The Impostor

(Volume V: Ancient Terror

"In ancient times, a million—or perhaps two million—years ago, humanity had only just learned to make tools. They lived like beasts in caves, surviving on raw meat and blood."

"Organized into tribes, they crafted weapons to hunt wild animals, tying stones to wooden sticks to club and chop."

"They lit bonfires for warmth and to drive away the beasts of the wild."

"They would pull the teeth from their kills, drill small holes in them, and string them on vines to wear around their necks as symbols of their hunting prowess."

"The caves were their base. Every hunt was conducted by a party of four."

"As dusk fell one day, one hunting party had yet to return. They hadn't managed to kill a single beast, and the hunger gnawing at their bodies made them look haggard, even as they clutched their weapons."

"Evening was fast approaching. One of the early humans lit a torch and continued searching for prey with his companions, desperate for anything—a rabbit, a snake, a rat, even a rotting carcass."

"Finally, just before the sky turned completely dark, they found something—"

"A person, dressed exactly like them, was tearing at the corpse of a large beast on the ground, its head cocked at an unnatural angle."

"The four hunters didn't approach immediately. The one holding the torch extended it, trying to illuminate the person's face."

"But the firelight didn't make him turn around completely. He only glanced over his shoulder, his face half-hidden in the shadows. They couldn't see it clearly, but something about it felt deeply unsettling."

"For some reason, the torchbearer instinctively took two steps back, struck by a sudden, inexplicable fear. The others didn't react. Thinking he was just being paranoid, the torchbearer gradually relaxed."

"What was strange was that the figure was as gaunt as they were, yet the corpse on the ground looked fresh. There were no signs of any companions nearby, as if he had killed this giant beast all by himself."

"With no weapon and no allies. And he wasn't wearing the bone-tooth necklace they wore to prove their honor."

"Early humans looked the same as modern people: two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two ears, two arms, two legs..."

"They couldn't speak, but their hunger was becoming unbearable."

"The torchbearer was the first to step forward, with the others close behind. As they neared the strange tribesman, the second man in the group began to communicate with him."

"After a long and inefficient exchange, the second man told the rest of the group—"

"It came from somewhere else. It had hunted this beast alone and was willing to give it to them, on one condition: they had to let it stay in their cave for one night."

"For these early humans, for whom survival was a daily struggle, this unexpected 'trophy' was like a gift from the gods. It instantly blinded them, and they dazedly agreed."

"At dusk, the four of them led the strange primitive man back to their cave."

"One of them couldn't help but keep looking back. The stranger didn't look much different from them, but a strange feeling lingered in his heart."

"What was it that felt so wrong? He couldn't put his finger on it... It wasn't like the stranger had fangs or walked on all fours like the other beasts."

"The journey back was unusually quiet. Normally, the trip home at dusk was a noisy affair. The primeval forest was fraught with danger; rustling from the bushes could mean a two-meter-long snake lunging out of the darkness at any moment."

"But today... not only were the bushes unnervingly silent, but even his companions weren't cheering with joy."

"The torchbearer couldn't resist looking back again. His eyes immediately fell on the strange primitive man. His face was perfect—unnervingly so."

So normal, too normal...

"The torchbearer quickened his pace, wanting to get back to the cave sooner. To them, it was a place of absolute safety."

"Soon, the four of them reached the cave entrance. Before they went in, the tribe's leader came out, while the others stood behind him, looking confused at the extra person."

"Four people went out to hunt, so why were five coming back?"

"The torchbearer tossed his torch into the bonfire and quickly explained with hand gestures that the extra person was someone they had met by chance, and they brought him back to increase their hunting numbers."

"As he spoke, the three hunters behind him dropped the massive animal carcass they were carrying next to the bonfire for all to see."

"Instantly, the tribespeople began to jump and holler like monkeys, their not-so-white teeth showing as their lips curled up and their eyes crinkled in wide smiles. They danced around the bonfire in celebration."

"Everyone knew this beast would provide a hearty meal for all."

"Only the fifth person stood to the side, watching everyone with a bizarre expression. He strained his facial muscles, trying to imitate their expressions."

"But he failed. His lips stretched up to the level of his nose, but his eyebrows didn't move an inch as he bared his perfectly white teeth. His face was clearly human, yet it was disturbingly unnatural."

"Unsurprisingly, this scene did not go unnoticed by those outside the cave. Everyone stared strangely at this person who looked no different from them but whose every action was unsettling."

"A sensitive few felt an instinctive fear, while the rest stood frozen, wondering why he was smiling so strangely."

"The strange primitive man also began to dance around the bonfire like the others. Since the three hunters vouched for him and he was only staying for one night, the tribe let their guard down. After all, there were more of them."

"That night, after everyone had fallen into a deep sleep, a strange sound echoed through the cave—a grating, agitated grinding, like teeth gnashing."

