**Chapter 2
Herbal Fetch Fiasco**
Alex Reed surveyed the painted wooden sign above the pavilion entrance: **"Azure Mist Sect • Novice Entrance Hall"**. He cringed—novice entrance sounded a lot less impressive than "mighty cultivator," but hey, he'd take any edge. Bracing himself, he stepped onto the raised stone platform and bowed uncertainly to the two stern-faced wardens flanking the doorway.
One of them—a lean man with a forehead scar and perpetual scowl—eyed Alex's jade belt and robe. "Name and spirit root?" he demanded.
Alex pressed his lips together. "Um… Alex Reed. Spirit root? Does that mean my ringtone? Because it's 'Eye of the Tiger.'"
The scarred warden's eyes narrowed. The other warden opened his mouth, but the System beat him to it: "User displays unregistered spirit root. Invisibility Protocol active. Please proceed to Herbal Pavilion for spirit-testing herbs."
Alex blinked. "Thanks, System." Then to the wardens: "Right. Thank you!" He turned on his heel and nearly collided with a fan of azure-robed disciples filing past. They whispered and pointed, but Alex couldn't tell if they were amused or confused.
Moments later, he stood before a small, greenhouse-like structure brimming with steaming pots and hanging herb bundles. A thin, spectacled novice hovered by the entrance, scribbling in a scroll. Alex approached.
"Excuse me," he said. "I was told to come here for… spirit-testing herbs?"
The novice peered over his glasses. "You're the new invisible guy." He tapped his pen against the scroll. "I'm Jin Mu. Follow me."
Jin Mu led Alex through rows of glowing night-bloom mushrooms, phoenix feather petals, and whisperleaf vines that rustled as if gossiping. "Your spirit root determines which herb extract you're allergic to—er, I mean, which herbs amplify your aura. Standard beginner stuff."
"Got it," Alex said, glancing warily at a cluster of pink blossoms that beeped like a metal detector. "Which one's mine?"
Jin Mu waved at a squat pot of fuzzy green sprouts. "Spirit Sprout. Place a drop of your blood on the leaf and see if it glows." He handed Alex a tiny silver scalpel.
Alex shook it. "A drop of blood?" He palmed the scalpel like a gremlin with a credit card. "Do I get a Band-Aid?"
Jin Mu chuckled. "You'll heal instantly. That's the perk of transmigration."
Alex gulped, nicked his thumb, and allowed a bead of blood to land on the leaf. It glowed a brilliant cerulean. Jin Mu clapped.
"Good! You have a rare Celestial Wood spirit root. You'll excel in herbology and defensive formations."
"Celestial Wood?" Alex muted his surprise. On Earth, wood was what kept his office cubicle walls standing—not exactly "rare." He shrugged. "Great. Defensive formations?"
"Barrier spells and protective wards," Jin Mu explained. "You'll need to collect five Core Herbs from Mount Azure tomorrow at dawn. The Sect Master insists on hands-on trials."
Alex blinked. "Mount Azure? Tomorrow? At dawn?" His phone—uh, robe pocket—buzzed reflexively. No coffee app here.
Jin Mu patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll guide you. And maybe pack some spirit fruit for the journey."
---
That night, Alex tossed and turned on a thin bamboo mat. Above him, moonlight filtered through the lattice windows, and distant chanting lulled half of his mind toward sleep. The other half whirred with questions: How do you cook spirit fruit? Can invisible people eat? And most importantly, how does one outrun a toddler?
He drifted into a fitful doze.
---
At the first hint of dawn, Jin Mu shook him awake. "Time to go, Invisible Guy."
Alex yawned, pulled on his robe, and slung the jade-belt pouch across his shoulder. "Show me these herbs."
They trudged through dew-slick bamboo groves until the mountain path opened onto a steep cliff face dotted with luminescent blooms. Jin Mu pointed. "Core Herbs grow only on these ledges. Pick one each from the Shadow Fern, Silvercap Fungus, and Moonblossom clusters."
Alex edged forward and squinted at a dangling fern. He reached out—and the fern recoiled like a snake.
"Reactive plant," Jin Mu warned. "Careful."
Alex whispered, "Invisible," and stretched to grab the frond. Nothing happened except his fingers brushed the leaf—and the fern whipped him in the face, sending him stumbling backward and cursing.
Before he could recover, a shrill giggle echoed. From above, Ling Xiao'er dropped down, arms crossed, grinning. "You need help?"
Alex groaned. "Invisible." He ducked as she vaulted onto the ledge, plucked a Moonblossom with one hand, and tossed it to him.
He caught it (barely) and looked up. "Thanks… wait, you're everywhere."
She shrugged. "Invisible means boring. Now hurry—more herbs!"
With the prodigy speeding ahead, Alex's futile attempts to sneak by reactive plants were replaced by her breezy flurry of herbal picks. By the time the sun cleared the peak, Alex held five Core Herbs—two bruised, one slightly charred, but all accounted for.
"Nicely done," Jin Mu said, stacking the herbs into a woven basket. "And bonus points for not falling off a cliff."
Alex wiped his brow. "Invisible—helps with falling." He glanced at the horizon, then at the gleaming petals in his hands. "Next time, maybe I'll stick to paperwork."
Jin Mu laughed. "Paperwork won't talk back or throw a punch. Now let's get these to Sect Master Gu Yun before he wakes up."
As they headed down, Alex tucked his bruised pride—and his battered body—into the basket with the herbs. Invisible or not, he was suddenly quite visible to the aches of a hundred new muscles. But hey: XP earned, herbs secured, and a killer story for the System.
"System," he muttered. "Grant me something for muscle soreness?"
The holo-cube chimed back: **"Massage Skill Unlocked: Level 1. Manual Application Required."**
Alex blinked at his palm. "Manual application?" He sighed. "I really hate you, System."
And with that, the Invisible Herbalist marched down Mount Azure—stumbling, sore, and thoroughly awake to the oddities of his new life.