Midnight Encounter with a Ghost?

"Garfield, hang in there for a little longer. We just need to run another fifty or sixty miles, and we'll be out of the Changguo Mountain Range."

Kent patted Garfield's back, and Garfield responded with a low meow, sensing his rider's intent.

It was nearly 7 PM. The Changguo Mountain Range lay in the central part of Earthstar, somewhere around the geographical region of Gansu and Shaanxi on Earth. It was the end of June, and there was still some fading daylight.

However, the forest within the Changguo Mountains was pitch-black, with dense foliage blocking all light.

Kent's night vision was decent, and he had consumed some magical items to enhance his senses, but within the Changguo Mountains, his visibility was limited to just a few dozen meters, and even then, it was blurry. The towering trees here were immense, some over a hundred meters tall, with the larger ones reaching over 300 meters. Their trunks were so thick, easily ten meters in diameter, and the trees were spaced irregularly throughout the forest. It was easy for Kent to lose his sense of direction.

Kent wasn't a god—he was just someone who had a system that could help his beasts evolve quickly. He was a relatively ordinary individual, and his strength was not extraordinary. It was perfectly normal to get lost.

And so, without realizing it, Kent had wandered off the path. Without the fading sunlight to guide him and with no stars visible overhead, he had no idea where he was. But judging by the distance he'd traveled, he must have covered sixty or seventy miles. Yet the surroundings still looked like the dense, ancient forest.

Kent felt uneasy, becoming more uncertain and worried that he might encounter some danger if he kept running.

"Garfield, stop."

He jumped off Garfield's back and held his breath. He could hear Garfield's heavy breathing while the surrounding forest was eerily silent, save for the occasional strange insect chirps or bird calls.

Not far to his right, there was an unusual fruit tree. The fruits it bore looked like strings of pearls—more precisely, like a string of Buddhist prayer beads, but they emitted a faint blue glow, providing a little bit of light.

Kent focused his senses for a moment and, sensing no immediate threat, decided to find a non-dangerous fruit tree with branches high enough to rest for the night.

"I can't believe I forgot about this."

He slapped his forehead in realization.

When he used to camp in the wild, he either set up a tent on flat ground or dug a cave in the mountains. Now that he had the Earth Control Spirit Pearl, why not stay underground?

Of course, if there had been a small hill nearby, he would have preferred to carve out a cave rather than dig a hole in the ground.

He started searching the area. Valleys wouldn't work—they'd collect water, and places with too many fallen leaves were also a no-go because of the potential pests and poisonous gases.

After about five minutes, Kent finally found a relatively ideal spot—a massive stone about five zhang (15 meters) high, covering an area of ten square meters.

With the stone offering natural shelter, he could dig an underground space beneath it, which would be much safer. Plus, he could cook something there.

Gripping the Earth Control Spirit Pearl, Kent activated it, and it immediately emitted a strong yellow light. A vast amount of earth energy surged from the surrounding land, following his will to shift soil and stones.

In no more than twenty seconds, an underground tunnel appeared.

Kent jumped inside and saw that the interior had been shaped according to his thoughts. The tunnel was rectangular with a fire pit at the back.

Kent used the Spirit Pearl to seal the tunnel above, leaving only a small hole for ventilation.

He then took out a piece of red fire ore, broke off a fragment about the size of his thumbnail, and placed it under the fire pit. After lighting it, a fist-sized flame appeared inside, likely to burn for over half an hour, enough to heat the pit.

The remaining chunk of red fire ore was placed in a fire bowl, where it started a fire comparable to a campfire. The flames crackled and popped, producing no smoke or smell.

Kent took out some delicious monster meat and began carefully roasting it, occasionally adding some seasoning and wine. The meat quickly turned golden and fragrant, making his stomach rumble.

These past few days had been tough and exhausting.

It wasn't that he didn't have enough to eat, but the fruits in the Changguo Mountains were so plentiful that Kent had tried a little bit of everything. Even with his massive appetite, he couldn't stop eating, which had left him stuffed and unable to touch the beast meat.

Imagine eating seven or eight different fruits over the past few days—no matter how much he ate, it just wasn't satisfying. He wasn't like those immortal characters in fantasy novels who could eat a couple of fruits and drink some dew to feel completely nourished.

Instead, Kent felt sluggish, his stomach hollow, and he lacked energy.

Especially today, after running deep into the Changguo Mountains, battling the Earth Control Chouwa Beast, and narrowly escaping a chase. He'd spent hours running through the forest, almost exhausting himself.

Now, safely settled, Kent finally let out a deep breath, feeling both tired and hungry.

After consuming ten or so pounds of mouthwatering, crispy, and tender roasted meat, Kent looked content and lay down on the fire pit. Within seconds, he fell fast asleep.

He had to admit, red fire ore was a great invention. It made it much more convenient for mercenaries in the wild, keeping them warm and well-fed. From this perspective, Kent felt he had done humanity a great service.

Most of the teleportation circles made from red fire ore were still under construction, with only a few in trial operation. When the opportunity came, Kent was sure to experience one himself.

After a few hours, soft snoring could be heard coming from the underground chamber.

Kent had no idea how long he had slept, but eventually, the urgent need to relieve himself woke him up. He groggily checked his identity bracelet, which displayed the time.

He had fallen asleep around 8:30 PM, but now it was already 2:00 AM. He had barely slept for six hours, no wonder he felt groggy and kept yawning.

But his stomach hurt badly, not because of illness but due to the urgent need to go. Kent furrowed his brows. It was still a long way until dawn. He certainly couldn't just relieve himself right here.

He was about to take out the Earth Control Spirit Pearl and dig a small tunnel to take care of his business before sealing it back up when he suddenly heard a noise from above.

Kent's face changed instantly. At this hour, he clearly heard the sorrowful singing of a human woman?

He immediately pinched himself to wake up more clearly, and now the sound came through even more distinctly—it seemed to be coming from several hundred meters away.

"Is this... a ghost?"

Even though Kent was somewhat of a materialist, he couldn't help but be scared. A human woman's voice, echoing through the deep forest at night, was unsettling.

Was this really a ghost encounter?

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and the external stimuli, combined with his internal urgency, made it hard for him to control himself. He immediately pulled down his pants and squatted down on the spot, emitting a relieving sound as he did so.

"As the protagonist of a fantasy world, encountering ghosts is common, but relieving myself like this... I think I'm the only one who has done this."

With his body finally at ease and his mind clearer, Kent felt a sense of unease tighten his brows. He wasn't dreaming. This was real. The voice from above was genuine.

Had he really encountered something supernatural?