Bai Er scrutinized Zou Yidao warily for a moment. The color of his pupils was strange and aesthetically pleasing, with a faint hint of pale red amid the bluish-gray. It was the iris abnormality unique to colorless people, creating a magical illusion of piercing through others when looking at them.
Zou Yidao, grinning, said when Bai Er remained silent, “I had a comrade before, from the Bai family. You’re from the main branch, right?”
Bai Er replied coldly, “What do you want?”
Zou Yidao smiled mischievously, “Just here to have a look. This place is so boring, not even a nightclub around. No fun at all.” His gaze shifted from Bai Er to Qiao Jingting, and a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes. “Kid, you really want to leave the newbie village, don’t you?”
“Want to?” Qiao Jingting smirked, raising his eyebrows at Zou Yidao.
Zou Yidao blew out a smoke ring towards him and chuckled, “Stop dreaming. Zheng Wei is nothing. If you run into Han Bin, you won’t even be able to handle a single move.”
The lackeys beside him chimed in, “That’s right, Boss Han can crush your skull with a single punch.”
“You’re here playing the coward, hiding and not coming out. All this delay is only wasting your own time, and it’s annoying for us to watch,” Zou Yidao narrowed his eyes. “If you’re a man, be straightforward. How about this? I’ll make a bet with you. Come out, face Han Bin for three moves. If you’re still alive after three moves, I guarantee that Han Bin won’t kill you. How about it?”
Qiao Jingting sneered, “Why should I trust you?”
“I have no grudges against you, why would I deceive you? See, I’m just killing time here, accumulating points like a plaster. It’s driving me crazy,” Zou Yidao scratched his straight and stiff crew cut. “At least I’m a big brother. I can’t afford to lose face over deceiving a young punk like you. Han Bin will give me some face, right?” He turned to the small lackey beside him, “Go and call your Boss Han over, let him talk about my plan for a quick battle.”
The lackey squirmed and winked, “Brother Dao, about Boss Han… um…”
“Oh, right, right,” Zou Yidao acted as if he just remembered. “Okay, okay, we’ll discuss it later.” Zou Yidao glanced meaningfully at Qiao Jingting. “Kid, your good days are numbered. Enjoy them while they last.” With that, he waved his hand and left.
After Zou Yidao left, Shu Ai looked serious. “Was he implying that Han Bin is undergoing godly marrow purification? No wonder Bai Er caused such a commotion earlier, and Han Bin didn’t show up.”
Qiao Jingting nodded and asked, “It was right for us to stay. How many points do you have left?”
“Just enough to buy a healing scroll,” Shu Ai replied.
“Zou Yidao actively approached us for an alliance. It seems that Han Bin’s strength is stronger than we imagined.”
Shu Ai analyzed, “Han Bin has been in control of the newbie village for a year, so he must have accumulated several thousand, or even tens of thousands, of points. Apart from himself, Zou Yidao has nothing. As a Punisher, the system even prohibits him from receiving gifts from other players. Fighting alone against hundreds of opponents, he might really lose.”
“To defeat Han Bin, we must join forces,” Qiao Jingting clenched his fist. “Although the path has been twisted, we’ve ultimately returned to the starting point of our plan.”
Shu Ai let out a bitter laugh.
Qiao Jingting looked at Bai Er. “How many points do you have?”
Bai Er paused for a moment and said, “I have a total of 4,000 points, spent 320.”
“Can you exchange a bulletproof shield for me? It costs 300 points,” Qiao Jingting said, “I only have enough points to exchange for one.”
Bai Er didn’t say anything and soon two flat round pieces made of stone appeared in his hand, about the size of a thumb. He threw both of them to Qiao Jingting.
Qiao Jingting took them and handed one to Shu Ai, then threw the other one back to Bai Er. “You put it on yourself.”
Qiao Jingting also bought one for himself. The full name of this item was “Energy Shield,” and its item grade was “Primary.” He recently discovered that many items had the letter “P” in the upper right corner, which stood for “Primary.” The description of this primary energy shield stated that it could withstand 500 rounds of 9mm or smaller caliber bullets, but its ability to withstand larger caliber bullets was uncertain. The stronger the attack from a ballistic weapon, the shorter its lifespan.
