The Rabbit

As Qi Yuan's feet touched the ground, he finally felt a sense of reality.

He had learned about aerial gardens abroad in the awakened ability group, but he never expected to see a moon in his own country.

Looking around, there was a patch of forest with some weeds and common bushes on the ground, withering at an extremely fast pace.

Someone exhaled a puff of mist, "Is this a fusion with the forest on the ground?"

"So it rose from the ground?" another person speculated carelessly.

The moonlight, almost crystallized into frost, shone on the ground as if covering it with a thick layer of cold frost.

Everyone looked around, observing the environment around them.

"Why is it withering so fast? Even if the weather is not suitable, it shouldn't be like this."

"There are probably some rules involved. These special fusion realms often have several rules at once."

Hong Feiheng, however, was more focused on a different point: "What kind of monsters will be bred here?"

"I'm not sure, but it's fortunate that it's just a forest. Otherwise, it would take the task force a while to get in, and how many ordinary people would lose their lives."

Qiao Bai analyzed the situation from a survival perspective, making a reasonable point.

As soon as he finished speaking, he received a circle of stares.

"Even Qi manages to keep you in check, how many layers of buffs have you stacked?"

"Oh no, there won't be any curses like in the crypt, right? SSS-level monsters are unlikely though."

"Think positively, maybe he'll be left alone."

Qiao Bai's face turned green. How was that thinking positively?

He quietly moved closer to Qi Yuan but then retreated and edged closer to Hong Feiheng instead.

The others made a fair point. What if the difficulty escalated to a level that even Qi Yuan couldn't handle?

Hong Feiheng, oblivious, had rescued Qiao Bai a few times, putting himself in the role of a rescuer, completely unaware of Qiao Bai's malicious intentions.

Bai Li pinched her two long ears and held up a "rabbit" in her hands, commenting sarcastically, "This rabbit is so ugly!"

Qi Yuan turned to look.

The rabbit in Bai Li's hands had a bizarre appearance, a mix of chicken and rabbit elements.

Its body was covered in short white fur, with a tiny chicken head adorned with two long ears, bright red eyes, and stubborn wings flapping, trying to escape Bai Li's grasp.

Hmm—

Could this still be considered a rabbit?

Hong Feiheng leaned closer, tugging at the "rabbit's" ear and stroking its wing. "It's real. This mutation is too strange."

Mutated animals generally mutated in the direction of their abilities. For a chicken to gain the ability of a rabbit, or vice versa, was quite odd.

"Let's take it back for research. It's quite interesting," someone suggested, and Bai Li handed the rabbit over.

Qi Yuan surveyed the surroundings. The trees that had previously shown some greenery were now withering, their yellow leaves falling in flutters.

He spoke, "You all wait here. I'll go ahead and check out the situation. If there's any danger, leave immediately."

Qi Yuan was curious about this fusion realm.

Thanks to Sakura Island ranking him as S+, and the heat brought by the cursed monster, his current strength had just broken through the SS level.

In the past, he lacked the strength, and unnecessary curiosity was insignificant in the face of life. But now, the situation was different.

"I'll go with you," said Hong Feiheng.

At Sakura Island, he had to hold back and couldn't take action, which frustrated him.

Finally having an opportunity, he needed to prove himself.

Qi Yuan glanced at him, then looked away.

Hong Feiheng's gaze followed Qi Yuan's, landing on Qiao Bai.

Uh... this was indeed a problem.

In theory, it would be best for Qi Yuan to act alone.

Hong Feiheng didn't say more. His momentary impulse was not worth a few lives.

The matter was settled. Qi Yuan shouldered his equipment and headed towards the distance.

Someone contacted the backup team and informed them of the situation.

The logistics officer instructed everyone to gather some branches nearby. The temperature here was low, and they needed to start a fire for warmth.

The logistics officer didn't dare arrange for anyone to go too far, as someone had to watch the helicopter.

Under the logistics officer's guidance, they split into smaller groups to gather branches and explore the surrounding area.

"I smell a faint scent of osmanthus."

Someone used a branch broken from a tree to sweep the ground covered in thick leaves, confirming that there were only withered trees ahead before proceeding.

"Do you? I don't smell anything," said one of his companions, picking up leaves and branches from the ground and taking a deep breath, only inhaling a gust of cold air.

"I think I smell it too. It makes me want some osmanthus cakes," said another companion.

They didn't think much of it at first, but after that comment, even those who weren't particularly fond of osmanthus cakes found themselves craving the taste of Dragon Country cuisine.

"We'll be able to eat it tomorrow," someone said, looking around.

"But aren't you curious about this fusion realm?"

"A little bit."

"Not particularly. It's just a special fusion realm, like the Peach Blossom Spring in our country or the aerial gardens abroad. It's not the first of its kind."

Someone gathered a pile of withered leaves from the ground, and a few insects scurried out in a hurry.

They paid no mind and put the leaves in a bag, catching up with their teammates.

"I'm quite interested in the mutated animals though, like the cloud rabbit outside and that chicken-rabbit inside. Those are breeds I've never seen before."

The person who caught up stopped in their tracks, immediately turning to look at the spot where the leaves had been.

"Wait, I think I saw a rabbit version of those insects."

"The most important thing is, when I first saw them, I didn't even find it strange."

"Something is definitely off here. You guys should go back and report to Chairman Bai with me."

There was no response from behind, and they turned to see their companions' positions.

A few giant rabbits stared at them, their mind going blank.

They watched as the giant rabbits opened their three-part mouths, but couldn't understand what they were saying.

Then the giant rabbits approached, and they immediately ran away.

If they could lead these rabbits back to Chairman Bai, perhaps she would have a solution.

...

Treading on withered grass with a soft rustle, Qi Yuan advanced under the moonlight.

He followed the forest outward, and without the branches obstructing his view, he quickly determined the direction.

He touched a tree, confirming that the trees on this side were withering even faster, indicating something ahead.

With that thought, Qi Yuan opened his spiritual perception and continued forward.

After just a few steps, he saw a palace in the distance.

Compared to the majestic temple in his realm, the palace appeared magnificent and elegant under the moonlight.

Moon, rabbits, palace...

Piecing together these familiar elements, a well-known name surfaced in his mind.

He immediately changed direction, heading towards the palace.

The faint scent of osmanthus grew stronger as he advanced.