Upon closer inspection, Xiao Ping felt that the flower he had picked yesterday was not ordinary at all—it might be something supernatural. So, he wasn't shocked by the insects' irrational behavior.
It seemed as though it was repelling anything trying to climb it, which increased his fears and confirmed that it possessed powers he didn't understand. Therefore, he didn't want to touch it again, as it didn't bode well in his eyes. He had realized several things from the entity's words, one of which was, "Do not interfere with something beyond your power," and to ignore it entirely. Curiosity would not help him if he died or suffered another fatal injury like the person buried before him.
The effects of his transition to this other world were beginning to show. He felt that his personality had been influenced by this world and had changed significantly compared to his place on Earth.
He wanted to say something to the buried man, but seeing the strange behavior of the flower, he no longer felt like speaking.
So, he turned to leave and head to the city whose name he didn't even know. But a vision flashed in his eyes—he was about to be attacked from behind. Terrified, he looked back and saw a silver thread connected to the sky-blue flower moving rapidly toward him. He barely managed to dodge it.
"Whoosh!"
The silver thread grazed Xiao Ping's left cheek, leaving a scratch.
The thread continued forward until it hit the old hut door, but there was no explosion or sound.
Xiao Ping looked toward the hut and saw a small hole in the door. His eyes widened in shock as he realized that if he hadn't avoided the treacherous attack, he would have died with a pierced head.
But to his amazement, he had been able to predict the attack before it was even executed. This proved that he truly possessed powers. Thanks to the silver thread, he could see the attack's trajectory.
However, the flower didn't stop with just one attack. It continued sending invisible attacks at Xiao Ping, which he dodged with difficulty at times, sometimes rolling to avoid them.
As he avoided many attacks invisible to ordinary people, he danced around like a madman, but he didn't care—if he didn't act this way, he might actually die.
So, he ran to grab one of the wooden planks lying on the ground and threw it toward the sky-blue flower. But at the same time, the flower launched an attack. The attack pierced through the wooden plank, slightly deflected, and hit Xiao Ping's right shoulder.
"Hah!" Xiao Ping let out a sound of disbelief and looked at his right shoulder, where blood was beginning to seep out. There was a small, circular hole the size of a human finger in his shoulder.
"Arghhhhhhhhh!" He let out a painful scream from his mouth as he held his left shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.
But the flower didn't let him rest and sent another, stronger attack toward Xiao Ping, who was screaming in pain, targeting his head.
Xiao Ping realized that if he didn't avoid this attack, he would surely die. But it was too late—the attack was only a few steps away from his head.
Then Xiao Ping remembered the entity's words about his power: he could sever energy from an opponent momentarily. That's what he did. He focused and said, while watching the silver thread approach him, "Sever!"
As he spoke, something extremely fast appeared and cut the silver energy thread for a moment. Xiao Ping seized the opportunity, rolling to the right just as the energy thread reconnected and moved, piercing through several massive rocks on the mountain.
After that, the flower stopped attacking. Its petals drooped downward, and it could no longer stand upright. The insects then attacked it, but Xiao Ping intervened, quickly grabbing it along with a handful of soil. He dug a hole near the front of the hut and placed it there.
At that, the insects did not pursue the flower. Instead, they burrowed into the grave and disappeared inside.
Xiao Ping then realized why the insects had been attacking the flower earlier. It had taken some of the will of the power-wielder and was defending him from insects and any intruders approaching. That's why it had attacked Xiao Ping earlier.
Xiao Ping saved the flower because he believed it might have some intelligence and would remember his rescue, repaying him by protecting the hut from any unwelcome intruders and strangers.
But when he looked at it, it seemed drained, as if on the verge of death. However, there was still some residual power when Xiao Ping looked with his essence eyes.
Using this skill, he could see energy in all its forms and momentarily sever its source because he was only at Level One. But it was considered a very good skill for battles. As the entity had told him, his ability was not combat-oriented now but a silent control of power.
This didn't occupy his thoughts, though. What worried him was what if the flower attacked him while he was asleep or when he wasn't fully conscious? Wouldn't that mean death?
But he wasn't worried because the flower's condition was very poor, and it would need a few days to recover. He decided to take care of it, hoping it would trust him. Surely, he would be able to do many things with its power in the future.
After sorting out his thoughts, he looked at his right shoulder and saw that the pain had lessened, and his body was healing quickly from the wound.
"It seems this is one of the abilities power-wielders gain... Hmm, not bad at all. Now it's time to go to the city first."
