Amid the noisy sound of rain, chaotic footsteps, and the cries of animals, Qi Bai struggled to open his eyes.
The muffled conversations of medical staff still seemed to linger in his ears, but now he was in a completely unfamiliar place.
Rain poured down heavily, soaking the muddy ground, and murky water splashed into his vision. He tried to stand but found himself unable to move, as though something massive was pressing down on him.
A wave of sharp pain engulfed him, and he couldn’t stop a low whimper from escaping his lips.
A light gray figure flickered in the rain like a blade and then suddenly stopped, as if sensing something.
Qi Bai lifted his gaze and locked eyes with a pair of deep, wolfish eyes.
A giant light-gray wolf with a single horn stood before him.
Even though it looked battered and disheveled, its towering form still left him stunned.
The wolf lowered its massive head and sniffed him carefully.
Qi Bai stared dazedly at the enormous beast, momentarily forgetting the pain in his body.
Was this wolf going to eat him?
The next moment, the wolf raised a paw and struck away the heavy object pinning Qi Bai down. Only then did he realize he’d been trapped beneath a massive, uprooted tree.
The wolf growled lowly, then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and bounded forward with powerful strides.
Qi Bai’s mind was spinning. He opened his mouth to scream or call out, but instead, a weak and delicate meow emerged.
What was that sound?
The giant wolf moved swiftly, but its labored breathing betrayed its exhaustion.
All around them, other animals were also fleeing, their movements frantic and chaotic. None of them seemed to know what was chasing them, only that they had to escape.
A goat struggled, its front legs deeply mired in the mud. A one-horned fox beside it cried out mournfully, refusing to leave. But within moments, the mudslide overtook them, burying them both in an instant.
Qi Bai’s breath caught. He didn’t have time to reflect on the tragic irony of predator and prey perishing together—if he could see the mudslide, it meant he was in danger too.
The wolf’s breaths grew heavier, rasping like a bellows on the verge of breaking. Each step it took grew slower, its strength fading rapidly.
The wolf’s body was clearly nearing its limit, and carrying Qi Bai only made matters worse.
Qi Bai could see it plainly now. The wolf wasn’t running to survive—it was moving forward purely out of stubborn determination, oblivious to the obstacles in its path.
Suddenly, the wolf’s front legs gave out, and both man and beast collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Qi Bai’s vision darkened. When he came to, he saw the giant wolf lying motionless on the ground, the mudslide fast approaching.
“Run!” he shouted, rushing to the wolf’s side.
Ahead of them was a gentle slope. A few more seconds—just a few more steps—and they’d make it to safety.
But his body was too small, and he couldn’t move the massive wolf no matter how hard he tried.
What could he do?
Just then, he noticed the world around him shrinking, while his own body was growing longer and larger.
By the time he reached the wolf, his transformation was complete. His short forelimbs had become slender arms, and his curled hind legs had lengthened into strong limbs.
He threw his arms around the wolf and began dragging it with all his strength, his voice hoarse as he cried, “Just a little further! We’re almost there!”
At the sound of his voice, the wolf stirred and managed to regain consciousness. Slowly, it pushed itself out of his arms and staggered to its feet.
Qi Bai let go, watching the wolf stand on its own. He wanted to help, but his own body was trembling uncontrollably, whether from exhaustion or fear.
In just a few breaths, the wolf began to move again. The mudslide was almost upon them as Qi Bai pushed himself to his limit, scrambling up the gentle slope and urging the wolf forward.
But his strength gave out. As he clawed his way up, a powerful force swept over his waist, and he barely managed to grab hold of the weeds on the ground.
It’s over, he thought. He didn’t have the strength to keep climbing.
His hands clung desperately to the muddy soil, but the rain was relentless, washing away the earth beneath his grip.
A pale hand suddenly grabbed his arm. Qi Bai looked up to see a young boy, around eighteen or nineteen years old, gritting his teeth. “Use your strength. Climb up slowly,” the boy said.
Hope surged within Qi Bai. He grabbed the boy’s arm, careful not to pull too hard for fear of dragging him down.
With the boy’s help, and using the muddy ground for leverage, he painstakingly climbed to safety.
When he finally reached the top, both he and the boy collapsed in exhaustion. Staggering a few steps forward, they fell to the ground, completely spent.
Qi Bai stared up at the sky, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. The rain mingled with his tears, soaking into the muddy earth.
It wasn’t that he was weak—this desperate flight for survival felt as though it had spanned lifetimes.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he had been outside a hospital bed or ward, back when he had been sick.
Maybe leaving that world behind wasn’t such a bad thing. At least now, he wouldn’t have to endure his illness anymore. His family wouldn’t have to suffer alongside him either.
