6:15 AM
I woke to the sound of rain.
Heavy, relentless rain—drumming against the roof, cascading down the windows in thick sheets.
The sky was dark gray, oppressive. The kind of weather that made people stay indoors.
Perfect.
I sat up, looked at the empty Gaming Hall through the doorway.
Three days.
Seventy-two hours until the Silver Serpent Sect expected my answer.
And I knew—with absolute certainty—what would happen when I refused.
They'll send someone.
Someone strong.
And they won't ask nicely.
But today?
Today, I had work to do.
7:00 AM
The rain kept most people away.
When I opened the door—expecting the usual crowd—
Only twelve people stood outside, huddled under umbrellas and straw hats.
But among them—
Victoria. Standing calmly, rain sliding off an invisible barrier around her—some kind of qi technique.
Elena. Hood pulled up, face hidden in shadow.
Derek. Soaked, grinning like an idiot.
And surprisingly—
Kyle's older brother.
I'd never seen him before.
He was taller than Kyle, broader, with sharp features and an aura that made my skin prickle.
Core Formation stage.
Early stage, but still—far stronger than anyone who'd visited the Gaming Hall before.
He looked at me—eyes cold, assessing—
And I felt like prey being sized up by a predator.
"You're Liu Chen?" His voice was smooth, controlled.
"Yes."
"I'm Shen Yun. Kyle's brother."
He gestured behind him, where Kyle stood—looking nervous, excited, and terrified all at once.
"My foolish little brother has been... raving about your Gaming Hall for a week. Pestering me every night to visit."
A thin smile.
"I finally decided to see what all the fuss is about."
I studied him carefully.
Kyle had mentioned his brother before—the Core Formation cultivator who overshadowed him in everything. The one he could never match.
And now he was here.
Why?
Just curiosity?
Or something else?
"You're welcome to try, Master Shen." I said calmly. "One silver per hour."
His eyebrow rose. "You charge cultivators the same rate regardless of stage?"
"Everyone plays by the same rules inside the Gaming Hall."
"Interesting." He pulled out a silver coin, placed it on the table with a sharp clink. "One hour. Let's see if it's worth Kyle's endless praise."
Session One - 7:00-8:00 AM
Device 1: Shen Yun (Kyle's brother)
Device 2: Victoria
Device 3: Elena
I placed the headset on Shen Yun's head.
"One warning, Master Shen." I said. "Inside the game, cultivation means nothing. You're an ordinary human. No qi. No techniques. Just skill."
His lips curved. "We'll see."
I started the device.
Shen Yun - The Arrogant Fall
For the first ten minutes, Shen Yun moved through the game with confidence.
He found the cabin. The handgun. The supplies.
Saw his first zombie.
"Pathetic creature." I heard him mutter.
Raised the gun—fired—
Missed.
Completely.
The zombie lunched at him—
He tried to dodge using muscle memory from real-world combat—
But his virtual body was slower. Weaker.
The zombie bit his arm.
[Damage: -30 HP]
"What—?!" Shen Yun's voice was sharp with surprise.
He panicked—fired wildly—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four shots. One hit. Zombie still alive.
It attacked again—
[You Died]
In the real world, Shen Yun ripped off the headset.
His face was flushed. Furious.
"That's—that's impossible! I'm a Core Formation cultivator! That pathetic creature should have been—"
"Dead?" I interrupted calmly. "In the real world, yes. But inside the game, you're just a man with a gun. And you wasted all your bullets."
Silence.
The room was deathly quiet.
Everyone watching—customers, waiting players, even Kyle—stared at Shen Yun.
Waiting to see what he'd do.
Would he explode in rage? Destroy something? Attack me?
But then—
Shen Yun started laughing.
Not angry laughter.
Genuine laughter.
"I see." He said, shaking his head. "I understand now why Kyle is obsessed."
He looked at me—and the coldness in his eyes had been replaced by something else.
Interest.
"I haven't felt helpless in fifteen years. Not since I was a mortal child."
He leaned forward.
"Again. I want to try again."
For the next forty minutes, Shen Yun played.
And struggled.
He died three more times.
Each death—he became more focused. Less arrogant. More careful.
By the end of the hour—
He'd reached the mansion's main hall. Killed ten zombies. Conserved ammunition.
He was learning.
When he removed the headset, his face was serious.
"This..." He paused, searching for words. "This is valuable training."
He looked at Kyle—who was grinning like an idiot.
"You were right, little brother. This place is... exceptional."
Kyle's eyes widened—shocked, thrilled—
"Really?! You think so?!"
"Yes." Shen Yun stood. "Master Liu, I'll purchase ten hours."
He placed ten silver coins on the table.
"And I want to speak with you. Privately. After your sessions end today."
