《Cultivation Online [A LITRPG VR Adventure]》


 Chapter 01 - The Game Begins

    Cultivation Online


    With a flash of pale-blue light, my surroundings changed. Darkness morphed into colours, which in return turned into a variety of shapes.


    Suddenly, I was no longer in my bed; I was standing in a large plaza, wearing a surprisingly scratchy grayish-white tunic and a pair of brown cloth pants which offered little to no protection.


    My outfit was obviously not rare since every other person standing on the plaza alongside me wore the same thing. Even the girls did.


    ¡°Wow, look at the graphics!¡± A nearby man said, waving his hand around in front of him.


    ¡°Bro, did you feel that? Did you feel the breeze just now?¡± Another young man said, excitedly caressing his cheek.


    Similar phenomena were occurring all over the plaza as new players struggled to acclimatize to the most technologically advanced VR game of the century.


    ¡°It''s like another world.¡± I thought as I looked up at the sky, where I saw three birds with four wings flapping away in the distance.


    I really was in a fantasy world.


    Deciding to move on before the starting plaza became too crowded, I walked in the first direction that struck my fancy.


    On the way, I disturbingly took note of the fact that the NPCs working in the background had no indicators differentiating them from players. Consequently, one wouldn''t be able to tell if someone was a player based on their appearance alone.


    A red-eyed teenager with unnaturally crimson hair ran past me in excitement.


    ¡°Okay¡­ maybe I was wrong.¡± If all players had designed their characters as flamboyantly as that guy, it would be easy to distinguish them.


    Just as I was about to exit the plaza, however, a notice board filled with fliers grabbed my attention.


    Joining the small crowd in front of it, I read the notices.


    ¡°The guards are employing new trainees huh, that¡¯s sure to attract some attention.¡±


    The next piece of paper had a cat drawn on it.


    ¡°Someone''s lost their cat and is looking for it.¡± I smiled as I recalled the similar notice I''d recently seen in the real world. ¡°This smells like a quest.¡±


    In fact, the majority of the numerous fliers on the board contained information about a variety of different tasks and potential occupations.


    Yet, the notice that grabbed my attention was naturally the largest one, with an ornate crest of a white tiger embellished on it.


    ¡°The White Tiger Sect is recruiting new disciples.¡± I read slowly. ¡°Age requirement: between the ages of thirteen to eighteen.¡±


    Suddenly, I understood why the character customization had insisted on creating a teenager.


    It was so we would be eligible to join sects.


    Shaking my head I memorized the time and place for the recruitment and moved on.


    Even without excited players clamoring around, I reckoned that the city would still have been bustling with activity. Now, with the flurry of players running around, the streets were nearly impossible to traverse.


    Initially, it had been a novel experience, but the longer it took for me to get anywhere, the more annoyed I got.


    And I wasn''t the only one.


    Three times I had already witnessed angry NPC guards apprehend mischievous players. Some of whom were behaving very childishly.


    ¡°At least they act their current age.¡± I smiled to myself. I reckoned I was a lot older than the majority of these players, heck, I even had children of my own playing somewhere in this virtual world.


    Reminded of my children I awkwardly opened my friend tab.


    ¡°There doesn''t seem to be a way to send friend requests without being physically present¡­¡± I noted to myself. ¡°I guess I will have to talk to them later and ask where they wound up.¡±


    According to the guide who''d helped me with the character customization, players were spawned according to their real life location. And since I lived in a different country, it was probably safe to conclude that my children would be far away at the moment.


    Finally, I reached the city¡¯s outer gate. Even here, players were scurrying around, probably looking for lost treasures and hidden quests.


    As far as I could tell, Cultivation Online was a hyper realistic VR game. There were no actual quests or classes, instead, one progressed by cultivating a mystical energy called qi.


    As someone intimately familiar with the Wuxia/Xianxia genre, I was incredibly excited about the prospect of cultivating, defying heaven, and grasping immortality. I dare say more so than my children, who were more interested in the adventure that the new online game heralded.


    Even if it was all in the VR world.


    Naturally, first on my priority list was learning how to cultivate. The urge to sit down in the lotus position and blindly grasp in the dark was strong, but I reckoned that even if I somehow managed to create my own cultivation method (which I strongly doubted) the quality wouldn''t compare to a cultivation method taught by an established sect.


    And so far, I''d only heard of the White Tiger Sect. A prestigious name, at least from a Xianxia perspective.


    The new recruitment would occur in a remote village called Durnatel, located two days away from the starting city of Easton.


    ¡°But which way do I go¡­¡± Opening my inventory, all I found was a stale piece of bread and 10 copper coins. The value of which I didn''t know, but I reckoned it was low.


    Approaching one of the more angry-looking guards standing by the gate, I balled my fists in greeting like I had seen other NPCs do to people of repute.


    ¡°Excuse me sir guard, would you be so kind as to give me directions to Durnatel?¡± I asked, figuring it wouldn''t hurt to show a bit of humility.


    The guard scoffed in response.


    ¡°Another lad with a deathwish?¡± The guard clicked his tongue in irritation. ¡°Be gone with you, not any street rat can become a cultivator.¡±


    Opening my inventory, I stealthily flaunted a pair of copper coins, betting on the nature of human greed.


    Again, the guard scoffed in response, but he took the coins nonetheless.


    ¡°It''s your life.¡± He shook his head in disapproval before continuing. ¡°Go to the eastern gate. There you should find a caravan headed for Durnatel. Look for a merchant called Quan Zan. Tell him Guard Yang sent you. Now be gone.¡±


    I didn''t forget to ball my fists in gratitude before I left, two copper coins poorer.


    As soon as I went away, two other players rushed the irritated guard who I had just left behind.


    ¡­


    Finding the eastern gate took some effort, but thankfully I found a nice old grandma who didn''t mind giving me directions for free. When she heard I was heading to Durnatel, all she asked for in return was for me to keep an eye out for a young lad called Ye Feng. Apparently, her grandson was also aspiring to become a cultivator.


    Offering her my heartfelt gratitude, I naturally promised to do so.


    To my surprise, the eastern gate was a lot more bustling than the southern one. Not only were there more players here, but several caravans were either entering or leaving the city, bringing people and goods with them.


    After asking around for a bit, I eventually found the caravan with a merchant named Quan Zan in it.


    ¡°Greetings Quan Zan, Guard Yang told me to approach you for passage to Durnatel.¡± I said, balling my fists in greeting. The gesture had worked for me so far, and until it didn''t, I figured it was as good as any.


    ¡°That miserable old guard did?¡± Quan Zan looked me over with a pair of bushy, raised eyebrows. ¡°What a surprise, you must have left quite the impression on the old geezer if he sent you to me.¡±


    Hearing the merchant¡¯s words, I looked back on the encounter I had had with the guard and the two copper I had handed him for the information.


    ¡°I definitely didn''t leave any sort of impression.¡± Nevertheless, it would be a blunder to correct the merchant''s misconception since it suited my current objective nicely.


    ¡°I heard your caravan is heading for Durnatel; I''m willing to serve as a guard if you let me accompany you.¡±


    The merchant looked at my arms with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°You know how to use a sword?¡± He asked.


    Remembering all the years I had spent learning kendo in my youth, I nodded.


    ¡°I''m decent.¡± I said.


    The merchant responded with an amused smile; he didn''t seem to believe me.


    ¡°Since you''re recommended by old Yang, it would be foolish of me not to humour your request. Fine, you will join our caravan as a guard, but know that there will be no reimbursement unless you prove yourself useful. Is that clear lad?¡±


    Nodding my head I balled my fists in gratitude.


    ¡°Good." Quan Zan looked at the rest of the bustling caravan. ¡°We will leave in two more hours, and we won''t wait for you if you''re not here by then.¡±


    ¡°I won''t miss it.¡± I promised easily. It wasn''t like I had anything else to do.


    Quan Zan dismissed me with a nod.


    After looking around for a bit, I eventually found a nice, secluded shade from which I could observe the happenings of the gate.


    I still couldn''t get over how lifelike the game was. The NPCs acted incredibly naturally and behaved indistinguishably compared to real humans.


    Treating them like mindless NPCs would definitely be a blunder.


    Suddenly, a group of players ran past me, heading for the gate.


    ¡°A guild?¡± I smiled as I remembered all the time I spent with my old gaming buddies. As I grew older, more and more real-life responsibilities meant that I didn''t have as much time to play videogames anymore.


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    ¡°I wonder if they are also playing CO.¡± I thought to myself. Maybe I should try reconnecting with them?


    Nibbling on the bread in my inventory, I realized I actually did have tasks to complete before I headed off.


    And so, with eight whole copper coins to my name, I searched for a place to procure some provisions.


    ¡­


    After a lot of haggling I was left with a measly two copper coins. In exchange, however, I had procured three loaves of stale bread, and a second-hand waterskin with crisp water sloshing around in it.


    Looking at my inventory, I nodded satisfactorily. It wasn''t much, but if rationed properly, it would get me to Durnatel.


    I hope.


    With a bit less than an hour left until the caravan left, I decided to quickly logout and catch-up on some real life chores.


    After a visit to the bathroom, a cheese-and-ham sandwich, and some text messages to my children, I was ready to log in again.


    Disappearing from my quiet one-bedroom apartment, I reappeared in the bustling street of Easton.


    When he noticed me, Quan Zan greeted me with a nod before returning to the conversation he had with two other men, probably merchants.


    When the horse-led carriages began rattling and moving, I couldn''t help but to feel a childish sense of wonder course through me.


    ¡°Amazing.¡± I smiled as I walked alongside one of Quan Zan¡¯s wagons.


    Outside the gates, multiple wide-open fields with some form of grain growing in them stretched into the distance. With a clear blue sky blanketing the city and its surroundings, it truly seemed like I had traveled back in time.


    Now that we were leaving the city, it quickly became clear that I wasn''t the only resourceful player who''d found a way to join the caravan.


    After some surveillance, I counted at least a dozen teenagers who I thought were potential players. Without any indicators, it was all guesswork.


    The caravan itself consisted of around twenty carriages and around forty horses. Riding on the carriages were the merchants and more affluent people who could afford to.


    Excluding the players, there were at least twenty swordsmen tasked with protecting the caravan and its wares.


    After about an hour of sightseeing, a sudden prompt appeared before my eyes.


    [¡°Attention! This is a world-wide announcement congratulating player Fishbones for being the first person to successfully create an original cultivation method!¡±]


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Another player exclaimed behind me.


    I couldn''t hide my envy either.


    ¡°Damn, should I have tried cultivating by myself after all?¡± An original cultivation method, who didn''t want to create one for themselves?


    Ultimately, however, when considering the thousands upon thousands of players logged in right now, someone was bound to do the impossible.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head. ¡°I''m doing the right thing.¡± Even if I beat the odds and successfully created a cultivation method, I still wouldn''t have the resources to advance my cultivation without a sect backing me up.


    In the long run, joining a sect was definitely the best option I had available.


    After six more hours of uneventful traveling, but with beautiful scenery, one of the caravan leaders announced that it was time to take a break and feed the horses. Helping the rest of Quan Zan¡¯s workers set up a temporary camp, I was surprisingly rewarded with a copper coin afterwards.


    ¡°I guess this is another way to prove myself useful.¡± I smiled as the coin joined two of its new friends in my inventory.


    ¡°Oi boy!¡± I looked around only to realize that the ¡°boy¡± the approaching young man was referring to was me.


    ¡°Oh right, my character is fifteen.¡± I smiled at my forgetfulness.


    Seeing the smile on my face, the young man smirked challengingly.


    ¡°I heard from Mister Quan that you''re supposedly handy with a sword.¡± The young man rested one of his hands on the sword tied to his waist. ¡°Personally, I¡¯d be surprised if a scrawny little rat like you can lift, much less swing, a sword.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately,¡± I answered slowly, realizing that there was a small group of swordsmen watching our interaction in amusement. ¡°My proficiency with the sword isn''t contingent on your approval.¡±


    Shock turned into laughter as the group watching heard what I said.


    The young swordsman in front of me wasn''t laughing, however. Instead, his previous smirk had turned into a displeased frown.


    ¡°Oi oi oi, you started this young man.¡± I thought inwardly.


    ¡°Oh?¡± The young swordsman forced a smile. ¡°Since you''re so confident, you would not mind making a little wager, would you?¡±


    Raising an eyebrow at his words, the young man continued.


    ¡°A spar. If you can last twenty, no, ten bouts against me, I''ll give you a silver. How does that sound?¡±


    Intrigued, I looked between the young man and his friends who nodded, urging me to agree.


    ¡°And if I lose?¡± I asked simply.


    The young swordsman smirked as if he''d already won.


    ¡°Dont worry, I''ll go easy on you. If you lose, you will just have to do my chores for the rest of the caravan.¡±


    Just as I was about to agree to the wager, he added, ¡°And you will refer to me as your grandfather.¡±


    Immediately, the observing group erupted in laughter.


    Personally, it took me a few seconds before I realized that it was an insult.


    ¡°I don''t mind sparring with you, but don''t you think the terms of your wager are a bit too one-sided?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The young man raised an eyebrow in response.


    ¡°My grandfather is worth more than a measly silver coin.¡± I shook my head exaggeratedly, in reality, my grandfather was dead. ¡°Instead of a silver, if I win, I want your sword.¡±


    Again, the group watching cackled as if what I had said was the most hilarious thing they¡¯d ever heard.


    Even the young swordsman chuckled in response.


    ¡°Fine, if you can last ten bouts, I''ll give you my sword. Though I doubt you can carry it.¡±


    Realizing I forgot something I quickly added.


    ¡°Oh, and I''m also going to have to borrow a sword.¡±


    ¡­


    Feeling the heavy metal sword in my hand, I looked around at the crowd that had quickly gathered. Apparently, word of our little bet had spread like wildfire in the caravan.


    ¡°I guess everyone wants a bit of entertainment.¡± I remarked inwardly.


    On the opposite side of the clearing stood the young swordsman who looked like he really enjoyed all the attention he was getting. Like most NPCs, the man was tanned and fit. It didn''t exactly take a genius to conclude that the young man was stronger than me.


    ¡°I can do this.¡± I hadn''t held a sword in what felt like ages. And I had never actually fought with a sword capable of shedding blood before.


    An older swordsman stepped forth, glancing at me before focusing on my opponent.


