《The Forsaken-Grade Cultivator》 Prologue It''s 2100. As one would expect, the worlds of science and technology had advanced in leaps and bounds, reaching heights that would have previously been considered inconceivable. Ranging from the long-awaited innovation of flying cars to vitamins that enhanced human genetic capabilities (G.E.Vs) and extensively preserved youth. Sentient androids bustled about, ready to cater to human whims and gigantic mechanical wonders that once existed only in works of science fiction had become commonplace. From the compact firearms now capable of producing the same amount of force as hydrogen bombs, to the enormous planet-encasing barriers; no matter where one looked, proof of humanity''s strides towards perfection were evident. Global warming? Solar winds? Cosmic cataclysms? "Cute, but just try getting past the eco-friendly Planetary Domes we''ve built." World hunger? What about the issue of overpopulation? "We have our interplanetary farmsteads for that. Also, one word ¨C Mars." Ugh, but then surely crime rates have risen, right? What about security? Conflicts? Wars? "War? Who''s that? Never heard of him. The Unified Nations Confederation (UNC) now has a monopoly over all the latest security advancements. A few deranged petty criminals are all we have now." With that said it was quite obvious that scientific discovery has permanently improved life on Earth; however, with all these solutions and technologies, life in the new world has grown rather¡­ dull. "What''s that? They used a whole island full of real robotic dinosaurs to shoot a movie? Yeah, I saw that last week. Yawn." Faced with this dilemma of monotony, humanity needed a saviour¡ªone that would flip the horizons of entertainment as they knew it and cure them of the cancer of sameness. One that would reach deep into the grey chasms and fill them with the vibrant colours of adventure and intrigue; fortunately, that saviour was not too late in the coming. With the advent of the first-ever fully immersive VRMMORPG¡ªFantasy Online¡ªthe world had found its prince charming, and from there¡­ --- *Earth, October 2nd* *Darwin University, School Grounds* *12:43 PM* "Come on, Vincent! If you don''t hurry up, we''re going to miss the launch! There''s not a single soul outside right now; the others must be waiting for us!" A rather tall youth yelled, his voice bursting with stamina, as he maintained a fair pace ahead of his colleague. And although he showed no serious signs of exhaustion, the sheer level of perspiration indicated he had been running for quite a distance.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Yeah, yeah, I''m coming! Just¡­ give me a second!" Vincent puffed in reply, struggling to not get left behind. He could feel his legs screaming at him as he fought against fatigue. Unlike Greg, Vincent looked to be on the verge of collapse, with his thick but short obsidian hair dishevelled and his similarly coloured eyes glistening with tears. He couldn''t keep up. "Seriously, man, how are you this slow?" Greg chuckled, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "It''s like I''m racing against an actual sloth. Do you even train?" "Ugh, lay off, will you?" Vincent snapped, desperation seeping into his voice. "Not everyone has your superhuman stamina. It''s not my fault you decided to become a cardio machine." He felt a wave of frustration wash over him as he struggled to catch his breath. It wasn''t a matter of an unhealthy physique¡ªfar from it. In fact, Greg was the anomaly here, given that both had been sprinting for a whopping¡ª ''Five miles. Five f***ing miles! We get it; you took steroids when you were a baby. Get off your high horse!'' Vincent spat inwardly. "Come on! We got out of class early for this! We can''t waste the chance!" Greg chided, maintaining an annoying distance ahead, his tone teasingly competitive. "Like hell, we will! The launch is at 1 PM! We''ve got at least ten¡ªno, fifteen minutes!" Vincent wheezed, irritation clouding his thoughts. "Plus, you have a car! Why are we even running?" Glancing back, Greg gave an exaggerated shrug. "You know, if you actually got those G.E.Vs like the rest of us, perhaps you wouldn''t be gasping for air like a fish out of water right now." Hearing this, Vincent shot Greg a glare but faced with Greg''s condescending smirk, all he could do was grit his teeth. His ugliness was a reminder that, despite the strides humanity had made, orphans like him, who had spent most of their lives in the slum, still didn''t measure up to anybody. Greg, with his enhanced physique, was a reminder of everything Vincent had yet to achieve. The luxuries of the new world only applied to those who could afford it after all. ''Money¡­ of course, it''s always about money¡­ Fuck, Vin, remember why you''re doing this.'' Giving himself the mental equivalent of a slap on the cheek, Vincent trudged forward. Had it been any other day, Vincent wouldn''t have had to physically exert himself this much. Truth be told, he could be quite the couch potato if left to his own devices. But today¡­ today wasn''t just any other random cycle on the