TPWBI Chapter 1

After the heavy rain, the forest gleamed with clarity, as though it had been washed clean. The air carried a hint of coolness.

A wild rabbit darted out from the trees and stopped in a patch of freshly sprouted grass. It looked around warily, checking for danger. Seeing none, it lowered its head and began nibbling the tenderest blades with its three-lobed mouth.

“Whoosh—”

A black arrow shot straight toward the rabbit. The rabbit reacted swiftly, scrambling back into the woods. The arrow grazed its side, tearing a bit of skin. Startled and disoriented, the rabbit bolted in a panic, straight into a tree. It collapsed, limbs splayed.

Before long, a figure approached. He held a black triangular compound bow and wore a camouflage waterproof field outfit. His head was covered with a hood and a wide-brimmed hat. A mask shielded his face, sunglasses perched on his nose, and his hands were tucked into sleeve gloves.

He was thoroughly bundled up, a military shovel dangling from his waist. Every detail of his appearance shouted caution.

Yang Yi looked down at the unconscious rabbit and sighed wordlessly.

Missing a rabbit, even with an eight-times scope and having to rely on sheer luck to catch one, made him seriously question whether hunting for his meals was a sustainable survival strategy.

No matter what, this was his first successful hunt, a moment worth celebrating.

Luck is a kind of skill, too, isn’t it?

Besides, he’d made progress this time. Merely grazing the rabbit’s skin was already a big step up from missing entirely.

Yang Yi retrieved the arrow and hoisted the rabbit over his shoulder, heading back to the makeshift camp deep in the forest. The rabbit, absurdly large, weighed around seventy or eighty pounds. By the time he reached the camp, he was breathless and exhausted. He dropped the rabbit heavily to the ground.

The fire in the camp was still burning. Suspended between two large trees hung a tree tent, protected from mosquitoes and rain, elevated about two meters off the ground. It was always a bit of a struggle climbing into it.

But he had no choice. Better to be up there than become a midnight snack for a passing beast.

If he had a say in it, Yang Yi would never have chosen this nerve-wracking survival experience. Especially not while holding a rabbit with razor-sharp teeth that could easily pierce his skin, and a size rivaling a golden retriever. The danger now felt all too real.

He hadn’t come out here for some thrilling wilderness adventure. In fact, Yang Yi had been tragically forced into this wild world by an unexpected journey through time and space.

On the first night, when he saw two moons hanging in the sky, the last shred of hope in his heart completely vanished. This was definitely not Earth, and it was no joke.

He had landed in an endless stretch of wild forest, in a world still stuck in primitive times. Through his binoculars, he had glimpsed the locals, still clad in animal hides and leaves, using nothing more than stone tools.

Eager to find fellow humans, Yang Yi had resisted the urge to approach. Many primitive tribes were notoriously hostile to outsiders. Some even practiced cannibalism.

He’d have to observe from a distance a while longer before making any moves.

After all, Yang Yi had no intention of dying right after traversing worlds.

He treasured his hard-won second chance at life, even if this place was far from ideal.

Taking a sip of water and tossing a few more sticks into the fire, Yang Yi hoisted the massive rabbit once again and headed toward a nearby stream to process it. The water there was shallow and not very wide, but fast-moving and crystal clear.

“Why is this rabbit’s hide so tough!”

Gritting his teeth, Yang Yi struggled to skin the rabbit. The once-sharp kitchen knife seemed utterly dull against this creature’s hide. It took tremendous force just to make the slightest cut.

He’d never skinned a rabbit before, but he was certain rabbits in his old world didn’t have skin this thick or flesh this tough.

Could he even chew meat like this?

Luckily, though the skin was tough to deal with, the meat wasn’t too different from the rabbit meat he used to eat; just a bit firmer and more compact.

After gutting it and doing a rough clean-up, Yang Yi chopped off one leg and divided the remaining meat into four portions. He wrapped each in giant leaves, then placed them, along with the organs and pelt, into a large plastic bag.

With just a flick of his hand, the bags vanished into thin air.

One of the unexpected “perks” of being forcibly transported here: he now had access to a personal storage space; essentially a portable warehouse that, sadly, couldn’t hold living things.

