The night on Golden Dragon Peak felt eternal, an endless cold blanket, wrapping me in dense darkness. Every gust of wind was a freezing whip lashing my skin, piercing through the coarse robe from the System that was now my only thin protection. I huddled deeper behind the large boulder, its surface cold and rough, trying to absorb a little warmth in vain; the rock itself felt like an ancient, never-melting block of ice. The dragon's low rumble still occasionally echoed from a distance, a faint vibration that traveled through the ground, up my spine, and resonated in my chest, keeping me awake in gripping fear, as if death could come at any moment. My sleep was only a brief flicker, filled with strange dreams of giant chewing gum chasing me and Mei Lin laughing at me from atop a golden dragon's back, as if fate truly enjoyed playing with me in every dimension.
As dawn began to break, the sky in the east slowly transformed, a mesmerizing light show amidst the horror. From the pitch black that swallowed everything, it faded into a melancholic purplish-blue, like ink bleeding on a canvas, then slowly shifted to a reddish-orange that burned the horizon, promising an unexpected new day. The first light of the sun, though still faint and shy, touched the rock peaks, creating dramatic silhouettes towering amidst the now thinning mist. The mist itself moved faster, swirling in gentle eddies, as if blown by an invisible giant's breath, revealing more details of this hidden ancient landscape. The cold air still bit, making white puffs of breath curl with every exhale, but now there was a hint of hope accompanying it, a promise that I might survive. I had managed to survive the night, an achievement that felt heroic and almost impossible given my pathetic condition.
"System, how's my mission?" I mumbled, my voice hoarse and raspy from the cold and lack of sleep, my throat feeling dry like a desert. Every word felt like grinding sand, painful.
The transparent panel appeared before me, glowing softly under the new dawn light, radiating a mysterious aura.
[Mission: Survive on Golden Dragon Peak for 1 day. Status: Ongoing. Time Remaining: 12 hours 45 minutes 30 seconds.]
[Detection: User's Physical Discomfort Level reached 90%. Gathering Strangeness Points...]
[+8 Strangeness Points.]
"Huh? Even physical discomfort counts as points?!" I let out a long sigh, a deep mix of amusement and resignation. "So, the more I suffer, the richer I get? What kind of system is this, really? Is this some kind of cosmic life insurance for people whose lives are too strange and full of misfortune like mine? This world truly has a cruel sense of humor!" My Strangeness Points were now 15. Enough to buy Emergency Rations again, or maybe Minor Wound Medicine. But I wasn't injured yet, and my rations were still there, even if they tasted like stale, chewed-up shoes.
I slowly rose, every joint in my body stiff and aching, creaking like an old, rusty door about to collapse. I stretched, trying to shake off the paralyzing stiffness, feeling every muscle resist movement. The coarse clothes felt like sandpaper on my skin, chafing with every movement, but at least I wasn't naked anymore, which was a significant improvement in my dignity. I looked down at myself, observing my new body. My "beautiful" face was now slightly pale from the cold, but still, those delicate features made me feel strange, even a little awkward. I'm a man! Why do I have to have a face like this in a new world? Is this part of a larger cosmic joke being played by fate, making me a laughingstock in every dimension?
"Alright, Chen Ming," I mumbled to myself, trying to think clearly amidst the lingering brain fog. "This survival mission isn't over yet. I can't just huddle here waiting for the dragon to come for me and turn me into ash. I have to find a way off this damned mountain before I become a monster's breakfast or freeze into an ice statue to be displayed in the universe's museum of oddities."
I started to move slowly, very carefully, every step on the sharp rocks felt like walking on broken glass, triggering a faint pain. I peered into every rock crevice and behind every lingering wisp of mist, my eyes alert for signs of danger. My surroundings were truly alien and appeared ancient, as if I had stepped back millions of years into the past, into an era where monsters and gods still roamed. The rocks here had strange shapes, as if carved by giant hands with an abstract artistic taste beyond human comprehension. Some of them towered high like natural spires reaching the sky, their surfaces covered with damp dark green moss and bright orange lichen clinging tightly, as if they had been there for thousands of years, silent witnesses to a forgotten era. The air was still cold, but now I could see more clearly the frozen dew clinging to every blade of wild grass and leaves growing in the rock crevices, sparkling like tiny jewels under the dawn light, an ironic beauty amidst the danger.
The spiritual energy in the air felt denser as I moved, as if I was swimming in a pool filled with thick heavenly nectar. It felt strange, yet also slightly refreshing, like breathing the purest air imaginable. I could feel it seeping into my pores, flowing under my skin, although I didn't know how to absorb it, or even what for. On Earth, I only knew about oxygen and suffocating pollution. Here, there was something more fundamental, more alive, an invisible yet tangible force, pulsating around me, promising limitless potential but also unexpected danger.
