Chapter 2: Into the Forest
The next morning dawned with deceptive calm.
Sunlight painted the rooftops of Qingmei in soft gold. Chickens clucked in lazy rhythms, and the village well echoed with gossip and laughter. To any outsider, it was just another peaceful day at the edge of civilization.
But to Yan Long, it felt like the last normal breath before a plunge into deep waters.
He packed in silence.
Dried fruit, water gourd, salves, a sleeping mat, two flasks of spirit-root tonic, and a pocketknife that had never cut anything tougher than boiled yam. He didn't bother telling Master Ru — the old man had vanished on one of his usual "meditative retreats" into the mountain hot springs. Typical timing.
The Enchanted Forest loomed just beyond the eastern ridge. Every child in Qingmei grew up hearing stories about it: talking animals, trees that walked at night, illusions that stole your name. The kind of place you only entered if you had a death wish… or a divine quest.
Yan had neither. Just a System he couldn't ignore, and a feeling he couldn't explain.
---
Quest Reminder:
Enter the Enchanted Forest. Retrieve the Whispering Blade. Do Not Die.
Optional Bonus: Discover Your True Name.
---
As he stood at the tree line, he felt a ripple of resistance — like the very air dared him to cross. The grass beyond the boundary shimmered, too green. The shadows between trunks too deep.
He muttered, "Comforting," and stepped in.
At first, nothing changed.
Birds chirped. Leaves rustled. A breeze tugged at his sleeves.
But then, slowly, the world shifted.
The forest thickened unnaturally, like reality folding in on itself. Paths twisted behind him. The trees whispered in languages he almost understood. The sun hung still in the sky — unmoving, too bright.
And then something laughed.
"About time someone interesting came in."
Yan froze. The voice was smug, lazy, and oddly high-pitched.
From behind a rock hopped a snow-white fox with mismatched eyes — one gold, one silver. It sat, curled its tail around its paws, and smirked.
"Name's Bai," it said. "Former guardian spirit, currently disgraced. You must be the System's newest favorite."
"You're… talking."
"Very observant."
"And a fox."
"Still correct."
Yan blinked. "Shouldn't you be more mysterious? Speak in riddles or something?"
Bai snorted. "Please. I've done the cryptic mentor thing. Got exiled for it. These days, I prefer sarcasm and low expectations. So, what's your gimmick?"
"I have a System."
Bai's ears perked. "Figures. Only protagonists are stupid enough to walk in here alone."
---
The two fell into uneasy companionship.
The forest was less terrifying with Bai around — only slightly. The fox refused to guide directly, claiming "narrative integrity," but offered commentary and scathing judgment.
Yan faced his first trial at twilight: a river made of memory. Crossing it meant surrendering a moment he could never get back. He gave up his first kiss — clumsy, warm, and forgettable.
In return, the river stilled, and a stone path appeared.
"Cold," Bai remarked, tail flicking. "That was a nice memory."
"Which is why it worked," Yan said softly.
Later came a grove of mirrors — each one reflecting a different version of himself: stronger, braver, more ruthless. They whispered promises.
He broke them all with a stone.
By the time he reached the clearing where the Blade waited, the forest was quiet.
The Whispering Blade stood embedded in a stone. Black metal with a silver hilt, humming softly. It wasn't beautiful — but it was alive.
A shadow rose from behind it.
Not a beast. Not a spirit.
A reflection of Yan himself — hollow-eyed, wild, grinning with too many teeth.
"Who are you," it hissed, "without your System?"
Yan didn't answer. He stepped forward, slow and steady. The System flickered:
---
Override Option: Use Protagonist Privilege – Auto-Win Combat
Cost: Permanently Lose Free Will
---
He stared at the option.
Then, quietly: "No."
He fought anyway — not with power, but with choice. He refused the shortcuts. Refused to become something written.
The shadow faded. The Blade pulsed once and fell into his hand.
The forest bowed.
And behind him, Bai whispered, almost reverently:
"Damn... you really are the protagonist."