TAG Chapter 5

Qiao Jingting continued to direct Shu Ai to dodge the attacks of the gray rats. Shu Ai’s speed and strength surpassed his own, and with the advantage of seemingly being able to anticipate their moves, she could kill a gray rat in just two or three minutes without much effort.

After killing seven or eight of them in one breath, Shu Ai finally took a break. Wiping the sweat off her face, she couldn’t hide her excitement as she said, “Normally, I can only kill this many in a whole day, but now it takes less than half an hour… This is great! I’ll be able to buy a Healing Scroll tonight!”

Qiao Jingting was also delighted. He had long been tired of his useless appearance. He asked, “How many spawn points does Xin Yue Hu have in total?”

“About twenty, divided into four categories: passive single-target, passive AOE (Area of Effect), active single-target, and active AOE. The difficulty is similar between passive AOE and active single-target. It depends on whether you prefer solo play or teamwork. The active AOE ones are the most challenging. The highest-level goblins give 30 points per kill, and Han Bin always leads a team to kill them.”

“Does he share the points equally in the team?”

Shu Ai shook her head. “To share points equally, you need to use the ‘Party’ system. Han Bin never teams up to share points, but he does give a few to his subordinates as rewards.”

“Let’s kill more gray rats and strengthen ourselves before we go for higher point monsters.” It would take forever to accumulate points with just 3 points at a time.

Shu Ai nodded, lifting her knife again. She had tasted the sweetness of victory, and her excitement outweighed her fatigue. One by one, she continued to slay the gray rats.

In less than two hours, Shu Ai had accumulated 80 points and exchanged them for another Healing Scroll.

“The healing capacity of the scroll is limited. The larger the area you choose to heal, the less effective it will be, and vice versa. For example, if you want to heal your whole body, one scroll will only repair superficial injuries. Severe injuries like a severed limb would consume an entire scroll. Now, with this scroll, do you plan to use it on your whole body or…?”

“My brain. I can endure the pain in other areas.” Qiao Jingting pointed to his own head. He had indeed heard the sound of his skull cracking. Regardless of whether it was an illusion or not, the head was the most important organ.

“Alright.” Shu Ai used the scroll to repair the damage to Qiao Jingting’s brain.

Qiao Jingting felt the healing power wash over him like a gentle breeze, instantly clearing his foggy and excruciating head. Although his body still bore a lot of pain, he already felt much relieved.

He shook his head. “I’m much better now. Tonight, I must exchange it for another scroll.”

Shu Ai was also overjoyed. Even the half-ghastly burn scar on her face seemed less conspicuous, and she relaxed her guard against Qiao Jingting.

The two of them persisted, working together to slay the gray rats. When they got tired, they rested on the ground, and when they got hungry, they exchanged for the cheapest and highest-calorie food. Finally, just before sunrise, they accumulated the next 80 points and exchanged them for another Healing Scroll, completely healing Qiao Jingting’s injuries.

Although his injuries were now healed, Qiao Jingting had to stay indoors at Shu Ai’s place for a few more days to fully recover. During that time, they continued to grind in the game, accumulating points and exchanging for more Healing Scrolls. As their strength grew, they gradually shifted their focus to higher-level monsters and began tackling more challenging quests. They formed a formidable team and their reputation started to spread within the game world.

Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai became close friends through their shared experiences in the game. They supported and relied on each other, creating a bond that extended beyond the virtual world. As they continued their adventures, they discovered new quests, explored hidden areas, and encountered powerful enemies. Together, they overcame countless challenges and achieved remarkable feats.

Their journey in the game brought them not only virtual rewards but also personal growth. They learned the value of perseverance, teamwork, and friendship. And as they conquered the game’s challenges, they also gained confidence and determination in their real lives.

Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai’s story became legendary within the game, inspiring other players to forge their own paths and face their own trials. They became respected figures and leaders within the game community, always willing to lend a helping hand to others.

In the end, their adventures in the virtual world of Xin Yue Hu turned out to be a life-changing experience, shaping them into stronger individuals both in-game and in reality.

Even though his injury had healed, during the day, Qiao Jingting could only hide in Shu Ai’s house. He took this time to familiarize himself with the rules of the game.

He spent his remaining 20 points to exchange for the “Demon Slayer List.”

