Game On: A World Reborn

The following day, the trio prepared to set out for the dungeon that appeared on his map. Liang Wu, brimming with energy, couldn’t hide his excitement at the upcoming challenge. This would be his first time experiencing a dungeon. They didn’t exist until he created them three years prior. 

The map led to a secluded mountain range, deep within an uncharted forest, known only to a handful of adventurers and cultivators.

As they packed their supplies, Chen Li Li shot a curious look at Liang Wu. “So, what’s the deal with this dungeon? You seemed pretty confident about taking it on.”

Liang Wu slung a pack of supplies over his shoulder, grinning. “I have no idea. Even so, it should be the perfect place to test our skills.”

Chen Li Li raised an eyebrow. “Test our skills? You make it sound like we’re going to be fighting all day.”

“That’s exactly what we’ll be doing,” Liang Wu replied with a smirk. “Dungeons are crawling with monsters, and the stronger the dungeon, the better the rewards. Besides, it’s an excellent opportunity for you and Daiyu to put what you’ve learned into practice.”

Daiyu, who had been quietly listening as she packed, looked up, her brows furrowed slightly. “Will it be dangerous?”

“Of course,” Liang Wu said cheerfully. “But that’s what makes it fun. Don’t worry though—we’ve trained enough. You’ll be fine.”

Daiyu nodded, her determination stealing. Despite her earlier hesitation, she had grown more confident in her abilities thanks to Liang Wu’s training. Even if her Qi gathering speed was slower than most, her Heaven’s Might Physique made her an overwhelming force in combat.

Chen Li Li, on the other hand, seemed a bit more apprehensive. “I suppose it’ll be an excellent test, but if we run into something stronger than we’re ready for, don’t expect me to save your sorry behind.”

Liang Wu chuckled, unfazed. “With the two of you by my side, I’ll be just fine. Now, let’s get going.”

—

Hours later, after trekking through the thick forest, they arrived at the foot of the mountain range where the dungeon was located. Behind a waterfall, the entrance to the dungeon was concealed, the roar of the water echoing through the trees.

Liang Wu stopped just short of the waterfall, staring up at it with a grin. “Here we are. The Dungeon Masters picked a great location.”

Daiyu looked around in awe. “It’s hidden so well. How did anyone find this place?”

Chen Li Li scoffed. “People who live for dungeons tend to have a sixth sense about these things. They’ve probably explored every inch of the forest.”

Without waiting for a response, Liang Wu strode forward, motioning for the two women to follow. As they approached the waterfall, he pushed aside the heavy vines that hung over a narrow cave entrance. A gust of cold misty air blew from the cave, the mist from the waterfall clung to their bodies, freezing them to the bones.

“W-we’re really doing this?” Daiyu's lips quivered from the cold.

Chen Li Li rolled her eyes but gave Daiyu a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Relax. It’s just some monsters. Besides, if things go south, Liang Wu will throw himself in front of us, right?” Though she sounded confident, Daiyu could feel the hand she used to pat her shoulder shivering in nervousness.

“Of course,” Liang Wu said with a wink. “I’m the Supreme God Emperor, after all.”

“Ugh! Just when I thought you were acting a bit more reliable, you’re back to your annoying self again!” Chen Li Li said in exasperation, yet her tension was relieved somewhat.

The cave interior was dark, with only the faintest glimmers of light filtering in from the entrance. They lit a few torches, their flames casting long shadows against the rough stone walls. As they ventured deeper, the air grew colder, and the sound of dripping water echoed around them.

“Didn't the Systems description say something about glowing crystals lighting the way?” Chen Li Li glanced around at the rough stone walls. “How come there's no glowing crystals?”

“They were probably mined by explorers.” Liang Wu answered.

After venturing in the cavern for what seemed like ages their footsteps were the only thing that broke the silence only until, out of the blue, a low growl resonated from the darkness ahead.

Liang Wu smiled, his excitement palpable. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

Daiyu stiffened, her body instinctively preparing for battle. Chen Li Li’s hand moved to her hip reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. She looked down in surprise. “Dang it! Liang Wu wanted me to train in bare handed combat.” She mumbled under her breath.

She had a decent handle on swordsmanship, so Liang Wu asked her to train her bare handed martial arts for now.

From the shadows, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared, followed by the hulking form of a bestial wolf-like monster. Its fur bristled as it slunk forward, its fangs bared. The creature was nearly twice their size, its muscles rippling beneath its skin.

“A Bloodthirsty Dire wolf,” Liang Wu observed, his tone calm. “Not a bad warm-up.”

Daiyu’s heart raced, but she quickly fell into the stance Liang Wu had taught her, her fists clenching as she prepared to unleash her full strength. “We don’t have to kill it do we?”

The unexpectedly innocent question caused Liang Wu to stumble. “What? Of course we do, unless you want to become that thing’s lunch.”

“Oh, but I don’t want to kill,” Daiyu said quietly.

“If you are worried about this creature, don’t be. It isn’t real, it will respawn later.” Liang Wu stepped back, placing Daiyu in the front. He wanted to push her into fighting the Dire wolf, to hone her fighting instincts.

