The sky still held a layer of hazy blue-gray as dawn broke, the forest shrouded in mist that clung like gossamer to the tree trunks.
Liú Xiǎomǎn inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy, grassy fragrance, feeling the cool air seep into her bones, as tension and excitement intertwined in her chest.
Her backpack was fuller than yesterday, containing a few coarse grain cakes and a small container of water.
At her waist hung the brand-new short sickle given by Master Qián, its cold steel glinting faintly, the handle smooth to the touch.
The mysterious beast-repellent powder and the heavy two-tael silver pouch were wrapped in cloth and pressed close to her chest, her most valuable talismans on this journey.
This was her first true, independent venture deep into the back mountains, a place villagers spoke of as teeming with fierce beasts.
The soft humus underfoot muffled her steps, broken only occasionally by the faint snap of dry twigs.
At the forest’s edge, trees grew thick and tall, their canopies blotting out the sun, letting only scattered light through the leaves.
Bushes and tangled vines obscured the path ahead, revealing only hints of what lay beyond.
Birdsong chimed clearly in her ears, occasionally interrupted by low, distant roars of unknown beasts, prompting her to grip her short sickle tightly.
She followed a faint, long-abandoned path worn by hunters, moving with extreme caution.
Everything here was vibrant with primal life, yet equally filled with unseen dangers.
After walking for roughly the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the path completely vanished, replaced by towering ancient trees.
Liú Xiǎomǎn stopped, leaning against a massive tree trunk, needing both arms to encircle it, and steadied her breathing.
She closed her eyes and solemnly whispered in her mind: “System, activate scanning mode!”
Immediately, a translucent blue interface, visible only to her, unfolded before her eyes.
A crosshair appeared at the center of her vision, followed by a faint green grid wave emanating silently from her, spreading outward.
As the wave passed, remarkable things occurred.
A patch of unremarkable moss at her feet was highlighted with small text: 【Ordinary Moss, Exchange Points: 0.001】.
A gray fungus growing on a nearby tree trunk was tagged: 【Gray Pleated Umbrella (mildly toxic), Exchange Points: 0.01】.
A black beetle flying past her was caught by the wave and marked: 【Unicorn Beetle (Male), Exchange Points: 0.1】.
Her breath caught, then a wave of ecstatic joy surged through her.
She could hardly believe her eyes.
What had seemed ordinary or useless — moss, fungi, even insects she had once dismissed in her former life as a biologist — all had clearly labeled point values in this magical system.
“Oh my god! This isn’t a desolate mountain; it’s an inexhaustible treasure trove!”
Her heart pounded with excitement, her blood seeming to boil.
The thrill surpassed discovering a new species in a lab a hundredfold.
She felt like a mouse dropped into a granary, surrounded by endless food.
Suppressing the urge to immediately grab everything, she began to act selectively, following the system’s guidance.
Ordinary moss and weeds yielded too few points to justify the effort.
Her eyes quickly locked onto targets with higher point values.
Beneath a damp tree root, a darker green moss was identified by the system: 【Snake Moss, Exchange Points: 0.5】.
Her eyes lit up. She squatted, carefully prying up the entire patch along with a thin layer of soil beneath it, placing it gently on the oiled paper in her backpack.
She noted mentally: this moss prefers shade and grows mostly at old tree roots.
A short distance further, on a decayed log, she found several purple-black fungi resembling wood ear mushrooms.
The system indicated: 【Purple Ganoderma (Juvenile), Exchange Points: 2】.
Her heart skipped a beat. Two points — far more worthwhile than her laboriously harvested shǐxiěténg.
She handled them with care, already planning to redeem a species cultivation guide once she had enough points, to see if she could grow them artificially.
Immersed in the thrill of collecting, she suddenly heard a rustling in the grass to her left.
Before she could react, a triangular snake head shot up from the knee-high grass, its crimson tongue flicking threateningly, emitting a hissing sound.
The snake’s body was the color of dead leaves, expertly camouflaged and highly venomous.
A chill shot from her feet to the top of her head.
Instinct and prior knowledge told her: this was a deadly five-step viper.
Reflexively, she snatched the beast-repellent powder from her chest and flung it toward the snake.
The pale yellow powder spread in the air, its pungent mix of sulfur and herbs quickly filling the space.
The viper froze as if paralyzed, then, perceiving an enemy, fled into the grass at lightning speed, leaving only a blur behind.
Leaning against the tree, Liú Xiǎomǎn gasped, realizing her back was soaked with cold sweat.
She glanced at the remaining powder and thought: “This stuff is extraordinary — Master Qián didn’t lie. But… it’s almost too powerful. Even a five-step viper is terrified.”
The encounter sharpened her vigilance.
The system’s scanning function became her ultimate early-warning radar; nothing hidden could escape detection.
As she continued collecting, the points in the upper-right corner of the interface soared. From a pitiful zero to ten, then twenty… each jump like the sweetest musical note in her heart.
【Ding! Collected Ten-Year-Old Polygonum Multiflorum, +15 points】
【Ding! Collected Rare Fluorescent Fungus, +8 points】
【Ding! Collected Pair of Seven-Star Ladybugs, +0.2 points】
Watching the tally climb, she felt she had discovered a shortcut to prosperity.
Points were more than numbers; they represented rice, medicine, a solid and warm new home, the foundation for her, her mother, and brother to live securely in this world.
An unprecedented sense of accomplishment and security filled her entire body.
When her total points surpassed 50, the system chimed again:
【Congratulations, host! Accumulated points exceed 50. More basic species guide information unlocked.】
Her mental species library instantly expanded, displaying detailed names and uses for many previously unrecognizable plants.
Just as she prepared to press on toward 100 points, the scan area extended to the edge of her surroundings.
Suddenly, a new, urgent alert sounded in her mind:
【Warning! Energy anomaly detected 300 meters ahead! Large natural cave alert!】
On the system map, once entirely green, a red blinking dot appeared at the northeast corner, glaringly conspicuous.
Liú Xiǎomǎn’s heart skipped; she froze mid-collection.
Energy anomaly?
Large natural cave?
What did this mean?
Though her past life was in agriculture, she had some geological knowledge — anomalies usually indicated magnetic fields, radiation, or unknown energy sources.
After a brief shock, curiosity and anticipation surged, stronger than when discovering the purple ganoderma.
A system warning meant this location was extraordinary.
Danger often comes with opportunity.
Could this be an extra surprise from the system after unlocking new features — a novice-level bonus?
She stared at the blinking red dot, feeling its mysterious pull.
The deep, unknown cave beckoned like a massive puzzle waiting to be solved.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully secured the collected herbs and fungi in her backpack, tying the opening tightly.
She lifted her gaze to the dense forest in the northeast, eyes gleaming with the light of an adventurer.
Without hesitation, she tightened her grip on the short sickle and stepped cautiously toward the energy anomaly, one deliberate step at a time.