Aesthetics

The formation of culture was an extraordinarily long and complex process.

Historical background, social environment, even geographical location... under the influence of countless factors, every civilization displayed its own unique cultural aesthetics in every era.

Ornate abundance, lavish and vibrant colors, lace cuffs, high-waisted pleated skirts, courtly balls accompanied by gentle strings—this was nineteenth-century European Victorian style.

Rugged wildness, simple and direct natural colors, fang necklaces, animal-hide aprons, bonfire gatherings beneath baobab trees—this was Tribal Style from the African Savanna.

In his Previous Life, Xia Nan had been a native-born man of the Central Province, growing up pasting Spring Festival couplets and amid the crackle of firecrackers.

The upturned eaves and winged corners of old roadside buildings, the black-and-white ink paintings hanging on company walls, even the blue-and-white patterns printed beneath porcelain bowls at mealtimes...

Just an ordinary person who had, from birth, rushed about for his future and livelihood beneath his family's expectations, he had never actively paid attention to these scattered things.

Yet over thirty-two years, the culture and aesthetics inherited from a distant history, filling nearly every corner of his vision, had quietly seeped into his very blood and fused with his soul.

Therefore, even from a distance, with only a single glance...

Xia Nan keenly sensed that the Ink-Black Token in Hai An's hand possessed a unique style utterly unlike anything in this fantasy world.

"Can I take a look at that piece of wood in your hand?"

With some hesitation, he called out to the Half-Elf, whose expression looked somewhat surprised.

"Here!"

Seeing that things seemed to have taken a turn, Hai An, who hoped Xia Nan would join the party, did not hesitate for even a moment.

The instant he finished speaking, he tossed over the token in his hand.

Tap—

Xia Nan caught it gently with both hands, his fingertips feeling the distinct firmness and resilience of wood.

Yet its surface was not rough at all, instead feeling exceptionally smooth and warm to the touch.

Xia Nan carefully examined the palm-sized piece of wood before him.

It was rectangular, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, about half an inch thick. Its base was hollowed out, while its edges were carved with a ring of delicate, fluid Cloud Patterns in a grand yet simple style.

"Hiss... it looks like it. It really does."

His DNA stirred.

Whether in style or shape, this Wooden Token almost perfectly matched the exhibits he had seen in museums in his Previous Life.

But...

There was one thing.

The most crucial thing.

It kept him from determining whether the token in his hand, like himself, had come from another world—

Writing!

Xia Nan could clearly see that at the exact center of the rectangular wooden piece was a square character, neatly drawn in somewhat faded Brown-Gold Dye.

He had personally written that traditional yet fluid style of stroke countless times in his Previous Life.

But... he couldn't read it!

The writing before him was definitely not the sort of pictographic script he had learned or seen in his Previous Life.

It was clearly so familiar, yet upon closer inspection, it also felt strange.

Similar, yet not the same.

It was precisely because of this that he could not make up his mind.

"I remember this world has professions like Martial Monks. Perhaps it also possesses a civilization similar to the Central Continent of my Previous Life?"

Thoughts churning, Xia Nan could only make wild guesses to himself.

Overwhelmed by surging emotions, faint ripples appeared on his formerly tense face.

Meanwhile, Hai An, who had been watching him closely, naturally noticed the complicated expression on his face.

After thinking it over briefly, he knew it was related to the Wooden Token he had just thrown over.

He immediately struck while the iron was hot.

"The actual objective of our party's mission is to investigate the source of this piece of wood."

"Based on the information we've obtained so far, we've roughly narrowed down where it was found. We'll arrive tomorrow."

"If you're interested, why not travel with us? I can also share some relevant information with you."

Xia Nan was tempted.

Ultimately, whether to join their party was merely a matter of weighing the pros and cons.

They had just offered him one hundred gold, but compared to the risks he might encounter, it was nowhere near enough.

That was why he had decisively refused.

But now, when one side of that scale gained the possibility of uncovering the source of the Wooden Token in his hand...

The situation changed.

If he had to say, the four-person party before him was not so absurdly ill-equipped that they were simply heading out to die.

The fat man and the Blonde Girl behind him did not look particularly reliable, but the Half-Elf and Wood beside him, a suspected Professional, at least looked the part.

Moreover, based on what they had revealed earlier, their destination was only on the outskirts of Thin Mist Forest, which lowered the risk somewhat.

Besides...

All right, he was just looking for reasons to justify the decision he was about to make.

"I really do care too much about this."

A fantasy otherworld, and a mysterious token bearing the aesthetics of his Previous Life.

If he did not seize this chance to uncover its origins, and missed the opportunity through excessive caution, he felt he might not even be able to sleep tonight.

Therefore...

"I'll join."

Pulling his gaze away from the Wooden Token in his hand, Xia Nan raised his head and spoke to the Half-Elf.

Your position determined your perspective.

Earlier, Xia Nan had looked down on the Half-Elf's party because of its poor composition and certain individuals' unprofessional performance.

But after truly becoming a member of the party, he instead found that its atmosphere was not as bad as he had imagined.

They looked like rich young masters from the city taking a trip to the countryside, but in reality, they maintained a fairly orderly formation throughout the journey.

They did not deliberately make noise, and even necessary conversations were kept as quiet as possible.

Xia Nan even saw several insects suddenly fly out of roadside bushes, startling the Blonde Girl in the party so badly that she practically jumped out of her skin. Yet she still covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Wood also displayed an exceptionally high level of professionalism.

Roaming at the very front of the party, he would sometimes suddenly crouch down, pinch up a bit of soil, and sniff it twice before determining that the area ahead was the territory of some Monster and having the party make a detour.

Or he would suddenly use a branch casually picked up from the ground to sweep through a patch of seemingly ordinary dense grass twice, startling out a dangerous Venomous Snake covered in vivid patterns.

He seemed more like an experienced adventurer than a Guard.

Unfortunately, he did not say a word and barely responded to anyone in the party besides Hai An.

Otherwise, Xia Nan might have been able to ask him about a few adventuring techniques.

The most surprising one was the silver-haired Half-Elf, Hai An.

Though he was vaguely the core of the entire party and was an archer whose primary weapon was a Longbow,

he walked in front of Xia Nan the entire way, deliberately exposing his back to him without reservation in order to put him at ease.

Xia Nan could sense the Half-Elf's goodwill and sincerity.

Of course, that was assuming he ignored the wary looks Wood occasionally cast back from the very front of the party.