Cultivation Online

Cultivation Online

"Brother! I got the game you wanted!" The teenager said cheerfully next to the young man laying on the bed. In her grasp was a large helmet that looked like a bike helmet, but with more of a sci-fi look.

The young man's eyes were closed, seemingly asleep, but the girl continued to speak: "Here, let me help you put it on…"

The girl climbed on the large bed that could fit an entire family of four, and she lifted his head, putting the helmet she had prepared on his head.

"Thank you…" The young man finally spoke in a hoarse voice after she gently laid his head back down.

The girl smiled, tenderly caressing his hair so it wouldn't bother him. "Brother, although I will be busy with school this week, next week for sure, I will play with you."

"Un…"

"I will come back later, so until then, have fun!" After those words, she went to touch the button on the side of the helmet and waited a few moments before leaving the young man alone.

—

It only took a few seconds after the button was pressed for the young man's body in the real world to fall into a state similar to slumber. He could no longer smell the aroma that was unique to his room or feel the weight of the blanket pressing down on his body. Instead, he could feel himself standing, something he didn't have the opportunity to experience for many years.

The world before him was mostly black, like the night sky without stars, and he could see white numbers floating above him, slowly counting down.

<10:01>

<10:00>

<09:59>

"I can see… I can feel my limbs… I… am no longer blind or a cripple..." The young man broke down in this darkness, becoming emotional and falling to his knees.

He was born with an incurable illness that left him blind at the age of 7 and crippled at the age of 13. He is now 18 years old, and for the past 5 years he would lay in his bed, unable to do anything else besides just laying there; it was a gruesome and unimaginable life that one wouldn't even dare to imagine themselves in.

However, for this young man who has spent more than half of his life living in a world void of light, he was able to continue living without giving in to despair because of his caring younger sister, who supported him every day without any complaints.

"So this is the world's first VRMMORPG with 100% immersion, huh."

When he first heard of the game from his younger sister, he almost couldn't believe it.

A game that operates inside the mind of the individual, allowing that person to live in another world without the need to move a single limb — who would believe that such an incredible and advanced technology could exist? Not to mention that this high-tech technology was announced to be affordable enough for even the most common families to enjoy.

It was unimaginable at first, but experiencing it firsthand, the young man can only believe it.

<02:19>

<02:18>

The countdown continued to lower as the young man tried to familiarize himself with the feeling of moving his limbs. Although it was difficult at first, even tripping after every few steps, he gradually became familiarized with his body again.

<00:03>

<00:02>

<00:01>

<00:00>

As the system's notice appeared, the black space quickly brightened, becoming a bright white room. And right before the young man, a crack appeared out of thin air, looking like a glass window being cracked.

Crack. Crack. Crack...

The crack grew larger and larger — until it was large enough for an adult to fit.

Suddenly, the large crack broke apart entirely, revealing the darkness behind it, and a beautiful woman with a graceful and elegant body slowly walked out from within the cracked space, looking like a goddess appearing from another world.

"This is…" The young man could only watch in a daze as the beautiful woman who just came out of the cracked space began looking at him from top to bottom with a seemingly cold expression on her otherwordly face. Dressed in unfamiliar red and golden robes, her figure was supple and graceful. Her facial features are sharp, symmetrical, and peerless. All in all, she looked like an otherworldly goddess. However, despite all of her perfect features, her gaze was anything but friendly.

She stared at him with her golden eyes that overflowed with a feeling of dominance, and her aura radiated with a tyrannical power that the young man cannot comprehend.

"Mortal, place your hand on this." The beauty spoke to him with a cold voice that was fitting for a ruler, and the young man watched as she pulled out a crystal ball from thin air.

"Okay." Believing that she was an NPC, the young man followed her instructions and placed his hand on the crystal ball without thinking about it too much, and words began appearing inside the crystal ball.

Name: ???

Cultivation: None

Legacy: None

Bloodline: None

Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

Physical Strength: 34

Mental Strength: 275

Soul Strength: 1,210

Physical Defense: 10

Mental Defense: 1,121

"?!?!" The beauty's expression suddenly changed upon seeing the information in the crystal ball, her clear eyes filled with disbelief.

"Heaven Refining Physique!" Her hands trembled along with the crystal ball in her grasp. "Not to mention his Soul Strength is at the rank of Spirit Warrior despite being only a mortal with no cultivation — No, that is nothing when compared to his physique!"

The beauty has never been this shocked before, even to the point of her body trembling.

"Is something wrong?" The young man asked her upon seeing her silence and excited expression.

She lifted her head to look at him, thinking to herself: 'I must rope him into joining my faction before the others find him…'

"What is your name?" she asked him with a serious expression.

"You can call me Yuan."

"Take this token and keep it with you until we meet next time." The beauty retrieved a jade medallion from thin air and suddenly tossed it to him. "I don't have much time left here. Make sure you don't lose the token, I will see you again."

"Huh? Wait, I have some..." Before Yuan can even ask her any questions, the beauty walked back into the cracked hole, disappearing alongside the crack in the air.

"What an odd NPC. What should I do now?" He looked around the empty place.

<00:02>

<00:01>

As the timer reached zero, Yuan's vision suddenly twisted, giving him a slight headache. When he blinked and opened his eyes, he found himself on some kind of stage where many people that wore the same white robe as him were gathered in a spacious area.