While Shen Yun struggled, Victoria played with her usual calm efficiency.
She'd been practicing the no-damage challenge.
On screen, I watched her move through the mansion—never getting hit, never taking damage—
Until she faced three zombies in a narrow corridor.
Normally, she'd have space to dodge, to maneuver.
But here?
Trapped.
She tried to retreat—but more zombies appeared behind her.
Surrounded.
And for the first time—
I saw Victoria panic.
Just for a second.
Her character hesitated—
A zombie lunged—
She fired—Bang!—headshot.
But two more closed in from the sides—
[Damage: -25 HP]
[No-Damage Challenge: FAILED]
She froze.
On screen, her character was still fighting—killing the remaining zombies—
But Victoria's real hands were shaking slightly on the armrests.
When she removed the headset, her face was calm as always.
But her eyes...
Her eyes showed frustration.
"I failed." She said quietly.
"You made it farther than anyone else has." I replied. "That corridor is brutal."
"Excuses don't interest me." She stood. "I'll try again tomorrow."
But before leaving—
She looked at me.
"Tonight. After your sessions. Don't forget."
"I won't."
She left—back straight, head high—
But I saw something in her walk.
Determination.
And maybe... something else.
Elena's session was... unsettling.
She was attempting the knife-only challenge.
And she was succeeding.
On screen, I watched her character move through the forest—knife in hand—
Approaching zombies from behind.
Silent. Precise. Lethal.
One stab to the base of the skull—instant kill.
Over and over.
No wasted movement. No hesitation. No emotion.
She killed fifteen zombies in one hour.
With only a knife.
When she finished, she removed the headset—face expressionless.
"Progress: 23% toward knife-only completion." She said to herself.
Then looked at me.
"I'll need approximately forty more hours to complete this challenge."
She placed twenty silver coins on the table.
"Reserve them for me."
10:00 AM
By mid-morning, the rain had stopped.
More customers arrived—soaked, but eager.
Among them—Marcus, carrying his notebook as always.
"Master Liu!" He called out, waving. "I think I found something!"
"Found what?"
"A pattern!" He opened his notebook, showing pages covered in notes, diagrams, sketches.
"I've been analyzing Lord Spencer's attack patterns for three days. Recording every movement, every attack sequence, every timing gap."
He flipped through pages rapidly.
"And I found it—there's a 4.7 second window after his triple-claw attack where he's completely vulnerable. If you position yourself exactly 2.3 meters to his left during that window—"
He drew a quick diagram.
"—you can land six shots before he recovers. Enough to deal 500+ damage per cycle."
I stared at the notebook.
The detail was insane.
Frame-by-frame analysis. Mathematical calculations. Probability charts.
"Marcus... this is..."
"Obsessive?" He smiled sheepishly. "I know. But I can't help it. The game is a puzzle. And I love puzzles."
"No." I shook my head. "This is brilliant."
His face lit up.
"Really?"
"Really. Most players rely on instinct. But you're using science. Mathematics. Analysis."
I looked at him.
"Today, you're going to beat the Boss."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
Device 2: Marcus
Marcus entered the Boss chamber—hands steady, face focused.
He'd memorized his notebook. Every pattern. Every timing. Every weakness.
Lord Spencer rose from his throne.
Roared.
And charged—
But Marcus didn't panic.
He counted.
"Triple-claw attack incoming. Dodge right in 3... 2... 1... NOW."
He rolled—perfect timing—
Spencer's claws missed by centimeters.
Marcus positioned himself exactly where his calculations said—
2.3 meters to the left.
And fired—six shots—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
[-90] [-85] [-95] [-100] [-90] [-95]
[Total: 555 damage!]
The crowd watching the screen gasped.
"He did it! He hit the perfect window!"
Marcus continued—calm, methodical, precise—
Following his calculations exactly.
Every attack—predicted. Every dodge—timed perfectly.
[HP: 4000/5000]
[HP: 3000/5000]
[HP: 2000/5000]
Phase Two triggered—Spencer became faster, stronger.
But Marcus had calculated this too.
Adjusted his timing by exactly 0.4 seconds.
Perfect.
[HP: 300/5000]
Final phase.
Spencer raised both hands—
[DESPERATE FINAL ATTACK!]
Marcus ran forward—beneath Spencer—
And unloaded every remaining bullet.
[BOSS DEFEATED!]
Marcus removed the headset slowly.
Stared at his hands.
Then—
"I DID IT!" He screamed—jumping up, arms raised. "I ACTUALLY DID IT!"
The room erupted in applause.
Even the serious customers—even Elena—were clapping.
Marcus was crying—actual tears streaming down his face—
"I beat it! With math! With science!"
He looked at me—eyes shining.
