Su Hao's vigilant eyes scanned his surroundings carefully. Not even the slightest rustle of wind or grass could escape his notice—or more accurately, it couldn't escape [Cosmic Light]'s scanning.
But as minutes stretched on, Su Hao's initial caution seemed unwarranted. He had walked the length of several streets without encountering so much as a sign of life. It felt as though he might indeed be the last soul left in this town.
Moving slowly along the wall, Su Hao continued walking, using the last faint light of day. Even the thick calluses on the soles of his feet couldn't keep out the chill seeping up from the ground.
He glanced toward the sky, where faint stars blinked dimly through the dark. Oddly, there was no sign of the moon. Perhaps in this world, night fell without a single glimmer of natural light—a foreboding kind of darkness where you couldn't even see your own hand before your face.
"I need to move faster. If it gets completely dark, I'd be lucky to see anything," he murmured, quickening his pace as he moved further down the winding, empty lane.
After some time, he came upon a small house surrounded by a modest courtyard. From within, a soft rustling reached his ears, vanishing just as quickly as it had begun. He paused, straining to hear, but silence swallowed the sound completely.
"Could there actually be someone here?" Su Hao whispered, unsure if he felt relief or caution. He circled the house, testing for any entry points.
The walls rose high, far out of reach for his small frame, leaving him frustrated and at a loss—until his gaze fell on a small opening near the ground.
A dog hole, just big enough for a child or small animal to wriggle through. An adult wouldn't stand a chance of fitting inside.
Deciding it was his best shot, Su Hao crouched down and pushed his head through the opening, wriggling forward on his belly until he popped through, emerging in the courtyard like a worm.
Standing, he brushed the dust from his tattered clothing and assessed the small yard. Clumps of dried grass lay in disarray, and there, chained to a wall hook, was a large dog. It watched him with wide, fearful eyes, retreating as far back as its chain allowed.
"A big dog?" Su Hao muttered, a sliver of anxiety creeping into his thoughts. The dog was huge, and if it attacked, his undernourished form wouldn't stand a chance. He took a step back, ready to bolt if necessary. But strangely, the dog shrank away from him, trembling.
He paused, curiosity winning over fear. "Why is it… afraid of me?"
The dog's behavior didn't add up. Whatever had instilled such terror in it must have been far more terrifying than a small, scrappy child. Cautiously, he edged around the yard, keeping his distance, until he found a small side door leading to the kitchen.
The door creaked as he pushed it open. He peered inside, and, satisfied that it was empty, slipped in and closed it behind him.
IThe kitchen was dim and cold, with bare counters and simple stone shelves. Spotting a few meager scraps of leftover food on a plate, he wasted no time. The stale bread and hardened piece of root vegetable were far from appetizing, but hunger made them a feast. He devoured the morsels and gulped down a cup of water, the cool liquid washing away the dryness in his throat. At last, his stomach felt full, giving him a small sense of security.
"Looks like I won't starve for now!" he murmured, feeling the food's energy spread through his limbs.
Su Hao knew instinctively that this town held secrets, ones that made its silence so unsettling. He resolved not to risk another venture outside until he knew more.
As he scanned the dim kitchen, his gaze fell upon a large stack of firewood bundled against the far wall. It was just the sort of thing he could use to hide himself.
Without wasting a moment, he worked quickly, dislodging a portion of the firewood and clearing a small crawl space behind the stack.
Once he had made enough room, he wriggled in and pulled the wood back into place, sealing himself into a snug, sheltered nook against the wall.
The darkness of his makeshift shelter was absolute, but it was warm. His body curled up into the small space, and for the first time since arriving in this strange town, he felt a sense of safety.
Fatigue washed over him in waves, each stronger than the last, until it became too heavy to resist. His body, so worn down, finally surrendered to the comfort of rest.
'I'll hide here for now,' he thought dimly, 'and when I'm fit again, I'll figure out what to do next...'
Sleep overtook him in an instant, deep and dreamless, as the unknown town outside remained as silent as ever, shrouded in secrets and shadows.
....
At dawn the next day, the entire city stirred back to life, as if the silence of the previous night had been an illusion.
When Su Hao woke up, he remained still, lying quietly behind the firewood, waiting for the owner of the courtyard to leave.