"This is… Cultivation Online?" His eyes widen when he saw mountains floating in the sky above the clouds and what appeared to be houses built on these floating mountains.

"Welcome, Mortals! I am Elder Song, in charge of making sure that before you all leave this place and adventure this vast world that you will have a goal of what you want to do here set in your mind." An old man in blue robes suddenly greeted everybody with a booming voice, causing everybody there to look above them.

"He's flying! He is really flying while standing on that sword!" The people exclaimed the obvious.

Elder Song smiled and said: "I will answer your questions later, but first, let me explain to you about this world — the world of Cultivation."

"First and foremost, this is the Heavenly Continent, and we are currently at Mountain #96. Before you were transported here, everyone should have met a representative from our world that gave you an evaluation. That is your character status; it tells you almost everything about yourself."

"We will start with the basics. In this world, humans and monsters cultivate their bodies and mind with Spirit Qi that allows them to obtain supernatural powers. We call people like them Cultivators, and the higher the cultivation you reach, the stronger you will be in this world. Legacy and Bloodlines are special features that can be obtained later on if you are fortunate enough. As for Physique, everyone here should have one. Whether or not it is useless, this will tell you."

Elder Song waved his long sleeves and thousands of talismans flew towards the people there.

"Activate it with your thoughts," said Elder Song.

The crowd followed his instruction, and loud exclamations resounded soon afterward.

"It says that I have an Earth-ranked Physique! What does that mean?"

Elder Song looked at the young man who just spoke and said to him, "There is a one in ten thousand chances one is born with an Earth-rank Physique. Congratulations. You are what we call 'talented'."

"Elder, how many ranks of Physiques are there?"

"The rank for Physiques consists of Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Divine."

"Elder, what does having a Mortal-rank Physique mean, and what is the difference between the ranks?"

Elder Song remained silent for a moment, before speaking with a grin, "Having a Mortal Physique means you are only ordinary, but having an Earth Physique means you are talented. The difference is obvious — you are naturally inferior to those who have a better physique than you! The more talented you are, the easier it will be for you as a Cultivator!"

His words caused many faces to sink, especially those with a Mortal Physique.

"Can our Physiques be changed?" Someone suddenly asked.

"Physiques can be changed, but the process is a long and painful one, so most people just accept their fate."

The people sighed in relief after hearing that their Mortal Physique can be changed.

"Does anyone here happen to have a Divine rank Physique?" Elder Song's eyes flickered with expectation, but when nobody replied to his question the light in his eyes dimmed.

'The chances of someone having a Divine Physique is one in a hundred million, a genius above genius that knows no equal, so it isn't surprising that such a prodigy wouldn't appear amongst a mere thousand people.' He shook his head inwardly.

"Elder, I have a Heaven-ranked Physique." An individual suddenly said out loud, causing everybody there to look at him.

"Hoh? The chances of a Heaven Physique appearing is one in a million. You are a very fortunate one, young genius. What is your name?"

"My name is Shen Ming," replied the handsome young man.

"Shen Ming? Isn't he the eldest son of Shen Li, the CEO of Royal Entertainment?"

Some people there recognized the handsome young man whose face looked exactly the same as he does in real life.

"Did you receive something from the representative who did your evaluation?" Elder Song asked him with great interest.

"Yes, I did." Shen Ming did not hide that fact and told him the truth. "I received this pouch from the representative."

"Oho… That is a storage pouch used to store items, there may be a few things in there that could benefit you. However, only cultivators are capable of using it. Additionally, if you can meet the person who gave you that gift again, they might even recruit you as a disciple for their Sect."

"Sect? You mean like guilds?"

"A Sect is a place created by one or a group of people for the purpose of nurturing its disciples to become powerful Cultivators — a school for Cultivators, basically." Elder Song briefly explained. "Is that it? Does nobody else have a Heaven Physique?"

After a moment of silence, Elder Song shook his head and thought to himself, 'What a pity that there is only one person out of the thousands here worth investing in. But even then, I don't know who had given him that storage pouch. It'd be rude of me if I were to steal away their target, and I might even offend someone I cannot afford to offend.'

"I have one question for everybody here before I let you leave… What do you desire to achieve in this world? Strength? Status? Wealth? Handsome men? Beautiful women? Tell me, Mortals from another world!"

"I want to fly like you!"

"I wish for power!"

"I want to be famous!"

"I want enough money to make a mountain!"

"I want to walk around with beautiful women in both my arms!"

"I want handsome men to pamper me!"

Elder Song smiled upon hearing the masses' desires. "If you want to survive in a world such as this, then you must have power! In this world, the strong rules the weak! Wealth and fame will naturally come if you are strong! People will flock to you if you are strong! Remember my words, young ones — this world looks down on the weak and the inferior, respecting only the strong! Having strength means you have everything!"

"Who do you think has the most power in this world?" Elder Song glanced at the people below with a narrowed gaze, sending chills down their spine.

"Cultivators! We, Cultivators, are a symbol of power, wealth, fame, and respect — we are the rule of this world!"

"Cultivators, is that some sort of class?" The people wondered.

"Elder, how do I become a Cultivator?"

