C8 Your Meat Isn't Enough to Eat!

After striking a 'black deal' with Elder Mu, Lee Yu felt he had played his cards right: he went from being an undocumented alien to a legitimate citizen of the Otherworld in no time.

The woman clad in white armor was also assigned to be his language tutor.

Upon his return to the Otherworld, Lee Yu opened the door to find Mu Yinhua, who had been waiting outside all morning. Following a quick exchange of introductions, he invited her to show him around.

"What's going on, Mu Yinhua?" Lee Yu inquired with curiosity.

Several individuals in white armor were conducting a search on the street, all wearing grim expressions.

"A petty thief stole the light beads from the restroom during our ceremony!"

"Uh..."

Noticing the group's aggressive approach, Lee Yu broke into a sweat and hastily tugged at Mu Yinhua's sleeve. "We shouldn't get in their way. Let's head this direction."

He gestured towards a less crowded street. Mu Yinhua glanced at Lee Yu's face, then at the approaching officials.

A thoughtful look crossed Mu Yinhua's face as her eyebrows arched.

It seemed there was only one foreigner in the village, and he was right by her side.

Out of Lee Yu's sight, Mu Yinhua discreetly gestured for the others to back off. She then feigned ignorance and followed Lee Yu around the corner.

The village, despite its name, was much larger than the average Chinese village. Likely as a fire precaution, the wooden houses were spaced apart, and the streets were a mix of stone and mud.

"This is ridiculous; with training like this, I wouldn't need to seek adventure in the Otherworld."

Lee Yu's gaze fell upon the expansive square that opened up from the street, his mind fixated on a single recurring thought.

On the square, over a hundred youngsters were grunting and laughing as they exercised, some leaping and swinging like monkeys on structures over ten meters high.

The training resembled that of Blue Star, with the only difference being the outlandish equipment.

"Good heavens, what kind of mad world have I stumbled into?"

Lee Yu even spotted someone tossing a massive stone as tall as a person back and forth.

Lee Yu caught the boulder with precision and noticed the ground beneath his feet cratering under the immense weight. As he launched it away, his arms flexed with power, leaving two more large depressions in the earth.

"Be careful!"

Lee Yu's mind seemed to short-circuit as someone shouted a warning, and a rush of wind hit his face. Turning, he saw a similarly massive boulder hurtling towards him.

Fighting the impulse to escape back to the real world, Lee Yu remained frozen in place.

Mu Yinhua, standing nearby, acted. She extended her right hand, and the oncoming boulder halted midair as if colliding with an unyielding mountain.

"Enough fooling around!" With a shove from Mu Yinhua, the boulder was sent flying back.

"Just as I thought," Lee Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

He had stayed put, recalling how effortlessly Mu Yinhua had lifted him without so much as a blush or breathlessness.

"Let's explore this area a bit more," Lee Yu suggested to Mu Yinhua.

His curiosity piqued, he began to take in the locals. Young men trained with stone implements, while burly fellows busied themselves nearby.

Archers released arrows that screamed through the air, while swordsmen brandished their blades, glinting in the sunlight.

Lee Yu pondered.

This world seemed disproportionately developed.

Overall, the afternoon's observations revealed a low level of productivity among the people here, with many basic facilities sorely lacking. Wooden houses were commonplace, and lighting came solely from natural sources. Lee Yu had yet to spot any signs of industrialization. Household items were mostly wooden or crudely fired clay.

Yet, the craftsmanship of violent implements—great swords, armor, iron arrowheads—showed remarkable forging skills, though likely not of local make.

"It's the focus on personal martial prowess, perhaps for hunting and survival, that has stifled the emergence of leisure. Hence, the extraordinary martial strength of the inhabitants here... But surely, the outside world, Blue Star, must be more advanced."

After spending some time observing, Lee Yu and Mu Yinhua left the area to begin formal language instruction. The system's electronic voice was cold and impersonal, yet it was this very translation that prevented Lee Yu from learning in the dark.

Mu Yinhua exhibited the delicate patience characteristic of a young woman. She meticulously pronounced each word and carefully wrote each character, clearly following Elder Mu's guidance. She thoughtfully pointed out corresponding objects, enhancing the learning experience.

This was more than mere textual instruction; it was a comprehensive language education facilitated by the system. The local language had an exceptionally peculiar and convoluted pronunciation, with a script that was intricate and complex. Lee Yu felt as though his brain might burst from the effort of learning it.

"Activate elementary level proficiency times five," Lee Yu whispered, using the proficiency he had just earned. Instantly, he gained a rudimentary grasp of the world's speech and script.

Indeed, this was why Lee Yu felt assured in his ability to master a new "foreign language." He leveraged the proficiency acquired from the system to navigate the language of the Otherworld.

"What's the matter?" Mu Yinhua asked, looking at him with concern.

Lee Yu smiled contentedly. For the first time, he understood Mu Yinhua's words not through the system's translation but through his own grasp of the newly acquired language.

"I'm fine," Lee Yu said, glancing at the sky. "Looks like it's time for dinner."

The afternoon had slipped by unnoticed. With his comment, Lee Yu hoped to convey his intention to part ways, allowing everyone to return to their respective homes—he was eager to return to the real world for a meal.

To his surprise, Mu Yinhua agreed, "Yes, it's time to eat. Come with me."

Before Lee Yu could politely decline, Mu Yinhua whisked him away. After a dizzying whirl, he found himself seated at a table encircled by a formidable group of men.

Swallowing nervously, Lee Yu quipped, "You're not planning on having me for the main course, are you?"

Around the table, aside from Elder Mu and Mu Yinhua at the head, sat more than a dozen muscular, intimidating men.

Were they holding off on dinner, waiting for him to arrive as if he were the main course?

Elder Mu chuckled and remarked, "Such a small portion of meat, that's hardly enough to satisfy one's hunger."