Earth''s rotational calendar. No. Today marked the launch of one of the most anticipated VRMMORPGs ever conceived! An event that would pull players from their mundane lives into worlds of boundless possibilities, and much like virtually every other human on the planet¡ªtwo planets, actually¡ªhe would be joining the big event. The new game, an¡ª "An innovation crafted by the new hotshot entrepreneur who is taking the business world by storm, a game expected to redefine the standards of peak entertainment and lead the way as a highlight of this new era¡­" Ying quoted a line he''d read from an article, using it as motivation. He told no lies. To the scientists who painstakingly devoted every waking moment of their lives to developing the various technologies of this age, this notion made them want to pull out their grey hairs in frustration, and why wouldn''t they? Despite all they''d done and accomplished¡­ To think that humanity actually had the gall to betray them like so? Outrageous! But the world couldn''t care less about what those old geezers thought, the decision had already been made, and there was not a damned thing they could do about it. This was the age of VR gaming, plain and simple¡­ And taking the spotlight as the epicentre of this attraction was¡ª ''Cultivation Climax, the game of the century... What a lofty title, despite only having made nothing but promises up till this point, Climax Co. seems quite confident in their new work.'' Vincent mused, but unfortunately, his reverie wouldn''t last long. "Get your head in the game Vin, literally!" Greg yelled out once more, but this time, Vincent paid him no heed. His mind was already set on the future. With renewed vigour, Vincent pushed his feet harder against the pavement. He had goals which he wanted, no, needed to achieve¡­ and Cultivation Climax was his beacon of hope. Cultivation Climax 12:50 PM* *Darwin University. Male Dormitory, room 305* Vinny collapsed onto his plush bed, exhausted. "Ha...ha...ha...I made it." His eyes drifted shut, savouring the luxurious comfort. The bed was a far cry from the creaky, hand-me-down mattress he''d grown up with. A small comfort, perhaps, but one that made the exorbitant tuition fees of the normal students almost worthwhile. Almost. "Finally made it, huh? What took you guys so long?" A redheaded brown-skinned male posed a question to both Greg and Vincent¡­ well, just Greg, actually. Vincent was too busy deriving pleasure from the otherworldly mattress to pay the overly muscular youth any heed. His gaze lingered on the ceiling, his mind still reeling from the events of the day. He chose to ignore Alex''s jibe, instead focusing on the soft, golden glow of his bedside Holo-lamp. "What took us so long?" Greg repeated, his voice tinged with feigned annoyance. "Ask Vincent over there. I swear, dude''s slower than a snail!" He jerked a thumb toward Vinny, who seemed to remain oblivious, lost in thought. Despite the idiotic accusations, Vincent (Vinny for short) did not respond. His inner monologue, however, was far from tranquil. ''Of course, I slowed you down, you friggin'' retard. I''m surprised you didn''t trip over your own feet.'' He bit back a retort, aware that engaging with Greg would only escalate the situation. The young man was pissed, very much so, but he couldn''t trust his tongue enough to respond. After all, it tended to be rather¡­ vile when confronting idiots. But lacking in the intellect department as they were, they were still humans of the new world. They were both from well-to-do families, and thus had been binging G.E.Vs since infancy, their physical stats were easily on par with those of a professional athlete. Vinny didn''t stand a chance against either of them, much less ¨C God help him ¨C a ticked off team up. Perhaps the school''s management might have been able to help? No. Vincent''s aunt and uncle were ok, but they didn''t quite meet the class standards of the average student in this institution. In fact, Vincent himself was here on a scholarship, making his case a bit more sensitive. All things considered, Vincent was better off confining his derisive thoughts to himself, not letting them show at all. At least, it was less of bullying than it was socio-economic ostracizing. At Greg''s response, Alex shook his head with an air of unsurprised disappointment, as though he had suspected such a scenario all along. ''Oh no, don''t do that. You might end up squashing your tiny brain against that thick skull of yours.'' Not having the balls to say it out loud, Vinny spat inwardly. Here were two people, discussing Vincent''s inability, as though they were parents disappointed at their child for missing curfew. It was quite the display of buffoonery. "Alex, Greg, you guys should cut Vinny some slack." The third and final roommate chimed, a dubious smirk plastered on his face. "After all, it''s not his fault his family couldn''t afford basic necessities." The comment hung in the air. At the ill-intended comment, Greg chuckled. It would seem that the message went across to him well; the other one, though¡­ not so much. "Tsk, Tsk, Logan, you always