Elder Song smiled. "It's simple, really." He suddenly waved his sleeves, and thousands of glowing orbs appeared out of the blue and flew towards the people and directly at their forehead, submerging into their brains.

"I have just given you all the method to cultivate. It is now up to you to decide whether you want to cultivate or remain as a mortal." Elder Song waved his sleeves again, and four portals appear not too far away from the group. "Each portal represents a Continent. In this world, we have Four Great Continents not including this Heavenly Continent. Once you step inside, it will take you to a place within one of these Four Great Continents randomly, but even I will not know exactly where you'll land so it is up to your fate."

"Now, scram. I have spent too much of my precious time dealing with you mortals. You will learn more about this world as you travel. Even if I use the remaining of my longevity, I won't be able to explain to you everything about this world."

With another wave of his sleeve, everybody there began flying towards the portal as though they were being pulled towards them.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Shocked cries resounded, and those who entered the portal would soon appear in this vast and unknown world at random.

—

After being thrown into the portal, Yuan felt slightly dizziness again, and before he was aware, he was in the middle of a forest.

"Where is this? Is there a map I can use?"

Suddenly, a large map with four large continents separated by water appears before him.

"Eastern Continent?" That was the only information he could gather from the map. Everything else was blacked out.

Yuan tilted his head to look at the bright sky and sighed. "I didn't get to ask him about my Physique. That old man said that there only exist four ranks of Physiques: Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Divine, so why does my Physique not belong to any one of these four ranks? Do I have a special body?"

In his grasp was a talisman with the following words on it:

Mysterious Little Girl

"Character status." Yuan activated the system command through his mind as he did with the talisman.

Name: Yuan

Cultivation: None

Legacy: None

Bloodline: None

Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

Physical Strength: 34

Mental Strength: 275

Soul Strength: 1,210

Physical Defense: 10

Mental Defense: 1,121

"What do these stats do?" He pondered and pondered, but alas, without a guide or someone to teach him, he was clueless. "From what the creators of this game said, there will be no guides or manuals, leaving us, the players, to learn about this game for ourselves…"

"There should be a leveling system in these types of games, but where is the experience bar? What is my level? This feels more like reality than playing a game." Yuan opened and closed his hands into a fist.

Bang!

Suddenly, he punched a nearby tree.

"Ah! It really hurts! Does it hurt because this game is sending pain signals to my brain, making it believe that I am actually hitting a real tree? That's… scary no matter how I think about it."

What if he got stabbed by a sword? What would that feel like? He didn't want to think about it.

"Umm… excuse me, the brother over there…" A sweet voice suddenly resounded behind Yuan, making him turn his head.

"Huh?"

Standing right behind him was a cute little girl in red robes who looked to be around 10 years old, hugging a red ball in one arm and a book in the other.

'How did she get so close behind me without making a single sound? I didn't even notice her presence! And what is such a young girl doing here, in the middle of nowhere? Perhaps there is a city nearby?' Yuan became curious.

"Are you an NPC or a Player?" He asked her, who tilted her head sideways with a puzzled expression.

"NPC? Player? Xiao Hua is Xiao Hua," replied the little girl.

"So your name is Xiao Hua, huh. My name is Yuan."

"How did Brother Yuan manage to get in here?" She suddenly asked him with a curious gaze, almost like it is her first time seeing another person in her life.

"Get in here? We are outside, aren't we?"

She shook her head and said, "We are inside my family's garden."

"Huh? Garden?" Yuan looked stupefied at her answer. "This forest is your garden…?"

She nodded.

If this place that looks like a forest is her family's garden, then how big was the house itself? He couldn't imagine it. While it sounded unbelievable, it also explained why such a small girl like her would appear here.

"Sorry for intruding, but I was teleported here by some old man against my will…" He tried to explain without sounding too crazy. "I'll leave immediately, so can you tell me the way?"

But out of his expectations, the little girl shook her head. "Brother Yuan, since you are already here, why don't you play with Xiao Hua?"

"You want me to play with you?" He did not expect such a request from her.

"Xiao Hua is always alone and it is boring to play with herself."

"What about your family?"

"They are always busy and cannot play with Xiao Hua."

"Is that so…" Yuan felt sorry for her. He himself would be an outcast if it were not for his younger sister, so he knew very well what it feels like to be alone.

"Okay, this big brother will play with you!" He patted his chest with confidence. Due to his illness that left him unable to move even a limb, he did not have the leisure to play with his younger sister when she was young, so he saw this as an opportunity to experience what it would be like if he wasn't born with that illness.

"Really? You will play with Xiao Hua?" Her eyes glittered like the tiny stars in the sky, and her bright expression was adorable enough to soften the hearts of even the cruelest killers out there.

"Un. What do you want to play?"

"Then Xiao Hua will throw the ball to you, and you will throw it back, okay?" She placed the book down and showed him the ball.

"Let me get some distance… Okay, I am ready."

And without further ado, the two began playing throwing ball, and soon after, the merry laughter of a joyous little girl would echo in the forest.

—

While Yuan was spending his time entertaining a mysterious little girl, other Players would either be strengthening themselves or trying to gain more information about this world. Everybody rushed to surpass their friends and rivals in this new game that just came out, especially those who wish to become a professional and are required to be ahead of everybody else.

