The dawn still painted the sky in shades of orange and pink when Long Tian was abruptly awakened by a familiar voice in his mind.
[New Mission: Consume an Invigorating Potion]
Reward: Unlock system shop + 10 spiritual energy points.
He opened his eyes quickly, still a bit sleepy, but the excitement of receiving a new mission made him jump to his feet. The system shop... just the name made his heart race with anticipation. That feature could be key to his survival and growth in this world.
After completing the morning chores assigned by Aunt Lin gathering firewood, feeding the animals, and cleaning some toolshe headed straight toward Grandpa Yao's small cabin.
The old man was examining some dried roots on his wooden table when Long Tian entered. He didn't speak at first. Carefully, he took out the three remaining Moon Herbs and placed them on the table.
"Grandpa Yao, I managed to find these plants…" he said softly, watching the elder's expression.
The old man squinted at the faintly glowing leaves and leaned forward in surprise.
"Moon Herb?! That's not something you just find lying around, boy. Where on earth did you get this?"
Long Tian hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile.
"It's hard to explain… While I was exploring near the forest, I had a strange flash in my mind, like a lost memory. I seemed to recall a place where this plant might grow, so I went to look for it."
The old man stared at him for a few more seconds, as if trying to figure out whether he was lying. Finally, he sighed.
"Maybe you've got a good natural instinct for herbs… or maybe something more. Either way, I'm surprised you made it out of that forest alive."
Long Tian dodged the subject with a slight bow and got back to the point.
"Grandpa Yao, could you prepare a brew with these herbs? My body still aches a bit, and I heard it's invigorating."
Yao nodded with a grimace, stroking his beard.
"Yes, I can. But I'll need a couple more ingredients for the potion to work properly. One is Soft Fire Root, and the other is Red Mountain Lily petals. They're not impossible to find, but they're not exactly close to the village either. Are you willing to go out again?"
Long Tian nodded without hesitation.
"I'll do it. Just tell me where to begin."
The old man handed him a small notebook and marked a few locations on a rough hand-drawn map. Then, he carefully gathered the Moon Herbs.
"I'll hold on to these for now. But remember, boy… the forest doesn't forgive twice. Be careful."
Long Tian bowed in thanks before leaving the cabin, his mind already focused on the next mission. The system, the rewards, the beasts… all of it was uncertain. But one thing he did know: each step brought him closer to his destiny, even if he didn't yet know what it was.
Following the map that Grandpa Yao had marked for him, Long Tian set out early into the forest, walking with purpose. The sun was already high, casting golden light over the treetops and filling the surroundings with life. This time, it wasn't nighttime, and he wasn't wandering blindly now he had a clear mission, a concrete objective… and a weapon in hand.
The old axe Aunt Lin had lent him hung from his belt. It was heavy and crude, but it made him feel safer than being empty-handed.
His first destination lay east of the village, not too far away, in a rocky area where, according to the grandpa, the "Gentle Fire Root" grew. It was a short-stemmed plant with orange leaves that sprouted between warm stones exposed to the sun.
After nearly an hour of cautious walking, Long Tian reached a rocky rise. Just as the map indicated, there, between the cracks, some reddish plants were growing, glowing softly under the sunlight.
"This must be it," he muttered as he approached.
But just as he reached out to pick one, a deep, threatening grunt echoed behind him.
He spun around instantly, instinctively grabbing the axe.
A massive dark-furred boar stared at him. Its eyes were reddish, its body muscular, and it had curved tusks that gleamed in the light. It had to weigh over a hundred kilos, and it was clear it wasn't there by accident.
"You want the root too?" Long Tian whispered, taking a defensive stance.
The boar charged without warning, kicking up dirt and stones. Long Tian rolled to the side, barely avoiding the attack. He felt the tremor in the ground from the beast's hooves hitting the earth.
Wasting no time, he pulled out the axe and stood his ground.
The creature turned, enraged, and attacked again. This time, Long Tian didn't fully dodge, and its body struck the side of his leg, making him stumble.
"It's fast… and strong."
Gritting his teeth, he swung the axe in a sideways slash. The blade wasn't sharp, but it grazed the boar's shoulder, making it grunt in pain.
The battle dragged on for several minutes. Long Tian dodged, counterattacked, and searched for an opening. Sweat soaked his forehead, and his arms ached from the weight of the weapon.
Finally, as the boar charged once more, Long Tian leapt to the side and, using the beast's momentum, brought the axe down with all his strength on its neck.
A sharp cry echoed through the forest. The boar collapsed sideways, twitching for a few seconds before falling still.
Breathing heavily, Long Tian stared at the animal without moving. Only when he was sure it was dead did he let himself drop to the ground, gasping.
"Damn… it almost killed me,"he said with a bitter smile.
Then, with trembling hands, he collected three Gentle Fire Roots and carefully stored them. He looked at the boar's corpse for a few moments. This time, he wasn't leaving empty-handed.
With effort, he unsheathed the axe again and began carefully butchering one of the hind legs and part of the back. He had no way to carry the entire body, but the meat would be useful and maybe Grandpa Yao or Aunt Lin could make good use of it.
After wrapping the cuts in large leaves, he noticed the sky was already tinged with orange. Evening was falling, and he didn't want to risk another encounter with a wild beast.
"This'll be enough for today,"he said, adjusting the load on his back.
And with a firm step, he set off back toward the village, carrying the boar meat, the roots he had gathered, and a new story to tell.