have to defend the weak, don''t you? His lack of speed is his fault, even though we all agreed to be here for the big launch." Alex commented foolishly. His every word showcased a truly frightening lack of intelligence. ''Ha! Like hell he does! You''re just too stupid.'' Vinny thought with exasperation. Speaking of the big launch, the only reason he was right here right now, instead of in the school''s library or anywhere else for that matter was because of it. Because of the one game. He couldn''t go to any of the local gaming hubs as they were all packed with gamers who had the money for a reservation, neither could he go to another dorm room, as there was a strict policy against such acts in the school. But if it was for the sake of the one game, he was willing to put up with this distasteful bunch. ''Sigh, Cultivation Climax¡­ the things I do for you¡­..'' Despite the fact that Vinny had already been living with the bunch for slightly over a month now, he could not like three people any less than he did these guys. How could he? One was dumb, the other was dumber and the last of them was just downright hopeless. Honestly, not even the top-of-the-line A-grade supplements could help him develop his brain beyond the size of a walnut.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "That''s not what I¡­ ugh, just forget it. Everyone get your gear ready. I''m turning on the TV.'''' Logan sighed and powered on the room''s flat screen. Meanwhile, the other three retrieved their ''gear'', which consisted of a helmet-like VR headset as well as a small memory chip about the size of the long outdated mix tape. ''About time.'' Vincent thought, griping his Diving helmet in anticipation. It looked rather old and less advanced compared to that of the others, but that was a given. After all, the three had bought new headsets just for the occasion of launching the hot new game, whereas Vinny had been using the same one since middle school, and even that was a gift from a friend. His miserable allowance could never afford him a luxury such as an actual VR helmet. He had already just barely managed to afford the actual game without digging too deep into his entire life''s savings¡­ Turning his attention to the large TV, Vincent could see an advertisement projected onto a floating holographic panel behind the LCD screen. It was a very vivid and graphically alluring visage of a white-haired young ¨C possibly old ¨C man, alongside a lithe and unrealistically beautiful female warrior. The hermit was garbed in lavish-looking robes, which did little to hide the outlines of his perfect muscles. His eyes shone a deep and ferocious blue color while a myriad of hues seemingly seeped from his divine build, the mighty great sword he held was rested with its blade pointing harmlessly at his feet, and as for his expression? Well, nothing but an unshakably confident grin of course. The maiden, on the other hand, wore shorter robes that easily showcased her exquisite curves and svelte build. She had white hair as well but instead of blue, her eyes radiated an otherworldly gold that perfectly complemented her immaculate skin and transcendental beauty. The iron maiden had a similar multi-colored aura which blended and intertwined perfectly with that of the male warrior. Her weapon ¨C a thin but lethal-looking spear ¨C was pointed at the vast heavens with a pompous nonchalance. The sight was the two-dimensional embodiment of awesomeness, and added to that the finessed flurry of background imagery as well as the eye-catching font of the game''s name: [Cultivation Climax], the entire thing made for a sight that would effortlessly enthrall unsuspecting onlookers. ''Cultivation Climax¡­ Rumored to be the most hyped game of all time! It''s only competitor being [Berserker Online] and even that only amounted to half of its preliminary sales'' grossing.'' Even the foul Vincent was still not immune to the awe-inspiring enchantments of the picture¡ªDespite having gazed at it for long minutes at the store and on the holographic billboards all over town. The youth continued basking in the sheer awesomeness of the advertisement poster, his jaws refusing to properly shut until his attention was grabbed by the appearance of a single man. The man looked just a bit over twenty despite being more than fifty years of age. To the best of Vincent''s knowledge, this man had never appeared in the media in this way ever before, but his profound charisma still commanded attention. A short panel appeared underneath him. [Trevor Lavender CEO. Climax Co] "Good day, everyone," Trevor began, his voice low and smooth. "As you all know, I''m Trevor Lavender, the mind behind this¡­ timeless creation. Developed to be as realistic as possible, Cultivation Climax is more than just a game. It''s an odyssey, a legend if you will." The camera panned across the sleek, modern architecture of the Climax Corporation''s headquarters before zooming in on Trevor''s confident smile. At this time, the press, as well as every other soul watching from home, had grown silent. Vinny, in particular, had his eyes glued to the screen, unable