Yang Yi skewered one portion of rabbit meat onto an iron grill rack, rubbed it inside and out with a mix of salt, Sichuan pepper powder, cumin, chili powder, and ginger juice. After letting it marinate briefly, he set it straight over the fire to roast.

Because the marinating time was too short and the meat was cooked over an open flame instead of charcoal, the outer layer ended up scorched and inedible. But Yang Yi couldn’t be bothered to fuss over the details.

Alone in a wilderness riddled with hidden threats, he didn’t have the luxury of pursuing gourmet meals. As long as it was edible, that was enough.

Even so, the aroma was rich and heady, spreading far and wide. Despite having ample food stored away in his spatial inventory, since hunting was more about honing his skills than necessity, Yang Yi still found himself swallowing back a mouthful of drool.

At last, the meat was done roasting. He peeled away the charred skin and took a bite. Flavor burst through his mouth instantly, and his eyes reflexively narrowed in delight. It was incredible.

Crispy on the outside, tender and springy within. The more he chewed, the better it tasted.

Even with such a short marinade, the flavor had deeply seeped in. It was leagues better than any rabbit meat he’d had in the old world.

This was the first meat he’d eaten since arriving in this world, and it was vastly more delicious than anything from before. He’d tasted wild rabbit in the past, but never like this.

Back when he’d picked purslane, he’d already noticed something different. This world might be dangerous, but at least the food tasted better. A small comfort, perhaps, but a real one.

“Ding-ling—”

The sound of a bell rang out in the distance. It was from the simple alarm system Yang Yi had set up. Whenever an animal brushed against the string he’d tied, the bell would jingle, alerting him to an intruder.

“Who’s there!”

Yang Yi instantly dropped the rabbit meat in his hand, grabbed the military shovel beside him, and went into full alert mode.

A small head peeked out from behind a large tree. The child’s face was smudged with dirt, hair tangled and dry like straw, but their eyes, wide and luminous, stood out starkly.

Fear and unease shimmered in the child’s gaze. They watched Yang Yi warily, looking ready to bolt at the slightest hint of danger.

Seeing who it was, Yang Yi relaxed. He lowered his weapon, picked the rabbit meat off the ground, gave it a quick blow to clean it off, and resumed gnawing on it, acting as if the child weren’t even there.

This kid wasn’t a stranger to him. On his third day in this world, the aroma of his cooking had already drawn the child over.

The child looked to be around three or four years old, about the same age as Yang Yi’s little nephew. Likely driven by hunger, he had sneaked over quietly. That group of people didn’t dare venture near the dangerous forest, which was why Yang Yi had never actually run into them, despite making plenty of noise.

They had only recently migrated here. When Yang Yi first spotted them, they hadn’t even set up tents. Later on, he watched them gradually build makeshift shelters out of animal hides and tree leaves.

Probably because they were new to the area and playing it safe, they kept to a small radius. Food was clearly in short supply.

Yang Yi had noticed the child the very first time he appeared. At just a glance in his direction, the child had darted off like a rabbit, vanishing from sight. His speed was extraordinary, far beyond what a normal human could manage.

The next day, the child returned.

Then again on the third day, and the fourth…

Each time, he crept a little closer, clearly testing the waters.

Today, he’d gone so far as to trigger the alarm, actively trying to enter Yang Yi’s safe zone.

Seeing that the child hadn’t bolted this time, Yang Yi chopped off the uneaten half of the rabbit meat and tossed it over without a word.

Without sparing the child a glance, Yang Yi gnawed the last bit of rabbit meat clean, then reached for the military field ration tin hanging over the fire. He scooped out a spoonful of purslane with the matching ladle and began eating.

The rabbit meat was surprisingly filling. He hadn’t eaten much, yet he already felt full. The whole rabbit would easily last him several days.

The child gave him a quick look, then darted forward like a flash, snatched up the rabbit meat from the ground, and vanished behind the tree in a blink.

All Yang Yi caught was a blur out of the corner of his eye, and the rabbit meat was gone. If this kid had been in his old world, he would’ve swept up every sprinting gold medal without breaking a sweat.