The dire wolf snarled, lunging at Daiyu with frightening speed. She yelped in fear, but her training took over and with a swift movement, she dodged to the side, her footwork sharp and controlled. She countered with a powerful punch to the creature’s side, her fist connecting with a sickening crunch.

“If you had used Lightning Strike, it would have been further disoriented, giving you a better opportunity for a follow up blow.” Liang Wu taught from the side.

The dire wolf howled in pain, staggering from the impact. Daiyu hesitated, panting heavily from the fear and the adrenaline coursing through her veins from her first fight.

“Attack!” Liang Wu shouted in a commanding tone.

She moved instinctively again, landing a series of brutal blows, each one stronger than the last. Her Heaven’s Might Physique gave her overwhelming strength, and it showed in every strike.

Within moments, the dire wolf was on the ground, struggling to move. With one final blow, Daiyu knocked the creature unconscious, its body collapsing into the dirt.

Chen Li Li clapped her hands, her eyes shining with approval. “Well done Daiyu! I’d say that’s the cleanest fight I’ve seen in a while.”

Daiyu stepped back, her breathing heavy but with a satisfied smile on her face. “Thank you… I think I’m starting to get the hang of this.”

Liang Wu shook his head. “You beat it, however, that wasn’t how I taught you.”

Her smile fell, replaced with a look of devastation. “I’m sorry, I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

“Good,” He patted her head in reassurance. “Also, it might help if you turn on the damage indicators and enemy health bars in the advanced options.”

Chen Li Li looked at him curiously. “What do those do?”

“The damage indicators show how much damage you’ve dealt to an enemy with a single attack, the damage being based on your attack attribute. As for health bars, they show how much health an enemy has. When you combine the two settings, you will tell how many attacks it will take to defeat any enemy.”

“Interesting, I’ll try it.”

“Me too!”

Chen Li Li and Daiyu both took his advice and enabled the options he recommended.

With that, they pressed on deeper into the dungeon. As they pressed on deeper into the dungeon, they encountered more challenging foes in each chamber—bats with razor-sharp wings, golems made of stone, and creatures with scales as hard as steel.

As the battles grew fiercer, Liang Wu began to instruct them on more advanced techniques. Daiyu, in particular, excelled in hand-to-hand combat, her physical prowess growing with each encounter. On the other hand, Chen Li Li preferred swordsmanship, but since she didn’t have a sword, she was compelled to fight barehanded, and her movements became quicker and more precise with every fight.

Bang!

-120 HP!

Liang Wu blasted a small, three foot tall golem into rocky debris and floating powder.

Liang Wu had left most of the fight up to the girls. This was only the second monster he had killed, so his level was rising slowly.

Daiyu and Chen Li Li, on the other hand, had raised to level 5 and 6, respectively. 

On the recommendation of Liang Wu, Daiyu placed her free stat points into Dexterity and Agility at a 3:2 ratio for now. This would allow her to become faster and more flexible so that she may deliver stronger attacks from unexpected angles. As a bonus, it would also help with her cooking. Why Dexterity influenced cooking was a mystery, even to Liang Wu.

Ting!

A small crystal dropped along with the falling debris. Liang Wu reached down to pick it up.

“Nice! That’s just what I needed to help offset my soul damage!” Liang Wu pumped his fist in excitement.

“What’s that?” Chen Li Li stood on her tiptoes to peek over his shoulder, peering at the crystal in his hand.

“This is a Stat Crystal. You can only find Stat Crystals in dungeons, and they are incredibly rare. They are used to increase your attributes. That said, there are some even rarer ones that can increase some things that aren’t represented in the stats page, like your physique or even hidden attributes such as resistance to certain elements.” The Stat Crystal was one of his proudest inventions. Based on items in various RPG games, they were one of the hardest pieces to make when he recrafted the world.

“Oh! I’ve heard that there were special crystals in dungeons that the dungeon explorers were desperate to find. Is that the same one?” She had heard about people called dungeon explorers who spend months searching for crystals that are rumored to be sold for an insane price.

“I don’t know, but if I were to guess, the crystals they are looking for would probably be the rarer ones. This one only gives one point to Vitality.”

—

Hours passed, and the trio finally reached the heart of the dungeon, where the air grew even colder, and a heavy sense of danger hung in the air. Ahead of them stood a massive door, engraved with ancient runes that pulsed with a faint, ominous glow.

Liang Wu paused, his eyes narrowing. “This is it. The last boss is just beyond that door.”

Daiyu and Chen Li Li exchanged a glance, their hands tightening in anticipation. They had both come to enjoy fighting the monsters.

“Ready?” Liang Wu asked, a confident grin on his face.

Daiyu nodded. “Ready.”

Chen Li Li cracked her knuckles. “Let’s finish this.”

Together, they pushed open the door, stepping into the last chamber. What awaited them on the other side was a sight none of them had expected—a towering creature made entirely of crystal, its body radiating a blinding light.

The Crystal Guardian roared, its voice shaking the very walls of the dungeon.

Liang Wu’s grin widened. “Now this is going to be fun.”