to look away, his mind absorbing the words. Trevor''s tone was filled with this... this infectious passion. You see, it was hard NOT to get drawn in by him. "When I came up with the idea of the game, the first obstacle I faced was the naming. Countless ideas crossed my mind, but only one truly captured the essence of my message.... Climax. A word synonymous to others such as zenith, peak, apex. It represents the highest point, the summit, it is a destination and at the same time a journey. One perilous, unforgiving and cruel." Raising a finger, Trevor Lavender paused for suspense, his deep gaze seemed to penetrate the screens as well as the very souls of his audience. Vinny shuddered. He knew that this was all just mere propaganda ¨C Nothing but an intelligent ploy to generate even more hype for the game; of course, in an era such as this one, such innovations were to be expected. But still¡­ "In Cultivation Climax, the path to greatness is fraught with challenges. Of course, there will be bountiful rewards to be reaped from every success, but likewise, every failure will incur merciless punishment. These punishments, unavoidable as they may be, will break you, reinvent you and then ruthlessly shatter you to pieces once more. Only those with the true heart of a warrior will survive the horrific culling and keep striving for the most coveted prize of them all. The ultimate prize. The only prize. To all you gamers¡­ only those with the strength to persevere through soul-crushing tribulations can and will etch their names unto the annals of history, because you see, the line between reality and illusion is not a boundary, but a horizon ¨C and like a mere spectre of the imagination, it is that very same horizon that recedes before us as we approach it. So I ask¡­" Trevor''s voice trailed off into the silence. By now, Vinny had been so entranced by the man''s speech that he had even forgotten to breathe. It might have been seen as a bit much if the words were said by another. Heck, it would have even been cringe, but such rules didn''t seem to apply to the man known as Trevor Lavender. His every word captivated the audience, the people simply had no choice but to maintain utmost decorum, to glean as much as possible from his boundless charisma. Vincent had no way of confirming this, but the young man thought¡­ no, he could feel it in his very bones... By the mere words of a fellow human, a mortal like any one of them, the entire world listening to Trevor Lavender had fallen into a deafening silence. As though time itself had stopped to accommodate the whims of a mere mortal. Vincent could hear his heart pounding; he could feel the adrenaline rushing through his body. He was excited. Never before had Vincent Carter ever been this excited about anything¡­ "¡­Are you ready?" The man asked, ending the speech with a finger point. The cameras shifted, and once again, the figure of the Climax Corporation''s main building came into view, and at the very top of the magnificent skyscraper was a holographic¡­timer? [00:00:10] Goosebumps spread throughout Vinny''s skin. [00:00:09] "Shit! The countdowns started! Everyone into your beds and get ready to log on.'''' Logan yelled, but the other three didn''t need the loud reminder. [00:00:06] Vincent was the first to get into his bed then turning on his headset, he inserted the game''s memory chip and then went ahead to don the helmet-like thing. [00:00:04] As he readied himself, he could hear cries and pleas from the press calling on Mr. Lavender, but by the sound of things he wasn''t willing to answer any further questions. They had missed their opportunity, and the man did not do second chances. [00:00:01] [00:00:00] ''As expected for someone like him.'' Immediately Vincent completed the thought, a string of panels appeared before his eyes. [Cultivation Climax loading¡­.] [Cultivation Climax fully loaded. Would you like to log on?] ''Yes!'' [You have successfully logged on!] Sigh, naming is such a hassle [You have successfully logged on!] That was the last message Vincent heard before he was assaulted by a dizzying wave of vertigo. The slight dizziness was expected; after all, he was using a very outdated model of the VR helmet¡ªprobably nearly as old as he was. The fact that it could even run such a demanding game was already a miracle. By the time his senses returned, Vincent was both surprised and intrigued to find that he''d been transported to an eerie, dark space. As far as he could see, there was no illumination of any sort¡ªno sun, no moon, no stars, no walls, nothing. Just a dark, completely empty void. Yet, somehow, the darkness did not affect his sight as it should have. Somehow, Vincent could still distinguish up from down, left from right and heaven from earth¡­ albeit a very dark and empty earth. All the same, it was a strange place. "Hmmm? Is this some sort of sub-dimensional zone? An intermediary between the game and the real world? Nice. I would have liked to admire the intricate designs, but it doesn''t seem to have any," Vincent thought while looking around the strange space when all of a sudden¡­ Ding! [Please