Chapter 21: In the Wake of the Battle
A moment of silence enveloped the battlefield, broken only by the distant whistle of wind weaving through the trees. Lei Feng stood motionless, his bloodied fists trembling slightly at his sides. The beast's mangled body lay still at his feet, dark blood pooling beneath its fur and scales.
For a heartbeat, Lei Feng couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. Then—
Ding!
> Level Up!
Level 2 →Level 3
+10 Health
+10 Mana
+1 to All Stats
+5 Free Stat Points Awarded
EXP: 5 / 150
Warmth exploded in his chest like a pulse of sunlight. It radiated outward—soothing, surging, strengthening. His muscles, sore and heavy from the brutal fight, loosened as if unshackled. The fatigue weighing on his bones evaporated like morning mist.
His heart beat faster, but not from exhaustion. It was power. Real, tangible power.
A soft glow enveloped his body, dancing over his skin before fading, and then—
Ding!
> HP: 40 / 110
Ding!
> HP: 45 / 110
Ding!
> HP: 95 / 110
Ding!
> HP: 110 / 110
Lei Feng watched in awe as the transparent red bar above his vision gradually filled, each ping echoing like a heartbeat in his ears. He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the difference. He wasn't just healed—he was reborn, if only slightly.
His eyes slowly drifted back to the beast's carcass. The fight had pushed him to the brink, tested him beyond reason—but he'd come out the other side. Alive. Stronger. Changed.
A soft chime drew his attention again.
Ding!
> Instant Quest: Kill the Beast and Rescue the Boy – Half Complete.
Lei Feng's brow furrowed. "What?"
He turned to the hovering message in confusion. "Half complete?" he muttered. "I killed the damn thing! What do you mean half?"
As if in response, a weak cry broke the air.
"Help… me…"
His breath hitched.
Spinning around, Lei Feng's eyes landed on the boy—the same kid who had been tossed aside like a broken toy. He was still there, still alive… barely.
"Oh shit."
Lei Feng sprinted toward him. Dust kicked up from his feet as he closed the distance. The boy lay sprawled across the forest floor, eyes half-lidded, blood seeping from wounds that soaked into his torn clothes. His skin had turned ghostly pale, lips tinged blue.
Lei Feng dropped to his knees beside him, his hands hovering over the boy's body, unsure where to touch, afraid to cause more harm.
"What do I do?!" Panic crept into his voice. "I don't know first aid! I don't know anything about wilderness survival!"
He gritted his teeth. This wasn't Earth. He had a system now—maybe there was another way.
His eyes widened. "Potions!"
He slapped his forehead and fumbled to call it out. "Inventory!"
A faint glow formed in the air. A single red vial materialized in his hand, swirling with thick, shimmering liquid.
Without hesitation, Lei Feng gently lifted the boy's head and brought the potion to his lips. "Drink this," he said softly. "Come on, you have to drink."
The boy weakly opened his mouth, and with a few gulps, the red potion was gone.
Ding!
> Inventory
4 Health Potions
5 Mana Potions
1 Stamina Potion
Phone—"Model: NexCore S-9X"
Almost immediately, a soft green glow enveloped the child's body. The air shifted as if infused with life. The boy's breathing steadied, and the bleeding slowed. The color began returning to his face.
The faintest of smiles tugged at Lei Feng's lips. It was working.
The boy blinked slowly, then sat up with a groan, trembling slightly.
"Thank you…" he murmured, voice barely audible but full of sincerity.
Ding!
> Instant Quest Completed
Calculating Reward…
Ding!
> Reward: +350 Experience Points
Level Up!
Level 3 →Level 4 →Level 5
+10 Health (x2)
+10 Mana (x2)
+1 to All Stats
+1 to All Stats
+15 Free Stat Points
EXP: 30 / 200
A second wave of energy surged through Lei Feng like a rising tide, slamming into him with exhilarating force. He sucked in a sharp breath as strength poured into every cell in his body. His senses sharpened. His blood thrummed with raw vitality.