Minutes quickly turned into hours, and while everyone was grinding in their own ways, Yuan continued to play with the little girl.

'What monstrous stamina this little girl has! We have been throwing this ball back and forth for many hours, yet there is not a drop of sweat on her face! Even her small body shows no sign of fatigue!' Yuan smiled bittered, his entire body drenched in sweat. How could he, a young man, get worn out before a little girl that's half his age while playing throwing ball? Although he has not moved a muscle for many years in the real world, this was virtual reality; he shouldn't even be sweating, let alone feeling fatigued!

"What's wrong, Brother Yuan? You do not look so good… Are you sick?" Xiao Hua's words dealt significant damage to his pride.

"No… I am… just a bit… tired…" he said in an exhausted voice.

Hearing his words, she no longer threw the ball at him. "Then do you want to take a rest before we resume?"

"You… you still want to play?"

"Un!" she nodded vigorously, nearly making him cry.

"Okay… but let me rest for a bit…"

He sits down at a nearby tree, and Xiao Hua follows him, sitting beside him.

"Where is Brother Yuan from?" she asked.

"I am from a faraway place called Earth."

"Earth?"

Seeing her glittering eyes, Yuan smiled. "Do you want to hear about my homeland? Although it is not much, I still have memories of the places I went as a child."

"Yes! I want to hear stories about this Earth!"

"Very well, then…"

Yuan began telling stories to Xiao Hua of the things he has done as a child, and she quickly became engrossed in his stories.

After an hour of nonstop storytelling, when he ran out of both breaths and stories to tell her, Xiao Hua opens the book in her grasp and spoke, "Since Brother Yuan played with Xiao Hua and even told her stories, Xiao Hua shall also tell you stories," she said. "This is Xiao Hua's gratitude to you, Brother Yuan!"

Yuan did not refuse and humbly accepted her appreciation.

However, when she began reading the book in her hands, he was surprised to find out that he wasn't able to understand a single word coming out of her mouth. It sounded more like chanting than a story!

But he didn't want to be rude to her, so he continued to listen. Soon, without being aware, he closed his eyes. After closing his eyes, he began feeling more relaxed and comfortable, almost as though he was experiencing some kind of hypnotization.

The weird chanting from Xiao Hua became less gibberish — he was beginning to comprehend her words, and information he never knew was being fed into his head. This continued for a whole hour before a sharp sound would suddenly wake Yuan from his meditative state.

"Heaven's Secret Art…?"

Xiao Hua smiled gently upon hearing Yuan's mumble.

And suddenly, above the sky for every player to witness, a grand system notice appears.

The announcement shocked every witness there, especially those Players at the top. The game has not even been out for a day, yet someone has managed to obtain a Divine-rank Skill already? Who was this Player 'Yuan', and what did he do to obtain it?

Becoming a Cultivator

"What's wrong, Brother Yuan?" Xiao Hua asked him, who looked dazed while staring at the sky.

"Oh, the announcement…" He pointed to the words in the sky.

"I don't see anything, though?" She said.

"Hm? You cannot see the words in the sky?"

She shook her head, prompting Yuan to ponder. 'Perhaps NPCs cannot see the game's notifications?'

—

—

—

"Xiao Hua, what is Qi?" Yuan decided to ask her, who he believes to have more knowledge than him regarding this world.

"Qi is the essence of this world; it is what people use to cultivate."

"Cultivate, huh. That old man had said the same… Let me try this…" he closed his eyes and positioned himself to sit in the lotus position before activating the skill.

Ding!

<5/5,000>

<10/5,000>

<15/5,000>

His Qi Experience increased by 5 for every second he cultivated. Additionally, when he activated the Consuming Heaven Technique, his breathing naturally became calm and rhythmic, and his entire body felt refreshed, almost as though it was breathing through every existing pore.

Within just a few minutes, Yuan suddenly felt his entire body explode with a cool feeling, almost like he had been thrown into a pool of cool water on a hot day.

'All I have to do is sit here and cultivate to grow stronger in this game? How boring!' Yuan ignorantly thought to himself. 'But it does feel pleasant, almost like I am relaxing in a warm bath or something of sorts.'

—

Name: Yuan

Cultivation: First Level Spirit Apprentice

Legacy: None

Bloodline: None

Physique: Heaven Refining Physique

Physical Strength: 134

Mental Strength: 375

Soul Strength: 1,310

Physical Defense: 110

Mental Defense: 1,221

—

"Congratulations on becoming a Cultivator, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua said to him with a smile.

"It is all because of you, Xiao Hua. You have my gratitude."

"Then let's continue to play!" She stood up with the ball already in her hands, ready to be thrown.

Yuan smiled bitterly, but he didn't refuse and continued to play with her.

Surprisingly, when he stood up, all the fatigue he had just moments ago was gone; he had fully recovered all of his exhausted energy the moment he became a Cultivator.

The two began playing again, but the speed the ball was being thrown seemed to be at a much faster pace than previously.

—

Meanwhile, the world was in turmoil from the game's first world announcement.

Rich and powerful companies in the real world began looking into this player named Yuan with hopes to find his real identity. However, it was a near-impossible task due to the way the game handled the players' privacy.

