Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: The First Hunt in the Black Mist

It took three days of arduous and cautious travel, moving mainly at night and resting during the day in hidden places, for Gù Ti?nháo to finally reach the mountain buttresses that marked the county border and the beginning of the infamous Black Mist Forest. Even in the distance, the forest exuded a sinister aura. Colossal trees, much larger and older than anyone near the City of Maplewood, rose like gnarled claws against the sky, their dense canopies blocking most of the sunlight. And true to his name, a thick cloak of gray, swirling mist clung to the ground and climbed through the trunks of the trees, swallowing the forest in a veil of obscurity. The air grew colder, wetter. The joyful chirping of birds and the hum of insects from the plains gave way to an oppressive silence, broken only by the distant and unidentifiable sound of something moving in the depths or by the constant dripping of moisture into the fallen leaves. A sense of being watched, of imminent danger, crawled down the spine of Ti?nháo. He stopped at the edge of the forest, taking a deep breath of cold, misty air. This was the point of no return. Each step forward would take him deeper into a territory where the rules of civilization did not apply, where only strength and cunning determined survival. He checked the grip of his knife on his waist, adjusted his backpack on his back, and with one last look at the path he had traveled, plunged into the mist. Visibility has fallen dramatically. He could barely see more than ten or fifteen steps ahead. The mist cushioned the sounds, making it difficult to locate anything by the ear. The forest floor was a thick carpet of decaying leaves, moss and gnarled roots, making each step uncertain. Ti?nháo moved slowly, his senses sharpened to the fullest. His spiritual perception of Level 2, although weak, allowed him to feel the grossest fluctuations of Qi around him, alerting him to the presence of other living creatures, although he could not clearly distinguish what they were or where they were. He relied mainly on his vision, hearing and primary instincts that the constant threat seemed to awaken in him. Every shadow seemed to move, every snapping branch sounded like an approaching predator. He kept the hunting knife in his hands, the cold blade a tenuous comfort against the fear that threatened to dominate him. For several hours, he advanced cautiously, following what appeared to be a poorly defined animal trail, gradually deepening into the forest. He saw some small non-spiritual animals - squirrels of dark fur, camouflaged lizards - but nothing that posed a threat or an opportunity. Then he felt it. A subtle ripple of Qi in front of you, low and stealthy. He froze, crouching behind the wide trunk of an old tree, his eyes sweeping the mist in front. Something moved in the shadows. Low, fast, almost invisible against the dark forest floor. He was a feline, the size of a large dog, but with a black fur like night that seemed to absorb light and supernatural agility. His eyes shone with a cold green light in the dim light. A Shadow Cat, just as the bestiaries described it - a low-level spiritual beast known for its speed and stealth attacks. Tiannáo's heart hammered against his ribs. This was his first real test. They were not arrogant servants or intimidating brothers. He was a wild beast, hunting to kill. The Shadowhouse had also detected it. He stopped, crouched, his muscles tense like a spring about to fire. A low, guttural growl vibrated in the air. Ti?nháo knew he couldn't run away. The beast was much faster. He had to fight. He grabbed the handle of his knife tightly, the cold sweat dripping down his palms, despite the cold of the forest. He remembered his training. Strength, speed, agility. Use the environment. He looked around quickly - trees, exposed roots, a small, uneven clearing in front of him. The Shadowhom Cat attacked. He moved with a dizzying speed, a black blur firing through the mist directly into the throat of Ti?nháo. Instinctively, Tianánháo reacted. Using the agility enhanced by the Stimulation Guide and his Level 2 IQ, he threw himself aside at the last second. The cat's claws shaved through his shoulder, tearing the leather from his clothes and leaving four burning scratches on his skin. The pain shocked him, but it also focused him. He rolled, standing in a defensive posture, the knife pointed at the beast. The Shadowhouse landed agilely and turned around his green eyes fixed on him with murderous intent. Ti?nháo took a deep breath, forcing the Qi to circulate, feeling the force flow to his limbs. He did not expect the beast to attack again. With a low cry, he advanced, using his newly acquired force to deliver a downward blow with the knife. The cat was incredibly agile. He dodged the blow easily and counterattacked with a quick paw blow like lightning. Ti?nháo managed to block with his forearm (protected by thick leather), but the impact caused him to retreat a few steps. The fight became a dangerous dance in the small clearing. Ti?nháo relied on his upper strength (to his level) and the range of the knife, while the Shadowhouse used his dizzying speed and agility to attack and retreat, seeking an opening. The scratches on Ti?nháo's shoulder burned, a constant reminder of the lethality of the beast. Tiannháo realized that he could not win a battle of friction or pure speed. He needed a tactic. He noticed a large exposed root near where the cat was circulating. In his next onslaught, he feigned a direct attack, but at the last moment, directed his Qi to his legs and jumped backwards, luring the cat forward. As expected, the Shadowhom Cat advanced rapidly, but in the process, stumbled upon the exposed root, losing its balance by a fraction of a second. It was the opening that Ti?nháo needed. He advanced like lightning, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and dipped the knife with all his might on the exposed flank of the beast. The sharp blade penetrated deep. The Shadowhouse let out an acute howl of pain and fury, struggling violently. Ti?nháo was thrown to the side, but kept control of the knife, tearing the wound even more when it fell. He rolled away as the beast writhed on the ground, dark blood gushing from the wound. After a few seconds of agony, the Shadowed Cat stood still, his green eyes losing their luster. Silence. Only the sound of Ti?nháo's gasping breath and the dripping of the beast's blood into the dead leaves. He did it. He had killed his first spiritual beast. The adrenaline began to subside, replaced by deep exhaustion and throbbing pain in his shoulder. He stood up tremblingly, cautiously approaching the still beast, the knife still in a fist. She confirmed that she was dead. He looked at his trembling hands, at the blood of the beast on his knife and on his torn clothes. That was real. The struggle for survival in this world was not a glorious adventure; it was brutal, bloody and terrifying. An error, a fraction of a second of hesitation, and he would lie dead on the forest floor. But he also felt a dark satisfaction. He had faced danger head-on and won. His training, his pain, his determination - they had paid off. Remembering the information of the bestiars, he used his knife to, with some difficulty and inexperience, skin the beast. The black skin was of good quality and could be worth a few coins. With more effort, he managed to extract two sharp prey and, on the creature's chest, found what he was looking for: a small beast nucleus, the size of a nail, pulsating with a weak elemental Qi of the dark type. It was a very low quality core, but still a valuable material for cultivators or artisans. He cleaned the materials as best he could and stored them in his backpack. He took care of his shoulder injuries, cleaning them with water from his canteen and applying the antiseptic ointment before bandaging them tightly. While resting for a moment, leaning against a tree, Tiannháo looked at the impenetrable mist that surrounded him. His first hunt was over, but the forest was full of countless other dangers. The search for 100-year-old Ginseng and the path to Level 3 Body Refinement were still long and arduous. But now, he was no longer just a reincarnated Young Master with theoretical knowledge. He was a survivor. He was a hunter. And I was ready to face whatever the Black Fog Forest threw in its path.