Han Lie woke up with a body that felt completely broken. His entire body felt as if it had been trampled by a wild horse; every inch of his skin still throbbed with pain. The morning sunlight that streamed through the cracks of his shack felt blinding to his still-swollen eyes.
"Was it all just a nightmare?" he whispered hoarsely.
But when he tried to sit up, the transparent panel reappeared before him. The strange words he still didn't understand flickered slowly like a dying heart.
[GOOD MORNING, HOST]
[I HOPE YOU SLEPT... SOUNDLY]
The horrifying voice echoed in his head again, making Han Lie shiver with dread. So it wasn't a dream. The evil entity had truly latched onto him like an unshakeable leech.
"What... what are you?" Han Lie asked, his voice trembling.
[AN UNIMPORTANT QUESTION]
[WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS... YOU ARE READY TO BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TO POWER]
Han Lie swallowed. Although fear still gripped his soul, his curiosity and desperation to become strong were greater. He had already gone too far to turn back now.
"Okay," he whispered. "I'm ready."
[FIRST MISSION AVAILABLE]
A new panel appeared before him, this time with a brighter—almost golden—color. For the first time since last night, Han Lie felt a glimmer of hope.
[MISSION: SAVE A LITTLE GIRL FROM A BEAST ATTACK]
[LOCATION: SOUTHERN BAMBOO FOREST]
[TIME LIMIT: 3 HOURS]
[REWARD: +15 POWER POINTS, 'SILVER RIVER FLOW' CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE]
[FAILURE: ???]
Han Lie read the mission over and over again. Save a little girl? This... this sounded like a noble mission! Unlike the terrifying entity that spoke to him last night, this mission felt normal, even heroic.
"Saving someone..." he mumbled with a faint smile—his first smile in days. "This is the right thing to do."
[DO YOU ACCEPT THIS MISSION?]
"Yes!" Han Lie answered with a spirit that surprised even himself. "I accept!"
[MISSION ACCEPTED]
[TEMPORARY POWER HAS BEEN GRANTED]
[HAPPY... HUNTING]
Suddenly, a strange sensation attacked his body. Not pain like last night, but something warm and pleasant. The Qi that usually moved like thick syrup in his meridians suddenly flowed smoothly like clear water.
Han Lie stood with wide eyes. For the first time in his life, he could feel Qi flowing perfectly! His body felt light, his muscles were powerful, and his mind was clear.
"This... this is amazing!" he cried out in delight.
He tried to move Qi to his hand, and to his surprise, a faint light appeared in his palm. True Qi Condensation! No longer the trash cultivation he had been struggling with all this time.
"I... I can cultivate!" tears of happiness streamed down his cheeks. "I can finally feel what it's like to be a real cultivator!"
Without wasting time, Han Lie ran out of his shack toward the Southern Bamboo Forest. His steps were light as if he were flying; every movement felt so easy and efficient. This was vastly different from the weak and sickly body he was used to.
Throughout the journey, his mind was filled with beautiful images. He would save the little girl, become a hero, and maybe—just maybe—finally gain recognition from the villagers.
"There will be no more Han Lie the Trash," he whispered as he ran. "From today on, I will be Han Lie the Savior!"
The Southern Bamboo Forest was nothing like the cursed forest where he met the entity last night. This place was still green and fresh, with the cheerful chirping of birds. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating beautiful patterns of light on the ground.
After running for almost an hour, Han Lie began to hear an unusual sound. A faint, heartbreaking cry.
"There it is!" Han Lie quickened his pace.
In a small clearing surrounded by tall bamboo, he saw a sight that made his chest tighten. A little girl, about ten years old, sat trembling under a bamboo tree. Her clothes were tattered, her face pale, and her large eyes were full of tears of fear.
Before her, an Iron Wolf—a low-level beast but dangerous enough for an ordinary person—growled with glowing red eyes. Its fangs gleamed like metal, and its black fur stood on end, ready to attack.
"Don't be afraid!" Han Lie shouted loudly as he leaped out of the bushes. "I will save you!"
The little girl turned with eyes full of hope. "Big Brother... please help me..." her voice was weak and trembling.
Han Lie felt the Qi flowing strongly in his body. With a confidence he had never felt before, he faced the Iron Wolf that had now shifted its attention to him.
"Get out of here, beast!" Han Lie clenched his fist, Qi gathering around his knuckles. "I won't let you hurt this little girl!"
The Iron Wolf let out an angry howl and lunged at Han Lie at high speed. But strangely, the beast's movements felt slow to Han Lie's eyes. He could see every motion clearly, as if time had slowed down.
With a movement as fluid as water, Han Lie dodged to the side and landed a punch on the wolf's flank. His Qi exploded upon impact, sending the beast flying back several meters.
"Amazing!" Han Lie couldn't hide his admiration for his new strength.
The Iron Wolf got back up, but this time it looked hesitant. Its animal instincts made it realize that the human before it was not an easy opponent.
"If you don't leave now, I'll make you regret it!" Han Lie threatened in a loud voice.
The wolf howled once more but finally chose to retreat and run away. Han Lie sighed in relief—he didn't have to kill the animal to save the little girl.
"Big Brother... thank you!" the little girl ran and hugged Han Lie's leg tightly. "You're a true hero!"
Han Lie felt his chest warm. For the first time in his life, someone called him a hero. Not trash, not a disgrace, but a hero.
"What's your name?" Han Lie asked gently, kneeling to match her height.
"Xiao Mei," she answered with a sweet smile. "I got separated from my father while looking for fruit for my sick mother."
"Alright, Xiao Mei, I'll take you home safely," Han Lie promised, holding out his hand.
[MISSION SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED]
[PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS...]
[RESULT: PERFECT]
[REWARD IS BEING PROCESSED...]
Han Lie smiled widely. He had succeeded! For the first time in his life, he had truly accomplished something meaningful!
On the way home, Xiao Mei didn't stop talking, her eyes sparkling. She talked about her kind but often sick mother, her hardworking farmer father, and her dream of one day becoming a good cultivator like 'Big Brother Han Lie'.
"Big Brother must be a very strong cultivator!" Xiao Mei said in awe. "The way you defeated that wolf was so cool!"
Han Lie laughed—a genuine, happy laugh. "I'm still very weak, Xiao Mei. There's still so much to learn."
"But you saved me! That proves you're a good person with a noble heart!"
The little girl's innocent words brought tears to Han Lie's eyes. How long had it been since he heard kind words about himself? How long had it been since he felt useful to someone else?
"Thank you, Xiao Mei," he whispered. "You don't know how much your words mean to me."
"One day, I also want to be a cultivator who can help people like you!"
Han Lie affectionately ruffled the little girl's hair. "I'm sure you can, Xiao Mei. You have a good heart; that's the most important thing."
In his heart, Han Lie felt a happiness he had never experienced before. Maybe the strange entity was indeed terrifying, but if he could use the power it gave him to help others, maybe it wasn't as bad as he thought.
"Maybe this is my chance to make up for all those wasted years," he thought, looking at the evening sky that was starting to turn red. "Maybe I can finally become a useful person."
[YOUR REWARD HAS ARRIVED]
[HOWEVER... THERE IS A SMALL... INTERESTING COMPLICATION]
Han Lie frowned. The entity's tone had changed into something familiar—something horrifying like the first night they met.
"A complication?" Han Lie whispered softly so Xiao Mei wouldn't hear.
[LET US SEE HOW... STRONG... YOUR HEART IS, MY DEAR HOST]