"Young master... young master."

  A faint voice drifted into Jin Yu's ears, tugging him from the depths of sleep.

  "Mmm... what?" he mumbled, still half-asleep, his body refusing to move.

  "It's morning already," Haozi said softly.

  "So?" Jin Yu frowned, eyes still closed.

  "...Ugh."

  He finally blinked awake, groaning as he sat up. “Uncle Shen said we need to enter the forest now.”

  “Uh—what?” Jin Yu gasped, fully jolting upright. He turned to Haozi, rubbing his forehead with a dazed look. “Hey... when did I fall asleep?”

  “You dozed off not long after we settled down,” Haozi replied.

  Jin Yu stood up slowly, brushing the dirt off his robe. But as he turned toward the forest, his jaw dropped.

  “…Ohhh myyyy god.”

  The same forest that had oozed dread last night was now transformed into something unrecognizable.

  Where once there had been suffocating darkness and ghostly winds, now there was a vibrant, almost ethereal glow.

  The trees shimmered under the soft light of dawn, their leaves glistening in hues of jade and silver. Strange, delicate flowers bloomed along the forest floor—some pulsing faintly with inner light, others swaying in rhythm with a breeze that smelled like sweet fruit and fresh rain.

  A gentle mist floated above the ground, and rays of sunlight danced between the branches like threads of gold.

  It was... beautiful.

  Inviting.

  Completely unreal.

  Jin Yu dashed over to Shen, eyes wide. “Don’t tell me we crossed worlds in our sleep,” he said, mouth agape. “This—this is out of this world!”

  Shen didn't respond immediately. He only glanced toward the glowing woods, arms crossed as if the sight no longer surprised him.

  Jin Yu, however, stood frozen.

  Last night, the forest had whispered promises of danger, of beasts in the dark, of death.

  Now, it hummed with life and color—like a mythical paradise masking something beneath.

  And that shift alone was enough to make his skin crawl.

  “Let’s go,” Shen said, stepping calmly into the forest.

  Jin Yu trailed behind, his gaze darting from tree to tree like a curious child. “Such beautiful flowers…”

  One particular bloom caught his attention—a vibrant purple flower, perched on a vine with petals that shimmered slightly under the morning light. Entranced, Jin Yu reached out and tried to pluck it.

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  Swish!

  Something lashed out. A thin, needle-like spine shot from the petal and pricked his finger.

  “Ouch! Bastard!” Jin Yu recoiled, stumbling a few steps back. He stared at the tiny red dot on his fingertip, brows raised. “How dare you prick me?!”

  For a moment, he was more surprised than hurt.

  Then—amused.

  “Is that how you say good morning?” he chuckled and reached out again.

  Swish!

  Another quick jab. This time even faster. He had no chance to dodge.

  He looked down again. Still no real pain. He blinked. “Hey, are you playing with me? That didn’t even hurt.”

  Then, something changed.

  The once-purple flower slowly began to turn red, its petals pulsing as if irritated. It swayed its head left and right aggressively, and with a sharp snap, extended its long spine again.

  Ding! — Fury +1

  “…Wait, what?!”

  Jin Yu froze, stunned as the notification echoed in his ears. He stared at the flower.

  “You can get angry too?” he muttered in disbelief.

  The flower darkened to a deeper red and wobbled violently.

  Ding! — Fury +2

  “Hahaha!” Jin Yu couldn’t contain himself. “You little thing… You’re seriously angry?!”

  His laughter echoed through the trees, wild and amused. His eyes gleamed with a strange joy as he bent down again.

  “Wow… what a fierce little kitten. Such pitiful anger—hahahaha!”

  Every time he reached out, the flower struck him again and again, its color deepening, its movements growing more frantic. The more furious it got, the more Jin Yu laughed.

  By the end, it was glowing a deep crimson—like a sauced prawn—and its prickle wilted back into its petal, trembling from exhaustion.

  It slowly turned its head away from Jin Yu.

  “…Tch. Angry little flower,” Jin Yu said with a grin, flexing his unhurt fingers. “You lost.”

  “Hey, play with me some more!” Jin Yu laughed and reached out again.

  But this time, the flower dodged.

  “Huh?” Jin Yu blinked in surprise, then grinned. “Ohhh, playing hard to get now?”

  He leaned in, hands on his knees, and cooed, “Hey, pretty little flower, you’re looking so beautiful… oh my—I think I’m in love.”