"When they woke the next day, the strange primitive man was gone. No one knew when he had left."

"But the torchbearer from the night before, he woke up early from his sleep, walked over to his sleeping companions, and broke into the same eerie smile as the stranger."

"So, Otto, what do you think that strange primitive man in the book was?"

Kallen finished reading and decided to hand the question over to Otto.

In the dense forest, the passage of time had concealed everything, leaving only the footprints of their arrival.

Even those were quickly washed away by a light rain, leaving no trace of the path they had taken.

The girl's and boy's gazes met. The petite Kallen leaned against Otto's shoulder, holding a book she had brought from her family home. Its pages were yellowed, clearly aged.

A gentle breeze caressed the girl's long, moon-white hair, spreading the faint scent of irises into the air.

She lowered her shy gaze, a smile like a blooming spring flower gracing her lips—beautiful and radiant.

It captivated the young boy, who couldn't look away.

It was as if an angel had descended from heaven, bringing with her warmth, love, and hope.

Kallen and Otto leaned against a towering tree, their souls connecting in the tranquility.

The campfire's flickering flames danced, illuminating the girl's eyes and the path ahead.

As long as she was there, no difficulty seemed insurmountable.

They huddled together, feeling each other's warmth, their presence becoming the whole world to one another.

Time stood still. Only this moment was eternal.

The flames in the bonfire danced to a happy rhythm. The wind carried their promises, silently conveying an oath of freedom.

"..."

Li Mo looked at Kallen in confusion. He stood up and glanced around, assessing his surroundings.

A dense, primeval forest.

The eerie cave usually teleported people somewhere near the source of the Bizarre Thing. A short walk was all it took to reach the root of the strangeness.

Like the area outside St. Freya High School, the stone path outside the cabin, the foot of Mount Taixuan, the road outside the haunted mansion...

"The source of the Bizarre Thing is nearby."

Li Mo frowned, scanning his surroundings warily. Besides the brightly burning campfire and the large tree it illuminated behind him, he couldn't see anything else.

"Otto? Are you listening to me?" Kallen asked curiously, still sitting on the ground.

Li Mo finally realized that the person most likely to be a problem had been right beside him all along.

In supernatural incidents, living people were extremely susceptible to being warped.

Therefore, before deciding to travel with someone, you had to be sure they were a living person and not a ghost in disguise.

This was to avoid being backstabbed at a critical moment.

Wait a minute...

Otto?

She called me Otto?

Li Mo snapped back to reality, noticing his perspective was different. He was visibly much shorter.

That wasn't even the most crucial part. His clothes were completely different from what he'd been wearing. His notebook, his anomalous pistol, the thermometer...

All the strange artifacts he relied on for survival were gone?

Now Li Mo finally understood what MEI had told him.

He had probably already triggered the rules of this Bizarre Thing. This might be a dream, or perhaps an illusion.

However...

Li Mo glanced at his own small, frail body. It was weak, and he felt like he couldn't muster any strength.

Even for a child, a boy should have some strength, not be so frail that he'd get winded just carrying something small.

He tried to clench his fist.

The feeling he got was that this body had been sickly since birth, only slightly better than his condition in the haunted mansion world.

Li Mo looked back at Kallen and immediately understood his identity.

He had become Otto.

The only strange thing was that it didn't feel unnatural. He didn't have to slowly absorb the host's memories like other transmigrators.

The moment Li Mo realized his identity was Otto, all the memories became crystal clear.

Francis had led the elite of the Kaslana family to fight the Honkai Beasts in the forest and had not returned.

When her father didn't come back, Kallen had set out to find him herself.

Otto Apocalypse, the youngest son of the Apocalypse family, had no right of succession.

Frail from a young age, he was scorned in this martial era. His family's indifference gave Otto a free environment to grow up in, and despite not being looked upon with any expectation, as the Overseer's son, he still held a certain degree of power.

Then came the classic plot point: worried about Kallen, he followed her.

In a way, was this an elopement?

Kallen had snuck out. If this news got out, it would definitely affect her standing in the family.

Otto didn't dare tell the Apocalypse family either, because they would use it as leverage to do something detrimental to Kallen or the Kaslana family.

So Otto could only pack his things and chase after Kallen with all his might.

He ended up collapsing from exhaustion in the primeval forest, only to be found by a lost Kallen who had turned back.

A weak body, but no small amount of courage.

A child entering a primeval forest alone... without ample preparation, even an adult couldn't find their way out, let alone a sickly child.

Charging ahead for love... I get it, I get it. He is Honkai's greatest devotee of pure love, after all.

Li Mo guiltily averted his gaze. He'd had similar experiences, moments of completely irrational choices.

"I'm listening," Li Mo replied.

