Sighing at the absurd nature of what I’d read, I pondered whether I should believe and listen to this book’s advice.

To be honest, I’m inclined to believe that it is real. The story is too absurd to be created as the background to this illusion.

However, that doesn’t necessary make listening to its advice is the best path to take. After all, the one who wrote this book failed. Even if well-intended, it might accidentally be misleading.

Of course, that’s just my paranoid side talking. Every failure teaches a lesson, it’s just up to the person who failed to learn it. I should be fine, so long as I do not attempt to blindly follow the book advice and remember to think for myself.

Making up my mind to use the notebook for reference only, I picked it up and dropped it into my bag.

Then, I began searching for the basement written about in the book. Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to find. The word ‘BASEMENT’ had been carved into a door underneath the stairs.

The door had two wooden planks locking it shut.

Removing those wooden planks and opening the door showcased an old dusty staircase with cobwebs covering the ceiling. The stairs creaked as I walked down and I realized it was far darker down here than I originally anticipated.

I could barely make out a flashlight on the railing in the darkness. Picking it up, I flipped it on causing... nothing to happen.

…

Why is this flashlight even here?

I angrily cursed my past self for not replacing the batteries whilst banging the flashlight against my hand in frustration causing it to slowly flicker to life.

Shining the flashlight down the stairs, I slowly entered the dark and dusty basement. Did I seriously put a chicken down here? This dust old place doesn’t seem like somewhere I’d store a chicken.

Moving the beam from my flashlight across the room, I discovered a broken empty cage. The cage’s inch thick walls had been bent outward, it seemed as though something had forced its way out.

The hell?

I quickly swirled my flashlight around the room. Searching for anything out of the ordinary. However, boxes and other dusty old antiques blocked my field of view.

Let me get this straight. Inside an old dark basement, there’s a cage that something forced its way out of and I’ve only got a barely functional flashlight that is flickering occasionally.

Yeah… this is some horror movie type of insanity and I’m not dealing with it. At this point, I’m not convinced whatever was stored down here was a chicken. No regular chicken could’ve forced its way through inch-thick iron bars.

I can practically hear the ominous ‘you’re going to get murdered’ music playing. Instead of stupidly heading into this creepy basement, let’s wait for whatever is inside here to attempt to escape and ambush it at the exit.

Retreating back to the ground floor and barred the door closed behind me. Pulling back out the book, I flipped through to the second page.

Alright... If you’ve managed to kill that chicken, congratulations. Although, I have not idea how you managed that. Maybe weapons of powers are special in some way? It wouldn’t die no matter how many times I tried.

I’ve taken to testing out various weapons on it, which has been extremely useful. Although I've annoyingly never managed to actually finish it off.

Bought it at a premium on the black market awhile back. Despite every attempt to kill it, even denying it food and water, it has survived and thrived. Honestly, at this point, it’s starting to terrify me so I’d be glad to be rid of it.

From what I can tell most animals and monsters in this world have similar strength to that chicken. Usually mutated beyond belief to survive in whatever environment they came from and are incredibly difficult to kill without the right tools.

Even if you haven’t managed to dispose of the chicken, well, no big deal. Just do not let it out of its cage. It's near impossible to get back in.

You’ll need to find something else to bind your spear as soon as possible, though. Do NOT let anyone else take it from you! That is extremely important!

If you lose that spear, you’ll effectively be trapped here without any method of escape.

There was more text, but I shut the notebook without reading it further and stared back toward the barred wooden door. I pinched my temples in annoyance.

Don’t let the chicken out of its cage… Don’t let it out of the cage.

Why does my own advice have to be so damn unreliable? What if it breaks out by itself!

*Sigh…* Whatever… it’s to be expected. When has anything ever gone according to plan in my life? This is why I avoid making plans most of the time.

The first step is to ensure this ‘chicken’ hasn’t somehow escaped the basement. If I can just contain it down there, that’s for the best. Then I can deal with it at my own leisure.

Thus, I began slowly checking the rest of the rooms. It took a considerable amount of time with the messiness of the rooms and overall large size of the house, but I managed to confirm the rest of the house was empty.

At same time, I managed to orient myself. I found a plain bedroom completely empty of decorations. There was only a regular bed and desk with a mirror. Nothing else particularly interesting about the room or anything that would provide any information about its occupant.

More interestingly, I found another room with a workshop with a fully functioning forge that had various crafting materials and tools. Along with half-finished weapons and armor. It seems I had taken to learning to forging and crafting (assuming they’re mine).

Always wanted to learn something crafting related. Never had the time or required materials to learn, though. Plus, it would’ve been slightly pointless on Earth.

Too much to do and always too little time.

Heading back toward the truck, I examined it for any working flashlights or other such materials useful in exploring the basement. Sadly, no such items existed.

The truck only contained various canned food, countless weapons, and monster remains. Well, there’s also the medical kit that I used earlier… but beside that, nothing else useful.

