Lin Wei decided to head toward the city. He still did not know the limits of his own strength, and remaining deep inside the forest was a risk he could not afford to take.
More powerful beasts could appear at any moment. For now, the most sensible thing was to return to the city and come up with a plan.
He tried to orient himself among the trees. It did not take long for him to find one of the marks left by hunters, a simple symbol carved into a trunk, pointing the way back.
The forest was a known hunting ground for the city, and the trails were easy to follow.
Lin Wei moved forward. From the memories of the body he now occupied, the walk would take hours. But that was not a problem. His body moved with a ease he had never experienced before.
With each step, he felt his muscles respond with a silent, precise strength. He clenched his hand and felt the power there, latent.
'I could face anyone now.'
The thought came on its own, and he almost believed it. But he forced himself to remember, this world was not Earth. Here, there were cultivators capable of splitting mountains.
There were beasts that could wipe out cities. He had the power of a rank 1 beast, but he knew that was only the beginning.
The plan was simple. Once he reached the city, he would register as a hunter. From what he knew, many unaffiliated cultivators worked that way, hunting beasts in the forest and selling the bodies to alchemists and blacksmiths. It was dirty work, but it paid. And now he had the strength for it.
With the plan set, he kept walking.
The journey took about six hours until he left the forest. Another two hours until the city appeared on the horizon.
From the memories of the original Lin Wei, Green Stone City was one of many small cities under the control of a fifth-level sect, an ant compared to the true centers of this world. But for someone who came from Earth, the sight was impressive.
Night had already fallen when he finally saw the walls. They rose high against the dark sky, thick enough to withstand waves of beasts. Wood and stone, built to last. Torches illuminated the main gate, where a short line of travelers waited to enter.
Lin Wei felt a smile appear on his lips.
"Incredible."
On Earth, he had never seen anything like it. Castles in books and movies, yes. But something real, built to survive in a world where monsters existed, was different.
He quickened his pace. The gate was open, and the guards were working. Eight in total, four on the ground with spears, four on top of the wall with bows. Nothing special. He just needed to enter and head to the hunter registration in the morning.
He approached with a smile.
But things did not go as he imagined.
...
At the top of the wall, four guards passed the shift as usual. Casual conversations, lazy glances toward the road. The job was simple, beast waves only happened a few times a year. The rest of the time, they just watched.
One of them, a man named Kao, was looking toward the forest when he noticed movement.
"Hey. Look at that."
His voice carried a tension that made the other three stop talking. They followed his gaze.
Someone was approaching. A late traveler, apparently. But something was wrong. The distance was still great, but the night vision that a low-level cultivator possessed was enough to catch details.
That person's eyes were glowing.
Yellow. Bright. With vertical slits.
Like serpent eyes.
Kao pulled the alarm cord. The bell above the wall rang once, sharp, cutting through the silence of the night.
Down below, the four gate guards raised their heads. The signal was clear, a beast was approaching.
The last travelers had already entered the city. The gate was empty, except for the guards. They took position, spears raised, eyes fixed on the figure emerging from the darkness.
Then they saw.
It was not a beast. It was a man, or something that looked like one. Dirty clothes, tangled hair. But the eyes were unmistakable. And on his neck, reflecting the torchlight, something shimmered.
Scales.
Small, purple, close to the skin.
"By the heavens..." one of the gate guards muttered, taking half a step back.
"Serpent eyes and scales on the neck." Another guard tightened his grip on the spear.
"That's a hybrid demon."
The term spread among them like fire. Hybrid Demons were rare and dangerous beings. Creatures that mixed human and beast blood, considered abominations everywhere. But Lin Wei apparently did not know.
The sect that ruled the region, the White Veil Sect, offered generous rewards for any hybrid captured or killed.
Before anyone could decide what to do, the guards on top of the wall acted.
Four arrows were fired.
...
Lin Wei was less than fifty meters from the gate when he heard the sound of something cutting through the air.
Instinct took over before thought. His body moved, not like a human, but like something faster, more agile. He jumped back, dodging two arrows that passed close to his face. The other two he raised his right arm and let them collide with his skin.
The pain was light. Like a mosquito bite. The arrows fell to the ground, the metal tips dented.
He frowned, confused.
"Why did they shoot at me?"
He had no time to ask. Above, the four archers were already preparing another volley. Below, the four spearmen advanced, running toward him with weapons raised.
"What the hell?" Lin Wei shouted, his voice coming out rougher than he expected.
"Kill the hybrid demon!" one of the gate guards shouted, a nervous smile on his face.
"The White Veil Sect will reward us!"
He lunged with the spear, aiming at Lin Wei's chest.
The rest did not wait. The other three guards closed in from the sides, forming a semicircle. Above, the archers adjusted their aim.
Lin Wei did not understand what was happening. Hybrid Demon? White Veil Sect? That was the sect that dominated the region. But he was not any demon. He was…
He looked at his hands. Purple scales shone under the torchlight, covering the backs up to his knuckles. He brought his hand to his face. The skin around his eyes was thicker, rougher. He had not noticed before. The transformation of the bloodline was not only internal, it was changing his appearance.
They do not see a human. They see a monster.