The Demon Slayer List displayed all the players in the game world, ranked from the highest level. He could search for the status of anyone whose name he knew, but the only information he would be certain of was their name, level, and place of birth. Once players left the beginner’s village, they could choose to hide their location and guild.

He didn’t expect there to be as many as 2,600 people in this game.

He checked Qiao Ruidu’s status again and found that Qiao Ruidu’s level had become 3. This meant that on their third day in the game, Qiao Ruidu had already killed someone.

He wasn’t surprised. Qiao Ruidu was a selfish, cold-hearted, and extremely intelligent person. He definitely wouldn’t fare poorly in this game. If they were to meet again one day, he wondered who would be higher on the food chain.

He closed the Demon Slayer List and continued studying the game’s player platform.

The richness of this world far surpassed all large-scale online games, and the abundance of resources was astounding.

No matter how much the person who created the game, or the “god,” tried to make it like a game, how “fun” it was, they couldn’t hide its bloody nature—a slaughterhouse disguised as a game.

Qiao Jingting focused on understanding the game’s mechanics when he suddenly heard a muffled thunderclap. The sound was low and heavy, as if it struck directly at the heart, creating a sense of oppression. Soon, footsteps and commotion could be heard from outside the window.

He closed the platform, approached the window, and looked outside through the gap in the curtains. Sure enough, he saw many players gathering in the direction of the Life Tree.

What happened?

Those people were crowding around the Life Tree, just like when he first appeared. Perhaps new players had arrived? But some of them seemed nervous, not like they were about to face new arrivals.

From his current angle, he couldn’t see much, so he had to give up.

Not long after, Shu Ai returned. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and her expression was complex, seemingly fearful, yet mixed with a hint of excitement.

“What’s happening?” Qiao Jingting quickly asked.

“Xin Yue Hu is about to face a major event,” Shu Ai said, her bright eyes fixed on Qiao Jingting without blinking. “Perhaps it will be our opportunity.”

“What happened?”

“A ‘Judicator’ has been sent back to Xin Yue Hu. It just happened.”

Qiao Jingting had seen this name on the platform. “You mean someone who was punished and sent back to the beginner’s village for killing someone of a lower level?”

Shu Ai nodded vigorously and said with a trembling voice, “Level 9.”

Qiao Jingting took a sharp breath and murmured, “…Level 9.”

A Level 9 player must have already achieved great mastery and power. What kind of abilities would they possess?

Shu Ai opened the curtains and took a look. “The person’s name is Zou Yidao, around thirty years old, looks like a soldier.”

“What’s Han Bin’s reaction?” Qiao Jingting asked.

“Here, see for yourself.”

Qiao Jingting followed Shu Ai’s pointing finger and saw a tall, thin man wearing glasses.

Han Bin was completely different from what he had imagined. His attire and hairstyle appeared quite refined, like an ordinary office worker one would see on the streets. From a distance, he couldn’t see his expression clearly, but from his slightly bowed posture, he could sense a flattering demeanor. As for the person named Zou Yidao, he was sitting against a tree trunk, surrounded by others. Qiao Jingting could only see his outstretched legs in camouflage pants and military boots.

Qiao Jingting coldly remarked, “He knows what’s good for him.”

“No, he’s planning to be sneaky. That’s what he’s good at,” Shu Ai closed the curtains and said with resentment, “My brother trusted him, and that’s why he died by his hand.”

Qiao Jingting looked at Shu Ai without saying a word. If she wanted to speak, he would listen; if she didn’t want to speak, he wouldn’t ask.

Shu Ai lowered her head and said softly, “My brother used to be the strongest man in Xin Yue Hu, Level 5… He wasn’t a bad person. He only killed those who were wicked. After Han Bin came, he flattered us in every way, he knew how to speak and please others, and he deceived all of us. Then, when my brother was drunk…” Shu Ai bit her lip. “He obtained a large number of points and immediately rose in level.”

“Why didn’t he kill you?” Qiao Jingting understood why Shu Ai was so wary of him. If it were him, he would never be able to trust a stranger in his lifetime.

