Chapter 4: FIRST MISSION
Li Chen's head spun. The calm, infinite blue void—where he had learned about cultivation stages, Qi flow, and the snarky lectures of his system—was gone.
Gone, replaced.
He blinked against a sharp shaft of sunlight, and the scent of earth, moss, and wet leaves filled his senses. Towering trees, green as jade, stretched endlessly in every direction. Birds trilled somewhere high above, and the distant rustle of leaves whispered of hidden life.
"System?" Li Chen called cautiously, his voice cracking slightly. "Where… where am I?"
"Oh, you noticed," the familiar voice rang in his head, dripping with that same irritating superiority. "Congratulations, mortal. You've finally opened your eyes and observed your surroundings. Bravo. The scenery has changed. You're welcome."
Li Chen frowned. "I mean… why am I here? What's going on?"
A laugh rang out—deep, amused, and entirely too smug. "Why? Why? Are you seriously asking me why? I brought you here. That's why."
Li Chen's patience evaporated like mist in the morning sun. "You're joking! This isn't a training room anymore, it's a—wait—" His voice broke as movement caught his eye.
From the shadow beneath the massive roots of an ancient tree, a dark shape slithered forward. Massive, hulking, its fur bristling. Its eyes glimmered with uncanny intelligence, and sharp claws dug into the mossy ground with a thunk that made Li Chen freeze.
A bear.
Li Chen stumbled back, heart hammering. "You… you're kidding, right? That's—"
"Oh, I assure you, I am not kidding," the system replied, voice tinged with glee. "Meet your first… challenge.
Li Chen froze. "Wait… what? First challenge?!.
A panel appeared floating in midair, clear and structured, the system's signature snark dripping from every corner:
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Non-Combat Skill Unlocked
Inspect: Allows detailed observation of targets and environment.
Target: Brown Forest Bear (Level 1 Tier Beast)
Traits:
Strength: 5
Agility: 3
Endurance : 4
Intelligence: 1
Danger Level: High for inexperienced cultivator
Mission: Eliminate the threat and extract its Beast Core.
Reward: 20 XP
Consequence for Failure: Death
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Li Chen stared at the panel, his mind screaming. His vision blurred slightly, heart hammering in his chest. Death?
"I… I thought you said I couldn't die here!" he shouted in panic, voice shaking.
The system's laughter echoed, high-pitched and gleeful. "Technically? No. You won't die. You'll survive. Your soul… your precious mortal shell? That's another story. Don't overthink semantics, weakling."
Li Chen staggered back. "I—I don't even have a weapon!"
"No, you don't," the system replied smoothly, almost savoring his despair. "But let's call that a minor detail. A minor inconvenience. Nothing a little clever thinking can't solve."
"I… you… are you out of your mind?!" Li Chen shouted, fists clenching. His vision darted around, seeking cover, anything to give him a chance.
"Out of my mind?" the system purred, dripping with amusement. "No, mortal. Just… inside yours."
Li Chen groaned, swearing under his breath, and instinctively backed toward the thick foliage at the forest edge. He crouched behind a wide root, breath shallow, scanning the area. The bear moved with surprisingly quick steps for its size, sniffing the air, muscles rippling under brown fur.
The system snorted. "Yes, hide. Excellent strategy. Observe, adapt, survive—oh, how I love teaching!"
Li Chen muttered, his panic fading slightly into determination. "Fine. I'll play your game. But don't think this means I like you."
"Too late," the voice replied. "You already do. Admit it. You can feel it. My charming, utterly unmatchable presence? Irresistible."
Li Chen rolled his eyes, trying to steady his racing heart. He crouched lower, careful not to step on a single twig. His mind raced—what did the Inspect function say? Traits, behavior… the bear was strong, moderately agile, not very intelligent.
"Use your system," it reminded him, in that annoying, patronizing tone. "Focus. Gather data. Predict. Yes, think. Shocking, I know, for someone of your… stature."
He exhaled slowly, squinting through the dense canopy. The bear sniffed again and growled—a low, rumbling warning—but it hadn't spotted him yet.
"Step one," Li Chen whispered to himself, "observe."
He activated the Inspect skill , taking a closer look this time , and a subtle panel overlay appeared in his vision:
Target: Brown Forest Bear (Level 1 Tier Beast)
Traits:
Strength: 5
Agility: 3
Endurance : 4
Intelligence: 1
Danger Level: High for inexperienced cultivator
Behavior: Predatory instincts, territorial
Weakness: Poor peripheral vision; senses mostly smell and hearing
Mission: Eliminate threat, extract Beast Core
Li Chen's mind raced. Beast core… if I can get it, XP… fine… maybe I can survive this.
The bear shifted, sensing movement. Li Chen flattened against the root, barely breathing. Every heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"You're thinking too slow, mortal," the system jabbed. "I said you'd need to be faster than this. The bear isn't waiting for a polite invitation."
Li Chen's hand brushed a fallen branch. Not a sword. Not a spear. Nothing substantial. But it would have to do. He gripped it like a staff, using it as a distraction tool if nothing else.
The bear growled louder, taking a few steps forward. Li Chen's stomach twisted. I have to make the first move. I can't just hide forever.
"Fine," he whispered, teeth clenched. "I'll fight."
"Oh, finally!" the system exclaimed. "I was beginning to think I'd have to carry you through this forest by sheer patience and sarcasm. Don't worry, weakling. You'll learn. Painfully."
