De-Reece awoke with a start, still hurt. While he was in a better condition than before, he could feel the ache in his muscles and the sharp sting of his wounds. His stomach grumbled a painful reminder that rest alone wouldn't keep him alive. As he stretched against the hard bark of the tree, the events of the previous night came flooding back.
"I guess I should try meditating again," he muttered, voice hoarse. "It did help a little last night."
Closing his eyes, he focused inward, recalling the limited knowledge of cultivation he had pieced together from the wuxia novels he once devoured back on Earth. He guided the wild energy through his body once more, retracing the paths he had carved open the night before. It was like running a stream through rocky terrain — rough and jagged, but slowly, the flow smoothed.
He visualized the meridians — the invisible channels that carried qi — starting from the dantian below his navel. From there, he willed the energy upward, toward his heart node, then branching out along the arms and legs, retracing the path he had carved the night before. The energy gathered at the yangwei point near his left shoulder, the only meridian he had managed to force open so far. The sensation was a dull throb at first — like pressing a bruise — but as he pushed the energy through again and again, the flow grew smoother, reinforcing the fragile channel. It was like widening a narrow stream, solidifying the connection bit by bit.
Half an hour passed. The changes were small, but noticeable. His body almost seemed to have a sheen to it though he noticed inwardly. The constant throb of pain dulled ever so slightly, and his bleeding had slowed basically stopping. It wasn't true healing — not yet — but it was a start.
The world wouldn't wait for him to master this power.
He needed food.
Gritting his teeth, De-Reece began his descent from the tree, carefully following the path he had carved into the bark the night before. His ears twitched at a new sound — the soft, steady trickle of water.
A stream.
"Maybe I can find something to eat there," he thought aloud, his voice a rasp against the quiet forest.
The forest was a different world in the morning light. The trees, massive and ancient, seemed to glow a deep ruby red — something he hadn't noticed during his frantic struggle for survival the night before. He ran his fingers along their bark as he walked, marvelling at their strange beauty.
When he finally reached the stream, its water clear and running lazily over smooth stones, he crouched and took a cautious sip. The cold liquid soothed his dry throat and washed away the metallic taste of blood.
But water wasn't enough.
His gaze shifted to the fish darting through the shallow pools — small, quick, but plentiful.
"Alright," he muttered. "Time to get creative."
Pulling out his zombie knife, he searched for a sturdy branch from one of the ruby trees. With quick, precise strokes, he shaved it down into a crude spear — sharp, but rough. He made two more, the effort burning what little energy he had left.
De-Reece stepped into the stream, careful not to disturb the water too much. Every movement sent a jolt of pain through his injured leg, but he pushed it aside, focusing only on the fish.
He waited.
A flash of silver.
He struck, the spear plunging into the water — and missed.
Cursing under his breath, he reset, adjusting his grip. Another flash — this time, he drove the spear down hard, feeling the satisfying resistance of flesh.
A fish wriggled on the end of his spear, flopping violently.
"Got you," he whispered, a small grin breaking across his face.
The first bit of real progress.
He caught two more fish after a painstaking hour, each success a small victory against the unrelenting cruelty of this new world. Exhausted but satisfied, De-Reece gathered some dry branches and stones to set up a small fire. It was a slow, laborious process, but eventually, a tiny flame crackled to life.
As the fish roasted over the open flame, he leaned back against the ruby tree, the warmth of the fire and the smell of cooking food easing his tense mind.
Once he had eaten, De-Reece rose, his body still sore but his resolve stronger. He doused the fire and followed the stream further into the forest.
After about an hour or so of walking, while he mentally mapped the forest in his mind.
The sound of rustling leaves made him stop.
It was then that he saw it — a glimmer of light in the distance, a soft glow radiating from something obscured by thick underbrush.
Creeping closer, he pushed aside the leaves to reveal a small clearing — and there it was.
A fruit, glowing faintly with a golden hue, hanging from a low-hanging branch.
But beneath it, curled in a tight coil, was a snake.
Its scales shimmered like polished obsidian, and though its eyes were closed, De-Reece felt the quiet danger it exuded.
The fruit was there for the taking — but so was death, waiting patiently at its base.
De-Reece's mind raced. He knew brute force wouldn't work this time. His injuries were too fresh, his strength too limited.
He needed a plan — something cunning.
He stepped back into the forest, his thoughts spinning. "I need something to use against it — something to distract or disable it." His gaze flicked to the branches, the rocks, and the underbrush. "Or maybe... something with poison of its own."
He thought back to his old world — how smaller, weaker creatures often relied on venom or toxins to level the playing field against predators. If he could find an insect, a frog, or something similarly dangerous, he could extract its poison and coat his weapon.
This wasn't just about brute strength anymore. This was survival — and intelligence would be his greatest weapon.
He stepped back into the forest, his thoughts spinning. "I need something to use against it — something to distract or disable it."
Wandering deeper along the stream, he finally spotted it — a vibrant amphibian with iridescent blue skin perched on a mossy rock. The creature was no bigger than his palm, but its striking colour screamed danger.
Just as he prepared to capture it, a sudden ripple in the water caught his eye.
