Chapter 3 - The Wrong Destination

She should have landed safely in a place resembling ancient Huaxia!

—That's what was supposed to happen!!!

But now, she was sitting in a tree, staring expressionlessly at the vast forest before her. More precisely, she was glaring at the system interface floating in front of her—something only she could see.

Who could have imagined that the Reincarnation System would screw up at such a crucial moment? She was supposed to have arrived on an Eastern continent similar to ancient Huaxia, where she could begin her new life with the official documents and household registration the system had prepared for her.

And yet, the system had somehow thrown her onto a Western continent that resembled medieval Europe instead.

This wasn't just a minor geographical error—this was the complete opposite side of the world!

Between ancient Huaxia and the Middle Ages, who wouldn't choose the former?! No matter how feudal Huaxia had been, it couldn't possibly compare to the absolute nightmare that was medieval Europe!

During this period, medieval Europe wasn't just backward—it was ignorant and brutal. The church ruled over many nations, and witch hunts and the persecution of so-called heretics were rampant.

And she, an obvious foreigner, was in danger just by existing in this place.

The system, realizing its mistake, was frantically apologizing in her ear, but all Wei Wei wanted was for it to fix this mess and send her to the right continent.

The Reincarnation System, its usually bright interface looking dim and sluggish, responded weakly:

[I can't. This place is too far from your original coordinates. I don't have enough energy to transfer you across the continent.]

Not wanting to take full responsibility, it even complained:

[And whose fault is that?! You made extra demands when I was preparing your new body, which drained a ton of energy! That's why I ran out of power and messed up the location!]

Hearing that, Wei Wei couldn't bring herself to keep blaming it.

With a headache, she asked, "Then what now? I have no identity, no background—I'm completely undocumented! Anyone can accuse me of being a witch and have me burned at the stake. How am I supposed to survive in a place like this?!"

The system tried to comfort her:

[You're being too pessimistic! While this is a parallel world, it's not the same as Earth. The church here isn't as powerful, and even in Earth's history, the major witch hunts hadn't started yet during this period.]

"...That just makes it worse."

If witch hunts hadn't even started yet, then just how early in history was she?!

"Even if they don't burn me as a witch, I could still get captured and sold as a slave!"

[Relax. Your new body may look delicate, but it's insanely strong. You could take on ten people at once, easy.]

Wei Wei was not reassured in the slightest. If anything, she just wanted to grab the system and shake it senseless.

Even if she avoided slavery, medieval life was hell.

Ordinary civilians ate black bread mixed with rocks and lived in thatched-roof huts. A year of backbreaking labor could still end in starvation for the entire family. And don't even get her started on their horrific hygiene habits—she had read that some people in medieval Europe only bathed once a year or, even worse, once in their entire lives!

The reason Westerners had such strong body odor? They were marinated in their filth.

And both nobles and commoners casually relieved themselves wherever they pleased. Cities were littered with human waste, the streets reeking of sewage. The unsanitary conditions were a breeding ground for plagues, and history has proven how many had died because of it.

Just imagining herself living in such a place made her shudder.

"Can I find a ship and sail to the East?" she asked, genuinely considering the possibility.

[Women aren't allowed on ships in this era. Even if they let you onboard, the moment a storm hits, they'd throw you overboard as a sacrifice to the sea god.]

Wei Wei refused to give up. "Then what about land routes? I could ride a horse or drive a carriage—just keep traveling until I get there!"

If it took years, so be it—as long as she kept going, she'd reach the East eventually!

The system cruelly crushed her last hope.

[This world's geography is different from Earth's. The Eurasian landmass isn't even connected. Even if you reached the easternmost part of this continent, you'd still have to cross an ocean. And without a ship… well.]

To drive the point home, the system projected a map directly into her mind.

Not only were the continents completely different, but they weren't even positioned the same way. At first glance, the landmasses barely resembled anything on Earth's maps.

While Europe and Asia seemed somewhat close, a huge gap lay between them—likely requiring an extensive sea voyage.

Under the "no women on ships" rule, the only way Wei Wei could reach the East was if she owned her vessel and found a crew willing to sail with her.

Otherwise, she might never set foot on the Eastern continent in her entire lifetime.

Wei Wei sighed, "Well… I guess I just found my lifelong goal."

Realistically, even if she did manage to set sail, the risk of shipwreck was ridiculously high. The sea journey to the East took a full year, and with medieval navigation technology, she'd be lucky if she didn't drown along the way.

For someone who valued her life, Wei Wei had no choice but to accept her fate—she was stuck here.

The sheer hopelessness of her situation overwhelmed her. Her eyes turned red with frustration.

Seeing her like this, the system felt guilty. [Hey, it's not that bad. The East is at war right now—it's way more chaotic than the West.]

Wei Wei wasn't comforted at all. She snapped, "You told me I'd get to live a peaceful life! And then you throw me into an era of war?! How is this 'peaceful'?!"

