Avery hovered far above his target, unsure as to what he should do. He now had a human appearance, a voice and a translation rune, but he was racking his brain to try to make sure he had not forgotten anything else. Unfortunately, he could hardly remember what a normal human day was like, much less the minute details about how they interact socially. He did design himself some simple clothes, but those were the only modifications he could think of.

He was having second thoughts, questioning whether this was really the right thing to do. It had gone so badly last time, and now he wanted to actually be accepted as a guest. He would fail again in a tremendously embarrassing manner, he was sure of it. He appreciated the irony that he found it harder to go meet a group of random mortals than to face a heavenly tribulation, but that did not help him gather his courage. Only as night fell, and the villagers started heading home, forcing him to act quickly, did he dismiss his irrational concerns.

Landing just out of view of the village, he adjusted his robe, made sure it looked dusty and worn, picked up a nearby stick and used it to walk, wanting to create the impression of having traveled from very far on foot.

He slowly marched towards settlement, and as he reached the front gates, he was hailed by a pair of villagers, and was pleased to see they were much less agitated than last time, and that it seemed like his illusions had worked.

He had been confident in his runes, but he saw with his Dao vision, which meant he could see right through his illusions. He knew that mortals should not be able to do the same, but a tinge of worry had always remained.

“Greetings traveler. What brings you to our village? We get so few visitors out here, the girls will be glad to see a handsome new face like yours.”

It took Avery an unnaturally long time to realize the question was addressed to him, at which point his heart started racing. He was making his first impression, and he had to make sure it was good.

He had already prepared answers for all the basic questions he could think of, but now that he had to tell them under pressure, his mind felt blank, so desperate to be correct that it forgot all of his preparation.

Painfully aware of the uncomfortable silence, and of every second of awkwardness where he didn’t speak, he hastily blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“I… I am a traveler. I have traveled far, very far. Umm… I got lost, and, uh, was wondering if you could tell me where we are?”

The younger villager, who looked like he had just become an adult yesterday, paid no heed to his hesitations, and happily started chatting away.

“Ah, don’t be nervous, we aren't going to hurt you. You must be really lost, we are so isolated… And it seems you got robbed, too. Don’t worry, we…”

Robbed? Why did they think he was robbed? Taking a look at himself, Avery tried to understand their reasoning, suddenly realizing he had forgotten to make himself a backpack.

What kind of traveler would have no supplies? He needed a blanket, some food, a canteen, maybe a cape to protect him from the rain… Yet all he had was a plain pocket-less robe, and the crude walking stick in his hand.

Should he acquiesce and claim that he was robbed? But by who? Should he say he lost everything? But how? Should he tell them he was an immortal, and had no need for material possessions?

Lost in his tumultuous thought, he did not even realize the young man had happily continued his monologue, apparently not interested in waiting to hear his answers.

“...you see the thunder spirit? Did it attack you? It tried to attack the village a few hours ago, but the venerable chased it off! He was awesome, calling down meteors from the heavens, making…

The chatterbox seemed like he would continue like this forever, but he was curtly cut off by his companion, who was obviously fed up with his antics.

“Can’t you shut up for once in your life? He is barely standing on his feet, and you are exhausting him with all your questions. Mister, come with me, we will find you a palace to eat and rest.”

Avery grew even more uncomfortable seeing the concerned look of the townsman, and tried desperately to find the best way to minimize the social interaction he needed to make.

“No, no thank you. I am, uh, very tired. Can I just have a place to sleep? I can eat tomorrow.”

His feeble request was met with a conciliatory smile, and he had an intuition that things were not going to go so smoothly.

“Of course, we will arrange that as soon as possible. Let's go, I will take you to meet my wife, she will know what to do with you.”

The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. He met so many people, was asked so many questions he barely remembered answering, and was led to so many different houses. Everyone had different ideas as to where the best place for him to sleep was, and seemed to have no interest in leaving him alone at all.

Avery tried to protest and get rid of his growing entourage, but his weak objection failed to register. It was only much later, when night had fallen and the entire village was aware of his presence, that he was given a room and left alone.

It had not been perfect, but he had finally rejoined civilization, and was ready to face his next challenge. Now, he had a few hours to recharge his social batteries, which had been severely atrophied by centuries of lack of use.

Knowing he would have an exhausting day tomorrow, he immersed himself in cultivation, calming his nerves and seeking comfort in his proximity to the Tao.