"Thank you, Master Liu. Thank you for believing in me."
Golden light.
On the table—
A weapon appeared.
[Precision Rifle - Legendary Quality]
[Effect: +50% accuracy on aimed shots]
[Special: Can mark weak points on enemies]
Marcus picked it up—hands trembling—
"It's... it's perfect."
[Ding!]
[Sixth player completed the game!]
[Progress: 6/7]
[Remaining: 1 player]
2:00 PM
After lunch, Kyle sat down for his session.
But before putting on the headset—
He looked at me.
"Master Liu... I saw my brother play this morning."
"Yes?"
"He died. Four times." Kyle's voice was quiet. "My brother—the Core Formation cultivator who can split boulders with his fist—died to zombies."
"And I realized something."
He looked at his hands.
"Inside the game, we're the same. He's not stronger. Not better. Just... the same."
"For the first time in my life, I don't feel like I'm standing in his shadow."
He looked up—eyes determined.
"So today, I'm going to stop playing recklessly. I'm going to play smart."
I smiled.
"Show me."
Kyle's session was... completely different from every session before.
No reckless charging. No wild shooting. No stupid deaths.
Instead—
Patience.
He moved slowly through the mansion. Checked every corner. Conserved ammunition.
When he faced three zombies—
He didn't attack all three.
He lured one away. Killed it. Then the second. Then the third.
One at a time.
He died only once—caught by a surprise ambush in a dark room.
But he learned from it.
On his second attempt, he checked that room carefully first.
Survived.
By the end of the session—
[Progress: 56%]
Twenty percent progress in one hour.
When he removed the headset, he was grinning—but it was a different grin.
Not reckless excitement.
Quiet pride.
"I did it." He said softly. "I played smart. Like you taught Derek."
"You did." I nodded. "Well done, Kyle."
He stood—then hesitated.
"Master Liu... do you think... do you think I can beat the game before my brother does?"
I looked at him.
"If you keep playing like this? Absolutely."
His grin widened.
6:00 PM
By evening, the statistics were clear:
Today's Gameplay: 33 hours (11 sessions × 3 people)
Total Hours: 146 + 33 = 179 hours
Completions: 6/7
Closest to Completion:
Kyle: 56% (improving rapidly)
Derek: 51% (steady progress)
Mother: 48% (careful, methodical)
Shen Yun: 15% (just started, but learning fast)
Income Today:
Shen Yun: 10 silver
Elena: 20 silver (pre-purchase)
Regular customers: ~18 silver
Total: 48 silver
Grand Total: 3771.85 silver = 3.77 gold
One more completion.
Just one more.
Then the new game unlocks.
7:00 PM
After the last customer left, Victoria remained.
She stood by the window, looking out at the darkening city.
"Master Liu."
"Yes?"
"I want to show you something."
She turned—and pulled out a sword.
Not a game weapon.
A real sword.
Slender, elegant, with a blade that shimmered like water in moonlight.
"This is my family's heirloom. The Azure Moon Blade."
She held it horizontally, showing me the perfect balance.
"For twenty years, I've trained with this sword. Mastered seventeen different sword techniques. Killed enemies that would terrify ordinary cultivators."
She lowered the blade.
"But yesterday—in the game—I failed the no-damage challenge."
"Because I panicked."
She looked at me—and for the first time, I saw something in her eyes.
Vulnerability.
"In the real world, I rely on qi. On techniques. On raw power."
"But inside the game, all of that is gone. And I realized..."
She paused.
"I've forgotten how to fight as a mortal."
"How to survive when everything is stripped away."
She sheathed the sword.
"You haven't forgotten. You—who've never cultivated, never had qi—know something I've lost."
"What's that?"
"How to stay calm when you're powerless."
She stepped closer.
"Tonight, I want you to teach me."
I blinked. "Teach you what?"
"How to fight without power. How to survive without qi."
"Lady Victoria, I'm not—"
"You defeated Lord Spencer without dying once." She interrupted. "You moved through that Boss fight like... like water. Flowing, adapting, never forcing."
"That's what I need to learn."
She looked at me—eyes intense, serious.
"So teach me. Not in the game. Here. In reality."
I stared at her.
She wants me to teach her?
Me—a mortal with 31.5% increased strength—teach a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
It was insane.
But then I saw her face.
Completely serious. No arrogance. No pride.
Just... a student asking a teacher.
"Alright." I said finally. "But I can't teach you combat. You'd crush me in seconds."
"Then what can you teach?"
I thought for a moment.
"Observation. Patience. Prediction."
"The three things that kept me alive in the game."
I gestured to the Gaming Hall.
"The devices are free now. Let's both play—side by side—and I'll show you what I see. What I think. How I survive."
She nodded slowly.
"Acceptable."
