Zhen Huan held Yun Sha gently in his arms, her unconscious body warm and soft against his chest. He walked slowly through the woods, the spring now behind them, his mind churning with guilt and unease.
What if I… did something wrong to her? No… no, I didn't. I stopped. I didn't do anything. I swear I didn't…
As he crouched beside the spring's edge, he carefully collected her clothes, folding them as best he could with one hand. The fire's dim glow in the distance marked his path back, and he followed it, his footsteps quiet beneath the trees.
System, he called in his thoughts, how did she come out of the pill's effect?
Almost immediately, the translucent system window appeared before his eyes, hovering and moving with him as he walked.
System Message: Because Host was in direct contact with Yun Sha during detoxification, a portion of the antidote entered her system. As a result, she was released from the influence of the Love Pill Powder but fell unconscious due to the abrupt withdrawal.
The window blinked twice, then faded away.
Zhen Huan reached the campfire and slowly laid Yun Sha on the soft grass, using his arm to cushion her head. But as his eyes accidentally glanced down, he froze.
Her body was still bare, the soft curve of her shoulder catching the firelight. Realization struck him like a slap, and he immediately turned his gaze away, his cheeks flushed red.
I've been thinking so much, I didn't even notice…
He reached for her clothes and gently draped them over her body, making sure she was covered before stepping back.
Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "Sorry…"
He stood and summoned his storage.
"Store," he murmured.
With a faint chime, the familiar window materialized in the air.
Storage Window
Items Stored:
• Bed Sheet – 1
• Blanket – 1
• Invincible Slayer Sword – 1
• Healing Cream – 1
• Spiritual Pouch – 1 (Empty)
• Spices Box – 1 (21 Spices)
• Dewtail Foxes Corpse – 3
• Cooked Beast Meats – 4
Zhen Huan glanced at Yun Sha, now resting peacefully. Her breathing was calm, her expression soft in sleep. A new thought hit him, making his face turn even redder.
She kissed me… If she remembers that, she's definitely going to kill me.
He didn't dare sit too close. Instead, he walked a few paces away and leaned his back against a nearby tree, folding his arms and closing his eyes.
I'll just sleep here tonight…
The forest was quiet. Only the crackling of the dying fire and the sound of night insects filled the air. Zhen Huan sat still beneath the moonlight, caught somewhere between guilt, confusion, and a strange flutter in his chest he couldn't quite explain.
The morning sun had just begun to rise, casting warm rays across the dew-covered forest. Zhen Huan sat quietly against the trunk of a tree, his eyes tired but alert. He hadn't slept a wink the entire night.
His thoughts had kept him awake—thoughts of Yun Sha, of what had happened near the spring. Most of all, he feared what would happen when she woke up and remembered. A single image of her wrathful expression was enough to keep him frozen in place.
The morning silence was broken by a sudden roar, loud and ferocious, echoing through the woods from somewhere to the left.
Zhen Huan's head snapped in the direction of the sound. "What was that?"
He glanced back at Yun Sha, still unconscious and breathing steadily under the clothes. He hesitated for a moment.
"I think she'll be safe… I need to check this out."
He stood, dusted himself off, and quietly rushed toward the source of the sound. Moving past trees and brushing through a patch of spiritual herbs, he found himself at the base of a mountain.
There, in front of a dark, jagged cave, two massive beasts were locked in fierce combat.
Zhen Huan immediately ducked behind a tree, peeking out through the leaves.
The system window blinked into his vision.
[Info: Sky Lion – Rank 1, High-Tier Beast]
[Info: Thunder Tiger – Rank 1, High-Tier Beast]
His eyes narrowed. Sky Lion? Thunder Tiger? Both are high-tier beasts…
There's no way I can take them alone.
The battle raged on.
The Sky Lion lunged forward, his claws glowing faintly with condensed spiritual energy. With a roar, he slashed down at the Thunder Tiger. The Tiger met the attack with his own reinforced claws, sparks flying as their energy clashed.
With a burst of speed, the Thunder Tiger leapt into the air and swiped toward the Sky Lion's back. But the lion twisted mid-air, narrowly dodging and snapping his jaws shut around the Tiger's leg.