But this time, he didn't revel in it.
His gaze remained fixed on the boy.
The little one sat there, weak but alive, staring up at him with wide, grateful eyes. There was trust in that gaze now. Hope.
And for the first time since stepping into this world, Lei Feng felt something other than just survival.
He felt responsible.
"Hey," Lei Feng said, his voice softening. "What's your name?"
The boy blinked up at him, still a little pale, but with more color now in his cheeks. "Orion… Orion Vale."
Lei Feng tilted his head slightly. "A Western name, huh?"
He paused for a moment, his brows knitting in thought. Now that I think about it… most people I've come across—aside from the major families—all have Western names. Why is that? He shook the thought from his head. Another mystery for another day.
"Orion," Lei Feng repeated, the name rolling off his tongue with surprising ease. "What are you doing alone in a place like this?"
Orion gave a weak chuckle, but it was laced with bitterness. "I wasn't supposed to be alone," he said, looking away. "I came here with a team… we're part of a beginner's exploration squad. I just broke into level 10 yesterday, finally became a Magic Novice with the Spearsman class."
Lei Feng nodded slowly, listening.
"My parents… they begged me to wait, to get stronger first before stepping into the wild. But I didn't listen. I wanted to prove myself. I thought… I thought I could handle it." His voice cracked slightly.
Orion's hands clenched over his knees. "It was only a Level 5 Berserk Boar. I was supposed to be stronger, right? But it caught me off-guard. I got separated from my team, and before I could even send a signal, it rushed me. I barely survived." He lowered his gaze. "Stupid. I was so stupid."
Lei Feng exhaled slowly, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. The adrenaline and satisfaction of leveling up dimmed in the wake of Orion's story.
This world's different. Even the kids are stronger than me. He looked down at his own hands. Level 10… and he still nearly died. If I had faced that boar in its prime, I might've lost. I need to get stronger—much stronger. I can't afford to stay weak. His fists tightened. I have to catch up… to everyone.
He looked back at Orion.
"Can you find your way out?" he asked.
Orion shook his head with a sigh. "No. I dropped my phone when the boar attacked. Without it, I can't contact my team or navigate my way back. I need to find my phone."
Lei Feng frowned. "And how exactly are you planning to find it?"
The boy looked at him like he'd asked the most obvious question in the world. "Don't you have a phone? I remember my phone's IMEI number. You can use that to track it."
Lei Feng stared at him blankly for a second. Track it? Using a phone? I… I don't even know how to do that. I really am clueless here.
Suppressing a sigh, Lei Feng raised his hand. "Inventory."
A soft shimmer pulsed in the air, and with a gentle flash, his phone materialized in his palm.
Orion's eyes widened with childlike wonder. "Dimensional magic…" he breathed. "That's… amazing."
Lei Feng ignored the comment and handed the device to the boy. "Here. Do what you have to do."
"Thanks," Orion said, taking it with a reverent kind of care. He tapped the screen quickly, navigating the settings like someone who'd grown up with the tech.
His fingers moved with practiced familiarity, accessing a tracking app, then inputting the IMEI with careful precision. A small ping lit up on the map screen.
"There!" he pointed. "That's where I dropped it—just a little east of here, not too far. If we cut through that ridge and follow the slope, we'll reach it in ten minutes."
Lei Feng nodded, rising to his feet. "Then let's move before it gets dark."
The two of them slipped into the forest once more, trees stretching above them like ancient sentinels. The fading light filtered through the canopy, casting golden streaks over their path. Leaves crunched beneath their boots, and the occasional rustle of small creatures echoed around them.
Orion walked with a slight limp but managed to keep pace, clutching the phone tightly in his hand, its screen glowing faintly in the shadows.
For the first time in a long while, Lei Feng wasn't just wandering alone.
They disappeared into the woods, one step at a time—together.