The Correct Way to Play a Hardcore Game

Early morning—

Xiao Jie sat before his computer, staring at the game icon on his screen, momentarily lost in a daze.

Bright sunlight streamed in from the window, casting the living room—which served as their studio—in a warm, cozy glow.

It felt as if everything that happened yesterday was merely a nightmare, but looking at the empty room next door where Han Luo used to stay, Xiao Jie knew it was all real.

The image of Han Luo's gruesome death flashed before his eyes time and again.

When Wuji Studio dissolved and everyone else left, only Han Luo had stayed behind. He was his closest brother and his best friend.

He had followed him through thick and thin, and now, he had been murdered. This could not be left as it was.

Not to mention, the other party clearly intended to kill him as well.

"Liu Qiang! You son of a bitch, just you wait! I'm going to kill you!" Xiao Jie muttered to himself. If it were a matter of killing someone for revenge in reality, it might be a difficult task, but when it came to killing in a game, he had never feared anyone!

He took a deep breath; it was time to start the game.

His gaze lingered on the game icon for a moment, his eyes gradually turning resolute, and he clicked it firmly.

Entering the game, accompanied by a familiar melody, the gloomy and tranquil little village appeared before Xiao Jie's eyes once more.

Looking at the vivid, archaic village before him, Xiao Jie had previously only marveled at the game's realism, but now, everything felt tinged with a sense of mystery and eeriness.

What exactly was the origin of this game? How could it interfere with reality? It could even cause a person's death—what kind of truth was hidden behind this?

He couldn't help but think this to himself.

But Xiao Jie knew clearly that this was not something he could figure out right now. His top priority was how to acquire power from within the game.

Level up, hoard equipment, learn skills.

He looked at the desolate village around him, his expression heavy and solemn.

He didn't rush to act, instead choosing to think silently.

How does one play a game where you only have one life?

Xiao Jie wasn't unfamiliar with hardcore-mode games. In the past, he had played similar titles—Expert Mode, Hardcore Mode, Honor Mode—all of which essentially offered no second chances. Once the character died, the game was over.

But upon closer reflection, Xiao Jie realized that those past games were incomparable to this one.

No matter how harsh the death penalty was in those, the worst-case scenario was simply creating a new character and starting a new save. While losing a character was a severe penalty, it was nothing compared to the death of a real human being.

This game, however, was a true "one-life mode." Once you died, it wasn't just the character that perished, but the player themselves. He could not afford even the slightest bit of complacency.

Knowing oneself and the enemy was the key to victory, so Xiao Jie first checked his character's attributes.

Hidden Moon Follows Wind (Level 1)

Experience Points: 30/300. (This should be the experience from the bandit killed yesterday.)

Money: 26 Wen.

Class: Returnee. (A Returnee from the Other Shore of the Starry Sky, once lost beyond the Old Earth, now following the call of the Ancient Covenant, returning to the old homeland one after another.)

Health Points: 90.

Stamina Points: 400.

Equipment Weight Limit: 80 jin.

Base Attributes--

Constitution: 9. Increases max Health, Health recovery speed, and base resilience.

Endurance: 8. Increases max Stamina, Stamina recovery speed, and carrying capacity.

Strength: 8. Increases physical damage and the weight limit of weapons you can wield.

Agility: 12. Increases movement speed, attack speed, and the speed and distance of rolls and jumps.

Advanced Attributes--

Spirit: 12. Increases max Mana, Mana recovery speed, and resistance to mental skills like charm, fear, and hypnosis.

Spirituality: 10. Increases efficiency in absorbing the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth and the essence of the sun and moon, as well as the ability to learn and use immortal arts and demonic techniques.

Perception: 9. Increases your detection range, sensing distance for monsters, and ability to perceive invisible things. Higher Perception may attract the attention of ghosts and gods.

Faith: 7. Increases your ability to absorb the Power of Faith and your ability to learn and use divine powers.

