A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hao Ren scrambled to his feet, pinching his thigh and muttering, "Damn it, can I still be a human on Earth in peace..."

He was absolutely certain he'd been relaxing in front of his house just moments ago, surrounded by the old streets and alleys he'd known for over twenty years. The familiar dilapidated houses and cracked concrete road of Baishi Road in the South Suburbs were vivid in his mind. But after just closing his eyes for a moment, everything had completely changed.

Hao Ren found himself standing on a vast, boundless grassland!

Gazing into the distance, he saw an endless expanse. The only thing in his sight was green grass stretching to his calves, spreading out infinitely. A night breeze, fresher than in the city, swept over him, and the grassland beneath his feet rippled like waves. Hao Ren looked up at the sky. It was a clear, starry night sky, unblemished and dense with stars, unlike anything he'd ever seen in the city. The starlight was so thick and bright that he could see the grassland clearly even under the night sky.

And at the very edge of the distant horizon, two silver discs, one large and one small, were slowly rising into the sky. The larger moon had a halo-like glow around its edge—two moons!

"I knew I shouldn't read too many novels!" Hao Ren exclaimed, jumping up as he watched the two moons slowly ascend. The night sky was filled with stars he didn't recognize (though he barely recognized any stars on Earth either). "Did I just time-travel?"

Hao Ren had pinched his thigh more than once, and now his leg ached so much he could barely walk. This convinced him he wasn't dreaming. So what was going on? Could relaxing on the curb get you thrown into another world? Damn it, he had two monster girls waiting to be fed at home!

Countless thoughts flashed through Hao Ren's mind like a carousel. He thought of a dozen classic transmigration scenarios, then of the two troublemakers at home and his newly acquired Time-Space Administration Bureau employee status. But ultimately, all his thoughts dissolved into a long sigh. He realized he couldn't just wait here, because he'd heard wolf howls earlier...

Hao Ren bid farewell to his lounge chair and began walking towards the direction of the two bright moons on the horizon. In that direction, he vaguely saw what looked like building silhouettes, at least giving him a target. Of course, he knew that wandering aimlessly in such an unfamiliar environment wasn't wise; it would either drain his energy or lead him into greater danger. But the crucial point was that he thought he'd "time-traveled"! The process of getting here was abnormal. Waiting here wouldn't result in anyone coming to save him, so it was better to assess the surroundings.

"My landing spot for time-travel is unreliable too. Dropped onto such a huge grassland, not even a single tree in sight, how am I supposed to survive?" The night wind on the grassland was biting cold. Hao Ren hugged his arms, muttering as he walked, "Am I supposed to eat grass? If I eat poisonous grass, I'm dead. It would be great if there was a forest. Maybe I could chop down a tree and build a workbench, then I might survive..." (Minecraft reference)

Clearly, Hao Ren wasn't a qualified time-traveler. Within ten minutes of arriving in a strange new environment, his mind was already racing. He didn't fit the typical trope of a time-traveler who immediately becomes calm, wise, resolute, and courageous upon entering a new world. But he couldn't help his wild thoughts, as they helped to dispel the bone-deep unease and tension. He was just an ordinary person, a small-time citizen living a mundane life. Until three days ago, the biggest crisis in his life was his inability to rent out his apartment. How could such a small citizen be calm, courageous, and intelligent?

Another faint wolf howl echoed from the distance, though it might have just been a hallucination caused by his intense nervousness. Hao Ren couldn't help but think of the slightly deranged werewolf at home. Lily would howl like that too, and much more melodiously. It would be great if that werewolf were here... Even if her brain wasn't the sharpest, she should be enough to deal with wild wolves, right? Speaking of which, he wondered if she and Vivian could get along. If he couldn't return, those two would definitely tear down the house within three days. But let them tear it down, it wouldn't matter to him anyway.

Hao Ren continued walking with his mind full of random thoughts across a grassland that seemed to have no end. The surroundings were so vast that after walking for so long, the distant scenery seemed unchanged. If it weren't for the lounge chair behind him disappearing from sight and the two moons ahead to guide his direction, he would have thought he was just walking in circles.

The temperature around him continued to drop. The night wind on the grassland was not something a T-shirt could ward off. At first, Hao Ren found the air fresh and invigorating, but now he truly missed the slightly muggy and polluted air of Earth from half an hour ago.

Just then, another wolf howl sounded, this time close and incredibly clear. It was definitely not a hallucination.

Hao Ren felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His peculiar sixth sense, honed over twenty-five years, instantly kicked in. He realized he had unknowingly entered a patch of tall grass, the grass now reaching past his knees. And from all directions, pairs of eyes, gleaming with a faint green light, seemed to emerge from the darkness, one by one.

Ghostly wolf figures emerged from the grass. Hao Ren had no idea how these creatures had gotten so close without him noticing. To be honest, he was terrified at that moment. He had never seen such a scene!

But fortunately, even as an ordinary citizen, Hao Ren had a commendable sense of composure. He suppressed the urge to bolt or scream, knowing that doing so would only hasten his demise. Hao Ren faced the wolf pack, desperately searching for a way to escape, a torrent of frustration building up inside him: Could things get any worse? What kind of end would it be to die inexplicably like this!

If only he had a weapon for self-defense. Although Hao Ren was sure that even with a Green Dragon Crescent Blade in hand, he couldn't possibly defeat the at least twenty to thirty prairie wolves before him, having a weapon would at least give him some courage. He cautiously fumbled through his pockets, only to find an old Nokia. Well, in a way, that thing was a super weapon. If he tied it to a stick, maybe he could use it as a war hammer. But at this critical moment, could they please not play the "cosmic divine machine" meme!

The wolf pack, of course, wouldn't give Hao Ren a chance to wander in thought. The moment he lost focus, the closest wolf suddenly lunged silently. Hao Ren only saw a dark shadow rush towards him. Judging by its build, it didn't seem like an Earth wolf. All he could do was instinctively raise his hand to block...

"Landlord! Landlord!"

A life-threatening shout suddenly rang out beside his ear. Hao Ren felt a sharp pain in his head, and the entire world spun and blurred. When he groggily opened his eyes, he saw the familiar street, the familiar old house, the familiar dim city night sky with sparse stars, and Lily's goofy face.

Hao Ren took a deep breath, an action he hadn't completed when the wolf lunged. Then, he dazedly looked around. "Am I back?"

"Back from what?" Lily poked Hao Ren's arm, then pulled him up. "Landlord, you haven't been back to the house for ages. The winged one sent me to find you, and then I saw you lying on the ground, making weird noises."

Lily, that incredibly strong werewolf, pulled him up with such force that his arm nearly dislocated. But at least he was fully awake now. He looked at himself, everything intact, then glanced at the lounge chair that had somehow tipped over to the side. He finally confirmed that the incredibly realistic "time-travel" experience was just a nightmare that made him want to laugh and cry.

But that dream was too realistic, wasn't it?

"It's nothing, just had a dream," Hao Ren waved at Lily, feeling quite touched that his two troublemakers cared about him. It would be even better if they didn't fight.

As Hao Ren waved, he noticed something peeking out from the gaps in his clenched fist, which he had held tightly in his nightmare.

A tuft of black wolf fur.

"Holy crap!!" Hao Ren dropped the tuft of wolf fur as if it were hot coal, jumping up. "What the hell!"