Sighing to myself, I sat inside the truck and I decided to flip through the book for important information.

While I need to eventually attempt to kill the chicken that's (hopefully) trapped in the basement, I should learn more about this world before doing something potentially dangerous.

Let’s see… Recommended Courses of Action. Disguise Methods. Background of the World. Political Organizations. Relationships. Weapons of Power.

Oh, wow… This is actually quite detailed!

I internally praised myself. This is actually extremely helpful.

Without something like this, it would take months to learn enough information about the world to fully communicate with others without exposing myself. However, with it, the process should only take a couple hours.

Flipping to the back, I glanced at the last page of the notebook. Random Notes.

As I thought, I have a terrible habit of leaving some random and potentially important information that pops into my brain on the last page.

> Harrison. //Troublesome.

> Artificer. Excuse?

> Paradox hunter!!! //Black Market info

> Platinum or diamond hunter?

> Shield Tobias? Alternate universe? Real?

> Disguise? Take or (leave)? //Future me might need it.

> Potential spawning delay?

I nodded quietly to myself after reading it.

Yeah, about what I was expecting. Complete and utter gibberish.

Seems that I retained my other habit of leaving everything in my personal notes too vague for anyone to figure out what I’m talking about.

Still, it might make far more sense after reading the rest of the book. As the immediate priority is dealing with law enforcement, I should first take a look at the section on disguise methods.

Flipping back to the page on disguises, I began quietly reading.

When you plan on leaving, I have prepared a method of disguising yourself to avoid law enforcement.

First off, carrying a weapon of power will immediately cause suspicion!!! Do NOT carry it out with you. Even if you have fake hunter registration engraved, you’ll be questioned if you carry it with you and you will NOT have a way to answer those questions.

After binding your weapon to yourself, leaving it behind. Only take it with you when not disguised and prepared to fight your way out…

The most effective way of avoiding detection is the golden amulet I’ve left in the bedroom. Wear it. It will disguise you in a manner that nobody will be able to recognize you. I managed to procure some fake legal documents for that identity, check under the bed.

If you absolutely refuse to use… that. You’re probably just best to utilize various methods of covering your face to avoid recognition. Specifically, you’ll have to cover your golden eyes with something. They’re not natural here and might cause people to recognize you.

While people shouldn’t be looking for you after my death, there are still various risks.

Seriously, though, the best disguise method is just to use the amulet.

Flipping to the next page, I found the topic swapping to the background of the world.  

Wait. What? That’s it?

Almost laughed at the absurdity of what I’d apparently written. I'd basically wrote to not carry a weapon and if I need to disguise myself, wear a particular necklace or utilize disguise techniques.

How is telling me to apply appropriate disguise techniques qualify as advice? What is even going on in this entry? Plus, why would I refuse to wear a necklace that can disguise myself?

My curiosity began rising. I jumped out of the truck and headed off toward the bedroom. I hadn’t noticed a golden amulet the last time I’d been there, but I hadn't exactly been looking for it.

After arriving, I spent time doing a more detailed search of the bedroom, I quickly felt confused. There was no golden amulet in this room. The desk drawers were empty and it wasn’t beneath the bed or desk.

Though, I did find a small box containing a fake passport, birth certificate, and some cash that I hadn’t noticed on my causal search before. So that apparently exists.

The amulet wasn’t in the box, though. Did I forget to leave the amulet behind? No… The disguise mentioned in the random notes should be referring to the amulet and I distinctly stated that I planned to leave it behind.

Did someone steal it?

… Or have I hidden it in this room?

I glanced around the room with slight confusion.

Soon my eyes locked onto the pillow in the room. If I wanted to ensure that my future self found something without making it immediately obvious to anyone entering the room, I would’ve hidden it beneath the pillow.

Tensing up, I slowly lifting up the pillow and I spotted the golden chain. Relaxing as I found the amulet, I tossed the pillow to the side. The golden amulet was engraved with blazing fire on one side and the back of figure on the other.

Holding it in my hand, I picking up the passport with my other hand and looked at my new identity.

Let’s see… My new name is Tania Evans. Date of birth is the first of January, 2544. Gender female. Born in Ovenio.

Wait. Gender... female?

Rereading the passport. I slowly removed my hand that had been covering the picture, which reveal a slightly cute feminine girl’s picture.

What immediately stood out about the girl’s picture was the golden eyes and dark hair. Either this was a convincing fake or…

Turning to the birth certificate, I reconfirmed the gender.

I immediately dropped the amulet onto the bed, and staring suspiciously at it.

This… this amulet wouldn’t temporarily turn someone into a girl, right? Th-that's completely absurd. Who would make something like that? And there’s no way I would ever use it!

My gaze momentarily returned to the girl in the passport photo and a bad taste spread throughout my mouth.

Completely impossible. There’s no way that’s me.