Unlike other games where one can see the players' names at glance, Cultivation Online did not have that feature. Unless the individual allows it, nobody would be able to see their name, not even their friends.

After spending many resources and time looking for Yuan, people quickly came to a realization that unless Yuan willingly revealed himself, his identity would remain unknown forever. But that alone was not enough to force these people into giving up on trying to find him.

The internet, game forums, even newspapers, people began offering real money for information on Yuan, even outright paying thousands for the person himself to reveal himself.

Virtual reality has become so deeply involved in the real world that it would not be an exaggeration to say that professional gamers and top rankers have more fame and respect than even the top celebrities in the world.

Some professional gamers, in fact, earn seven digits every month just from advertisements alone!

In fact, even casual gamers can earn more money than people with normal jobs just by selling in-game items for real money!

With so much advertisement and appeal, it would only be obvious for people to want to become a gamer where they can have fun and earn money instead of choosing work that involves labor.

Furthermore, according to last year's gaming report, at least half of the world's population is a virtual gamer!

—

After throwing the ball for a few hours without breaking a sweat, Yuan suddenly stops.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling tired again?" Xiao Hua asked him.

"My sister is calling for me; it is time for dinner," he said.

"You are going to leave?" Her expression instantly turned gloomy upon hearing his words, feeling reluctant to let him leave. She was afraid that he wouldn't come back once he had left.

"Don't leave Xiao Hua alone!" She hurriedly said, almost breaking into tears.

Yuan patted her head with a smile. "I will be back to play with you later, I promise."

"...You promise?"

"If I break my promise, then I shall swallow ten thousand needles!" He swore clearly in a loud voice.

"Okay… then Xiao Hua will wait for Brother Yuan here." She took a seat by the same tree and closed her eyes to rest.

"Log off!"

Yuan's vision blurred, and the warmth in his limbs gradually disappeared. Darkness surrounded his view, and he could no longer see nor feel anything.

—

"Brother, how was the game?" His sister's voice resounded beside him.

"It was… fun." He showed a gentle smile, but deep inside, he was reluctant to leave that bright and colorful world where his body was not useless.

"What's for dinner today?" He asked her despite already knowing the answer.

"Chicken soup!"

Yuan smiled bitterly. He has been eating nothing but soup for the last few years, after all.

"Here, let me help you up." She took off the helmet on his head before lifting his head and adjusting his body to a sitting position.

She began feeding him warm soup with a spoon soon later. "How is the temperature?"

"Perfect…"

The room became quiet with Yuan drinking soup being the only sound that could be heard.

After Yuan finished dinner that was only one large bowl of soup, she laid him back down on the bed. "I will be right back for your cleaning," she said.

Moments later, she returns to the room with a towel, a bucket of warm water, and new clothes.

"Excuse me, brother." She said before stripping him completely naked.

"...Yu Rou…"

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry…"

"..."

The room instantly turned silent.

"What are you saying now? You are being weird, brother," she chuckled, breaking the silence.

"I know, but I am — Mmm?!" His words were interrupted by a warm towel pressing down on his face.

"You don't have to worry about me, brother. When you cure your illness one day, then you can pay me back."

"...Un…" An indescribable feeling welled up in Yuan's heart.

'Will such a day ever come?' he wondered inwardly.

"Okay! You are all clean now, brother! Even your precious little thing! Hehe..." Teased Yu Rou with a sheepish laugh.

"Ah! You little! Don't play around with my body because I can't feel anything!"

"Eh? What are you talking about? I definitely did not touch anything!"

"You definitely did!"

Laughter filled the room.

"Yu Rou, thank you." Yuan suddenly said, "I will repay you one day, this I promise…"

Putting his clothes on for him, Yu Rou smiled, "I won't be humble when that time comes."

—

"Alright brother, we are done for tonight. I will be back in the morning."

"Ah, can you put the helmet back on before you leave?"

"You want to continue playing? What about sleep?"

"I don't think I can sleep tonight, and playing the game is already considered sleeping, you know?"

"What am I going to do with you if you get addicted? It might harm your body if you stay up late too often. Only tonight, okay?"

"Un."

—

"Brother Yuan, you're really back!" Xiao Hua instantly stood up with a happy expression upon seeing him appear out of nowhere like a ghost.

"I did make a promise to you," he patted her, who was poking her head at him with clear indications.

"What do you want to do now that the stars are already out?" he then asked.

"Play games!" She answered without hesitation.

"I figured." He nodded with a smile.

Hidden Quest

Yuan continued to play with Xiao Hua throughout the night without a care in the world. Meanwhile, other Players were either trying to find the best way to strengthen themselves or were already in the process of grinding their strength.

The Players also grew addicted to their new profound strength, with the power to smash rocks with mere fists and skip meters into the distance; it gave them a sense of superiority, and it made them feel really good about themselves.

However, for someone who is crippled and blind in the real world, Yuan wouldn't mind spending all of his time just playing with Xiao Hua, who has many resemblances to his younger sister.

The world under the night sky seemed still, with the only thing moving being two shadowy figures and a ball.

"Xiao Hua, will you be fine with playing out here till so late? Won't your parents be worried if you don't return soon?" Yuan asked her after noticing that she has been out here playing with him for nearly the entire day.

