocated. Turning quickly, he ran towards the campfire, even past it and into the midst of the corpses. Regardless of anything, he started searching the ground.

Unknown how much time had passed, he had calmed down. He fell into a tranquil hopelessness. However, it was at this moment, within his mind, an earth shattering idea revealed itself.

Rumont was momentarily silent, he muttered to himself, after a while, without saything anything, his jaw dropped down. Immediately, he stripped himself, sure enough, on his skin, there was a tattoo of the Shen Nong horn.

Shen Nong horn was attached to his body. He felt as if his mind had turned mush. After settling down for a long time, he stretch his hand out to rub the tattoo.

Immediately, a beautiful picturesque landscape kind of spatial region unfolded.

Collecting himself, he quietly observed, he noticed the region was still about 2 mu in size, the small creek was still there. It was still crystal clear and filled with schools of fishes. The environment was filled apple trees, pear trees, peach trees as well as various other plants.

There was a light globe floating at a height of 30 metres. Originally it was similar to a small sun, however, at this moment, it was pitch black, on the verge of being extinguished.

He frightened, Rumont, quickly returned to his body, and opened his eyes. He proceeded to run out of the woods to a glade, basking in the glow of the sun.