Chapter 22: Orion Vale
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The sharp, rhythmic chirp of Lei Feng's phone pierced the quiet forest, standing out against the natural symphony of rustling leaves and the occasional distant beast's cry.
At the front of the path, the young boy named Orion moved with cautious determination. He clutched Lei Feng's phone like a compass, guiding their path through tangled underbrush and over gnarled roots. His jacket was torn at the sleeve, and he walked with a slight limp, yet his spirit pulsed with hope.
Lei Feng trailed silently behind, hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the boy. Despite Orion's youthful appearance and small frame, he moved through the wilderness with familiarity—almost like it was his home.
Strange kid, Lei Feng mused. Definitely not ordinary.
Suddenly—
"It's here!" Orion cried out, his voice cracking with excitement.
He dashed forward, shoving past a curtain of broad leaves. Lei Feng quickened his pace to follow.
Nestled beneath a patch of trampled ferns and brittle leaves lay three items: a black phone, a pair of sleek glasses with cracked lenses, and a long obsidian-hued spear with a gleaming silver blade. The spear pulsed faintly, radiating a dormant energy—as if it were alive.
"My phone!" Orion dropped to his knees, scooping it up and hugging it to his chest like a child reunited with a beloved toy. His tense features softened, somewhere between relief and joy.
Lei Feng found himself smiling. For a brief moment, he was reminded of Ling Mei, back when she was just a little girl—clutching her favorite doll in the same way in Ling Chen's fading memories.
But the warmth in Orion's eyes quickly faded.
"Damn it!" he growled, lifting the broken glasses. "My X-ray vision glasses… They're ruined. I paid five hundred thousand credits for those!"
Lei Feng's jaw nearly dropped. Six hundred thousand credits? That was more money than he'd ever possessed in this world.
Who is this kid…?
Orion sighed and stared at the shattered lenses. "Stupid boar…"
Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, the glasses vanished into thin air.
Lei Feng blinked. "What...?"
His gaze trailed to Orion's hand, where a smooth silver ring gleamed in the sunlight.
A spatial ring.
Noticing his stare, Orion offered a sheepish grin. "Just a low-grade spatial ring. I prefer them over pouches—more elegant. Got it at a discount. Only 450,000 credits."
Lei Feng nearly stumbled. "Only…?"
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
My sword cost me 250,000 credits and I thought that was expensive. His ring costs almost double?
Noticing Lei Feng's stunned expression, Orion tilted his head curiously. "You use Dimensional Magic, right? That's way more expensive. Even the weakest form of it can go for a million credits or more—unless you're a Dimensional Mage or an Enchanter yourself."
Lei Feng gave a dry chuckle, scratching his cheek. "Yeah… no. I'm not."
His eyes shifted to the final object on the ground—the long spear.
Power radiated from it, subtle yet undeniable. The air danced faintly around its polished surface.
That's at least a Bronze-ranked weapon. Easily worth over a million credits.
Orion lifted the spear with care, his fingers tracing the engraved shaft.
"What do you think of my Battleworn Spear, Senior?" he asked with a playful grin.
Lei Feng's expression darkened.
He's smart, but way too inexperienced. Overconfident. Reckless.
He looked the boy squarely in the eyes. "Name's Lei Feng. And listen—don't flaunt stuff like this in front of strangers. Out here, people are dangerous. They could rob you… or worse."
Orion blinked innocently. "Eh? But you wouldn't hurt me, Senior Lei. You saved me, after all."
Lei Feng sighed, shaking his head. "I might be different, Orion. But don't assume everyone else is. The wild brings out the worst in people. Greed. Desperation. You never know what someone is capable of until it's too late."
Orion paused, then slowly nodded, his playful smile fading. "Got it."
Lei Feng offered a rare, approving nod. "Good. Now that you've got your phone back, shouldn't you contact your team?"
"Oh, right!" Orion fumbled with his phone, tapping rapidly.
With Lei Feng's phone still in hand, he copied in a few digits into it and input a number in his own phone.Then, without warning, he tossed Lei Feng's phone back at him.
