"Practice hard today, or tomorrow you'll be working hard to feed the monsters."
"As long as you get even one basic skill to the beginner level, everything will start looking up."
"Damn it, why is this Basic Lightness Skill so hard to learn? This is a game! Aren't lightness skills in games supposed to be learned just by reading a book?"
Hearing those complaints, Gao Linzhi couldn't help smiling to himself.
Too bad. The game you're playing is only an incomplete version.
Before long, Steward Zheng brought him to the entrance of the Martial Arts School.
A village guard was standing watch at the gate.
"Here to learn martial arts? If you want to study, you'll need at least three months. Tuition is 500 copper coins a month." The guard saw Gao Linzhi and immediately launched into an enthusiastic introduction, completely ignoring Steward Zheng.
"Ahem. He's a guard personally recruited by the Fourth Elder. He can learn all the Martial Arts School's basic skills for free," Steward Zheng said, stepping forward.
"Oh, so he's one of the Fourth Elder's people. Please, come in." The gatekeeper immediately ushered them inside with respect.
The two soon entered the Martial Arts School and saw more than twenty players practicing in the courtyard.
They were jumping in and out of a sandpit.
"Focus on putting your strength into it. Pay attention to how it feels."
"Keep your body straight, upright..."
A martial arts instructor was correcting the players' movements, guiding them by hand.
The players practiced with great concentration, though some were groaning in misery.
Gao Linzhi immediately recognized what they were practicing: Basic Lightness Skill.
It seemed everyone understood.
In a place full of monsters and hostile Corporate Players, mobility was the first thing to max out.
As for defense, no matter how high it was, if you couldn't get away, you were still dead.
When Steward Zheng brought Gao Linzhi inside, many of the players glanced over, distracted from their practice.
"Another one come to suffer."
"I recognize him. I think he's an unaffiliated player who signed a guard contract with the village."
"Poor guy. We still have time to train at our own pace. He doesn't know when he'll die."
Steward Zheng led Gao Linzhi across the courtyard to the main building, where they found the Martial Arts School's head instructor.
He was a middle-aged man in his forties, bare-chested, over two meters tall, and broad-shouldered.
"Isn't this the Fourth Elder's steward? What brings you to my place?" The man greeted him warmly.
"Indeed. Instructor Qingxi, this is..." Steward Zheng briefly introduced them and explained why they had come.
The man's name was Zheng Qingxi. He had been personally trained by the Fourth Elder.
"To reach the beginner level right away? That kind of aptitude is on par with the legendary figures the town storytellers talk about!" Zheng Qingxi said, astonished.
Then, brimming with interest, he personally led Gao Linzhi to the back courtyard to teach him.
"Players can learn all kinds of skills. Here in East Wolf Village, we divide them into five categories: attack, defense, mobility, production, and healing... This classification system was passed down by our ancestors."
"Mm." Gao Linzhi answered, feeling that this was starting to sound more and more like a game.
"Which ones do you want to learn?"
"I want to learn them all."
"Heh. But I seem to recall that you players have a limit on how many skills you can learn. The higher your level, the more skill slots you get." Zheng Qingxi shook his head.
"I often receive players here. I know a fair bit about you."
Gao Linzhi immediately understood.
If he had a skill limit too, he'd better choose the ones that were most useful right now.
At present, his basic skills included: "Basic Fists and Feet Level 10, Basic Lightness Skill Level 30, Basic Parrying Level 20, Disguise Art, Basic Spear Technique (0/100), and Heavenly Sight, Earthly Hearing, Person-Judging Art (incomplete)."
There still hadn't been any notification that he'd reached the limit.
"So what's the skill limit for an average player?"
"Six for a Level 1 player, five for a Level 0 player. Every level you gain adds one more skill slot."
Sure enough, no game designer would let players freeload.
Even if players knew it was best to lock their level, they couldn't stay at the same level forever and keep stacking up attributes through basic skills.
First there was the cap on physical attributes, and now there was a limit on basic skills.
This was starting to feel like a pay-to-win game.
Gao Linzhi believed he could overcome this difficulty by paying.
He asked,
"I've already learned Basic Lightness Skill. Are there any other basic skills that can improve mobility?"
"Sure. Basic Movement Technique."
"Then I'll learn Basic Movement Technique today." Gao Linzhi replied at once.
"All right." Zheng Qingxi turned and went to a three-story book pavilion in the back courtyard. A short while later, he came back out.
He handed Gao Linzhi a thread-bound book.
"This is Basic Movement Technique. I haven't learned it myself; I studied a defensive skill." Zheng Qingxi shook his head. "I'll find you an instructor in a moment."
Gao Linzhi flipped through the book and was surprised to find that it was written in plain language, with illustrations too.
It was probably thanks to the first few waves of players who had descended into this world.
He studied the book carefully while Zheng Qingxi went to find an instructor.
When one of the Martial Arts School's instructors arrived with Zheng Qingxi, Gao Linzhi shook his head.
"There's no need to trouble the instructor. I've already learned it."
The game had just displayed a notification:
"You read Basic Movement Technique. The number of your skills has reached the current level cap of 6. Level up or spend Skyfall Stones to unlock a new skill slot (Yes/No)."
Here it comes! This is exactly what I was waiting for!
Gao Linzhi immediately chose to unlock a new slot.
"Unlock one new slot for 300 Skyfall Stones? The more slots you unlock, the higher the cost." "Yes."
Soon, he saw his Skyfall Stones decrease from 13,258 to 12,958.
"You unlocked a new slot. Your current skill limit has increased. You learned Basic Movement Technique."
Zheng Qingxi was astonished. Although Steward Zheng had just told him what had happened, seeing it with his own eyes still left him dumbfounded.
"You really learned it?" he asked skeptically.
"You can have this instructor test me," Gao Linzhi replied without hesitation.
"All right. Master Gui, test him," Zheng Qingxi said to the Martial Arts School instructor.
"Mm. You just need to dodge one of my palms. Watch closely. Here it comes!" Master Gui said, sweeping a leg toward Gao Linzhi.
Now that was something. What he called a palm strike was actually a kick.
Gao Linzhi shifted his body and dodged it with ease.
"Mm. Judging by how nimble he is, he's learned it." Master Gui nodded, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
"Are there any other mobility techniques?"
"There are, but our village doesn't have any more basic manuals for them. In fact, any skill that can improve your physical attributes can also improve your mobility. The higher your physical attributes, the faster you can run," Zheng Qingxi explained.
Gao Linzhi nodded, then said, "Then please bring me all the basic skills that can improve physical attributes."
"You learn fast, but don't you players have a skill limit?" Zheng Qingxi asked, puzzled.
"I have my own way," Gao Linzhi said bluntly.
If he showed that he was different, he could get better resources.
As the saying went, as long as he didn't die, he could do whatever he wanted.
Before you continue