Chapter 1: Lost in Another World
Lin Chen awoke with a sharp pain, finding himself lying on a thick blanket of fallen leaves. He was surrounded by towering ancient trees, their intertwined branches obscuring most of the sky, leaving only scattered, patchy points of light. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and vegetation, and the low growls of unknown beasts could be heard in the distance.
He struggled to sit up and examined his body. Aside from a few scrapes, he didn't seem seriously injured. His memory was still lingering on the sudden car accident; the glaring headlights and shrill horns were his last impressions.
"Where is this?" he muttered to himself, his voice sounding particularly abrupt in the silent forest.
Lin Chen stood up and dusted himself off. He was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, looking out of place in this pristine environment. A gust of cold wind blew past, and he shivered involuntarily.
Just as he was trying to identify the direction, a noise suddenly came from the bushes in the distance. Lin Chen instinctively hid behind a huge tree and held his breath.
A giant, silver-gray wolf slowly emerged from the forest. It was much larger than any wolf Lin Chen had ever known, its shoulders almost reaching its waist, its muscles flowing and powerful. It lowered its head and sniffed the ground, as if tracking something.
Lin Chen's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He clung to the tree trunk, praying he wouldn't be discovered. But to his surprise, the giant wolf suddenly raised its head, its golden pupils fixed precisely on his location.
Man and wolf stood face to face, time seemingly standing still. Lin Chen didn't dare move, countless possible outcomes flashing through his mind.
Unexpectedly, the giant wolf didn't pounce. It tilted its head, its eyes revealing not the ferocity of a predator, but a certain curiosity. Then, something even more shocking happened—the giant wolf's form began to change. Its bones made slight crackling sounds, and its fur gradually faded. Finally, standing there was no longer a wolf, but a tall, muscular man.
The man had bronze skin and long, silver-gray hair. His features were deep, and his eyes were sharp but devoid of malice. He was completely naked, but he didn't care. He took a few steps toward Lin Chen and stopped.
"Who are you? Why are you alone in the dangerous Black Forest?" the man asked, speaking a language that Lin Chen had never heard before, but strangely enough he could understand it completely.
Lin Chen was stunned, not knowing how to respond for a moment. He realized that he might no longer be on Earth, or at least not in the world he was familiar with.
"My...my name is Lin Chen." He finally chose to tell the truth, "I'm lost and don't know where I am."
The man looked him over, his eyes filled with curiosity. "You smell strange, and you're dressed strangely. What tribe are you from?"
"I don't have a tribe." Lin Chen answered cautiously, "I just... accidentally came here."
The man thought for a moment, then said, "I'm Canglan, the hunting captain of the Silver Moon Tribe. It's very dangerous here after dark, as many nocturnal beasts will come out to hunt for food. If you'd like, you can come back to the tribe with me."
Lin Chen hesitated. Following a strange primitive man sounded risky, but staying alone in the forest was even more dangerous. Canglan's eyes were frank and direct, giving people a strange sense of trust.
"Okay, I'll go with you." Lin Chen finally nodded.
Canglan transformed back into his wolf form, motioning for Lin Chen to follow. They journeyed through the dense jungle, Canglan occasionally stopping to wait for Lin Chen, who was struggling to keep up. Along the way, Canglan caught a hare-like animal and quickly and efficiently ended its life, tying it up with vines and holding it in his mouth.
After walking for about an hour, they arrived at an open area. A few simple thatched huts and caves dotted the landscape, and a small stream flowed in the distance. This was the location of the Silver Moon Tribe.
The tribe members watched Canglan bring back a stranger, and they all cast curious glances. Women and some seemingly weak men gathered around them, none of whom could transform. Lin Chen guessed that these were the "sub-orcs" Canglan had mentioned on the way.
"Canglan, who is this?" a white-haired old man came forward and asked. Although he was old, his back was straight and his eyes were wise.
"Elder, this is a stranger we found at the edge of the Black Forest." Canglan had transformed back into human form, wrapped in a simple animal skin. "His name is Lin Chen. He's lost and has no tribe. I'm bringing him back to prevent him from being injured by wild animals at night."
The elder looked at Lin Chen carefully and said, "Welcome to the Silver Moon Tribe. I am Elder Shi Yan. You really don't look like someone from the nearby tribes. Since Cang Lan brought you here, you can stay for a while."
Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you."
Elder Shi Yan nodded and turned to Cang Lan: "Arrange a place for him to stay. How did the hunting team get today?"
"It's okay," Canglan replied. "We only caught a few long-eared beasts and thornback beasts. I'll take the team to explore further afield tomorrow."
As the sky darkened, people began distributing food in the open space in the center of the tribe. Lin Chen was surprised to find that they all ate the meat raw, without any signs of cooking. Canglan handed him a piece of bloody meat, and Lin Chen reluctantly took it, his stomach churning.
"Don't you want to eat?" Canglan noticed his hesitation.
Lin Chen really couldn't swallow raw meat, so he had to decline: "I'm not very hungry."
Canglan didn't force her, but simply said, "Then you should rest first. You might have an appetite tomorrow."
Canglan brought Lin Chen to a small, empty cave: "You can stay here temporarily. Although it's simple, it can shelter you from the wind and rain."
The cave contained only a pile of hay as a bed and some simple stone tools. After Lin Chen thanked him, Canglan left.
Night fell completely, and the temperature dropped noticeably. Lin Chen huddled on a haystack, listening to the distant howling of wild beasts, a wave of helplessness and fear welled up in his heart. The people here held no ill will towards him, but the living conditions were far more primitive than he had imagined.
What disturbed him most was that he noticed there was no trace of fire in the tribe. No firepits, no torches, only the moonlight and a few glowing mosses that provided a weak light.
The cold grew stronger, and Lin Chen's teeth began to chatter. He recalled the fire-making method he had learned in summer camp as a child, and an idea gradually formed.
If he could build a fire, he could not only keep warm, but also cook food and keep away wild animals...
This thought excited him, and he decided to try to light the first fire of the Silver Moon Tribe tomorrow.
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