Qiu Yunru lay there on the ground, his head spinning. The distinct smell of something sulfuric filled his nostrils, causing his eyes to water and his nose to burn.
Because of how heavy and weak his limbs were--he'd just absorbed one-half a mountain of demonic qi, after all!--he wasn't able to sit up. So, he blinked with his cheek pressed into the dirt, trying to get a look around.
This was certainly not a location he had ever been to before. The dirt on his cheek was moist and muddied. He felt gross, but what could he do? His head was as heavy as a boulder! Darkness surrounded him; it was going to take his eyes some time to adjust. Was it that it was nighttime, or was he indoors? He couldn't hear any echoes when he shifted, and he didn't sense any cave walls close to his body. No, he must be outdoors...
There was some other smell, as well. On top of the sulfuric smell, there came the distinct smell of rotting flesh.
Qiu Yunru gagged and turned his head, vomiting a little in the dirt. He then rolled over, blinking rapidly.
He certainly couldn't be in any good place if it smelled like sulfur and dead bodies. But where could he be?
He sighed. Of course the game would shove him somewhere like this right after he'd nearly died. He hadn't done it in some time, but he lit a candle for himself in his heart, wishing he might just wake up in a comfortable bed somewhere. In this world, his world, or any world--he just wanted a break from the nonsense of it all.
Yes, yes, it was technically his decision that had led to him almost dying. But that was...unimportant!
At the very least, the game could have been nicer to him after such a traumatic event! Weren't AI's trained on human data? Didn't they understand what state he was in? Or had he been transported into a game version that just happened to be filled with sadism? Perhaps he was truly just cursed with negative luck!
At last, his eyes adjusted. He could make out the shapes of some trees. They weren't very pleasant to look at. Scraggly and black, none of them had leaves. They were scattered all around him, creating a pitifully sparse sort of forest.
Upon squinting, he saw that the roots of these trees curled into the wet dirt in spirals.
Qiu Yunru blinked.
Oh shit, he thought. Oh, shit.
Spiral Root Trees, known aptly for their, well, spiraling roots, were a plant that hadn't been released in the game before Qiu Yunru's death in his past life. They had only been displayed in advertisements. This was because they were a part of a realm that hadn't yet been released to the public.
Spiral Root Trees grew in none other than the Demon Realm!
Qiu Yunru swore out loud. Seeing as he was on the brink of death, it came out only as an awkward moan. How embarrassing! If someone had been around to hear that, his ego would definitely take a hit!
How had he ended up in the Demon Realm?! There was no other way--there must have been a major game update while he'd been inside the game! As with most major updates in Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits, this update must have created various major glitches. He had just happened to get caught in a glitch on the way down to his death, and had been transported here by accident! There was also the possibility that there indeed had not been an update, and he had accidentally glitched into an unfinished portion of the game, but he didn't want to think about that.
The reason he didn't want to think about that was this: once it was released, the devs would of course have to create a way for players to access the Demon Realm and return to the Mortal Realm. If it wasn't officially released or completed yet...he might have no method of escape! What a terrifying thought. He'd have to live in darkness with air that stunk of sulfur and rotting corpses for the rest of his days! The thought sent a shiver down his spine!
But no, no, he was getting ahead of himself.
Didn't he have to stay alive first? Not only was he on the brink of death, about to die if he didn't receive healing, but the Demon Realm was, of course, also crawling with demons.
And what do demons like to eat?
It's not hard to guess!
Qiu Yunru gritted his teeth and threw him arm forward in the muddy dirty, dragging himself towards the nearest Spiral Root tree. Even though this area hadn't yet been released, a pre-release book of some of its flora and their properties had been published on the game's website. Many small plants and mushrooms grew at the roots of Spiral Root Trees. If he got lucky and found something good, he might just be able to survive...
Of course, seeing that he had a chance at relief, the game proceeded to punch him in the face.
"Hmmm? Ah! A fresh human! Hohoho! I was just getting hungry. Luck's on my side today!"