Ting—!
———「System」———
「Quest Alert」
◆ Reach Xinzhi City!
◆ Would you like to track this quest?
「Y / N」
———「Rewards」———
◆ +100 EXP
◆ +1 Basic Qi Capsule
◆ +1 Common Tier Chest
————————————
Zhao Yu blinked twice.
"…Okay, okay, that's some progress. Finally something other than slimes and trauma."
He smirked and tapped the glowing Yes symbol with his finger, watching as a faint golden trail formed before his eyes, stretching deep into the distant forest.
"Nice! Now we're talking, actual navigation. Thank you, GPS System of the Cultivation World."
He dusted the sand off his pants, adjusted his torn shirt, and exhaled like a man preparing to conquer the world with only sarcasm as his weapon.
"Alright Xinzhi City, prepare your city gates cause Zhao Yu is coming!, wait… that doesn't sound intimidating at all."
The wind brushed through the trees as he began to walk, following the faint golden shimmer hovering mid-air like a compass made of qi.
At first, the path was peaceful, the gentle sound of the nearby waves mixing with the whisper of leaves.
But peace and Zhao Yu were never on good terms.
Rustle—
His head snapped toward the sound.
"Don't tell me another slime? Bro, I literally just committed a war crime on your cousin."
Nothing.
Just bushes swaying.
He sighed in relief, scratching the back of his head.
"Haah… maybe it's just the wind. Yeah, totally just the—"
A loud thump echoed behind him.
He turned around slowly, dread crawling up his spine, and there it was, something big, covered in moss, drooling thick green saliva that hissed when it hit the ground.
"Okay, that is definitely not the wind."
The creature let out a growl that sounded like a blender full of gravel.
Zhao Yu froze.
"You know… I think we got off on the wrong foot. You want the slime corpse? You can totally have it, buddy. I'm a sharer."
The monster took a step forward, its shadow swallowing him whole.
"Right… negotiation failed."
He frantically patted his pockets and looked around.
"Uhh… I know! I have Silent Step! Should… should I try it now? Maybe?!"
He took a deep breath, trying to focus… but nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
"Huh? Why isn't it working?! Yeah! Right f*ck I only have 2% of understanding… what the actual f*ck?!"
The monster snarled louder, coming closer. Zhao Yu's eyes darted around desperately.
"Okay… okay, improvise… improvise… stick… stick… yes!"
He grabbed a fallen branch and swung wildly at the creature, yelling nonsense at it.
"Take this, slimey bastard! Taste my wrath of… of… Zhao Yu's insane rage!"
The creature hissed and lunged, forcing Zhao Yu to scramble backward, slipping on loose dirt, tripping over roots, and flailing like a human tornado.
Somehow, by sheer luck, the monster got distracted by a rustling bush nearby and wandered off.
Zhao Yu collapsed onto the forest floor, breathing heavily, clutching the stick like a lifeline.
Ha… holy hell… that was… way too close. No Silent Step, no smooth escape… just pure panic, flailing, and dumb plot armour. Perfect. Just perfect."
"Haaa... Atleast I have some plot armour."
He looked up at the golden trail still glowing above the trees.
"Xinzhi City better have beds, food, and no more jump scares, I swear to God."
And with trembling legs and shaky hands, Zhao Yu started walking again, muttering under his breath as the forest stretched endlessly ahead.
*****
(The time around, Zhao Yu is fighting the Slime, on another part of the sand land)
The desert sun blazed down, painting the sand in dazzling golds and harsh shadows.
In the midst of the empty expanse, a lone figure lay sprawled, half-buried in sand, utterly unconscious.
Kneeling beside him were two young women, each reacting differently to the stranger's sudden appearance.
"Hey! Wake up! Wake up, mister!"
Rang Rang's voice rang out, sharp and singsong, almost like a bell in the wind.
Her tail flicked nervously, and her wide eyes glimmered with urgency.
She shook the man's shoulder lightly, then harder when nothing happened.
"Don't just lie there! Who even are you?! Answer meee~!"
Yang Yi, crouched beside her, observed silently, her calm demeanor in sharp contrast.
