Chapter 43: Dewdrops

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[Singsong Pine]
Type: Wooden Sword
Rarity: Rare (Blue)
Effects:
+15% damage to undead creatures (Sunflare)
+20% damage to snakes and scorpions (Sunflare)
Description:
A specially crafted wooden sword originating from an ancient sect. Its rare material, formed under harsh conditions, grants it significant power against certain types of creatures.
Note:
“Since my apprenticeship began, I have been deeply grateful for my master’s teachings and the support of my fellow disciples. I carry their kindness in my heart. Now, hearing that my homeland suffers under the scourge of serpents and scorpions, with the people in despair, though my strength and skill are limited, I dare not forget the care I have received. Therefore, I humbly request permission from my master to descend the mountain and dispel the demons to bring peace to the people.”
— Li Haoran, Inner Disciple of Bamboo Spring Temple

…

Xia Nan’s gaze paused, a spark of surprise flickering in his heart.

“This… truly is a product from another world!”

At last, the variously styled buildings they had encountered along the way, the cave he now stood in, and even the enormous black serpent within it—all found their explanation.

Though the details remained unknown, there was no doubt: these things originated from an alternate world, utterly distinct from this fantastical realm he currently inhabited.

Moreover, they had somehow integrated into this space in a fragmented form.

Xia Nan felt a surge of relief.

The “attribute panel” cheat code he carried after crossing over appeared only to display information about equipment and items, far less useful than the upgrade and stat-boosting systems he had imagined.

Yet in this reality, it provided immense assistance in countless ways.

Whether it was the decapitation longsword abandoned in the corner of the blacksmith’s or the truth uncovered through the panel’s data.

Without this cheat code’s aid, he might not be completely helpless, but he certainly wouldn’t be as composed as he was now.

Not to mention the seemingly plain wooden sword in his hand—a blue rare item that appeared nothing more than an ordinary wooden sword.

Xia Nan took out the last of his bandages from his backpack and carefully wiped the dust from the sword’s blade.

The wooden sword, previously hidden beneath the sandy soil, gradually revealed its form before him.

About three feet long, a one-handed sword, shorter than the decapitation longsword;
Crafted entirely from dark brown ebony, smooth and warm to the touch. The short, round simple handle melded seamlessly with the blade, free of any embellishments.

By appearance alone, save for its color and some stylistic details, it seemed no different from a typical wooden training sword.

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Only Xia Nan knew that this seemingly ordinary one-handed sword was, in this world, a bona fide enchanted weapon.

He examined the blade closely; after wiping, it bore almost no marks, appearing as good as new.

He then retrieved some hemp rope, purchased before his journey, from his backpack and secured both the wooden sword and the decapitation longsword to his back.

Facing the pale skeleton slumped against the rocky wall ahead, Xia Nan’s gaze lingered, and he sighed silently.

Though there were no other belongings nearby to confirm the skeleton’s identity, the information on his panel allowed him to roughly identify this as Li Haoran, the name inscribed in the notes.

Combined with the massive serpent corpse inside the cave, the sudden surge of snakes and insects in the Misty Forest, and the mention of the “serpent and scorpion calamity” in the notes, a connection emerged.

Yet this righteous soul’s bones had already followed him to this otherworldly realm, buried where he fell.

No one here would recognize him; aside from Xia Nan, few would ever know his story.

Had Xia Nan not agreed to join the half-elf team and ventured into the Misty Forest with them, this man would have lain here alone, accompanied only by the dead serpent that slew him, quietly resting in this rocky cave.

Even if some unfortunate adventurer stumbled upon this place in the future, they would likely be awestruck by the serpent’s size but pay no heed to the skeleton or the seemingly mundane wooden sword.

These thoughts drifted through Xia Nan’s mind.

Finding a way out would not be a matter of moments, and no urgent danger threatened him at present.

His expression shifted slightly as he knelt down, righting the skeleton whose bones had collapsed when the scales were removed, laying it flat on the ground.

Surrounded by rock on all sides, the cave was impossible to dig through.

He gathered stones and piled them over the skeleton until it was fully covered.

Then he drew his dagger from his waist, found a longer stone, carved the name onto it, and placed it at the center of the mound.

Limited by circumstances, this was all he could do.

Though unfamiliar with customs from the other world, given its similarity to ancient civilizations of his previous life, the concept of “resting in peace” likely held meaning.

At least, he had done his part.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he glanced once more at the stone pile in the cave’s corner before looking away.

Now, it was time to find an exit.

Just as he prepared to carefully trace the cave’s edges, the wooden sword he had just secured to his back suddenly radiated a wave of heat.

“Hm?”

Surprised, he instinctively gripped the hilt and drew the sword.

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As if guided by some unseen force, the sword’s tip pointed exactly at the spot where the skeleton had rested.

The rocky wall flickered briefly.

Xia Nan instinctively held the wooden sword in his left hand and gently tapped the wall’s surface.

Hum—

In an instant, the cold, lifeless stone vanished.

In its place appeared a small, exquisite stone chamber.

The faint blue bioluminescent fungi that had grown between the cracks now seemed consciously gathered at the chamber’s ceiling.

The concentrated beam of light shone down like a spotlight.

At the center of the light stood a conical stone ridge entwined by a verdant green vine.

At the vine’s end hung a delicate, small gourd.

Its golden-yellow surface was as pure and translucent as jade, glowing radiantly under the illumination.

Yet all of this, the entire scene before Xia Nan, had become secondary.

At the instant the chamber revealed itself, his entire focus and attention converged on the gourd’s opening—

And the dazzling golden dew drop suspended there, shimmering brilliantly, poised to fall.

“Ding.”

A sound like jade striking jade rang softly in his ears. The dew trembled faintly, as if about to drop at any moment.

Xia Nan instinctively stepped forward, cupping his hands to catch it.

The dew seeped into his skin.

Boom—

Countless illusions twisted before his eyes; the stone walls, vines, and glowing fungi all faded like a receding tide.

A familiar dizziness washed over him once again.

The next moment, Xia Nan found himself standing anew amidst the shrubs and dense forest of the Misty Woods.

Before his eyes, translucent characters of the attribute panel flickered rapidly like a flood of information.