    ¡°The spar will be until first surrender or until ten bouts have elapsed. No permanent injuries are allowed. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yessir.¡± My opponent said.


    I just nodded.


    ¡°Last chance to back out.¡± The older swordsman said, looking at me. When he realized I wasn''t caving in, the experienced swordsman shook his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Begin.¡±


    Immediately, a couple of players began howling at me from the crowd, but my focus was glued to my opponent.


    Approaching with a smirk, he attacked with an overconfident overhead swing.


    Holding my one handed sword with both hands, I parried the sword aside before stepping into his guard.


    Shocked at my boldness, the swordsman didn''t have enough time to react before I swiftly bashed the pommel into his sternum.


    Retreating two steps, the young swordsman clutched his chest in agony. I didn''t doubt for a second that his chest hurt excruciatingly.


    However, I wasn''t one to give my opponents time to recollect themselves.


    Swinging the heavy sword with both hands, I took advantage of his bad composure.


    Unfortunately, the young swordsman wasn''t completely useless.


    My hands vibrated as metal clashed against metal. However, realizing that my opponent, who had only used one hand, wasn''t faring much better, I swiftly repositioned before kicking him in the knee.


    Ignoring the painful scream that erupted from my opponent, I swung my sword again.


    This time, the young man failed to react in time.


    And thus, holding the shaking sword with two hands against his neck, I waited for someone to announce my victory.


    Only to remember that it was a fight until either surrender or ten bouts, and if I remembered correctly, the fight had ended in four.


    ¡°Surrender.¡± I said to my opponent, unwilling to shed blood if I didn''t have to.


    When the young swordsman gritted his teeth, I recognized what he was about to do immediately.


    Stepping aside, I dodged the disorganized lunge and kicked him in the other leg.


    This time, my opponent keeled over.


    Resting the heavy sword against his chest, I looked the young man dead in the eye.


    ¡°Surrender.¡±


    A glint of unwillingness and hatred flashed in his eyes, but when he felt the weight of the sword against his still aching chest, the young man reluctantly closed his eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ surrender.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 02 - Swordsmanship

    Chapter 02


    After a brief moment of silence, I was showered in applause. Only my opponent¡¯s closest confidants remained silent. The rest of the spectators erupted in cheers. The loudest of whom came from my fellow players.


    ¡°Oh my god! Bro just wiped the floor with that turd.¡±


    ¡°Wow! Did you hear that bone crack? Fuck, man¡¯s definitely in a world of pain right now.¡±


    ¡°Dude, that was absolutely awesome! Where did you learn how to fight like that?¡±


    Ignoring the questions for now, I instead focused on the new prompt that had appeared after the fight.


    [¡°By successfully defeating an armed opponent in a bout of swordplay, you have unlocked the proficiency ¡°Swordsmanship¡±. You can check the progress of your proficiencies under the proficiency tab.¡±]


    Surprised, I opened the tab which I had hitherto not known about.


    [Proficiencies]


    [¡°Swordsmanship¡± - Beginner Lv.1]


    ¡°Cool.¡± I muttered beneath my breath. The tab was spartan, but would without doubt prove useful once I started accruing more proficiencies.


    Turning, I looked at the senior swordsman who surprisingly nodded at me respectfully.


    ¡°Well done, young man.¡± The man congratulated me on my victory while his friends took care of my moaning opponent. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last saw someone as young and skillful with the sword as you.¡±


    The serious look on the man¡¯s face faded as he smiled before joking.


    ¡°I cannot help but think that you remind me a bit of myself!¡±


    The rest of the swordsmen groaned in unison.


    ¡­


    The senior swordsman introduced himself as Hou Wen and he was apparently the leader of a small guard detail working for one of the more affluent guests of the caravan. While he was a bit secretive concerning his employer, Hou Wen loudly expressed how glad he was that quote ¡°not all caravan guards were a useless waste of space¡± end of quote.


    The eavesdropping players had not appreciated that comment.


    Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t have to badger any of them to uphold their end of the wager as before five minutes had passed, I was handed a sturdy sword kept in a scabbard. Immediately, I recognized the scabbard as the one which previously had been tied to my opponent¡¯s waist.


    ¡°This is definitely worth more than a silver.¡± I thought with a satisfied smile, the weight of the sword reassured me.


    When the guard detail retreated to lick their wounds and laugh at the poor sod who¡¯d lost against me, three players approached.


    ¡°Man, that fight was epic.¡± The first teenager said dreamily; he was a young man sporting black curly hair and bright yellow eyes. The yellow eyes easily distinguished him as a player.


    ¡°Yeah, you wiped the floor with that guy. Well done.¡± Another player said; a young woman with purple hair. Moreover, she seemed awfully fixated on the sword that I had now tied to my belt.


    The third player remained quiet, but, like his peer, he looked at me in admiration. The boy looked like he had chosen the youngest age option when he¡¯d created his character but otherwise looked quite natural with blonde hair and blue eyes.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I answered before realizing I didn¡¯t know their names. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Oh right!¡± The curly, black-haired boy laughed. ¡°The name¡¯s DarkKnight, but you can call me Dark.¡±


    ¡°I am not calling him Dark.¡± I immediately decided.


    ¡°And this is my younger brother Li-*cough*, I mean Atom.¡± The black-haired teenager gestured at the blonde boy who liked like he was thirteen. ¡°He¡¯s not actually thirteen, of course, but at least now, his appearance actually matches his introvertness.¡± Dark laughed.


    Meanwhile, Atom glared at his older brother.


    ¡°You suck.¡± He simply said.


    ¡°And I am Luna.¡± The young woman introduced herself with a handshake, not afraid of eye-contact.


    ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡± I returned smilingly. ¡°My name¡¯s Bishop.¡±


    ¡°Great, now that that¡¯s out of the way.¡± Dark smiled what he probably thought was an endearing smile. ¡°You don¡¯t think you can teach us how to do that?¡±


    ¡°Fight, you mean?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    Before Dark could respond, however, Luna interjected.


    ¡°That was a skill, right?¡± She said, referring to something I had done during the fight. ¡°That parry, I mean. I searched in the city, but there weren¡¯t any skill instructors.¡± Her eyes narrowed.


    Shaking my head I answered honestly.


    ¡°No skill involved I¡¯m afraid.¡± I said before realizing I was, in fact, lying. ¡°At least no Skill-skill. I was merely doing what I have learnt in the real world.¡±


    ¡°Arrrgghhhh!¡± Dark exclaimed in exaggerated dejection. ¡°Of course! God forbid the game should be user friendly!¡± He complained about how spartan the game was.


    After a brief hesitation, I decided to share my discovery with them.


    ¡°Although I haven¡¯t found any skills yet,¡± I emphasized. ¡°I did unlock a proficiency called ¡°swordsmanship¡±.¡±


    Seeing the teenager perk up at my words, I continued. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you can unlock it too if you start fighting with a sword. In fact, I bet there are loads of different proficiencies out there.¡±


    ¡°Proficiencies? Maybe I can be an archer after all.¡± The young boy, Atom, muttered to himself.


    ¡°But those require weapons, don¡¯t they?¡± Luna was quick to point out the issue. ¡°And there is no way you could be persuaded to sell your sword, is there?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even have to answer, it seemed.


    ¡°Maybe I can do what you did.¡± Dark mused out loud. ¡°Maybe I just need to challenge one of the guards?¡±


    Observing him, it was like a light bulb had been turned on in his head. Opening my mouth to warn him, I hesitated before ultimately deciding to close it again.


    ¡°If he wants to try it, it¡¯s his choice.¡± Suddenly, I remembered what Guard Yang had said.


    ¡°It¡¯s your life.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


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    ¡­


    As I expected, Dark didn¡¯t unlock any proficiency. Yet, his time wasn¡¯t entirely wasted as he did become more proficient at taking a punch. Watching his endeavors, there were multiple factors that contributed to his failure.


    Firstly, the remaining guards had learnt their lesson and they took their challenger seriously from the get go; no more overconfident overhead swings to take advantage of. Secondly, albeit quick on his feet, Dark fumbled whilst handling his sword which, to his evident surprise, was a lot heavier than he had thought. Thirdly, and finally, after losing his few remaining copper coins, there weren¡¯t many who were willing to accept his little gauntlet anymore.


    At least the guards got a good laugh when Dark addressed one of them as grandpa. I reckoned it did much to alleviate some of the harsher feelings induced by my victory.


    Unlike their travel companion, Luna didn¡¯t challenge any of the guards, instead, like me, she patiently observed Dark¡¯s efforts and took note of what worked and didn¡¯t work.


    Finally, Atom seemed like the kind of person who would rather opt out of a fight whenever he could.


    Caressing my new sword, I smiled as I helped Quan Zan pack up camp.


    Apparently, we still had three more hours until nightfall, and the caravan leader wasn¡¯t willing to waste it.


    Now that I was properly acquainted with three of the players in the caravan, we naturally chose to travel together.


    ¡°Do you think the sect recruitment will be difficult?¡± Dark asked as we walked side by side. Next to Dark, Atom fiddled with a twig he¡¯d found on the side of the road. Luna was half a step behind me.


    ¡°There will most likely be some kind of test.¡± I said, not afraid to offer my thoughts on the issue. ¡°But I can¡¯t say how difficult it¡¯ll be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably pass it easily¡­¡± Dark muttered quietly; his eyes glancing at the sword hanging from my waist.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I said. ¡°But without knowing what the test assesses, I¡¯m not taking anything for granted. And I doubt combat ability is the only thing they will look at.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Luna asked.


    Turning around to look at her, I hesitated before answering.


    ¡°How familiar are you guys with the Xianxia genre?¡± I answered her question with one of my own.


    ¡°I know a bit.¡± Dark revealed. ¡°When they announced the release of Cultivation Online, I studied it of course. Xianxia is about attaining immortality, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s more of a mix of different philosophies. Inspired by Chinese religion, martial arts, traditions, mythology, and Daoism, xianxia is about cultivating qi to strengthen the body, mind, and spirit. In doing so, you basically ¡°level up¡± and become stronger. In some cases, you even unlock supernatural powers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I read about that.¡± Dark added. ¡°I heard we can fly and get telekinetic powers.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators can, yes.¡± I corrected. ¡°At this point of the game, everyone is still mortal.¡±


    ¡°Except Fishbones.¡± Luna pointed out.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I assuaged. I doubted he¡¯d progressed far without support.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get how any of this has to do with the test though?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°So, in most Xianxia stories, one must be talented enough to be accepted into a sect. Naturally, it differs in different stories, but basically, talent dictates your innate ability to absorb, refine, and cultivate qi.¡±


    ¡°So the test will assess our talent?¡± Dark asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my conjecture.¡± I nodded. Ultimately, however, it was all guesswork. The playerbase would flip if something as arbitrary as chance or fate decided who gets to be an omnipotent immortal and who is destined to remain as powerless as an insect.


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m feeling kinda nervous all of a sudden.¡± Dark laughed awkwardly. ¡°It kinda reminds me of tests back in high-school hahah..¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± I said. ¡°In the end, all any of us can do is our best.¡±


    Unfortunately, my words did little to assuage their worries.


    Or my own.


    ¡­


    When dusk approached, the caravan stopped for the night. Apparently, traversing the road at night was a fool¡¯s errand. Though we had yet to see any, the guards claimed there were monsters - and worse - lurking behind the treelines, waiting anticipatingly for foolish travelers to wander into the woods.


    For some reason, when I looked into the ancient forest, I didn¡¯t doubt their words the slightest.


    Unlike the last pitstop we¡¯d made, a proper camp with tents was set up. The horses had to be groomed and a parameter had to be established. Like last time, I helped out and earned a copper coin for my efforts.


    ¡°Slowly I¡¯m becoming the richest player out there.¡± I thought as I nibbled the stale bread I had bought.


    Around camp, I noticed that the remaining players had formed several cliques, with mine being one of them.


    Surprisingly, some players had wandered off, leaving the safety of the caravan to fend for themselves. I both respected and derided the decision. Yet, like the wise guard had said, it was their lives.


    According to Quan Zan, we¡¯d made good ground today and would most likely arrive at Durnatel sometime tomorrow evening.


    I didn¡¯t necessarily look forward to another day of travelling on foot but I was excited about our destination.


    Unwilling to sleep on the forest floor, I didn¡¯t hesitate to log out for the night.


    ¡­


    Silently, I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. In it, a middle-aged man with way too many gray hairs stared back at me. Compared to my youthful character in Cultivation Online, my real body seemingly had much to make up for.


    Sighing, I brushed my teeth, sent a couple of text messages to my children, and went to bed.


    ¡­


    The next morning was starkly different compared to my normal morning routine. I basically inhaled my morning coffee, forwent scrolling on my phone entirely, and dipped in and out of my long shower with a toothbrush in my mouth.


    Then, before I had even said so much as a word, I logged in to Cultivation Online again.


    Back at the camp, I took a deep breath, savoring the fresh, woody smell of pine and the earthy smell of moss. Looking around, I quickly discovered that I might have rushed a bit too much. Most NPCs were still fast asleep.


    Impatient to get started, I walked off to do some morning exercises.


    Holding the heavy one-handed sword in both hands, I frowned as I recalled my old kendo drills.


    ¡°Relax your shoulders.¡± I thought as I repositioned my feet. After a few breaths, I started.


    ¡°Was it always this difficult?¡± I complained as my arms began to ache. Nevertheless, I stubbornly continued. I had once been able to do all these drills without stopping, as such, I wouldn¡¯t need to rest now either.


    Nearly an hour later, I had gone through three different drills and was positively leaking sweat.


    ¡°This is going to smell later¡­¡±


    Still, I wouldn¡¯t stop smiling as I read the new prompt.


    [¡°You have invented a new ¡®Basic Swordsmanship Training¡¯ exercise. As the creator of this exercise, please name it.¡±]


    After thinking for a bit, I decided.


    ¡°Bishop¡¯s Kendo Drills.¡±


    [¡°Bishop¡¯s Kendo Drills executed. Performance rating 31%.¡±]


    [¡°Results: +1 Swordsmanship Lv. (Beginner 1 > 2); upper body strength, breathing, and endurance have improved marginally.¡±]


    ...

