As Grey walked towards the nearest fresh water source, his thoughts became distant as he remembered his life before transmigration. At fifteen years he was a pro gamer and made some money from it.
His... real father was a businessman who often travelled for business trips and meetings and barely spent time at home. He got married to his step mom after his mom had a car accident and died shortly after.
At first, his step mom tried to act nice to Grey in front of his dad. But after they actually got married and his dad went for frequent business trips, she began to treat Grey like trash and that made him stay in his room most of the time.
He complained several times to his dad, but he always said that he should his step mom a chance.
Only several days later when his dad left for another business trip, his step mom brought a man into to the house.
Grey was very angry and threatened to show the video to his dad, but his step mom did not show fear and instead threatened him with a rifle that was in his father's room.
Grey gave her his middle finger and wanted to run to his room to send the video to his dad, when a yell came out from his stepmother and a loud bang rang out.
He then saw himself falling down as a dull ache spread through the back of his head. And when he woke up, he was here... In this world.
"Grey clicked his tongue in annoyance and said. "Well it's all in the past now. There is nothing I can do."
So he hastened his steps to and in a few minutes, he had come across a fresh water source. Luckily, it's guardian was not around and everywhere was peaceful.
Grey creeped up silently to the bank of the river and washed his hands thoroughly before filling up his water bottle with fresh and clean water.
His eyes darted warily around his surroundings as he filled the bottle up. He did not let down his guard and became even more vigilant. "I won't be like those fools in animes and light novels where the MC let's down his guard and his attacked."
Putting the water bottle in his pouch, he stood up and dusted his clothes before silently walking away from the flowing river. Only after he was away from the vicinity and nearing the dilapidated house did heave a sigh of relief.
Inside the house, the rabbit meat was getting just about ready so he turned the meat several times and waited for a few more minutes.
When a fragrant aroma wafted into his nostrils, his eyes widened a bit and his stomach let out another low rumble. He licked his lips and carried the tender meat to his mouth.
Because the meat lacked spice and tasted a little bland, he frowned but still ate the meat hungrily. After a few minutes, he had devoured the whole rabbit but his hunger had now subsided.
"It lacks spice but still the best rabbit I've ever eaten." He almost didn't feel bad for the rabbit he had butchered.
In the end no meat was remained but Grey didn't care much about that. Now that he had eaten to his fill, he began to plan his next actions.
"My parents are dead and I don't any relatives that live close by. So maybe I should try and go to Sky Mist academy. Anyone who is capable of cultivating their arts
are allowed to stay in the academy."
Although it seemed like a good plan, Sky Mist academy was very far away. And if he wanted to travel the distance by foot, it would take several years. That was just how far it took to get there. And although there existed teleportation stations, you have to pay a lot of spirit coins to get there and Grey was currently broke.
'Ah, let's just focus on getting out of this corroded zone first.' With that, he began to cultivate the sky mist art.
Although this corroded zone was previously Grey's city, he didn't know where the corroded zone begins and ended so he didn't know which direction to head to to get out.
He might instead go deeper into the corroded zone and meet fearful creatures and existences that would snuff out his life easily.
Remembering the hulking figure of the great Minotaur, the hair on Grey's neck stood on end and his body shuddered as if affected by the cold.
Throughout the rest of that day, Grey decided to grow more familiar with his surroundings. He explored the outskirts of the corroded zone while at the same time avoiding dangerous existences.
As Grey was busy studying some of the native creatures, he heard a rustling sound come from the nearby bushes. His ears perked up and he grew vigilant. He hid behind a tree as he cautiously waited for whatever was hiding to come out.
As he was waiting, Grey suddenly felt a huge shadow come out of the tall bushes. Grey peeked out from the safety of the tree and his pupils constricted.
It was a large leopard... Or a Mutated leopard to be exact. The Mutated beast had most of its flesh rotten and maggots coming out from its decaying flesh.
It's eyes socket were devoid of eyeballs and instead, what housed it were maggots. The leopard had a big grotesque eyeball inside its mouths instead.
The eyeball shone with a maglinant dark glint as red veins connected the eyeball to the mouth of the decaying leopard.