“Because of my level. He kept me alive so that when he needed it, he could have a Level 5 person appear, and then Zheng Wei would kill that Level 5 person, allowing Han Bin to immediately become Level 6. That bastard Han Bin didn’t dare to leave the beginner’s village alone; he wanted to train a few powerful underlings and take them away.” Shu Ai’s voice was filled with resentment.

Looking at her frail, trembling shoulders, and considering the pain and despair this girl must have experienced, losing her only family member in this bloody and cruel world, Qiao Jingting couldn’t help but feel pity. He reached out and squeezed Shu Ai’s shoulder. “Once I kill Han Bin, you can restore your face.”

Shu Ai looked up at him, her eyes shining, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t speak. She lowered her head again and whispered, “Let’s talk about it later.”

Qiao Jingting said, “So, you mean Han Bin will use the same strategy, pretend to flatter Zou Yidao, and when he least expects it, kill him?”

Shu Ai nodded. “He must be planning that. He is the most cunning person, unwilling to be someone’s underling.”

“But with Zou Yidao’s strength, he won’t be able to stay in the beginner’s village for long.”

“No, on the contrary, precisely because his level is so high, it will be difficult for him to leave the beginner’s village for a while.”

“Why?”

“The higher the level, the fewer points they earn for killing lower-level monsters, or even none at all. Zou Yidao is Level 9, which means even if he kills all the monsters in the beginner’s village, he won’t earn a single point. You see, the Punisher loses everything except their level and abilities, including their points. Without points, they can’t unlock the map. Even the cheapest map requires 100 points to unlock.”

“So, how does he earn points then?”

“I’ve heard that he needs to do quests. NPC quests, system quests, hidden quests, but quest points also depend on the level. Some quests won’t give him any points, while we can earn dozens or even hundreds of points. He can only get single-digit points. I don’t know how long the Punisher needs to leave the beginner’s village, but it certainly won’t be too short. That’s the system’s punishment for them.”

Qiao Jingting pondered for a moment. “Even if he can only earn 1 point at a time, it shouldn’t take him too long to accumulate 100 points, right?”

“It’s something only he knows. Anyway, Han Bin will definitely make his move before Zou Yidao leaves. Perhaps we can use Zou Yidao to get rid of Han Bin.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Shu Ai shook her head. “Not at the moment. Han Bin won’t let me get close to Zou Yidao.”

Qiao Jingting squinted his eyes. “I have an idea…”

In the middle of the night, the two of them quietly went to gray rats again to earn points, just like the previous day.

Zou Yidao’s appearance made them feel that an opportunity had arrived. If used well, they could eliminate Han Bin and his group, but regardless of how things developed, becoming stronger was their foundation.

They spent the night killing monsters and each earned just over a hundred points. They also picked up an item dropped by a gray rat—a Travel Scroll. For low-level monsters like this, they couldn’t drop anything good, and the chances were low. The Travel Scroll was used for teleportation, allowing them to quickly travel between the beginner’s village and distant monster areas. It was a basic functional item, similar to a Healing Scroll.

Back at Shu Ai’s home, the sky was turning bright. Despite not having slept all night, Qiao Jingting felt no trace of fatigue. He eagerly logged into the platform.

Xiao Shen looked at him coldly. “You can finally strengthen yourself, good.”

Qiao Jingting ignored her and opened the “Enhancement” interface that he hadn’t clicked on before.

The Enhancement section was further divided into “Main Body Enhancement,” “Auxiliary Skills,” and “Spirit Core Cleansing.” The checkboxes for the latter two were dimmed and couldn’t be selected.

Qiao Jingting asked, “What are the conditions for viewing the last two options?”

“Auxiliary Skills unlock after you obtain your first Skill Rune, and Spirit Core Cleansing requires you to reach Level 6.”

“Skill Rune?”

Xiao Yuan shook her head. “What have you been looking at during the day? You missed such an important thing as Skill Runes. Skill Runes can be purchased, dropped by monsters, or obtained through quests. They provide additional skills, but the skills from Skill Runes are all non-attack skills.”

Qiao Jingting curiously asked, “What kind of skills are available?”

Xiao Yuan blinked innocently and said, “I’m not telling you.”

Qiao Jingting took a deep breath, reminding himself not to argue with a brat.

“You praise me, and I’ll tell you one casually,” Xiao Yuan stood up from the oversized chair, adjusted his plaid suit, and bounced a couple of times. A sweet smile blossomed on his fair little face.