Li Chen exhaled slowly, and with a sudden burst of courage, he slid along the mossy undergrowth, keeping low, trying to flank the massive beast. Every muscle in his body screamed, every instinct told him to run, but he gritted his teeth.
He'd survived the courtyard humiliations. He'd survived batterings . He could survive this… maybe.
The bear shifted, sniffing, unaware of the stalker creeping closer behind the tree line.
"Observation, prediction, action," the system intoned, voice smug. "Yes, even you can remember three words. Let's see if you manage this without dying. Wouldn't want me to be bored, now, would we?"
Li Chen swallowed, gripping the branch tighter. Every step brought him closer to his first trial, his first beast encounter, his first real test in system mode.
And somewhere, deep in his chest, a spark of something wild and determined began to grow.
I'll survive this. I have to.
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Li Chen took one more step.
The bear roared.
The sound hit him like a physical force—deep, thunderous, vibrating through the forest floor. Birds exploded from the trees above as the massive beast spun around with shocking speed, dark eyes locking onto him.
"Oh good," the system said pleasantly. "You've been detected."
"NOW you tell me?!" Li Chen shouted.
The bear charged.
It was fast—far faster than Li Chen expected. Its bulk tore through undergrowth like paper, claws gouging earth, momentum unstoppable.
Li Chen dove sideways just as a massive paw slammed down where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.
The ground shook.
Pain exploded up his arm as debris struck him. He rolled, gasping, barely scrambling to his feet before the bear lunged again.
"Strength: five," the system narrated calmly. "In case you were wondering what that looks like in practice."
Li Chen sprinted, lungs burning, heart pounding. A tree trunk loomed ahead—he veered sharply, barely making the turn.
The bear didn't.
It slammed shoulder-first into the trunk with a crack that echoed through the forest. Bark exploded outward.
Li Chen skidded to a stop, staring in disbelief. "It— it hit the tree—!"
"And took no meaningful damage," the system finished. "Endurance: four. Try not to faint."
The bear shook its head, enraged but unfazed, and charged again.
This time, Li Chen wasn't fast enough.
A glancing blow caught his side, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, breath ripped from his lungs. White pain flared through his ribs.
He groaned, vision swimming.
The bear loomed over him, shadow swallowing the sunlight.
"This," the system said cheerfully, "is what poor positioning looks like."
Li Chen rolled just as the bear's claws tore into the earth where his chest had been. He scrambled backward, hands slipping in damp soil.
"I'm going to die," he gasped.
"Incorrect," the system replied. "You are going to almost die. Focus."
Li Chen forced himself upright, pain screaming through his body. His eyes darted wildly—and then he remembered.
Weakness: poor peripheral vision.
"Stop backing away like prey," the system snapped. "You want to survive? Move around it."
The bear charged again.
Li Chen bolted—not straight back, but sideways, zigzagging between trees. The bear followed, slower on turns, overcommitting with each lunge.
"Yes," the system said approvingly. "Agility: three. See? Numbers matter."
The bear swiped, missing him by inches.
Li Chen ducked low, rolled under its arm, and sprinted past it. For the first time, he was behind it.
His chest heaved. His hands shook.
I can do this. I have to.
The bear spun, confused, snorting violently. It sniffed the air, head swinging side to side.
Poor peripheral vision.
Li Chen grabbed a stone and hurled it into the brush to his left.
The bear roared and charged toward the sound.
"Primitive intelligence confirmed," the system said smugly. "You're learning. Slowly."
Li Chen didn't hesitate.
He sprinted toward a fallen log ahead, leapt onto it, and climbed the slanted trunk of a broken tree. His muscles screamed in protest.
The bear realized the trick too late.
It turned, roaring in fury, and reared up, slamming into the trunk. The tree shook violently, nearly throwing Li Chen off.
He clung on, panting.
"I need something—anything!" he hissed.
"Below you," the system replied.
Li Chen glanced down.
A jagged branch jutted from the broken trunk, sharp at the end.
He swallowed.
The bear charged again.
Li Chen jumped.
He brought the branch down with everything he had, slamming it into the bear's shoulder—not deep enough to kill, but enough to make it roar in pain.
The beast thrashed wildly, smashing into trees, disoriented and furious.
Li Chen hit the ground hard, rolling away as the bear staggered.
"You see?" the system said coolly. "Endurance doesn't mean invincible."
The bear turned, injured now, movements slower, rage clouding its senses.
Li Chen stood shakily, breath ragged, body aching everywhere.
"This is it," he whispered. "One chance."
He waited.
The bear charged one last time—reckless, furious, predictable.
Li Chen sidestepped at the final moment, using the beast's momentum against it. The bear slammed headfirst into a thick tree trunk with a deafening crack.
It collapsed.
Silence fell over the forest.
Li Chen stood there, trembling, waiting for it to rise again.
It didn't.
A faint glow shimmered within the bear's chest—something pulsing, alive.
"Mission complete," the system announced. "Barely."
Li Chen collapsed onto his back, laughing breathlessly. "I… I did it."
"Yes," the system replied dryly. "Against all expectations. Don't let it go to your head."
A panel appeared in his vision.
Mission Complete
Reward: 20 XP
Item Acquired: Low-Grade Beast Core
Li Chen stared up at the canopy, sunlight filtering through leaves.
His body hurt. His pride hurt worse.
But he was alive.
And for the first time, he felt strong.
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