 Chapter 03 - The Cultivator

    <h2>Chapter 03</h2>


    Fortunately, the rest of the morning passed expeditiously. The merchants and their workers were obviously competent at their work as before long, the camp was reassembled and the horses fastened to their wagons.


    For some reason, despite helping out, I didn¡¯t receive a copper coin this time. However, after some deliberation, I decided to abstain from asking why.


    Additionally, as the caravan leaders announced it was time to take off, a worrisome problem appeared


    Dark and Atom were still offline.


    When I asked the still drowsy Luna if she could contact them, she shrugged and explained that they had met in Easton and weren¡¯t actually friends in real life.


    Thus, it was with a heavy heart that we continued on our journey to Durnatel.


    ¡­


    Luna wasn¡¯t nearly as competent as Dark at conversing with other people. And since she didn¡¯t show any interest in fostering a conversation, I similarly chose to focus on the journey we had ahead of us instead.


    Looking around the caravan, it dawned on me that Atom and Dark weren¡¯t the only players who¡¯d missed the caravan¡¯s take off.


    ¡°I hope they¡¯ll survive.¡± So far, the roads had seemed safe to traverse, at least during the day. But then again, that might be because of the large group I was in.


    ¡°Hopefully, I¡¯ll see them in Durnatel.¡±


    The caravan continued without any obstacles or issues and despite my worst fears, no bandits attacked us. Then again, with the number of armed guards employed by the caravan, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised.


    A couple hours after midday, the caravan stopped to rest. Many of the players groaned as they collapsed to the ground, not used to this kind of physical labour. Unlike them, however, I actively approached Hou Wen¡¯s guard detail.


    When I arrived at their camp, the swordsman I had beaten up yesterday immediately glowered at me; yet, when he noticed that I wasn¡¯t perturbed by his glare, he scoffed and ignored me.


    ¡°How petulant.¡± I sighed in disappointment.


    ¡°Well well well, if it isn¡¯t the prodigy swordsman!¡± Hou Wen greeted me with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile. Around him, four other veteran guards sized me up like I was a lamb ready for slaughter.


    ¡°Hello Hou Wen.¡± I greeted with a clasped fist, an action which had an immediate positive effect on the group of mercenaries. ¡°I¡¯m here to request another spar.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The leader looked at his men, some of whom seemed intrigued by the idea. ¡°Are you looking to make another wager perhaps?¡±


    Shaking my head, I clarified. ¡°There¡¯s no need for a wager, all I¡¯m looking for is a way to improve my swordsmanship before the White Tiger Sect¡¯s recruitment.¡±


    Hou Wen smacked his knee in laughter before standing up to stretch his back.


    ¡°Spoken like a true swordsman indeed!¡± Hou Wen sized me up with a predatory smile. ¡°I know I said it yesterday, but you truly do remind me of myself when I was younger.¡±


    For some reason, no one groaned this time.


    ¡°I do not mind giving you a quick lesson, young man.¡± Hou Wen threw a look at one of his men, who nodded before walking away to one of their carriages. ¡°But first, isn¡¯t it time you introduced yourself?¡±


    Realizing my faux pas, I quickly apologized.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± I said, feeling a bit chagrined. I still wasn¡¯t used to having to introduce myself to NPCs. ¡°You¡¯re right of course. My name is Bishop.¡±


    ¡°Swordsman Bishop huh.¡± For some reason, the NPC showed no outward reaction over my foreign name, which obviously wasn¡¯t of Chinese origin like theirs.


    ¡°Maybe the NPCs have been programmed not to notice it?¡± In the end, it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Well, hurry on then Bishop, draw your sword. I ain''t got all day.¡± Hou Wen smiled, holding his scabbard in his hand, his sword still sheathed.


    Looking around their camp, I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Here?¡± I asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move somewhere more suitable for a spar?¡± Moreover, there was the risk of accidentally hurting someone.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first lesson I''ll teach you today, Bishop.¡± Hou Wen took a step towards me, and something about his stance immediately put me on guard. ¡°Sometimes, you will have to be ready to fight even in lousy conditions.¡±


    Before I could answer him, he attacked.


    Scrambling to deflect his scabbard, I winced as I realized it was a feint.


    Dodging in panic, I barely avoided getting beaten into a pulp in the first exchange.


    ¡°Which brings us to my second lesson.¡± Hou Wen smiled as he renewed his attack, keeping me on the defensive and unable to launch an attack of my own. ¡°An experienced swordsman will take advantage of your proclivity to look your opponent in the eye during a fight.¡±


    Hou Wen glanced at my right arm, only to flick his wrist and swing at my left.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I panicked as his sword seemingly coiled like a snake before me. Acting on instinct, I blocked the blow with my arm; fortunately for me, Hou Wen¡¯s scabbard wasn''t sharp. Unfortunately for me, it still hurt like a motherfucker.


    Off balance and in pain, I struggled to keep up with my opponent, who was already preparing another swing.


    Lifting my sword to block, my eyes widened as a single collision was sufficient to fling it away from my grasp.


    ¡°And finally,¡± Hou Wen rested his heavy sheath on my shoulder. ¡°When facing a physically stronger opponent, evade or redistribute, don¡¯t try to block.¡±


    Somehow, the spar was over before it even had a chance to begin.


    Luckily, only the guard detail and Luna witnessed my embarrassing display of swordsmanship.


    Before I could thank the man for his lessons, however, a consoling prompt materialized before me.


    [¡°You have been taught a valuable lesson in swordsmanship by the Guard Captain, Hou Wen. As a result, your swordsmanship proficiency has increased immensely.¡±]


    [¡°Results: +2 Swordsmanship Lv. (Beginner 2 > 4). Spatial combat awareness has improved marginally.¡±]


    Dusting myself off, I clasped my hands in gratitude; meanwhile, I did my best to ignore the sharp pain that suddenly pierced through my aching arm.


    ¡°Thank you for the lessons, Hou Wen.¡± I said honestly. Though a bit unfair, the spar had given me a lot to think about.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    First, I realized I was way too trusting of strangers. Hou Wen¡¯s attack startled me more than it should have. I wasn''t in civilized society any more, and it was time I started acting like it. Moreover, it would be a waste of my brand new sword if I wasn¡¯t prepared to use it at a moment¡¯s notice


    Second, I wasn''t an experienced swordsman. I had some sparring experience, sure, but when it comes to actual fights, I struggled to keep up with my opponent.


    Third, unlike the majority of people in the real world, these NPCs actually know how to fight. Hou Wen''s advice about not relying too much on my opponent¡¯s eye-movements was something of an eye-opener; pun intended.


    After some self-reflection, a new goal emerged. I had to adopt a more holistic approach in my swordsmanship moving forward. Although it would be difficult, in order to avoid falling for feints so often, I had to start paying more attention to my opponents¡¯ hips and and shoulders.


    ¡°But I have no idea how to defend myself against that coiling sword art of his¡­¡± I sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Don''t be too hard on yourself, Bishop.¡± Hou Wen smiled encouragingly. ¡°As a matter of fact, I would be a lousy guard captain if I couldn''t even teach a brat a thing or two every now and then.¡±


    ¡°That''s right kid!¡± One of the observing guards whistled in agreement. ¡°You still did better than Tan Fang usually does.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± One of the other guards, probably Tan Fang, immediately raised his voice and defended himself. ¡°You ought to take a long and hard look in the mirror before you start critiquing others, Jian. Also, I wasn''t the one whose overconfidence lost him a sword yesterday.¡±


    The young man I defeated yesterday grumbled something incoherent, probably an insult of some kind.


    ¡°Oh come on. You are not still touchy about your loss, are you Huan? I say get over it already. Honestly, you should probably take a page out of the kid''s book. At least he knows how to lose with integrity and honor.¡±


    ¡°What you know about honor wouldn''t even fill a page, Jian.¡± Huan, the swordsman I defeated yesterday, snapped harshly at his fellow colleague.


    Jian stood up looking ready to throw hands when Hua Wen suddenly interrupted the bickering men with a loud whistle.


    ¡°That''s enough useless posturing out of the two of you.¡± Hou Wen spoke with a tone that begot compliance. ¡°You will act in accordance with your stature, especially when in the presence of outsiders. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Yessir.¡± To their credit, neither Huan or Jian hesitated to comply.


    ¡°Oh and by the way, Bishop.¡± With his guard detail in order again, Hua Wen turned his attention back to me. ¡°If, for some reason, you do not pass the White Tiger Sect¡¯s recruitment tests, know that you are always welcome to join my merry little band of miscreants. We could always use another sword prodigy or two.¡± Hou Wen said with a wink.


    Thanking him again for the lessons, I retreated to lick my wounds in solitude. Though I''d done my best to show a good face, underneath the surface, I hated how easily the guard captain had dismantled my swordsmanship.


    ¡°I never should''ve stopped practicing.¡± I grumbled to myself.


    ¡°That sure was a¡­ spectacle.¡± Luna said as I returned to ¡®our¡¯ wagon. ¡°I thought you knew how to use that thing.¡± She said, gesturing to the sword tied to my waist.


    Glaring at her, I bit my tongue in an effort to not say something stupid. Unlike the young guards, I was in control of my emotions, and not the other way around.


    After a few seconds of breathing, I found that the anger had lessened greatly.


    ¡°I can always become better.¡± I muttered dismissively.


    ¡°And mark my words, I will.¡±


    ¡­


    Overhearing some of the other players¡¯ conversation, I heard something quite interesting. Apparently, our trip hadn¡¯t been as effortless as I had assumed.


    Earlier, some of the guards and players walking in the front of the caravan had had to fight an ill-tempered boar that some of the players claimed had been absolutely massive. Though personally, I doubted the credibility of their words. If the boar really had been the size of a horse, I bet I would¡¯ve at least seen it. The fight had ostensibly ended quickly when the guard NPCs had joined the fray.


    Still, the appearance of a wild beast reminded me of Dark and Atom¡¯s setback.


    ¡°They¡¯ll make it.¡± I tried to persuade myself. According to my friendlist, they were both online now at least. Hopefully, they will catch up with us soon.


    While waiting for the caravan to resume, I wanted to practice with my sword, but since my arm was still aching, I refrained from doing so. Thus, like Luna, I sat down in the lotus position, trying various sorts of breathing patterns in hopes of creating an original cultivation method.


    Before long, I caught the caravan leader¡¯s yelling. It was time to pack up.


    ¡­


    The sun was beginning to set when we finally arrived at the walls of Durnatel. When I first started playing this game, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d immediately spend two days travelling with a caravan. And although it had been tiresome at times, I actually found the whole experience to be quite enjoyable. Not only did I improve my swordsmanship proficiency, but I also got to experience nature in a way that I very rarely got to in the real world.


    And so, we entered the Durnatel town gate.


    ¡°Wow.¡± My eyes darted around to gape at the bustling activity.


    Despite being substantially smaller than the starting city of Easton, Durnatel was absolutely packed with people, especially teenagers frolicking around. And according to Quan Zan, the reason was obvious: it was all because of the White Tiger Sect¡¯s forthcoming recruitment.


    Luna left without saying anything, and honestly, good riddance. The standoffish attitude she¡¯d begun displaying during our trip made me glad that I hadn¡¯t bothered to add her to my friendlist.


    After exchanging some grateful goodbyes with the caravan¡¯s NPCs, I left the caravan to do my own thing.


    A plethora of food stalls sold a variety of meat skewers and confectionery, some of which looked and smelled really appetizing. But with only four copper to my name, I reluctantly moved on. Sugary sweets were my one true weakness out in the real world, it didn¡¯t need to be my vice here as well.


    My miserable financial situation didn¡¯t stop me from window shopping however.


    Some teenagers were scuttering around the streets playfully, greatly irritating a few stall owners. From the 2nd floor windows of the adjacent buildings, NPCs were staring down at the crowd, chit-chatting about god knows what. The only inn I could find had a wooden sign that said ¡°NO VACANCIES¡± hanging on the door.


    And then, just as I was wondering where to go, I saw him.


    My first cultivator.


    ¡­

 Chapter 04 - The Bullies

    <h2>Chapter 04</h2>


    Wherever the white-robe clad cultivator went, the crowd parted like the red sea did for Moses. Suddenly, it was crystal clear who was native and who was a player.


    The NPCs bowed reverentially at the cultivator, while the players seemed to see him as some form of tourist attraction. They gawked and snickered as he walked past them, some even made fun of his robe, calling it tacky.


    Then, just as I thought the players couldn¡¯t get any stupider, an eighteen year-old boy with spiky, yellow hair approached the cultivator with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. The surrounding NPCs¡¯ faces paled as the disrespectful youth swaggered across the street.


    Subsequently, the yellow-haired youth did the unthinkable.


    Brandishing a sturdy¡­ stick¡­ he attacked the cultivator without any planning or foresight. He attacked the high-level NPC, in the middle of town, surrounded by witnesses.


    Before I could facepalm, a flurry of movements seized my undivided attention.


    What ensued took place in the blink of an eye. One second the cultivator was striding along the street composedly, the next, he was holding an ornate sword and the yellow-haired player¡¯s head could be seen traveling in an arc above the crowd.


    Someone screamed as the player¡¯s severed head and body dematerialized into pixels. And after a few seconds, there was no trace left of the yellow-haired player.


    But it was too late; everyone had seen what had happened. A player had just been beheaded, in the middle of a town nonetheless.


    Stunned silence took place as the cultivator indifferently looked around, searching for something in the crowd. When he supposedly didn¡¯t find what he was looking for, he sheathed his sword and continued to saunter away, acting as if nothing had happened.


    As if he hadn¡¯t just killed a man, albeit a player.


    When the cultivator finally disappeared, it was as if everyone in the crowd had collectively been lifted from under a spell.


    Chatter erupted as a number of players discussed what they had just witnessed. Many condemned the cultivator¡¯s actions, arguing that the town was supposed to be a safezone; others snickered, claiming that the yellow-haired player had gotten what he had deserved, proclaiming that provoking a cultivator was a death-sentence.


    One person, seemingly a friend of the dead player, surprisingly started to ineffectually shout for a gamemaster to appear, arguing animately that what had happened must¡¯ve been a bug of some kind.


    There was no way a game company would allow this kind of NPC behaviour, was there?


    Watching the NPCs'' petrified reactions to what had transpired, I suspected it wasn¡¯t a bug, but a feature. When the company claimed that Cultivation Online was a hyper realistic VR world, they meant that.