"Catch!"
Lei Feng's eyes widened. We're three meters apart!
The phone flipped through the air. Panic surged in his chest.
My phone!
But his body moved before his mind could.
His hand shot up instinctively—catching the device cleanly in one smooth motion.
No stumble. No drop.
He stared at the phone in disbelief. Then at his hand.
I caught that... easily.
His fingers clenched.
"I really am changing... I guess I'm an Awakener now," he murmured. "I'm evolving."
He glanced toward Orion, who was already absorbed in his own phone—unfazed.
He didn't even doubt I'd catch it. Lei Feng gave a wry smile. I guess stuff like that is normal for him.
His phone buzzed with a soft ping.
> New contact saved:
Orion Vale
446-*-***7
> Contact List:
– Zhan Xi'an
– Orion Vale
So he saved his contact on my phone, too. Lei Feng chuckled inwardly.
Just then—
Beep!
A digital tone chimed from Orion's direction.
Lei Feng turned.
Orion stood still, phone raised in front of him. A bright holographic image flickered to life above the screen—forming into a tall, humanoid figure.
The figure was striking. Tall, muscular. Long, fiery red hair flowed like a lion's mane. His skin shimmered with short orange fur beneath a dark blue jacket trimmed in gold. But what truly caught Lei Feng's eye were his fingers—each tipped with silver claws that gleamed like polished blades.
"A Lionkin…" Lei Feng whispered, awestruck.
The hologram moved with uncanny grace, its digital presence commanding.
Just who is Orion Vale, really?
As the image came fully into view, a familiar warmth lit Orion's face.
"Mr. Leo!" he beamed.
The Lionkin leaned forward, golden eyes filled with concern. "Orion? Where are you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Still in Whispering Hollow, but I don't know my exact location," Orion replied, glancing around the dense underbrush.
Leo exhaled, visibly relieved. "Okay. Hold on. Send me your map location—we'll come find you. Stay put until we get there."
"Alright," Orion nodded. "Sending it now."
"Good," Leo said, his tone turning firm again. "Don't move."
The image blinked out, leaving a fading afterglow.
Orion lowered his phone with a smile. "I better send him the map before he panics again…"
---
Several miles north…
The forest thinned around a rocky outcrop. A massive figure stood beneath the morning sun, a crimson pillar of strength. His powerful frame was coated in orange fur, his long, flaming red hair flowing like a lion's mane.
He exhaled deeply and slid his phone into the pocket of a dark blue military jacket. Reinforced combat trousers hugged his legs, and heavy boots sank slightly into the earth with each shift of his weight.
"Thank the gods he's alright… If anything had happened to him—" his tone turned dark, "—his father would've killed me."
Before him stood two young adventurers in high-grade expedition gear—combat tunics, lightweight armor, and utility belts full of potions and tools.
They looked every bit like battle-hardened rookies.
One of them, a girl with reddish-brown hair tied into a practical braid. Her petite frame and sharp golden-brown eyes burned with a quiet, waiting flame.
"Mr. Leo, that can't be right," she said with a raised brow. "I heard you already hit Level 50. You're crazy strong. Who in Volaris City could possibly beat you?"
Leo glanced at her—Ember—and chuckled dryly. "You wouldn't understand, Ember."
Beside her stood her twin brother, Ethan, one hand on the hilt of a short blade. Tousled brown hair framed a mischievous, confident face. Though lean, his stance crackled with energy.
"You're too humble, Mr. Leo," Ethan grinned. "Orion's spoiled and playful. He just hit Level 10. I'm surprised he even came along. Honestly, he's lucky he didn't get himself killed."
Leo's golden eyes narrowed sharply, his gaze like a blade.
Ethan's grin faltered under the weight of it.
"Never judge someone by their current strength," Leo said calmly. "Orion may be weak now—but the power behind him is not."
He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon. The wind picked up, rustling the trees.
"And trust me…" Leo's voice deepened. "You don't want to find out who stands behind that boy."