Saying this, he brushed off his clothes to remove the dirt, but he left the bloodstains on the white shirt. He looked from the back of the hut toward the village at the foot of the mountain. He could see people working actively in their fields and children playing around the houses. Xiao Ping smiled warmly, but he soon remembered what that woman from the village had said to her son earlier, causing his smile to turn icy cold. The entity's words echoed in his mind.
As he circled the hut and walked among the trees dripping with dew, emitting a dripping sound, the path was circular, winding around the back of the hut and descending along a dangerous, zigzagging route. If he wasn't careful, he could fall and suffer a serious injury. So, Xiao Ping walked slowly, watching the village gradually approach.
Not literally—he was approaching it, but in his frustration, he could only describe it that way. When he reached the outskirts of the village, he felt an aura of absolute hatred directed at him.
The villagers, including Amelia, were watching him from windows. Some were washing clothes, others were fixing their hut roofs, but Xiao Ping paid no attention. Instead, he grabbed the front of his hunting cap, pulled it down to cover his green eyes, and ignored all the stares. He walked calmly through the village huts without looking back even once.
"Tsk tsk, just an outcast child daring to ignore us? Who does he think he is?" Upon seeing Xiao Ping's behavior, the villagers could only complain and curse.
"You're right, he's a rude and desperate child. He was screaming daily, and when he stopped, he came down as if nothing happened," another replied to her comment.
The villagers' shouts echoed behind Xiao Ping, but he ignored them all. He reached the end of the village and continued descending until he reached the villagers working in the fields. Similarly, he ignored their sarcastic comments and complaints about being ignored.
As he walked along the path between the fields, he saw thick smoke rising into the sky. He focused his gaze and saw a city surrounded by massive walls, emitting polluted factory steam. He also saw a giant gate outside which many wooden horse-drawn carriages were stationed, and some people were standing in a long queue.
Xiao Ping continued walking for half an hour before reaching the giant gate. He stood in line like the others, pulled his cap down again to cover his eyes, and waited as the queue gradually shortened one by one. When it was his turn, he stepped forward to enter, but a guard standing 1.5 meters tall, dressed in medieval knight attire with a sheathed sword at his waist and light brown beard—likely middle-aged—stopped him and said in a hoarse voice, "Peasant, show me your ID card. If you don't have one, return from where you came. If you refuse, I won't hesitate to use force. Who knows, I might break a leg or an arm of yours." A malicious glint appeared in the guard's eyes behind his helmet.
Hearing the guard's comment and clear threat, the people behind Xiao Ping began trembling, afraid of the guard. Some even shouted at Xiao Ping to step away from the queue, fearing the guard might break their limbs along with his.
But Xiao Ping stood firmly before the guard, his green eyes showing no fear at all. He looked around and saw some people trembling and others shouting at him, but he didn't care. He reached into his pocket, took out the ID card he had picked up earlier, and showed it to the guard.
Upon seeing the ID card, the guard said, "You are permitted to enter." Xiao Ping entered under the stares of the people around him. He had caused a commotion because of the guard, but he didn't care.
Once inside, he heard a child no older than ten calling out loudly, "News! Her Highness, the Third Princess Sanolina, will pass through Monarco Street in the western part of the city today. She and her guard procession will pass by."
"A princess's procession?! Hmm, that sounds interesting, but I don't want to see a spoiled princess's show," Xiao Ping snorted when he heard this, but he felt a sharp pain in his head.
"Is this one of the effects of using my power? Damn, not now," Xiao Ping grumbled as he held his head and pressed down hard on his cap.
...
From atop a watchtower, a person wearing a round hat and a black coat stood. His brown hair played in the wind blowing over the tower. His deep gray eyes watched the person clutching his hunting cap like a madman, seemingly suffering from something.
"Did she kill him, Lorena, or is she lying? I don't think an ordinary person would survive her skills unless he had something to protect the soul and revive it after death," the person spoke while looking at Xiao Ping.
"Yes, sir, we confirmed it that day. He is very ordinary—he didn't react like those affected by V-0. They would undergo pain and suffering, but he died when it entered his heart directly without any resistance," replied a person beside him dressed entirely in black except for his eyes.
"Hmm, but why do I see him alive and well? And he's even come to the city. It seems he has something to do here. Keep a close watch on him," the person in the coat replied coldly.
"Understood, sir," replied the person in black, disappearing quickly.
"Young man, it seems I will visit you soon..." the person remarked, gazing intently at Xiao Ping, who was leaning against one of the trade carriages.
~ End of Chapter, To Be Continued...