Chapter 003: The Man Who Fell from the Sky
Normally, when a player reaches level ten, they leave the Novice Village. But Song Ye was already level fifteen and still locked inside. There was nothing he could do about it—after all, he was the only player in the entire Xuanwin Continent.
With just one player, it was impossible to complete the quest required to leave the village, so he remained trapped here. The level one wild wolf monsters to the west of the village no longer provided him with any experience due to the vast level gap, even when he killed them. Only the level ten Wolf King still offered him five hundred experience points, but as a boss-level monster, it appeared only rarely.
Thus, Song Ye’s only reliable source of experience now was to complete the village’s daily refresh quests. He needed three thousand experience points to level up, while a single quest only granted a hundred or two at most, so progress was painfully slow. Yet with no competition from other players, there was no need to rush.
From time to time, he would curse silently, “Damn you, Heaven’s Will! If you’ve got the guts, just keep me locked here for a year!” As a player locked within Xuanwin Continent, Song Ye’s body would not age. Here, he was immortal!
A few years trapped here would be manageable, but what if it dragged on for ten, fifteen, or even dozens of years? He hadn’t married or had children yet! Would he have to settle such life matters in this world? But whom could he marry here? An NPC wife?
Even if it were possible for a player to have children with an NPC—something he doubted—what would become of them when he inevitably left this world? He’d be forced to abandon his wife and child, making him a scoundrel of the worst kind!
Song Ye shook his head, telling himself he was overthinking. Surely, he wouldn’t have to resolve his life’s great affairs inside a game world! Besides, perhaps in a few days, he’d finally be able to leave.
The power he gained in Xuanwin Continent could be brought back to Hailan Star. In other words, once Song Ye returned, he would likely be the strongest human on Hailan Star.
The official drinking tea with him—Zhao Zhigao—was a constable from Cheng County, originally from Autumn Whisper Village, so he often visited. According to the game’s normal progression, Cheng County was supposed to be Song Ye’s next base after leaving the Novice Village. There he could receive higher-reward quests, trigger new adventures, and learn new skills. Unfortunately, without meeting the departure requirement, even if a storm razed Autumn Whisper Village to the ground, he’d still be trapped here.
After downing a bowl of tea and wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Zhao Zhigao demanded, “Another round!” As per the stall’s rules, three copper coins bought a bowl of tea, with one free refill; for a second refill, an additional coin was charged per bowl.
Song Ye poured him another bowl. After Zhao Zhigao finished and paid, he left.
When dusk began to fall and Song Ye was about to pack up, he suddenly heard a loud crash—something had fallen from the sky, landing right in front of his tea stall. Fixing his gaze, he saw a swirling mass of black mist, billowing dark smoke.
He glanced up at the blue sky. Had that thing truly fallen from above?
What could it possibly be?
Soon, the black mist dispersed, revealing its true form—a woman in a long, black dress. Her eyes were closed, her skin deathly pale, yet her beauty was exquisite—stunning enough to put any legendary beauty to shame, even more so than the immortal Su he’d once encountered west of the village!
Song Ye couldn’t help but recall the old lyric: “A Lin sister falls from the sky!” Though, of course, she might not be surnamed Lin.
He called out to her several times, but she remained unconscious, as if gravely wounded. With no other choice, Song Ye brought her home.
There was nothing improper in his actions—after all, no matter how beautiful she was, she was just an NPC. As a player, he and an NPC were surely “incompatible”—though, admittedly, he’d never actually tried.
Song Ye’s home was a small, shabby courtyard behind his tea stall, with a single wooden hut and little else.
Inside was just a wooden bed, where Song Ye gently laid the woman in black. She remained unconscious.
As he observed her, he realized that her black dress seemed fused to her body, fitting seamlessly with her skin. He tugged at it out of curiosity, but it wouldn’t budge. His intentions were innocent—he was merely curious.
Song Ye guessed that she must be a cultivator, having fallen from the heavens—not an ordinary woman. He considered finding the village doctor to treat her, though he doubted a simple healer could tend to a cultivator’s injuries.
But just then, a black light flashed, and the black dress began to vanish, dissolving from her body until she lay there completely bare.
At that moment, her eyes fluttered open and she sat up.
Song Ye hastily explained, “Miss, your clothes vanished on their own—it wasn’t me!”
She ignored him, muttering to herself, “It seems my injuries are truly severe. Even my Abyssal Nine Nether Robe has dissipated!”
She didn’t seem to care about her nakedness in front of Song Ye, nor did she attempt to cover herself. Such composure was impressive—Song Ye had to admire her.
After a while, she finally looked at him. “Thank you for bringing me here. May I rest in your home for a few days?”
Song Ye nodded. “Of course.”
He considered offering her some clothes, but held back—there was no need if she wasn’t bothered.
After all, they were both adults. Why not be honest with each other?