    However, as luck would have it, the yellow-haired player would respawn in a while, only with a severe debuff plaguing him for a few hours. According to the information I had found online, the death penalty in Cultivation Online was quite lenient as long as you remained a mortal. But, once you started cultivating and amassing qi, dying could have grievous consequences. Depending on the nature of your death, you could even become ¡°crippled¡±, losing the ability to cultivate.


    Sighing softly, I resolved to stay as far away as I could from cultivators from now on. Even if the death penalty was lenient at this stage of the game, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be a fan of the experience.


    Moreover, the ease at which the cultivator had killed a man disturbed me.


    Thus, following the stream of teenagers, I continued exploring the town.


    ¡­


    Somewhere on the opposite side of the town¡¯s entrance, I found the place where the White Tiger Sect would host the recruitment. A large, elevated platform had been constructed out of meticulously chiseled stone. In front of the platform a sign said:


    ¡°The White Tiger Sect¡¯s annual recruitment starts at noon every day until the summer solstice. Only youths between the ages of thirteen and eighteen may participate. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination.¡±


    Confused, I searched for an NPC who could answer some of my questions. At a nearby corner, I found a nice-looking grandma selling crab cakes for a copper apiece. Seeing as there weren¡¯t any customers frequenting her stall at the moment, I decided to try my luck.


    ¡°Good evening.¡± I said, balling my fist in greeting. ¡°Any chance I could buy a crab cake and some answers along with it?¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± The grandma smiled as I produced one of the precious copper coins from my inventory. ¡°On the nature of your questions young man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking to participate in the White Tiger Sect¡¯s recruitment tomorrow.¡± I said, money and crab cake exchanging hands. ¡°Any tips for a newcomer?¡±


    ¡°Do as they say.¡± The grandma answered immediately. ¡°The White Tiger Sect does not have much patience for disobedience.¡±


    Nodding my head quickly she continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many of their recruitments over the course of my life, short as it may be compared to the immortals.¡± The grandma sighed. ¡°And since what I¡¯m about to tell you is no secret, I do not mind sharing what I have seen with a well-mannered boy such as yourself.¡±


    I smiled at the compliment, unsure if I deserved it. I wasn¡¯t even a teenage boy, after all.


    ¡°Did you know that Durantel isn¡¯t the only town blessed with hosting the White Tiger Sect¡¯s annual recruitments?¡± Seeing the surprise on my face, the grandma chuckled. ¡°Indeed, the White Tiger Sect¡¯s domain stretches much farther than the contested borders of our kingdom.¡±


    The grandma continued before I could say anything.


    ¡°The recruitment is always overseen by two immortals.¡± The grandma pointed out. ¡°And although they may seem young, don¡¯t be fooled. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they are older than me.¡±


    I nodded understandingly.


    ¡°Using one of their crystals, they will check if you have what it takes to join their ranks.¡± The grandma sighed. ¡°Most people do not pass this test.¡±


    ¡°There really is an aptitude test.¡± I frowned at the discovery.


    The grandma must¡¯ve noticed my consternation as she continued.


    ¡°But lately, a lot more people have been accepted.¡± The grandma added quickly. ¡°To my memory, I don¡¯t think they have ever accepted as many as they did yesterday.¡±


    Nodding slowly, I conjectured that some players must have managed to participate in yesterday¡¯s recruitment.


    ¡°They had to have run through the night to get here so quickly¡­¡± I noted inwardly. Either way, a day¡¯s headstart wouldn¡¯t matter in the long run. Attaining immortality is a marathon, not a sprint, at least according to all the novels I have read.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I noticed on the sign that they will continue hosting recruitments until the summer solstice.¡± I said. ¡°When is that?¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, she looked at me funnily. My question must¡¯ve surprised her as she answered slowly.


    ¡°Tomorrow of course.¡±


    Handing the old lady another copper coin, I asked another question.


    ¡°And, what happens to the ones who get accepted?¡±


    The grandma smiled as she placed the copper coin in her pouch. ¡°As you would expect, they are given a letter of acceptance and directions to the sect.¡±


    Looking around she added whisperingly. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that many do not make it all the way to the sect. Son, if you are indeed one of the chosen ones, I implore you to act with utmost prudence, for always remember: heaven is jealous of heroic genius.¡±


    With much to think about, I clutched my hands in appreciation and gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you grandmother.¡± I said, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t take offense at my choice of words. ¡°You have given me lots to think about.¡±


    ¡°Of course dear.¡± She smiled a smile only grandmothers know how to smile. ¡°I always try to help my customers.¡±


    Just as I was about to leave, her countenance suddenly reminded me of someone very similar.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way.¡± I looked at the grandma who was busy preparing another batch of crab cakes. ¡°You don¡¯t happen to have met a young boy around my age who goes by the name of Ye Feng?¡±


    ¡°Ye Feng?¡± The grandma¡¯s eyes narrowed as she furrowed her brows.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I added hurriedly. ¡°A young man from Easton with an oval-shaped face and a defined chin.¡± I repeated the description I¡¯d received from the old woman in Easton knowing perfectly well that I wouldn¡¯t recognize the boy even if he sat on my face.


    ¡°Ye Feng¡­ Yes, that name does ring a bell.¡± The grandma said before shaking her head remorsefully. ¡°But alas son, I can¡¯t remember where I heard it. It¡¯s not exactly an uncommon name either.¡±


    Thanking her nonetheless, I proceeded to take another stroll around town, savoring my freshly baked crab cake.


    ¡­


    ¡°The only thing worse than a bully, is a group of bullies.¡±  I thought as I shook my head in disappointment. The more time passed, the more players emerged from the woodwork. Most knew how to behave themselves, but some liked to prance around pretending to be the hottest thing since sliced bread.


    Currently, a group of thugs were taking advantage of the fact that the patrolling guard was away to pick on two female players.


    ¡°Come on baby.¡± One thug said, smirking at one of the girls. ¡°Do you know how much work I had to put in to procure a room at the inn?¡± The thug shook his head, pretending to be tired.


    ¡°I just need someone to pamper me a bit.¡± He added. ¡°I don¡¯t even mind paying for it. How does five copper sound?¡±


    ¡°Five copper?¡± One of the thug¡¯s friends interjected. ¡°Dude, I would suck your dick for five coppers. This bitch should feel honoured.¡±


    The thugs roared in laughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking repulsive.¡± The woman in question scoffed in disgust, her face pale as a piece of paper. ¡°Come on Lilac, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± She grabbed her silent friend¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hey hey hey!¡± The thug sidestepped to block her way. A shit-eating grin evident on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Tom is just jesting.¡±


    The thug sized them up with a pair of lewd eyes, stopping unnecessarily long on the silent woman¡¯s well-endowed chest area.


    ¡°How about you Lilac? That¡¯s a pretty name by the way. You¡¯d fancy having a good time, wouldn¡¯t you honey?¡±


    Just as I was about to step in to knock some sense into the crude bastards, another group of players beat me to the punch. Led by a handsome young man with a pair of angry, blue eyes, the street quickly became crowded.


    ¡°I know some people like to roleplay as villains in VR games.¡± The handsome young man said, looking the hooligan in the eye. ¡°But I guess the role comes natural to some.¡±


    ¡°A villain?¡± The thug¡¯s eyes widened before looking at his friends for verification. ¡°Is this guy for real? Did this dude seriously just call me a villain?¡±


    The group of thugs chortled.


    His face red, the handsome player looked ready to draw his sword when a displeased voice cut through the crowd.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Break it up immediately!¡± Two armed guards clad in chain mail pushed through the crowd looking ticked off and ready to fight.


    Since the guard seemed to have the situation under control, I decided to move on.


    ¡°A lot of players chose to be eighteen it seems.¡± I remarked inwardly. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t strange. If given the choice between playing as an adolescent and a young adult, most would probably choose the latter. Honestly, the main reason why I chose to play as a fifteen-year-old was because of the novelty of having a character 30 years younger than my real age.


    When I still felt hungry, even after eating my last piece of bread and the crab cake, I realized that it wasn¡¯t my character, but my real body that was forcing the issue.


    Sighing, I reluctantly logged out.


    ¡­


    As soon as I took off my VR HeadGear and looked around my empty bedroom, an overwhelming sense of dejection swept over me.


    Compared to the VR world with its bustling activity, exciting drama, and vivid colours, real life felt bland and tedious in comparison.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s my body.¡± Like it or not, all the years of working as an electrician had taken its toll on me. Compared to the sprightly young physique I had in CO, my real body was slightly overweight and a lot more rough-looking. I wish I could say I had a valid reason for my unhealthy lifestyle, but apart from laziness, I really didn¡¯t.


    More dejected than I cared to admit, I didn¡¯t hesitate to order some home-delivery to sooth my depression.


    Neither of my children had responded to my previous text messages, but I persuaded myself that they must be busy playing CO.


    My son and daughter, their mother, and my ex-wife¡¯s new husband James all lived in England, while I resided in the US. I still saw my family occasionally during holidays and whatnot, but as they grew older, their old man in the US fell lower and lower on the priority list.


    I didn¡¯t blame them, of course. It¡¯s a natural part of becoming a young adult to want to find your own place in the world. Even I had gone through something similar when I was eighteen.


    I just wished they would respond to my messages more often.


    ¡­

 Chapter 05 - No Place for Garbage

    <h2>Chapter 05</h2>


    Night had already fallen when I finally relogged. Yet, since it was so close to the summer solstice in-game, I reckoned it would get a lot darker when the seasons changed. For a moment, I just marvelled at how the air felt somewhat colder, crispier, and easier to breathe.


    Understandably, the numerous shops had closed for the night and the streets were significantly more desolate than before. Still, however, I spotted the occasional player frolicking around either alone or in smaller groups. Naturally, there were patrolling guards on night duty as well.


    By now, I reckon the starting cities were positively brimming with new players as more and more people entered the game that was already being dubbed ¡°the game of the century¡± by the media.


    After strolling around the town aimlessly for a bit, I found myself returning to the raised platform where the recruitment would take place tomorrow. Above the platform, a small cloud of fireflies played in the moonlight.


    ¡°I guess this is as good a spot as any¡­¡± I thought to myself. Since the inns were all full, I hadn¡¯t been able to procure room for the night.


    ¡°Not that I would¡¯ve afforded it even if I found an inn with vacancies¡­¡± Which begged the question, how did other players accumulate money at this point in the game?


    ¡°Probably by doing odd jobs¡­¡± I remembered the notice board I had seen in Easton, and the numerous requests it had contained. ¡°Or maybe by stealing.¡±


    I also wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some players had started looting already.


    ¡°Honestly, the game might be a bit too realistic.¡± Throwing new players into a strange world with nothing but ten copper coins to fend for themselves? No wonder I had found criticism and complaints online.


    Squatting down, I folded my legs and sat down in a lotus position. In the real world, a position like this would be beyond uncomfortable. Yet, for some reason, my in-game avatar found it surprisingly comfortable.


    Taking a deep breath, I let the cold, slightly damp, night air fill my lungs.


    ¡°Okay, empty your mind.¡± I followed the instructions I had read online. ¡°Focus on your extremities and visualize your blood coursing through your veins¡­¡±


    It was easier said than done, but I had plenty of time for trial and error.


    Occasionally, as I focused entirely on my breathing, a random player would show up and ask me some inane question. At first, I didn''t mind it, but after the seventh player asked me what I knew about tomorrow¡¯s recruitment, I finally gave up and moved to the opposite side of the platform.


    There, hidden from plain view, I resumed my efforts.


    An hour quickly turned into two, and when I finally felt like I had accomplished something, the sound of rambunctious laughter jolted me out of my daze.


    Just as I was about to release a frustrated yell of exasperation, a gratifying prompt appeared, compensating me for my efforts.


    [¡°Through trial, error, substantial luck, and a smidgeon of talent, you were successful in harmonizing your mind, body, and spirit, at least temporarily. In doing so, you have unlocked the proficiency ¡°Meditation¡±. You can check the progress of your proficiencies under the proficiency tab.¡±]


    Immediately, I checked my updated proficiencies.


    [Proficiencies]


    [¡°Swordsmanship¡± - Beginner Lv.4]


    [¡°Meditation¡± - Beginner Lv.1]


    To call myself pleased would be an understatement. According to the posts I had read while eating dinner, only a tiny minority of the playerbase had reported being able to unlock this particular proficiency.


    Naturally, as soon as I read about it, I knew that I had to have it. Meditation was the bread and butter of any cultivator worth their salt.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not a demonic cultivator, I guess.¡± But I bet even a demonic cultivator would benefit by having the meditation proficiency; there was no downside, after all.


    So far, I hadn¡¯t been able to find any information online about whether players had found a way to join the demonic side - or if there even was one to begin with. However, since I had no intention of relying on despicable means, I wasn¡¯t overly downhearted by my lack of findings.


    Too excited to go to sleep or worse: logout, I stretched my neck to see what all the fuss was about.


    On the opposite side of the platform, where I had initially tried to meditate, a party of players were gathered, talking jovially. From a glance, I quickly recognized the handsome player from earlier; not surprisingly, his party was joined by the two girls as well.


    A part of me wanted to walk over and join them but, on second thought, an even bigger part wanted to develop my proficiencies. Thus, I stayed on my side of the platform, doing my best to pretend like I couldn¡¯t overhear parts of their conversation.


    ¡°So his name is Percival.¡±  A suitable name considering his chivalrous actions. Ultimately, however, I wasn¡¯t interested in what they would do once they learnt how to fly.


    And so, I meditated.


    Without a timepiece, it was nearly impossible to tell how much time had elapsed when I exited my meditation. During my session, I had refrained from trying to create my own cultivation method.


    My decision was based on multiple reasons, all of whom I thought were quite sensible. The foremost of which was that I had no clue what a good cultivation method constituted. Even if I did accidentally fumble upon a way to cultivate, who was to say I wouldn¡¯t accidentally cripple myself by following it? At the very least, I needed to learn more about the ins and outs of cultivation before I branched off on my own.


    Needless to say, I wondered more than once what kind of cultivation method Fishbones had created.


    Stretching my legs, I checked my proficiencies.


    ¡°No level yet¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t strange since I still struggled with finding that elusive feeling of detachment. Still, despite not seeing it on my proficiency tab, I felt like I had made some progress.


