For three long seconds…
Lin Tianyu and the panda stared at each other.
Neither moved.
Neither blinked.
“…”
“…”
Then Hei Bao yawned.
The terrifying pressure vanished as though someone had flipped a switch.
The giant panda scratched its stomach, turned around, and flopped onto the grass with an ungraceful thud.
Crunch.
Another stalk of bamboo disappeared into its mouth.
Tianyu blinked several times.
“…I must still be unconscious.”
The System chimed.
Host is conscious.
Please complete the mission.
“I’m not talking to you.”
Understood.
Host is talking to himself.
“…”
“Can systems be sarcastic?”
Negative.
This System only states facts.
Tianyu pinched the bridge of his nose.
His life had fallen apart in less than ten minutes.
His zoo was bankrupt.
His panda was apparently eight thousand years old.
And now he was arguing with a floating menu.
A new blue screen appeared.
Mission Details
Primary Guardian Mood: Poor
Trust Level: 2%
Reason:
Nutritional requirements have not been met for 1,426 consecutive days.
Recommended Food:
❌ Processed Panda Biscuits
❌ Cheap Bamboo
✔ Crimson Spirit Bamboo
✔ Jade Heart Apples
✔ Earth Spring Water
Reward:
Basic Beast Language 50 Spirit Qi
Tianyu looked around the enclosure.
“…Where exactly am I supposed to find Jade Heart Apples?”
The System answered immediately.
Nearby substitute detected.
Another golden arrow appeared.
It pointed…
Not toward the forest.
Not toward a hidden cave.
It pointed toward the old apple tree behind the staff dormitory.
“…Those?”
The apples were tiny, sour, and usually ignored by visitors.
“They’re ordinary apples.”
Correction.
The tree has absorbed trace Spirit Qi leaking from the Sanctuary for thirty-two years.
Suitable for temporary use.
Tianyu stared at the tree through the fence.
Then back at the panda.
“…Seriously?”
Five minutes later…
He returned carrying a bucket full of freshly picked apples.
Hei Bao didn’t even look up.
Tianyu sighed.
“Well…”
He tossed one into the enclosure.
The apple rolled across the grass.
The panda sniffed.
Then froze.
Its ears twitched.
It slowly lifted its head.
Its sleepy eyes widened.
Before Tianyu could blink—
WHOOSH!
A black-and-white blur shot across the enclosure.
The apple disappeared.
“So fast!”
Hei Bao hugged the tiny fruit against his chest as though it were priceless treasure.
He sniffed it repeatedly.
Then took the smallest bite imaginable.
The panda closed his eyes.
A blissful expression spread across his face.
He looked…
Emotional.
The System spoke.
Primary Guardian Happiness Increased.
Another bite.
Another.
Then Hei Bao suddenly looked toward Tianyu.
The panda’s expression softened.
He slowly walked over.
Tianyu instinctively took a step back.
“Easy…”
The enormous bear stopped just inches away.
Golden eyes met his.
Then…
Hei Bao gently nudged Tianyu’s shoulder with his head.
Like an oversized puppy asking for another snack.
Mission Complete
Reward Granted:
✔ Basic Beast Language
✔ 50 Spirit Qi
Warm energy flooded Tianyu’s body.
Every muscle relaxed.
His exhaustion disappeared.
The soreness in his shoulders vanished.
His senses sharpened.
He could hear insects buzzing outside the enclosure.
Leaves rustling hundreds of meters away.
Even Hei Bao’s slow heartbeat.
“…Whoa.”
Then—
“…More.”
Tianyu froze.
“…Did someone just talk?”
“…Apple.”
The voice was deep.
Calm.
Ancient.
“…Good.”
Hei Bao looked directly at him.
“…Friend.”
The panda had not moved his mouth.
Yet Tianyu understood every word perfectly.
The System explained.
Basic Beast Language successfully installed.
“…You’re really talking.”
Hei Bao tilted his head.
“…Always.”
“You…
could always speak?”
“…Humans…
never listened.”
Tianyu stood there in stunned silence.
For years, he had complained to Hei Bao whenever life got difficult.
About exams.
About heartbreak.
About money.
About his grandfather’s illness.
The panda had listened to everything.
Every single word.
“…You understood me?”
Hei Bao nodded once.
“…Sad.”
“…”
“…Hungry.”
“…Mostly sad.”
The panda considered this carefully.
Then pushed the remaining apple toward Tianyu.
“…Share.”
For some reason…
That simple gesture hit harder than any speech.
Tianyu laughed.
“I don’t think humans eat apples that have already been chewed.”
Hei Bao looked genuinely confused.
“…Waste?”
“…Fair point.”
A sudden alarm rang inside Tianyu’s head.
The blue screen flashed red.
WARNING
Hostile spiritual energy detected.
Unknown observer has entered Sanctuary perimeter.
Threat Assessment:
Low
Distance:
317 meters.
Recommendation:
Remain alert.
At the same moment…
Far beyond the zoo fence…
An old man wearing a worn gray robe stopped walking.
He looked toward the panda enclosure.
His cloudy eyes narrowed.
“…Impossible.”
He had followed a faint pulse of spiritual energy that shouldn’t exist in the modern world.
It had disappeared almost immediately.
Yet, for a single heartbeat…
He had felt the aura of a beast that belonged only in ancient legends.
The old man tightened his grip on his wooden cane.
“…Who…”
“…is awakening the Demon Sanctuary?”
End of Chapter 2