The priority now was to figure out what was happening to him. Explanations could wait.

"Okay, so what was that strange primitive man? And why did some of the people feel instinctively afraid?"

Faced with Kallen's question, Li Mo pondered for a moment.

He wasn't thinking about the story, but about the context of this world.

The story clearly had undertones of evolutionary theory—from primitive humans evolving into modern humans. But in medieval Europe, religion preached that God was the creator of all things.

This book was clearly at odds with the current era's background. It was hard to say from what point in time it had been passed down.

It was also possible that it was a novel written by some author from a Previous Era, preserved by the people of the current one.

Li Mo slowly sat down, leaning against the tree again, and took some dry rations from his bag.

He was starving. Otto had probably lied to Kallen, telling her he wasn't hungry, saving as much food as possible for her while he endured his own hunger.

Li Mo wasn't about to mistreat himself.

In a primeval forest, without anomalous artifacts or powers, as a frail child with dulled senses and intuition...

The debuffs were all stacked against him. Li Mo didn't want to add a hunger status that constantly drained his health.

But he still had to answer her. It was a good opportunity to probe Kallen.

Li Mo stared at the campfire. He and Kallen had been here for a while, and the Bizarre Thing hadn't found them yet.

This meant two possibilities—

One: The campfire was like the chapel or the guest rooms, able to block or obstruct ghosts.

Two: There were no ghosts nearby at all.

The second possibility contradicted the rules of the eerie cave, so it needed to be revised—

Two: There are ghosts nearby, but they cannot act until a rule is triggered.

Li Mo turned his head and said with a smile:

"Well, what do you think it was, that strange primitive man who suddenly appeared? You might not get it if I just say it. Let's try this: what if I were that strange primitive man? Would you be scared?"

"Of course not. You're Otto, my friend, and a great inventor. Why would I be scared of you?" Kallen asked, completely confused.

Plan in motion...

Li Mo began to slowly lean his face closer to Kallen's, keeping his expression perfectly still, imitating the description in the book.

His mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin, but he tried to keep his eyebrows from moving.

Even though Li Mo was a real living person and couldn't pull it off perfectly, he managed a close enough imitation.

As their faces got closer and closer, Kallen shoved Li Mo away.

"Oof!"

Li Mo rubbed his sore behind. Kallen quickly came over to apologize. "I'm sorry, Otto! I didn't mean to, it's just..."

"You were scared," Li Mo stated the truth.

Kallen nodded, not denying it.

With Kallen's help, Li Mo sat up straight again. "Those primitive people might have been the ancestors of humanity. I mean, the very first humans."

And not the humans of our era.

"The strange primitive man you mentioned... it's similar to humans, yet different. It hides among people, maybe even among the friends and family we know so well."

"They have no origin. No one knows where they come from, or why they infiltrate human society, pretending to be normal people."

"Most people would be scared after seeing how different it is from humans. But sometimes, even when it hasn't shown any flaws, people with sharp intuition can still sense something is wrong and feel afraid."

"But where does the fear come from? If it hasn't slipped up, why would they be scared?" Kallen asked.

"Why, indeed?"

Li Mo once again leaned his face in close, staring directly at Kallen.

Kallen didn't quite get it. She watched quietly as Li Mo made a strange face. Now that she knew he was just pretending, she wasn't scared at all.

"You smell so good," Li Mo said abruptly. "Just like the food I was eating."

At that moment, Kallen's body tensed up again. Her scalp tingled. She wanted to push him away but hesitated, wondering if Li Mo was just joking.

Li Mo didn't stop. His face drew closer and closer to Kallen's, and he let out a low, "hee hee hee" cackle.

"Gulp..." Kallen swallowed hard, frozen in place.

Li Mo pulled back, his expression returning to normal as he laughed loudly. "Hahaha, how was that? Did I scare you?"

Li Mo was half-joking, but he was also observing Kallen's reaction.

His right hand was behind his back, tightly gripping a hand cannon.

He had taken it out of the bag when he got the food.

From the very beginning, he had no intention of trusting Kallen. If she showed any signs of abnormality, Li Mo's first course of action would be to kill her immediately.

Even if Kallen would one day become incredibly talented, right now she was just a child.

And as everyone knows, people die when they are killed.

"Hmph! You just wait! I'll find a chance to scare you back!" Kallen pouted.

"I'll be waiting. It's not easy to scare me," Li Mo said smugly, his guard against Kallen gradually lowering.

This was a normal reaction.

Kallen looked indignant, but she still leaned back against his shoulder. "Why did you have to scare me like that? You have no idea how weird you looked just now, just like..."

Li Mo immediately cut in, "Just like that strange primitive man, right?"

Kallen nodded with a soft "mhm."

A single blanket covered them both, the orange glow of the fire illuminating their youthful faces.