The sound of the river faded behind him as Arin stepped deeper into the unfamiliar part of the forest. His clothes were still damp, and his back throbbed with pain from the fall, but he kept walking. The trees here were taller, their branches stretching high like arms trying to block out the sky.
Light barely reached the forest floor.
Even during the day, everything looked like twilight.
Arin glanced at the dark canopy above and sighed. "Where… am I now?"
> "Unknown region. Mapping data not available. Danger level: variable."
That wasn't comforting.
Still, he had no other choice. Going back meant facing the Flame-Furred Hound again. He wasn't ready for that. Not even close.
His last encounter had made that clear.
He checked his Status again, hoping for something anything that had improved.
> Status Window
Name: Arin
Level: 2
EXP: 29 / 100
Kill Points (KP): 5
Cultivation Level: Body Tempering Stage (4)
Qi Core: Blocked (41%)
Strength: 17
Agility: 15
Endurance: 13
Intelligence: 17
Willpower: 22
Passive: [Resilient Mind]
"Still not strong enough," he muttered. "But I'm getting there."
He had 5 KP saved. Enough to buy something small from the System Shop. But not now—not when danger could be around every corner. He'd wait until he found shelter or a safe place to rest.
His stomach growled.
He hadn't eaten since the baby Ember Rabbit.
"Food first," he whispered.
He crouched low and scanned the area using his tracking skill.
> "[Basic Wilderness Tracking (Lv. 1)] activated."
A few faint tracks glowed ahead. No fire marks. No claw signs. Just pawprints small, but fresh.
"Probably another rabbit," he thought.
Carefully, he moved through the underbrush, staying low and silent. The air was thicker here almost sticky. The scent of wet earth and moss filled his nose. After about ten minutes, he found a clearing.
A lone beast grazed near a large tree stump. It wasn't an Ember Rabbit this time.
It was something new.
A small creature, round and fluffy, with blue-green fur and short legs. It moved slowly, nibbling on glowing mushrooms that grew in the shade.
> "Beast identified: Moss Puff (F-Rank). Non-aggressive. Drops: Low quality meat, moss fur, chance of Spirit Dust."
"Spirit Dust?" Arin's eyes lit up. "That's rare, right?"
> "Correct. Spirit Dust can be used to enhance early cultivation speed or sold for 3 KP per grain."
He didn't wait.
One swift strike with his sharpened stone knife.
> "Beast killed. +1 EXP. +1 KP."
> "No special drops."
> "EXP: 30 / 100 | KP: 6"
Arin let out a breath. "Not bad. Even if it's small, it helps."
He skinned the Moss Puff carefully, saving the fur and meat in his bag. The meat wasn't much, but enough for a meal.
Just as he was about to leave, his foot brushed something soft. He looked down.
A bush of blue leafed plants. Each leaf glowed faintly.
> "Item identified: Spiritleaf Plant. Can be used to reduce mental fatigue. Can also aid in Willpower training."
He collected a few.
> "Inventory updated: Spiritleaf x4."
Arin moved again, heading further into the forest. The trees began to change here no longer just tall and dark, but twisted. Some looked like they had faces carved into them. Others had thick vines hanging low like snakes.
It was getting harder to breathe again.
> "Warning: entering low-oxygen zone. Mental clarity may decrease. Suggested action: exit within 1 hour."
Arin gritted his teeth. "Let's find shelter first."
He followed a thin trail up a hill. At the top, he found what he was looking for an abandoned stone structure, mostly broken down, but the roof was intact.
A ruined shrine, perhaps.
Stone walls covered in moss and ancient carvings. One of the carvings looked like a sun being swallowed by shadow.
He stepped inside.
Cool air greeted him. Dry. Safe.
> "Safe zone detected: temporary shelter established."
Arin sat down with a sigh of relief. He lit a small fire using dry leaves and some of the mossy bark he had collected earlier.
The flames were small, but enough.
He cooked the Moss Puff meat carefully, turning it over the fire.
It smelled like mushrooms and grass are not great, but not terrible either.
He ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully. His body needed it.
Once done, he sat back and finally opened the System Shop again.
> "System Shop — Available KP: 6"
He looked through the cheap section.
Most items cost 3 - 5 KP.
Some were temporary buffs, others were small items like minor healing salves or Qi boost pills.
Then something caught his eye.
> "Item: Minor Qi Circulator" — Cost: 5 KP
Description: A temporary internal enhancer that helps guide Qi through blocked channels, increasing absorption for 30 minutes.
"Can speed up cultivation even with partial blockages."
"That's it," Arin whispered. "Exactly what I need."
> "Purchase 'Minor Qi Circulator' for 5 KP?"
"Confirm?"
"Confirm."
> "Item received: Minor Qi Circulator (Use: 1)"
He took it out a small glowing orb the size of a walnut. He swallowed it.
Warmth filled his chest.
The System responded immediately.
> "Circulation boost activated. Cultivation absorption rate doubled for 30 minutes."
Without wasting a second, Arin sat cross legged again.
He began his Core Stabilization Technique.
The strange glowing symbols returned behind his eyes as he closed them.
Breathe in…
Hold…
Breathe out…
Guide the Qi...
This time, he could feel it.
The Qi moved more smoothly through his body pushing through smaller blockages.
The sharp pain he usually felt was less now.
Slowly but surely, something shifted inside.
> "Qi Core Cleansing in progress…"
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
> "Progress: 45%… 46%... 47%..."
His body ached, but he didn't stop.
> "Qi Core Blockage: 50% cleared."
> "Breakthrough possible with continued training."
> "EXP gained: +3"
> "EXP: 33 / 100"
> "KP Gained: +1"
> "KP: 2"
Arin opened his eyes, panting but smiling.
The blockage had moved again.
Half of it was gone now.
"I can feel it… I'm getting stronger."
He stood up slowly and looked outside.
The forest was quiet again. But this time, it felt like it was waiting.
Not empty… but watching.
He didn't know what waited in this part of the world.
But he would face it.
And he would survive.
Even if he had to crawl.
Even if he had to bleed.
The night was falling again.
And with it, new dangers would come.
Arin stepped out of the shrine, a determined look in his eyes.
The hunt continued.