select a name for your character!] Vincent heard the familiar sound of in-game notifications, accompanied by the prompt for name designation. Being no stranger to this process¡ªhaving played quite a few games in the past¡ªVincent immediately voiced the name he had chosen. "Liu Zhang." Of course, he wasted no time deliberating; he had decided on this name at least three weeks ago. With a self-satisfied expression, he closed his eyes and patiently awaited the next message. Well, it arrived right on time. But it didn''t take a soothsayer to tell that the follow-up notification was not what Vincent was expecting. [Username rejected! Someone has already chosen this name!] "What the hell?" Vincent was genuinely surprised; he had not seen this coming. "I''m pretty sure I logged on to the game when the timer ran down. So how the heck did this happen?" he wondered, scrunching his face in confusion. Then, he came to a realization. "Ugh¡­ It must be those rich kids and their 7G WiFi routers. Crap! Curse you, 5G! And you too, cheap ass management! Honestly, it''s supposed to be the best university in the damned state!" Vincent cried, but the system couldn''t care less. [Please select a name for your character!] Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Vincent heard the message again, and he couldn''t help but think the system sounded a bit disparaging this time. By now, he was a bit ticked off. "Tsk looks like I''ll have to use one of my contingencies. One of them is bound to work¡­ right?" Vincent thought, and so the name-calling began. "Liu Kang." [Username rejected!] "Liu Fang!" [Username rejected!] "Fang Yuan!" [Username rejected!] "Zhao Li!" [Username rejected!] "Hong Kong?" [Username rejected!] . . . "Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff. Dammit! It''s already been ten minutes, and yet¡­." [Username rejected!] In the painfully long span of six hundred seconds, Vincent had exhausted every name on his list, calling out the names of every wuxia character he had ever heard, mixing and matching them endlessly. But the stubborn system showed no regard for Vincent''s desperate efforts, merely chiming out its prompts continuously. "Fine then! If that''s what you want! Vincent! Vincent Carter!" Vinny yelled with a tone of defeated annoyance. Both names were not particularly uncommon, but what were the chances¡­? [¡­] "Huh? No way is it seriously going to¡ª!" [Username rejected!] Vincent didn''t even get the chance to complete his thoughts before his hopes¡ªwhich had risen dramatically¡ªwere dashed without hesitation. "Damn it! That''s the last straw!" Vinny fumed, his face a mix of frustration, confusion, bewilderment, and annoyance. He opened his mouth, ready to unleash a tirade against the system. "YOU DAMNED SYS¡ª!" Vinny roared, but before he could finish, he was interrupted. [Username rejected! Auto naming protocol commenced!] "¡­!" There was a brief silence, forcing Vincent to confront his own lameness. If he actually failed to complete the absolute most basic of tasks, then how was he supposed to ''climb to the pinnacle of this world'' eh? Ding! [Auto naming protocol completed! Player''s name is ''Ying''!] The system finally responded. Vincent, however, was not impressed. "Ying? Really? Ying? That''s the best the most advanced AI of our time could come up with? What kind of name is Ying? What does it even mean?" he asked no one in particular, annoyance clearly written on his face. Unsurprisingly, there was no response. Apparently, the system wasn''t user interactive.... Or user friendly. ''...!'' Silence settled over the dark space for a long time. Vincent¡ªnow Ying¡ªwas still a bit irritated with the system for everything, but eventually, he decided to let it go, dismissing his emotions with an exasperated sigh. ''There''s seriously no point in fussing over things at this point,'' he thought. "Sigh¡­ Ying, huh? Well, I guess it''s not THAT bad, but I''m pretty sure I suggested it at least once before... Ah, what a hassle." Vincent mused, but before he could delve into the suspiciousness of the situation, yet another message arrived. Ding! [Design your character!] The message reached Vincent''s ears, and with it came an array of options for what would inevitably become his new character''s outward appearance. Following how he envisioned himself¡ªat least in his mind¡ªhe began designing his character. He gave him fair skin and modestly sized muscles. Ying had never been a fan of overly muscular physiques for one simple reason: "Bulging muscles are the trademark of an airhead." A peculiar paradigm, to say the least. For his hair, Vincent decided to go with long black hair. He had always wanted long hair, but his genes were not very generous in the hair growth department. In fact, his hair had never grown beyond a certain point all his life, and it wasn''t like he had the money to splurge on growth supplements or products. Vincent gave his character black eyes and then amped up his facial features to the max. "Ku kuku¡­ Beware, ladies! A handsome and powerful god of martial arts is about to descend upon the world." He amused himself with the