Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Fawn and the Oak Tree's Predicament

More than ten minutes later.

After Ji Yu finished changing his clothes, he finally had a moment to assess his current state.

First and foremost, his control over his strength was still unstable. For instance, just now, when he picked up his phone, he accidentally crushed the screen with his grip.

Ji Yu’s entire body was suffused with a dissonant sensation—standing on the ground felt strangely soft, yet every muscle was itching to explode into motion. Within him, even with the slightest focus, he could sense the flow of energy—a telltale sign of having become an extraordinary, second-level life form.

Clenching his fist, Ji Yu tried to gather that internal current, then threw a simple punch.

A thunderous boom split the air. His fist broke the sound barrier, generating a shockwave that rippled outward like a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day.

He felt the wind swirling around him, the explosive power coursing through his body, yet his face revealed neither joy nor sorrow.

“It’s even stronger than I expected. For now, I should have enough power to protect myself.”

But then his gaze fell upon the bags piled on the floor, and a pang of regret struck him.

“I spent a whole week preparing all this, and after just three or four hours, it’s already useless—what a waste.”

Those two bags had cost him nearly twenty thousand yuan. To say he wasn’t heartbroken would be a lie.

Still, there was no point in dwelling on it. Ji Yu had no time to linger in the mountains any longer.

———

Around two in the afternoon, Ji Yu returned to his rented apartment in the city. After putting away his luggage and eating a little, he logged back into the game.

A week had passed since his last foray, and by now, over two thousand deer roamed the forest corridor on one side of the Spine Mountain Range.

These herds had a considerable appetite, but thanks to “life grafting,” the fawns simply made a circuit through other regions before returning and coaxing fresh grass to sprout, thus covering all their food needs.

Moreover, the deer herd had successfully catalyzed seven second-level sika deer.

Apart from the existing White Deer and Swift Deer, there were now two new, power-type sika deer, each matching the White Deer in size but otherwise identical in color to normal sika deer.

As for the other three, each was unique.

One sika deer, half the length and height of the White Deer, had acquired a bizarre ability: mimic camouflage. It could instantly change its coloration to blend in perfectly with its surroundings, becoming nearly invisible. So long as it remained still, even someone standing a meter away would hardly notice the deer before them.

Ji Yu named it the “Invisible Deer” for clarity.

The other two second-level deer were the Black Deer and the Mini Deer.

The Black Deer was similar in stature to the White Deer but, as the name implied, was pitch-black all over, and seemed to draw some special strength from the night.

The Mini Deer left Ji Yu at a loss. This one experienced reverse growth—upon reaching the second-level life stage, it shrank to the size of a puppy. Truly miniature, and its abilities were still a mystery. Its speed rivaled the Swift Deer, but its strength paled in comparison to the gigantic White Deer. Ji Yu suspected its trait was probably related to its reduced size.

“Is this one a dud?”

No matter—at least it was a second-level creature. Ji Yu couldn’t expect ordinary deer to shoulder great risks for him. After all, they were just tools, necessary stepping stones for the fawn’s progression to a third-level life form.

Out of two thousand deer, only seven had reached the second level so far—a rather lopsided ratio. Still, as time went on, the herd’s breakthroughs would be worth anticipating.

The expansion of the deer herd was something the official authorities of Lane had intentionally encouraged. Outside the isolation zone of the fawn’s forest corridor, numerous camps had already been erected. Soldiers came and went, drawing the curiosity of the deer, who often poked their heads out from the other side of the isolation barrier to observe.

Some particularly bold sika deer even crossed the barrier and wandered through the military encampments. Most soldiers wore eye masks, but they didn’t let that stop them from interacting with the inquisitive sika deer.

Ji Yu allowed the deer their freedom, so long as nothing untoward happened under his watch. He even guessed that officials might be collecting fur samples from the sika deer for research and testing, possibly even drawing blood for analysis.

Ji Yu felt little about this. As long as the deer weren’t harmed, he had no objections. If he could, within his ability, he was willing to lend his country a hand. But when it came to core interests, he remained vigilant.

Blood tests and biochemical research were government business, but there were limits—they couldn’t go too far. Given human nature, Ji Yu believed it was only a matter of time before someone crossed the line. To avoid major conflicts in the future, he had the Invisible Deer and Mini Deer blend into the more audacious herds that wandered through the military camps, while the White Deer, Swift Deer, and the other three patrolled the perimeter.

In short, Ji Yu had done everything he could to ease the potential for conflict between the fawn and humans. What would happen next remained to be seen.

On the other side of the world, the situation with the Oak Tree was much better.

A week after Fanny Campbell’s hasty return to America, the country dispatched three carrier fleets to patrol the waters off the coast of the Banner Federation. Simultaneously, all main roads into the tropical rainforest where the Oak Tree grew were sealed by Banner Federation troops. Only the Simon tribe and the highest levels of West Union leadership could enter.

The Oak Tree had become highly coveted, surrounded by layer upon layer of “protection”—though this protection also felt like a form of imprisonment. Clearly, the West Union authorities still harbored doubts, fearing the Oak Tree might pose a threat to humanity.

In truth, the Oak Tree’s current situation was thanks only to the traditional beliefs of West Union. Otherwise, the peace and quiet it now enjoyed would have been impossible.

The Oak Tree was only marginally better off than the fawn.

As for the fawn, there was no immediate danger. Ji Yu’s only concern was that harm might come to the deer herd, causing the fawn to develop resentment toward humans. That was why he was carefully managing and de-escalating the situation.

For his homeland, Ji Yu had done all he could. As for the ultimate outcome, he could not predict it.

In the end, he could only do his best and let fate decide. If even careful guidance failed, then there was truly nothing more he could do.