I huddled behind the cold boulder, my body trembling violently like a leaf caught in an endless winter storm. Not just from the biting cold that pierced to the marrow of my bones, making every cell in my body scream in pain, but also from the fear that crept through every nerve fiber, gripping my heart tightly until it ached.
That low rumble still occasionally echoed, shaking the ground beneath me, sending waves of vibrations throughout my body. It was as if the earth itself trembled in fear, reminding me of the existence of the golden-scaled giant hiding behind the thick, unyielding mist.
A dragon. A real dragon! No longer just an ancient myth told by grandparents at night, a legend that only existed in worn-out fairy tale books, or a character in a CGI movie with stunning special effects. This was a reality far more terrifying than being rejected by Mei Lin, even far more terrifying than choking on chewing gum to death. At least then I knew what killed me, a ridiculous but clear cause. Now? That dragon could just vaporize me into ash in an instant, leaving no trace, no time for me to scream for help, not even time to say goodbye to my strange life.
"This... this is truly absurd!" I whispered to myself, a white puff of breath curling from my mouth, forming a cloud of vapor that instantly vanished in the cold air.
I peeked from behind the rock, my eyes scanning the thick mist that moved slowly, dancing among the towering rock peaks like ancient towers abandoned by a forgotten civilization. Every gust of wind seemed to carry secret whispers from another world, a mysterious melody that made my hair stand on end.
"How can this be? I'm just a Chen Ming, an ordinary high school student who couldn't even win Mei Lin's heart, suddenly stranded in a dragon's lair? With a 15-year-old body that somehow became mine, naked (before), and with a... beautiful face?" I touched my face again, feeling the smooth skin that felt alien under my fingertips, as if I were touching someone else's face. An irony so bitter, yet somehow also sweet amidst this madness. Was this some kind of instant karma from a bored deity? Or a hidden gift from fate with a very dark and strange sense of humor?
My mind drifted, piercing through the mists of time and space, back to Earth. The warmth of home, the aroma of my mother's cooking that always made my stomach rumble, my father's scolding that was actually full of affection and care, and... Mei Lin. Her enchanting smile, her pitying gaze when she rejected me, a memory that still felt fresh and painful.
A sharp pang shot through my heart, piercing like a sharp ice needle, but it was immediately replaced by a strange amusement, a wry smile etched on my lips. My family must be grieving, mourning my passing, but I was sure they were also holding back bursts of laughter.
"My son died from chewing gum!" Perhaps that's what my father would say, patting my mother's shoulder, trying to comfort himself in the most Chen Ming way possible. A humiliating legacy, a story that would be remembered as a family joke for generations. Oh, how tragic my life was!
[Detection: User's Absurd Reflection Level reached 85%. Gathering Strangeness Points...]
[+7 Strangeness Points.]
"What is it now?!" I flinched, almost bumping into the rock behind me, staring at the system panel that suddenly reappeared before me, glowing faintly in the darkness, as if mocking me. "Absurd reflection? So, even contemplating my own ridiculous death earns points?! System, you are truly... truly strange! Are you a bored deity who wants to see mortals suffer in the most comical way, then give me rewards for my suffering?!" I pointed at the panel with trembling fingers, a mix of anger and awe, feeling like a puppet in the hands of fate.
[Current Strangeness Points: 14.]
[The System functions based on User's interaction with unusual and illogical situations. Deep reflection on personal absurdity falls under this category. The higher the strangeness level of the situation, the greater the potential Strangeness Points that can be collected.]
I let out a long sigh, trying to process the information, every word of the system seemingly etching itself into my mind. So, the more stressed I get, the more confused I am, the more I feel my life is an endless cosmic joke, the more points I get? This was a very... unique form of compensation from fate, a gift from the universe for my suffering. As if the universe was saying, "Sorry I made you die ridiculously and put you in a dragon's lair naked, here, take some points to buy ugly clothes! And maybe some cultivation pills that taste like dried grass mixed with dust!" A thought that made me want to laugh hysterically until tears came out, yet also feel a little comforted, an irony I couldn't deny.