"It is okay. Xiao Hua is always out here playing by herself, so they are used to it."

"..." His pity towards her increased with every passing moment he spent with her. "Xiao Hua, how about we take a rest from playing and let me tell you some more stories?"

"Stories?" Her eyes began flickering like the stars in the night sky upon hearing the magic word, and she instantly sat by the tree.

Yuan followed and sat beside her. "The stories I will be telling you today are fairy tales from my homeland."

"Fairy tales? Like mythology and legends?"

"Well… not exactly. Fairy tales are more short stories made for entertainment rather than legends and such. They are pure fiction, so it's not real."

"What's the difference?"

"...You will know when you hear it."

Yuan began telling her famous and classical fairy tales from Earth that he's heard when he was young such as a certain individual poisoning a girl who awakened due to a kiss from a prince, mermaids in the ocean, and pirates fighting in the sea.

While it has been many years since Yuan has heard of these stories, he was still able to recall them clearly and greatly entertain Xiao Hua, who was not used to this genre of stories.

"These people… are they all mortals?" She suddenly asked him.

"To my knowledge, yes."

"This is nothing like stories of mythical beasts ruling the world or immortals overturning Heaven. It is normal, yet it brings so much entertainment." She didn't know mortals could be so entertaining despite being the focus of these stories.

"Do you have any more fairy tales to tell Xiao Hua?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, that was all I could remember. But I will find some more to tell you later."

"It's a promise!"

"It's a promise." Yuan smiled.

"Okay, then it is Xiao Hua's turn to read." She opened the same book she used to teach him Heaven's Secret Art.

"That's…" Yuan wondered if she was going to teach him another skill.

"Although Brother Yuan has already learned the technique, you have not fully mastered it. However, with your powerful comprehension skills, Xiao Hua believes that Brother Yuan will master it in no time."

Thus, she began reading.

However, this time around, Yuan was only able to understand everything from the beginning only to lose comprehension later on. It felt like he was listening to a story with a plot that quickly deepens as it progresses, becoming more mysterious and profound.

—

It took Xiao Hua nearly an hour to finish reading the book that was only a dozen pages thick.

When she finished, she looked at Yuan to see the expression he was making. He was sitting still with his eyes closed, and on his face was a calm expression, looking as though he was in a trance.

'Brother Yuan is truly a genius...' she mumbled to herself, 'What takes others many tries to comprehend takes you only one time. What takes others many years to learn — you learn in just a few hours.'

Her gaze stared at his face nonstop, seemingly enchanted by his expression. 'Who are you, really?'

—

2)>

—

—

When Yuan opened his eyes again, Xiao Hua was resting her head on his lap, and the night sky had already long passed with the sun peeking in the horizon.

"It's already morning?" He wondered how long he had been in that trance state.

"Oh… You're awake, Brother Yuan." Xiao Hua rubbed her eyes and casually sat up. "Did you learn anything new during your enlightenment?"

"Enlightenment? Is that what that feeling was?"

"Un."

"I see… Right, I have reached the second stage of Heaven's Secret Art and learned Heaven Splitting Sword Strike."

Xiao Hua looked at him with her eyes slightly widened more than usual, seemingly filled with surprise.

"Good job, Brother Yuan." She gave him a thumbs up a moment later. "But your cultivation base is lacking, so you will not be able to use it right away."

"Right, it says I need 10,000 Qi for its activation. Is it the same Qi as the one I absorb when cultivating?"

She nodded to his question.

"It says I have 5,010/10,000 Qi right now. If I max it out and use the skill, won't my Qi be depleted and I will have to cultivate until I gain it back?"

"Your depleted Qi will naturally recover until it returns to its original state so you will not have to cultivate every time you use a technique. However, recovering Qi naturally takes time, and it will slow down your cultivation. That is why Cultivators do not use their Qi pointlessly." Xiao Hua explained to him as though she was an expert. "Additionally, if your Qi falls below a certain point, then your body will be in a weakened state until you recover your Qi. In extreme cases, you may lose consciousness or even the ability to Cultivate."

Yuan took his time digesting all of the information. "So if I have 100 Qi and I use a skill that requires 10 Qi, my remaining 90 Qi will naturally recover back to 100 without the need to cultivate?" He asked her just in case.

Seeing her nod, Yuan fully understood the system. "So it is just like any other game but with a slight twist that requires more management. Qi is required for skills but also for a breakthrough in cultivation; it would be unwise to use it unless necessary."

"Thank you, Xiao Hua. If not for you, I would still be clueless right now."

"Brother Yuan, gratitude is shown with action, not with words." She patted her own head, causing him to laugh.

"Right, right. Thank you very much…" He said with his hands on her head.

—

After Xiao Hua was satisfied, Yuan stood up and said, "It is about time for me to leave again, but I will be back later."

Xiao Hua didn't stop him this time and nodded. "Bye-bye, Brother Yuan. Play with Xiao Hua again when you get back, okay? Here, you can use this to call me." She handed him a necklace that she had just removed from her neck.

Yuan accepted the necklace without much thought. "Then, I will see you later." He waved at her before disappearing from the sunlight like a ghost.