thought of dozens of beautiful women falling at his feet, lust written all over their faces, eager to touch even the slightest bit of his skin. It wasn''t that Vincent couldn''t attract women; quite the opposite, actually. His handsome features made him a top dating candidate. He was desired, but never to the point of sheer fanaticism. Also, he was broke. How wonderful it would be, though, to have real goddesses worship at his feet with fervent loyalty, ready and willing to attend to his every desire at a moment''s notice. "Maybe, just maybe, I could be that kind of Lord¡­" Just as he completed his designs and was about to submit them, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. It was more of a concern, really. "Hold on... The system can''t reject my designs... can it?" He felt hesitant; he did not want the whole fiasco of character naming to occur all over again¡­ "Bah, whatever. I guess I''ll just have to try and see." Resigning himself to his fate, Vincent submitted his designs. A few seconds later, another string of panels appeared. Ding! [Character Design Completed!] [Player Ying is ready to enter! Would you like to proceed? Y/N] "Shortening the already shortest words in the world? How niche. Yes!" Ying replied, an excited smile slowly manifesting. [Loading¡­..] [Welcome, player Ying, to Cultivation Climax! May the blessings of the Dao be with you!] With that, Vincent was transported¡ªaccompanied by a slight feeling of dizziness¡ªinto the vast and expansive worlds of Cultivation Climax. Forsaken-Grade Talent Recovering his senses for the second time today, Ying slowly opened his eyes to take in the world around him. It was beautiful¡­ Or so he wanted to believe. The truth was, the visage wasn''t really anything special. He had spawned probably a few dozen miles outside the nearest city, in the forest area, and was surrounded by nothing but trees. Ordinary, unremarkable trees, as well as a host of other plant life. The vegetation was quite sparse, so his view was not too obstructed, but as far as he could see, there were nothing but other than plants in the distance. ''Oh well, at least that gives me time to check out my status window. It''s the first thing every decent gamer does upon entering a game.'' Ying thought, and as if on cue, he heard the system''s notification. Ding! [Player tutorial loaded! Would you like to proceed?] "Of course, I would." Ying promptly responded. Following his response, an extensive window of information on the basic system prompts appeared before him. Ying was not a novice to games, and all the commands were voice-activated, so the only thing that really mattered was the knowledge of the options'' existence and functions. Perhaps the most important thing he gleaned was that the commands were also all thought-activated. ''Whoa. That''ll really come in handy.'' He mused. With that, he decided to finally check his status window, ''Alright, let''s see what I''m working with here.'' With a swift thought, Ying summoned his status window and soon enough, a translucent holographic panel manifested before his eyes. On it, the information that would inevitably dictate just how far he would be able to climb in this world. [ <> Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ____ <> ____ <> ____ <> A strange omen follows you. You are a very unlucky mortal with the absolute unheard of worst talent for cultivation, you will later on become the victim of countless failures and most likely eventually quit after accepting his fate. My evaluation is to give up while you still can. ] Resounding silence! ''H-huh? What''s this? How did the system measure these¡­obscure stats? They look extremely randomized, and¡­ luck? What the hell is luck? Also, what''s all this crap about Forsaken-level talent?!'' Ying thought. ''Forsaken? Forsaken by what exactly? The gods? Fate? What a load of bullshit! Is the game experiencing bugs? If so, then that''s really disappointing.'' Ying evaluated, displaying confusion and annoyance at his stats. He started pacing, drifting aimlessly from side to side, obviously in frustrated denial at the unfiltered and blunt words of the system''s evaluations. It made him want to curse. ''''A strange omen? Will experience many failures? Give up? I''ll have your automated ass know that I''ve played a good few games before and I have always been well above average. Heck, I was even better than that!'' Ying''s words were true. Although not that many, Ying had played a considerable number of VR games, in which he always turned out to be highly talented and capable. However, he always ended up dropping them due to either boredom or a severe lack of interest. Truth be told, if Ying had actually put in the effort, he might have actually had a real shot at getting up into the big leagues. The influence of VR gaming in the world of today was not at all small; on the contrary, it was standing toe to toe with ALL the world''s leading industries. Somehow, those bureaucratic a**holes had succeeded in selling their propaganda, investing in the stocks of all the major gaming companies, and VR had evolved into something much more