It looked like a Komodo dragon a metre in length but with another metre in length of tail. Black but with a blue tone to its scales, using its tail to propel itself through the water.
The Komodo dragon-like creature continued to hunt this creature knowing it was poisonous this was confirmed when the small amphibian-like creature pulled a dragon-fly out of the air for it to sizzle like it had been filled with a corrosive substance once it had it on its tongue.
So this creature was either immune to the poison or strong enough to not care. This was not something he could fight.
Shit. Now how to approach this situation? Just when he'd found what he was looking for, something just had to pop up.
Just then The amphibian tensed, its tiny throat pulsing as it sensed the same threat De-Reece had. For a moment, none of them moved — the predator, the prey, and the man caught in between.
Then the Komodo dragon lunged.
Water exploded in all directions as the beast propelled itself forward, jaws snapping with a sickening clack as the amphibian leapt into the air. De-Reece barely managed to throw himself sideways, rolling through the wet moss and feeling the sting of pebbles scraping his skin. The dragon hit the bank where the amphibian had been, sending a spray of mud skyward.
Without thinking, De-Reece scrambled back, putting distance between himself and the creature. His mind raced.
He needed the amphibian — its poison could be the key to taking down the snake guarding the fruit. But now, with this dragon-like predator in the mix, the simple plan of grabbing it and going was laughable.
The amphibian darted further up the bank, but the Komodo dragon — quicker than its bulk suggested — slithered after it, using its powerful tail to push off the ground like an eel through water. It moved with a predatory grace that sent a chill down De-Reece's spine.
"Shit, shit, shit," De-Reece hissed, eyes darting from the dragon to the amphibian.
And then an idea struck him.
He needed a distraction — something to turn the dragon's attention elsewhere. Fumbling, he grabbed a loose stone from the streambed and hurled it hard at the creature's head. It struck the dragon just above its left eye, not hard enough to wound, but enough to earn its fury.
The dragon's head snapped in De-Reece's direction, a deep, rumbling hiss escaping its throat. Its black-blue scales shimmered as it reared up, front claws scraping at the ground.
But in that brief moment, the amphibian seized its chance. It bolted a blur of blue against the green moss, hopping erratically towards the thicker underbrush.
"No, you don't!" De-Reece muttered, springing to his feet despite the searing pain in his calf. His heart pounded as he chased after the amphibian, the sound of the dragon's enraged hisses echoing behind him.
As he sprinted, he reached inward, grasping for the wild energy within him — the same force he had channelled the night before. Gritting his teeth, he guided the flow downwards, forcing it into his legs. It was like setting fire to his muscles, an intense burning that quickly transformed into a surge of raw speed.
The energy roared through his veins like molten lava, spiralling down from his core and pooling in his limbs. Each pulse of power was a drumbeat in his mind, synchronising with his racing heart. His legs felt both weightless and unyielding, as though every muscle fibre had been reforged in an instant.
The world blurred slightly at the edges as his body responded. Each step became faster, more powerful, his feet skimming the forest floor with an unnatural grace. The wind whipped past his face, his mind laser-focused on the fleeing amphibian.
The amphibian veered left, darting under a gnarled root. De-Reece dived after it, slamming his hand down, barely missing it. The creature's skin was so slick it was like grabbing wet glass.
Behind him, the dragon crashed through the brush, sending broken twigs flying. It wasn't giving up.
"Come on," De-Reece growled, lunging again.
This time, his fingers caught the amphibian's leg.
The creature thrashed violently, and De-Reece felt a sudden, cold burn on his palm — a sure sign that the thing's skin secreted some kind of toxin.
But he didn't let go.
Instead, he yanked the squirming creature close, ripping a strip of fabric from the hem of his shirt with his teeth. His fingers worked fast, tying the amphibian's limbs together with a tight knot to keep it from escaping.
He stuffed the bound creature into the small pouch at his belt. The sting in his palm was already spreading up his wrist, but there was no time to stop and assess the damage.
The dragon was almost on him.
His mind spun, calculating.
He couldn't outrun it forever — not without a plan.
Spotting a low-hanging branch ahead, De-Reece made a split-second decision. Channelling the burning energy into his legs once more, he surged forward, his body a blur of motion. At the last moment, he leapt, grabbing the branch and using the momentum to swing his body up and over.
The dragon lunged beneath him, snapping at empty air.
De-Reece didn't stop — he kept moving, using the branch as leverage to propel himself further into the trees, each movement fuelled by the coursing energy within him. The dragon twisted below, snarling in fury, but De-Reece was already several steps ahead, slipping into the dense undergrowth.
Then he saw it — a narrow cliffside just ahead, a jagged line of stone cutting through the forest. His mind sharpened.
He darted toward the cliff, the dragon still tearing through the brush behind him. Edging along the rock face, he spotted a small opening — a cave, barely wide enough for him to squeeze through.
Without hesitation, he hurled himself towards it, scrambling into the dark, his shoulder scraping against the rough stone. The dragon slammed against the cliff face, claws raking the rock, but the entrance was too narrow for its bulk.
Breathing hard, De-Reece pressed himself further into the cave's cool darkness, his heart still thundering in his chest as the dragon roared in frustration outside.