After Yuan left, Xiao Hua stared at where he stood before logging off, seemingly in a daze. "Thank you, for playing with Xiao Hua…" Her body suddenly began to flicker, and her body glowed with beautiful light.

"It was fun… really, really fun…" Her body slowly broke down into tiny lights resembling fireflies before floating towards the clouds and disappearing.

"Brother Yuan…" That night, a sweet and childish voice echoed across the starry sky.

Death Penalty

"Good morning, brother."

"Morning."

"I have breakfast with me," she said, placing the bowl of soup on the adjustable table on the bed.

"Yu Rou, can I ask you for a favor?" Yuan asked her as he's being fed like a patient in a hospital.

"What is it?"

"I'd like to hear some fairy tales tonight." His words dumbfounded her, who wasn't expecting such a request.

"Why fairy tales?" She asked in a worrying tone, afraid the illness might have finally messed up his mind.

"I made a friend in the game, and she happens to be a young NPC. I promised her that I'd tell her more fairy tales," he explained.

"You are telling fairy tales to NPCs? Brother… what are you doing, really?" Yu Rou sighed, thinking how silly he was being.

"Don't let the fact that they are NPCs fool you into thinking that they are not worth your time. They move, think, react, and speak like real Players. You wouldn't know if they are a real Player or not unless you ask them.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do anything weird to her, alright?"

"W...Weird? Why would I do anything weird?" Yuan asked.

"Haven't you heard? There have been plenty of perverts getting killed for touching NPCs inappropriately. The penalty for death is extremely harsh in this game from what I heard."

"Perverts touching NPCs? You can do that in this game?" Yuan lifted his eyebrows in surprise. What a profound game!

"Ah! You're thinking about doing something perverted, aren't you!? Don't even think about it, brother! I prohibit you from doing that as your sister!"

"That only works if you are the older one, no?" He smiled.

"Then… then I will stop taking care of you! Hmph!"

"Aiii… Do you think your brother is some kind of pervert that likes to touch NPCs? Unlike some people, I have morals, you know." He sighed, and continued to speak, "Anyway, what is this death penalty, and what happens if you die?" He was more interested in that than the perverts in the game.

"According to those who have died, some became unable to cultivate after death while some have even lost their cultivation base entirely, requiring them to restart from scratch."

Yuan pondered. "So you basically have to start from the beginning… That is indeed very harsh for a game."

"Additionally, some people have already tried to buy new consoles to start fresh but guess what? They still appear in the game with the same character!"

"So we are limited to one character no matter what?" Yuan cannot comprehend the game creators' motive for creating such a system; it's almost as if they want humans to live in another world with life as realistic as possible.

"Ah, brother, it's time for me to go to school. I will pick up some fairy tales on the way home," she said before leaving.

"Thank you."

—

"She's not here…" Yuan looked around for a small figure, but Xiao Hua was nowhere to be found. "I guess she went home."

He decided to sit down and cultivate to wait for her. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Until night came, Yuan sat there like a stone statue, cultivating and unaware that time had passed by so quickly.

10,000/10,000

10,005/20,000

20,000/20,000

20,005/40,000

40,000/40,000

80,000/80,000

148,550/160,000

Yuan did not stop cultivating until it was time for him to eat dinner. "We couldn't play today but that's fine. At least I will have stories ready for the next time we meet." He stared at the night sky for a moment before logging off.

—

After feeding Yuan and getting him cleaned, Yu Rou began reading fairy tales to him like a mother would tell stories to her child before bedtime, but her voice was still too immature to sound like a real mother.

"How was my narration?" she asked him in a cheeky tone.

"It sucked…"

"What—Fine! You can read it yourself next time!"

"Ah! I'm sorry, Yu Rou. I was only joking." Yuan hurriedly corrected himself, "Your voice was so heavenly that I thought you were a real fairy!"

Yu Rou blushed. "It was embarrassing to read these childish stories out loud, you know?" she said later, "I will remember this debt you owe me!"

"Yes yes, I will even give you my life, so find me a few more fairy tales, okay?"

"..."

"Yu Rou?" He called out to her after receiving no answer.

"Brother, please don't say things like that ever again," said Yu Rou with a serious expression on her face, her voice somewhat sorrowful.

Yuan quickly realized that he had screwed up. "I'm sorry…" he apologized right away.

"As long as you understand…" Yu Rou left his side to close the light, "Brother, it is getting late, you should go to sleep now."

"Un. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, brother."

—

Inside her room, Yu Rou surfed the internet on her phone for some time before sleeping like always.

"This player Yuan is very mysterious and baffling. In just two days since the game's launch, he was able to become the first Player to obtain a Divine-rank skill and finish a Hidden Quest. Is he even human?"

Despite not being able to play the game due to school and Yuan, she would still keep up with the newest information about the game so when the time comes for her to play, she wouldn't feel too lost. "Meanwhile, my brother is fooling around with a young NPC…" she smiled bitterly at that thought.

"Wow, his bounty has increased to five million already!" Her eyes widened at the effort and money others were willing to put out just to find this one player.

"So much fame… how envious…" she turned the phone off and closed her eyes. "Brother too... used to be flickering with lights under the spotlight..." she sighed before slowly falling asleep.