Qiao Jingting couldn’t help but roll his eyes inwardly as he patiently said, “Your outfits today look nice.”

Xiao Yuan grinned, “Although it’s not very sincere, I am an elf who keeps promises. I’ll tell you one. As for the auxiliary skills, there are many different types. For example, my favorite is ‘Nightingale,’ which gives people an amazing singing voice. They sing incredibly, incredibly, incredibly well!”

“My favorite is ‘Skinchanger,'” Xiao Shen said with a shallow smile. “Peeling off the skin of a living being and putting it on your face allows you to change your appearance.” With her waist-length black hair and round black eyes, coupled with her beautiful but lifeless little face, she resembled a delicate and chilling mechanical doll, giving people shivers.

“Interesting. What about ‘Cleansing Marrow’?” Qiao Jingting asked.

“I can’t tell you about ‘Cleansing Marrow.’ Who knows if you’ll live long enough to reach that point,” Xiao Yuan shrugged. “By the way, each person can only use three skill stones, and once you make a mistake, you can’t change it. The same goes for enhancement and marrow cleansing. In this game, you only have one life.”

“I understand,” Qiao Jingting opened the “Body Enhancement” menu.

The page for body enhancement was straightforward. On the left side was a full-body image of himself along with various data, while on the right was a hexagonal chart representing the distribution of data. Each corner represented an enhancement direction, divided into: physique, speed, spiritual power, intelligence, recovery power, and luck.

His six data points were: physique 26, speed 24, spiritual power 32, intelligence 19, recovery power 22, and luck 7. The hexagon clearly leaned towards physical strength, speed, and spiritual power.

“Luck?” Qiao Jingting didn’t quite understand this enhancement and called out to Xiao Yuan, “Hey, Xiao Yuan.”

“Hmm, why are you calling me?” Xiao Yuan’s face suddenly popped out from the shoulder of Qiao Jingting’s full-body photo.

Qiao Jingting said, “What does ‘luck’ mean?”

“It means ‘luck.’ If you enhance this aspect, you’ll become lucky,” Xiao Yuan glanced at his hexagon and exaggeratedly looked disapproving, “Tsk tsk, you have such bad luck.”

Qiao Jingting had to suppress the urge to beat him up eight hundred times a day. “Stop talking nonsense!”

“Luck, for example, increases the probability of monsters dropping items, increases the probability of evading attacks, increases the probability of getting good things, increases the probability of encountering good events, and increases the probability of sunny weather when going out.”

Qiao Jingting sneered, “That’s too superstitious.” The other five options were practical enhancements, but this ‘luck’ seemed out of place. No one would spend hard-earned points on this. Despite his bad luck, it hadn’t hindered him from growing up.

Xiao Yuan held his face and smiled, “This involves very profound philosophical questions of ‘causality’ and ‘determinism.’ I think ‘luck’ is never random but destined. Suppose you enhance luck to a very high level; then you’ll become very lucky. So, is it because you enhanced luck and then had the ’cause’ of becoming lucky? Or were you destined to become lucky, and enhancing luck was just a ‘decisive’ action taken to achieve this goal? ”

Qiao Jingting was somewhat bewildered by what he heard.

Xiao Yuan laughed, “You should at least raise your intelligence to 30 to discuss this question with me. If you raise it to 40, you can discuss this question with Laplace. Hmm… You don’t even know who Laplace is, do you? Anyway, as long as you enhance luck, you will definitely become lucky. Luck is actually a magnetic field of energy that can influence people and things around you. Through the butterfly effect of people and things, it eventually achieves the goal of changing the outcome. Simply put, it’s ‘changing fate.’ For example, the system will automatically select high-luck outcomes for you based on your luck level through complex calculations. The power of luck is immense. You have such bad luck; you better change it quickly.”

Qiao Jingting was skeptical, “Let’s talk about it later.” He currently only had a few points, and enhancing one point of physique cost 50 points. He could only enhance two points at most. He didn’t have time to worry about luck. No matter how lucky he became, he could die at any moment.

Without hesitation, he allocated all his points to physique. Then he felt a dizziness overcome him.

Characters like Qiao Rui would only appear after the protagonist left the newbie village.

