Chapter Three: [For Reference]

Sunlight filtered through the paper windows, casting a gentle glow on the youthful, handsome face inside the room. As Yu Ge gradually awoke, his half-open eyes remained closed, but his right hand instinctively searched beneath the covers, fumbling as if seeking something.

After a while, finding nothing, his fingers brushed against the cold hilt of a dagger at the bedside. Startled, he opened his eyes. Gazing blankly at the dark beams overhead, he lingered for a few seconds before letting out a self-deprecating laugh.

What was he thinking? In this world, there were no cell phones.

He rose, washed up, used a willow twig to brush his teeth, and paused before leaving. Eventually, he tucked the black iron dagger into his belt.

The eerie red mist of the night had receded, revealing once more a fog-shrouded paradise outside. It looked beautiful. Had he not witnessed the peculiar red fog rolling in with the moon after sunset, no one would ever associate this little town with peril.

Winding through the picturesque streets, Yu Ge soon arrived at a square courtyard. Inside were numerous wooden stakes, stone weights, and simple weapons—swords, spears, hammers.

This was Zhao Ziming’s residence, the very man who stopped him at the town’s gate that evening when he had not yet merged with his memories and had wanted to venture out.

From his predecessor’s recollections, Zhao Ziming had a good relationship with his missing parents and had cared for him during a bout of fever. Now, awakened and aware of the strangeness pervading this land and uneasy about the town’s walls, Yu Ge felt that he needed some skills for self-defense—unlike his predecessor’s aimless existence.

It was simple: in this world, death came too easily.

Not just the demons lurking in the shadows—even facing the beasts roaming the wild forests required skill. In a world overrun by spirits and monsters, many creatures had mutated from exposure to dark energies.

Yu Ge had glimpsed a broader world than the townsfolk, whose roots ran deep and who had grown accustomed to their lot. For him, spending a lifetime here would never satisfy his restless heart.

The world was vast—why not seek it out?

Zhao Ziming had practiced martial arts, though his abilities couldn’t compare to those from the great cities. He had at least reached the tendon-forging stage, surpassing mere physical strength. Yu Ge wasn’t sure how powerful this stage was, but he’d seen Zhao Ziming lift a three-hundred-pound stone lock with one hand as if it were nothing, which clearly wasn’t the upper limit.

Because of this, Zhao Ziming was somewhat renowned in Cloud Gathering Town, where few practiced martial arts. A few days ago, after speaking with Zhao Ziming, Yu Ge borrowed the training equipment in the courtyard. Every afternoon before storytelling, he trained here.

Who knows—perhaps with enough persistence, he might reach the strong body stage.

In this world, there were no cultivators, but powerful martial artists existed. The demon slayers, whom Uncle Zhao spoke of with reverence, were such figures—though rare as phoenix feathers. Zhao Ziming had never seen one; Yu Ge only knew that supposedly one had to reach the fifth level to become one of these esteemed individuals.

Famous as Zhao Ziming was in the town, he too harbored aspirations, but lacking martial arts manuals, he’d been at the tendon-forging stage for years. According to Zhao Ziming, the great cataclysm had caused monsters and spirits to roam, heavens to overturn, and humanity to teeter on the edge. Most advanced martial arts manuals vanished in those disasters, buried beneath the dust of history, making it difficult for new heroes to emerge.

Even ordinary manuals were possessed only by people from the great cities.

Yu Ge’s current training relied solely on Zhao Ziming’s experience, devoid of any sophisticated techniques.

The path of martial arts was precarious; Yu Ge’s only reliance was the constellation within his mind.

Each star represented an achievement, and completing them yielded useful rewards. The largest star, if fulfilled, promised a generous prize—perhaps even tied to his strength.

So his training was, in truth, an attempt to trigger new achievements, especially the largest one.

He pushed open the door; Zhao Ziming was absent, likely teaching the children hunting skills on the southern slope. Yu Ge was unsurprised.

Familiar with the place, he walked into the courtyard, stopped before a hundred-pound stone lock, and began his daily lifting regimen.

A hundred pounds wasn’t much, but for his thin frame, repeatedly lifting it to his waist and lowering it made even simple things taxing.

After only a few dozen repetitions, sweat soaked his gray shirt, beads rolling down his temples.

He paused halfway after ten or so lifts.

From dawn until noon, Yu Ge, resting intermittently, completed a hundred lifts, but the expected achievement didn’t trigger.

Having finished his task for the day, he was about to head home when the three-hundred-pound stone lock caught his eye.

Heart pounding, he walked over, spread his legs, and heaved it to his knees, then dropped it suddenly.

It crashed loudly, just missing his feet.

“That was close. This stone lock is heavy,” Yu Ge muttered.

He stared at the lock. And stared again.

Confused, it seemed his hypothesis from yesterday was off. Another failed attempt convinced him the trigger mechanism wasn’t so straightforward.

Exhausted, with Zhao Ziming still absent, Yu Ge closed the courtyard gate and left.

“Hey, itchy—so itchy…”

Walking down the flagstone street, Yu Ge heard a lewd voice that caught his attention.

Looking over, he saw Wang the tailor from the north end, hunched and scratching vigorously under his shirt, his right hand reaching behind his back.

The movement was odd, and his face showed genuine pleasure.

How long had it been since he’d bathed?

Yu Ge clicked his tongue, unable to bear the tailor’s shameless display.

Back home, he prepared a meal, and in the afternoon, as usual, sat on the threshold, waiting for the children to come hear his stories.

In this entertainment-starved world, with dangers pressing from beyond the town, there were few amusements for the children—even though Yu Ge’s stories always ended badly.

But they came, as always.

Yu Ge hadn’t broken this habit, hoping it might trigger other achievements.

An hour passed as usual, but nothing happened, so he switched stories. Even with complete endings, apart from the previous three achievements, nothing new was triggered.

It seemed storytelling had reached its limit.

With no more tales to hear, the children soon dispersed.

Yu Ge returned to his courtyard, mind sinking into his consciousness.

He now had three achievements; one completed, two left, their rewards unknown.

This was what he found so sly about the system—he could never anticipate what it would grant. Each reward felt as thrilling as cracking open a loot box.

Achievement: “A Ruthless One”

Completion conditions: Recklessly test the limits three times; current progress: 1/3.

Reward: Unknown.

This achievement wasn’t particularly difficult—at least easier than breaking his weapon. The wording implied risking death.

It reminded him of an incident half a month ago, when his predecessor passed by Butcher Zhao’s house at night and overheard something.

Did he have to reenact his predecessor’s actions?

He pinched his chin, considering that this might be worth a try.