She brushed sand off the stranger's arm and examined him carefully.
"Rang Rang… stop shaking him so violently. We don't know if he's injured internally. Check his pulse first."
Rang Rang huffed, clearly annoyed, but leaned closer.
"Fiiine… okay, okay… he's… breathing, I think. But… it's shallow. Shouldn't we do something more?!"
Yang Yi's fingers traced the stranger's wrist delicately, noting the faint thrum of qi.
"Breathing is stable but weak. His qi is chaotic, scattered, like someone just woke up in this world without understanding where they are. We need to stabilize him, or he could panic once he regains consciousness."
"Panic?!"
Rang Rang tilted her head, tail flicking irritably.
"Nyaa~ he's unconscious right now! How is he supposed to panic?!"
Yang Yi didn't flinch.
"Once he wakes, if he has no memory of who he is or where he is… that counts as panic waiting to happen. I can help guide his qi, but we need to be careful."
Rang Rang bounced impatiently on her knees, leaning closer to the stranger's face.
"Fine, fine… but I'm talking to him anyway!"
She lowered her voice into a teasing, playful tone.
"Heyyy~ mister! You don't know us, but we're… uh… your friends! Or… maybe not friends yet? Anyway, open your eyes! Nyaa~"
A faint groan escaped the unconscious man, and one eyelid twitched.
Yang Yi nodded slightly.
"Good. He's reacting. Keep talking, Rang Rang, but slowly. Don't overwhelm him."
Rang Rang's ears twitched.
"Slowly… right…"
She softened her voice, tilting her head.
"Um… you're awake now. It's okay. Don't worry… you're safe… I think. At least, we won't hurt you!"
The man's eyes fluttered open, revealing a mix of confusion and fear.
He coughed softly, sitting up, his hands clutching his head.
"Where… where am I? What… what happened?"
Yang Yi's voice was calm, measured, probing gently.
"You're in Solar‑3… well, at least, that's the general region. Can you remember your name?"
He froze, blinking rapidly.
"Name… I… I… I don't remember. Who… who am I?"
Rang Rang's tail swished anxiously.
"Nyaa~ you… don't know your name?! That's… that's bad! Or maybe… just super mysterious!"
The man's hands trembled.
"I… I don't… I can't remember anything… not even… where I came from…"
Yang Yi kept her tone steady, eyes sharp and analytical.
"Memory loss. That explains the disoriented qi signature. You've been displaced… either by a strong energy surge or some kind of portal. Do you feel pain anywhere?"
He shook his head slowly.
"No… just… confused. Everything… everything is wrong… nothing is familiar. Who… who are you two?"
Rang Rang jumped in, waving her hands, tail swishing nervously.
"I'm Rang Rang! And this is… um… Yang Yi! Yeah! We just… found you lying here! You're lucky we were around, mister!"
Yang Yi gave a small nod.
"We're not here to harm you. But you're clearly not from around here. Your qi is… unusual, and your appearance suggests you've been transported or displaced. Can you stand?"
He tried, swaying slightly, and collapsed back onto the sand with a groan.
"I… I don't even know how… how to stand here… I don't know anything…"
Rang Rang's voice softened, but still quivered with concern.
"It's okay, mister… don't worry. We'll help you. You just… stay calm. Take deep breaths. We'll figure this out together, okay?"
Yang Yi placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"Rang Rang's right. For now, just focus on breathing. Once your qi stabilizes, we can help you recover physically and… hopefully mentally as well. You're safe for now. That's all that matters."
He closed his eyes, taking shaky breaths, and muttered under his breath, almost to himself.
"I… I don't even know who I am… or why I'm here…"
Rang Rang tilted her head, ears twitching. "
"Nyaa… maybe that's… part of the adventure?"
Yang Yi let out a faint sigh but didn't comment.
She merely kept her hands on him, observing his qi, ready to react to any sudden movement.
The wind blew softly, carrying grains of sand across the desert, and for the first time since waking, the man, Rosswell, felt a faint flicker of safety in a world he did not understand.
*****