The leopard walked calmly and softly. It's footsteps were light and almost soundless but it made no intentions to hide it's presence as the rustling of forest leaves echoed in the dark surroundings.
Grey felt the spirit fluctuations of an eight level Qi accumulation cultivator come from the leopard. Actually, he didn't know if it was really in the right level of higher.
Grey suddenly felt the air around him suffocating. He even forgot to breathe as he took his direct gaze away from the leopard.
The leopard was about one hundred meters away from him but even at this distance he did not feel safe.
He felt that if it were to attack him, the distance would make no difference and he would be dead shortly.
'What the heck is a Mutated beast this strong looking for near the outskirts of the corroded zones...'
Grey asked himself inwardly as he studied the moving shadow of the decaying leopard. He watched it from the peripheral of his gaze.
He knew not to look directly at a creature like that. It would definitely be able to sense his gaze.
'What the heck do I do?'
Luckily, the Mutated beast seemed to only be passing by and paid no attention whatsoever to Grey. Or maybe it noticed him but just didn't care.
The single grotesque eyeball glanced briefly at Grey's hiding place. Just that brief glance was enough to make him hold his breath and feel a sense of impending danger. But the eyeball turned it's gaze away and the leopard continued to walk away calmly.
Once he was sure that it had gone far did Grey heave a sigh of relief. He touched his forehead and found himself to be sweating bullets. His clothes were drenched in sweat and the feeling of passing death replayed in his mind.
'So strong...'
Grey suddenly felt a desire to grow stronger after this event. But it was strange though... Why could make a Mutated creature leave the inner parts and venture to the outskirts.
Maybe there was a treasure. Only that could perhaps make a Mutated creature behave as so. Although he grew curios at what that treasure could be, he had no intentions of searching for it.
"I think I've stayed out for long enough, it's time I head back."
And with that, he raced back to his broken house. With his cultivation now at the third level of Qi accumulation, his speed was much faster and his reserves of spirit energy had increased.
That made the time taken to reach his abode reduce, but not by much. Inside his broken house, Grey sat down quietly as his thoughts went back to the decaying leopard.
He had come so close to death... That he could even feel it. That cold breeze that caressed his cheek and threatened to consume him.
'Let's not meet any more crazy creatures again.'
He said inwardly as he crossed his leg to cultivate. As he slowly took a deep breath in, he felt the spirit energy nourish his body. It was refreshing, but there was also another energy entering his body as well.
It felt invasive and anomalous, almost choking actually. That was the corroded substance left behind by the blinding radiance of God's power.
An insidious aura that threatened to corrode all and Mark them with the foreboding intent of deacy and death.
'How harrowing!'
Grey shook his head and continued to cultivate. After breaking through to the third level of Qi accumulation, he had been able to sense the profound energy of the world.
However, it was not by much. After all he was still in the Qi accumulation stage. In a few minutes, he fell into a trance like state as his consciousness' was locked between consciousness' and unconsciousness.
The profound feeling of spirit energy seeping into his body and enriching his very bones made him feel a kind of euphoria.
It was only be nightfall, when the loud of thunder erupted did he open his eyes. His gaze was outside as he saw the light works in the sky along with the fierce winds that normally cane before an impending storm.
He frowned and then gathered some more miscellaneous items to block the door, to brace against the strong wind.
Then a bright pink light illuminated the sky followed by another earth rumbling thunder. There was the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof.
The rain had started...
The pitter patter of rain drops was then followed by a sizzling sound. Grey expression then turned stern when a small hole appeared in the ceiling and a single drop of red rain fell on his head.
Grey was quick enough to react and he moved back. The single rain drop fell on the wooden floor and burned a hole in it.
'It was acid rain...'
***
Acid rain was falling in the corroded zone. Well it was quite befitting for it after all since... Well it was in the name, 'corroded zone'. What else did he expect.
His fear of the corroded zones had just grown a lot more after the single drop of acid rain. It only took a few more minutes before the next hole appeared in the ceiling, along with the sizzling sounds.
Some drops fell directly onto the ground since the roof was already ridden with hole before. His face paled a little.
Now he knew why the roof was riddle with hole despite its outward appearance looking a bit alright.