I walk sideways in the game world

"This is impossible!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly sat up from the bed. The rough linen sheets rubbed against his skin, bringing a real touch and forcing him to face all the incredible things in front of him.

A few rays of morning light filtered through the carved wooden windows, illuminating the antique furnishings inside the house, a stark contrast to the modern bedroom he remembered. "I was clearly playing a game..." he muttered to himself, trying to clear his mind.

"Young man, are you awake?" An old voice interrupted Ren Xiaoyao's contemplation. A hunched figure appeared at the door, holding a bowl of steaming rice porridge. It was none other than the village chief, Old Wang. He looked at Ren Xiaoyao, his cloudy eyes filled with worry and anticipation. "How are you feeling? Are you still dizzy?"

Ren Xiaoyao took the rice porridge, felt the warmth in his hands, and his confused thoughts gradually became clear.

He looked around; the unfamiliar environment and people were reminding him of an absurd fact—he had traveled through time and space to the holographic game he was playing, called "Taoyuan Dreamland"!

What made him even more unbelievable was that this game was said to have a realism beyond reality. Once entered, unless one found the hidden mission and completed the game, he would never be able to return to the real world.

Lao Wang thought the young man was still in shock, so he kindly began to introduce the world: "This is the Novice Village. Everyone who enters the game will come here to familiarize themselves with the environment and complete some simple tasks..."

Ren Xiaoyao drank the rice porridge bit by bit while silently digesting Lao Wang's words.

Game? Reality? His current situation felt more like a real dream. Suddenly, a loud noise came from outside the door, breaking the silence in the room. Ren Xiaoyao put down the bowl and walked to the window curiously, wanting to see what was going on.

Outside the window, a group of people were gathered in front of a bulletin board, seemingly discussing something enthusiastically. Curious, Ren Xiaoyao pushed open the wooden door and walked out.

As soon as he stepped out of the door, a tall figure blocked his way. The man's name was Li Hu, a well-known "veteran player" in the village. He relied on the fact that he entered the game a few days earlier than others, and he was arrogant and looked down on everyone.

"Hey, isn't this our new guy?" Li Hu looked Ren Xiaoyao up and down with a scornful smile on his face. "Why, you dare to run around without knowing the situation? Be careful not to get lost and not be able to come back!"

Ren Xiaoyao naturally would not take such a small character seriously. He glanced at Li Hu lightly, without saying a word, and walked straight past him.

"Boy, stop right there!" Li Hu became furious when he saw Ren Xiaoyao ignoring him, and reached out to grab Ren Xiaoyao's shoulders.

Ren Xiaoyao was prepared and dodged to the side, avoiding Li Hu's attack. He turned around and looked at Li Hu calmly, with a hint of warning in his tone: "A good dog doesn't block the road."

"You!" Li Hu was furious, but he also knew that he could not use force in the Novice Village, so he stomped his feet angrily and turned away.

Ren Xiaoyao ignored Li Hu's provocation. He came to the bulletin board and found that various tasks were posted on it, ranging from simple herb collecting to hunting wild beasts.

He browsed around casually and decided to start with the simplest herbs.

Following his mission instructions, Ren Xiaoyao journeyed to the forest outside the village. Dense trees obscured the sun, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dappled shadows. The chirping of various birds and insects intertwined, creating a wondrous forest symphony. However, beneath this beautiful scenery lay deadly danger.

Just as Ren Xiaoyao was concentrating on searching for herbs, a huge wild boar suddenly rushed out from the bushes, its sharp fangs pointing directly at his chest...

The wild boar was aggressive, but Ren Xiaoyao remained calm. His mind raced, remembering the newbie technique Old Wang had taught him—dodge. In a flash, Ren Xiaoyao nimbly rolled sideways, barely avoiding the boar's tusks.

Before he could even stand firm, the wild boar had already turned and charged at him again. Ren Xiaoyao didn't dare to be careless and quickly took off running. A thrilling chase ensued between the man and the boar through the forest.

"Help!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted while running, hoping to meet a kind person.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help you!" A crisp voice came from not far away.

Following the sound, they saw a young girl in an emerald green dress, holding a long whip, running towards them. Her name was Zhao Linger, the daughter of the village chief and a well-known "master" in the village.

Zhao Linger was agile and in a few leaps she was at Ren Xiaoyao's side. She swung her whip, forcing the wild boar back, and then said to Ren Xiaoyao, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you for saving me!" Ren Xiaoyao said gratefully.

"You're welcome. It's just a small favor." Zhao Linger smiled slightly. "Are you new here? Why did you come to such a dangerous place by yourself?"

Ren Xiaoyao told Zhao Linger that he had accepted the task of collecting herbs but was attacked by a wild boar.

"So that's how it is." Zhao Linger said after hearing this, "I also happen to be going to collect some herbs. Why don't we go together so we can look after each other."

Ren Xiaoyao readily agreed. With Zhao Linger's help, he learned some basic herbal knowledge and self-defense techniques and successfully collected the herbs he needed.

After returning to the village, Ren Xiaoyao handed in his task to Lao Wang and received a generous reward. He returned to his hut and prepared to take a good rest.

While sorting his backpack, he suddenly found an old book inside. There was no text on the cover, only a strange pattern - a phoenix with wings spread.

Out of curiosity, Ren Xiaoyao opened the book.

Just as Ren Xiaoyao was about to delve deeper into the secret manual, a sudden gust of wind blew outside the window, and the clear sky was instantly covered with dark clouds. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating Ren Xiaoyao's astonished face.

Before he could react, a letter emitting a faint golden light broke through the window and landed steadily in front of him.

Ren Xiaoyao hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out and opened the envelope. Written on the letter was a single line of vigorous handwriting: "In the wilderness valley, we await your arrival." There was no signature, no explanation, only an invisible pressure that overwhelmed him.

At the same time, the wooden door of the village chief's house was pushed open suddenly, and Old Wang walked in hurriedly, his face full of worry.

"Little Brother Xiaoyao," Lao Wang said hurriedly, "Are you okay? I just saw a golden light falling towards you, and I was worried something might have happened."

Ren Xiaoyao shook the letter in his hand and asked, "Old Wang, do you know where the Wilderness Valley is?"

Lao Wang's face changed, and he quickly asked, "Why are you asking this? That's an extremely dangerous place. Even experienced hunters don't dare to set foot there easily."

"But..." Ren Xiaoyao wanted to say something but was interrupted by Lao Wang.

"Brother Xiaoyao, listen to my advice, don't go to that place! It is full of unknown dangers, and your current strength is not enough to deal with it." Lao Wang persuaded earnestly.

Ren Xiaoyao was silent for a moment. He knew that Lao Wang was really doing this for his own good, but the inexplicable impulse in his heart was growing stronger and stronger.

"Old Wang, thank you for your concern, but I have made up my mind. I must go to the wilderness valley." Ren Xiaoyao's tone was firm, without any hesitation.

Seeing that his persuasion was fruitless, Lao Wang could only sigh helplessly and said, "Since you have made up your mind, I will not stop you. But you must remember to be careful in everything and do what you can."

"I will." Ren Xiaoyao nodded solemnly.

The next morning, before dawn, Ren Xiaoyao packed his bags, said goodbye to Lao Wang, and set out alone on the journey to the wilderness valley.