than mere entertainment. It was not just a culture, but a lifestyle all on its own. No doubt, it had become one of the most influential parts of daily life in the waking world. ''They even host monthly and annual contests now and the best Athletes are divided into leagues ranging all the way from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and finally, Legendary¡­'' The benefits were great. If one met the standards, then the high life was all but guaranteed. However, that did not come without its problems. There were quite a few dilemmas which were inescapable for all celebrity personalities. Invasion of privacy, exploitation, scamming, to name a few. In Ying''s opinion, the returns were not at all worth both the sacrifices he''d have to make, and the resources he would have had to consume. Resources that he did not possess¡­ Moreover, there was also THAT reason. Ying''s thoughts divulged briefly, and a certain individual''s face came to mind. ''Ugh, not even five minutes on and this game is already turning my mood sour.'' Ying scoffed in denial. That was why he was annoyed. In the end, he simply chalked it all up to errors made by the game developers, despite knowing in his heart of hearts that the chances of bugs in such a polished game were incredibly low. He attempted to call out his Talent and Physique stats to see if he could glean more information, but failed. The two stats seemed to be greyed out; perhaps he had yet to unlock them? Eventually, he gave up. ''''Sigh. Whatever¡­ Let''s just see what I have in my inventory. " Ying mindlessly worded as his gaze ventured to the top left corner of the window, where the [Inventory] option flaunted a big red dot next to it. With an unexpectant thought, Ying opened it. He immediately witnessed a bunch of empty squares, about two dozen of them, neatly arranged on a single panel. Apparently, the square boxes were all empty and had yet to be occupied with items and other things Ying would inevitably collect on his journeys. Well, all except for three, which had indiscernible objects in them; no doubt signifying that they were occupied. With a thought command, he enhanced the names underneath the three occupied slots. They read¡­ "Ho¡­ Hoho¡­ Finally, things are about to get interesting." Ying could not help but laugh aloud. A wide grin tugged his lips as he read the names of the items within his storage. Ingenuity Ying had a wide smile on his face as he read through the list of the items in his inventory. He seemed to have obtained two scrolls that undoubtedly contained Cultivation techniques as well as a weapon. Unable to contain his excitement, Ying chose to ignore the weapon for the time being and summoned the other items into reality. As expected, two long pieces of yellow parchment manifested right into his grasp. Why did he summon both scrolls at once? Well, why not? Delving deeper, Ying noticed that both pieces of ancient paper were covered with inscriptions and rough sketches of the human body connected by a patchwork of arrows in a wholesome fashion. It resembled a human-oriented flowchart, akin to something that came straight out of a Da Vinci journal¡ªthough infinitely simpler. As he studied the parchment, Ying soon realized that both scrolls contained detailed methods of breathing, indicating they were indeed Cultivation techniques. He grinned. Unable to contain his excitement, Ying quickly absorbed the information, committing it to memory. The task posed no challenge, as the system translated all languages automatically. Furthermore, the contents were easy to comprehend; the English was basic, and the instructions were very precise. All things considered, anyone above twelve years of age should have been able to grasp it relatively easily. ''Hmm, a twelve year olds intellect? Oh no, I think that might be a tad daunting for a certain... acquaintance of mine.'' Ying humoured himself with the thought. As he chuckled, the two scrolls erupted into faint sparks of light and dissolved into nothingness, soon afterwards¡­ Ding! [You have learned a new skill!] [You have learned a new skill!] Ying''s smile broadened as he heard the system message. Not wanting to waste any more time, he quickly opened the system interface to confirm his latest acquisitions. Indeed, two new entries had been made right under his <> stat. A strange sense of elation filled Ying at the sudden change in his status window. It was a wholesome sort of happiness¡ªperhaps a sense of fulfilment? He couldn''t tell. Nevertheless, it was quite addictive. Ying continued and individually expanded both skills he had received. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. [ Grade: Mortal Requirements: None Mastery: Novice Description: A basic Qi Gathering Technique that may be practised by anyone. Depending on talent and mastery, allows user to gather up to a 100 Qi per minute. Passive Gains: 10Qi per hour Active Gains: 10Qi per minute ] [ Grade: Mortal Requirements: None Mastery: Novice Description: A basic Qi Absorption Technique. Depending on talent and Mastery, it allows the user to absorb a maximum of merely 70% of the total amount of Qi from saturated Qi mediums. ] Ying''s eye quickly swept through both panels, taking in the information. Truth be told, he was a bit disheartened by the descriptions of his new skill¡ªseeing as their effects seemed quite basic¡ªbut he did not allow himself to dwell on that deprecating feeling for too long. ''Hmm¡­ If the gathering technique allows me just about ten Qi per minute but a maximum of a hundred Qi within the same time frame, doesn''t that mean I''m only using 10 percent of its latent potential?!'' Ying inquired no one in particular, seemingly on to something. ''Is that just all I can accomplish with beginner-level mastery, or maybe it''s that damned Forsaken-grade talent kicking in. Ugh, if it is, then I''m going to have to file a loooong complaint to the game devs¡­ and what the heck are Qi mediums exactly?'' Ying wondered pensively. Honestly, he had way too little information about the game. The developers had blatantly refused to release a player manual, and the only way to obtain any sort of information prior was to possess connections. Yet another thing Ying lacked severely. "Tsk, those damned game developers... Sigh, whatever. Let''s just cultivate." Ying decided to dismiss all of his dissatisfaction. After all, he had much more interesting things to tend to right now. Looking around, he confirmed there was no apparent danger nearby, nor was there anything lurking in the shadows. He turned his head, and selected a small patch of comfortable-looking grass, seated himself in the lotus position as per the scroll''s instructions, and closed his eyes. Deciding that the was the only one he could use right now, he activated the skill with a thought command. There was an awkward silence. "¡­!!" Nothing happened. "Huh? What''s this? I''m pretty sure I activated the skill just now." Ying was confused, and understandably so. Usually, in games, activating skills or techniques required only a thought; of course, that was AFTER factoring in the cost of whatever power unit was being used. So why was this any different? Ying couldn''t understand. Trying the command a dozen more times to no avail, Ying grew slightly pissed, but also curious. He wondered just what would be required of him to activate his own skills. Perhaps he needed to utilize this¡­ Qi power? ''No, it wouldn''t make sense to have to use Qi to quite literally gather Qi. If the game developers had any sense at all, which I honestly doubt they do, they wouldn''t make such an inefficient mechanism.'' Ying evaluated as he started pacing. Time flew by, and Ying crossed more and more suggestions, due to their either being implausible, silly, or downright unrealistic. ''Perhaps I need some kind of treasure...? Or, maybe fulfil some unknown condition? Hmm...'' Suddenly, a thought crossed Ying''s mind and he recalled a statement made by Trevor Lavender himself; ''Cultivation Climax, developed to be as realistic a game as possible¡­. '' And like clockwork, it all clicked. ''''No way¡­ could it be that when he said he made the game as realistic as possible, he was not only referring to the world itself but also the players'' abilities¡­ really?'''' Ying stopped moving, eyes widened in realization. No doubt, something like this had never actually happened before, at least, not in any of the games Ying had played before. He wondered how somehow could be so¡­ so, ingenious! It checked out, the detailed design of the scrolls and the requirement to read and memorise them before unlocking the skill. "Huuuu." Taking a deep breath, Ying decided to try something else. Easily recalling the directions, he began following the instructions. Taking in and expelling air according to how was depicted in the scrolls. It was not at all difficult to replicate actually, it seemed as though the skills'' acquisition made the entire process of recollection and execution much easier. ''A game that actually requires manual labour? How exciting! Ahem, that still doesn''t change my mind¡­ Game devs are the worst; yes, they are.'' Ying tried to hide it with a cough, but his thrill was all too obvious. From what Ying could tell, each breathing cycle took roughly six seconds; doing the math, it would take ten cycles to complete a full minute. It was a lot, but eventually, Ying managed to succeed. [You have cultivated enough Qi for a breakthrough!] [Congratulations player ''Ying!'' You have broken through!] [You have assimilated 10 Qi!] [You have unlocked the ''Sect'' status!] [You have unlocked the ''Affiliations'' status!] [Your power grows!] The moment that Ying heard the myriad of notifications, he instantly stopped cultivating and checked his status window. Indeed, something had changed. [ <> ____ <> ____ <> ____ <> A strange omen follows you. You are a very unlucky mortal with the absolute unheard of worst talent for cultivation, you will later on become the victim of countless failures and most likely eventually quit after accepting his fate. My evaluation is to give up while you still can. ] Seeing the changes, Ying couldn''t help but smirk awkwardly. Just like that, his first ever victory in this new world was recorded.