Rustle! Rustle!
Suddenly, a movement behind a large rock formation in front of me caught my attention. I immediately froze in place, my heart pounding, beating against my ribs like a frantic drum, as if wanting to leap out of my chest. Was it the dragon? Or another smaller but deadly monster, hiding in the mist?
I peeked cautiously, shifting my body little by little, my breath held. Not a dragon. But it was... a rabbit? A giant rabbit. It was almost the size of an adult dog, with snow-white fur that looked incredibly soft and bright red eyes that seemed intelligent, even a little mischievous, as if it could read my thoughts. It was calmly chewing on a leaf, completely unaware of my pathetic and embarrassing presence.
"Monster rabbit?" I whispered, my eyebrows raised high, my expression surely looking very foolish and disbelieving. "This is truly a fantasy world. Even rabbits here look like final bosses in an RPG, ready to drop legendary loot!"
As I peeked, a small stone under my foot slipped, rolled, and hit another stone with a rather loud "click!" in the chilling morning silence.
The giant rabbit instantly tensed, all its muscles tightening in an instant. Its long ears rotated rapidly, catching even the slightest sound, as if it had super hearing. Its bright red eyes spun quickly, searching for the source of the sound. It saw me, huddled behind the rock, with a "beautiful" face and a dazed expression that probably looked very comical, a sight that must have been very amusing to it.
The rabbit... laughed? No, it wasn't human laughter. It was a snorting sound, like a clear and undeniable mockery, followed by a small tremor in its body as if suppressing amusement, as if it was laughing its head off at me. Then, with lightning speed, it darted away, disappearing behind the mist, leaving a trail of dew on the grass it had just stepped on, as if it were a mocking ghost.
[Detection: User successfully amused a low-level spiritual creature. Gathering Strangeness Points...]
[+12 Strangeness Points.]
"What?! Even a rabbit is laughing at me?!" I emerged from my hiding spot, staring in the direction the rabbit disappeared with my mouth agape, feeling utterly humiliated, a shame that burned my cheeks. "I didn't even do anything! Just hid! Why am I always the butt of jokes in this world?! Am I destined to be laughed at by every living creature, from humans to giant rabbits, to the gods in the sky?!"
[Current Strangeness Points: 27.]
[Suggestion: User is advised not to underestimate the intelligence of spiritual creatures. They have a keen perception of auras and intentions. User's aura of strangeness is very prominent, attracting unusual attention.]
I sighed, rubbing my still unfamiliar face, a sense of resignation beginning to creep in. 27 Strangeness Points. Not bad. But this meant I had to be more careful, because it seemed every creature here could detect my strangeness and give me points. Was this a curse or a blessing? It felt like a curse disguised as a blessing, a never-ending joke, a destiny I couldn't escape.
I continued my journey, more cautious this time, every sense sharpened, trying to feel every change around me. I walked along the cliff edge, trying to find a crevice or path that could lead me down this mountain, a faint hope of finding a safer place. The view below the mist began to appear faintly. A vast forest stretching like an endless green carpet, and in the distance, I could see the shadows of other lower mountains, promising a world that might be slightly safer, far from dragon lairs and mocking rabbits.
Suddenly, among the dense rock formations, I found a small cave, almost hidden behind lush bushes and dangling vines. The mouth of the cave was pitch black and narrow, like a gaping maw ready to swallow, but I could feel a warmer draft of air from within, carrying the scent of damp earth and something... strange, something that made me curious. Perhaps there was shelter there from the coming cold night. Or... perhaps it was the lair of another monster even scarier than the giant rabbit, a place full of unexpected dangers.
I hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, considering every risk. Should I enter this unknown darkness? Or continue searching for another path in this dangerous terrain? This one-day survival mission felt like a very absurd test of patience, courage, and luck. And with my strange luck, I was sure whatever was inside that cave would give me more Strangeness Points, whether it was due to danger or a humiliating situation that would occur.
"Alright," I muttered, with a slightly wavering determination but also an irresistible curiosity, a decision that felt monumental. "If life is an adventure, then this cave is the next challenge. Hopefully, there's no dragon taking a nap inside, or at least, I hope they don't have a sense of humor like that rabbit, which could make me die of embarrassment!" I stepped inside, the darkness of the cave slowly swallowing me, and behind me, the morning mist once again enveloped Golden Dragon Peak, as if hiding secrets from the outside world, and from my newly begun, strange destiny.