Can't Tell Whether This Is a Game or Reality Anymore

It turned out that just as he was experiencing the unprecedented sensations brought by his skeleton body...

"BOOM—!!" A blinding bolt of lightning tore through the night sky and struck an ancient tree nearby.

The tree, thick enough for three people to wrap their arms around, was instantly charred black, and flames burst to life.

"WTF, save me!"

Su Li's jaw nearly dropped. That instant of thunder had made his undead body instinctively tremble with a feeling called fear. Then, blurry images began looping through his mind.

"This game is way too realistic. It feels like I could actually die! Did that lightning just trigger a life-flashing-before-my-eyes sequence?"

Su Li made a snap decision. "To be safe, I should hurry up and do the quest!"

[Quest: Which fellow cultivator is undergoing tribulation here?]

[Description: A newborn skeleton is far too fragile. The lightning tribulation will not cleanse your body; it will only reduce you to ashes. Please find a place where you can avoid lightning strikes.]

[Option A: Though knowing the mountain has tigers, march toward Tiger Mountain. Description: Climb to the top of a tree and shout: Lightning tribulation? I'll make sure it never returns! Difficulty: E. Reward: EXP +30, Strength +1]

[Option B: Possessed by Bear Grylls. Description: Use your wilderness survival instincts to find a cave and avoid being struck by lightning. Difficulty: D. Reward: EXP +60, Strength +2]

[Option C: Let the storm rage even harder! Description: What lightning tribulation? You want me to avoid its edge? Face the lightning head-on! Difficulty: S. Reward: EXP +2000, Strength +50]

As Su Li looked at the three options, his Soul Fire flickered.

"No, brother, what the hell is wrong with these options?"

He looked down at his body, which was little more than a few bones.

"You want me to take a lightning strike head-on? Forget being a skeleton—I couldn't take a lightning strike head-on even in the real world."

"But this is a game... and it feels so real. Should I try finding out what getting struck by lightning feels like? And that much EXP... what if I can survive it..." Su Li's death-seeking soul burned fiercely.

"Ahem, forget it. The realism is at 100%. Lightning definitely hurts, so there's no need to suffer for nothing."

As for Option A?

"Have the developers been playing too much Sanguosha? Watch me log out and leave Sanguosha a five-star review!"

"And as a skeleton who received nine years of compulsory education, isn't it common sense to stay away from trees on rainy days? Climb to the treetop? Isn't that just asking to get struck by lightning? How is that any different from Option C? And the reward is so pathetic?"

So the answer was obvious.

"Of course I'll choose the hardest—no, the safest—Option B!"

Su Li looked around. In the vast rainy night, there were trees everywhere.

"So here's the question: where am I supposed to find a cave in this godforsaken wilderness?"

"There isn't even a minimap? Are games these days really this hardcore?"

As if it had heard his inner complaints, a circular icon suddenly appeared in the upper-right corner of his vision.

[Map Unlocked]

However, the map was completely dark. Only a small green dot representing him shivered in the middle. Clearly, it was the kind of map players had to explore themselves to reveal.

"Fine, fine, fine. It really does have that familiar flavor."

Su Li sighed and forced himself to calm down.

"Let me think... based on the hundreds of episodes of Man vs. Wild I've watched, how should I find a cave in terrain like this?..."

Then, following his heart, he casually picked a direction.

"My instincts tell me there's definitely a cave this way..."

Braving the increasingly violent rain, Su Li charged forward, stumbling deep and shallow through the mud.

The rain grew heavier, and the wind howled harder. The trees around him creaked painfully in the gale, like countless ghostly figures baring their fangs and claws.

"BOOM!!" Another thunderclap rang out.

This time, the lightning struck a massive boulder beside Su Li, sending shattered rocks flying.

Su Li stared at the tiny lightning serpents that had yet to fade, and his entire skeleton shook wildly.

"Lightning is truly the nemesis of undead creatures! Developer, come out here—I promise I won't beat you to death!"

Just when he felt like he was about to die.

A dark cave entrance faintly appeared behind a patch of bushes ahead.

"Thank you for nature's gift!"

As if he had seen family, Su Li scrambled into the cave.

The moment he stepped inside, the deadly cold and weakness faded considerably.

[Ding! Quest completed: Possessed by Bear Grylls]

[Reward obtained: EXP +60, Strength +2]

A warm current flowed through his entire body. Then Su Li discovered that his Strength, originally only 1 point, had instantly risen to 3.

"So this is power! Hahahaha! I want power! More power!"

Excitedly, Su Li clenched his right fist and struck a bodybuilder's bicep-flexing pose, wanting to feel the surging power within him.

"Crack!" A crisp sound echoed.

Su Li's smile froze.

He watched helplessly as the forearm bone in his right arm snapped cleanly in two from using too much force and fell to the ground.

"..." The cave fell deathly silent.

