Chapter 21: Strange Oasis
He stepped out of the car, ignoring the stares, and turned to thank the maid. But before he could say a word, she closed the door and drove off without so much as a glance back.
"Well, that's one way to say goodbye," Lin Mu muttered, his eyelids twitching with irritation.
The neighbors' gazes followed him as he walked toward his house. He could feel their curiosity burning holes into his back, but he didn't care. He was too tired to deal with their prying eyes or intrusive questions.
Once inside, he let out a long breath and sank onto the couch. The quiet of his home was a stark contrast to the grandeur of the manor he had just left. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax, but his thoughts quickly turned to the system.
"System," he called out, his tone laced with frustration. "Any ideas on what I'm supposed to do now, how should I deal with this scenario?."
The familiar voice of the system chimed in, its tone as detached as ever.
«[The only thing you can do is become stronger, only the weak are preyed upon...]»
Lin Mu groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Of course you'd say that. You're useless, you know that?"
The system didn't respond, and Lin Mu sighed in defeat. Feeling restless, he stood up and made his way to the small room he had designated for his training.
Closing the door behind him, he asked the system to send him to the Broken Star Dimension: Blood red Dessert.
• The familiar sensation of being pulled into another world washed over him, and moments later, he found himself standing in the blood-red desert once again.
The oppressive heat and endless dunes stretched out before him, but Lin Mu welcomed the harsh environment. Here, he could push himself to the limits, free from the complications of the outside world.
Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath. "Since it's come down to this, the only option left is to just get stronger...." he muttered to himself, determination burning in his eyes. " Once I get strong enough, I'll make sure no one ever dares to push me around."
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The familiar disorienting sensation of being transported through the Broken Star Dimension washed over Lin Mu, yet for some reason he felt a bit refreshed.
But as his surroundings solidified, his exhaustion turned into disbelief. He found himself standing just a few dozen meters away from a pristine oasis shimmering under the oppressive red sky. The sight of the lush greenery and clear water in this desolate Blood-Red Desert was almost too surreal to believe.
"Did I just get lucky for once?" Lin Mu muttered under his breath, rubbing his eyes as though he expected the oasis to vanish like a mirage.
He couldn't help but chuckle softly, a rare moment of relief washing over him. "Finally, some good fortune. Maybe this blasted dimension isn't out to kill me every second after all."
Taking cautious steps forward, Lin Mu felt a growing anticipation. "This could be my chance to replenish myself. Water, shade, food, exactly what I need to recover and strategize." But as he drew closer, a sudden flicker of movement near the water's edge halted him in his tracks.
" Something's there?!."
He quickly dove behind a large, jagged rock, peeking around its edge. His eyes widened as he saw two figures standing by the oasis. At first glance, they looked human. Their slender frames and bipedal stance were all too familiar. But as Lin Mu observed them closer, he noticed their dark skin, a striking mixture of blue and indigo, shimmering slightly under the dim light. Their aqua-colored hair cascaded down their backs, swaying lightly with the breeze. And then there were the details that set them apart, the pointed tips of their ears, the sharp feline curve of their teeth, and the lion like tails swishing lazily behind them.
"What the hell...?" Lin Mu whispered, his heart racing. "They're not monsters... but they're definitely not human either."
The system, silent since his arrival, chose this moment to speak. "It amuses me to say, but for once you are correct. These beings are not monsters. They are classified as 'Sentient Species,' similar to humans in intelligence and societal structure."
"Sentient Species?" Lin Mu repeated, his brow furrowing. "So, what?, your saying this place has its own civilizations too?."
«[Of course it does, did you really think that your primitive human species where the only living race in this universe with some substantial level of IQ.]»
" Hey I just asked for a question, not an obvious roast..." Lin Mu said, his face now clearly annoyed.
" If you knew so much about this, then why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"
«[You did not ask.]»
Lin Mu rolled his eyes. "Of course. Typical system response. I swear you only help when it's the least bit convenient."
Despite his frustration, Lin Mu couldn't tear his eyes away from the two beings. They appeared feminine, their movements graceful as they filled some fleshy containers with water from the oasis.
' What on earth is that?.' Lin Mu wondered, his gaze focusing on the skin bags they were using to collect water.
«[Those are Beast skinned bags.]»
«[They were adopted by the locals of this desert due to its cheap cost of production and durability.]»
"....your kidding, isn't that a bit sickening?. Don't they have a canister or something?."
«[....]» The system simply groaned in irritation before turning silent as if she couldn't be bothered to reply.
"Huh?, what's wrong?." Lin Mu asked but she didn't even utter another word. Since she didn't say anything else, he decided to just focus his gaze on the duo in the distance.
Their clothing was decorated with some nice embroideries and sown perfectly to match their body structures. From the looks of it, it's made from some kind of rough fabric.
"Sentient beings huh..…well they do look normal?."