As he tried to steady himself, a notification flickered in front of him:
? STATUS ?
Name: Lin Feng
Age: 19
Cultivation: Mortal (Qi Gathering 0/100)
Talent: [ERROR?]
Effect: Unknown
“ERROR?” Lin Feng muttered, rubbing his eyes. “What the hell does that mean?”
Before he could figure it out, the sounds of chaos filled the air. People screamed as they ran past, their faces pale with fear. A woman near him tripped, eyes wide with terror, and Lin Feng barely registered the movement before a low growl rumbled from behind him.
Turning slowly, he froze. A massive Flame-Tailed Fox, the size of a wolf, stalked toward the woman. Its fur shimmered like molten lava, and its tail flickered with deadly flames.
A burly man stepped forward, his body hardening into rough, grey stone. "I’ll handle this!" he shouted, charging at the fox, but the creature moved with terrifying speed, dodging his every strike. The fox’s fiery tail lashed out, striking the woman in an instant. She screamed as flames engulfed her, and within moments, she collapsed, lifeless.
With the woman now lifeless on the ground, the fox’s attention snapped to the man. It growled, its fiery tail flicking dangerously. The man tried to block its next attack, but the fox was faster. It lunged, its tail slashing toward him. The stone skin on his arms shattered as the fiery tail struck, and the man grunted in pain.
He staggered back, but the fox was relentless. It circled him, striking from every angle. With a final, brutal swipe, the fox’s fiery tail tore through the man’s defenses, slashing across his throat in one decisive strike.
Lin Feng didn’t stick around to watch. His instincts kicked in, and he bolted into the nearby forest, his sneakers slipping on moss-covered rocks. The sounds of screams faded as he ran, his heart pounding in his chest.
After what felt like hours, he found a small cave hidden behind a waterfall. It smelled damp, like mildew, but it was defensible.
The moment he stepped inside, another notification flashed in his vision:
? TERRITORY DETECTED ?
Location: Hidden Waterfall Cave
Status: Unclaimed
Occupy Territory? 0/1
Without hesitation, Lin Feng pressed “Occupy.”
A wave of energy surged through the cave, and the walls glowed faintly. The interface updated:
? TERRITORY CLAIMED ?
Location: Hidden Waterfall Cave
Owner: Lin Feng
Benefits:
→ Ore Resource Generation +10%
→ Territory Marker: Prevents other players from claiming this area.
? TERRITORY UPGRADE OPTIONS ?
You can upgrade your territory for additional benefits.
- Tier 0 → Tier 1
Cost:
→ 10 Spirit Stones.
Each upgrade tier grants:
- Increased defense capabilities
- More resource generation
- Ability to store more materials
Note: Sudden upgrades may trigger Demonic Aggression. Be prepared.
Lin Feng glanced around the cave, his heart still racing from the chaos outside. “Okay… this is mine now,” he muttered, a mix of disbelief and excitement creeping into his voice. It felt surreal. He’d read about this kind of thing in novels a hundred times, but to actually be here, in a place he could claim as his own—“Now, all that's left is to get a cheat skill like all the other protagonists. Then I’ll be set.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
His interface updated once more:
? BASE STATUS ?
Location: Hidden Waterfall Cave (Tier 0)
Defenses: None
Resources:
→ Qi: 0/100
→ Spirit Stones: 0
→ Food: 0
Threats Detected: Flame-Tailed Fox (200m)
Recommended Action: Cultivate or die.
Lin Feng groaned. “Cultivate? Where do I even begin?”
He closed his eyes, trying to meditate like he’d read about in novels. He focused on his breathing, imagining energy flowing into his body. But minutes passed. Then hours. Nothing.
Growing more frustrated, he opened his eyes and glanced at the still-glowing interface. He tapped it a few times, trying to get some sort of response. “Hello? System? Can you tell me how to cultivate? How does this work?”
Nothing. Not a word. The silence only made him more anxious.
“Is this it?” he muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Do I not get a cheat talent like everyone else in the stories? Just some random, useless system with no answers?”
His stomach growled, and his body felt like it was ready to shut down.
“I can’t keep this up,” he muttered, too tired to care about the discomfort of the cold stone floor. “Maybe a quick nap will help. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Sleep quickly took over, his mind blanking out as he finally let go of his frustration.
Ding.
Lin Feng’s eyes snapped open, a warm energy pulsing through his chest, spreading through his body like a soothing balm. His interface flashed again:
? AFK REWARDS CLAIMED ?
Time Idle: 1h 36m
Qi Generated: +15
Materials Generated:
→ Spirit Stones: +5 (Tier 0)
→ Beast Cores: 0
“What the hell?” Lin Feng stared at the five tiny Spirit Stones that had materialized beside him. “This... is this real?”
A new notification popped up:
? HIDDEN TALENT UNLOCKED ?
Name: [Idle Core]
Rank: EX (ERROR)
Effect:
- Generate Qi and materials while AFK.
- Convert Qi into materials.
Warning: Excessive AFK triggers DEMONIC AGGRESSION.
Lin Feng’s heart skipped a beat. EX rank? His pulse quickened as he stared at the screen. That’s not even on the talent scale... This was something else entirely.
Then, his eyes caught the "Convert" option. Convert Qi into materials? he thought, disbelief mixing with growing excitement. He tapped the option without hesitation.
? CONVERT ?
You have accumulated enough Qi to convert it into resources. Select conversion choice:
- 2 Qi → 1 Spirit Stone
Lin Feng’s eyes widened as he saw the option. "I can do that?"
He quickly selected 5 spirit stones and hit "Confirm," feeling his Qi drain as the conversion completed.
His interface updated:
? CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL ?
→ Spirit Stones: +5
→ Qi: -10
Lin Feng now had enough Spirit Stones to upgrade his territory. He grinned, grabbing the stones and selecting the Upgrade Base option.
? BASE UPGRADED ?
Hidden Waterfall Cave → Tier 1
Defenses:
→ Reinforced Walls (HP 150/150)
→ Basic Qi Barrier (HP 50/50)
New Feature:
→ AFK Qi Generator (Produces 10 Qi/hour)
Lin Feng’s grin widened, his excitement palpable. “This... this is it. My cheat. With this, I’ll have everything I need.”
The thought of being the protagonist for once in his life filled him with renewed energy. “I’ll use this to take over everything—no one will stand in my way.”
The system didn’t stop there. A new set of options appeared:
? SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ?
Global Chat Unlocked!
Leaderboards Unlocked!
He opened the Global Chat. And a ton of messages immediately flooded in:
[HumbleSwan]: "Someone help! I need 4 spirit stones!"
[CuteGirl828]: "Anyone have spare healing herbs??? My brother’s dying!!!"
[BigSwordGuy]: "I got an A-rank talent! [Blade Mastery]. Serve me!"
Lin Feng smirked and typed:
[ChillCultivator]: "Imagine having to fight for resources. Couldn’t be me."
The chat exploded:
[SingleAssassin]: “What’s this guy talking about?”
[IAmAboveAll]: “Another troll. Ignore him.”
[KittenLover12]: “He really thinks he's a chill cultivator.."
[GirlLookingForCarry]: "Big brother, are you saying you have a lot of resources then? O.O"
Lin Feng grinned wider, ignoring their comments.
After a while of searching for any useful information, he closed the chat and lay back down.
The waterfall’s constant flow soothing him into a peaceful state. “Time to chill.”
But just as he drifted off, another notification flashed:
? WARNING: DEMONIC TIDE IN 6 HOURS. ?