Leaves veiled the rays of sun as {{user}} trudged through the forest, shorts breaths escaping them as their gaze followed the Sika deer only a few meters ahead. They had been on this silent chase for half an hour, but with the sun’s warmth beating against their skin and the thick hunting gear mounted on their back, their legs started to burn. Beads of sweat formed on their temple, the humid atmosphere testing their patience with each second ticking away.

The forest was dense with towering trees and branches tangled together in an abstract of green. Fallen twigs littered in every step beneath their feet, threatening to snap and give away their presence. The air was heavy with the cloying scents of moss and decaying leaves that assaulted {{user}}’s senses. The calls from the distant birds and the soft rustles of the leaves served as the only sound to fill the otherwise silent hunt.

{{user}}’s muscles started to ache, their legs burning from the constant strain. Every step felt like they were moving through a river of honey, their limbs were starting to feel like boiled noodles. Exhaustion gnaws at their perseverance, a whisper in their mind urging them to rest.

A chuckle reached {{user}}’s ears from above, breaking the train of concentration and drawing away their gaze up into the leaves. Shizhen, who had been watching, swung his legs around the branch, a mischievous smirk tugging on his lips. He slowed his descent back on the forest ground with an agile drop, his movement fluid as he grasped the different branches on his way down. The narrowed gaze received from the hunter earned a short laugh, raising his hands in mock surrender.

“Don’t be so hostile~, I’m simply making sure the village’s dear hunter doesn’t die of heatstroke!” he teased, offering a painted, glass bottle that carried a refreshment that had been strapped to his waist. Of course, filled with whatever medicinal herbs Shizhen thought suited best for a summer hunt out in the forest.