Chapter 59: A Dog’s Death

Chapter 59: A Dog’s Death Xu Tao could tell it was a good idea. However, he still couldn’t be sure if it would work. After all, cultivation wasn’t just about increasing one’s Qi. It was a balance—cultivating the body through External techniques and the spirit through Internal ones. Only when both were combined could it truly be called proper cultivation. Of course, Xu Tao starting from zero in Alkryon and reaching Qi Gathering so quickly wasn’t normal. It was only possible because he had already reached the peak in terms of knowledge regarding External techniques. As soon as his Qi level caught up with that knowledge, he would break through effortlessly. As the veterans made various excuses and logged off, Xu Tao was left alone with nothing but the motionless NPCs. With no one around, he decided to cultivate in earnest. "If I focus, I could squeeze this entire place dry in a minute, but..." He shook his head. Even if he did, he’d only gain one or two more drops of Qi. A drop in the ocean compared to what he already had... no, a drop in a universe. Closing his eyes, he began cultivating within the limits of normalcy. His Qi spiked rapidly, and a fraction of it gathered into his real Dantian. After 32 drops of Qi were collected for his virtual avatar, his real body received one full drop. A low ratio, yes—but in the context of a game? Astounding. "Hmm?" Naturally, it wasn’t without hiccups. [Warning! Your cultivation has reached Bronze Level 5. To raise it further, increase your player level to Level 10!] "Oh... So there’s such a rule..." Xu Tao mumbled. Had the veterans still been around, they would’ve been just as surprised. This was unheard of. No one had ever reached this level of cultivation without leveling up first. Xu Tao slowly stood and began walking toward the gates, heading for the hunting grounds just outside the city. He walked along the main road, passing by NPCs who looked eerily lifelike. Their faces, postures, idle movements—it was impressive. But Xu Tao didn’t mistake them for real people. Even without understanding how games worked, he had a cultivator’s eye. Their gazes, their auras, their presence—no soul. "..." Still, one figure made him pause. A blacksmith NPC stood by a forge and anvil, unmoving. Or rather... standing way too still. It was a woman with skin burned by exposure to extreme heat, and a pair of fiery gold eyes, wearing a simple gray work apron. As Xu Tao passed, he frowned. "That one... a human?" he whispered to himself, eyes narrowing. "I don’t think I saw wrongly, but... well, it’s not my business anyway." He shrugged, turned away, and kept walking. He didn’t notice the slight twitch of a shadow behind the forge... or the faint flicker of golden eyes narrowing, watching him leave, just before vanishing like smoke. ???????????? After leaving the gates, it was only a minute’s walk to the nearest hunting ground: the Forest. It was where the weakest game monsters, Wild Dogs, could be found. As in reality, the Wild Dogs looked like canines that had been rolling around in mud for days. Their fur was bristly and patchy, giving them a diseased, filthy appearance. Their eyes glinted with crazed hunger, low growls escaping their frothing snouts. Xu Tao approached a small group of them, steps calm and unfaltering, hands clasped behind his back. He didn’t look like someone out to hunt—but more like a man taking a stroll, casually observing his surroundings. "How curious... even the nature of Qi changes depending on location?" he muttered, eyes drifting to the trees, herbs, and air rather than the monsters ahead. Back in the city, the Qi had felt muddled, as if multiple elements were thrown into a blender. But here, as he entered the Forest, the Qi became noticeably pure—strongly Wood-aligned. From the plants nearby, he could also sense the distinct energies of different elements. There was faint Yang Qi radiating from a Small Sun Flower... and Cold Yin Qi rising from a patch of Centennial Frozen Lilies. RAUGH! RAUGH! As he continued "sightseeing," the Wild Dogs caught wind of him and began charging. Their speed was decent—enough to scare a beginner, who have no experience fighting, at least. "These mutts..." Xu Tao eyed their approach with a frown. They ran directly toward him, no tactics, no hesitation—just straight-line aggression. "These... definitely aren’t real Wild Dogs," he sighed. "Ones in the wild would flank, probe for weaknesses. Even wild boars wouldn’t be this stupid." Moments later, the three monsters reached him and lunged. But Xu Tao didn’t dodge. He let their snouts bite into his arm, leg, and side—through his white cotton shirt and black nylon pants. In reality, those attacks would’ve torn into him. But this wasn’t reality—it was a game. "Hmm... Just a bit of numbness, and no real pain," he murmured. Instead of fabric tearing or blood flying, a durability bar blinked into view—and dropped sharply. At the same time, a red health bar in the corner of his vision ticked down with each hit: 100%... 87%... 60%. Still, Xu Tao stood unmoving. He was testing something. Without the sensation of pain, the fear of injury faded. Most people might’ve panicked from the visuals alone, having three dirty dogs chewing their limbs—but Xu Tao merely observed, unfazed. The Wild Dogs bit in intervals—once every five seconds, like clockwork. They didn’t hold on, didn’t shake, didn’t chain damage. It was intentional—clearly designed to make the encounter manageable for new players. Without much fanfare, after exactly ten seconds, his HP bar dropped to 0%. The Wild Dogs backed off, losing interest, as his avatar sank to one knee, then collapsed face-first onto the forest floor. [You Died!] The message flashed before his eyes as his vision faded to black. No pain. No resistance. The entire experience was weightless. Unnatural—completely artificual. When his vision returned, he was standing in the center of the plaza again. The very same spot he’d first spawned in. "Death here is way too unrealistic but..." Xu Tao muttered thoughtfully, "the act of being gnawed on while alive... now that could be useful." Convinced of something, he brushed aside the death notice and sprinted back to where he died. This time, he didn’t take a leisurely walk—it took mere seconds. He arrived just in time to find the same trio of dogs still patrolling the area. "Now..." he said with a smile, eyes lighting up. "Let’s see the limits of this game." GRRRR! RAAAGH! AURRGH! The monsters noticed him and charged once again, exactly like before. But this time, Xu Tao didn’t stand still. He raised a hand, Qi already flowing through his virtual—and real—body. "Let’s see how well martial techniques perform in this illusory world!"