"Mmm, stop it..."
Chen Yuan, deep in sleep, could vividly feel sothing licking his cheek, damp and moist. He instinctively reached out with his hand and suddenly woke up.
Wait.
Why did I fall asleep?
With a vacant expression, Chen Yuan sat up, staring blankly at Cola, who was licking his palm with its tongue, his foggy mind gradually clearing.
He rembered.
He had originally planned to doze off briefly on the adow, to rest a bit, but as soon as he closed his eyes, the comfortable surroundings lulled him unknowingly into a slumber.
Chen Yuan took out his phone to check the ti; it was now half-past six. He put the phone back and squinted at the sky full of red clouds, murmuring, "The good news is, the sun hasn’t completely set."
He suddenly got up, his voice continuing, "The bad news is, it’s only half an hour until nightfall."
Taking a glance around, he found to his delight that the herd of Star Moon Deer and those little fellows from earlier hadn’t left. They were either crouching, lying down, or standing, still lingering on the adow bathed in golden twilight.
But Chen Yuan had to leave.
He had spent too much ti here and had to hurry to the ranger cabin, the only shelter in this area, to spend the night.
Once night fell, the danger level in Qinling would increase by several notches.
Chen Yuan picked up the snack wrappers, tossing them in a trash bag, then shouldered his backpack and waved goodbye to the array of Pet Beasts.
After using snacks to gain their favorability, Chen Yuan chose not to have too much interaction with them to maintain their wariness toward humans.
At most, he quietly touched them while they ate to gain Source Point.
This way, his Source Point tally was back to double digits.
"Whimper～"
The Fla-tailed Fox seed a bit reluctant to part, it ran over and bit Chen Yuan’s pant leg, lifting its head to reveal a pitiful little face.
Chen Yuan laughed, "What? Can’t bear to part with ?"
"Whimper, whimper, whimper."
The Fla-tailed Fox’s eyes twinkled, extending a paw to point at a small bread wrapper, while its mouth opened slightly, still savoring the taste of the jam-filled pastries.
Rember to bring this next ti!
Chen Yuan’s smile vanished abruptly, he glared at the Fla-tailed Fox and said irritably, "How co you’re getting more like Cola, all you think about is eating."
Cola widened its doggy eyes: "???"
The sky grew darker, the sunset glow rapidly fading. The Fla-tailed Fox and its companions left Crescent Lake in a hurry, several figures vanishing into the dense forest.
Chen Yuan’s gaze lingered on the Fla-tailed Fox as its form gradually transford into a vibrant Fla Stream, soon disappearing from sight.
"Roar～"
The Deer King slowly rose, its mighty stature capturing Chen Yuan’s attention as it raised its head to roar. One by one, the resting Star Moon Deer stood up, gathering around the Deer King.
Led by the Deer King, the herd of Star Moon Deer set out toward their habitat. Treading on the adow, they donned the breeze beneath the gradually darkening sky.
Nurous stars began to light up on their bodies, mirrored on the tranquil lake surface, becoming a true starry sky.
They moved faster and faster, navigating the steep and rugged terrain as if it were flat ground. Chen Yuan silently watched their departing silhouettes.
He saw countless twinkling stars.
"We should go as well."
Once Crescent Lake was calm again, Chen Yuan looked at the two little creatures beside him and slowly spoke.
Today’s experience felt like a dream; now that he awoke, he had to get to work.
"Chirp～"
Spark gently flapped its wings, fluttering ahead of Chen Yuan, its body emitting bright flas that illuminated the path.
"Woof!"
Cola moved with the swift breeze, running around Chen Yuan, occasionally sniffing suspicious scents, scouting for hidden dangers.
Whenever sothing seed off, Cola would stop and bark repeatedly to alert Chen Yuan.
For Chen Yuan as a forest ranger, Spark and Cola were indispensable.
The forr could provide light in the dark, warmth in the cold winter; the latter could scout for danger and also...
also entertain Chen Yuan.
Leaving Crescent Lake, Chen Yuan returned to the dense forest from the afternoon, with the dual illumination of a flashlight and Spark, referencing the satellite map while heading to the ranger cabin.
In the vast Qinling, there are many ranger cabins, but this one was closest to the core area of Qinling.
The ranger stationed here is called Old Xing, a reclusive man unwilling to interact with others.
Yet, such a personality is fitter for being a forest ranger.
After all, forest rangers spend their days traversing the mountains, enduring bitterness and tedium, with low wages and poor treatnt, and on the mountain, there are no fresh foods, no one to talk to.
But despite these harsh conditions, Old Xing has stayed here for over a decade.
Chen Yuan once followed Zhang Hao here to rescue wildlife and deliver supplies to Old Xing, leaving a deep impression on this peculiar man.
Zhang Hao once lanted that he, living in the village, rely patrolling the outskirts, was a fake forest ranger.
Old Xing, who spent decades living in the mountains, was the real forest ranger.
Chen Yuan would spend the night here and ask Old Xing so questions, like the changes in this area post-Spiritual Energy Revival, and the rough ratio of wildlife evolving into Extraordinary Creatures, etc.
Tomorrow, he would delve deeper into Qinling, capture so photos and videos, and then return to the village.
Advancing continuously through the night, although Chen Yuan occasionally lost his way, fortunately, he moved quickly and finally arrived at the ranger cabin shortly after eight.
This ranger cabin perched on the mountainside offers a wide view; during the day, looking south from here, one can see the segnt of the main ridge of Qinling Mountain Range with the highest elevation, famously daunting to innurable hikers, the Ao-Tai Line.
But it was nightti, all Chen Yuan wanted was to enter the ranger cabin soon, lie on the bed, and have a good rest.
"Hey? Going to bed this early?"
Seeing the cabin ahead in darkness, Chen Yuan frowned slightly but didn’t think much of it.
In such a secluded area, it was common to rest with the sun.
However, as he advanced a few more steps, Chen Yuan’s brows knitted tighter, scanning around, he whispered to himself, "Sothing’s not right."
Recalling last year, Old Xing raised a Big Black dog, barking at the sight of people even from afar.
Let alone now when Chen Yuan brought Cola into the mountain; as the saying goes, when two dogs et, there’ll be a spat, now being so quiet seed unusual.
Quickening his pace, Chen Yuan soon reached the cabin door, shouting, "Old Xing, Old Xing, are you there?"
He shouted twice, but the cabin remained silent, with no response.
Chen Yuan stood in place pondering for a mont, then looked at the two little creatures: "Be alert, make a move if anything’s off."
"Woof."
"Chirp."
The two little ones nodded repeatedly.
Then, Chen Yuan stepped forward and approached the cabin door.
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