Qiao Jingting continued to direct Shu Ai to dodge the attacks of the gray rats. Shu Ai’s speed and strength surpassed his own, and with the advantage of seemingly being able to anticipate their moves, she could kill a gray rat in just two or three minutes without much effort.

After killing seven or eight of them in one breath, Shu Ai finally took a break. Wiping the sweat off her face, she couldn’t hide her excitement as she said, “Normally, I can only kill this many in a whole day, but now it takes less than half an hour… This is great! I’ll be able to buy a Healing Scroll tonight!”

Qiao Jingting was also delighted. He had long been tired of his useless appearance. He asked, “How many spawn points does Xin Yue Hu have in total?”

“About twenty, divided into four categories: passive single-target, passive AOE (Area of Effect), active single-target, and active AOE. The difficulty is similar between passive AOE and active single-target. It depends on whether you prefer solo play or teamwork. The active AOE ones are the most challenging. The highest-level goblins give 30 points per kill, and Han Bin always leads a team to kill them.”

“Does he share the points equally in the team?”

Shu Ai shook her head. “To share points equally, you need to use the ‘Party’ system. Han Bin never teams up to share points, but he does give a few to his subordinates as rewards.”

“Let’s kill more gray rats and strengthen ourselves before we go for higher point monsters.” It would take forever to accumulate points with just 3 points at a time.

Shu Ai nodded, lifting her knife again. She had tasted the sweetness of victory, and her excitement outweighed her fatigue. One by one, she continued to slay the gray rats.

In less than two hours, Shu Ai had accumulated 80 points and exchanged them for another Healing Scroll.

“The healing capacity of the scroll is limited. The larger the area you choose to heal, the less effective it will be, and vice versa. For example, if you want to heal your whole body, one scroll will only repair superficial injuries. Severe injuries like a severed limb would consume an entire scroll. Now, with this scroll, do you plan to use it on your whole body or…?”

“My brain. I can endure the pain in other areas.” Qiao Jingting pointed to his own head. He had indeed heard the sound of his skull cracking. Regardless of whether it was an illusion or not, the head was the most important organ.

“Alright.” Shu Ai used the scroll to repair the damage to Qiao Jingting’s brain.

Qiao Jingting felt the healing power wash over him like a gentle breeze, instantly clearing his foggy and excruciating head. Although his body still bore a lot of pain, he already felt much relieved.

He shook his head. “I’m much better now. Tonight, I must exchange it for another scroll.”

Shu Ai was also overjoyed. Even the half-ghastly burn scar on her face seemed less conspicuous, and she relaxed her guard against Qiao Jingting.

The two of them persisted, working together to slay the gray rats. When they got tired, they rested on the ground, and when they got hungry, they exchanged for the cheapest and highest-calorie food. Finally, just before sunrise, they accumulated the next 80 points and exchanged them for another Healing Scroll, completely healing Qiao Jingting’s injuries.

Although his injuries were now healed, Qiao Jingting had to stay indoors at Shu Ai’s place for a few more days to fully recover. During that time, they continued to grind in the game, accumulating points and exchanging for more Healing Scrolls. As their strength grew, they gradually shifted their focus to higher-level monsters and began tackling more challenging quests. They formed a formidable team and their reputation started to spread within the game world.

Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai became close friends through their shared experiences in the game. They supported and relied on each other, creating a bond that extended beyond the virtual world. As they continued their adventures, they discovered new quests, explored hidden areas, and encountered powerful enemies. Together, they overcame countless challenges and achieved remarkable feats.

Their journey in the game brought them not only virtual rewards but also personal growth. They learned the value of perseverance, teamwork, and friendship. And as they conquered the game’s challenges, they also gained confidence and determination in their real lives.

Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai’s story became legendary within the game, inspiring other players to forge their own paths and face their own trials. They became respected figures and leaders within the game community, always willing to lend a helping hand to others.

In the end, their adventures in the virtual world of Xin Yue Hu turned out to be a life-changing experience, shaping them into stronger individuals both in-game and in reality.

Even though his injury had healed, during the day, Qiao Jingting could only hide in Shu Ai’s house. He took this time to familiarize himself with the rules of the game.

He spent his remaining 20 points to exchange for the “Demon Slayer List.”