The system hesitated, then awkwardly admitted:

[W-Well… the last person we sent over was pretty amazing. He saved the Southern Song Dynasty from collapsing, and now they're in a full-scale war with Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. If you had arrived 20 or 30 years later, the war would be over, and that traveler would have passed away. By then, everything would be peaceful, and you could live a comfortable life.]

Wei Wei was stunned.

"Wait… so not only did you send me to the wrong place, but you also messed up the timeline?!"

Shit!

The system instantly realized it had slipped up.

Desperately trying to cover its tracks, it huffed: [Well, time coordinates are part of the travel coordinates! If the location's wrong, then of course the time would be off too!]

Wei Wei refused to let it off the hook. "I don't care! You messed up big time—you have to fix this!"

[I…]

Before the system could respond, an unfamiliar voice called out:

"Miss, do you need assistance?"

Mid-argument, Wei Wei nearly fell out of the tree in shock.

She barely managed to grab a branch and steady herself before cautiously turning to look down.

Standing below was a tall man in full armor, his face hidden by a helmet, leaving only a pair of striking blue eyes visible.

—A knight?

And judging by the group of hunters waiting behind him, this man held a high position among them.

Wei Wei's mind whirled. She needed to come up with a backstory—fast.

The knight beneath the tree had been waiting for a response. When Wei Wei remained silent for too long, still stunned, he finally shook off his daze—thankfully, he was still wearing his helmet, so she hadn't seen his moment of astonishment.

He cleared his throat and asked again—this time, his voice noticeably gentler, as if afraid to startle her:

"Miss, do you require assistance?"

Though he didn't speak the modern English she had studied for years and even taken proficiency exams for, Wei Wei still understood him perfectly.

She had a strange feeling that she could speak the same language fluently.

—This had to be one of the perks of her transmigration starter pack.

Looking down at the knight below—who, from his voice, sounded quite young—Wei Wei carefully nodded and tested her voice.

"Yes, kind Sir Knight. I… seem to have encountered some difficulties."

Her pronunciation was the same as his.

Good. That meant her language skills blended in naturally.

As she spoke, her mind was working faster than it ever had in her life—she needed to come up with a believable backstory.

The knight seemed friendly, but Wei Wei wasn't about to naively trust a stranger just because he looked reliable. She was fully prepared for the worst—if it weren't for the system assuring her that her combat abilities were top-tier, she wouldn't have even dared to speak to him.

She lowered her gaze slightly, adopting a soft, hesitant tone:

"Kind Sir Knight, may I trouble you to help me down from this tree?"

The fragile-looking girl, perched on a branch nearly three meters high, indeed did not seem capable of climbing down on her own.

—Though, how had she climbed up there in the first place, without a single speck of dirt or dishevelment? That was… puzzling.

But Felix, whose mind was currently overheating, wasn't too focused on that minor inconsistency.

"Of course," he said smoothly, "I would be honored to assist you."

Removing his gauntlets and gloves, he tossed them to a waiting squire before reaching up with a clean, bare hand.

"Please, allow me to help you down."

Felix was tall—a full six feet one inch (around 185 cm). Among the men of this era, his towering height was enough to dominate most.

Wei Wei glanced down at the distance between herself and the ground. His outstretched hand looked steady and strong—he should be able to support her weight.

Cautiously, she leaned forward and placed her hand in his.

Before she could even brace herself to push off the branch, Felix had already exerted strength—effortlessly lifting her from the tree.

Wei Wei let out a startled gasp as she fell straight into his arms.

Had she crashed into him, his solid chest plate would have left her black and blue.

Fortunately, Felix had quick reflexes. As he pulled her down, his other arm swiftly wrapped around her waist, absorbing most of the impact.

And just like that, she landed softly against his chest—without a single bruise.

A perfectly executed catch.

The moment his hand touched her waist, Felix froze.

Her waist was incredibly slender—so much so that he could almost circle it entirely with one hand.

And she smelled wonderful.

Not the overpowering perfume that noblewomen often drenched themselves in, but something soft and natural—a delicate scent that seemed to emanate from her very skin.

From this close, he could see her features clearly—and they were even more breathtaking than from a distance.

Her flawless skin had no trace of the thick lead-based powders that noble ladies typically applied. Her pores were nearly invisible, her complexion smooth as silk.

Even without touching her face, Felix could imagine how impossibly soft it must feel—softer than the finest silk in the land.

For a moment, he didn't want to let go.

Wei Wei, however, was in a completely different state of mind.

Not only was she being held by a stranger, but the intense smell of blood and sweat wafting from his armor was making her want to gag.

To be fair, Felix smelled far better than most medieval people—but Wei Wei, with her enhanced senses, could pick up every unwashed trace.

If she weren't standing right in front of him, she probably would have dry-heaved on the spot.

Without hesitation, she broke free from his hold and stepped away as quickly as possible.

—Not just because he was a stranger, but because she was desperate to escape the suffocating stench.

…

At that moment, Wei Wei knew one thing for certain.

She, without a doubt, needed to find a way to the Eastern continent.