He never expected something as fantastical as time travel to happen to him. Could it be that his lingering obsession had been so strong that even the heavens couldn’t bear to ignore it?
It was a pity, he thought, that he had no way to tell his family. He hoped his parents and brother in that other world could let go of their grief and start anew.
Qi Bai blinked and wiped away his tears. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on gratitude or sorrow. Those who had lost something, those who had faced illness, understood the value of life. He wouldn’t give up. He had to survive—and survive even stronger.
Inside the cave, a group of orcs huddled close together for warmth.
They had been fleeing north for over ten days, their numbers fluctuating during the journey. Now, only about fifty remained. This was the first time they’d found a cave large enough to shelter everyone, yet a heavy gloom hung in the air.
No one spoke to the strangers around them. No one knew if they’d still see the same faces the next day.
Through the memories of the body he now inhabited, Qi Bai learned he had crossed into a place called the Orc Continent.
He had become an orc with a beast form—more specifically, a sub-orc.
In this world, orcs were not divided by male or female but by two distinct types: horned orcs and sub-orcs.
Horned orcs had a single horn on their heads, were massive, and excelled in combat. The young man who saved him earlier had been a wolf-shaped horned orc.
Sub-orcs, by contrast, lacked horns. Their animal forms were small and ill-suited for hunting. However, whether male or female, sub-orcs were capable of giving birth to cubs.
The continuous downpour had caused severe flooding in the area Qi Bai had originally lived. During the chaos of migration, he had been separated from his tribe. Fortunately, he had encountered other lone orcs during his escape and joined them.
The heavy rain outside the cave showed no signs of stopping, accentuating the eerie silence inside.
Qi Bai curled up silently, listening to the rain beating against the mountains and trees.
He still wasn’t fully accustomed to his beast form, so he preferred to stay in his human form whenever he wasn’t running.
His short white hair clung wetly to his forehead, and his round eyes stared blankly at the cave’s entrance.
Following the orcs around him, Qi Bai ate wild vegetables they had foraged. He had no idea what kind of vegetables they were, but since others ate them, he dared to do the same. For the past few days, this had been the only way he managed to fill his stomach.
The wild vegetables couldn’t satisfy his hunger, and his stomach still ached with emptiness. Yet he had no intention of venturing outside to search for food.
No one else did either. Instead of risking their lives hunting prey they might not find, everyone used this precious shelter to rest and recover.
They needed to conserve their energy. Only by gathering enough strength could they continue running tomorrow. It was common knowledge among orcs that a lone traveler couldn’t survive in the wild. Staying with this temporary group was their best chance.
Hunger had simply become part of life. Even though the mudslide was long behind them, no one dared to pause for a proper meal during their escape.
As Qi Bai endured another round of hunger pangs, two figures suddenly transformed into their human forms and stood in the silent crowd.
He recognized them. They were the elders of the group: the horned orc Hou Yan and the sub-orc Yang Luo.
Throughout their escape, these two had guided the group, teaching them how to survive. Without them, more lives would surely have been lost.
Yang Luo raised his hands to cover his face, then placed them on his chest in a gesture of reverence. His voice was solemn as he spoke: “The Beast God sent this heavy rain to punish the greed of his people, yet the Beast God is also merciful. He led us to this cave, offering us a glimmer of hope. The north is the end of the world, where the Beast God resides. We cannot venture further, lest we disturb his rest. The Beast God has blessed us—it is time to cease our ignorant wandering.”
He clasped his hands together and softly chanted, “May the Beast God bless you.”
Yang Luo’s rhythmic voice was long and haunting, carrying an air of mystery.
Unconsciously, Qi Bai found himself listening intently.
By this point, everyone in the cave had returned to their human forms. Though they didn’t entirely understand Yang Luo’s words, his message was clear: the running was over. Relief spread across the crowd, and joy appeared on many faces. They mimicked Yang Luo’s movements, clasping their hands together and chanting in unison, “Blessings from the Beast God.”
Qi Bai wasn’t sure if gods truly existed in this world, but he couldn’t help but offer a silent prayer of gratitude for his second chance at life.
When the chanting ended, all eyes turned to the two leaders.
Yang Luo waited for the cave to settle before continuing. “The fire of wisdom will take root and grow wherever orcs tread. Even if suffering continues, orcs will never retreat. From this moment on, we will stay here. Prepare yourselves, orcs—we are about to embark on a new journey.”
“That’s right!”
“A new journey!”
The crowd echoed enthusiastically.
Hou Yan then stood, his honest and straightforward demeanor naturally inspiring confidence. “All sub-orcs and cubs, gather with Yang Luo to form the gathering team. All adult horned orcs, come to me to form the hunting team. The Beast God has guided us to stay, and as his people, we will rely on ourselves to survive.”