Following the instructions, the three of them attached the flat round pieces to their skin. They adhered tightly and would probably require some effort to remove, indicating their firm attachment.
Other than that, they didn’t feel any different. The three of them looked at each other, unsure if the shield was actually working.
Qiao Jingting took out a submachine gun and fired a shot at his own toe. The bullet seemed to hit an invisible wall and was deflected.
“Nice thing,” Qiao Jingting said, satisfied. “Now I don’t have to worry about regular bullets. But if I encounter someone with a shoulder-fired rocket launcher, there’s nothing I can do. Maybe there’s an advanced energy shield that can withstand small cannon shells, but there’s no need to even consider it because I can’t afford it.”
Shu Ai said to Bai Er, “You should allocate the remaining points wisely. First, choose a suitable weapon, then keep at least three healing scrolls and one travel scroll, and use the rest to strengthen yourself.”
Bai Er nodded, sat on the sofa, and closed his eyes, apparently entering the interface.
Qiao Jingting admired his calm and composed demeanor. It seemed that he accepted the fact of entering this strange world without much resistance, saving them from wasting words.
Shu Ai said, “I want to enter the Void Space again, for a longer duration this time, around three hours.”
“Okay.”
Shu Ai lay down on the bed, severed the connection between herself and the Silver Ice Device, and lost consciousness and breathing.
Qiao Jingting set a timer and practiced with a chrome steel knife, practicing thrusts, stabs, chops, and slashes.
Before the three hours were up, Bai Er opened his eyes first. He observed Qiao Jingting for a while and said, “Stop using the knife; you’re more suited to using a mace.”
Qiao Jingting stopped swinging the knife and gasped, asking, “What?”
Bai Er stood up and retrieved a broom from the corner of the room. He snapped off the broom head and tossed the wooden stick to Qiao Jingting. “If you haven’t used a weapon before, a mace is much easier to handle than a knife. A knife has a backside, but a mace can inflict damage from any angle. Your muscle structure is explosive in strength, with long limbs and slightly weaker flexibility and fine motor skills. You’re suitable for medium-length weapons with substantial weight.”
Qiao Jingting skeptically weighed the broomstick and swung it a couple of times in the air. There was a swooshing sound as it cut through the air, and it did feel more comfortable and less awkward than using a knife. Perhaps it was because he didn’t need to consider angles or techniques. He swung it a few more times, feeling a bit of a connection.
Excitedly, Qiao Jingting said, “It seems like it’s really better than a knife.”
“Sell the knife and exchange it for a mace. In the beginning, the weight shouldn’t exceed 7 kilograms, and I’ll teach you how to use it.” Bai Er blinked his modified pupils. Although his face looked young, he had a stable demeanor, and he seemed quite knowledgeable in the art of killing, making it hard not to believe his words.
Qiao Jingting grinned, “Who exactly are you to have such knowledge about weapons?”
“I am who I am, but it only matters when we return to the real world. Here, we are all players.”
Qiao Jingting was an easygoing person as well. He entered the platform, sold the chromium steel knife for 80 points. Since he had used it briefly and it was in good condition, he received a decent amount. He then spent 100 points to purchase a hexagonal mace made of chromium steel, which weighed 12 kilograms and suited him well.
Bai Er walked around the room, picked up three small tea cups from the table, and placed them evenly on the edge of a shelf compartment. The compartment was about one meter and fifty centimeters above the ground, and the distance between each tea cup was no more than 3 centimeters. He then held the broomstick with one hand, adopted a squatting horse stance, and focused on the tea cups. “We have limited time, so I will first teach you the most important elements of training.”
“Let’s do it.”
Bai Er calmly explained, “The mace is primarily used for striking and was invented during ancient horse warfare. In ancient times, maces were much heavier because warriors needed to synchronize their waist and horse movements to wield them freely. In the modern era, horses are no longer used, so maces have been modified in various aspects. They mainly rely on the user’s arm, waist, and leg strength. Therefore, training focuses on these three areas.”
