Nothing happened.
Minutes passed, but there was no change.
Zane sighed in frustration.
Damn it. I guess it's not that easy.
As he opened his eyes, he noticed the woman placing a bag beside him. It came out of that mysterious ring, making him even more shocked.
Then, with a wave of her hand, she used purple energy to write something on the wooden table from a distance.
His jaw nearly dropped.
She can write from far away using energy?! So this is cultivation… I want to do something like that too!
But before he could process everything, the woman suddenly turned, walked toward the window—
And jumped.
Zane's heart nearly stopped.
But instead of falling—
She flew.
Straight into the sky.
His tiny mouth hung open in disbelief.
They can FLY too?! Just how powerful are cultivators?!
But as awe turned to realization, another thought hit him like a rock.
Wait… Why is she leaving me here?!
His gaze darted toward the money bag and the mysterious text on the table.
Did she abandon me?! He said in baby voice so that's why she wanted to kill me and hearing her babies cry she stopped.
"Did she abandon me?!" he mumbled in a weak baby voice.
"Is that why she wanted to kill me? But hearing her baby cry, she stopped…?"
A bitter laugh formed in his mind.
"Am I some bastard child she had from an affair, so she left me here?"
For the first time since waking up in this world, he felt a strange sadness.
Being born as a bastard really feels different...
But then—
Wait… Who's going to feed me?!
His baby stomach wasn't growling yet, but he knew that newborns needed food every few hours.
I hope whoever she left that message for comes quickly… or I'm screwed.
Hours passed, and no one came. Other than the sunlight streaming through the windows, nothing changed.
Zane was bored. The only thing he could do was stare at the room. His stomach still didn't growl, but an unbearable emptiness spread through his body.
He tried to move, but his tiny limbs were too weak. He could only shift his head slightly.
Am I really going to die like this? Just because no one is here to feed me?
His thoughts grew hazy, and his eyelids drooped as exhaustion took over.
Just as he was about to drift into sleep, something inside him stirred. A strange warmth spread through his body, calming his hunger.
Without knowing how, his body instinctively went into a deep, tranquil state. His breathing slowed, and his tiny chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.
At first, he felt nothing but peace. Then, an invisible energy from the air around him slowly flowed into his body. It was soft, soothing, like a gentle warmth spreading through his veins.
It felt good.
But that peaceful sensation didn't last long.
The lingering white energy left behind by the spiritual stones was almost gone. As soon as it ran out, his body instinctively searched for another source.
Then—
A sharp pain tore through him.
"Ahhh! Aahhh!"
His tiny body convulsed, his soft skin turning red as something wild and violent rushed into his veins.
The energy in this region was harsh burning, scorching, unrefined. Unlike the gentle energy from spiritual stones, this was the raw energy of the environment itself.
Zane's peaceful state shattered, replaced by unbearable agony.
Zane's small face twisted in pain, his tiny hands clenching into weak fists. His golden eyes, filled with distress, welled up with tears as his body trembled.
His body stopped absorbing the energy.
The pain was fading, but the memory of it made his body tense. He didn't want to go through that again.
His mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
I was feeling hungry, then I closed my eyes, and my body… just did something on its own.
He recalled how good it had felt at first, how a warm energy had filled him, soothing his hunger. But then, out of nowhere, the pain had hit him like fire coursing through his veins.
"What changed? Why did it suddenly hurt?"
Then, a realization struck him.
"Is this what my mother was doing when she was meditating? Was she absorbing energy like this? But… she wasn't in pain."
Zane's eyes darted around the room, searching for answers. He thought about the white crystals which his mother had stored in her ring, which emitted a faint white mist.
But now, the mist is gone. Most of it had disappeared over the past hours, and the last traces had likely been absorbed by him.
Realization struck, and frustration welled up inside him.
"Damn it, Mother! You could've at least left me some crystals! Do you really want me to die here?!"
His tiny face twisted in frustration, his golden eyes slightly teary. A helpless anger bubbled inside him. He wanted to scream, to shout, but all that came out were weak baby noises.
He clenched his tiny fists, but his body was too weak to do anything.
—————
After some hours…
Inside the inn, the manager, Luo Han, a middle-aged man with short black hair, a round face, and dark brown eyes, sat behind the counter. He glanced at the stairs leading to the VIP rooms and turned to one of his workers.
"Xiao Rui, did that guest ask for food? It's already night. If not, go check and take their order."
Xiao Rui, a tall young man with short, messy brown hair and gray eyes, nodded. He wore a simple beige tunic, the standard uniform for workers at Blazing Ember Inn.
"Understood, Boss," he replied.
Xiao Rui was just an ordinary staff member, earning 10 silver coins a month, along with food and lodging. He had grown up in Scorchwind City, a place surrounded by dangerous lands filled with monsters.
Leaving the city wasn't easy. The only safe way out was with merchant caravans, which arrived once a month, or having a talent for cultivation.
However, the caravans charged one gold coin per person, guaranteeing protection along the way. As for cultivation, he had no talent for it.
For years, he had dreamed of leaving with his wife and starting a better life elsewhere. Today, he had earned 1 gold coin from an important guest. If he could get just one more, he could finally leave this city.
This VIP guest would be the key to his leaving this city.
With that hope in mind, he climbed the stairs and knocked gently on the door.
"Honoured guest, do you wish to order food? just let me know what you need."