The Old Man

The road where Glen had been knocked out wasn't far from here. He could see it from the forest where he had fought earlier, so he didn't get lost.

His vision was blurry at times and clear at others. His body felt as weak as a jellyfish, and he desperately wanted to lie down and sleep.

But from the memories of his predecessor, this place was strange and eerie. If he closed his eyes now, he might never be able to open them again.

The sky had completely darkened, with only a round moon hanging silently in the night. The moonlight illuminated the road ahead, but Glen didn't feel even a little bit of comfort.

Ahead, there was a shabby signpost leaning to one side, with the word "Bayek" written in the common human language of this world.

This was the "great" place that his predecessor, Dylan, had chosen.

At first, Dylan thought it was lucky to buy such a cheap house and had been secretly gloating about it for a while.

But the moment he arrived with the previous owner, he immediately felt something was off.

Glen, with a pale face, passed by the sign. A cold wind blew, causing it to creak.

He silently prayed, Please, no monsters tonight...

From the memories, Glen knew that since Dylan moved into this town, he had always heard strange, spine-chilling noises at night.

A few times, it even sounded like something had scraped across his window.

Because of this, Dylan hadn't slept well for several days.

The town of Bayek was eerily quiet at night—so quiet it was suffocating.

Glen tried to be as silent as possible, walking slowly on the cobblestone road. Tall weeds grew between the cracks in the stones, making the place look desolate.

He had to endure the pain while staying alert for any danger that might appear. Glen felt mentally exhausted.

Finally, he spotted his house. It sat between two larger buildings, with vines climbing up its walls, making it look shabby compared to the neighbors.

Dylan had bought a two-story house with a garden and a run-down warehouse that was barely larger than a doghouse.

Finally, I've made it, Glen thought, feeling a little relieved, and quickened his pace.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Suddenly, the frantic barking of a dog nearly scared the life out of Glen.

In such a quiet night, hearing such loud noises was enough to startle anyone.

He turned to see a large, muscular bulldog, its eyes glowing with hostility as it bared its teeth and barked fiercely at him.

This dog belonged to his neighbor, an old man who was tall and often bullied Dylan. He had a strange temper and frequently came over to take things from Dylan's house, acting like everything in the place was his, whether Dylan was watching or not.

The bulldog, taking advantage of its owner's backing, often chased Dylan and bit him, tearing up several of his clothes.

Though Dylan had once been a spoiled brat, his attitude had changed after his family's downfall. But the old man was clearly stronger than Dylan and often carried a rifle, so Dylan never dared to resist.

Glen stopped in his tracks and coldly stared at the bulldog. His right hand already moved toward the knife.

The bulldog suddenly sniffed the air, its eyes gleaming with excitement.

It had smelled blood.

After a few low growls, it began to lick its teeth and approach Glen.

Noticing the dog's change, Glen stood still, his right hand gripping the knife.

He could tell—this dog was after human flesh! He couldn't hold back now.

Perhaps it was because the bulldog had always bullied Dylan, but it showed no respect for humans and kept moving closer. When it was just two meters away, it suddenly lunged at Glen!

Glen reacted swiftly, sidestepping as his knife sliced through the air in a perfect arc, stabbing straight into the bulldog's neck.

The man and dog narrowly missed each other—Glen almost tripping, but the dog collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently.

Glen was surprised to find that, even though his spirit was drained, his strength had recovered quite a bit.

He had thought he would collapse immediately, but somehow he managed to stay on his feet.

Not wanting to dwell on why, Glen ignored the dog writhing on the ground and walked into the yard. He took the key hidden under a stone and unlocked the door.

The house smelled faintly of mildew, but it wasn't overwhelming.

Glen didn't have the energy to care about the furnishings. All he wanted was to rest.

He shut the door behind him, climbed the wooden stairs, and hurried straight to his bedroom.

The moment he opened the bedroom door, he collapsed onto the relatively soft bed.

His tense nerves finally relaxed, and his consciousness began to fade...

The Next Day

The intense hunger woke Glen up.

As soon as he opened his bloodshot eyes, he jumped out of bed. After resting, he no longer felt as exhausted as the day before, but the hunger still tormented him.

Glen had never experienced hunger like this. It nearly shattered his reason, making him feel like he would devour anything in sight.

He rushed out of the bedroom and headed straight for the kitchen. He remembered that Dylan had some leftover food and ingredients.

After a few moments of chaos, Glen had turned the kitchen upside down.

Whether it was leftover food, raw vegetables, or even moldy food, he shoved it all into his mouth like a wild animal. The overwhelming hunger began to ease a little.

What's going on? he thought. I've only been hungry for a day and a night. This shouldn't be happening.

Glen sat on the kitchen floor, frowning deeply.

He still felt hungry. I have to find something else to eat…

After sitting for a while, he stood up and began searching again.

Suddenly, he paused. He noticed something strange. His body felt much stronger than before. When he stood up, it felt like there was more power in his movements.

He touched his arm and realized his muscles had grown firmer, and they were bigger than they had been before.

Could this be because I crossed over? Glen wondered. Is this some sort of "special ability" to enhance my physique?

But Glen didn't have time to think about it. Finding food was the priority, so he pushed the thought aside.

He searched the house again but didn't find anything else to eat, which frustrated him.

Do I have to go outside the town to buy something? he thought, sitting on the sofa in the living room.

There was nowhere to trade in this small town. The residents of Bayek had to travel to other towns to trade.

To get resources, he would need to go to another town, but it wasn't a short trip. People usually left early and returned late.

And he didn't have much money left...

Just as Glen was wrestling with these thoughts, he heard a familiar voice shouting from outside.

"Toray! Toray! Where are you, baby?"

It was the old man's voice. Toray was the name of his dog.

Hearing this, Glen couldn't help but smile...