Qiao Jingting imitated Bai Er, holding the mace with one hand and assuming a horse stance.
Bai Er continued, “First, let’s train the swinging motion. During the training, your elbow should not pass your waist, your step should not exceed your shoulders, and your arm should not go beyond your ears. Aim for the center of the tea cup and lightly touch it without being too light, too heavy, or off target. Start with a slow initial speed and gradually increase the speed and strength to achieve precise strikes.” As he spoke, he swung the broomstick, lightly striking the teacup in the center. His lower body remained still, while his shoulder, waist, and arm maintained a fixed angle without any deviation from the swinging motion.
Qiao Jingting tried to swing the mace slowly a couple of times. Although the 12-kilogram weight didn’t feel heavy when he picked it up, it demanded considerable strength and flexibility when used as a weapon.
Bai Er straightened up and struck Qiao Jingting’s waist and shoulders with the broomstick, not holding back his force. His strikes resounded loudly as he said, “Don’t move your waist or shoulders; we need to train your arms.”
Qiao Jingting glanced at Bai Er sideways. Despite having a temper, he wasn’t blindly arrogant. This kid really had some real skills, so he endured it.
Qiao Jingting continued to swing his mace at the tea cup, while Bai Er constantly corrected his movements. After swinging it a hundred times, his arm felt sore and numb.
Bai Er frowned, “Is that all you can do?”
“Why don’t you try it yourself?” Qiao Jingting replied, refusing to accept defeat. “You know how heavy it is.” Even with his enhanced physical fitness, he didn’t believe that Bai Er’s slender body could withstand many swings.
“I rarely use heavy weapons, so what’s the point of comparing with you?”
Bai Er’s unhurried attitude was somewhat irritating.
“What do you use then?” Qiao Jingting was curious.
“I have two weapons that I often use. I had the system sprite customize them for me.”
“You can even customize weapons?”
Bai Er nodded, “Let’s focus on training your waist.”
“How do I train it?”
“The main exercises for the waist involve rotating and flexing. It’s best to practice while hanging upside down with your whole body. But since we don’t have the conditions for that, just face the bookshelf and rotate your waist while striking the tea cups.”
Qiao Jingting followed his instructions, rotating his waist and swinging his arms back and forth, which naturally increased the difficulty.
After training his waist, Bai Er proceeded to teach him footwork.
“Footwork is the most difficult to show immediate results. It needs practical combat to be effective. For now, I’ll teach you three basic footwork techniques from Judo: Tsugi-ashi, Okuri-ashi, and Koshi-ashi.” Bai Er demonstrated all three footwork techniques with a crude broomstick.
These three techniques didn’t seem too difficult, but they required repeated practice to integrate them into one’s body and become agile reflexive movements.
Bai Er said, “What I taught you earlier are the basic training methods for arms, waist, and legs. I can’t teach you anything more advanced, and you can’t learn it now. Master these basics first. It will take at least six months of daily practice.”
“OK, little master.” Qiao Jingting teased. He found Bai Er’s serious demeanor quite amusing.
Bai Er’s ash-colored eyebrows furrowed, and he turned his face away.
Qiao Jingting practiced the footwork several times, and then the alarm clock rang. It reminded him that he needed to wake up Shu Ai. He had been so engrossed in his training that he completely forgot.
He went into the bedroom and woke up Shu Ai. When Shu Ai opened her eyes, she looked confused for a moment. Then, after seeing Qiao Jingting’s face, she couldn’t hide her disappointment and said, “Nothing, there’s nothing.”
Qiao Jingting also slumped his shoulders. “Am I the only one…” He turned his head. “Bai Er, come here.”
Bai Er walked in.
“I found a system bug.” Qiao Jingting roughly explained the situation and asked, “Shu Ai tried it, but it didn’t work. Do you want to give it a try? If you can’t do it either, then maybe only I can enter.”
“Sure.” Bai Er sat cross-legged on a stool, imitating Qiao Jingting by moving the silver ice device to his fingertips and then entered the deep sleep.
