Chapter Seven: Tighnari

Needing a safe place to rest, Lin Feng agreed to Tinali’s proposal.

After declining Farbod’s invitation to share some mushrooms, Lin Feng took Little White to a nearby market and ordered a grilled meat wrap and curried shrimp. Seeing the vendor’s complimentary green, crisp balls emitting a subtle aroma, Lin Feng hesitated but ultimately didn’t dare to try them.

Putting that aside, both Lin Feng and Little White visibly brightened after eating the warm meal.

It was worth mentioning that Lin Feng had previously searched the three rookie brothers who had fainted and found over three thousand Mora in total. After some actual spending, Lin Feng realized Mora, as the lifeblood of the Geo Archon, had surprisingly strong purchasing power—roughly equivalent to the Chinese yuan in his previous life.

Initially, Lin Feng had mocked the mushroom brothers for having so little money, not even enough for a meal at the Wangshu Inn. Now, he silently apologized to them.

As for the Mora and elemental shards Little White had stolen from the Fatui, Lin Feng didn’t intend to touch them. Besides worrying about possible tracking methods, he discovered these items were genuinely filling. Since their last full meal, Little White, who hadn’t exerted much power, showed no signs of hunger.

At one point, Lin Feng whimsically asked Little White to try eating Mora, but Little White found it too low in purity, not much different from eating stones, and reluctantly gave up.

After the meal, Lin Feng bought two sets of clothes from a small stall—typical light gray robes worn by residents of the Sumeru rainforests, though separated into tops and bottoms, somewhat resembling shirts and shorts from his previous life.

The clothes and lunch together cost about three hundred Mora, which meant the three thousand Mora could still support daily life for a while.

After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, Lin Feng felt clean and refreshed.

Having spent the whole morning running around, Lin Feng returned to the temporary lodging Tinali had arranged for him.

The house was simple in shape, triangular overall, with a wooden base topped with specially treated dry grass and fresh leaves.

Inside, Lin Feng was surprised by the unexpected comfort of the modest structure. The furnishings were minimal—a bed, a desk, a specimen board, and a shelf. The main furniture was limited, and the place lacked any personal touches.

Could it be that Tinali often lent this place out? The Traveler in the game had stayed here during recovery for some time. Seeing the almost bare room, Lin Feng guessed quietly.

Feeling genuinely tired, Lin Feng lay down on the bed, cradling Little White, who had also just bathed and was soft and fragrant. He opened Tinali’s personal panel:

[Individual Information: Human—Tinale—Tinali]

Level: 51 (proficient in elemental manipulation, with combat power far exceeding ordinary people, capable of matching some boss-level monsters)

Element: Dendro

Talents: Herbalism 6, Enhanced Hearing 5, Divine Eye·Dendro Affinity 5, Archery 5, Enhanced Smell 3, Cooking 3, Navigation 2...

Mood: Calm

Friendliness: 30 (He appreciates your help to the inhabitants of Huacheng District but still harbors some suspicion about your identity)

Comparing this to his own panel, aside from the vast level difference—Tinali’s combat power could easily overwhelm ten of him—the most noticeable gap was in elemental affinity.

Lin Feng’s elemental affinity was higher in level but not limited to a single element, nor did it bear the Divine Eye prefix.

Moreover, Lin Feng had an elemental resistance as high as level 7, a trait he had never seen on any bystander’s panel.

Only the slime he’d encountered before had a water elemental resistance of 9. Roughly speaking, Lin Feng was like a youthful version of an all-element slime—though not immune, still quite formidable.

Curious about the strange codes on both Little White’s and his own panels, Lin Feng was too exhausted from the overnight journey to ponder further. As soon as his eyes closed, sleep washed over him like a tide.

—

Afternoon.

After a short nap, feeling refreshed, Lin Feng looked out through the carved window.

To his surprise, though he felt he had slept a long time, the sun outside had not yet fully set.

The reddened sunset cast its glow on the bustling pedestrians and vendors beginning to close their stalls. Workers finished their shifts and headed home; perhaps it was mealtime, as the air filled with the mingled scents of cooking fires and spices.

The real Huacheng District was far more prosperous than the small, dilapidated outpost depicted in the game.

Traveling merchants, forest rangers who had lived in the woods for generations, scholars from the Academia conducting ecological surveys, mercenaries protecting caravans and students—all these people brought vitality to this small town on the rainforest’s edge. Behind it all were the many forest wardens working tirelessly.

Seeing this, Lin Feng realized the forest warden role was quite important—a blend of a ranger and a law enforcement officer, matching the game's description of a "civil servant."

Feeling a bit hungry, Lin Feng planned to eat again before the vendors packed up.

Just then, a familiar voice came from outside.

“You’re awake?”

Lin Feng looked toward the source and saw only two upright ears.

“I made some mushroom soup. Want to join me?”

Holding a pot, Tinali knocked and stepped inside.

“Thanks, I’m just hungry and was about to find something to eat,” Lin Feng said, unable to refuse.

“I didn’t expect a forest warden to be such a good cook,” Lin Feng remarked.

Smelling the aroma in the air, he affirmed the system’s cooking skill rating of 3.

“By the way, are the mushrooms in the pot safe to eat? Honestly, I have some bad memories about mushrooms,” Lin Feng said nervously, eyeing the colorful fungi.

“Ha ha, don’t worry. I picked mushrooms that are generally safe, and just in case, I brought some special medicine,” Tinali said with a cheerful smile, shaking a glass bottle.

“Most mushrooms can be found in the Mushroom Guide of Daosheng Forest. As long as you avoid unknown species, there won’t be any problems,” he kindly explained.

“Thanks, then I’ll gladly accept,” Lin Feng said, already tempted.

They sat down to eat.

During the meal, Lin Feng fabricated a story about his parents retiring in seclusion but dying in a natural disaster, leaving him to wander alone at a young age.

“I see...” Tinali expressed understanding. After all, Lin Feng appeared only thirteen to fifteen years old, still a child, and Tinali was genuinely curious about his past.

“Try this—it’s a mushroom we recently discovered. You might be the first to taste it,” Tinali said, putting some glossy green mushrooms into Lin Feng’s bowl.

“Thanks...” Lin Feng hesitated but soon tasted them.

“Wow, delicious!” The initial hesitation vanished instantly.

Lin Feng could feel Tinali’s kindness. After all, Lin Feng had only dealt with three insignificant treasure-hunting thieves—no need for such generosity. Yet it didn’t seem like mere sympathy either.