Chapter 3: Mugged!

"I will finish bathing today and return soon. You should go now if you don't want to be stuck in the forest late at night," Katarang said.

Yang Zhang nodded, "I think so too. I will leave now. See you later, Katarang!" Yang Zhang got up and called his pets, "Guys, let's go home!"

"Pii! Pii!"

"Squeak!"

"Chirp!"

"Viii!"

Everyone gathered around Yang Zhang and sat on their designated spot; Little Ivy gripped Yang Zhang's arm while Chesnut hid inside Yang Zhang's pocket. Poddie was hiding inside the tote bag, and Lt. Spicy Wing was perching on top of Yang Zhang's head.

Katarang saw this, and she had a small chuckle.

"Eh? Why are you laughing? What's so funny?" Yang Zhang asked.

"Nothing," Katarang replied with a smile. "I'm just thinking that your pets must've loved you so much."

"Mm, okay then, I will leave now. I shall visit often!"

"Sure, you're welcomed here," Katarang said. "Now go. I also need to dry up and return to my hut."

Yang Zhang nodded, and he aimed his palm towards a tree. Little Ivy automatically swung in that direction, and they left Katarang alone in the lake.

Yang Zhang felt that Katarang was a bit weird today, "Why is she so friendly today? Or maybe it's just because our first meeting was very awkward. That's why I always see her as a dangerous person?"

"Maybe she is not that bad…."

"Pii! Pii!" Poddie, hiding inside the tote bag, climbed out a bit to talk with his master while they were swinging.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Pii!"

"Eh… that's so ridiculous," Yang Zhang denied. "How come you said that she might like me? What kind of story do you think is this? Enemy to lovers?"

"Pii?"

"Well, it's not impossible, but…." Yang Zhang imagined himself dating. He was always alone in his life, and he thought he didn't need a partner, let alone a girlfriend. "I don't think I need one right now."

Yang Zhang told Little Ivy to stop and go down before reaching the territorial tree.

That tree would whoop them if he accidentally passed the territory without knowing, and he would probably die on the spot, knowing how strong that tree was.

Yang Zhang walked around the territorial tree who still closed its eyes.

"Poddie, look at that," Yang Zhang said as he pointed at the face of the big tree. "It's so scary, right?"

"Pii?" Podio tilted his head. He looked at the sleeping tree and didn't find any danger around. "Pii, Pii?"

"Huh? Kind, big tree? That tree can kill you, you know…."

"Pii!" Poddie jumped from Yang Zhang's tote bag and walked towards the territory of the tree.

"Oh no, Little Ivy, help him!" Yang Zhang commanded, but Little Ivy only stared at Poddie and refused, "Vii!"

"What do you mean he will be okay—Oh…." Yang Zhang looked at Poddie, who walked towards the tree without worry, and the big tree didn't react as well.

"I forgot that big tree is not hostile to plants," Yang Zhang commented.

"PII!" Poddie rolled around the fresh grass around the territory of the tree. He wouldn't lie. The grass around the territorial tree looked very green and comfortable to sit on. Probably because there were no animals or humans that could touch the area.

Yang Zhang waited until Poddie was satisfied, and said, "Okay, let's go, Poddie! Our home isn't far from here!"

"Pii!" Poddie got up and waved at the big tree, saying goodbye to it, "Pii Pii!"

Poddie returned to Yang Zhang, and he asked, "What do you mean you will return again?"

"Pii!"

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…

It seemed that Poddie was more free-spirited than the rest of his teammates. He told Yang Zhang that he would be visiting this big tree whenever he had the chance.

But Yang Zhang didn't say yes to that, but he was quite positive that they wouldn't have the time to visit this scary tree anymore.

Yang Zhang continued walking until they could see the hut from afar. He quickened his steps, unable to contain his excitement to return to the good old hut that he liked the most.

But when Yang Zhang was about to reach the hut, he saw a figure coming from a different direction.

"Hey you!" a man called him from afar.

Yang Zhang stopped and stared at the man who walked towards him. The man swaggered towards Yang Zhang as if he was walking in a peaceful park, not a dangerous forest filled with mutated plants and animals.

He had spiky hair and played with a knife when he approached Yang Zhang.

The man continued swaggering until he stopped about 10 feet away from Yang Zhang.

"Hey, you, what's your name? It's very rare to see a man walk around the forest like this. Are you part of a survey corps or something?" The man asked.

Yang Zhang observed him from head to toe, and he concluded that this man was probably one of the ability users tasked to go out and find something to eat.

He looked dangerous, though, especially when he played with that knife. He was 100% adept at using it.

Yang Zhang clenched his fist, trying his best not to look suspicious in front of this man because he knew this man was up to no good.

"My name is Ash. I'm one of the survey corps from a nearby shelter," Yang Zhang replied. "And who are you?"

"Me? Why do you want to know my name?" The man asked with a smirk on his face. "It's you who easily give your name to me. I don't have any obligation to tell you my real name, right?"

Yang Zhang's eyes widened. He had been tricked into the simplest way possible.

Maybe because he had been surrounded by mostly good people in his journey outside of the shelter, he got a bit too lenient.

Yang Zhang tried to keep his expression as flat as possible and shrugged, "Alright then, I don't have any intention of knowing you either. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will leave now."

"Where are you going? Don't tell me that you live in that hut?" The man pointed at Yang Zhang's hut with his knife. "You told me that you're a survey corps from a nearby shelter. Either you're lying, or you're running away from your shelter. Which one?"

"I have no obligation to answer you as well," Yang Zhang replied, giving back the same words that the man told him a moment ago.

"Oh, ho ho, playing with words now, I see," the man's lips twitched. He didn't seem to be happy with Yang Zhang's arrogance.

"Well, I'm quite interested with the pets on year head and bag. Do you happen to have the ability to communicate with the animals? Or perhaps enslave them to fight for you?" The man asked.

Yang Zhang kept silent. He didn't want to say anything after realizing his fault.

He wanted to walk away, acting as if he didn't know anything about the hut, and he wasn't living there.

But before he could walk too far, the man suddenly threw a knife at Yang Zhang, and it barely scratched Yang Zhang's cheek.

Yang Zhang was stunned, and the man chuckled, "What's the hurry, my friend? Do you think I don't know what you're hiding inside that tote bag? You seem to be working hard, I see…."

Yang Zhang quickly clutched his tote bag like a lady that was about to get mugged in an empty street, "What do you want?"

"Huh? Of course, the medicine, idiot! I know that you're hiding a medicine inside that bag. Give it all to me, and I will let you walk free, and let's pretend that we never met before."

"I—I can give you one or two if you have an illness," Yang Zhang said. He was mostly non-confrontational to ability users unless that person attacked first.

"If you don't give it all to me, you'll be the one who needs the medicine to live. So give it all to me before I lose my patience," the man said. He took out another knife from his sling bag, ready to attack Yang Zhang again. "The first throw is a warning. The second one wouldn't be so kind, Ash."

Yang Zhang gritted his teeth. He was trying to negotiate peacefully. He would be willing to give medicine if the man was sick.

But this was a straight-up robbery in daylight!

"I don't want any fight. Can we just… pretend this never happens? You can leave peacefully, you know…."

"Don't be an idiot. Do you think my boss would be happy if I came empty-handed? It's either you or me, my friend. This is the last warning, give the medicines to me now, or you will be food for the mutated crocodile in the river."

Yang Zhang took a deep breath and shook his head, "I won't let myself die like Thomas and Martha Wayne. You're going down, Mr… whatever your name is."

The man smirked and prepared his stance, "Wrong choice, kid."

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