    Lifting my arm, I smiled excitedly.


    ¡°Finally.¡± The arm I had used to defend myself with in the spar against Hou Wen had finally stopped hurting.


    Although intriguing, meditating was nothing compared to the feeling I got from holding a sword in my hands.


    Thus, after throwing a glance at the jovial group of players, which had not-unexpectedly grown since I last concentrated on them, I left to do some of Bishop¡¯s Kendo Drills.


    I couldn¡¯t help but to smile at the name.


    It took some time, but I eventually found an open, secluded space where I reckoned I could exercise in peace. Despite the fact that it was still nighttime, the sun was already rising in the horizon, providing me with some much needed lighting.


    And so, with a heavy sword in my hands, I relaxed my shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.¡­


    [¡°Bishop¡¯s Kendo Drills executed. Performance rating 36%.¡±]


    [¡°Results: +1 Swordsmanship Lv. (Beginner 4 > 5); upper body strength, breathing, and endurance have improved marginally.¡±]


    Naturally, I smiled a pleased smile as I read the results of my practice session. If the drills weren¡¯t so staggeringly exhausting, I¡¯d do nothing but grind the drills repeatedly all day.


    ¡°Not bad, kid.¡± A voice startled me from my rumination. Turning around, I saw a pair of town guards watching me attentively. ¡°Though I don¡¯t recognize the style, I can at least tell you¡¯re improving.¡± The other guard nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Uhm, thanks?¡± I said in-between breaths, still covered in perspiration from the exercise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± One of the guards smiled as he noticed my consternation. ¡°We don¡¯t mind you using the training grounds during nighttime, since you¡¯re not exactly bothering anyone. But I suggest you don¡¯t let the captain catch you. She''s a stickler for protocol and, without being at least a trainee, you¡¯re not actually permitted to be here.¡±


    My eyebrows rose in response. Looking around the area, I couldn¡¯t comprehend how I hadn¡¯t noticed the fact that this was the guard¡¯s training grounds before. In hindsight, it seemed obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know.¡± I apologized. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I was just leaving anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and get some sleep!¡± The other guard yelled at my retreating back. I turned around with a confused look on my face. ¡°Believe me, you will want to be well rested for the sect recruitment later.¡±


    Nodding slowly, I decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take his word for it.


    ¡°I will, and thank you.¡±


    The guard dismissed me with a wave.


    After a short stroll, I was back at the platform, my sweaty clothes drawing an uncomfortable amount of attention from the expanding crowd.


    Staring at the morning sun that was just beginning to peek over the town walls, I reckoned it was safe to presume I still had a couple of hours left until noon. Thus, before anyone could vie for my attention, I logged out to get some well-deserved sleep.


    ¡­


    I was still feeling a bit dopey when the alarm on my phone began blaring, awaking me from my dreamless slumber. Nevertheless, realizing what was at stake, I forcefully pushed myself out of the tantalizing comfort of my bed.


    After a quick visit to the restroom, despite feeling faintly morning sick, I forced some breakfast down my throat. With my morning routines taken care of, I felt a lot better.


    Thus, after impulsively sending a text message to one of my old gaming buddies, I logged in to Cultivation Online.


    When the darkness retreated, I opened my eyes only to discover I had spawned in the smack middle of a huddled crowd of players. The area, which had only held a group of players before, was now filled to the brim, with people stacked like sardines as far as the eye could see.


    Nevertheless, despite the crowdedness, my surroundings were suspiciously quiet, with only the occasional whisper reaching my ears. And after taking a brief look around, it wasn¡¯t difficult to ascertain why.


    Two cultivators were talking privately with each other on the middle of the raised platform, which otherwise remained empty. Like the cultivator I had seen yesterday, the two cultivators wore white, daoist robes with intricate black patterns embellished on them. Their robes were obviously a homage to the white tiger, but still managed to look refined and elegant.


    Although I had missed what had happened, based on the heavy atmosphere bearing down on the crowd, I reckoned the two cultivators were responsible for the peacefulness.


    After nearly fifteen minutes of just standing still, waiting, one of the cultivators nodded to the other.


    With a loud, harsh clap, he promptly seized the crowd¡¯s scattered attention. Yet, before the cultivator could start, he was rudely interrupted.


    ¡°Finally!¡± A random player shouted in indignation. Moreover, his exclamation aroused more than one murmur of ¡°yeah¡± from the more disgruntled players in the crowd. I opted to stay quiet, like the majority of the crowd did.


    Although I couldn''t find the person who was responsible for the interruption, the brief expression of irritation on the cultivator¡¯s face promised revenge.


    ¡°Since there are a lot more aspirants than usual today.¡± The cultivator spoke slowly but confidently. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to hold the recruitment twice: one will start now and the second one will take place an hour after noon.¡±


    When none protested, the cultivator continued.


    ¡°The White Tiger Sect is one out of five 4th rank sects governing the eastern continent.¡± The cultivator announced proudly. ¡°So even if you aren¡¯t talented enough to join the White Tiger sect, I¡¯m sure one of our subsidiary sects will have you.¡±


    I doubted anyone missed the hint of ridicule in the cultivator¡¯s voice as he talked about the subsidiary sects. He didn¡¯t exactly hide his contempt for the lesser sects.


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a hierarchy.¡± I sighed, anticipating the amount of controversy this would produce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat that again.¡± The cultivator slowly looked around the crowd, his eyes seemingly stopping a little whenever they swept over one of the disgruntled players from earlier. ¡°The White Tiger Sect is no place for garbage.¡±


    Some people muttered quietly in response, but no one spoke up.


    ¡°Fortunately, Inner Disciple Xiang and I brought two aptitude crystals with us. Touch the crystal, and we¡¯ll know whether you have the aptitude to join the White Tiger Sect as an outer disciple or not.¡± The cultivator sighed loudly, as if all of this was just a tiresome chore he¡¯d been forced to do.


    ¡°If you¡¯re accepted, wait over there.¡± The cultivator gestured carelessly at a part of the raised platform with his sleeve. ¡°If you aren¡¯t accepted¡­¡± The cultivator¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°You are to remove yourself from the recruitment platform immediately. Any retardation will be dealt with promptly.¡±


    For a second, a deafening silence blanketed the area.


    ¡°Now, form a line of two, starting at the bottom of the stairs.¡±


    My eyes widened. As luck would have it, I was already standing in the general vicinity of the platform¡¯s stairs; after a quick squeeze, I had guaranteed myself a place in line.


    Next to me stood a young boy with an excited grin on his face. The shorter boy reminded me of Atom, although his hair matched Dark¡¯s.


    Glancing backwards at the chaotic line behind me, I saw neither a hint of Atom nor his older brother.


    ¡°They are both online, so if they made it, they should be around here somewhere¡­¡± Thankfully, since the recruitment was about to begin, all I had to do was wait for them to appear.


    After nearly five minutes of shouting, cussing, and scrambling, the semblance of a line was formed starting at the platform ahead of me before slithering all the way to the crab cake shop where a curious-looking, old grandma leaned over a counter, observing the event.


    Although she didn¡¯t seem to see me, she did wave to a couple of the teenagers standing in line behind me.


    Two pairs waited in front of me, surprisingly including Lilac, the other woman from earlier, Percival, and a stranger who looked somewhat familiar.


    ¡°Probably another member of their group.¡±


    Then, with another grating clap that defied expectations, the white-robed cultivator, whose name I had yet to learn, spoke loudly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 06 - Aptitude and Affinities

    <h2>Chapter 06 - Aptitude and Affinities</h2>


    First up the platform was Percival and his friend, both of whom appeared to be in their late teens. While Percival''s character looked handsome, his friend''s looked rugged, with a lot of facial hairs hiding his youthful features.


    ¡°Name and age?¡± Inner Disciple Xiang asked, holding a scroll and a quiver in his hands.


    ¡°Percival, 18.¡± ¡°Nathan, 18.¡± The two players answered simultaneously.


    Nodding, the Inner Disciple jotted down their details in his scroll before abruptly producing a crystal from out of nowhere.


    ¡°A spatial ring?¡± Instantly, my interest was piqued as I stretched my neck to see what was unfolding on the platform.


    Then, the two players were each told to touch their respective aptitude crystal.


    Their hands touched the crystals and, subsequently, a luminous light manifested in them. With the two crystals right next to each other, it was easy to tell the difference between the two. Percival¡¯s was brighter, albeit barely.


    ¡°11-star talent, nature and wood affinity.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang said disappointedly, looking at the crystal in front of the rugged player.


    ¡°12-star talent, ice and spear affinity.¡± The lead cultivator said with a smirk, shooting a quick victorious grin at his peer.


    ¡°They¡­¡± I quickly realized what they were doing. ¡°They are competing over who gets the most eligible disciples.¡±


    ¡°Fail. But I''m sure the Verdant Spring Sect would accept you.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang said to Nathan, whose face immediately paled as blood was drained from it


    ¡°Pass. Wait over there.¡± The lead cultivator said simply, batting Percival away like a fly. His eyes were already searching for the next pair of aspirants.


    ¡°Next!¡±


    As the leftmost aspirant, Lilac went to Inner Disciple Xiang, while her female friend went to the lead cultivator.


    Noticing the pattern, a weight accumulated in my stomach.


    ¡°I''m going to the lead cultivator.¡± I realized.


    ¡°13-star talent, water affinity.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang exclaimed, a happy look on his face. ¡°Pass.¡± He announced triumphantly as Lilac was directed to stand with Percival.


    ¡°12-star talent, wood and¡­ harp affinity.¡± The lead cultivator¡¯s face soured before ultimately shaking his head.


    ¡°Fail.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± The red-hair exclaimed, looking over at Percival who also has a 12-star talent. ¡°Why do I fail?! I have a 12-star talent, don''t I?¡±


    Frowning the lead cultivator was about to retort when Inner Disciple Xiang beat him to the punch.


    ¡°You are talented enough to join the White Tiger Sect, that is true.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang sighed. ¡°But your affinities are non-combat oriented.¡±


    ¡°So?!¡± The redhead¡¯s face matched her hair colour.


    ¡°So, you''re dismissed.¡± The lead cultivator¡¯s expression brokered no objection.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Jinx. Enough.¡± Even Inner Disciple Xiang¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If you think you have been unjustly assessed, compete in the inter-sect tournaments and prove you belong in the White Tiger Sect. Until then, you are dismissed.¡±


    The redhead, whose name was apparently Jinx, nearly continued retorting until she spotted the scared look on her friend''s Lilac¡¯s face.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She spat as she removed herself from the exam. ¡°Wait for me Lilac, I''ll join you soon, okay? And Percival, you better take good fucking care of her, you hear me?! I''ll fucking kill you if you don''t!¡±


    ¡°Next!¡±


    Under the attention of dozens if not hundreds of players, I advanced up onto the platform.


    ¡°Was it always this large?¡± I thought as I approached the lead cultivator who suddenly seemed a lot larger than he actually was.


    ¡°Name and age?¡±


    ¡°Bishop, 15¡±, ¡°Raven, 14¡± The black-haired teen and I said simultaneously. Like he''d done with the others, Inner Disciple Xiang scribbled down our names on his scroll.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± The lead cultivator said emotionlessly, gesturing to the crystal embedded between us.


    ¡°Man I haven''t been this nervous since Emma was born¡­¡± Nevertheless, I stubbornly tried to remain stoic.


    As soon as the bright light manifested, I released a pent up breath of relief.


    ¡°14 star talent.¡± The lead cultivator said with just a touch of surprise evident in his voice. ¡°Water and¡­¡± A dark expression appeared on the cultivator¡¯s face as he looked up from the crystal to look me in the eyes. ¡°Sword.¡±


    [¡°Through the usage of a 1-rank aptitude artifact, you have unlocked 1-rank access to the cultivation tab. Open the cultivation tab to check the progress of your cultivation.¡±]


    [¡°Notice! Your proficiency tab has been subsumed by your 1-rank cultivation tab.¡±]


    An awkward silence ensued as the lead cultivator continued to stare me in the face.


    ¡°-and darkness affinity.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang finished his assessment with a smile before turning to look at his colleague.


    ¡°Anything wrong?¡± He asked when he noticed the awkward atmosphere.


    ¡°That''s what I want to know!¡± I screamed inwardly but did my best to remain unperturbed outwardly.


    ¡°Pass.¡± The lead cultivator gritted his teeth and proclaimed, but he definitely didn''t seem happy about it.


    Or me for that matter.


    Not knowing what I had done to deserve the cultivator''s ire, I didn''t notice the jealous looks Raven and Percival were giving me as I joined them on the platform.


    ¡­


    While the recruitment tests resumed in the background, I took the opportunity to scrutinize my new cultivation tab.


    [Cultivation]


    [Name: Bishop]


    [Age: 15]


    [Cultivation Aptitude: 14 ¡ï]


    [Affinities: Water, Sword]


    [Affiliation: White Tiger Sect (Rank 4)]


    [Rank: Provisional Outer Disciple]


    [Cultivation Stage: Mortal]


    [Cultivation Method: N/A]


    [Qi: N/A]


    [Proficiencies]


    [Swordsmanship - Beginner Lv. 5]


    [Meditation - Beginner Lv. 1]


    Ultimately, as I finished reading through the cultivation tab, I realized it hadn¡¯t actually revealed any new information. Instead, it merely compiled and organized what I already knew.


    ¡°Still, pretty neat.¡± I allowed myself to reveal a faint smile. This was the first official prompt that contained both my name and the word ¡°cultivation¡±. Slowly but surely, I was becoming a cultivator.


    As for my affinities, I couldn¡¯t have been happier. Sure, there were many other compelling affinities I probably could¡¯ve gotten. For example, since spatial rings existed, it was safe to assume that the spatial affinity also existed. And if the spatial affinity existed, one could argue that the time affinity had to exist as well. Furthermore, with there being affinities for tools such as the sword and the harp, the number of available affinities could potentially be limitless.


    Thus, I felt like I really had lucked out with two useful affinities.


    Satisfied, I directed my attention to the ongoing recruitment.


    So far, including Percival, Lilac, Raven, and me, six had passed the initial examination. Yet, similarly, over a dozen had been asked to leave, albeit with recommendations to subsidiary sects.