"So, I have to be stranger and more dazed more often, huh?" I mumbled, trying to see the positive side of this madness, a crazy plan that only I could probably think of. A faint smile, a mix of resignation and cunning, was etched on my "beautiful" face, a smile that might make others misunderstand. "Maybe I can become the strongest cultivator on Tian Xuan Continent just by being the most ridiculous, most panicked, and most absurd. A Dao that has never existed before! The Dao of Strangeness!" An absurd idea, yet somehow it felt right for me, Chen Ming, the ridiculous reincarnation.
I looked around again, this time a little calmer, though the cold still pierced to my bones, making me shiver. The rock I was hiding behind felt rough and cold against my back, its surface covered with thin, damp moss and faintly glittering frost, reflecting the dim light from the cloud-covered sky, creating a cold yet enchanting scene. In some rock crevices, I could see small ice crystals faintly sparkling, emitting a dim light, as if hidden gems in the darkness.
The thick mist continued to move, dancing among the towering rock peaks, sometimes revealing glimpses of the bottomless abyss gaping like the mouth of an ancient monster ready to swallow, sometimes engulfing everything in a mysterious white shroud, hiding infinite secrets. The air here felt so dense with spiritual energy. I could feel it seeping into my pores, like refreshing morning dew, yet it also felt heavy, as if something large and ancient resided within it, pressing down on every inch of my being. This was a sensation I had never felt on Earth. There, the air was just air, bland, full of pollution. Here, the air felt... alive, pulsating with an invisible power, as if every breath was a small step towards something bigger, or perhaps more dangerous, ready to swallow me at any moment.
"Mission: Survive on Golden Dragon Peak for 1 day," I repeated, reading the system panel, letting the words sink into my mind, becoming my personal mantra. "23 hours left. Okay, Chen Ming, let's think this through carefully, with my dazed brain. First priority: don't die. Second: don't die of cold. Third: don't get eaten by a dragon. Fourth: figure out how this strange system works. And fifth: don't let this 'beautiful' face cause trouble later and attract the wrong kind of attention!"
I glanced at my Strangeness Points: 14. Enough to buy Emergency Rations or Minor Wound Medicine.
"Emergency Rations," I decided, after serious deliberation, a monumental decision in this situation. "Hunger can make me dazed, and that could mean more points, but I don't want to starve to death. That would be a second ridiculous death, and I'm not sure my family could hold back their laughter again. They might throw a celebration party instead of a funeral, with chewing gum shaped cakes!"
[Purchase Confirmation: Emergency Rations (3 Days) for 5 Strangeness Points? Yes/No.]
"Yes," I replied firmly, without a hint of hesitation.
Instantly, a small package appeared in my hand, smelling strange like freshly dug damp earth. I opened it carefully. Inside was a kind of greenish-brown dried stick. I bit into it. It tasted... exactly as the system described: dried grass mixed with dust, a disgusting combination. I almost choked, but this time I was careful, chewing it slowly, making sure there was no chewing gum incident part two. No second ridiculous death by my own hand, I swear!
"Well, at least I won't starve," I mumbled, chewing with difficulty, my face contorted in disgust, as if I were eating the bitterest thing in the world. "Now, how do I get down this mountain without meeting a dragon? Is there a map in the system? Or maybe... a flying skill that can make me escape like a mouse from a cat, with style, of course?"
I tried to focus my mind on the words "Skill" or "Map" in the system, but there was no response. There was only the Shop and Mission continuously blinking, as if laughing at me, mocking my every hope. It seemed this system wouldn't give all the answers easily, or perhaps it simply didn't have such luxurious features. I had to rely on my dazed brain, and perhaps a little of my strange luck.
"Life is indeed full of mysteries," I sighed, looking at the rolling mist, hiding infinite secrets, as if every roll was a new page of my destiny book. "Before, I only thought about confusing math homework and awkward dates. Now? I have to figure out how to survive a dragon while naked (before) and with a beautiful face, in a world I don't even know. A life level up that's... strange, yet somehow feels like an unexpected adventure I have to embark on, whether I like it or not."
I decided not to move yet. Night would soon fall, and moving in this dangerous place without knowing anything was pure suicide. Better to wait, observe, and perhaps... gather more Strangeness Points from my own panic. After all, if life is a play, then I am the most unlucky comedian, yet perhaps also the most interesting, with a story that will never end. And it seems, the show has just begun, with me as the star.