Special Attributes--

Comprehension: 13. (This attribute cannot be increased with attribute points.) Allows you to learn deeper knowledge and techniques, with a higher chance of achieving Sudden Enlightenment.

Luck: 12. (This attribute cannot be increased with attribute points.) Determines your loot drop rate and the probability of encountering Serendipitous Encounters/calamities.

Skills:

Kite Flip (Movement Technique).

Xiao Jie looked at his attribute panel. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now he noticed something unusual: his attributes were uneven and varied, not fixed, rounded numbers.

It was clear that these stats were not randomly generated; they were likely a direct reflection of his own self.

Xiao Jie surmised that the average stats for a normal person should be around 10 points.

In that light, his own stats were passable. His standout attributes were Agility at 12, Spirit at 12, Aptitude at 13, and Luck at 12. The others were nothing to write home about, especially Faith, which sat at a pitiful 7 points.

He pondered for a moment and quickly summarized the first rule of the game: survival through caution.

He must never take any unnecessary risks. He had to venture out only when fully prepared and engage only in battles he was certain to win. The difficulty of this game was absurd; even the mobs at the Village Entrance were so formidable that rushing out to adventure would be tantamount to suicide.

He had to develop stealthily, maximizing everything he could improve first. He needed to secure a set of starter gear and complete every quest and skill-learning opportunity available in the village. Only when he had established a solid foundation would he venture out.

Furthermore, if the village offered quests like delivering letters, running errands, or gathering resources—tasks that allowed him to gain experience and level up without fighting—that would be ideal. Gaining a few levels within the village and acquiring decent equipment would make things much safer.

No sooner said than done, Xiao Jie began wandering around the village.

Though small, the village was well-equipped. It was protected by a wooden palisade with watchtowers manned by militia, providing a modest sense of security.

At the very least, he didn't have to worry about the threat of monsters while inside the village.

The village featured a blacksmith shop, a carpentry workshop, a peddler selling goods, and a food stall. Outside one house, animal furs hung from a wooden rack, suggesting it belonged to a hunter.

After a lap around the village, Xiao Jie had a plan in mind.

His first priority was to visit the blacksmith shop to see what equipment he could purchase.

The owner of the blacksmith shop was a muscular, bearded man currently hammering a sword blank on the anvil.

A stout, dark-skinned man was nearby, smelting iron ingots.

Xiao Jie walked straight up to the blacksmith.

"Good sir, I'm looking to pick out a suitable weapon to head out and slay monsters. Do you have any recommendations?"

The bearded man set down his forging hammer and spoke in a gruff voice, "Heh, you've come to the right place. The weapons I sell are the best within ten miles. Tell me, little brother, what kind of weapon are you skilled with?"

Although this wasn't his first time speaking to an NPC in a game through a screen, the sensation still felt incredibly surreal to Xiao Jie.

"I haven't really been in many fights before, so I can't say I'm skilled with any particular weapon."

"I see. In that case, little brother, just take a look around."

A trade window popped up before him, displaying a dazzling array of swords, blades, and armor, each with its price listed below.

Iron Sword: 200 wen.

Iron-Inlaid Shield: 150 wen.

Fine Iron Spear: 240 wen.

Willow Leaf Saber: 180 wen.

Ghost Head Broadsword: 300 wen.

Hunting Bow: 260 wen.

Serpent Spine Longbow: 680 wen.

Leather Armor: 300 wen.

Iron-Inlaid Leather Armor: 450 wen.

Iron Leaf Armor: 800 wen.

Iron Helmet: 600 wen.

Fine Steel Longsword (Excellent): 1000 wen...

The selection was quite comprehensive, offering not just blades, spears, and bows, but various types of armor as well.

Xiao Jie did the math. To put together a decent set of gear and buy some health potions, he would need at least 1,000 wen in starting capital.

If he wanted a top-tier set of starter equipment, he would need at least three or four thousand wen. It seemed he had a long road ahead; he would have to find a way to make money first.

As for how to earn that money, Xiao Jie already had a plan: he would go and inquire with the Old Village Chief from yesterday.