The Demon Slayer List displayed all the players in the game world, ranked from the highest level. He could search for the status of anyone whose name he knew, but the only information he would be certain of was their name, level, and place of birth. Once players left the beginner’s village, they could choose to hide their location and guild.

He didn’t expect there to be as many as 2,600 people in this game.

He checked Qiao Ruidu’s status again and found that Qiao Ruidu’s level had become 3. This meant that on their third day in the game, Qiao Ruidu had already killed someone.

He wasn’t surprised. Qiao Ruidu was a selfish, cold-hearted, and extremely intelligent person. He definitely wouldn’t fare poorly in this game. If they were to meet again one day, he wondered who would be higher on the food chain.

He closed the Demon Slayer List and continued studying the game’s player platform.

The richness of this world far surpassed all large-scale online games, and the abundance of resources was astounding.

No matter how much the person who created the game, or the “god,” tried to make it like a game, how “fun” it was, they couldn’t hide its bloody nature—a slaughterhouse disguised as a game.

Qiao Jingting focused on understanding the game’s mechanics when he suddenly heard a muffled thunderclap. The sound was low and heavy, as if it struck directly at the heart, creating a sense of oppression. Soon, footsteps and commotion could be heard from outside the window.

He closed the platform, approached the window, and looked outside through the gap in the curtains. Sure enough, he saw many players gathering in the direction of the Life Tree.

What happened?

Those people were crowding around the Life Tree, just like when he first appeared. Perhaps new players had arrived? But some of them seemed nervous, not like they were about to face new arrivals.

From his current angle, he couldn’t see much, so he had to give up.

Not long after, Shu Ai returned. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and her expression was complex, seemingly fearful, yet mixed with a hint of excitement.

“What’s happening?” Qiao Jingting quickly asked.

“Xin Yue Hu is about to face a major event,” Shu Ai said, her bright eyes fixed on Qiao Jingting without blinking. “Perhaps it will be our opportunity.”

“What happened?”

“A ‘Judicator’ has been sent back to Xin Yue Hu. It just happened.”

Qiao Jingting had seen this name on the platform. “You mean someone who was punished and sent back to the beginner’s village for killing someone of a lower level?”

Shu Ai nodded vigorously and said with a trembling voice, “Level 9.”

Qiao Jingting took a sharp breath and murmured, “…Level 9.”

A Level 9 player must have already achieved great mastery and power. What kind of abilities would they possess?

Shu Ai opened the curtains and took a look. “The person’s name is Zou Yidao, around thirty years old, looks like a soldier.”

“What’s Han Bin’s reaction?” Qiao Jingting asked.

“Here, see for yourself.”

Qiao Jingting followed Shu Ai’s pointing finger and saw a tall, thin man wearing glasses.

Han Bin was completely different from what he had imagined. His attire and hairstyle appeared quite refined, like an ordinary office worker one would see on the streets. From a distance, he couldn’t see his expression clearly, but from his slightly bowed posture, he could sense a flattering demeanor. As for the person named Zou Yidao, he was sitting against a tree trunk, surrounded by others. Qiao Jingting could only see his outstretched legs in camouflage pants and military boots.

Qiao Jingting coldly remarked, “He knows what’s good for him.”

“No, he’s planning to be sneaky. That’s what he’s good at,” Shu Ai closed the curtains and said with resentment, “My brother trusted him, and that’s why he died by his hand.”

Qiao Jingting looked at Shu Ai without saying a word. If she wanted to speak, he would listen; if she didn’t want to speak, he wouldn’t ask.

Shu Ai lowered her head and said softly, “My brother used to be the strongest man in Xin Yue Hu, Level 5… He wasn’t a bad person. He only killed those who were wicked. After Han Bin came, he flattered us in every way, he knew how to speak and please others, and he deceived all of us. Then, when my brother was drunk…” Shu Ai bit her lip. “He obtained a large number of points and immediately rose in level.”

“Why didn’t he kill you?” Qiao Jingting understood why Shu Ai was so wary of him. If it were him, he would never be able to trust a stranger in his lifetime.

