Chapter Seven: The Right Way to Play Hardcore Games

Early morning—

Xiao Jie sat before his computer, staring at the game icon on the screen, lost in a daze. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the living room—which doubled as his studio—in a warm, cozy hue. It felt as though everything that happened yesterday was merely a nightmare, but looking at the empty room next door that once belonged to Han Luo, Xiao Jie knew it was all too real.

The image of Han Luo’s gruesome death flashed before his eyes from time to time. When the Wuji Studio had dissolved and everyone else had left, only Han Luo remained. He was his closest brother, his best friend—the one who had stuck by his side through thick and thin. Now that he had been murdered, Xiao Jie knew he could not let this slide. Not to mention, it was clear that the perpetrators had intended to kill him as well.

"Liu Qiang! You son of a bitch, you just wait for me! I will kill you!" Xiao Jie muttered to himself. If it were a matter of killing someone for revenge in reality, it might be a difficult task; but when it came to killing in a game, he had never feared anyone.

He took a deep breath. It was time to start. His gaze lingered on the game icon for a moment, his eyes hardening with determination as he clicked firmly.

Entering the game, accompanied by a familiar melody, the gloomy and tranquil little village appeared before him once more. Watching the lifelike, rustic village, Xiao Jie had originally been awed by the game's realism, but now everything felt shrouded in a sense of mystery and unease. What exactly was the origin of this game? How could it interfere with reality? It could even cause a person's death—what kind of truth was hidden behind this?

He couldn't help but ponder these thoughts. Yet, Xiao Jie knew clearly that this was not something he could figure out for the time being. The top priority was how to gain power from the game: leveling up, gathering equipment, and learning skills.

He looked at the desolate village, his expression solemn and grave. He didn't rush into action but instead sat in silence, contemplating. How does one play a game where you only have one life?

Xiao Jie was no stranger to hardcore-mode games. He had played similar titles in the past—Expert Mode, Hardcore Mode, Honor Mode—which essentially offered no second chances. Once the character died, the game was over. But upon closer reflection, Xiao Jie realized that those past games were incomparable to this one. No matter how harsh the death penalty was in those, the worst-case scenario was simply creating a new character and starting a new file. While losing a character was severe, it was nothing compared to the death of a real human being.

This game, however, was a true "One-Life Mode." Once you died, it wasn't just the character that perished, but his own self. He absolutely could not afford to be complacent.

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Xiao Jie first checked his character attributes.

[Yin Yue Sui Feng (Level 1)
Experience Points: 30/300 (This should be the experience gained from the bandit killed yesterday).
Money: 26 Wen.
Class: Returnee (A returnee from beyond the starry sky, once adrift outside the Old Lands, now answering the call of an ancient pact to return to the ancestral home).
Health Points: 90.
Stamina Points: 400.
Weight Capacity: 80 Jin.

Base Attributes:
Constitution: 9. Increases max HP, HP recovery rate, and base toughness.
Endurance: 8. Increases max stamina, stamina recovery rate, and weight capacity.
Strength: 8. Increases physical damage and the weight limit of weapons you can wield.
Agility: 12. Increases movement speed, attack speed, and the speed and distance of rolls and jumps.

Advanced Attributes:
Spirit: 12. Increases max mana, mana recovery rate, and resistance to mental effects like charm, fear, and hypnosis.
Spirituality: 10. Increases the efficiency of absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth, and the ability to learn and use Immortal Arts and Sorcery.
Perception: 9. Increases your alertness range, sensing distance for monsters, and ability to sense the invisible. Higher perception may attract the attention of ghosts and deities.
Faith: 7. Increases the ability to absorb incense power and the ability to learn and use supernatural powers.

Special Attributes:
Comprehension: 13. (Cannot be improved with attribute points) Allows you to learn deeper knowledge and techniques, with a higher chance of sudden enlightenment.
Luck: 12. (Cannot be improved with attribute points) Determines your loot drop rate and the probability of encountering miraculous or calamitous events.

Skills:
Harrier Turns Over (Movement Technique).]

Xiao Jie looked at his attribute panel. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now he noticed something strange: his attributes were uneven and non-standard, not fixed values. It was clear that these numbers weren't randomized; they were likely a reflection of himself. Xiao Jie speculated that the average attribute for a normal person was probably around 10.

In that light, his stats were passable. His standout attributes were Agility (12), Spirit (12), Comprehension (13), and Luck (12). The others were mediocre, especially Faith, which was a pitiful 7.

He pondered for a moment and quickly established the first rule of the game: Be cautious. He must never take unnecessary risks. He had to adventure only when fully prepared and engage only in battles he was certain to win. The difficulty of this game was absurd; even the low-level mobs at the village entrance were formidable. Rushing out to adventure would be suicide.

He had to develop stealthily, maxing out everything he could improve first. He needed to acquire a set of beginner gear and clear every quest and skill-learning opportunity available in the village. Only when he had a solid foundation would he venture out. If there were errand-running or gathering quests in the village that allowed him to level up without combat, that would be even better. Gaining a few levels and obtaining decent equipment within the safety of the village was the safest bet.

No sooner said than done, Xiao Jie began wandering around the village. Though the village was small, it had everything one might need: a wooden fence for protection, watchtowers manned by militiamen, providing a small sense of security. At least within the village, there was no need to worry about monster threats. There was a blacksmith shop, a carpentry workshop, a peddler, a food stall, and a house with animal furs hanging on a wooden rack outside—likely a hunter's home.

After a lap around the village, Xiao Jie had a plan. His first task was to check the blacksmith shop for equipment. The blacksmith was a muscular, bearded man hammering a sword blank on an anvil, while a stout black-clad man smelted iron ingots nearby.

Xiao Jie walked straight to the blacksmith. "Brother, I’m looking for a reliable weapon to take out of the village to deal with monsters. Do you have any recommendations?"

The bearded man put down his hammer and said in a rough voice, "Heh, you've come to the right place. The weapons I sell are the best within a ten-mile radius. What kind of weapon does the little brother excel at?"

Although it wasn't his first time talking to an NPC through a screen, the sensation still felt incredibly surreal to Xiao Jie. "I haven't fought much before, so I can't say I'm proficient with any particular weapon."

"I see. Then take a look for yourself."

A trading window popped up, displaying a dazzling array of swords, blades, and armor, each with its price listed:
Iron Sword: 200 Wen.
Iron-Inlaid Shield: 150 Wen.
Refined Iron Spear: 240 Wen.
Willow Leaf Saber: 180 Wen.
Ghost-Head Greatblade: 300 Wen.
Hunting Bow: 260 Wen.
Snake-Spine Longbow: 680 Wen.
Leather Armor: 300 Wen.
Iron-Studded Leather Armor: 450 Wen.
Iron-Leaf Armor: 800 Wen.
Iron Helmet: 600 Wen.
Refined Steel Sword (Excellent): 1000 Wen...

The selection was quite comprehensive, including not just blades, spears, and bows, but also various types of armor. Xiao Jie did the math: to get a decent set of gear and buy some health potions for supplies, he needed at least 1000 Wen as starting capital. If he wanted top-tier beginner equipment, he would need at least three or four thousand Wen. It seemed he had a long road ahead; he needed to find a way to make money.

As for how to make money, Xiao Jie already had an idea: he would go and ask the old village chief he met yesterday.