Bao Chen walked home like a defeated, sickly general, his steps heavy with exhaustion. His stomach churned, the urge to vomit clawing at his throat, but disgust, anger, and a trace of embarrassment kept it down.

As he pushed open the door, he immediately began searching for a piece of cloth. Finding one, he wiped his hands clean, though the feeling of filth still lingered beneath his skin.

He then made his way to a small wooden chest, rummaging through it for a change of clothes. His movements slowed when he realized there were only two sets.

"Only two?" he muttered.

His gaze lingered on them, and as he reached out, he hesitated. One outfit looked too feminine, and the other was too big for him.

A memory surfaced—these clothes belonged to his parents. His mother had died in childbirth, and his father had succumbed to a snake bite. The weight of the memory pressed against him, stirring a quiet sorrow.

He shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on the past—it had already come and gone.

Choosing the larger set of clothes, he turned to leave, but something caught his eye. A knife.

He hesitated. His fingers hovered over the worn handle before he finally reached out and took it.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Without another thought, he stepped outside, heading toward the river.

By the river, Bao Chen removed his clothing and neatly arranged his clean garments on a nearby branch. Looking at his reflection in the water, he saw black hair and brown eyes staring back at him.

"This really is another body... my eye color is different now. And my eyesight—I don't need glasses anymore, but only problem is this body is too skinny, well it's no problem with time it will be better," Bao Chen murmured, a faint smile forming on his lips.

Unbeknownst to him, a subtle touch of gray lingered in his irises.

Adopting a Zoro stance, he placed the knife in his mouth, keeping his hands free. He wasn’t about to risk his safety just for a quick rinse.

Wading into the ice-cold water, he shivered but moved quickly, scrubbing himself to stave off the chill. Suddenly, something cold brushed against his leg.

Instinctively, he slashed at it like a flash of lightning. A pool of blood burst forth, flowing against the river’s current before abruptly stopping.

A mechanical voice rang out:

[The Host killed a green-scaled fish. +3 system points.]

Bao Chen froze. Then, his shock gave way to excitement.

"So killing creatures gives me system points?" he muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

He grabbed the fish and carried it onto the shore. After finishing his bath, he retrieved his soiled clothing and washed them before heading home.

Once inside, Bao Chen set everything down and sank onto his bed, reflecting on the day's events and the information he had gathered.

1. The simulation hadn’t been entirely accurate—he hadn’t encountered anyone mentioning his friends as it had predicted.

[You learned that Uncle Wong and a friend helped you when you collapsed, and you decided to buy them some food as a token of gratitude.]

But that hadn’t happened—

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room. Bao Chen turned toward the door, his eyes filled with worry.

"Who is it?" he asked cautiously.

"It's me," came a familiar voice.

Bao Chen instantly recognized it—his cousin. A childhood friend, now distant. They had stopped talking after his cousin started a family.

He hesitated.

"What brings you here so late?" Bao Chen asked.

"I heard you passed out, so I came to check on you," the voice outside replied.

Bao Chen let out a breath, At first, he had assumed something bad had happened. He reached for the door but hesitated—wasn’t it always in movies that bad things happened when people didn’t check who was outside first? Monsters, killers... but he quickly dismissed the thought

It was evening, but that didn’t mean the world had gone silent. There were still people outside.

Taking comfort in that thought, he finally opened the door—and saw…