"I wonder how a life-and-death fight would go with them...?"
His mutters faded into the wind and were left unheard by everyone except himself.
He was born with an innate desire to cause harm to others.
For as long as he knew consciousness—from two years of age—he wanted to inflict suffering on others.
For a while, he was too young to properly elaborate on his impulses. When he tore up furniture like some feral animal, he was misdiagnosed with a learning disability.
It was only when he caused another person to bleed that he finally understood himself.
A seed of evil, even if watered with love, could only ever sprout a tree of evil with the fruit of evil hanging from its branch.
The only ones who knew this truth were those who never gave him love. The one who knew this truth best was himself.
He knew he was beyond saving, yet he continued to live in his world as a mistaken existence solely to prove that he wasn't a mistake. It stopped being stubbornness a long time ago. The only thing that remained was the love his parents left for him after they passed.
Nothing lasts forever.
Nothing except for this destructive impulse.
It lay dormant after he was run over and reborn, but it never vanished. It slumbered and waited for something to stir it awake.
Ji Yuan was like a hungry stray smelling sizzling meat being cooked over an open grill. His eyes zeroed in on the camp of five young people. It was a group of four men and a woman. The woman was objectively good-looking, but his proclivities were as distorted as the rest of him.
Neither man nor woman could do anything for him.
In spite of that, he had the look of a man who was spellbound by his first love. He clutched his chest.
Why do these urges have to be so strong now!?
Up until the moment he died, he never let himself loose. Is his mind going into overdrive, wanting to taste first blood before he dies and loses his chance to pop his cherry forever?
Ah, they noticed him. They're giving him a suspicious look too. His condition isn't good and his face probably looks a bit demented right now, so he can't blame them for staring at him like he's a threat.
He took a deep breath and suppressed himself like he's always done in the past. That familiar sensation of heat dying down made his mind cool. After feeling like he was mentally better, he raised his free hand and shot a smile at the people camping in the clearing ahead.
"Yo!"
Not even crickets wanted to fill that awkward silence. The woman raised a finger to her chin in thought, confusion mixing into her present suspicion. One of the men—a rough looking guy with an unshaven face—fixed Ji Yuan with a hard glare.
It was safe to assume these guys were tougher than him, right? They're older and they're camping in the forest, which also shows experience.
There's no need to pick a fight.
"Uh, excuse me. I'm just a little lost and was looking for a source of water. Do you mind if I just go to the side and have a drink?"
There wasn't a response.
Wait, there might actually be a need to pick a fight. It could just be paranoia, but what if these guys are related to the one who killed him? He's a stranger in a foreign world and knows absolutely nobody in it.
He should be wary.
Yes, he should also be prepared to kill as well. This is a fantasy world after all. Might makes right and a sign of might is murder.
People in these worlds would kill at the drop of a hat.
Because you took their seat in a restaurant.
Because you insulted their honor.
Because you have more talent than them.
Because you have a treasure that they want.
Because you have a minor association with their enemy.
Because they just want to kill.
Having modern sensibilities in a murderous world is what's wrong. He only lived as a modern man because it was what he should've done as a modern person.
This was no longer that world. He can adjust, right? He didn't need to listen to those who weren't around anymore because the world they lived in wasn't this one.
Yes, the people in this world are ridiculous and crazy, so what's wrong with him being the same? Isn't a world like this his natural habitat?
No, calm down Ji Yuan. You are a human being. Not some rabid animal.
He took a deep breath again and looked at the group of people. He didn't march over to the river. He merely waited for a safe response to avoid any unnecessary conflict.
For his monumental effort in holding back and starting a fight that might've ended with him dead, he was rewarded by the response he desired.
The rough man spoke up gruffly, "Yeah, go get a drink if you need it. Just make sure you don't get close."
The man turned to his group and began talking in a low voice that was just out of Ji Yuan's reach. He couldn't hear the whispers, but he got the permission he needed.
With a smile, he walked straight to the slow flowing river.
He did manage to pick up some whispers the moment he reached the river.
"—Why be so curt with him?"
"Look at the clothes and the source of the blood. He got in a conflict with someone and managed to fend off a sneak attack to the neck or he somehow miraculously survived. Whether he was the winner or a survivor, it's not worth getting involved with potential danger. Remember what we're here for."
"...Hm. I agree with Chen Mo. He's always had a good head on his soldiers. What about you, miss?"
All the men turned to her, as if she had the main decision power.
Her silence was all the answer they needed.
What a relief. He didn't have to deal with people. It would only make his restraint more unbearable.
He dispelled the book upon sitting in front of the river. He reached both hands into the water and cupped his hands.
He then splashed his face.
The chilly water fully cooled him off. He could now logically parse through his problematic emotions and face them without getting trapped in a haze of desire. He looked at his reflection in the water and saw a face that wasn't his own.
Black hair that was cut short atop a round head. A face that was angular. Set deep within his sockets were a pair of black eyes that absorbed light.
"People are changing everyday, but isn't this too big of a change? Haha."
The face isn't too bad. Maybe a seven out of ten. Acceptable.
After looking at his new face for a while, he washed his face some more and began drinking from the river.
In the midst of his drinking session, he spotted small fish swimming through the stream, circling around his hands that sank into the water.
"Isn't this a good way to test my speed?" He'll be able to get used to this body faster.
The fish he catches can also be used as food and go into the book.
Ji Yuan focused his eyes and stared into the river, his body poised to strike. His hands rested two meters above the river. He attempted to estimate if he could strike in less than a second with this body that's close to the next realm.
He had no idea and that was why it was worth hunting these fish.
Maybe if he had the power of a Hunter...
Well, it's pointless to think of distracting what ifs. He doesn't have the power, so he can only try thinking like one.
First, he needs to look closer at the stream. There are small rocks collecting as sediment on the bottom. They serve the purpose of catching dirt and grime in the water, keeping it clean in the process. It also serves to hold small matter that exists as food for life in this river.
Since the river is clean, these fish are most certainly clean. He has some berries he can eat with them as a meal. With the help of the book, he managed to ascertain which ones were poisonous and which ones were edible.
It's highly unlikely these fish are poisonous, but it's always safer to double check.
Before starting his hunt, Ji Yuan resummoned his book, picked some rocks from the river, and stored them in the book.
The record wasn't anything special, but it was detailed about the full make-up of the small stones.
He set the book down and refocused.
After a minute, the man's hand shot into the water. There wasn't the sensation of anything slimy and wet in his palm.
He didn't catch anything.
He expected that, but he was still disappointed. At the same time, it was all the more important that he didn't get carried away because he was still adjusting to this body.
Ji Yuan continued to spend half an hour over the river trying to catch fish. Uncaring of the curious eyes on him, he devoted himself fully to barehanded fishing and changing his cognition from that of a powerless, normal person to that of a superhuman.
It's wrong to say that he's getting stronger. It's just that he's making better use of this body and bringing out more of its abilities.
He was actually having a bit of fun struggling with catching fish.
More than that, he was anticipating the thrill of catching a fish and ending its life.