Chapter 2: Chapter 2

The Light Orb true form.

Ron tried focusing his attention on the “impurities” within the mysterious patterns representing “Ron.” Unlike the “Ron patterns,” these impurities, though they also fed him a flood of perceptible information, remained completely indecipherable.

They were not like the “Ron patterns,” where simply directing attention toward them naturally allowed him to locate corresponding tissues and functions within the body.

As a web novel creator, Ron had no shortage of imagination. He suspected that the mysterious patterns absorbed from the outside world could be world contamination targeting everything in this world, or they could be the law information of this world, targeting him specifically.

But regardless of which, logically speaking, they should be decipherable. After all, from his perceptual experience, those mysterious patterns did not feel like things of pure chaos.

The only explanation for why he could not decipher them was probably that he understood far too little about this world he had transmigrated to, much like how an elementary schooler on the Blue Planet could not comprehend wave functions.

After his attempts at interpretation proved fruitless, Ron tried “moving” the mysterious patterns. After all, these patterns had appeared on the surface of his true form and were perceivable, and a stronger form of interaction than mere perception would naturally be control.

Moreover, he desperately wanted to know whether these mysterious patterns, once attached, could never be shaken off. This directly concerned how long he could survive in this world.

If they were permanent once they latched on, then even if he could resist external “contamination” by occupying a body, there would ultimately be a limit, and he would eventually be completely covered by those mysterious patterns.

But if they could be shed, then he could make long-term plans. After all, he currently had no idea how to return to his original world, so he could only adopt the attitude of “since you are here, make the best of it.”

With that in mind, Ron withdrew the portion of attention he had been using to control the body and concentrated entirely on a foreign-colored pattern within the “Ron patterns,” silently repeating in his mind to match his intent:

“Move, move!”

The next moment, that foreign-colored pattern actually slid away. However, it did not leave the orb’s surface entirely, but instead merged with the patterns Ron had previously absorbed from the outside world, as though they belonged together.

At the same time, Ron felt an unusual sense of relief and lightness wash through the body. Control seemed to have become noticeably more fluid. Feeling this, he instantly knew he had done the right thing.

Seeing the sky outside darken another shade, Ron understood that his time was running short. He had to hurry and expel the foreign-colored patterns from the “Ron patterns” on his Light Orb’s surface.

…

About ten minutes later, Ron was smoothly controlling his new body through a 360-degree spin jump in place. If his earlier experience had been like operating a game character with a controller, then he was now fully immersed in the role.

At this moment, he was Ron himself!

Of course, this full-immersion mode was not the only way to operate. He could also withdraw completely and continue piloting the body with the “controller.”

After all, his true form was the Light Orb temporarily hidden within “Ron’s” body. This body was his vessel, or to put it more fashionably: a flesh mech.

…

The journey back into town proceeded without incident. Faced with the patrolling soldiers’ questions, Ron simply hoisted the bundle of firewood he was carrying against his chest and smoothly talked his way past them.

This small town was not large. The Sis Territory, or perhaps more accurately Sis Town, was small enough that while not everyone knew everyone else personally, the patrolling soldiers at least had some impression of most of the territory’s subjects.

Let alone an outsider like Ron, who was already conspicuous enough on his own.

As long as he did not behave too abnormally, who would suspect that someone they saw regularly, or even knew well, had been replaced by an entirely different person inside?

Following “Ron’s” memories, Ron finally arrived safely at his home in Sis Town: a small wooden house similar to those of the other farmers, built from timber.

Of course, as an outsider, Ron could tell at a glance the difference between his own little wooden house and those of the other farmers. His was noticeably more refined, with dedicated decorative touches in places one might easily overlook.

The wooden houses of the other farmers also had decorations, but theirs carried an unmistakable air of clumsy imitation.

On the way back, Ron had seen many “familiar” scenes and people, which in turn triggered a host of associated memories. This triggering did not require him to actively direct his attention.

It was like natural background music during gameplay, rather than reading relevant text.

From “Ron’s” memories, the decorations scattered throughout the wooden house served purposes beyond mere ornamentation. Or rather, if they were purely decorative, these farmers who could not even guarantee themselves a full meal would never have the leisure for such frivolity.

The true purpose of these decorations was actually to ward off evil spirits. In fact, they had a formal name: 【Anti-Evil Runes】.

At present, however, Ron could not see anything special about these so-called 【Anti-Evil Runes】. If the decorations on Ron’s wooden house were Anti-Evil Runes, then were the clumsy imitations on the other farmers’ houses also Anti-Evil Runes?

If those runes actually worked, then the mechanism by which runes or magic functioned in this world was far too haphazard.

But since everyone said so, Ron had no grounds to argue. After all, he was a newcomer, so for now he would just listen and believe!

…

Lighting the fire in the fireplace the way “Ron’s” memories showed him and warming himself slightly, Ron finally felt himself truly relax.

By then, the sky outside had gone completely dark. This was followed by two tolls of a bell, muffled yet remarkably penetrating.

That was the closing bell from the lord’s bell tower at the town center. Once it rang, no one was permitted to leave the town limits, nor was anyone allowed to enter.

Corresponding to the evening bell was a morning bell. Only after the morning bell rang were the subjects of the Sis Territory permitted to leave the town limits, though restrictions remained: they were still not allowed to leave the territory’s bounds.

According to the accounts in “Ron’s” memories, these regulations existed more to protect the subjects than to control them, because too many evil spirits lurked outside, and only territories blessed by the kingdom could withstand them.

In the eyes of the local subjects, the local lord was compassionate and kind. Whatever the issue, he would discuss it with his people and never forced anyone to do anything against their will.

Of course, the Lord of Sis was no spineless pushover either. He handled territorial affairs in accordance with various laws and decrees that had been promulgated in advance.

And those laws were by no means decided by the Lord of Sis alone, but were jointly established with the extensive participation of the subjects.

Despite being a classical society, it possessed such an advanced sense of rule of law. Ron, having just arrived, could not yet fathom the deeper reasons behind it, but such an environment would undoubtedly make it easier for him to survive here.

As for the original text of those laws, the lord had them carved into the base of the bell tower at the center of the territory, where anyone could come and read them during the day.

“Ron” had also read the original text of the laws, which was even more convenient for Ron, since he did not need to make another trip to the town center. He could simply review them by accessing “Ron’s” memories.

After a brief search, Ron found that these laws were not harsh, seemingly reinforcing the subjects’ opinion of their lord as compassionate and kind. What surprised him most was that capital punishment was exceedingly rare among these statutes.

Only matters involving evil spirit invasions could result in execution. Under normal circumstances, even cursing the lord would not incur the death penalty, or indeed any punishment at all.

Naturally, such a lord was universally beloved by his subjects. Cursing a lord like that might not be much better than a death sentence.

If the outside world was truly full of evil spirits, then being expelled after provoking public fury would most likely be a fate worse than death.