Chapter 3: Of Stories, Shadows, and Spirit Rats Part 116Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5T2puKm4aZ
The first night in the Dawn Refuge was anything but peaceful.
The hut, though reinforced, creaked as if the wind was singing its own laments. Lin Yuan had made a decision: he wouldn't spend the system's points impulsively. He would rather endure hunger for a few days if it meant gaining talents that could truly change their lives.
Speaking of talents, he realized that although the Eye had a passive effect, it could be deactivated—after all, constantly seeing blue screens was a nuisance.
Dinner that night was scarce, but meaningful.
Half a potato for each child, boiled with some wild herbs Lin had gathered that day between cliffs and shadows. He cooked them carefully over an old rusty metal bowl and dry branches. It was barely anything, but when the children sat around the makeshift fire and received their portion with gleaming eyes, Lin felt that for the first time, they were sharing something real.
He then tucked them into straw mattresses he had earned during a temp job with a tavern owner. And before they closed their eyes, he sang them an old melody he had made up in his previous life:
"Ahhh ahhh, life is an adventure, with every step something awaits...16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7YN74TYSv
Ahhh ahhh, under the moon or the storm, there's always a secret gate."
The children fell asleep with soft smiles.
But peace didn't last long.
That night, chaos arrived like a plague whispered in the wind. First came a scratch. Then another. And another. A crescendo of squeals burst from the back of the shelter.
—"They're stealing the potatoes!" —shouted Roman, bursting into Lin's room like a harbinger of the apocalypse.
Lin rushed to the garden without thinking. He stopped at the sight: dozens of huge rats, with eyes glowing like blue embers, ravaging the field they had sown together. Each bite was a cruel laugh against their efforts.
One of them, with scars on its back and a single glowing eye, hissed something that sounded like "Mine."
Lin frowned. His anger, mixed with helplessness at watching their food being devoured, drove him forward.
—"Not tonight!"
He grabbed a broom like a sacred lance and charged. The battle was a whirlwind of claws, shrieks, and splintered wood. Ben hurled clumps of dirt like holy projectiles from a corner. Xiao Lian used a long stick with silent precision, striking without hesitation. Roman wielded a pot as a shield, and Zhenglian shouted names of imaginary spells.
But then, from within the swarm, the leader emerged.
A creature three times larger, with tiny backward-curving horns, a tail split like a trident, and a gaze full of hunger and malice. Its fur was dark gray, nearly black, and shimmered with a dull energy.
The leader lunged at Lin with startling speed. They rolled on the ground. The broom shattered against its teeth. Lin tumbled, received a slash on the back, and grabbed a half-eaten potato. He threw it at its face.
The leader shrieked. Xiao Lian struck from behind, hitting it square in the neck. That was the opening they needed. Lin slammed the beast against a rock. Its spiritual energy slowly dissipated.
The rest of the rats fled.
Panting, Lin collapsed on the ground. The broom was now a sad stick. The field, ruined. But they were alive. And then...
DING!16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9J0SDiJFxf
[Spirit Detected: Lesser Spirit Rat (Leader)]16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNywGX8YbU
[Compatible with Talent Extraction Protocol]16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7Ox7Gl617
[Begin Extraction?]16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMGuNYBh8J
[Yes] – [No] – [Wait, I'm scared!]
—"Screw fear, this is awesome," Lin muttered, surprised by the system's sass, and accepted.
A circle of light formed beneath the rat's corpse, with runes pulsing like a forgotten heart. The light rose, swirled, and condensed into a floating card with glowing blue edges.
[Card Obtained: Essence of the Spirit Rat Leader]16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH3jQXOaWX
Type: Beast / Primal Instinct / Domain16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa26kChJoJt
Effect: Sharp reflexes, adaptation to dark environments, affinity for group manipulation.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AKz2YJD92
Usable for: Fusion, Imprint, Storage
Just as Lin examined the card, the system chimed again:
DING!16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMnhAZUX6I
[Fusion Opportunity Detected]16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nBwqlfGox
Compatible Subject: Xiao Lian16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwDWivpYHU
Latent Talent: [Deathweaver]16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2offwIczp
Estimated Compatibility: 67%16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLob5ilSS7I
Potential Effect: Early Awakening of Sub-skill: "Prey Web" (Sensory Trap)
Lin looked toward the girl, seated in the corner, gently panting but with a calm expression. He wondered if the kids had seen the circle, but judging by their faces, they hadn't.
[Warning: The decision is yours. The system advises caution. Potential unlocked without guidance may result in emotional instability.]
Lin stored the card in the inventory.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjFKWtuNrQ
Not this time. Not so fast.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptAUlOWQS7
Don't ask me to solve thermodynamics problems while processing this.
But soon.
And as the sun began to rise over the mountains, Lin stood up.
—"Today... we plant again."
And the children, though hungry and tired, followed him.
Because in their eyes, something had changed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzppTfCq6Z
They were no longer just survivors.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRDr4Wur5h
They were now the guardians of the Dawn Refuge.
16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhs5nUA5I5X
