"Who? Who's talking?"
The sudden voice startled Jaxon, making him jump out of bed. He nervously scanned the small room, but there was no sign of anyone.
"Is it just a hallucination?" After confirming that the room was empty, Jaxon lay back down, though his face still wore an expression of uncertainty.
"Hey, where's the ring?"
As Jaxon lay down, he suddenly realized that the gray ring on his hand had vanished. It had been there just moments ago, but now it was gone.
"No, wait, it's still on my hand!" Jaxon was surprised to find that although he couldn't see the ring, he could still feel it on his finger, with the familiar texture intact.
So the ring had turned invisible?!
This was getting really strange.
Jaxon realized that ever since he had encountered that beggar-like man, weird things had been happening around him constantly.
He couldn't keep the ring!
This bizarre ring was too unsettling, and Jaxon was even more determined to take it off and throw it away.
However, as soon as his other hand touched the ring, everything went black. He couldn't see anything, and he felt a sense of weightlessness.
When Jaxon's vision returned, he found himself in a completely different environment.
Just moments ago, he had been in his small rental room. Now, he was standing in an open field, surrounded by thatched cottages, with a forest not far away and several mountains in the distance.
"What... what's going on?" Jaxon stared at his surroundings in disbelief, feeling like his brain had crashed. "Where am I?"
Instinctively, he rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again, everything remained the same.
"Big brother, big brother, the village chief called for you."
Just as Jaxon was wondering if he was dreaming, a little kid with pigtails, a runny nose, and chubby cheeks came up to him, tugging at his clothes and looking at him curiously.
"Village chief?" Jaxon asked, puzzled. He squatted down and looked at the child. "Hey, kid, where am I?"
"This is our village," the child, who looked about five or six years old, replied innocently.
"Do you know how I got here?" Jaxon asked.
The child shook his head blankly.
"Alright, take me to your village chief then," Jaxon decided. He figured that asking a child wouldn't get him anywhere, and maybe the village chief could provide some answers.
"Okay," the child agreed and happily led the way.
The village wasn't large, and they soon arrived in front of an elderly man.
"Grandpa Chief, I'm here!" the child called out cheerfully upon seeing the old man.
Huh, this village chief looks somewhat familiar, especially those eyes. They seem like I've seen them somewhere before.
Suddenly, it hit Jaxon like a bolt of lightning. He pointed at the village chief and exclaimed, "It's you?!"
The village chief standing in front of Jaxon was none other than the "beggar" who had eaten for free at his stall last night!
Only last night, the "beggar" had been disheveled and dirty, with an unrecognizable face. But now, this man was dressed in a long robe, with a ruddy complexion and a spirited demeanor, looking like a wise old sage. If it weren't for the eyes, Jaxon might not have recognized him at all.
The two appearances were just too different.
"Haha, I didn't expect you to recognize me at first glance," the old village chief admitted without denying it.
"I'll haha you to death!" Jaxon retorted rudely. "Come on, pay up! You ate and ran! Do you think I won't call the police on you?"
"I left you the ring, and you still have the nerve to ask for money?" The village chief seemed even angrier than Jaxon, his eyes bulging like light bulbs as he glared at him.
"Speaking of the ring, that's what makes me furious," Jaxon said without fear. "Your lousy ring, worth a few hundred bucks? I can buy a plastic one for fifty cents at a street stall that looks better than yours. Stop wasting time and pay up. Don't try to pull any tricks."
"You're driving me crazy!" the village chief fumed. "Do you have any idea what material that ring is made of? It's... You wouldn't understand anyway! In short, it's worth more than you can imagine, and you say it's not as good as plastic?!"
"Keep spinning your tale," Jaxon said with a smile. "If it's so valuable, then take it back. I just want my 360 yuan.
"As he spoke, Jaxon extended his hand, signaling for the village chief to take the ring off his finger. He was actually relieved that the village chief was willing to take it, as he had been struggling to remove it.
"If it weren't for the fact that only you can wear this ring, I wouldn't have given it to you," the village chief said indignantly.
"A lousy ring, and you're making it sound so mystical," Jaxon dismissed.
"This ring has the ability to transport you through space. Without it, would you be here?" the village chief explained.
Hearing this, Jaxon was taken aback. He had originally come to ask the village chief why he was here and where he was. But upon seeing the "familiar face," he had forgotten his original purpose. Now, reminded by the village chief, he remembered.
"Yeah, I was about to ask you that. Where am I? Why am I here? I was just in my room. Did you do something to me?" Jaxon asked, scrutinizing the village chief. "Are you a magician? Did you make all this?"
"I'm not a magician. The reason you're here is because of the ring on your finger!" the village chief said.
"Ring?" Jaxon instinctively looked at his finger. He couldn't see anything, but he was certain that he was still wearing a ring.
Could it be that this piece of junk from a street stall really had some magic to it?
"Indeed, this ring was bestowed upon you by the gods. I was merely the one tasked with delivering it to you," the village chief said.
"Gods? What nonsense?" Jaxon asked, puzzled.
Hearing Jaxon's instinctive response, the village chief shuddered and quickly looked around. Seeing nothing amiss, he said sternly, "The gods are omnipresent and omnipotent. You must show respect.
"However, Jaxon inwardly scoffed at his words. Having grown up in an environment where atheism was the norm, he didn't believe in gods or ghosts. The village chief's behavior seemed overly superstitious to him.
"What's so special about this ring? And why did you give it to me?" Jaxon asked.