As for the owner's reaction when they opened the pot and found their food missing, Su Hao had no way of knowing.
When the courtyard finally quieted down completely, he slipped out of his hiding spot, taking a last glance around the kitchen for any remaining scraps before carefully heading out.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
The dog, bound to its post, erupted in a fit of frenzied barking the moment it spotted him. Su Hao gave it a wary look, but it seemed just as it had the previous day—more fearful than aggressive, as if unnerved by his presence.
....
Outside, he paused to inspect his hands. They looked mostly human, but his skin was a shade darker, his nails sharper, almost like claws.
As he stood and made his way down the main road, he saw that the streets were already teeming with people. They were tall, almost all of them towering over him at around 2.3 meters (7.54 feet), their builds a seamless blend of agility and strength.
The main difference was that their ears were pointed, like elves, each adorned with a delicate tuft of white fur, and their eyes—light, greenish-brown with catlike pupils—gave them a uniquely wild elegance.
The women walking by were particularly striking, their graceful forms and refined faces drawing his gaze. Their eyes sparkled with intelligence and vitality, and that tuft of white fur on the tips of their ears added an unexpectedly charming touch.
It wasn't just one or two of them; almost every passerby possessed this arresting blend of beauty and strength.
"This place is a paradise of beauties," Su Hao thought with a bemused shake of his head.
Overall, these people seemed like a mix between trolls and elves: the height and strength of trolls combined with the stunning looks of elves, along with their slightly darker skin tones. It created a surprisingly harmonious aesthetic.
A race that balanced both strength and beauty.
Curious, Su Hao reached up to touch his own ears. They were pointed too, though he lacked the soft tufts of fur at the tips. He was close to fitting in, just a bit shorter and more slender than those around him.
Last night, with the dim lighting, Su Hao hadn't paid much attention to his own appearance. Now, he realized that he had somehow turned into a creature resembling the Mystical elves, and he was both intrigued and amazed.
Before Su Hao could investigate his new body further, a cart slowly passed by.
On the cart was a large wooden barrel, with a pair of bloodstained hands and a foot sticking out over the rim. The hands and foot were stripped clean, reduced to bare bones, as if they had been gnawed on by some terrible creature.
Judging by the structure, the hands and foot clearly belonged to one of this world's people.
Su Hao felt a chill spread through him, but the townspeople continued on, unfazed by the disturbing sight, as if it was a normal part of their day.
Su Hao frowned and watched the cart slowly disappear around a corner.
"The bones… they're fresh," he muttered, a frown deepening on his face. Whoever had met this grisly fate likely hadn't been dead for long.
But it was a bit extreme. Killing people was one thing, but cleaning the bones like they were butchering livestock?
And judging by the size of the barrel, there were likely more inside.
What on earth was going on here at night?
Had the city transformed into something nightmarish as soon as dusk fell? Was it possible that anyone caught outside after dark met some gruesome fate, devoured by creatures that left only bones behind to be carted away with the morning light?
Shaking off the unease, he forced himself to stay practical. "Maybe it's all like a twisted game of hide-and-seek. I'd just have to be better at hiding." He grimaced, picturing the town playing this morbid game of survival each night.
As long as he hid well at night and didn't wander outside, he should be fine. He didn't have enough meat on his bones to be worth eating anyway—who would want to take a bite out of him?
During the day, the townspeople moved freely, trading, chatting, and buying goods from a bustling marketplace. Su Hao took this as a good sign; daylight seemed safe, giving him time to explore and gather essentials. He would blend in as best as possible, look for food, and maybe even find a temporary shelter.
Su Hao made up his mind: he would blend in, act normal during the day, and hide obediently at night.
If he ever wanted to take risks, it would be after he became a Master warrior, where his mastery over runes would shine.
"Right now, I'm short on startup capital. To get my first currency of this world, I'll have to either steal or beg... life is tough," Su Hao sighed. He lowered his presence as much as possible and slowly wandered through the chaotic small town.
Given that he didn't even know the local language, Su Hao couldn't think of any way a three-year-old street urchin like him could survive.
Even begging might not work!
Su Hao lamented his current plight. Once upon a time, even in death, he had managed to maintain a semblance of dignity…