Chapter 22

Agreeing to become a穿越 taxi driver, Zhao Mai did so to raise funds and help his family solve their problems as soon as possible. This was his primary goal. Beyond that, the opportunity to personally experience the wonders of a fantastical world was a significant reason.

The one who granted him the ability to穿越 was an old angel, and the one who helped him survive in the jungle was an old ranger. It was only after much difficulty that he encountered a creature that wasn't an old man, and it almost strangled him. In the dream, he had hoped for a different appearance, but after the clouds dispersed, it was still an old man.

He was hunched over, wearing a dark green robe, and holding a shiny wooden staff. His deep eye sockets and large hooked nose were paired with a face full of wrinkles and a strange smile. A venomous snake with a triangular head crawled out of his sleeve, coiling around the staff and constantly flicking its tongue at Zhao Mai. This didn't look like a good guy at all; he was definitely the leader of an evil force.

There's a joke that describes evil forces as "organized, with dreams, always working hard, never giving up, and facing the world's difficulties with a laugh and a broad-minded attitude." Although it's not impossible to cooperate with evil forces, it at least requires the ability to protect oneself. Zhao Mai, even with a shield that was like a magical backup, was almost beaten to death by a half-orc apprentice who hadn't even completed his training. His small frame couldn't afford to have anything to do with evil forces.

Of course, he couldn't let the other side see his hesitation. A moment of weakness could lead to death. Zhao Mai had just suffered a loss in this regard and wouldn't forget it. He knew that if he pretended to be calm, it would be too easy to be seen through. Fortunately, as a shut-in, he had a universal skill to hide his true emotions: making sarcastic comments regardless of the situation.

"Look, when devils want someone to do something, they usually send beautiful succubi to make a good first impression and make the conversation more pleasant. Since this is a dream, the appearance is just an illusion. Why do you have to appear as an old man? Please..."

"Succubi are a type of demon, while incubi are under the command of devils," the old man shook his head, his voice floating out of his body. The word "floating" was used because his lips, below the hooked nose, remained closed the entire time, and it was unclear where the voice was coming from.

"Demons are about to invade, and the world will face a great calamity. The vanguard of chaos and evil has already arrived in the peaceful and beautiful forest. As the guardian of this place, I summon you. You have a kind heart and a holy power. Are you willing to contribute to protecting the balance of nature?"

Zhao Mai looked down at himself, confirming that the dream showed him as an adult. If he were ten years younger, back in his middle school days, he might have impulsively agreed. But no, even at that age, seeing such a poorly written opening line in a game would have resulted in an immediate deletion.

"To be honest, even if you sang and danced, singing 'brave young man, go create a miracle,' I wouldn't buy it." Zhao Mai shook his head and said, "I have no martial skills, no magic, and no equipment. I can't even ensure my daily survival, let alone protect the balance of nature. You can't expect me to fight the Burning Legion before I even leave the newbie village, right? By the way, who are you, and how do you speak Mandarin?"

"The place you are in is not a newbie village, and your enemy is not the Burning Legion. I am Joseph, the druid of Villager Forest. Through the Tongue of the Sky, I can communicate with all intelligent beings."

No wonder the hunched old man didn't open his mouth; he was using telepathy. Zhao Mai rubbed his hands enviously: what a high-level skill, he really wanted to learn it. "Druids have this ability? I never knew. By the way, where is Villager Forest?"

"Villager Forest is across the lake from Kangjian. We are in the northwest, and you are on the east shore." Joseph looked worried and said earnestly to Zhao Mai, "The danger will spread from the north of Kangjian Forest. Soon, the previous scenario will repeat. You must..."

He didn't finish his sentence but suddenly turned his head, seemingly whispering to someone. This time, Zhao Mai saw his lips move, but no sound came out. After waiting for a while, he saw Joseph turn back with an awkward smile, "Sorry, you rest well. We were looking for someone else."

"Hey! Wait..." Before Zhao Mai could finish, he was kicked out of the dream. He felt something wet on his face, raised his hand to touch it, and grabbed a tuft of soft fur. The reserve food saw that he was awake and barked excitedly, then rolled around on Zhao Mai's neck.

Zhao Mai found himself lying in Ranger Karl's room, with several layers of bandages wrapped around his chest and abdomen, and the room smelled of bitter medicine. The bald dog meat was guarding the entrance, lazily wagging its tail when it saw him awake but remained lying down. Ranger Karl was not in the room, but a bowl of brown herbal medicine was placed by the bed, with a note underneath that read, "Drink it to treat your injuries."

It seems I've been saved, Zhao Mai thought. He picked up the reserve food and rubbed it against his face, "Thank you for protecting me!" In his unconscious state, he didn't know about the "flash" that the reserve food had taken him through, thinking that Ranger Karl had timely appeared to save his life. However, in the battle, Ah Liang had fought alongside him with great courage, disregarding his own safety to attack the enemy, which had earned Zhao Mai's trust and affection. So, it was natural to thank it.

After checking his body, he found no significant discomfort, possibly because his injuries weren't as severe as the old ranger thought. Although he lacked exercise, in terms of nutritional reserves, no one could match Zhao Mai. The bowl of herbal medicine smelled terrible, and after tasting it with his tongue, the bitter and unpleasant taste further dampened his appetite. Since he wasn't injured, he didn't need to drink it, right?

The reserve food came over and looked at the bowl of herbal medicine with longing. "Can a little dog like you drink human medicine?" Zhao Mai was curious and brought the bowl over. Dogs have sensitive noses and tongues and won't eat anything harmful. Since the reserve food was drinking it without hesitation, the medicine must not be harmful to it.

This wasn't a medicine to treat injuries but a supplement to promote physical recovery, with some calming and sleep-inducing components. Zhao Mai found the taste unpleasant, but the reserve food didn't care. It had overexerted its energy and needed the supplement. After drinking its fill, it moved to Zhao Mai's elbow and found a comfortable position to sleep.

Not wanting to disturb it, Zhao Mai didn't move. After a while, he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

The man and the dog snuggled together, enjoying the brief peace after the battle. Positive energy continued to work slowly and secretly, healing their physical and mental injuries.

A python lowered its head from a higher level, squinting to check the tree hollow. Dog meat used its paw to push the python's head away and bared its teeth. The python flicked its tongue and obediently left.

It had been walking through the dense forest all day and returned carrying a dwarf. It wasn't in the mood to play with the old dog.

---

The page flip begins with an ad.

The page flip ends with an ad.