Vol. 1 Chapter 7 – Novice Village

As the voice faded, Ye Tian Xie’s world began to spin. The scene before him shifted rapidly.

He didn’t notice, nor could he have noticed, that at the moment he was transported to the Novice Village, the strange pendant he had always worn around his neck mysteriously faded away, disappearing as if it had merged with his body.

Before his vision could fully recover, a cacophony of chaotic sounds erupted around him, causing his eardrums to throb uncomfortably. When he opened his eyes and looked ahead, all he could see were people—nothing but crowds of people. There were a hundred thousand Novice Villages in the Huaxia Region, but due to the sheer size of Huaxia’s population, each village was packed to the brim. The light signifying new players entering the village never stopped flashing. In a world governed by the law of the strong—where the first step is everything—everyone was eager to be the first to set foot in this mysterious world and explore.

Ye Tian Xie’s gaze swept across the crowd, observing his surroundings. It was an ancient town, with buildings that bore the architectural characteristics of thousands of years of Huaxia’s history. The eaves were covered in yellow tiles, and the buildings were made entirely of wood, radiating an ancient charm. The air here was refreshingly clean, completely devoid of any pollution. Looking up, the azure sky was dotted with a few scattered clouds, untainted by the long streaks of smog known as the 『Sky Scars』.

The Novice Village—the starting point that almost every game world journey must begin with.

Ye Tian Xie’s arrival immediately made him the centre of attention. His nearly flawless appearance and the demonic allure he exuded were irresistibly captivating to women. Now, imagine enhancing that appearance by another 20%. Even the rough fabric of the novice clothing couldn’t diminish his charm. As he stood there, he could hear the gasps of men and the screams of women all around him.

Ye Tian Xie wasn’t someone who enjoyed crowds. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to call him indifferent and aloof. Unlike most players who immediately ran toward the few non-player characters (NPCs) in the Novice Village to see if they could trigger any quests, he pushed his way through the crowd and headed straight for the outskirts of the village.

Finally reaching a relatively quiet corner, Ye Tianxie glanced at his outfit. As in almost all virtual games, the starting gear was a set of rough clothing barely sufficient to cover the body, with attributes so negligible they were almost laughable.

Novice Cloth Shirt:

Requirements: None

Grade: Pale

Attributes: Defence +2.

Novice Trousers:

Requirements: None

Grade: Pale

Attributes: Defence +1.

Novice Cloth Shoes:

Requirements: None

Grade: Pale

Attributes: Defence +1.

All the clothing together provided a mere four points of defence. With a thought, Ye Tian Xie checked his backpack. It had fifty slots, which he could summon or hide at will. Inside, there was only a solitary, slender sword. He summoned it and held it in his hand.

Novice Shortsword:

Requirements: None

Grade: Pale

Attributes: Attack +3.

Ye Tianxie changed direction and began walking out of the Novice Village, all the while carefully inspecting his initial stats:

Character: Xie Tian

Level: 0

Class: None

Reputation: 0

Gold: 0

Hunger Level: 0/110 (Hunger capacity = 100 + Strength attribute. When hunger reaches the capacity limit, 1% of health will automatically be lost per second. Hunger can be reduced through eating.)

Basic Attributes:

Strength: 10

Constitution: 7

Agility: 4

Spirit: 4

Fixed Attributes:

Luck: 0

Comprehension: 0

Charisma: 10

Health Points (HP): 70

Mana Points (MP): 40

Physical Attack Power: 23

Magic Attack Power: 8

Physical Defence: 11

Accuracy: 4

Evasion: 4

Reaction Time: 72

Perception: 53

Focus: 42

Attack Speed: 100 (Initial Value)

Movement Speed: 100 (Initial Value)

Fire Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Water Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Wind Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Lightning Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Earth Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Light Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Dark Resistance: 0% (Initial Value)

Skill:

Detection: A universal skill for all classes, consumes 1 mana point. It allows detection of monster attributes no more than ten levels higher than the user.

Seeing the word 『None』 beside his class, Ye Tianxie’s brow furrowed slightly, but he quickly relaxed. Pross was right—there was never any true fairness in the world. So what if he didn’t have a starter class? Even without attribute boosts or any skills, he could still surpass others by far.

“『Destiny』, huh? Destiny is controlled by the strong,” he muttered softly, continuing forward.

As he had expected, the land closest to the Novice Village was already swarming with people. This area was undoubtedly the active zone for the lowest-level monsters and the most suitable place for level 0 beginners to grind. But at first glance, aside from the bustling crowds, there wasn’t a single monster in sight.

Finally, a weak flash of white light flickered, and a tiny creature appeared at the feet of a group of people. Ye Tianxie glanced at it and used the only skill available to him—Detection. The creature’s information immediately appeared before him:

『Angry Chick』: Level 1, HP: 30. A flock of agitated chicks that occasionally attack humans.

Before he could process the information, the little monster was already struck down by a barrage of attacks. Looking at the poor corpse and the feathers scattered everywhere, Ye Tianxie shook his head and muttered, “Of all things to be, why choose to be a chicken?”

Two players passing by him suddenly froze, staring blankly as his figure, seemingly filled with world-weariness, disappeared into the distance.

Crowded places were always the last places Ye Tian Xie wanted to be. He headed straight north, passing through two maps populated by level 2-3 monsters, yet the number of players didn’t significantly decrease. Upon crossing into a territory filled with small tanukis, Ye Tian Xie finally felt a sense of openness…The land ahead was no longer teeming with the overwhelming numbers of players. Instead, small groups of players occupied small patches of land, and surprisingly, they were all female—there wasn’t a single man in sight.

The monsters here were a bit larger and more peculiar—half-human-sized, upright, walking rabbits. Each of them carried a thick staff on their shoulders, wandering aimlessly with no apparent target. Ye Tianxie’s approach didn’t alert them in the slightest, as they continued to meander about without a care.

Ye Tian Xie shook his novice shortsword and approached one of the rabbits. Before attacking, he casually cast Detection:

『Big Fiendish Rabbit』: Level 3, HP: 70. A rabbit slightly corrupted by the demonic energy leaking from the Tower of Fate. Although it seems harmless and loves to wander idly, it harbours a rather serious violent tendency beneath its benign exterior. Due to its small stature, it tends to aim for attacks below the belt.

Skill: 『Mighty Whack』: Swings its large staff down hard, targeting the enemy’s legs. Deals 40% additional damage to male targets, with a very low chance of causing instant death.

Ye Tian Xie’s face darkened. The sword he had been about to strike with obediently withdrew. He backed up a few steps, turned around, and walked away.

No wonder there were no male players here. It was clear that this Big Fiendish Rabbit was designed by the system as a special enemy for female players, to compensate for their disadvantage when competing with male players for grinding spots.