A roar of pain echoed across the valley as the Thunder Tiger thrashed, then retaliated with a savage claw strike to the Sky Lion's ribs. The lion was flung back, crashing against the mountainside near the cave and coughing up blood.
Zhen Huan remained hidden behind the trees, eyes wide. These beasts… they're really trying to kill each other.
The Thunder Tiger roared and charged, preparing to finish the fight.
But the Sky Lion stood his ground, his body trembling as he opened his maw. A spiritual bomb began to form within it—swirling blue light condensed into a sphere, releasing gusts of wind strong enough to rustle the trees in Zhen Huan's hiding spot.
He's gathering energy to end this in one blow.
The Thunder Tiger stopped a few steps short, sensing the danger. In response, it began channeling its own power, spiritual lightning crackling at the edges of its fangs as it formed a similar glowing orb in front of its mouth. The air sizzled around it, charged with violent energy.
Zhen Huan crouched low, eyes fixed on the scene.
They're going to blast each other to bits… At this rate, I won't even get a chance to land a strike for XP.
He bit his lip, thinking fast. If he timed it right, maybe—just maybe—he could land a final hit after the clash. But he'd have to be quick… and lucky.
Suddenly, a flash of violet light shimmered before Zhen Huan's eyes. A purple system window appeared, its white letters standing out clearly against the backdrop of the misty forest.
Ding!
Sudden Sub-Mission Activated
Mission Name: Beasts Hunting
Mission Objective: Kill Both Beasts and Collect the Herb Inside the Cave
Mission Location: Willow Mist Valley
Mission Rewards:
• Knowledge of Herbs
• Grand Fire Cauldron (Mortal Grade – Mid-Tier)
Zhen Huan blinked at the notification, his jaw tightening.
You bastard system. What am I supposed to do with a cauldron right now? I'm not an alchemist!
The window disappeared before he could protest further.
Zhen Huan let out a long sigh and peeked back at the battlefield. The two beasts were still charging spiritual energy in their maws, ready to obliterate each other in the next second.
If they both die, I won't get the kill… and I'll fail the mission.
Without hesitation, he summoned his Invincible Slayer Sword from his storage window. A flash of cold steel shimmered in his hand.
He took a deep breath and bolted from his cover.
"Hey!" he shouted, waving his sword as he sprinted down the slope. "You two! Look at me! You wanna fight?"
His voice cracked with nervous tension.
This is suicide. I'm going to die. I just know it.
The two beasts halted their energy buildup mid-charge and slowly turned toward him. Their eyes flared with fury. Zhen Huan's sudden appearance had interrupted a fight that clearly ran deep.
Thunder Tiger let out a savage roar and leapt toward him, claws outstretched.
Zhen Huan raised his sword and swung down with a desperate overhead slash. The blade sliced through the air, but the beast sensed the incoming strike and twisted its body midair, dodging the attack with animal instinct.
Zhen Huan's blade slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the dirt.
As he struggled to pull the sword free, the Thunder Tiger circled and lunged toward his exposed side, fangs bared.
But Zhen Huan was not the same weakling he had once been.
He yanked the sword from the earth with ease, spiritual energy surging into the blade. He slashed horizontally, releasing a gleaming blue arc of energy that shot forward like a crescent moon.
The Thunder Tiger, mid-charge, had no time to dodge.
Zhen Huan smirked. That should hit hard.
But in the blink of an eye, the Sky Lion roared and leapt in front of the blast.
The energy slash struck the lion's side with brutal force. Blood sprayed into the air as the beast was thrown back, crashing onto the ground with a heavy thud.
Zhen Huan's eyes widened. What the hell? Why did he jump in the way?
The Thunder Tiger came to a halt, staring at the fallen Sky Lion. Its thunderous aura quieted. For a long second, it simply stood there—silent, unmoving.
Then it turned its gaze toward Zhen Huan. Its eyes blazed, not with fury from the fight—but with something else. Something deeper.
Thunder rumbled faintly in the air around the tiger as sparks danced across its fur. Its posture lowered.
Zhen Huan felt a chill run down his spine.
Wait… were they not enemies? They were fighting each other… but now he's angry? Was the Sky Lion… his friend?
He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.