A Foreign yet Fmiliar Feeling

"I... don't know..."

The meek sound echoed softly through the room. It was the third time she had asked him a question since he woke up.

'He doesn't know how he got into the forest? No... he doesn't even know what forest he was in'

By now, Xi Ling had more or less grasped the situation—and frankly, it was disappointing. For all the mystery surrounding him, she couldn't pinpoint a single explanation. What's more, she had already inspected his body multiple times while he was unconscious and found nothing.

Nothing that explained the oddly captivating scent that still clung to him.

And it hadn't faded. Not even slightly.

Letting out a silent sigh, her lips parted once again. "...What's your name?"

There was a tiny flicker of hope in her tone. Even those who lost their memories would usually retain the core parts of their identity. He should at least remember his own name.

Hearing the question, the young man blinked slowly, confusion filling his gaze.

'@€@?!!=!?'

Nothing.

Not even a trace of recognition.

Seeing the look in her eyes—cold, unreadable, and far from patient—he didn't want to repeat the same answer again. He searched the deepest corners of his mind, trying desperately to find even a fragment of a name, a sound, a syllable.

But there was nothing.

"...I'm sorry," he whispered, eyes lowering as he closed them again in defeat.

Xi Ling's eyebrows twitched. Maybe she should have left him to death.

She already knew he was telling the truth from the first question. Even if she looked 16, the knowledge and experience passed on from her mother's inheritance had made her mental age nearly four digits—and she had yet to absorb it fully.

'What a useless human…' she muttered inwardly. And worse… she didn't even know what to do with him now.

Honestly, she felt tired. Irritated. She wanted to return to cultivating.

Without another word, she moved with quiet grace, sitting down at a distance from him. Her long white hair trailed softly along the wooden floor as she crossed her legs, eyes slowly closing.

Just before she entered her meditative state, her voice echoed threatening. Which made him nod in a hurry.

"Don't disturb me"

Then, finally, he took a long breath and lay back down. Closing his eyes, his entire body ached with exhaustion. First, he had been tortured in a place beyond reason, and now he'd been interrogated by a cold, terrifying beauty with eyes sharper than any blade.

He just wanted a little rest.

Surprisingly, not long after, his mind began to clear. He didn't know if it was the lingering effects of the pill or something else entirely, but his completely stabilized.

Lifting his head slightly, his gaze found Xi Ling again. She was sitting silently, a few meters away.

And only now—now that he truly looked—did he notice something odd.

She wasn't… human.

Her two white tails swayed gently behind her, suspended in the air, as if they defied gravity. There was a strange energy around her—ethereal and mesmerizing. The very space around her body seemed distorted, like divine light was softly leaking from her skin. Her long hair floated slightly.

It was as though she was drawing in invisible threads of power from the very world itself, breathing in the heavens.

The more he watched, the more he fell into a trance—time slipped by—an hour, maybe two.

He didn't know why… but his chest tightened the longer he stared. His legs moved. Slowly, involuntarily, he stood up.

'What… is this feeling?'

He didn't understand it. But something deep inside him stirred. Something ancient. As if some part of him—buried and forgotten—recognized what he was seeing.

Step by step, he moved toward her. He still remembered her threat but the sensation refused to let him go. His body moved on its own, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

Thankfully, Xi Ling seemed too immersed in her cultivation to notice—or so he thought.

In truth, somewhere during his long, silent watch, Xi Ling had already become aware of him.

Her eyes remained closed, her body still, but her spiritual sense kept him within her attention.

'What is he doing…?' she wondered as she sensed his approach. She made no move to stop him but simply observed. Curiously.

And then, to her surprise, he sat down just a few steps away from her—quietly. No sound. No question.

He crossed his legs and… closed his eyes.

Was he… trying to copy her?

Xi Ling's brows twitched.

Even though she was cultivating a special technique unique to her race, it still resembled the basic cultivation method that most cultivators start their cultivation journey with.

'There's no way—'

Xi Ling's thoughts froze. Her entire body trembled for a brief moment as she felt it—A tiny particle of Qi had begun to gather at his dantian.

'H-How?!'

Her eyes snapped open, disbelief flooding her usually calm expression. It didn't make sense at all!!

First, he was a mortal and had no cultivation. Then, even if he learned a cultivation technique and remembered it now, it didn't make any sense because there was no way he didn't remember his name but a technique he didn't use in his life!!.

''And look at him…' Her gaze pointed as she observed him closely. 'Even though it's just the basic Qi Gathering technique, it's not that easy to increase mastery this quickly!! but he's rapidly improving. His breathing is stable, and his posture is flawless...'

More and more, Qi continued to flow toward him, gathering with an abnormal rhythm as she observed while an hour passed. She let out a faint sigh. His expression hadn't changed. Completely focused, he looked no different from a true cultivator immersed in deep cultivation.

'Haaah... maybe he's not useless after all…' she muttered softly to herself.

Her eyes lingered on him for another moment before narrowing thoughtfully.

''Looks like he won't stop anytime soon. Maybe I should enter the third cycle and grow my third tail before I leave this world…'

Xi Ling thought about it for a moment—but then slowly shook her head. She didn't know why… but watching him had become strangely entertaining. Ever since she found him in the forest, this human had done nothing but surprise her. Again and again. So she chose to postpone her third cycle—just for a few days. Just to watch him a little longer.

Without another word, Xi Ling closed her eyes, her breathing softening as she slipped into a deeper cultivation state.

The room quieted completely—two silent figures, side by side, immersed in cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed.

Xi Ling had cultivated more smoothly than ever before. It was subtle—something she didn't notice at first, or perhaps didn't want to—but when she finally opened her eyes, she realized it:

She had lost track of time.

Surprised by that fact alone, her attention immediately shifted to the young man. The first thing she intended to do was check on his progress. Her lips tugged slightly as if the beginnings of a smile intimidated to form.

'Two weeks… Surely, by now, he must've stepped into the cultivation world. Perhaps even reached the 2nd level of Spirit Elementary.'

But the moment she focused her senses—

Her entire body jolted.

'H-How… How is he still a mortal?!'

There was no logical explanation. Nothing made sense. Just what was with this human?

A wave of disappointment surged through her chest—but it didn't last.

Because in the next moment, her eyes flickered with amazement. Despite still being a mortal… his mastery over the technique had reached the second level.

'He… increased his mastery over the technique in just two weeks?'

For an average mortal cultivator, it would take at least half a year just to reach the second level of even the most basic Qi Gathering method. But this nameless human—had done it in mere days.

She nodded inwardly, approving.

'But even then… why hasn't he broken through into the cultivation realm yet? Is he—' Her thoughts cut off suddenly.

In the next instant, she sensed it—a surge.

A massive amount of Qi suddenly gathered just outside his body. Then, without warning, his body began to glow faintly, as if lit from within. And a large amount of Qi rushed in.

It poured into him at a rate far beyond what it had before.

Xi Ling's entire body stiffened.

'H-He increased his mastery again…'