The morning mist curled between the trees like silver ribbon, gliding low across mossy earth and ancient roots.
A single breath stirred the mist.
It came from a boy seated beneath an old spirit tree — legs folded, arms resting loosely on his knees, back straight.
Lin Fan had been still for an hour.
He hadn't meditated.
He hadn't focused on his breathing.
He hadn't forced anything.
He simply existed, and in doing so, his body cultivated on its own.
The Breathing Technique—a passive skill pulled from a different world—was always active.
It drank in the forest's spirit energy like a sponge, purifying and funneling it through his meridians.
The process was so efficient that not a drop was wasted.
Every breath made him stronger.
And unfortunately, every breath also felt absurdly good.
A slight tremble ran through his shoulder. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.
"Still not used to that," he muttered, cheeks pink.
The cloak beside him fluttered as he shifted.
He'd slept beneath it the night before—its thick material muffling not only spiritual perception but also the side effects of his technique.
Without it, he might've moaned loud enough to draw every spirit beast within five kilometers.
He stood and stretched, wincing as his bones popped.
His muscles felt loose, limber. The forest's gentle energy had settled nicely into him.
He wasn't actively trying to raise his soul power.
Rank 3 was enough for now.
Strong enough to defend himself.
Weak enough not to draw attention.
For now, that was exactly where he wanted to be.
After drinking from a nearby stream, he pulled open his system menu with a thought.
[System Menu]
Gacha Pulls: 5 available
Current Status: Pull quality enhanced due to delay
Tip: Long gaps between pulls increase reward potential.
▶ Draw Now
"Five," he whispered.
He'd earned one pull per day since awakening the Sharingan. He hadn't touched the system since pulling the Breathing Technique and some others.
And now? His fingers itched.
"…One won't hurt."
[Gacha Pull Activated]
Pulling from cross-fiction database…
Syncing…
Pull Complete.
Something thudded softly onto the moss near his foot.
A piece of clothing?
He leaned over and picked it up.
It was a cloak—black, hooded, and lined with crimson thread that shimmered in and out of sight. Subtle runes glowed beneath the fabric, too faint to read but undeniably foreign.
[Item Acquired: Cloak of Inversion
Origin: Unknown Worldline
Effects:
Suppresses soul power signature
Masks life force presence
Slightly distorts detection techniques
Dampens internal technique feedback]
Lin Fan's eyes lit up.
"Dampens… feedback?"
He immediately swung it over his shoulders.
The effect was instant.
The Breathing Technique didn't stop — but the waves of pleasure that usually came with each inhale?
Softened.
Muted.
No more surprise twitches. No weird gasps mid-step. Just… calm.
He exhaled deeply.
For once, it didn't make him want to hug a tree in embarrassment.
"…Finally," he murmured, adjusting the hood. "Now I can breathe like a normal person."
The rest of the morning passed in silence.
Lin Fan collected spirit grass.
Washed his face in the stream.
Skinned a squirrel-beast he had caught in a trap the night before and cooked it over a small, smokeless flame made from dried bark.
Even his footsteps felt lighter.
He tested the cloak by stalking a two-horned fox through the brush.
It didn't notice him at all.
Even when he circled it three times, breathing softly, it remained unaware.
The cloak worked.
Too well, even.
By midday, he climbed a tree and found a comfortable perch with a view of the village beyond the forest.
From here, he could spot the crooked roofs, smoke trails, and narrow dirt paths winding through the outskirts.
His eyes sharpened as they found a small boy hauling a bucket half his size.
Huo Yuhao.
Still fragile-looking.
Still working too hard for someone his age.
Still unaware of the storm that life would hurl at him soon.
But not this time.
Not if Lin Fan had anything to say about it.
He wouldn't barge in yet.
Yuhao's story hadn't reached the critical moment.
But when it did?
Lin Fan would be there.
As the sun began to lower, he returned to his hideout under the old tree.
The roots had become like a home — familiar, protective.
He placed the cloak carefully beside his bed of moss and straw, stretched out, and closed his eyes.
The Breathing Technique resumed, quiet now beneath the cloak's dampening field.
Just a soft warmth spreading through his core.
He could feel himself inching closer to Rank 4.
Not yet.
Maybe soon.
But not today.