Dawn came too early and not early enough.
Lin Feng stood at the edge of the Whispering Woods, watching mist curl between ancient trees that seemed to lean in toward each other like old conspirators sharing secrets. The forest had earned its name honestly, even when the wind died completely, you could still hear something that sounded almost like voices. Whispers in a language nobody remembered.
Local legends said the trees were alive. Lin Feng was starting to think the locals might be onto something.
[Host! Excellent sunrise timing for maximum protagonist aesthetics. Current awesome factor: 7.8/10]
"Thanks for the review," Lin Feng muttered, adjusting his leather pack. He'd spent half the night studying the system's herb guide, learning to identify Spirit Grass and its preferred growing conditions. The other half he'd spent trying not to think about how this was his first real test since getting his new abilities.
No pressure.
[Oh come on, what's the worst that could happen? You get eaten by something with too many teeth? Relax! You've got beast communication skills now!]
"Somehow that doesn't make me feel better."
[Host, you're forgetting something important, you literally befriended murder rabbits yesterday. If you can negotiate with homicidal woodland creatures, a few spirit beasts should be easy!]
Lin Feng couldn't argue with that logic, mostly because he wasn't sure there was any logic to argue with.
The forest temperature dropped ten degrees the moment he crossed the treeline. Thick canopy blocked most of the sunlight, leaving everything in that green-tinged twilight that made distances hard to judge. The Dragon-Slaying Heavenly Sutra hummed through his meridians automatically, keeping his senses sharp.
According to the system guide, Spirit Grass grew in clearings where spiritual energy concentrated naturally. Find the power, find the grass. Simple enough in theory.
[DING! Environmental scan complete. Multiple spirit beast signatures detected within 500 meters. Threat assessment: Moderate to "Oh Shit."]
"Define 'Oh Shit.'"
[Nothing here can vaporize you instantly, but several things could make you wish they had. Standard rules apply, everything wants to either eat you, test you, or make you prove you're worthy of continued existence.]
"Wonderful." Lin Feng kept walking deeper into the forest, following what looked like an old game trail. "Any other cheerful observations?"
[The good news is your cultivation base should handle most threats here. The bad news is that spirit beasts are territorial, pack hunters, and some of them are surprisingly clever.]
After maybe an hour of hiking through increasingly dense undergrowth, Lin Feng found what he was looking for, a small clearing where golden sunlight somehow managed to penetrate the canopy. In the center, three perfect stalks of Spirit Grass grew in a triangle formation, their leaves shimmering with silver veins that pulsed like heartbeats.
[Excellent! Grade 2 Spirit Grass, perfect for basic pill refinement. But Host…]
A rustling in the nearby bushes finished the system's thought for it.
What emerged made Lin Feng blink twice to make sure he was seeing it correctly. It looked like someone had taken a normal rabbit, fed it nothing but spiritual energy for six months, then given it anger management issues. The thing was easily the size of a large dog, with purple fur, red glowing eyes, and small curved horns jutting from its skull.
[Horned Shadow Rabbit, Peak Qi Gathering cultivation. Known for speed, vicious temperament, and an unfortunate tendency to hold grudges. Also, where there's one…]
More rustling sounds answered the unfinished question. Lin Feng's spiritual sense detected at least six more rabbit signatures moving to surround him.
"A pack of killer rabbits." Lin Feng sighed. "This is definitely not how I pictured my second life going."
[Look at it this way, at least they're adorable while they're planning your demise!]
The alpha rabbit, he assumed it was the alpha based on the way it carried itself like it owned the forest, crouched low, powerful hind legs tensing for a spring attack. Its red eyes held an intelligence that was definitely not normal rabbit-level.
Lin Feng raised his hands slowly. "Easy there. I'm not here to cause trouble."
The rabbit tilted its head, and Lin Feng could swear he saw confusion flicker across its features.
"I just need three stalks of grass. In exchange…" Lin Feng reached carefully into his pack and pulled out one of the Qi Gathering Pills he'd refined the night before. "I can offer you something that might interest you."
[Host, you're negotiating with rabbits. I'm genuinely not sure if this is brilliant or evidence that I made the wrong choice.]
The alpha rabbit's nose twitched as it caught the pill's spiritual aroma. Its posture shifted from attack-ready to cautiously curious.
"This is a Qi Gathering Pill," Lin Feng explained, as if having a conversation with an oversized murder bunny was the most natural thing in the world. "It'll help stabilize your cultivation and might even push you toward Foundation Establishment."
He placed the pill on the ground and stepped back.
The rabbit approached slowly, sniffed the pill once, then consumed it in a single bite. Almost immediately, its spiritual energy began fluctuating as the pill took effect.
The other rabbits watched in fascination as their leader's cultivation base stabilized at absolute Peak Qi Gathering, with visible signs of an imminent breakthrough.
"That's my offer," Lin Feng said. "Three stalks of grass for one pill. Fair trade?"
[DING! Creative problem solving detected! Peaceful resolution bonus: +200 System Points!]
The alpha rabbit stared at Lin Feng for a long moment, then let out a series of short cries. The other rabbits immediately dispersed, but not before each one performed what looked suspiciously like a small bow.
"You're welcome," Lin Feng said, genuinely touched. He carefully harvested three stalks, making sure not to damage the root systems.
As he prepared to leave, the alpha rabbit approached again and dropped something at his feet, a small crystalline object that pulsed with pure spiritual energy.
[Holy cultivation manual! That's a Beast Core! Specifically, a Moonlight Essence Core from an ancient Silver-Furred Moon Rabbit. Host, that's incredibly rare!]
"A gift?" Lin Feng picked up the core, feeling its power thrumb through his fingers. "Thank you."
The rabbit nodded once, then bounded away into the underbrush.
[DING! Achievement Unlocked: "Beast Whisperer"]
[New Skill: Basic Beast Communication]
[Hidden Quest Available: "The Warren's Secret"]
"Maybe later," Lin Feng pocketed the core. "Let's focus on the main mission first."
[…]