Chapter 2: Stranger in a Strange Land

Words : 507 Updated : Sep 9th, 2025

A sword hung at his waist. A sword? In this day and age? It looked real, not just some kind of decorative. Designed for actual combat. The man was tall—easily over two meters—with a strong, well-built frame. As Shiao Yi looked up at him, part of him wondered if this was a film set. The man’s face was striking, the kind of beauty rarely seen. His golden hair fell in soft waves down to his back and it was tied neatly behind his neck. His eyes were a cold, clear blue—like ice. Even just standing there, the man looked like something out of a painting—handsome and striking. He had to be a famous actor or some kind of celebrity. Shiao Yi wouldn’t know, though. He had never watched a movie or a video in his life. His life had never allowed for those kinds of pleasures. Still, he was impressed by how detailed everything looked. If this was a performance, they had gone all out. For a moment, he had believed it was real. It seemed like he had somehow stumbled onto a film set. Maybe—just maybe—no one here knew who he really was. That faint possibility gave him a small flicker of hope. At the same time, the man suddenly spoke. Shiao Yi frowned slightly, confused. He didn’t understand the language. The words were completely unfamiliar. He had studied and memorized the languages of many human colonies and allied species—he should have understood something. Was this place really so isolated? He switched to Intercosmo language, the universal language shared by all human civilizations. It was taught before any native tongue, almost everywhere. "Thank you for helping me. Can you tell me where I am? Who are you?" But the man didn’t seem to understand. He responded again in the same unknown language. Shiao Yi felt a jolt of disbelief. Someone who didn’t speak Intercosmo language? That was rare—almost unthinkable. To bridge the gap, he reached out with telepathy. "I couldn’t understand what you said. Are you alright? You were badly hurt. You were wearing some unusual clothing. I didn’t know how to take it off, so I had to tear it for the treatment. I’m sorry." The man said. His telepathy could have accessed all of the man’s thoughts, but Shiao Yi was careful to only focus on the words and feelings meant for him. If he opened himself up too much, the wave of other thoughts and mental noise would be overwhelming and deeply unpleasant. "Thank you for helping me," Shiao Yi replied silently. While speaking in Intercosmo language, Shiao Yi carefully used telepathy to share the meaning behind his words. If he synced it well, the other person wouldn’t even notice. They would think they were just hearing the words aloud, rather than having them placed directly into their mind. If this was the local language, Shiao Yi would need to learn it quickly. Fortunately, when someone spoke, he could trace the meanings of their words through telepathy. It wouldn’t be too difficult.

Chapter 2: Stranger in a Strange Land

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