Mythology Returns! Starting with Folklore and Strange Tales

It appears to be a choice of three, but in reality there is only one option.

Although Zhang Wei didn't know which deity the ancestor described in the subtitles was, using filial piety and compassion as a basis for discussion, and being able to directly influence the game's underlying mechanics, meant that even if he wasn't a top-ranked figure, he was probably a powerful figure in local folklore.

Although it doesn't seem to bring any benefits at the moment.

Is there anyone who can't understand how to cling to someone's leg?

The next moment, the subtitles faded away, and the frozen time around them began to flow again.

Only then did Zhang Wei have time to examine his "beginner's manual".

Cave dwellings are a unique type of dwelling on the Loess Plateau. Due to the special geographical environment and historical reasons, the people living here developed this type of residential dwelling on the hillside.

The house is curved in shape, much like a cylinder that has been cut open and laid flat. Because it runs straight into the mountain and the loess is dense, the cave dwelling has advantages such as being easy to repair, saving materials, being sturdy and durable, and being warm in winter and cool in summer, except that it is slightly inferior to houses built with earth and wood in terms of lighting.

The interior space of the straight-barreled cave dwelling is simply divided into three sections.

To the right of the entrance, a 3x3 heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed) was discovered, upon which lay four sets of old bedding, brooms, dusters, and other sweeping tools. On the other side, there were two large, locked mahogany chests, on which were stacked some snacks and fruits, some kneaded furs, and a thin booklet.

A pipe lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), its black mouthpiece a testament to its owner's status as a long-time smoker.

In the middle was a dining table for eating and entertaining guests. Zhang Wei glanced at the oil lamp on the table, and then he saw a hunting rifle hanging diagonally on the wall in the center of the room. The nails on the other side of the nails were identical and driven into the wall, indicating that there should have originally been two hunting rifles here.

On the left side of the house is the stove, water vat, rice and flour jar, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar.

"Is the beginning of the story about a hunter's son?" Looking at his hands, which had shrunk several sizes, Zhang Wei patted his trouser legs, pushed himself up onto the heated brick bed, and, following his memory, fumbled to take the booklet from the wooden cabinet that was as tall as him.

Looking at the vintage cover and the slightly blurred lettering on the back, I was able to confirm the time period I was in—around the middle to late 20th century.

As Zhang Wei recalled the stories his grandparents and maternal grandparents had told him when he was a child, he opened the thin booklet in his hand. The very first sentence made his eyelids twitch:

Liu Family Village (Type: Folk Customs - Level: Near)

Main Quest: Survive for Seven Days

Side quests: Not found

Easter egg, not found.

Note: Within the trial, the traveler has three chances to reset after death. Three deaths result in failure, the traveler's identity is revoked, and memories are erased. After passing the trial, subsequent instances will no longer offer the opportunity to save and retry (except for special items and abilities).

As Zhang Wei finished reading the last word, the writing on the edge of the paper quickly faded until it disappeared completely.

Although Zhang Wei carefully examined each page of the booklet afterward, he found nothing unusual except for the pictures—after losing that line of text, the thing had become a complete comic book.

That's it?

Is this all the beginner's guide offers?

Zhang Wei felt a chill run down his spine.

The difference between having a plot and not having one is like night and day. Not to mention that he has to face things that only exist in folk tales and supernatural beings. Even with his original body, Zhang Wei didn't have much confidence, let alone his current shrunken child's body.

Just thinking about it gives me the creeps.

But that's reality, and there's not much he can do but follow his own ideas to complete this incredibly immersive "beginner's dungeon".

Although this wasn't a game, he still followed his experience from playing large-scale games and started jumping around the room searching for something.

After creating a new character, shouldn't it be reasonable to find a beginner's outfit nearby that you can pick up and use right away?

Although this game is not the same as that game, there's no harm in trying to find it.

And if outsiders ask, there's no need to explain at all.

They're all grown up now, what explanation do they need?

Which child doesn't rummage through drawers and cupboards at home, especially rural children?

He didn't go up the mountain or down the river to pick fruit or crawl through irrigation ditches; that would make him a good kid. If he rummaged through things at home, at worst his mother would complain and clean up after him. Zhang Wei had done that kind of thing before when he was a kid.

After a while.

After Zhang Wei explored the entire room, he placed the usable items around the kang (a heated brick bed).

A nearly new old hunting rifle, along with steel balls and gunpowder packaged in cardboard boxes, and a tetanus knife with only the blade clean.

Although he also found bows and arrows, animal traps and other potentially lethal items during the process.

But if you have a gun, why not use a bow and arrow?

Not to mention that Zhang Wei hadn't undergone systematic training, his current small and thin body was simply not capable of using these weapons. Moreover, Zhang Wei hadn't forgotten the words that had appeared on the booklet earlier. The main mission of surviving for seven days was like a thorn in his side, and under the pressure of time, he would naturally use whatever was available.

In addition, Zhang Wei also discovered new game clues during the search of the cave dwellings.

In the dark corner of the stove on the left side of the house, a piece of paper, invisible due to smoke and fire, revealed a clue upon closer inspection:

[The Dimly Read Kitchen God's Scroll]

One of the common household gods in rural areas, but due to a lack of worship for many days, its spiritual power has been obscured and its function has been lost. A simple sacrifice may awaken the spirit of the Kitchen God and provide some assistance to the traveler.

Offering Requirements: Meat, cooked food. The effectiveness of the offering may vary slightly depending on the quality of the offering materials.

Note: The effect of worshiping the relevant deities on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, and on specific festivals, is slightly enhanced under the same conditions.

Offerings to the righteous god can be made in the early morning or morning, but after noon, the righteous god will not accept incense or offerings.

Upon seeing the subtitles, Zhang Wei wanted to activate the Kitchen God statue, but unfortunately there was no meat or cooked food in the house. Although there was rice and noodles, there was no firewood to cook (farmhouses usually keep firewood outside or have a special firewood shed).

Of course, there is meat in this house.

But Zhang Wei wasn't crazy enough to cut himself to sacrifice to the righteous god!

On second thought, since there is a Kitchen God, shouldn't there also be other household gods such as door gods and land gods, which are standard features in rural households?

But a problem arose: the door to the cave dwelling was locked from the outside, and although the window could be opened, a chilling sensation, like sitting on pins and needles, rushed up Zhang Wei's back and to his head as soon as he touched the edge of the window.

He had a feeling that opening the window now might not end well for him!

"Is it because there are still some key items missing from the room, or is there a crucial plot point unfolding in the room?"

With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Wei calmed himself down and began to wait while familiarizing himself with the props at hand.

In the blink of an eye, time passed, and before they knew it, the light outside the cave had dimmed.

At a certain moment, all the surrounding noise disappeared, and even the squeaking stove cat (a kind of insect that lives near the stove and can make noise) timidly scurried back into the depths of the stove.

The sudden silence made Zhang Wei immediately look up alertly. With his short legs, he scrambled to the corner of the wall, and at the same time, the shotgun in his hand, which had been loaded with gunpowder, swayed slightly before pointing directly at the cave entrance.

In the gap between the two wooden doors, a dark object blocked out the sunlight and also obstructed Zhang Wei's view of the outside world.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

"Thump, thump, thump—"

In the deathly silence where only the sound of one's own breathing could be heard, there was a sudden knock on the door just a few meters away.