The Sky Mist Art, originating from the Sky Mist Sect, was one of the many techniques they had preserved. This particular version was tailored specifically for cultivators in the Qi Accumulation Realm.

Grey sat in silence for a few moments, deliberating. Eventually, he nodded to himself.

He would continue practicing the Sky Mist Art.

Lowering himself to the ground, he crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

"I'm supposed to sit cross-legged… right?" he thought, uncertain.

He inhaled deeply, following the breathing patterns described within the jade slip. His breaths slowly settled into rhythm—steady and calm. After several cycles, a faint wisp of mist escaped his lips.

His awareness, still weak, began to stir. He could sense it—tiny, unseen particles in the air. They were subtle, silent, but steadily flowing into his body. These quiet fragments of energy merged seamlessly with his fragile soul. The fusion wasn't rapid or overwhelming, but it was there. Gradual. Stable. Real.

His cultivation base was increasing—slowly but surely.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

By the time he opened his eyes, the sky above had darkened. Deep red clouds loomed overhead, casting a shadow over the world.

He blinked, startled.

"I was cultivating for that long? It felt like only a few minutes…"

His gaze dropped to the jade slip lying on the ground beside him. He recalled its warning: for new practitioners of the Sky Mist Art, time would lose meaning. What seemed like moments could stretch into hours.

His breathing had quickened, his body buzzing with energy. He felt oddly refreshed. Cleansed.

"I'll have to be careful... If I lose track of time this easily, I might end up cultivating for days without realizing it. That could be dangerous."

He paused, then noticed something else—he wasn't as hungry as before.

"Strange. I was starving earlier..."

Just as the thought settled, his stomach let out a loud growl—an audible protest.

"…Okay, not that strange." He chuckled weakly. "I need to find food."

He searched the entire house but found nothing edible. His hunger persisted, gnawing at him.

"In my memories, I only ever ate meat and wild fruits from the Forbidden Forest. Sorry, stomach—you'll have to wait a little longer."

Resigned, Grey sat down again and resumed cultivation. Hours passed in silence. When he finally opened his eyes again, the cold light of dawn was filtering through the cracks in the walls.

He sighed, but this time, his breath curled in the air as mist.

He had reached the second level of the Sky Mist Art.

Standing, he stepped outside and glanced around at the twisted trees and overgrown earth.

"How did I even end up here?" he murmured.

A short while later, Grey was carefully making his way through the eerie forest that marked the edge of the Corroded Zone. He tilted his head upward. The crimson clouds still swirled overhead—cold and oppressive.

The air bit at his skin. Fog clung to the ground in patches, making it hard to see too far ahead. He slowed, his body tense.

From his fragmented memories, he knew what dwelled in that mist.

Creatures.

Dangerous ones—some as powerful as the Minotaur that had killed him.

The memory flickered in his mind. Instinctively, he rubbed the back of his head.

He had no intention of dying again.

He moved on, cautious and alert.

After several minutes of walking, lungs burning from the cold air, he caught sight of something—a small black rabbit, lingering near the entrance of a burrow.

Not all animals in the Corroded Zone had mutated. Some remained ordinary.

This rabbit, though, was different. It pulsed faintly with energy—its cultivation base was at the second level of Qi Accumulation.

Well within his capability.

The only problem was… he didn't know how to catch a rabbit.

Crouching behind the trunk of a crooked tree, Grey frowned, considering his options.

He had no experience hunting. And skinning? That was another problem altogether.

He hesitated too long.

The rabbit, sensing danger, vanished back into its burrow.

"Think, Grey. How are you supposed to catch a rabbit?"

He briefly considered heading back home. But his stomach had other plans—it let out another growl, louder this time.

With a sigh, he pressed onward in search of another rabbit.

Eventually, he found another burrow. Pulling a small knife from his pouch, he approached the rabbit that had emerged.

He inhaled. Then exhaled. Steady.

His gaze trembled—nervous, but determined.

"It's just a rabbit. You're not scared of a rabbit..."

He repeated the thought again and again as he crept forward.

But just as he was about to lunge, the rabbit bolted.

"Argh. Damn it!"

He found another. Then another.

Each time, the rabbit escaped.

Until the seventh attempt.

As the rabbit turned to flee, Grey sprang forward—and caught it by the ears.

It kicked and thrashed in his grip, but he held firm.

"Finally!" he gasped, panting. "But... what now?"

His hand trembled slightly as he brought the knife to the rabbit's throat.

A clean slice.

Hot blood sprayed across his face. He flinched, nearly dropping the creature—but his grip only tightened. The rabbit struggled for several more seconds before going limp.

Grey stood there, still holding the body, his breath shallow.

"I just… killed a rabbit."

His hands shook. Slowly, he wiped the blood from his face. A shiver ran down his spine—but when his stomach growled again, he licked his lips.

"...Sorry, buddy."

By noon, Grey returned to his dilapidated house. He placed the rabbit's body on the ground and pulled out a small coal stove. With some effort—and what little he remembered—he managed to get a flame going.

The former owner of this body had hunted many times. But for Grey, this was his first kill.

And it weighed on him.

Quietly, he skinned the rabbit and hung its sliced meat above the stove to roast. He washed his hands using the last of the water in his bottle, but the water ran out before he could clean them properly.

He stared at the empty bottle.

The Corroded Zone had rivers and lakes—but most were tainted. Undrinkable.

The few clean sources of water were guarded by powerful beasts, and fetching it was always a risk.

After checking the meat again, Grey sighed and stepped outside.

He would have to find water.

No matter how dangerous it might be.