They didn't linger at the board for long, but they didn't leave it immediately either. Lin Mo stayed just enough to memorize the structure of it, the way tasks were arranged, the kind of rewards offered, and more importantly—the expectations. This wasn't a place where strength alone decided everything. It was measured, categorized, and traded. That alone made it far more dangerous than the wilderness they had just crossed.
Shi Yue remained beside him, her presence steady and close without being obvious. To anyone watching, they were simply another pair of newcomers trying to understand the system. But beneath that surface, both of them were already adjusting. Observing. Learning.
Lin Mo stepped back first. "We take a simple one," he said quietly.
Shi Yue nodded. "Low risk. Quick return."
They didn't look at each other for long. They didn't need to. The decision was already shared.
They moved along the board again, this time more focused. The lower section was crowded, filled with basic tasks—gathering herbs, carrying goods, clearing minor pests from nearby areas. The rewards were small, but consistent. No high risk. No unknown variables.
Lin Mo picked one quickly.
"Outer ridge. Stoneleaf plants. Ten bundles."
Shi Yue read it once and nodded. "Close. Manageable."
That was enough.
No hesitation.
No overthinking.
They pulled the tag from the board and turned away immediately. There was no formal registration, no guard stopping them, no verification. The system relied on something else—completion. If you returned with proof, you were rewarded. If you didn't, you simply disappeared from the board.
Efficient.
Cold.
—
They left the settlement again just as quickly as they had entered it.
Not because they wanted to—
but because they understood something clearly now.
Growth didn't happen inside.
It happened outside.
—
The path toward the outer ridge wasn't difficult to find. Others had taken it before. The ground was marked faintly, the vegetation slightly disturbed. It wasn't a dangerous route, but it wasn't completely safe either.
Lin Mo kept the lead, his pace steady but not rushed. Shi Yue stayed just behind his shoulder, her attention split between their surroundings and Lin An'an, who had begun to stir slightly as the movement resumed.
They didn't talk much.
But the silence wasn't empty.
It was focused.
—
The terrain shifted gradually as they moved. The soil grew thinner, replaced by patches of exposed rock. The trees became sparse, giving way to low, hardy plants that clung to the uneven ground.
Then—
they found it.
—
Stoneleaf.
—
Clusters of dull, grey-green plants growing between cracks in the rock. Their leaves were thick, layered, almost like stone. Hard to damage. Hard to remove.
Lin Mo crouched beside the nearest cluster and tested one.
It didn't come loose easily.
He adjusted his grip, applied more force, twisting instead of pulling—
and it snapped free.
Clean.
—
"…Not fragile," Shi Yue observed.
—
"…But not difficult," Lin Mo replied.
—
They began immediately.
—
The work was simple, but not effortless. Each plant required attention, the right angle, the right pressure. Too rough, and the root broke uselessly. Too careful, and it took too long.
They adapted quickly.
—
Shi Yue worked on one side, Lin Mo on the other. They didn't interfere with each other's space, but they stayed close enough to respond if needed. Lin An'an sat between them, playing quietly with small stones, occasionally looking up but not wandering.
—
Time passed faster than expected.
—
Not because the task was easy.
—
But because they didn't waste motion.
—
Within a short span, they had already gathered more than half.
That was when Lin Mo paused.
—
Not because he was tired.
—
Because he felt it.
—
A presence.
—
Not distant.
—
Close.
—
He didn't turn immediately.
Didn't alert Shi Yue directly.
—
But she felt it too.
—
Her movements slowed slightly.
Not stopping.
—
Just adjusting.
—
A figure approached from the ridge above.
—
Calm.
Unhurried.
—
Lin Mo finally looked up.
—
The same type of presence as before.
—
Qi Refinement.
—
But this one—
closer.
Clearer.
—
The man stopped a short distance away, his gaze moving across the area before settling briefly on Lin Mo, then Shi Yue, then Lin An'an.
He didn't speak immediately.
—
He observed.
—
Then—
"…New?" he asked.
—
Lin Mo stood slowly.
Not defensive.
Not relaxed.
—
"…Yes."
—
The man nodded once.
—
"…You work fast."
—
Not praise.
—
Observation.
—
Lin Mo didn't respond.
—
The man's gaze shifted to the gathered bundles.
Then back to them.
—
"…Careful out here," he said.
"…Not everything stays small."
—
A pause.
—
Then he turned.
—
And left.
—
Just like that.
—
Shi Yue exhaled slowly once he was gone.
"…That wasn't random."
—
Lin Mo nodded.
"…No."
—
Another test.
—
But not from the same source.
—
This one—
belonged to the world.
—
They didn't dwell on it.
Didn't question it further.
—
They finished the task.
—
Quickly.
Efficiently.
—
Ten bundles.
—
No mistakes.
—
Lin Mo tied them together, lifting them with ease.
Shi Yue adjusted Lin An'an.
—
"…We return," she said.
—
Lin Mo nodded.
—
And just like that—
they turned back.
—
Not as survivors.
—
But as participants.
—
Taking their first real step—
into a world that would now measure them properly.