Chapter Twenty-One: The First Signs of the Enemy

"My Lord, my stats have increased! I've gained 8 points of base attributes. What should I do?" Xiao Hu asked from the side.

In truth, Xiao Hu had killed fewer monsters than Lin Mu, yet he was leveling up faster. Lin Mu couldn't help but envy the rapid progression of these NPCs.

What made Lin Mu even more envious—and perhaps a bit resentful—was that they gained 8 base attribute points per level. If he had that kind of potential, he’d be unstoppable: punching through nursing homes in the south, kicking down kindergartens in the north, knocking out anyone under a meter tall, and standing in the morgue roaring, "Anyone not convinced, get up and fight!"

Wait, no, it should be: "Punching Lu Bu, kicking Zhao Yun, knocking down Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan, and standing in the city of Tokyo in the Eastern Region, roaring, 'If you're not convinced, come up and face your death!'"

...

"Haha, very well. Focus on increasing your Strength for now; become a valiant warrior," Lin Mu instructed.

"Understood." After a brief silence, Xiao Hu finished assigning his points. Now at level 1, with his 8 new attribute points added, his Strength reached 13. He had one point left over. His combat power was on par with Lin Mu’s, but Lin Mu was confident he could take him down; his years of real-life combat experience meant his true capability far exceeded what the surface stats suggested.

Indigenous NPCs usually assigned their own stats, as they possessed their own subjective will and autonomy. Lin Mu knew this, but they were also willing to listen to advice. Xiao Hu, in particular, obeyed Lin Mu as if his words were imperial decrees—whatever Lin Mu said was right.

As Lin Mu leveled up, so did Xiao Hu, and the strength of their small squad grew accordingly.

Unfortunately, the 10th-level Wolf King hadn't dropped a single thing. The system's drop rate was truly frustrating.

They continued to press deeper into the wilderness, where the beasts were expected to be of higher levels.

For several days, Lin Mu and Xiao Hu spent their time grinding levels and fighting. At night, they camped in the wild, finding shelter away from the wind and rivers. Things went smoothly for the most part. For a veteran player like Lin Mu, a few days of sleeping in the open was nothing, but Xiao Hu struggled. Though he didn't complain, his morale was low, and he often looked dejected.

He was still young and hadn't experienced much hardship.

During this time, Lin Mu logged off briefly to eat breakfast and do some light exercise before logging back in. He was worried that if he disappeared for too long, the boy might get scared. Spending a night alone in the wilderness was enough to invite loneliness and fear, let alone for a young lad like him.

Having been through it all, Lin Mu knew how to soothe Xiao Hu, and upon seeing the boy’s dejection, he immediately encouraged him, successfully reigniting his spirit.

During these days of grinding, announcements in the China Region were constant. Many players had begun establishing territories, and strategies for acquiring "Village Building Tokens" started appearing on the battle-net forums. Lin Mu kept an eye on them. Most were from large guilds using human-wave tactics to capture mountain strongholds for tokens, while others focused on clearing system-run villages—the villages of the Great Han Dynasty.

As long as they didn't slaughter the villagers indiscriminately, the system allowed these acquisitions through quests or direct purchase. The Great Han imperial court didn't concern itself with these remote, minor villages. However, captured villages were still subject to the standard 50% tax—an exorbitant rate that plagued the common folk. "Harsh taxes are fiercer than a tiger," indeed.

Still, players who obtained territories were overjoyed, dreaming of world domination. After all, people played games to find freedom, to roam the world, to achieve fame, or to be worshipped by thousands.

Moreover, the wealthy and the social elite knew that this game contained the secret to human evolution. Constant development was the key to a better future.

In the chaotic era of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, where wars raged, everyone harbored ambitions of becoming a warlord. A territory was the foundation—no matter how small, its future potential was limitless.

Just think of Liu Bei, Emperor-Uncle Liu; didn't he start from a tiny territory to become one of the three great hegemons?

Everyone had their own pursuits. Some players even sold their hard-won territories on the forums to get rich overnight, sparking a frenzy as countless others rushed to find tokens and clear system villages.

Lin Mu didn't judge them. He wouldn't criticize them for failing to see the bigger picture or for giving up their chance to be a lord. Everyone had their own world. China’s two billion people had two billion worlds, two billion dreams, and two billion sets of values. There was no right or wrong—it all depended on your perspective.

For ordinary players, the sudden wealth was a tangible benefit, and they cared more about their reality than the ethereal concepts of warlord destiny or national fortune.

The "rags-to-riches" myths began to attract massive social attention. Many television stations and virtual holographic platforms were now fixated on *Myth World*, and more common people were joining the game, which served as a positive push.

In the past, Lin Mu had also yearned for such a life, hoping for an encounter that would grant him a Village Building Token so he could sell it, get rich, and improve his life. He, too, had dreamed of developing his own territory and becoming a warlord.

Counting them up, there were 8 villages established or captured in the China Region. Adding his own, that made 9—still a very small number.

Lin Mu remembered that once the number of villages increased, the system would open a "Village Building Token" dungeon. The condition was likely the birth of 100 territories in a region. Once that threshold was met, the system would open a dungeon containing 10,000 tokens: 80% Yellow-tier, 18% Profound-tier, and 2% Earth-tier, with no Heaven-tier.

The dungeon was notoriously difficult, and early-stage players couldn't clear it. However, as their levels, gear, and skills improved, their chances would grow. No matter how hard a dungeon was, players would eventually find a way; having a concrete goal made them focused and formidable. That was one of the traits that made players so tenacious.