Servants

"How is the search going? Have you found any information on this player Yuan yet?" A handsome young man sat on his bed with Cultivation Online's console—the helmet— still on his head, his gaze at the middle-aged man standing by the door.

"Sorry, young master, but this player seems resolute in keeping his identity a secret. Not even our offer was able to lure him out," said the middle-aged man in a tired tone. He has gone without sleep for the past two days just to look for information on Yuan, but alas, the results came back in a box of disappointment filled with a whole lot of nothing.

"Not taking the bait? Then all we have to do is increase the temptation. Go and adjust the reward to twenty million. Unless this player is already super wealthy, then he will surely bite the bait sooner or later," said the young man casually, as though twenty million means nothing in his eyes.

"Understood." The middle-aged man then left the young man alone.

"I will have my hands on this player no matter the price. This individual is either Lady Luck's child or has connections to the game creators, allowing him to obtain things in the game that normal people will never have a chance to obtain. If I get him to join my faction, then my family's position within the ranks will surely rise!"

Similar scenes played out throughout the world with many high-standing figures doing whatever they can in their power to learn more about this player Yuan who is already light-years ahead of everyone else in the game, unaware that Yuan still has no idea how much of a stir he has created in the real world just because of a few system announcements. While Cultivation Online is just a mere game in Yuan's eyes, that was not the case for others, who have their own ulterior motives.

—

After eating breakfast, Yuan went into the game, but alas, the small figure of Xiao Hua's was still nowhere to be found.

"Did she get in trouble with her family for staying out so late?" He thought of that possibility. "Maybe she was lying about her family not worrying so we could play for a bit longer…"

Yuan sighed, missing the cheerful little girl. Without her, what else is there to do in this world? Strength, wealth, fame — Yuan was not interested in any of these. All he wanted to do was have fun and use his body normally, something he cannot achieve in the real world.

He pulled out the necklace she gave him before she left. Shaking his head, he sighed. "I shouldn't be so impatient. I will wait for her just like she had waited for my return."

Thus, he sat down to cultivate again. While it was boring at first, as he slowly grew used to cultivating, he began feeling pleasure, like getting a massage during a nap.

Time passed quickly, and the night sky appears once again.

160,000/160,000

320,000/320,000

—

—

320,295/640,000

"It is taking longer and longer to advance to the next level, and the requirement needed is doubling with every level. Just how many more levels is there?" Yuan pondered, but knowing he's still an apprentice makes him worry about the later stages. "It will take a month of straight cultivating to advance one level in the later stages at this rate! This cultivation thing is such a chore…"

Just as Yuan was about to log off for tonight, an announcement appears in the sky, attracting countless gazes from below.

While Yuan wondered what type of Servant this White Lotus had obtained, everybody else was surprised to see 'Player White Lotus' instead of 'Player Yuan' who was thought to have another shock for the world. But of course, many players were also relieved to know that Yuan would no longer be the only 'Ancestor' in the world.

'Ancestor' is a title created by the community that refers to those who have appeared in the system as a 'world's first' after Yuan's first announcement.

—

"Servants, huh." Yuan suddenly began having desires of obtaining a Servant. But how does one obtain a Servant?

After logging off the game, Yu Rou was already beside him with dinner in her hands.

"Yu Rou, how do you obtain Servants in this game?" He decided to ask her.

"Servants? Did someone obtain a Servant already?" She asked with curiosity. "Also, I don't know anything about obtaining Servants."

"It was someone named White Lotus."

"White Lotus!" Yu Rou immediately recognized that name. "She is one of the top players at the moment who has a cultivation base at Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice! Furthermore, she is actually a rich young lady in real life, too."

"Fifth Level Spirit Apprentice is considered the top?" Yuan, who is already a Seventh Level Spirit Apprentice, was surprised to hear that someone who is two whole levels behind him is at the top.

'Are they really top players? I barely cultivated and I'm already two levels above one of the top rankers!' He wondered.

"Yu Rou, who has the highest cultivation in the game as of this moment?"

"I believe it is someone known as Lightning Emperor, who is a Sixth Level Spirit Apprentice."

"Whoa, what an edgy name…"

"That's what you're concerned about?" Yu Rou chucked. "Say, what's your cultivation now? Since you spent most of your time fooling around, it should be pretty low, right? Let me take a guess… you are a Second Level Spirit Apprentice."

Yuan grinned, "Wrong!"

"First Level Spirit Apprentice?"

"Wrong again."

"What… Don't tell me… you have yet to cultivate?!"

"Yu Rou, since when have I become so pitiful and weak in your eyes? Your brother is disappointed…" Yuan said in a sorrowful voice. "Aiii, nevermind, I am just a nobody in the game, anyway. And like you have said, I have been fooling around, so hurry up and play with me so we can do things together."

"This week is impossible since I still have school, but next week for sure when summer break begins."

"School, huh. I am envious." Yuan smiled bitterly.

"Going to school is nothing to be envious about, brother. It is boring and tiring," sighed Yu Rou.

"But I still envy you and every student out there…" He sighed inwardly.

After talking for a few more minutes, Yu Rou went back to her room to sleep, and Yuan himself also went to sleep.

"If she doesn't appear by tomorrow, I should use that necklace…" He told himself before falling asleep.