    Interestingly, everyone who failed either displayed indignant anger, or morose sadness. There was no in-between. Yet, even the angriest player had wisely chosen to retreat when faced with the lead cultivator¡¯s impatient gaze.


    ¡°5-star talent.¡± The lead cultivator scoffed, not even bothering to read the person¡¯s affinities out loud before dismissing him. Not surprisingly, the teenager left with tears in his eyes.


    That was another discovery I had made. So far, the assessed players had unanimously possessed aptitudes ranging between 10 and 14 stars, while the native NPCs (easily distinguishable with their Chinese names) often possessed worse.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s reasonable¡­¡± I mused to myself. ¡°No one would want to play a cultivation game if they couldn¡¯t cultivate.¡±


    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t figure out what had led the developers to decide that different players would have different innate aptitude levels. And who decided which aptitude a player should have? Was it really all arbitrary?


    ¡°Then again¡­¡± I thought about Pok¨¦mon IV¡¯s and other instances where luck dictated the player¡¯s success. ¡°If one isn¡¯t satisfied with their innate aptitude, one can just re-roll their character.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Still, it sure wasn''t easy to ignore the hateful looks I received by those who failed the exam. But since I was powerless to help them, I did my best to look unperturbed.


    ¡°10-star talent, lightning affinity. Fail.¡±


    ¡°11-star talent, sun and fire affinity. Fail.¡±


    ¡°12-star talent, metal and earth affinity. Pass.¡±


    ¡°11-star talent¡­ Fail.¡±


    ¡°13-star talent¡­ Pass.¡±


    ¡°8-star talent¡­ Fail.¡±


    Then, as the next pair stepped up to receive their assessment, something shocking happened.


    ¡°12-star talent, wind affinity.¡± The lead cultivator smirked maliciously. ¡°Fail.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The smile on the player¡¯s face froze. Until now, every single 12 star talent had passed as long as they hadn¡¯t possessed what was now widely considered a ¡°useless¡± affinity.


    ¡°Why?¡± The player asked with clenched teeth. ¡°I have a wind affinity, surely it¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°I told you in the beginning didn¡¯t I?¡± Suddenly, I remembered where I had seen his expression before. It was the revengeful expression I had seen on the lead cultivator¡¯s face when some random player had interrupted his introduction. ¡°The White Tiger Sect does not accept garbage.¡±


    ¡°What a vindictive bastard¡­¡± I thought to myself. Sure, the player had admittedly acted immaturely. But to block his entrance to the sect¡­


    Shaking his head, the player stood his ground. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I got both the talent and the affinity.¡± The player looked at Inner Disciple Xiang for support. ¡°He can¡¯t fail me, right?¡±


    Inner Disciple Xiang shook his head remorsefully.


    ¡°Are you refusing to remove yourself?¡± The lead cultivator asked, an impassive expression on his face. Though I could swear I saw a hint of malicious glee flash in his countenance.


    After a brief moment of hesitation, the player spat. ¡°Yes I am. I obviously passed your useless little test. Fucking bastard NPC should just-¡±


    A flash of light and, subsequently, a beheaded corpse keeled to the ground. Two seconds later, the body dematerialized into crystalline pixels. The only trace left of the player was a shabby-looking sword laying on the ground.


    The fact that the player¡¯s severed head had landed at my feet was just a coincidence, right? When I glanced at the lead cultivator, I wasn¡¯t so sure it was.


    After a quick pause, the recruitment exams proceeded.


    ¡°11-star talent, hammer and lightning affinity. Fail.¡±


    ¡°13-star talent, fire and earth affinity. Pass.¡±


    ¡°9-star talent¡­ Fail.¡±


    ¡°11-star talent¡­ Fail.¡±


    ¡°Fail.¡±


    ¡°Fail.¡±


    ¡°Fail.¡±


    ¡­


    At least half an hour passed before an assessment sparked another boisterous reaction from the crowd.


    ¡°14 star talent, blood and poison affinity. Pass.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang said with a satisfied smirk.


    Envious sighs escaped the spectators as they watched the most recent aspirant join our exalted group of provisional disciples. Standing where we did, the arbitrary unfairness of the recruitment test was really hammered into us. In this world, you were either a winner or a loser, the deciding factor? Luck.


    ¡°Then again, is the real world really all that different?¡±


    Including myself, this man was the second person to pass with a 14 star talent, accruing even more jealousy and hatred than I did.


    ¡°Blood and poison huh¡­¡± With an aptitude and affinities like those, this person should just log out and buy a lottery ticket already.


    ¡°But who am I to complain¡­¡± I smiled mirthlessly. The elation I had felt in the beginning of the exam had slowly been whittled down after suddenly being transformed into public enemy number one. Even the lead cultivator hadn¡¯t stopped sending dark looks my way. Nevertheless, an indelible sense of malicious satisfaction slithered in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°And with that auspicious sign, we shall end the first recruitment session of today.¡±


    Groans and complaints erupted from the line of players and NPC natives, but they were quickly stifled when the lead cultivator scoffed irritatedly.


    ¡°The next recruitment session will start an hour after noon. Note that this will be the last recruitment session. Don¡¯t be late.¡±


    And so, the remaining players began to scatter.


    On the platform, excluding the two white-clad cultivators, 31 provisional disciples remained. Out of over a hundred aspirants, 31 passed.


    ¡°Less than a third passed.¡± I remarked inwardly. Even if the majority of the people who hadn¡¯t passed would find success in other sects, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like the process had left a bad taste in my mouth.


    Out of the fortunate ones who did pass¡­


    2 were 14-star talents.


    8 were 13-star talents.


    And 21 were 12-star talents with combat-oriented affinities.


    ¡°In the end, neither Atom or Dark showed up.¡± Luna had, but she''d unfortunately failed the evaluation. Moreover, the look she had given me after failing could''ve made a grown man cry. She acted as if it was somehow my fault that she only had an 11-star aptitude.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡± The lead cultivator said as he looked at us: the arbitrary winners of the first recruitment session today. ¡°You have proven that you have the potential to be marginally better than garbage.¡±


    Someone murmured softly.


    Yet, the lead cultivator surprisingly chuckled. ¡°Oh? I can see that some of you disagree with my assessment.¡±


    Immediately, the ones who¡¯d unconsciously displayed their disapproval paled in fear of retribution.


    ¡°No, no, as provisional outer disciples, I understand your need to reassure yourselves.¡± When the lead cultivator said the words ¡®provisional outer disciples¡¯, I imagined he used the same tone and intonation as a Nazi talking about Jews.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m feeling particularly generous today, allow me to share something with you all.¡± The impassive expression returned to his face. ¡°The average aptitude rating of an inner sect disciple of a rank 4 sect is sixteen. To me and other inner sect disciples like myself, you might as well be rats, barely a notch above insects.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± For some reason, the lead cultivator¡¯s gaze singled me out in the crowd. ¡°For those of you feeling proud of your so-called talent, know that you are trash that we graciously picked from the side of the road.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you pass us?¡± A 13-star talent whose name I could not remember bravely - or foolishly - interjected. ¡°If we are so worthless, why bother with us at all?¡±


    When the lead cultivator didn¡¯t respond, Inner Disciple Xiang took over.


    ¡°Albeit difficult, aptitude can change.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang¡¯s response had an immediate and bombastic effect on the group. The majority of which were 12-star talents and often looked enviously at me and the other 14-star talent.


    ¡°Also, every sect needs servants.¡± The lead cultivator frowned at his fellow disciple.


    ¡°There is that too.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang said with a laugh.


    ¡­

 Chapter 07 - The Trial

    <h2>Chapter 07 - The Trial


    </h2>


    I wish I could say that what followed was a constructive forum in which we got to ask the two inner disciples about cultivation or the sect. Instead, the lead cultivator decided to hold a long monologue.


    ¡°Since I might see some of you in the sect later, I think it¡¯s time for some introductions.¡± The lead cultivator started. ¡°My name is Zhou Qing, direct disciple under Inner Elder Zhan, and if you become an official outer disciple, you may refer to me as Senior Brother Zhou or Inner Disciple Zhou, take your pick, I don¡¯t actually care.¡±


    ¡°This,¡± He gestured at the smiling inner disciple next to him. ¡°Is Inner Disciple Xiang, a talisman prodigy whose generous nature you have to thank for the informative presentation you¡¯re about to receive.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Zhou Qing continued. ¡°Since the majority of you won¡¯t pass this next trial, I don¡¯t see any point in having you all introduce yourself yet. And so, we¡¯ll skip that part.¡±


    ¡°Like I said in the beginning of the evaluation, the White Tiger Sect is one of the principal powers governing the eastern continent, as such, you can imagine the scope under which it operates.¡±


    Zhou Qing frowned as he detected the confusion on our faces.


    ¡°Or you can¡¯t.¡± He sighed tiredly, muttering something about having to deal with uneducated peasants. ¡°Even if the eastern continent doesn¡¯t cover as much surface as the other continents out there, it is still the host to over two hundred mortal kingdoms, and more than five billion mortals. Moreover, as the third strongest sect on this continent, the White Tiger Sect naturally controls a large portion of this metaphorical pie.¡±


    Seemingly satisfied with the level of awe on our faces, Zhou Qing continued his monologue.


    ¡°And every year, the sect recruits new outer disciples, some of whom flourish and even manage to become inner disciples, while others fade away into obscurity.¡±


    ¡°Or die.¡± Inner Disciple Xiang added.


    ¡°Same thing.¡± Zhou Qing shrugged before carrying on. ¡°As a combat-oriented sect, we value strength, endurance, and perseverance above all else, even talent. Which is why we are the only 4th rank sect on the eastern continent to accept 12-star talents in our midst.¡±


    Many of the players gawked at Zhou Qing¡¯s revelation. In other words, if they had spawned elsewhere in the world, the majority of the players gathered in our group wouldn¡¯t even be eligible to enter a 4th rank sect.


    ¡°So naturally, in order to not waste resources on those who are unworthy, the White Tiger Sect¡¯s entrance exam is a bit unorthodox compared to the other sects on our continent.¡±


    Inner Disciple Xiang started handing out talismans with the Chinese character for ¡°Outer¡± on them. Below the character, the number 224 and our names were imprinted in bold letters.


    ¡°There are currently 31 provisional outer disciples gathered here. And in a couple of hours, I figure a similar amount will be assessed.¡± Zhou Qing glanced at the bustling town, his eyes narrowing when he saw how many players were observing us. ¡°A sizable amount, at least when compared to previous years.¡± Then, Zhou Qing¡¯s eyes roamed as he looked over all of us. Yet, for some reason, when his eyes landed on me, he stopped.


    ¡°Becoming an outer disciple of the White Tiger Sect is surprisingly simple. All you need to do is arrive at the White Tiger Sect¡¯s outer courtyard at dusk in three days carrying at least two outer talismans with you.¡±


    A malicious smile crept up on Zhou QIng¡¯s face as realization dawned on our faces. This second trial wasn¡¯t a friendly competition.


    ¡°But why stop at two?¡± Zhou Qing¡¯s smile widened even further. ¡°For each additional talisman you bring with you to the outer courtyard, one sect point will be awarded.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and you should know that each sect point has approximately the same value as a gold sovereign.¡± Zhou Qing theatrically flipped a yellow gold coin in the air before grasping it tightly. ¡°But then again, they are very rarely exchanged for mortal money.¡±


    Mistrust and suspicion spread in the group as everyone unconsciously began distancing themself from the people standing closest to them. At this point of the game, possessing a gold sovereign was simply unheard of. And now, every competitor had a target on themself.


    ¡°And so begins the second test.¡± Zhou Qing smiled at us. ¡°If you didn¡¯t know already, the White Tiger Sect is located on Mount Longhu in the adjacent Omowen Dynasty. Even for a mortal travelling without a horse, it shouldn¡¯t take longer than two, maximum three days to arrive if you hurry. And it goes without saying, but if you¡¯re late, it doesn¡¯t matter how many talismans you¡¯ve amassed.¡±


    ¡°Any questions?¡± Zhou Qing smirked as a number of hands shot into the air. ¡°No? Then you¡¯re dismissed."


    Flapping his sleeve, Zhou Qing walked away without looking back. Giving us a quick, apologetic look, Inner Disciple Xiang scrambled to follow.


    Left to our own devices, a heavy silence weighed on the group. Just as I was about to walk away to recompose myself, however, Percival suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Percival said to the ones who had started moving. Sighing, he combed his fingers through his hair. ¡°Just¡­ stop for a minute.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Another player questioned, looking wary and on guard.


    Before Percival could continue, a third person interjected.


    ¡°I''m willing to buy your talismans for 100 bucks a pop.¡± Said a young woman, her eyes cold as she looked at the rest of the group. ¡°I don''t even mind going through a third party to legitimize the deal.¡±


    Initially, when they''d heard her offer, people had seemed sceptical, but after mentioning the third party, a few actually looked like they were willing to consider it.


    ¡°People will do anything for money.¡± I shook my head, unwilling to even consider her deal. Moreover, I reckoned that our talismans were worth a hell of a lot more than $100 this early in the game.


    Then again, $100 wasn''t a negligent amount of money either, especially for young people.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Still, that''s not how I wanna play this game.¡± I decided.


    Standing up I was about to leave before I remembered something.


    ¡°Should I?¡± I hesitated as I glanced at the wary expressions on my competitors.


    ¡°Whatever, I''ll just count this as my one good deed for today.¡± It definitely didn''t have anything to do with the fact that I still felt sort of bad after all the nasty looks I''d been on the receiving end of lately.


    ¡°I have reasons to believe¡­¡± I started, channeling my inner project supervisor. ¡°There were players who participated in yesterday''s recruitment.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± One of the 12-star talents was quick to quip.


    Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, not all of my competitors were dull-witted.


    ¡°You''re saying that there might be an ambush waiting for us?¡± The other 14-star talent, Grim, frowned as he considered my warning.


    His words, however, had an immediate effect on the group. Suddenly, with a potential mutual enemy, there was a reason for us to band together.


    I nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°So what if there''s an ambush?¡± A familiar voice scoffed. Glancing at the owner, I recognized him as the thug from yesterday. Though it seemed he''d temporarily lost his gang of rejects. ¡°All we have to do is cut them down first, no?¡±


    Surprisingly, I found myself agreeing with him. If I was right about the ambush, offense was most likely our best defense. After all, I strongly doubted that yesterday''s recruitment had overseen as many participants as today¡¯s. It wouldn''t have made any sense.


