The path down the slope wound between stones and weeds. Each step pressed pine needles into the earth, muffling Long Chen's footsteps. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and simmering stew, carried on the wind from the hamlet below.
Ahead lay a cluster of homes, no more than thirty, roofs thatched with reed and patched with clay. Wooden fences lined with sharpened stakes encircled fields where thin crops struggled to grow. A crooked bell hung from a post at the center of the village, cracked but serviceable.
Long Chen stopped just outside the treeline. His instincts whispered caution.
"System," he murmured, "scan the settlement."
[ Scan ]
Target: Unnamed Riverside Hamlet
Population: 116 (Mortals)
Cultivators Detected: 3 (Qi Refining, Weak)
Threat Level: Minimal
Resources: Food, Shelter, Rumors, Crude Qi Herbs (Low Grade)
Observation: Locals lack defense against beast tide incursions.
A faint smile touched his lips. So this is where I begin. Among mortals.
As he stepped forward, the villagers noticed him. A group of children playing near the fields pointed, wide-eyed. A man with a hoe tensed, lifting it like a spear.
"Traveler?" the man called. His voice was wary, but not hostile.
Long Chen inclined his head. "Yes. A wanderer seeking rest."
The man lowered the hoe slightly, though his eyes flicked to the torn sleeve and faint scars on Long Chen's arm. The battle with the beast had left its mark.
"Come, then. But keep no trouble."
A few villagers led him to the central square. The cracked bell swayed overhead as an elder hobbled out of a hut, leaning on a stick. His back was bent, but his eyes were sharp.
"Stranger," the elder rasped. "You smell of blood. Beasts?"
Long Chen did not hide it. "A corrupted boar, slain in the forest. Its bones remain where it fell."
Gasps rippled through the gathered villagers. The elder narrowed his eyes. "You killed it alone?"
"Yes," Long Chen said simply.
The elder studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Then you have our thanks. That beast prowled near our fields for weeks. Many feared it would strike the children."
The villagers bowed. Long Chen shifted uncomfortably—he did not slay for gratitude, only survival—but he did not dismiss their sincerity.
The elder gestured toward a hut. "Stay the night. We have little, but we share what we have."
Long Chen accepted. As he entered the hut, the System chimed again.
[ Quest Complete ]
Tutorial Quest: Step Into the World
Reward: +1 Spirit, Crude Local Map, Quests Panel Unlocked
[ New System Function – Quests ]
• Main Quests: Advance the path of cultivation.
• Side Quests: Optional tasks with rewards.
• Hidden Quests: Triggered by choices.
A new screen unfurled.
[ Quest List ]
Main Quest:
Path of the Devouring Dragon
Break through to Qi Refining Realm
Join a cultivation sect
Reward: +2 Strength, Dragon Bloodline +5%
Side Quest:
Protector of Mortals
Defend the village from future beast attack (within 10 days)
Reward: Basic Spirit Weapon (Low)
Long Chen closed the panel, his eyes thoughtful.
So the System guides me step by step. First, cultivate. Then, join a sect. And yet… it already anticipates conflict.
That night, as he ate simple stew beside the villagers, he gazed at the cracked bell outside. Its sway seemed almost a warning.