---
After I got home, I sat by the window, practicing how to use the inventory bag I received from Meliss. I kept at it from noon until evening, but the only items I could retrieve were my smartphone and binoculars.
... Click ... click ... click ...
I took a few pictures—just in case I made it back home—so I could prove to my family that I wasn't missing but trapped in some unknown place.
"Hmmm hmmm hmmmn..." I hummed along to a song when someone knocked on my wall.
... Knock ... knock ...
"It's me, Meliss. Can I come in?"
I turned off the music and said, "Come in."
She sat beside me, her eyes immediately drawn to the phone in my hand. Curious, she asked, "I heard some music as I approached your house. Is it coming from that black thing?"
"This is called a smartphone. It's like magic in a small box."
"Wow... What else can it do besides playing music?"
"It can take photos, do calculations, tell time, and a lot more. If I had a signal, I could even talk to someone far away from here."
"What's a 'photo'?" she asked, tilting her head.
"It's like a painting, but instead of taking time to create, it captures a moment instantly—like a memory frozen in time."
"So it can capture my portrait? Show me!"
At her request, I turned on the camera and took a selfie.
"Wow..." she whispered, amazed at the exact image of both of us appearing on the screen.
I spent the rest of the evening explaining the phone's features until it was time for dinner. As usual, we ate at the Lungpui.
After dinner, I returned to the hut, where my guards—who had been missing all day—stood inside, holding something green. It looked like an herb, but its leaves resembled oversized marijuana leaves. Not long after, the chief entered with her daughter and Meliss.
She took the herb from the guards and handed it to me while Meliss translated.
"This is the Tinreng leaf. If taken before bed, it will permanently enhance your body's performance. Since you are under the protection of our Deity, it is our duty to ensure your body remains strong and safe. This herb will help achieve that.
However, since your body is different from ours, you must take only one leaf per day. Do not waste any—it is rare and only grows in this land."
I accepted the bag of herbs. After that, the chief and her daughter left, while the guards went to the watering hole to clean up. Only Meliss and I remained inside the hut.
We lit a candle made of wax in a clay bowl and placed it near the table by the window. I asked her to teach me how to use the inventory bag until the guards returned and sat beside me. She continued teaching me until my phone clock hit 20:00.
At that exact moment, the wild rooster crowed. Meliss stood up and said, "It's late. Time to sleep."
I saw her to the door.
Despite her help, I could only retrieve a Swiss knife and a fishing rod—useful since the watering hole formed a small pond near the cliff—but nothing else.
Deciding it was time to sleep, I took out one Tinreng leaf and placed it in my mouth.
... Crunch ... crunch ...
A numbing sensation spread from my tongue, then throughout my body. When I swallowed, all the tingling concentrated in my heart. Suddenly, a heat like molten fire surged from my chest, flowing through my veins.
Sweat poured from every pore in my body as if I had stepped into a steam bath. Overcome by the heat, I quickly stripped off my clothes and collapsed onto the floor, desperate for relief. The cold wind from the window soothed my burning skin.
Then, nausea hit me like a wave. My vision blurred, and the last thing I remembered was my guards covering me with something before I blacked out.
When I woke up the next morning, both guards were sleeping dangerously close to me. Trying to ignore it, I focused on how my body felt.
My head was light—so was my body. It felt like drinking an energy drink after a grueling day. I was certain I could leap six or seven feet with ease.
But as I clenched and unclenched my fists, something brushed against my leg. A jolt of realization shot through me.
I was completely naked.
And to make matters worse, my "family jewel" was standing at full attention—a sign of a healthy body.
I struggled to wriggle free from between my guards. After a few seconds of effort, I finally slipped out of the awkward situation and hurried to put on the usual leather tunic they had provided.
Just as I finished dressing, the rooster crowed. My guards sat up immediately, scanning the room for me.
When they spotted me, they quietly tidied the floor, folded the carpet, and retrieved the spears hidden beneath it.
I spent the morning trying to retrieve my clothes from the inventory bag and eating breakfast until Meliss arrived with news.
"The candidate from the northernmost tribe has arrived at the east entrance."