Device 1: Liu Chen
Device 2: Victoria
We both entered the game—separately, but at the same time.
Started in the same forest location.
"Alright, Lady Victoria." I said aloud, so she could hear me in the real world. "Lesson one: Never rush."
"When you see a zombie, what's your first instinct?"
"Kill it." Her voice came from beside me.
"Wrong. First instinct should be: Observe it."
On screen, my character stood still—watching a zombie shamble between trees.
"Watch how it moves. Is it fast? Slow? Does it patrol? Does it have a pattern?"
Silence as Victoria watched.
"It's... circling. Around that tree. Always clockwise."
"Good. Now—second question: Do you need to kill it?"
"What?"
"Does that zombie block your path? Is it guarding something important?"
Pause.
"No. I could just... walk around it."
"Exactly. Lesson one: The best fight is the fight you avoid."
We continued—moving through the game together.
I explained everything:
"See how this room has two exits? Always know your escape route before entering."
"Hear that sound? Zombie around the corner. Count to three, then peek—don't just charge in."
"Three enemies ahead. Which one do you kill first? The closest? No—the fastest. Eliminate the biggest threat first."
And slowly—slowly—
I heard Victoria's gameplay change.
Her character moved more carefully. Checked corners. Conserved ammunition.
She wasn't relying on reflex anymore.
She was thinking.
After an hour, we both removed our headsets.
Victoria sat back—silent, contemplative.
"This is... harder than I expected." She said finally.
"Thinking instead of reacting?"
"Yes. My entire cultivation path has been about honing reflexes. Muscle memory. Instinctive responses."
"But you're teaching me to do the opposite."
"I'm teaching you to survive when reflexes aren't enough."
She looked at me.
"Thank you, Master Liu. This was... enlightening."
She stood to leave—
But at the door, she paused.
"Two days remaining until the Silver Serpent Sect expects your answer."
"I know."
"Are you prepared?"
I thought about my parents training in secret. Marcus's brilliant analysis. Kyle's transformation. Shen Yun's interest.
"Not yet." I admitted. "But I'm getting there."
She nodded.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
And she left.
11:00 PM
I sat alone in the Gaming Hall, exhausted.
Six completions. One more to go.
Two days until the deadline.
And I still wasn't strong enough.
[Ding!]
[System Alert!]
[Warning: Hostile Intent Detected]
[Multiple powerful cultivators are discussing the Gaming Hall]
[Estimated threat level: HIGH]
[Recommendation: Unlock New Game as soon as possible]
[New Game will provide stronger rewards, better training opportunities]
[Time remaining until deadline: 47 hours]
I stared at the notification.
Forty-seven hours.
And I need one more completion.
I looked at the player progress:
Kyle: 56% (needs ~15 hours)
Derek: 51% (needs ~20 hours)
Mother: 48% (needs ~25 hours)
Even Kyle—the fastest—needed too much time.
Unless...
An idea formed.
What if I help them? All of them?
Intense coaching. Multiple sessions per day. Push them to their limits.
It was risky. Exhausting.
But it might work.
I stood—determined.
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow we make the final push."
Meanwhile - Silver Serpent Sect
In a dark hall, lit by flickering candles—
Five figures sat around a table.
At the head—Sect Master Shen. A man in his fifties, with cold eyes and a cruel smile.
"Report." He said simply.
A younger cultivator—the messenger who'd delivered the letter—spoke.
"The mortal Liu Chen received our proposal. He has not responded yet."
"And?"
"And... witnesses say he tore up the letter. Called it 'extortion'."
Silence.
Then—Sect Master Shen laughed.
A cold, cruel laugh.
"Bold. For a rootless mortal, he's remarkably bold."
"Should we send enforcers, Master?"
"Not yet. We gave him three days. We'll honor that."
He leaned forward.
"But on the fourth day..."
His smile widened.
"We'll pay him a visit. And we'll take what should have been offered freely."
"And the mortal?"
"If he cooperates, we'll let him manage the Gaming Hall. Under our control, of course."
"And if he refuses?"
Sect Master Shen's eyes glinted.
"Then we'll find someone more... compliant."
Midnight - A Mother's Resolve
In the kitchen, Mother—Liu Mei—couldn't sleep.
She held the combat knife she'd earned, running her thumb along the blade.
In the past week, she'd changed.
Stronger. Faster. Braver.
But was it enough?
Could she really protect her son against cultivators who could kill with a gesture?
She looked at the knife—this impossible weapon from an impossible game—
And made a decision.
Tomorrow, I'll play all day. Every available session.
I'll push myself to complete the game.
Whatever it takes.
Because I won't let anyone hurt my son.
She stood—walked to the Gaming Hall—
Looked at the three devices.
Tomorrow.