    ¡°What about the next batch?¡± One of the 13-star talents questioned. ¡°Are we ambushing them too?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Percival answered a bit too quickly in my opinion. Though I ultimately agreed with him, I still thought it was a plan worth discussing. This was a game after all; it wasn''t like we would actually be killing people. ¡°We''re not savages.¡± Percival added with a sneer.


    ¡°Villains, you mean?¡± The thug quipped with a smirk.


    Realizing that there was much to discuss, I glanced at the sun blazing in the sky. Time was being wasted just standing around here.


    ¡°I move that we postpone this discussion until after we''ve procured some provisions.¡± I said calmly. Figuring that I wasn¡¯t the only one who had to stock up on some bread before our journey.


    Some nodded in agreement, while others looked ready to start running straight away.


    ¡°Meet up at the town hall in 30 min?¡± Grim gestured at the largest building in town, one that we could all see from the platform. Some nodded and voiced their agreement, while others remained impassive. Thus, the group dispersed, at least for now.


    ¡­


    I had just finished exchanging my three remaining copper coins for four loaves of bread when a strange feeling hit me. After turning a corner, I kept my eyes peeled and confirmed my suspicions.


    ¡°I¡¯m being followed.¡± I frowned. I tried to catch a better glimpse of my stalker without overly revealing that I had caught on to what he was doing, but it¡¯s not like I was proficient in the art of counter-spying.


    ¡°One person?¡± I picked up my pace and turned another corner. ¡°No, two.¡± I couldn¡¯t recognize either of them. And based on the angry looks they were throwing at me, they knew that the gig was up.


    Fortunately, the streets were getting crowded with players and NPCs frolicking around, and after a few more corners, I was pretty sure I had lost my tail.


    ¡°Troublesome.¡± I frowned as I made my way towards the town hall, keeping my eyes peeled for any potential ambushes. ¡°Fortunately, there are plenty of guards patrolling around, especially near the town hall.¡±


    As soon as I saw the town hall, Grim¡¯s searching gaze found me.


    ¡°Perceptive fellow.¡± I smiled at him as I approached. Yet, before I made it all the way, a scream reverberated across the street.


    With my hand on the hilt of my sword, I readied myself for an attack.


    Instead, I saw one of the 12-star talents from earlier dematerialize into pixels, a look of pain and surprise evident on his face.


    ¡°A PK inside a town.¡± I frowned while searching to no avail for the culprit. Whoever the assassin was, he¡¯d immediately blended with the crowd, probably a talisman richer.


    ¡°An attendee from yesterday¡¯s recruitment?¡± My eyes narrowed as the possibilities multiplied. ¡°Or one from today? Heck, it could even have been a disgruntled player who wanted to vent after failing.¡±


    Either way, one thing became abundantly clear as the crystalline pixels vanished. The town wasn¡¯t safe for any of the trial participants, not any more. And as one of the two people assessed as a 14-star talent, the target on my back was most likely bigger as well.


    I gave Grim and the gathering by the town hall a final look, before ultimately deciding that it wasn¡¯t worth extending my trust to them; not now anyhow.


    And so, with four loaves, a talisman, and a sword, I set off towards the gate.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mount Longhu?¡± The young guard asked with a surprised expression. ¡°Are you a cho-¡±


    ¡°Yes I am.¡± I hissed, not exactly happy with him revealing my identity as a provisional outer disciple to any Tom, Dick, or Harry who might overhear our conversation.


    Fortunately, the guard didn¡¯t take any offense as his eyes widened, promptly realizing the predicament I was in. Apparently, as a native NPC living in Durnatel, the second part of the recruitment was well-known to him.


    ¡°To get to Mount Longhu¡­¡± The young guard whispered and leaned closer, aggravatingly making us look even more conspicuous to any potential spectator. ¡°You need to go north-east, without a horse it shouldn¡¯t take more than three or four days to get there. If you leave immediately, tomorrow, when you pass Lingxin¡¯s Pass, you should be able to spot it if you look towards the north-eastern horizon.¡± The young guard shook his head wistfully. ¡°It¡¯s very hard to miss.¡±


    Clasping my hands in gratitude, I bobbed my head towards the helpful young guard before we exchanged our farewells.


    Thus, I began walking north-east, unaware of the two players following me from a distance.


    ¡­

 Chapter 08 - Lilac鈥檚 Languish

    <h2>Chapter 08 - Lilac¡¯s Languish</h2>


    Lilac¡¯s point of view


    ¡°God I¡¯m shaking¡­¡± I could feel my face burn as I stepped up onto the platform, fully aware of all the attention I was receiving. Somehow, it felt even worse now that the evaluation ground was quiet.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t the evaluation have been in private.¡± I lamented. Matilda had reassured me that everyone would be too busy worrying about their own evaluation to pay any attention to mine. But now that it was actually happening, it felt like there was a spotlight following me around and an announcer reporting my every movement.


    ¡°Thank god.¡± I nearly sighed in relief when I realized that the person called Xiang would be my examiner.


    ¡°Name and age?¡±


    ¡°Lilac, 16.¡±, ¡°Jinx, 16.¡± Matilda and I answered immediately. Unable to help myself, I thought about when, in the beginning of class, teachers would call out my name to take attendance.


    After Xiang had finished recording our information on one of those rolly scrolls, it was time.


    ¡°Put your hand on the artifact.¡± Xiang¡¯s voice was gentle and kind, unlike his comrade. Somehow, under his encouraging gaze, I found it difficult to think of him as an NPC.


    After sneaking a brief glance at Matilda, who was already bravely extending her hand towards her own crystal, I nodded.


    As soon as the gentle light appeared I instinctively knew I was fine; suddenly, all my worries melted away, like snow in the sun.


    ¡°So this is qi¡­¡± I marvelled inwardly. A notification prompt appeared, telling me something about gaining access to a cultivation tab, but I was too dazed to read it properly.


    ¡°13-star talent, water affinity.¡± Xiang announced the results of my exam with a pleased look on his face. ¡°Pass.¡± He smiled at me.


    Registering that singular word, it was like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was elated beyond belief.


    Yet, the euphoria turned out to be short-lived, as I heard the sociopath sneer to the right of me.


    ¡°[...] and harp affinity.¡± The sociopath shook his head before dismissing my friend impassively. ¡°Fail.¡±


    ¡°No...¡± My heart sank as I noticed Matilda¡¯s face shift from surprise to fury.


    ¡°What?!¡± Matilda cried out, her eyes shifting to look at me and Percival. I winced as I realized what was about to happen.


    ¡°Why do I fail?!¡± Matilda screamed in shock and anger, but as someone who knew her in the real world, I recognized the tell-tale signs of hurt and sadness. ¡°I have a 12-star talent, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Surprisingly, my examiner was one to answer her.


    ¡°You are talented enough to join the White Tiger Sect, that is true. But your affinities are non-combat oriented.¡± He explained patiently.


    ¡°So?¡± Matilda echoed my thoughts exactly.


    Examiner Xiang looked like he was about to elaborate when his aloof comrade rudely interrupted him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Now, even a stranger could tell that Matilda was on the verge of tears. Unfortunately, her pleading fell on deaf ears, as it was wasted on the cultivators.


    ¡°Jinx. Enough.¡± Examiner Xiang furrowed his brows as he glared at my best friend. ¡°If you think you have been unjustly assessed, compete in the inter-sect tournaments and prove you belong in the White Tiger Sect. Until then, you¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    The way Xiang emphasized the word ¡®dismissed'' seemed to be a warning to not overplay her hand.


    Thus, when I saw that my stupid friend was about to ignore it, I pleaded for her to calm down, doing my best to grab her attention with my gaze.


    Fortunately, Matilda saw me before it was too late. We¡¯d both seen what happened to players whose actions irritated the cultivators. And neither one of us looked forward to experiencing death, even a virtual one.


    ¡°Fine.¡± My best friend clicked her tongue in poorly veiled annoyance. Subsequently, she turned to look me in the eyes.


    ¡°Wait for me Lilac, I¡¯ll join you soon, okay? And Percival,¡± Matilda looked at the man we¡¯d recently gotten acquainted with. ¡°You better take good fucking care of her, you hear me? I¡¯ll fucking kill you if you don¡¯t!¡±


    With those embarrassing words reverberating through the area for everyone to hear, Matilda removed herself from the platform.


    I tried to follow her with my eyes, but her fiery red hair quickly disappeared in the sea of spectators.


    ¡°Congrats.¡± Percival whispered as I joined him on the stage.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I muttered back, unsure if I had deserved it or not. What I did know was that I would have preferred it if Matilda had passed the evaluation as well.


    ¡°Next!¡±


    Unconsciously, my eyes wandered to the next pair of attendees.


    As he stepped up the stairs, Percival¡¯s young-looking friend Raven advanced with his head held up high. Although he''d claimed yesterday that he''d tried to make his character look roguish, both Matilda and I agreed that he just looked cute instead.


    Yet, with each step, Raven¡¯s confidence faltered. Consequently, his brave smile froze as his face turned paler and paler. When he finally reached Xiang, Raven looked like he''d seen a ghost.


    ¡°That''s how I must''ve looked like.¡± I winced at the fresh memory.


    ¡°Look, it''s the meditator.¡± Percival whispered while gesturing at the second attendee. A surprisingly mundane-looking player with dark brown hair and pale blue eyes.


    Immediately, I recognized him as the teenager who''d earnestly spent nearly half the night in meditation yesterday.


    At first, neither Percival¡¯s group nor Matilda and I had spotted him, hiding as he was on the opposite end of the platform. It wasn''t until Raven had started exploring that the player¡¯s existence had been brought to their attention.


    Furthermore, apart from the sheathed sword tied to his waist, the player hadn''t really stood out that much compared to other players. After all, finding a player pretending to ¡®cultivate¡¯ wasn''t exactly difficult in CO.


    Yet their initial impression had slowly changed when the player hadn''t stopped meditating for five straight hours.


    Many argued that he must''ve fallen asleep sitting up. Moreover, if it wasn''t for Percival holding some of them back, I was certain that at least one of his friends would¡¯ve tried to nick the sword from the oblivious-looking player.


    But as it turned out, he hadn''t been asleep.


    Furthermore, perhaps even more impressively, when he finally did stop meditating, he actually looked pleased with himself.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Imagine that! Pleased! No one looked pleased after trying and failing to cultivate for five hours.


    Either, the group argued, the man had been successful in creating his own original cultivation method, or, he was a miserable masochist.


    Both alternatives undoubtedly made him a special player.


    Unfortunately for them, the player had run off and disappeared before any of them had been able to ask him about it.


    ¡°Bishop, 15.¡± He said, revealing his name and age. Or at least, his character¡¯s name and age. Unlike the pale-faced Raven, Bishop actually managed to look unperturbed in the face of the two cultivators. His stoicism seemed to indicate that he wasn''t actually fifteen.


    And as it turned out, it wasn''t all bravado.


    ¡°14-star talent, water and¡­ sword.¡± The sociopath announced, actually seeming a bit jealous.


    ¡°I knew he wasn''t sleeping!¡± My eyes widened as I gazed unblinkingly at the radiant crystal in front of him.


    However, it wouldn¡¯t be until much later that anyone truly understood how rare a 14-star talent actually was.


    ¡­


    Returning to Bishop''s point of view


    As it turns out, travelling on my own came with certain benefits. First, I didn¡¯t have to adapt my pace to a slow moving carriage, which was definitely a welcome change since I liked to walk quickly. Second, I could take breaks whenever I wanted. And third, I didn¡¯t have to feed any horses or set up any camps.


    Furthermore, now that I could move on my own schedule, I took the time to truly appreciate the sublime virtual world around me.


    For example, not even an hour after I had left Durnatel, I spotted a green squirrel with two fluffy tails scurrying up a tree. Heck, even the beetles that I had mostly dismissed as background critters yesterday were scrutinized more closely. And although I was far from an entomologist, I couldn¡¯t think of any insect with horns resembling a crown.


    Again and again, my mind continued to be blown away by the incredible feature of engineering that was Cultivation Online. Ignoring the life-like NPCs for a second, even the insects¡¯ AI wasn¡¯t easily predicted. How the creators of Cultivation Online had accomplished this was so beyond my comprehension that it might as well be magic.


    Naturally, I wasn¡¯t the only person to traverse the road leading towards the¡­


    ¡°What was it again¡­¡± I frowned, trying to remember the name of the dynasty that Zhou Qing had mentioned.


    ¡°Omowa? Omoi? Whatever, it was definitely the Omo-something Dynasty.¡± I tasted the words to myself, unable to think of the right combination of syllables.


    Excluding myself, the majority of the travelers I stumbled upon on the road were definitely NPCs. Even without indicators, it was easy to tell them apart since they weren¡¯t wearing dirty grayish-white tunics or brown cloth pants.


    They weren¡¯t always teenagers either.


    Or, at least, most of the travelers I came across were NPCs. Even out here, well outside the illusory safety that city and town walls provided, players were frolicking around. Always in a hurry or a goal in mind.


    Most players, I found, were equipped with crude spears fashioned out of whatever they could forage; but occasionally, I would spot a player carrying a cheap-looking axe or a sword.


    So far, I was proud of the fact that I hadn¡¯t come across a single player with a quality sword like mine.


    ¡°I really did luck out with that overconfident Huan fellow.¡± I smiled to myself, caressing the hilt of my beautiful sword.


    Objectively, I was pretty sure my sword was perfectly ordinary. Sure, it had a nice heft to it, and it was sharpened effectively, but it wasn¡¯t by any means a masterpiece of swordsmithing. Nevertheless, in my mind¡¯s eye, my sword was so much more than just a cheap piece of metal found in any old blacksmith.


    In my mind, my sword represented both strength and freedom. Its heavy weight symbolized the heavy responsibility to dictate my own fate. Thus, my sword was more than just a tool for wanton slaughter, it was an extension of my will and the dispenser of my desires.


    As these thoughts manifested and solidified inside of me, a faint tingling sensation suddenly spread through my limbs.


    However, when no prompt materialized, I manually had to open my cultivation tab to check for any updates.