“Because of my level. He kept me alive so that when he needed it, he could have a Level 5 person appear, and then Zheng Wei would kill that Level 5 person, allowing Han Bin to immediately become Level 6. That bastard Han Bin didn’t dare to leave the beginner’s village alone; he wanted to train a few powerful underlings and take them away.” Shu Ai’s voice was filled with resentment.

Looking at her frail, trembling shoulders, and considering the pain and despair this girl must have experienced, losing her only family member in this bloody and cruel world, Qiao Jingting couldn’t help but feel pity. He reached out and squeezed Shu Ai’s shoulder. “Once I kill Han Bin, you can restore your face.”

Shu Ai looked up at him, her eyes shining, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t speak. She lowered her head again and whispered, “Let’s talk about it later.”

Qiao Jingting said, “So, you mean Han Bin will use the same strategy, pretend to flatter Zou Yidao, and when he least expects it, kill him?”

Shu Ai nodded. “He must be planning that. He is the most cunning person, unwilling to be someone’s underling.”

“But with Zou Yidao’s strength, he won’t be able to stay in the beginner’s village for long.”

“No, on the contrary, precisely because his level is so high, it will be difficult for him to leave the beginner’s village for a while.”

“Why?”

“The higher the level, the fewer points they earn for killing lower-level monsters, or even none at all. Zou Yidao is Level 9, which means even if he kills all the monsters in the beginner’s village, he won’t earn a single point. You see, the Punisher loses everything except their level and abilities, including their points. Without points, they can’t unlock the map. Even the cheapest map requires 100 points to unlock.”

“So, how does he earn points then?”

“I’ve heard that he needs to do quests. NPC quests, system quests, hidden quests, but quest points also depend on the level. Some quests won’t give him any points, while we can earn dozens or even hundreds of points. He can only get single-digit points. I don’t know how long the Punisher needs to leave the beginner’s village, but it certainly won’t be too short. That’s the system’s punishment for them.”

Qiao Jingting pondered for a moment. “Even if he can only earn 1 point at a time, it shouldn’t take him too long to accumulate 100 points, right?”

“It’s something only he knows. Anyway, Han Bin will definitely make his move before Zou Yidao leaves. Perhaps we can use Zou Yidao to get rid of Han Bin.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Shu Ai shook her head. “Not at the moment. Han Bin won’t let me get close to Zou Yidao.”

Qiao Jingting squinted his eyes. “I have an idea…”

In the middle of the night, the two of them quietly went to gray rats again to earn points, just like the previous day.

Zou Yidao’s appearance made them feel that an opportunity had arrived. If used well, they could eliminate Han Bin and his group, but regardless of how things developed, becoming stronger was their foundation.

They spent the night killing monsters and each earned just over a hundred points. They also picked up an item dropped by a gray rat—a Travel Scroll. For low-level monsters like this, they couldn’t drop anything good, and the chances were low. The Travel Scroll was used for teleportation, allowing them to quickly travel between the beginner’s village and distant monster areas. It was a basic functional item, similar to a Healing Scroll.

Back at Shu Ai’s home, the sky was turning bright. Despite not having slept all night, Qiao Jingting felt no trace of fatigue. He eagerly logged into the platform.

Xiao Shen looked at him coldly. “You can finally strengthen yourself, good.”

Qiao Jingting ignored her and opened the “Enhancement” interface that he hadn’t clicked on before.

The Enhancement section was further divided into “Main Body Enhancement,” “Auxiliary Skills,” and “Spirit Core Cleansing.” The checkboxes for the latter two were dimmed and couldn’t be selected.

Qiao Jingting asked, “What are the conditions for viewing the last two options?”

“Auxiliary Skills unlock after you obtain your first Skill Rune, and Spirit Core Cleansing requires you to reach Level 6.”

“Skill Rune?”

Xiao Yuan shook her head. “What have you been looking at during the day? You missed such an important thing as Skill Runes. Skill Runes can be purchased, dropped by monsters, or obtained through quests. They provide additional skills, but the skills from Skill Runes are all non-attack skills.”

Qiao Jingting curiously asked, “What kind of skills are available?”

Xiao Yuan blinked innocently and said, “I’m not telling you.”

Qiao Jingting took a deep breath, reminding himself not to argue with a brat.

“You praise me, and I’ll tell you one casually,” Xiao Yuan stood up from the oversized chair, adjusted his plaid suit, and bounced a couple of times. A sweet smile blossomed on his fair little face.

