The smell of stale ale and old sweat hung heavy in the air of the Broken Compass inn. It was a place for people who didn't want to be found: the desperate, the criminal, and the broken. Han Sen stepped over a puddle of spilled liquor, his eyes scanning the room.
The innkeeper was a massive man with a scarred jaw and hands the size of dinner plates. He didn't look up from the glass he was cleaning. He just shifted his gaze, a heavy, predatory weight that settled on Han Sen like a physical blow.
[Detected: Innkeeper Butcher (Level 22)]
"Rooms are two copper a night," the Butcher grunted. "No questions asked. No guards allowed. If you bleed on the sheets, you pay for them."
Han Sen placed two copper coins on the scarred wooden counter. The Butcher looked at the coins, then at Han Sen's Level 1 status. He let out a short, dismissive snort. To him, Han Sen was a stray dog looking for a place to die.
"Upstairs. Last door on the left," the Butcher said, sliding a rusted iron key across the wood. "Don't make noise. The guests here have short tempers and long knives."
Han Sen took the key and climbed the creaking stairs. He felt the weight of several stares following his back. In a place like this, a Level 1 was a target. They didn't see a threat: they saw an easy meal.
He locked the door behind him and leaned against the wood, letting out a long, slow breath. The room was small, with a single window that looked out over the trash-filled alley.
[HP: 10/10]
He was at full health, but he felt more vulnerable than ever. A single well-placed dagger through this thin wooden door would end his life. He needed to secure his perimeter. He needed to turn this room into a fortress.
He opened his skill list. He looked at a basic utility skill: [Basic Locking].
[Allocating Skill Points: 400,000]
[Basic Locking has evolved into: Dimensional Anchor (Max Level).]
Han Sen touched the door handle. A faint hiss of displaced air vibrated through the room. The door didn't just lock: it fused with the fabric of reality. No physical force in Willow Creek could break it down now.
"Nixi, you can come out," he whispered.
The shimmer of the [Void Shroud] faded. The small Phoenix appeared on the bed, her feathers glowing with a soft, orange light. She let out a quiet trill and began to preen herself, her tiny beak clicking against her wings.
Han Sen sat on the floor, his mind working with cold, mechanical precision. He had silver, he had a divine beast, and he had infinite points. But he was still a human with 10 HP.
"I need a way to grow my influence without showing my face," he thought. "The Heavenly Beast Sect will be looking for a powerhouse. They won't be looking for a merchant."
He looked at his [Basic Alchemy] skill. In this world, alchemists were the most respected and protected class. Even a Level 1 alchemist was treated like royalty if they could produce high-grade pills.
[Skill Selection: Basic Alchemy]
[Allocating Skill Points: 2,000,000]
[Basic Alchemy has evolved into: God-Hand Transmutation (Max Level).]
Han Sen reached into his bag and pulled out a common, dried herb he had picked up in the forest. It was a simple 'Blood-Root,' used for basic healing salves.
He held the herb between his palms. There was no fire, no cauldron, and no smoke. There was only a low, humming silence. The air around his hands seemed to ripple and fold.
When he opened his palms, the dried root was gone. In its place sat a pill as clear as a diamond, pulsing with a terrifying amount of life energy.
[Item Created: Life-Bound Essence Pill (God-Grade)]
[Effect: Heals all physical injuries and restores 10,000 HP instantly.]
Han Sen looked at the pill. This single object could start a war between empires. To him, it was just a beginning. He would sell these, buy the resources he needed, and build a shadow empire while the world continued to laugh at his Level 1 status.
A floorboard creaked in the hallway outside his door. The sound was faint, but his [Eye of Truth] caught the shadow of a man standing still, a dagger glinting in the moonlight under the door.
Han Sen didn't move. He didn't even look at the door. He just smiled, a cold, sharp expression that didn't reach his eyes.
"The first guest has arrived," he whispered. "Let's see how long they last."