Mu Zhou stared expressionlessly at the trunk of an unknown tree in front of him, with a diameter of more than half a meter wide. It had a deep brown color, smooth surface, and even a slight reflection. If it weren't for the lush green leaves on the tree crown, Mu Zhou might have thought it was a cylindrical metal pillar.

No, actually, calling it a metal pillar might not be wrong.

He reached out one hand and gently knocked on it.

【Dang! Dang!】

"Wow..."

Upon initial judgment, this… um… tree-like 'plant' was extremely hard. However, even so, Mu Zhou couldn't make that terrible thought in his mind disappear. Instead, after further confirmation, this thought became even stronger.

【This thing is very fragile to me】

Nearly thirty years of common sense tried to tell him that this thought was absurd.

"Anyway… let's give it a try."

Mu Zhou took a half step back, facing the brown cylindrical object in front of him. He slowly raised the large sword that was dragging on the ground. As he dragged it, the sword plowed a shallow groove in the grass and mud.

Mu Zhou straightened his arm, raised the sword over his head, and casually stood there. He paused for a moment, steadied the sword that was slightly shaking due to its size, and then, still casual, let it 'slide' down the 'plant' as if allowing it to drop freely.

This sword was not sensational in any way. There was no momentum, just a loose and casual sword. If there was anything unusual, it would be its 'naturalness'. Yes, the sword seemed very natural, as if it silently conformed to some rules. Even if there were onlookers, they would feel that 'Yes, the sword should be like this'.

However, this slow and natural sword did not meet any resistance. It pierced through the cylindrical body and went straight into the mud.

【Squeak————！！！】

A sharp and piercing sound.

It was the friction noise produced by the slippage of the half-meter-wide tree trunk from the inclined cut.

【Boom！！！！！！！！！！！！】

The lush branches and leaves on the top couldn't withstand the weight of the falling tree. The violent wind raised when it smashed the ground made Mu Zhou's waist-length hair flutter, as well as the tattered black cloak rustle.

Mu Zhou twitched the corner of his mouth and looked up at the sky without saying anything. After a long while, he stretched out one hand, slapped his forehead, and then walked towards the deep forest without looking back, carrying the sword in his hand.

Ever since Mu Zhou appeared in this strange place, he had lost track of time. At first, he spent a few days cautiously, as there was no food in the forest.

No, not just a lack of food.

There was only the giant tree and lush grass underfoot. Not even a small insect could be found, nor the wind could get into this forest. Walking through the woods, the only sound he could hear was the friction of his clothes. When extremely hungry, he would stuff grass in his mouth; when thirsty, he would drink dew. There was no such thing as a spring or stream.

At night, he would try to choose dry grasslands to rest, to avoid getting sick. He even bothered to climb up the trees with ropes made of grass to observe the scenery. What he saw above was even more desperate: there were no clouds in the sky, let alone birds. All around, the only view was the boundless tree sea connected to the horizon.

Lost sense of direction and the passage of time, which could only be proved by the alternation of day and night, could easily drive anyone crazy in such an environment.

Even Mu Zhou thought he should have already gone insane. But on the contrary, he felt strangely calm in his heart, not cold and indifferent, but genuinely composed, believing from the inside out that these were not difficulties.

He didn't remember being so strong mentally.

Sometimes, he would even feel sorry for not being able to see his favorite anime and other things again…

Mu Zhou rubbed his chin with one hand, walking through the knee-high grass with his head bowed. The black cloak on his body was already so tattered that it could barely cover his body, but his dark purple hair remained soft, and occasional grass leaves would quickly slip off as he walked."Sure enough, I still feel that, compared to the surrounding environment, it is myself who seems more weird..." Perhaps he was bound by some common sense in his previous life, so at the beginning, he didn't notice his abnormality.

It was only several days later when he realized that while he would indeed feel hungry and thirsty, there was nothing else wrong with him. He didn't experience any dizziness or malnutrition caused by hunger; on the contrary, he felt better with each passing day.

Back then, he would find various scratches on his body after a day, but the wounds would heal quickly without leaving any trace. Gradually, only small white marks appeared on his body every day, and later on, even stepping on a sharp rock would not break his skin.

As time passed, Mu Zhou felt his body changing more and more every moment. This feeling was very strange; if he had to describe it, it seemed like he was becoming more and more perfect. Using the word "perfect" to describe himself felt odd.

Perhaps "evolution" would be a better word? However, somehow, he felt that "becoming perfect" was the most appropriate description, even his facial features, which he saw vaguely in the puddle, seemed much softer. Well, maybe it was just an illusion.

After that, some of the fragmented memories in his mind began to clear up. These clear fragments made Mu Zhou realize that this was not just some inexplicable memory fragments.

When these fragments were scattered, they seemed very strange. Still, once some of them were awakened, they would transform into something more profound than memories, like an instinct engraved into the marrow of his bones.

Like earlier when he swung a sword to cut down a giant tree, it was a memory fragment that had completely awakened just a few days ago. He did not understand any supreme swordsmanship; he just realized how to use a sword.

It's like an old tailor with dementia, who suddenly one day remembers the use of the sewing kit and produces exquisite pieces of clothing.

However, these fragments are uncontrollable. Mu Zhou can only passively accept them, not knowing when some strange fragments will suddenly awaken and become unforgettable.

At the same time, his body, which has not stopped changing up to now, is also uncontrollable.

It seems that the internal adjustment has been completed recently, and the gears have been fully meshed, officially starting to operate. This has caused Mu Zhou's body to undergo even more earth-shaking changes.

These changes do not refer to appearance or form but rather, attributes like strength, agility, and endurance.

And the growth rate was so fast that it was neither scientific nor magical!

Today, just a few hours of walking could make him too tired to move, but the next day, after waking up, he could jump onto the tree canopy with a single leap.

...until now.

Mu Zhou had a deep expression on his face, as if contemplating some significant matters.

"When was the last time I felt tired? ..."

Recently, Mu Zhou would always grab a strand of his unnoticed hair, which had grown to his waist, and observe it closely.

"I'm a little afraid of balding..."