  The flower gave a tiny shudder, then turned pink in an instant, as if… blushing?

  “Wait… what?!”

  Jin Yu burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. “You’re really shy, huh? Oh, you adorable little thing! Can I adopt you? I love you—muah!” He puckered his lips dramatically and blew it a kiss.

  The flower quivered, then slowly lowered its head, its color deepening into a richer shade of pink. It swayed gently, almost shyly, as though flustered.

  Jin Yu put a hand over his heart, pretending to swoon. “Ah… my heart… my one true love blooms in the forest.”

  Behind him, the others stared, caught between concern and disbelief.

  Chen Haoran frowned and whispered to Haozi, “Is he… okay?”

  Haozi scratched his head. “Maybe the flower’s poison affected young master?”

  Even Shen, who had been leaning against a tree with his eyes half-closed, cracked one open with a puzzled look. The flower isn't even poisonous!

  “Jin Yu, are you flirting with a flower?” Chen asked, cautiously stepping closer.

  “Shhh!” Jin Yu waved him off without looking back. “Can’t you see we’re having a moment?!”

  Chen Haoran’s face twisted. “Oh gods, he’s gone.” Chen shuddered in disgust

  Jin Yu ignored them completely and faced the flower again. “Listen, sweetheart. I don’t care if you’re a flower or a monster, you’re mine now. You’ve pricked me, you’ve blushed for me, you’ve shown me more emotion than some humans I know.” He dramatically pointed a finger at it. “You’re coming with me!”

  The flower stood frozen.

  Then it blinked—literally. Its petals shimmered, folded inwards, and a soft green glow appeared beneath it. With a tiny pop, a vine curled around Jin Yu’s wrist like a shy child grabbing a parent’s hand.

  Chen and Haozi stared, jaws dropped.

  “…It actually agreed?” Haozi whispered.

  “Bro,” Chen muttered. “He just seduced a flower.”

  Shen finally sighed. “We’re not even ten steps into the forest. This is going to be a long journey.”

  ----

  They finally stepped deeper into the forest.

  The path shimmered faintly under the soft morning sun, filtering through thick, multicolored leaves that looked like painted glass. Strange chirps echoed from above, and the scent of sweet fruits mixed with an earthy mist clung to the air.

  Almost immediately, glowing insects buzzed past them—some shaped like tiny deer with wings, others like lantern-eyed frogs clinging to trees. None of them looked ordinary. A beast with scales like glass and horns of moss prowled by, watching the group curiously, but Shen didn’t even glance at it.

  He walked ahead calmly, turning left and right like he already knew every hidden path.

  Chen Haoran,however, walked in guarded silence, hand on his weapon,eyes darting around warily.

  Haozi merely folded his fists, since his technique, successive fists, requires a fist for attack

  “This place is a zoo,” Chen muttered under his breath. “A cursed, sparkling zoo.”

  Meanwhile, Jin Yu…

  “Hey,” he whispered, looking down at the flower coiled on his wrist like a bracelet. “Show me that you’re angry.”

  The flower glowed bright red in an instant.

  “Ooooh! You’re so fierce!” Jin Yu chuckled. “Now show me you’re sad.”

  The flower dimmed and turned a soft gray, petals folding inward like it was sulking.

  “Aww, no, don’t cry! What about happy?”

  It bloomed in a burst of yellow, almost too bright to look at, swaying cheerfully on his wrist.

  Jin Yu was fully enchanted.

  “Are you a flower or a mood ring? Haha, I love you!”

  Behind him, Chen shot a look at Haozi. “He’s still doing it.”

  Haozi looked at Jin Yu and blushed in embarrassment. Young master is really weird!.

  Suddenly, a creature with feathers of gold and a lion’s body leapt from a tree above them—silent, graceful, and far too close. Its wings flexed once, then it paused… staring.

  Everyone froze.

  Except Shen, who merely glanced at it, kept walking, and muttered, “Too weak.”

  The beast growled lowly, but when Shen didn’t even blink, it snorted and disappeared into the trees.

  “Did… did that thing just get disrespected into leaving?” Chen gawked.

  “He didn’t even draw his sword,” Haozi whispered, awestruck.

  Jin Yu didn’t notice a thing.

  “Hey, little flower. What about jealous? Can you do that?” he whispered with a grin.

  The flower’s color turned an odd mix of dark green and violet. It hissed softly and lightly pricked him.

  “Fury +1”

  Jin Yu grinned. “Aha! There it is again!”