Sleep did not come easily. Behind closed eyelids, Wu Jian could still summon the blue screens. They hovered in his mental space, a constellation of impossible truths. EX-grade. Balanced growth. Clones. The concepts were too vast to grasp fully, yet their foundational logic was imprinted upon him with sterile clarity.
At dawn, he rose before his parents. The habit of chores was ingrained, but today, every action was an experiment. He fetched the water buckets, focusing on his posture, his grip, the efficiency of his movement. As he carried the heavy buckets back, shoulders burning, a tiny notification flickered.
*[Activity: Sustained Load-bearing. Endurance +0.01. Strength +0.01.]*
The increase was infinitesimal, but it was real. A shiver went through him. His labour wasn't just maintaining his body; it was improving it, tracked to a decimal point.
After a silent breakfast—his father avoiding his eyes, his mother watching him with that new curiosity—he retreated to the tool shed. He needed to understand the rules.
"System. Show status."
The screens materialized. The tiny increases from the water-carrying were there. So mundane work could raise Strength and Endurance. But what of the others? Agility? He practiced moving quietly around the shed, rolling over the workbench, trying to land softly. After twenty minutes of clumsy attempts, another flicker.
*[Activity: Basic Mobility Drills. Agility +0.01.]*
Progress was agonizingly slow. At this rate, reaching 30 in any attribute would take years. There had to be a better way.
"System. Define training efficiency."
[Query Acknowledged.] New text scrolled. *[Attribute growth accelerates through: 1) Intentional practice at capability edge. 2) Mastering skills/techniques. 3) Consuming resources. 4) Overcoming challenges. 5) Profound comprehension.]*
[Warning: Balanced Growth Mandate requires proportional development. Imbalance triggers restrictions.]
There it was. He couldn't just grind Strength by chopping wood. He had to raise Charisma, his lowest stat, while having no resources, no teachers, and a need for absolute secrecy.
He focused on the attributes one by one. Wisdom and Charisma were the puzzles. How did one train 'insight' or 'personal presence'?
A new screen popped up.
[Suggested Integrated Training Regimen Generated.]
Based on Host's environment and constraints.
Morning: Heavy labour with focused form. Movement drills. (+Str, +End, +Agi)
Daylight: Mental analysis while laboring. Meditative observation. (+Int, +Wis)
Evening: Non-transactional social interaction. Daily review. (+Cha, +Wis, +Int)
It was a ruthless 18-hour-a-day schedule. Every moment accounted for, every action given dual purpose. It was the life of a fanatic. Or a sovereign building his foundation from nothing.
As he analyzed the schedule, his mind naturally split: one thread planned his day, another reviewed system mechanics, a third listened for his parents. [Parallel attribute development detected. Neural adaptation: 12% efficient.] The notification was subtle. He was already learning to hold multiple thoughts.
He heard his mother call from the house. "Jian! A visitor!"
Frowning, he dismissed the screens. Standing awkwardly by the vegetable patch was Hong Lie, flanked by two other village boys from B and C-grade families. Hong's earlier smirk was now a full-blown, condescending grin, but his eyes kept darting to the simple bronze token at his own belt—his new B-grade status symbol.
"Wu Jian! Came to see how the future of Stone Creek's agriculture is doing!" Hong laughed, his friends echoing him. But there was a tension in his shoulders, as if he needed this validation, needed to cement his new position over someone.
This was it. His first test. The old Wu Jian would have looked at his feet, muttered a reply, and absorbed the shame. The new one saw a training opportunity. Charisma. Not about being liked, but about presence. Influence.
He met Hong's gaze directly, his face calm. "The soil is fertile. It feeds the village. A solid foundation is often overlooked until it fails." His voice was even, devoid of bitterness.
Hong blinked, the mockery faltering. The response wasn't what he expected—not cowering, not anger. It was... detached. Almost philosophical. "Well, enjoy your... foundation," Hong recovered, though his sneer was less sure. "Some of us have real training to start. The Pavilion's basic cultivation manual arrives today for us B-grades and above." He patted a scroll case at his hip. "Maybe you can wipe your hands on it when I'm done." He turned to leave, his laughter forced now, needing the last word.
As they walked away, a notification came.
*[Social Encounter: Maintained composure under mockery. Asserted value indirectly. Charisma +0.1.]*
Point one. A mountain to climb, but it was movement. And he'd gained something more valuable: information. A cultivation manual. For B-grades and above. The very first step he needed, and it was forbidden to him.
An idea crystallized. He couldn't get his own manual. But perhaps he didn't need to. He had Intelligence 19. He had a perfect memory. If he could just see it...
His mother approached, watching Hong's retreating back. "Ignore him, Jian. Hollow grain makes the most noise."
"I know, Mother." He looked at her. "Would it be alright if I went into the village? I... I'd like to see if there are any tasks at the shrine. For the community."
She looked surprised, then pleased. "A good thought. Acts of service smooth the heart. Go on."
It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie. He did need to train Charisma. And the village shrine was where Hong would likely go to show off his new manual.
The village centre was quieter than the previous day. The excitement had moved on, settling into the new reality. Wu Jian saw the divisions already forming. The higher-grade children stood a little taller. The lower-grades moved with resigned deference.
He saw Hong near the old stone shrine, the scroll open, surrounded. Wu Jian drifted to the shrine's well, pretending to draw water. He focused his hearing, but they were too far.
Focusing inward, he found a new sub-screen.
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Observational Analysis (Basic).]
[Allows enhanced focus on goal-relevant sensory details. Scales with Intelligence.]
He activated it. The world sharpened. The village chatter faded, while voices near the shrine grew distinct. He could see the parchment fibres from twenty paces.
"...see, you place your hand here, feel for the energy currents," Hong was saying, reading awkwardly. "The 'Qi' of the world is like a river... um... you must build a dam in your dantian..."
Hong was a terrible teacher. Struggling to read and understand. But Wu Jian's mind was a steel trap. As he memorized, his consciousness split again: one part recording words, another analyzing diagrams, a third monitoring the crowd for danger. The system noted it. *[Multi-threaded information processing: Active. Efficiency gain: 18%.]*
"The fundamental energy resides between heaven and earth. The cultivator, through meditation and specific breath patterns, becomes a hollow reed, allowing energy to flow into the meridians. Initial sensation is often warmth in the lower abdomen..."
He memorized it. Every word Hong stumbled over, every diagram briefly exposed. He stored breath patterns, meditation poses, warnings. His Intelligence attribute hummed, processing, organizing, filing.
After ten minutes, Hong got bored. "Bah, it's boring. Real training starts when the pavilion mentor arrives. Let's go."
As they left, Wu Jian finished drawing his water. Notifications lit his mind.
[Skill Acquired: Qi Sense Theory (Basic).]
[Skill Acquired: Meridian Pathway Knowledge (Rudimentary).]
*[Intelligence +0.5. Wisdom +0.2.]*
*[New Objective: Perform first successful Qi absorption. Reward: Unlock Energy (Qi) stat. +1 to all attributes.]*
He had it. The first key. Stolen, pieced together from a rival's arrogance, but his now.
He looked at his water bucket, seeing not just water, but potential. He had a system that demanded balance. He had stolen knowledge to unlock Qi. He had a Charisma score to painfully raise. And he had a mountain of attributes to climb.
But for the first time, Wu Jian felt the shape of the mountain. And he began to climb.