    [Cultivation]


    [Name: Bishop]


    [Age: 15]


    [Cultivation Aptitude: 14 ¡ï]


    [Affinities: Sword, Water]


    [Affiliation: White Tiger Sect (Rank 4)]


    [Rank: Provisional Outer Disciple]


    [Cultivation Stage: Mortal]


    [Cultivation Method: N/A]


    [Qi: N/A]


    [Proficiencies]


    [Swordsmanship - Beginner Lv. 5]


    [Meditation - Beginner Lv. 1]


    At first, when reading through my status, I didn¡¯t find any changes. But then, my second time around, I spotted a minor alteration.


    ¡°My affinities have switched places¡­¡± Prior to the tingling, I was pretty confident that water had been the first affinity on my affinity list.


    ¡°Is it an error?¡± I wondered before quickly dismissing the idea. A company capable of creating a world like this wouldn¡¯t be so careless. No, this wasn¡¯t an error.


    ¡°Then¡­¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°Did my affinity increase?¡± So far, I had encountered no information saying it was possible. But similarly, I hadn¡¯t heard that it was impossible either.


    ¡°But how?¡± I thought about my actions. Apart from walking in a straight line, I hadn¡¯t done anything. Heck, I hadn¡¯t even been touching my sword when the tingling sensation had occurred. ¡°And why?¡±


    Then it hit me.


    ¡°My thoughts!¡± My eyes widened at the implications of my supposition. ¡°The game read my thoughts!¡±


    I tried to explain what had happened from different angles. To adopt other perspectives on why my sword affinity would change all of sudden. But even after several minutes of rumination, no plausible answer emerged.


    Suddenly, as I gazed at the beautiful world around me, an insidious shiver traveled down my spine.


    ¡°I need a break.¡± Before my thoughts could betray me more than they already had, I logged out in the middle of the street.


    ¡­

 Chapter 09 - Pandoras Box

    Chapter 09 - Pandora¡¯s Box


    Alone with my thoughts, I stared up listlessly at the rotating ceiling fan and the bland, egg-white colored ceiling that sustained it. Adjacent to me, my VR HeadGear was nestled on an oversized pillow. If one studied the sleek device, one would notice that a light was blinking, indicating that it was charging remotely.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way, right?¡± My thoughts returned to what I had just experienced.


    Virtual reality games have been around for decades. But they never really took off until the release of a new VR technology: The Mind Dive.


    Five years ago, when the new ground-breaking mind dive technology was released, it was immediately faced with a lot of criticism and controversy originating from both consumers and politicians; mostly, the controversy centered around the users¡¯ right to privacy and mental wellbeing. Back then, manufacturing companies and self-proclaimed tech experts repeatedly reassured the public that although extremely advanced, even with the state-of-the-art mind dive technology equipped, VR devices were simply incapable of reading a user¡¯s thoughts.


    That just wasn¡¯t how the technology worked, they had claimed.


    And although I wasn¡¯t an expert on the subject, five years ago, when I had discussed the subject with some of my more knowledgeable co-workers at work, I had believed them.


    The reason was simple. At the end of the day, a technology capable of actively deciphering and interpreting someone¡¯s mind was too improbable and incredulous. It was science fiction.


    Or maybe, after I experienced first-hand the awesome wonders that the mind dive technology was capable of, I hadn¡¯t wanted to believe it was possible.


    Either way, now more than ever, I felt like I had to know the truth.


    Sliding off the bed, I hopped on my computer.


    My brows furrowed as I found nothing.


    On all the forums, reviews, video comments, and websites, not a single Cultivation Online player had posted anything remotely similar to a concern about the game reading their mind.


    ¡°Am I just being paranoid?¡± The less I found on the internet, the more paranoid I felt.


    After all, according to the game¡¯s main website, despite being less than three days old, the game already has over 10,000,000 active players.


    Out of all these people, what were the odds that I would be the only person to discover this feature?


    And based on public perception, the game was only going to grow bigger. Heck, to begin with, the only reason why the game wasn¡¯t more popular already was because of the scarce marketing that had led up to the game¡¯s sudden release.


    Furthermore, the game¡¯s genre did have a niche target audience, at least in western society.


    Having said that, with the game¡¯s perfect VR rate, I reckoned that the game could center around teletubbies and it would still break records. No, based purely on my own experiences in-game, I was absolutely certain that as more people learnt about Cultivation Online, the more it would grow. The game¡¯s success was inevitable.


    ¡°Unless people learn of its mind-reading capabilities¡­¡± Nevermind the controversial features like NPCs slaughtering players in towns, if people learnt that their minds and private thoughts were being invaded and impinged on, how would they react?


    They wouldn''t be happy, that''s for sure.


    Subsequently, the question elicited was: should I say something?


    If I did, would anyone listen to me?


    And perhaps most importantly, did I want to say anything?


    Like it or not, the simple truth was that I couldn¡¯t remember feeling more alive than I had felt during these three days of gameplay. Ever since my family was separated, I had been moving through life mechanically. I had been going through the motions, but hadn¡¯t truly been living. Not for a very long time at least.


    Was I ready to give this new lease on life up just to protect the sanctity of my own and others¡¯ privacy?


    Honestly, the fact that I didn¡¯t know the answer to that question scared me a hell of a lot more than the potential mind-reading capabilities themself.


    And what did that say about me as a person?


    ¡­


    For the first time in quite some time, probably since I started my extended leave from work, I went out to eat.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Walking down the road leading to one of my favourite pizza parlours, I frowned as I sniffed the air.


    ¡°Smells like gasoline and depression.¡± I sighed. Compared to the crisp air I had breathed in Cultivation Online, the contrast was discouragingly obvious.


    Unsurprisingly, I had dealt with the problem like I often did: by postponing my decision until later. The fact was I didn¡¯t know what to do. I definitely didn¡¯t like the idea of my children playing a game where their thoughts were impinged on.


    If thoughts could be deciphered, who knows what other dangers the game represented.


    Could memories be manipulated? Personalities changed?


    By playing this game, did we unknowingly sign away our soul?


    In a sense, discovering the mind reading capabilities of the game was like opening Pandora''s box. Once opened, it couldn¡¯t be closed again.


    Thus, without knowing what to do, I postponed my decision. Before her passing, my late mother had always told me to not make important decisions on an empty stomach. I''d been living by these words religiously for as long as I could remember, and I definitely wasn''t going to call it quits now. Additionally, like my children are intimately aware, I''m not embarrassed about using the phrase myself when I see fit.


    The doorbell rang as I stepped into the pizza parlour called Mama Barbara¡¯s Pizza, where foreign music was being played in old, laggy speakers.


    Fortunately, I wasn''t here for the music.


    As I approached the register, a movement in the corner of my eye snatched my attention. On the wall, a small TV screen was surprisingly displaying gameplay from Cultivation Online.


    ¡°Shit, that looks painful.¡± I winced as I watched a player be impaled by a horned dinosaur-looking creature which proceeded to release an earth-shattering roar. The guards in the caravan had mentioned that there were monsters, but this was my first time seeing one. ¡°Note to self: Don''t stray too far off the road.¡± Even with my sword, I doubted I could inflict much damage on a monster like that.


    ¡°The newest VRMMO taking the world by storm: Cultivation Online! The dark horse of the century or a flop waiting to happen?¡± The subtitles read before a panel interview proceeded.


    ¡°Ready to order?¡± The man behind the register asked impatiently, reminding me of where I was. Beside him, the pizza guy looked at me with his hairy arms crossed, also waiting for my order.


    Embarrassed and more than a little chagrined, I ordered one of my all-time favorites: a barbeque chicken, California-style pizza.


    Sliding my card, I declined the receipt before grabbing some utensils on my way to a nearby table.


    My attention, however, was utterly fixated on the tiny TV screen.


    ¡°[...] perfect virtual reality rate! An accomplishment so incredulous that it has left scientists and experts absolutely gobsmacked!¡±


    ¡°That is certainly one of Cultivation Online¡¯s biggest advantages.¡± A man nodded in agreement. ¡°Until now, it has been presumed that a perfect virtual rendition of the real world, one capable of masterfully copying all of the five human senses, wouldn''t be feasible until at least another century of development. For a hitherto unheard of game development company to suddenly appear and prove otherwise is simply too unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Heaven.¡± The anchorwoman tilted her head cutesly. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man smirked. ¡°A¡­ lofty name for a game development company for sure, especially for one with no other titles to boast of.¡±


    ¡°Yet, with virtual reality designers capable of engineering a world like Cultivation Online, they seem to possess the skill necessary to back up their pomposity.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, that remains to be seen.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°The game is still in its introduction phase, after all.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± The anchorwoman shook her head. ¡°Heaven has declined our invitation for an interview, seemingly determined to maintain their appearance of obscurity.¡±


    ¡°But!¡± The anchorwoman¡¯s disappointment quickly transformed into happiness. ¡°With us in the studio we have another very special guest. Join us in welcoming the renowned VRMMO streamer, the Vanquisher of Ar¡¯gometh, and the Guildleader of the Tainted, Cyberwolf!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked, ¡°Do you think you can increase the volume a bit?¡±


    Since there were no other diners present at the moment, the owner shrugged before acquiescing my request.


    ¡°[...] for having me.¡± The young man, Cyberwolf, smiled as he sat down on the empty seat in the panel. Behind him, the name of the programme ¡°Virtual Reality Today¡± was emphasized in futuristic-looking font.


    ¡°First, before we start talking about your experiences and thoughts on the latest VRMMO Cultivation Online, I have to say: your guild¡¯s recent crusade against the High Demon Ar¡¯gometh in Asura¡¯s Descent was hands down one of the most thrilling VR confrontation that I¡¯ve ever gotten the pleasure of witnessing. And let me tell you, that moment when your sword pierced Ar¡¯gometh¡¯s heart¡­ it¡¯s no wonder you were dubbed the Vanquisher of Ar¡¯gometh afterward.¡±


    Cyberwolf smiled a confident smile, clearly used to receiving praise.


    ¡°Thank you. But, I have to clarify something. While I might¡¯ve been the one to deal the final blow to the boss, it was a team effort that wouldn¡¯t have been possible without the hard-earned efforts of my fellow guildmates.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The anchorwoman added with a pleased look on her face. ¡°But enough about Asura, let us talk a bit about Cultivation Online. You¡¯ve played the game, I¡¯m sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cyberwolf¡¯s smile turned serious. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I would call it a game.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The anchorwoman lifted an eyebrow. Even the man looked confused.


    ¡°As far as I can tell, Cultivation Online far exceeds the limited confines of a game.¡± Cyberwolf elaborated. ¡°Not only are the NPCs nearly indistinguishable from actual human beings, but more than once, while playing the so-called game, I forgot that I was in a virtual world.¡±


    I unconsciously nodded in agreement.


    ¡°So even the fabled Cyberwolf is impressed by the graphics?¡±


    ¡°That would be an understatement.¡± Cyberwolf quickly responded. ¡°The level of details that Heaven has been able to reproduce is quite frankly inconceivable. What we are talking about isn¡¯t a virtual reality game, but a fully-functional, highly-tuned virtual world, basically indistinguishable from our own.¡±


    The two hosts looked at each other in evident surprise.


    ¡°So, I take it you like this gam- I mean Cultivation Online?¡±


    Again, Cyberwolf smiled confidently. ¡°Indeed I do, in fact, I¡¯ve already informed my guild that I¡¯m switching to Cultivation Online full-time.¡±


    Now, this statement induced shock in the studio.


    ¡°Cyberwolf is switching games?¡± The anchorwoman¡¯s eyes resembled a pair of saucers. ¡°After meticulously constructing a persona and a lore for five years in Asura¡¯s Descent, the Cyberwolf is switching games?¡±


    Nodding seriously, Cyberwolf explained.


    ¡°Yes, and of course, I didn¡¯t make this decision lightly. After all, it¡¯s my career we¡¯re talking about here.¡± Cyberwolf shook his head mirthlessly. ¡°Nevertheless, I really think that Cultivation Online is destined to surpass Asura¡¯s Descent and claim the spot as the world¡¯s most popular VR game. And so far, the numbers agree with me.¡±


    ¡°They sure do.¡± The male anchor agreed. ¡°10,000,000 active players in less than three days? That¡¯s an outright ludicrous number.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± The anchorwoman leaned forward in wide-eyed curiosity, unintentionally revealing her well-endowed cleavage to the audience. ¡°What advice do you have for our audience who have yet to start playing Cultivation Online? Apart from recklessly attacking elite monsters in the forests, that is?¡±


    Smiling, Cyberwolf turned to look at the camera.


    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ll give you the same advice as I gave my guildmates, do not treat the NPCs carelessly. Although just a theory for now, it is well established that NPCs treat players differently based on their approach and behavior. An invisible amity system.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good one!¡± The male anchor interjected before Cyberwolf continued.


    ¡°Secondly, if you¡¯re unfamiliar with eastern cultivation as a whole, I strongly suggest you read up on the Chinese Xianxia genre and Daoism philosophy. Even if you do not decide to become a cultivator, I¡¯ve found that the world¡¯s culture is intricately connected to the genre.¡±


    ¡°Thirdly, though possible, don¡¯t waste your time trying to create an original cultivation method. Plenty of my friends have wasted hours trying to create one. In my opinion, your time is much better spent learning and developing your proficiencies for example. Which, as far as I can tell, is the name for passive skills in CO.¡±


    ¡°Finally, if you see a cultivator¡­¡± Cyberwolf smirked at the camera. ¡°Lower your head or hide. Because unlike in normal ¡®games¡¯, players are not the protagonists of the world; cultivators are. My advice? Join a sect and start cultivating as if your life depends on it; in the Cultivation Online, the only rule that matters is that the strong do what they want, and the weak suffer what they must.¡±


    As I continued watching the interview unfold, I listened to Cyberwolf animatedly explain how he was in the process of joining a sect whose name he didn¡¯t want to reveal yet. He talked about the friends he¡¯d made, both players and NPCs, and he described the thrill of advancing his proficiencies to the next level. And while I didn¡¯t understand his obsessive fascination with alchemy, I did recognize the excitement on his face.


    How couldn¡¯t I when it was the same look I¡¯d started seeing in the mirror lately?


    ¡°...¡± Suddenly, I remembered the time limit until the end of the provisional outer disciple trial.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡±


    ¡­