MASTER OF NONE

The Forest of Beasts

Chapter 2:

Later that night, Ye Feng buried his mother on top of a lonely hill.

"Don't worry, Mom. When I come back, I will bury you the right way," he said, kneeling before the crude grave.

He bowed his head severely several times, the dirt staining his forehead. Ye Cheng, Ye Shuyin, just wait, he vowed silently as he stood up. Every single insult, every bit of shame... I will make sure you repay it a hundredfold.

Suddenly, a faint rustle broke the silence. Ye Feng froze. What was that? He listened closely, his breath hitching. Wait. Footsteps. And not just one person, either. His gaze darted around the dark woods. Who could it be? No one usually comes up here, which is why I chose this spot for Mom's grave. The cruel, smiling face of Ye Shuyin flashed in his mind. Realization struck him like a physical blow. Ye Feng quickly scooped up a wooden box that functioned as a makeshift backpack, slinging it over his shoulders before dashing away into the shadows.

No, I have to run! With Ye Shuyin's character, she would never let a hidden threat like me live. Especially now that I don't have the Ye clan's protection anymore.

The moment Ye Feng vanished into the brush, three grown men dropped silently from the trees. They wore pitch-black clothes, matching face masks, and wide bamboo hats that concealed their features.

"Where is he? I can't see him," one whispered.

"We obviously tracked him here," the second replied.

The third assassin landed on the forest floor, inspecting the ground. "He was definitely here." He pointed to a cluster of freshly snapped twigs. "He went this way. CHASE!"

Spiritual energy flared around their bodies as they bounded through the trees with skillful speed, closing the gap.

Ahead of them, Ye Feng pushed through the dense foliage, but the sound of rushing wind behind him grew louder. I was right. They really are assassins sent by Ye Shuyin, he thought frantically. From the pressure they emit, they must be above Level 5 Star Refining. Going against them now means certain death. I have to lose them!

An idea sparked. He remembered that nearby lay the Star Beast Forest, a dangerous territory teeming with monsters and ruled by a terrifying Level 5 Star Beast.

Let's see if you bastards have the guts to follow me in there.

After several minutes of an intense, heart-pounding chase, the assassins were right on his heels. Just as the lead assassin reached out a hand to grab him, the trailing assassin shouted, "Stop!"

The trio skidded to a halt on the tree branches.

"What's the problem?" one hissed. "Why make us stop now? We were just about to catch the brat!"

The leader pointed a trembling finger forward. "Look ahead, idiots. The boy ran into the Star Beast Forest. If we rashly enter and awaken the Level 5 Star Beast inside—which is on par with a Stellar Core master—we'll all be dead in seconds."

The second assassin gritted his teeth. "But we can't just let him go!"

"Please," the leader scoffed, letting out a maniacal laugh. "Even we would have a hard time surviving in there, let alone a useless boy who hasn't even reached Level 1 of Starlight Condensation. All we have to do is sit here and guard the perimeter. We block him from running out, and let the beasts do our job for us."

The three masked men laughed in unison, settling into the canopy to wait.

Deep inside the dark forest, Ye Feng kept running until his legs finally gave out. His shins were bleeding from the sharp thorn bushes, and his lungs burned. He collapsed beneath the roots of a massive tree, his breath coming in heavy, ragged gasps.

Suddenly, a glowing screen materialized directly in front of his eyes.

[Supreme System awakened. Choose to bind?]

Seeing those words, tears of pure joy rolled down his cheeks. Finally, he thought, his heart pounding against his ribs. After transmigrating to this world sixteen years ago, I finally have a system! After I was reborn, I tried everything to awaken a power, but nothing worked. I thought it was just a fantasy made up in my former world. I didn't expect it to actually happen.

"Yes! Bind!" he rasped aloud.

[Binding successful.]

"What are your functions?" Ye Feng asked desperately. "Can you reward me with cultivation levels?"

[Negative.]

Ye Feng’s face fell slightly. "Then what can you do?"

[For now, the host can exchange Star Beast Cores for items.]

A trading interface flashed onto the screen. Ye Feng scanned the list, and his eyes widened. Wait... one Level 1 Star Beast Core can be exchanged for a Mid-Grade Spiritual Root, or even spirit stones? Back at the clan, Level 1 cores were everywhere! There are even legendary items listed here for higher cores. This is practically cheating!

"And what do you mean 'for now'?" Ye Feng asked.

[As the host's cultivation increases, the System will unlock more functions.]

"Like what?"

The System remained silent.

Ye Feng sighed. Too bad I don't have any beast cores on me right now, otherwise I could exchange them immediately. Wait, don't I have a—

Before he could finish his thought, a crisp chime echoed in his mind.

[Host has fully bonded. Enable the Newbie Package?]

"Yes! Yes, unlock it!" Ye Feng urged.

[Unlocking Newbie Package. Congratulations! Host has received: High-Grade Fire Spiritual Root, Earth-Grade Treasure: Pulsar Blade, and one Level 6 Soul Brand Contract.]

[Instilling High-Grade Fire Spiritual Root into Host...]

A brilliant red light erupted from the screen, circling Ye Feng before slamming directly into his chest. His eyes turned blood-red, and his veins bulged against his skin, glowing as if liquid fire were pumping through them. Yet, to his surprise, it didn't hurt. Instead, it felt as if an immense, invisible weight had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders.

After a few minutes, the light faded.

Ye Feng balled his hands into fists. A burst of real flames erupted from his knuckles, and as he clenched his fingers, a small shockwave rippled through the air. "Thanks to this spiritual root, I straight-up skipped to Level 5 Star Refining! Even that bastard Ye Cheng is only at Level 3!"

[Incorrect, Host. The spiritual root did not boost your cultivation.]

Ye Feng blinked, utterly confused. "Then what did?"

[Your body was already trained thoroughly enough to advance to this stage. You simply lacked a spiritual root to channel the energy.]

Ye Feng stared at his hands, a wave of emotion hitting him. I thought those brutal training regimes my mom forced me to do every day were practically useless... I never expected them to come in handy like this.

[ALERT. ALERT. A Star Beast is approaching.]

Ye Feng snapped out of his thoughts. "What level?"

[Judging by the energy waves, it is a Level 3 Star Beast. Host's probability of defeating it is currently less than 30%.]