The China region was a mixed bag of dragons and snakes, with countless powerful factions and financial groups pouring in resources, so many of these dungeons were eventually cleared.

Thinking of those major powers with hundreds of thousands of followers made Lin Mu shudder. He had to work incredibly hard; if they caught up, their foundation would be like a tsunami crushing his small boat.

"Keep going, keep going!" Lin Mu constantly reminded himself.

After several days of leveling, Lin Mu was now level 5 with 18 Strength. Xiao Hu, to Lin Mu’s envy, had reached level 8 with 32 Strength and a combat power of 3200. His speed of growth was like a rocket, showcasing the terrifying potential of high-tier aptitude.

The monsters on the plains were no longer a match for Xiao Hu, so their progress slowed. Lin Mu and Xiao Hu decided to head into the dangerous Qilian Mountains.

Lin Mu also wanted to search for the four large mountain strongholds mentioned by the system.

The trees were lush and the grass grew thick. Deeper in, ancient trees reached for the sky, old vines twisted like ropes, and mist swirled through the air.

The Qilian Mountains were a continuous range of cloud-wreathed peaks and steep cliffs. The roars of beasts echoed incessantly. Seen from afar, the mountains gave off an air of epic grandeur.

Lin Mu couldn't help but recall the poem: "A thousand mountains, no birds fly; ten thousand paths, no human tracks."

But here, there were no shortage of birds—the forests were teeming with them and wild beasts. However, the "no human tracks" part felt quite appropriate.

The towering peaks felt like a fairyland. Such scenery didn't exist in reality, which was exactly why *Myth Three Kingdoms* attracted so many travel-loving players.

The dangers of the mountains couldn't stop the hearts of wanderers.

The system hadn't yet enabled live streaming to the battle-net, or else many players would have flooded the internet with these breathtaking views.

Live streaming was a major feature of virtual games. Streaming battles, boss fights, and competitions was immensely popular, and the game officials used it as a major revenue stream.

Lin Mu knew that once the feature was enabled, countless players would make a fortune from it. In their society, fighting stars were often more popular than actors or singers—it was a culture that worshipped martial prowess.

Moreover, the secret that *Myth World* affected one's physical body in reality was slowly being revealed to the world.

...

At the foot of a peak on the outskirts of the Qilian Mountains, Lin Mu and Xiao Hu arrived after half a day of trekking.

Lin Mu calculated that the journey back to his village would take about five days on foot. If they ran at full speed, maybe two or three days. With a good horse, it would take even less time.

After days of training, Xiao Hu had grown accustomed to this life. His youthful face was becoming resolute, and his gaze had sharpened. Lin Mu was pleased; growth was a process, not something to be rushed.

To rise above others, one had to put in more effort than anyone else.

Their iron spears and leather armor were beginning to wear down. After days of fighting, their durability had dropped significantly. If it hit zero, the gear would break beyond repair. If they could get back to a blacksmith before then, they could be restored to like-new condition.

Lin Mu had brought extra spears when he left the village, but he had no spare leather armor. Without it, they were vulnerable to injury, and since recovery potions were rare, relying on natural healing was inefficient.

On the outskirts of the Qilian Mountains, common herbs began to appear—things not found in the Yinglong Valley plains. Lin Mu continuously used his "Gathering" skill, and his bag slowly filled with Hemostatic Grass, Red-Leaf Flowers, Qi-Recovery Flowers, low-grade Ginseng, and low-grade Green Lingzhi. These were Tier 1 herbs, enough to craft Tier 1 pills like Yellow-tier Blood-Recovery Pills, Stamina Pills, and various levels of Vitality Pills.

Lin Mu only gathered the mature herbs, leaving the rest to be transplanted once he had herbalists back at his village.

Areas untouched by civilization were rich in resources. This place would eventually be his; he would claim every last bit of it. Haha, he was going to be rich!

Lin Mu became a busy little bee, wandering to and fro.

Nearby, Xiao Hu cleared out the beasts. He wasn't a butcher or an herbalist and lacked the skill to gather herbs efficiently. Rather than wasting time, Lin Mu had him focus on clearing the surrounding area.

...

Once his bag was full, Lin Mu decided to forgo other resources and signaled Xiao Hu to follow him down a small path. It must have been used by humans; otherwise, it wouldn't be so easy to traverse.

Following the path, they ventured deeper into the mountains. The sounds of apes and tigers grew louder and more frequent, but neither man flinched.

Luckily, they hadn't encountered any poisonous creatures yet. Without antidote pills, that would have been a reason to turn back.

After walking for an unknown amount of time through the dense forest and rugged terrain, as the sky began to darken, Lin Mu finally saw wisps of smoke rising—a sign of humans cooking!

Lin Mu was overjoyed. He had finally found his target! Knowing where they were made things much easier.

Lin Mu whispered to Xiao Hu, "There is a large stronghold ahead. Walk softly and be careful!"

"Understood!" Xiao Hu nodded. Lin Mu had already briefed him on the situation along the way.

Instead of following the path, Lin Mu and Xiao Hu carved a new route, struggling up the side of a mountain.

When they reached a vantage point on the slope, a massive stronghold came into view.

It was nestled in a large valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides. The fourth side faced the direction they had come from, where the terrain was flat and cultivated with farmland.

Looking down from the southern ridge, the entire stronghold was laid out before them.

Just by looking at the exterior, it was impossible to tell if it was a bandit camp or a civilian settlement. Further investigation was required.

Lin Mu and Xiao Hu cautiously approached the stronghold. Lin Mu prayed silently that it was a civilian settlement; if it were a bandit camp, it was too close to his village, making it a constant threat to his territory.