Gentle sunlight poured brilliantly over the vast, forested land.

Gazing into the distance, emerald green stretched endlessly, dotted with faint, shimmering specks of gold.

Against a cloudless azure sky, unknown bird-like creatures soared one after another, casting silent glances upon the world below.

It genuinely felt like stepping straight into a fantasy realm.

“Huh. Looks like I’ve been transported to quite the extraordinary place.”

Standing firm on the earth, the black-haired youth Cang Xiaoxi took a quick survey of his surroundings.

Beyond countless unnamed plants, equally countless unfamiliar creatures roamed. Some resembled rabbits—but larger, with sharper teeth. Others looked like deer, yet stood on three legs. Bizarre and varied, the whole scene felt like a post-nuclear-radiation exhibition of mutated fauna.

Not exactly a sight to smile at.

Still… something felt slightly off. To Cang Xiaoxi, everything around him seemed unusually large.

“Could this be a feature of this world?”

“Well, setting other worries aside—for now, this should still be a safe zone. If my memory serves.”

Despite the lingering dissonance, Cang Xiaoxi concluded his first look at this new world.

He sorted through the fragmented knowledge the mysterious girl had implanted in his mind—details about Hestdral.

Judging by the landscape, he was likely near the border between the human Delkas Empire and Liyi Village, home of the elves.

As a neutral borderland, dangerous beasts or monsters rarely wandered here.

Then came the most crucial point: communication.

According to records, spoken words automatically transformed into mutually comprehensible meaning the moment they were uttered.

Written language, however, offered no such convenience. To read local books, one had to learn the script first.

“Well, this so-called old acquaintance was surprisingly considerate. If she’d dumped me straight in front of the Demon King or some final boss, I’d seriously suspect she was my enemy from a past life.”

An old acquaintance from his previous life. And the mission: survive well here.

That was all Cang Xiaoxi knew about her.

Recalling the girl’s sincere wish as he was transferred, he let out a wry smile.

“Since she hasn’t caused real trouble… maybe I can trust her a little.”

*“Women’s words are lies. A promise without a deadline is empty.”*

This near-lifelong creed made him distrust her words completely at first sight.

Yet… her hands-off approach and lack of excessive demands lent her words a trace of credibility.

“And she even gave me this ability. Guess I’ll trust her for now. The name… falls under special magic, I think? ‘Dragon’s Eye.’ Heh. Pretty damn impressive. Trying to spark an industrial revolution here?”

Processing the details of his cheat-like power, a flicker of excitement stirred.

Cang Xiaoxi reached up to touch his eyes—the activation medium.

But as he lifted his hand… something was wrong.

“Huh?! Whose hand is this? So tiny… so cute?”

Plump, pink, with the soft chubbiness unique to a young child—adorably small.

Whose was it?

Puzzled, Xiao Xi moved it, trying to inspect it fully.

And as he willed it… it obeyed. Up, down, left, right—exactly as he commanded.

But the surprises didn’t end there. The sleeve was comically oversized. So were the pants, the shoes—nothing fit. Not a single piece.

“Wait, wait… this trope… no way…”

Dragging clothes that trailed on the grass, Cang Xiaoxi sprinted across the uneven field.

“Water! Where’s water?!”

He’d sensed it nearby upon arrival.

He needed water—or anything reflective. Because… because…

“Damn it! A shota?! No—age regression?! What kind of joke is this?!”

Staring at the water’s surface—a face both familiar and alien—Cang Xiaoxi froze in utter bewilderment.

This wasn’t isekai summoning. It was full reincarnation. And not just any reincarnation—he’d regressed to a younger version of his original self.

*Time to adjust imaginary glasses and say:*

*“Though he appears a child, his wisdom surpasses adults—the famous detective, Con—”*

“Conan my ass! How am I supposed to survive alone like this?! You *were* my past-life enemy, weren’t you?!”

He couldn’t hold back the outburst.

Gazing at the reflection of a six- or seven-year-old face, dejection washed over him.

Already frustrated after dealing with Luo Shun and the others before transfer—now *this*? Far beyond “annoying.”

“What do I even do now…”

Slumping by the lakeside, he watched his tiny hands open and close. For the first time, Cang Xiaoxi felt deep, genuine worry about survival.

In his original body, he could’ve worked as a laborer or dishwasher—jobs he’d done before. Simple.

But now? Who hires an undocumented child? Could he even *do* those jobs like this?

“Sigh… Guess I’ve got to pin my hopes on this ‘Dragon’s Eye.’”

Why he’d changed forms, he didn’t know. No one here would solve it for him.

But one thing was clear: if he didn’t figure out survival before nightfall… a six-year-old shota, alone in an uninhabited forest?

*Tsk tsk tsk.* Just the thought sent a chill down his spine.

Calming his breath, Cang Xiaoxi focused inward, reviewing the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ mechanics.

Specialized terms were confusing, but simplified: mana concentration and manipulation.

Plainly put—he could craft weapons and armor using mana.

Prerequisite: knowing their structure.

Then, infuse materials with mana and imagination.

Earth-side analogy? Closest to alchemy.

But unlike standard alchemy, with *only* mana—and no materials—he could create low-durability, disposable gear.

That alone made it cheat-tier.

With enough mana… Unlimited Blade Works wasn’t out of the question.

“This old acquaintance really came through. And I think I’ve got basic elemental magic too—fire, lightning, earth. They pair well with the ‘Dragon’s Eye.’” He paused. “No time to waste. Let’s test it. Conveniently… I’ve got practice material right here.”

He meant his own ill-fitting clothes.

He’d rolled sleeves and cuffs as a quick fix, but movement remained awkward.

So, experimentally, he took one sleeve.

The moment he activated ‘Dragon’s Eye,’ a surge of power coursed through every hair on his body.

Reflected in the clear lake, his eyes now gleamed a deep cyan-silver—so profound they felt impossible to meet directly, as if a single glance could trap the soul.

Proof of the ability’s might.

“After activation: sense mana with the eyes, infuse the object, reshape through imagination.”

Following memory’s guidance, he channeled shimmering silver mana into the sleeve. Confirming full absorption, he visualized.

“First try… keep it simple.”

No rushing. No flashy redesigns. Just resize the sleeve.

Channel. Imagine. Form.

A dazzling silver flash—and the sleeve fit perfectly. Even its durability felt vastly improved.

The ‘Dragon’s Eye’ also granted innate mana-flow perception.

Sure enough, only the sleeve now carried Cang Xiaoxi’s unique mana signature.

By this world’s terms? An ‘Arcane Artifact’—a mana-infused magical item.

“No time to waste. Let’s finish the rest.”

Encouraged, Cang Xiaoxi eagerly moved to the next piece.

But the second attempt… didn’t go smoothly.

*BOOM!!!*

“It… it exploded?!”

Overloaded with too much mana at once, the other sleeve met a glorious demise.

“Right. Material tolerance and mana amount need careful balance.”

Failure is the mother of success.

This lesson sharpened his control. After only two more minor failures, all his clothing was modified.

The result? One sleeve and one pant leg missing per side—a tragically mismatched outfit.

Still. The ‘Dragon’s Eye’ test was complete. After a short rest, Cang Xiaoxi checked his belongings.

Useless textbooks. One bottle of mineral water. One pack of instant bread.

At least he wouldn’t starve today.

Tidying his gear, setting course toward the nearby human nation—Cang Xiaoxi’s journey in this new world finally began.

Then—

The forest’s silence shattered.

From not far off… the sharp clash of intense combat.