--
While looking for something to defend himself and planning his way out, Jiang Dao noticed a black bead nestled in the shadow-drenched corner, half-hidden beneath a coating of dust and debris.
He was drawn to it as he swallowed his saliva unconsciously, the motion audible in the oppressive silence. A strange pull emanated from the obsidian sphere, like gravity itself had shifted to favor this singular object.
He had a strong intuition that he would need this to survive.
Pinching his arm, the sharp pain snapped him back to reality as he stared at the bead with mounting fear. The dim light from the cracked window seemed to avoid touching it, as if even illumination recoiled from its presence. He didn't know what it was, but in this kind of situation, this didn't look good.
This situation reminded him of horror movies where the character takes something that shouldn't be moved, which results in either death or disability.
But after thinking about his current situation, with the metallic taste of blood still coating his tongue and the acrid smell of smoke drifting through the broken walls, he didn't seem to have many choices.
The difference between not picking it up and picking it up was just death now versus death later.
But one choice was something his body desired with certainty.
Damn! Let me trust you this once, my instinct.
Crawling forward through the scattered glass and debris, stretching out his trembling hands, he picked up the bead—feeling its unnatural warmth pulse against his palm like a second heartbeat.
What is this? Jiang Dao thought as he suppressed the gnawing hunger he felt rising from his very core.
Suddenly, Jiang Dao smelled a strange odor like something from a sewer. Even with the rain and blood, it was noticeable.
"It's here!"
Swallowing his saliva, he tried to calm down and analyze where the smell was coming from to begin his escape.
"On the left side, probably on the same floor as me..."
Jiang Dao turned his eyes toward the window but quickly shook his head. This was the third floor—jumping from here might not result in death, but he wouldn't be able to run away if the thing heard the sound.
Replaying his memory, he realized that the best escape path would be to go to the first floor using the stairs, but if in a hurry, he could jump from the second floor.
Clenching the dagger he had picked up from the middle-aged man, he steeled himself and slowly opened the door.
Creak!
Oops! Damn!
Jiang Dao cursed inwardly as he realized he was in trouble.
A low-pitched sound that could send shivers down one's spine rang out from the left.
Opening the door violently, Jiang Dao quickly dashed toward the right as he felt a sense of doom approaching.
Haa! Haa! Faster!
Bypassing obstacles with parkour-like skills and going down the stairs, Jiang Dao was surprised at what he could do under pressure.
Boom!
The sound of something falling, along with slippery movement, echoed behind him as Jiang Dao quickly headed toward the window closest to him and jumped without hesitation.
Crash!
Ah!
Jiang Dao felt pain shoot through his legs, but fortunately, nothing was broken. Without time to think, he quickly got up and ran wildly through the rain. With a speed and focus he couldn't muster even during major exams, he climbed up a mossy wall made even more slippery by the rain.
"Om.."
Haa!
"Haha, I'm safe now... "
Looking at the people in front of him Jiang Dao laughed, but he wasn't careless and quickly got away from the wall, heading toward the bus stop they had taken while coming here.
Beyond the wall was an old neighborhood where very few people were in sight—at most just a few guys sipping coffee at a shop.
"This day is so relaxing "
"Right, It's better here unlike the fast paced life on the city"
"Hmm?"
An older man with white hair was attracted by the sound of falling and was surprised when he noticed it came from that wall.
When he saw someone laughing like crazy with messy clothing full of holes, his pupils shrank as he quickly stood up and ran away from there. Because of the rain and distance, the dried blood wasn't noticed—otherwise, everyone here would have gone running for their lives.
.....
Pat pat...
After a long walk, Jiang Dao finally reached the bus stop and sat waiting. His clothing had changed as he passed by an old clothing store on the way, where an elderly lady worked inside.
The old lady didn't ask what happened or his name—she just did her business.
Now, while waiting at the bus stop, Jiang Dao could finally clarify his thoughts. When he came here, he was greeted with a problem, so he couldn't even think straight.
Feeling his slightly trembling hands, he finally felt it deeply—that he had been reborn in another body. His fair hands were now marked with mud, scratches, and dried blood.
What was that thing?
In his memory, he had never encountered something like that in his whole life.
Searching through his memories—yeah, not even on TV or in the news was there something like that. Only occasionally would he see it on platforms similar to Reddit, Facebook, or TikTok from his previous life. But he had just scoffed it off as editing scams were rampant even here.
But the experience yesterday and today proved that this world was not what it seemed.
Also, how should he face and explain this to his parents? But after thinking about it, Jiang Dao realized he didn't have to worry too much. His parents weren't rich but also weren't poor, and all the money he used wasn't that much—he could still buy two more sets of that equipment with his saved allowance. And his parents fully supported his interests and wouldn't ask him about this. Anyway, as long as his grades were right, nothing would be an issue.
Of course, they had this mentality also because Jiang Dao had a successful older brother working in his business and talented younger sister and brother.
---