Qiao Jingting couldn’t help but roll his eyes inwardly as he patiently said, “Your outfits today look nice.”

Xiao Yuan grinned, “Although it’s not very sincere, I am an elf who keeps promises. I’ll tell you one. As for the auxiliary skills, there are many different types. For example, my favorite is ‘Nightingale,’ which gives people an amazing singing voice. They sing incredibly, incredibly, incredibly well!”

“My favorite is ‘Skinchanger,'” Xiao Shen said with a shallow smile. “Peeling off the skin of a living being and putting it on your face allows you to change your appearance.” With her waist-length black hair and round black eyes, coupled with her beautiful but lifeless little face, she resembled a delicate and chilling mechanical doll, giving people shivers.

“Interesting. What about ‘Cleansing Marrow’?” Qiao Jingting asked.

“I can’t tell you about ‘Cleansing Marrow.’ Who knows if you’ll live long enough to reach that point,” Xiao Yuan shrugged. “By the way, each person can only use three skill stones, and once you make a mistake, you can’t change it. The same goes for enhancement and marrow cleansing. In this game, you only have one life.”

“I understand,” Qiao Jingting opened the “Body Enhancement” menu.

The page for body enhancement was straightforward. On the left side was a full-body image of himself along with various data, while on the right was a hexagonal chart representing the distribution of data. Each corner represented an enhancement direction, divided into: physique, speed, spiritual power, intelligence, recovery power, and luck.

His six data points were: physique 26, speed 24, spiritual power 32, intelligence 19, recovery power 22, and luck 7. The hexagon clearly leaned towards physical strength, speed, and spiritual power.

“Luck?” Qiao Jingting didn’t quite understand this enhancement and called out to Xiao Yuan, “Hey, Xiao Yuan.”

“Hmm, why are you calling me?” Xiao Yuan’s face suddenly popped out from the shoulder of Qiao Jingting’s full-body photo.

Qiao Jingting said, “What does ‘luck’ mean?”

“It means ‘luck.’ If you enhance this aspect, you’ll become lucky,” Xiao Yuan glanced at his hexagon and exaggeratedly looked disapproving, “Tsk tsk, you have such bad luck.”

Qiao Jingting had to suppress the urge to beat him up eight hundred times a day. “Stop talking nonsense!”

“Luck, for example, increases the probability of monsters dropping items, increases the probability of evading attacks, increases the probability of getting good things, increases the probability of encountering good events, and increases the probability of sunny weather when going out.”

Qiao Jingting sneered, “That’s too superstitious.” The other five options were practical enhancements, but this ‘luck’ seemed out of place. No one would spend hard-earned points on this. Despite his bad luck, it hadn’t hindered him from growing up.

Xiao Yuan held his face and smiled, “This involves very profound philosophical questions of ‘causality’ and ‘determinism.’ I think ‘luck’ is never random but destined. Suppose you enhance luck to a very high level; then you’ll become very lucky. So, is it because you enhanced luck and then had the ’cause’ of becoming lucky? Or were you destined to become lucky, and enhancing luck was just a ‘decisive’ action taken to achieve this goal? ”

Qiao Jingting was somewhat bewildered by what he heard.

Xiao Yuan laughed, “You should at least raise your intelligence to 30 to discuss this question with me. If you raise it to 40, you can discuss this question with Laplace. Hmm… You don’t even know who Laplace is, do you? Anyway, as long as you enhance luck, you will definitely become lucky. Luck is actually a magnetic field of energy that can influence people and things around you. Through the butterfly effect of people and things, it eventually achieves the goal of changing the outcome. Simply put, it’s ‘changing fate.’ For example, the system will automatically select high-luck outcomes for you based on your luck level through complex calculations. The power of luck is immense. You have such bad luck; you better change it quickly.”

Qiao Jingting was skeptical, “Let’s talk about it later.” He currently only had a few points, and enhancing one point of physique cost 50 points. He could only enhance two points at most. He didn’t have time to worry about luck. No matter how lucky he became, he could die at any moment.

Without hesitation, he allocated all his points to physique. Then he felt a dizziness overcome him.

Characters like Qiao Rui would only appear after the protagonist left the newbie village.