Clutching the rabbit meat, Mao completely ignored how dirty it was. He took a huge bite, and his eyes immediately lit up.

So delicious!

How could anything taste this good in the world!

Stunned, he chewed and swallowed rapidly, his eagerness and delight written all over his face.

The spiciness lit up his mouth like fire. Though Mao kept blowing cool air between bites, he continued eating with delight.

Only then did Yang Yi remember that he’d added chili to the seasoning. It barely registered to him, just enough to bring out the flavor. In a survival situation, he couldn’t risk overly spicy food; it would be too much of a burden on a weakened digestive system.

He wasn’t sure how the child would handle it. Hopefully, it wouldn’t upset his stomach.

But Mao adapted quickly. After the initial fiery bites, all that remained was the overwhelming deliciousness. His gaze toward Yang Yi shifted. There was something new in his eyes.

In no time, the boy polished off the big chunk of rabbit meat, not even sparing the bones.

The small ones he crunched with sharp cracks, swallowing what he could and sucking the marrow from the rest before spitting them out. Finally, he licked his hands, clearly still savoring the taste.

Yang Yi was amazed. The piece of rabbit meat the child had eaten was even bigger than the one he’d had himself. It was enough for a full-grown adult, yet this tiny kid still seemed unsatisfied.

Could he really be that hungry?

After finishing the rabbit meat, the child didn’t run away. He didn’t hide behind the tree either. Instead, he stood openly, face-to-face with Yang Yi.

He stared wide-eyed at the strange man before him. Yang Yi’s attire was completely unfamiliar, surrounded by strange objects the boy had never seen. All of it stirred his curiosity, but the wariness in his eyes from before was gone.

Yang Yi made no effort to approach. He simply ladled some soup and vegetables from the aluminum field ration tin—doubling as a cooking pot—into its companion bowl, and set it down on Mao’s side, continuing to eat slowly and unhurriedly.

Seeing the gesture, Mao shuffled a little closer.

They were now within a few meters of each other. But even so, the child didn’t reach out to take the food. He just edged nearer, close enough to feel the warmth, but not yet ready to fully trust.

During the day, the sun made the weather feel fairly mild, but the forest blocked most of its rays. And with the recent rain, any breeze carried a chill that made the air feel colder than it was.

Still, it was far better than nightfall, where temperatures would plummet rapidly, dropping straight down to below zero.

Yang Yi was bundled up in layers, topped with a windproof jacket that kept the cold at bay, so he didn’t feel much discomfort.

But Mao, wrapped only in leaves, shivered involuntarily each time the wind blew. It was clearly tough for him.

After a moment’s thought, Yang Yi rummaged through the hiking backpack beside him. Soon, he pulled out the rabbit pelt, entrails, and meat he’d wrapped earlier. Then, from its depths, he retrieved a coral fleece blanket[mfn]Yang Yi is using the hiking backpack to disguise his ability… maybe?[/mfn].

Mao’s eyes locked onto the blanket. Though he’d never seen anything like it before, he could feel its warmth from a distance.

What was this dazzling, colorful thing, so pretty, so soft, and so warm?

Mao had never laid eyes on anything so beautiful and plush. Not even the wealthy caravan leaders from the distant western continent had such treasures.

Yang Yi held it up and gestured for Mao to come closer. Mao hesitated for a moment, then slowly inched his way forward.

As soon as Mao got close, Yang Yi wrapped the coral fleece blanket around him. The child instinctively tensed, ready to run. But the soft warmth stopped him in his tracks.

His eyes widened in wonder, and he burst out in excited squeals.

“It’s so warm! So soft!”

Another perk of Yang Yi’s traversal, the internal translator in his mind, kicked in just then.

Though the child’s language was completely unfamiliar, Yang Yi understood every word.

Unfortunately, he didn’t yet have enough exposure to the vocabulary to learn the language himself or express his own thoughts in it.

So instead, he offered the child the gentlest smile he could muster, a quiet gesture of goodwill.

Then he pointed to himself and said slowly, “My name is Yang Yi. Yang… Yi.”

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