Suddenly, Qiao Jingting leaned in close to Bai Er’s face, just a few centimeters away. He blinked and carefully observed, “Hey, Shu Ai, look, his skin seems translucently white, even his eyelashes are white.”
“You’re so bored.” Shu Ai replied irritably.
Qiao Jingting knew that Shu Ai had a strong personality. He smirked and reassured her, “Alright, don’t be upset. No matter what strange things I see, I’ll share them with you. It’s the same.”
Shu Ai bit her lip. “…Right now, I’m the most useless one.”
“You saved me, and you’ve already played the biggest role.” Qiao Jingting twirled the mace in his hand, his gaze full of vibrant determination. “Since I didn’t die, I’ll definitely turn this broken game upside down!”
After half an hour, Qiao Jingting woke Bai Er up. Bai Er’s result was the same as Shu Ai’s. It was as if he had just had a normal sleep, completely unconscious.
They had no idea what specific conditions were required to enter this bug. They could only attribute it to Qiao Jingting’s good luck.
Qiao Jingting shrugged. “Those two little brats said I had bad luck, but my luck seems pretty good.”
Shu Ai also regained her spirit. She said, “There’s something I think is necessary. I want to list down all the powerful characters in the newbie village, including their characteristics and my understanding of them. It’s always good to know in advance if we have to fight.”
“Yeah, it’s necessary,” Qiao Jingting smiled. “Your role is clearly significant.”
Shu Ai also smiled and pursed her lips.
The three of them sat around the table, and Shu Ai opened the Demon-Slaying List while she spoke and wrote, “Bai Er, the player who attacks you with a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher was promoted by Han Bin after Zheng Wei’s death. He is now a new level 5 player. You don’t need to remember his name, but his distinctive feature is a bald head. He carries at least two heavy weapons, a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher and a machine gun. His close-quarters combat ability is average, but it’s difficult to get close to him. There are over ten level 4 players, but only half of them are loyal to Han Bin. If there is unrest in the newbie village, their actions will be unpredictable. Let me tell you everything I know.”
The two of them listened attentively.
“The one with purple hair, skilled with guns. His shield can protect against handguns, but it’s hard to say about rifles and sniper rifles. We need to be extra careful with this person.”
“The one with very dark skin and a tall, strong build. He uses an axe and fights recklessly. He’s quite dangerous.”
“Another level 4 female player besides me. She is very weak and Han Bin’s mistress. It’s not necessary, so don’t kill her.”
“The one who wraps the silver ice device around his neck in circles. He uses a crossbow, and the arrows are tipped with deadly poison. He likes to hide in the shadows, making him difficult to defend against.”
“The one who always carries a tobacco pouch, Han Bin’s mentor. He often advises Han Bin on strategies. We can’t fight him, but it’s better to eliminate him early.”
Shu Ai introduced all the level 4 players in the newbie village in one go. This information was crucial; otherwise, they would be at a severe informational disadvantage and be too passive in combat.
“I can’t introduce all the level 3 players; there are too many, and most of them are not a threat,” Shu Ai said to Qiao Jingting. “Since you were able to kill Zheng Wei, in terms of close-quarters combat, there should be no more than three people who pose a threat to you in the newbie village. For the rest, we’ll have to adapt.”
Qiao Jingting nodded and looked at Bai Er. “You have strong combat abilities, but you lack understanding of these enhanced individuals. Don’t underestimate them. Their skills might not be great, but their physical fitness and speed are far superior to ordinary people.”
Bai Er shrugged indifferently. “Fighting is not my strongest suit.”
Qiao Jingting raised an eyebrow, thinking this guy was quite arrogant. “Then what are you good at?”
“Assassination,” Bai Er said softly.
Qiao Jingting found Bai Er even more mysterious, but since he didn’t elaborate, he wouldn’t pester him for more information.
“Unfortunately, the assassination skill is not easy to execute here. Within the entire newbie village, you can only enter this building.”
Bai Er calmly replied, “Then I’ll have to kill them face to face.”