"My hand!! That was my only intact hand!!" Su Li wanted to cry but had no tears.

Was he really that fragile? Was 3 Constitution really this glass-cannon level?

At the request of our readers, VIP Member ad-free functionality is now available.

Click to view.

Just then, another flash of golden light appeared.

[Congratulations on leveling up! Lv1 → Lv2. Free Attribute Points obtained: 2. Your body has been restored to its optimal condition.]

A miraculous scene unfolded. The broken hand bone on the ground turned into specks of light and vanished. Immediately afterward, a brand-new bone grew from Su Li's arm, and even his previous injuries were healed!

"Whew... that scared the hell out of me." Su Li let out a long breath and moved his fully restored arm.

"Sure enough, leveling up and reviving at full health is an ironclad rule of online games."

Looking at the precious 2 Free Attribute Points, Su Li fell into deep thought.

Add Strength? No. Those bones that had been as brittle as potato chips just now had left him traumatized.

Add Agility? What was the point of running faster? He would still fall apart if he tripped.

"As a cautious player, nothing is more important than staying alive." Su Li waved his hand without hesitation.

"Put it all into Constitution!"

[Constitution: 3 → 5]

As the points were added, Su Li could clearly feel his bones becoming denser. They no longer felt as though they might fall apart at any moment.

Even the cold wind blowing in from outside the cave no longer seemed so piercing.

"Yoshi, my strategy was definitely correct. This is called putting all my points into Constitution because I'm afraid of pain."

Just then, a golden server-wide announcement window suddenly popped up in the center of his vision.

[Congratulations! You are the first player on the entire server to reach Lv2!]

[As the first pioneer to break through the level limit, you will receive a special reward: randomly draw two talents!]

"WTF?" Su Li froze.

"I'm the first? It's been quite a while since the server opened, hasn't it? What are everyone else doing? Sleepwalking?"

Grumbling to himself, he eagerly opened the talent draw interface.

Since it was a server-first reward, there had to be something good!

The roulette wheel began spinning again.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the following talents:]

[All-Round Scholar (Proficiency Bonus)]: When practicing any skill, your proficiency gain rate increases by 50%.

[Dual Cultivation of Physique and Magic (Balance)]: Break through class barriers. You may specialize in both physical and magical paths at the same time, with no conflict between them.

As Su Li looked at the two talents, the flames in his eye sockets suddenly leaped higher.

"WTF, this is insane!"

The proficiency bonus meant his growth speed would be half again as fast as everyone else's, while that Dual Cultivation of Physique and Magic...

"Skeleton Mage? Or Skeleton Berserker? Only children make choices—I want them all!"

With such a god-tier start, it would be a disservice to his skeleton body if he did not show off a little.

Su Li skillfully opened the [World Forum] in the system interface.

Although the game had only just begun, the forum was already in an uproar.

[Old Wang Next Door (Lv1): WTF, this game is way too hardcore, right? I chose human, and I actually had to experience everything starting from birth? It was pitch-black and tasted bitter. I thought my head was about to get crushed. Scared me to death!]

[Ye Aonai Wo He (Lv1) replied: WTF, brother, me too! This game really recreates everything one-to-one. I got hungry just now, and the system actually told me I could only drink milk... But honestly, that NPC mom... hehehe...]

[I Am So Round! (Lv1): WTF, this game is way too realistic. I already can't tell whether this is a game or reality!]

[Long Aotian (Lv1): Hmph, a bunch of mortals. I randomly got a dragon! A red dragon, too! Jealous? The only problem is that I'm still inside an egg! Does anyone know how to hatch? Waiting online, pretty urgent!]

[Reply below: WTF, it's actually a dragon! Big Boss, please carry me!]

[Reply below: You're a dragon, that's good too.]

Su Li scrolled through the posts and discovered that most players were either still in their mothers' wombs or had only just been born. They were at the stage where they could do nothing but cry and drink milk.

Suddenly, one reply caught his attention.

[Spider Fairy (Lv1): WTF, stop taking your good fortune for granted! At least you guys are humans or dragons! I randomly got a spider! I'm hiding under a leaf and shaking right now, while my mom is eating my brothers and sisters beside me! This game is terrifying!]

"Looks like there are unlucky bastards like me after all." Su Li instantly felt much better.

At least he did not have to worry about being eaten by his mother, because he did not have one at all.

Looking at all those rookies still struggling in the beginner village, Su Li's lips curled slightly upward.

He silently set his ID to anonymous, then posted a reply.

[Anonymous (Lv2): Haha, everyone's having such a great chat? Leveling up through quests was so exciting that I accidentally passed out. I just woke up. This game's sensory experience is indeed pretty good.]

Less than two seconds after the reply was posted, the entire forum fell silent for a moment before instantly exploding.

[Reply: WTF?! A Lv2 Big Boss?!]

[Reply: Terrifying! I only just learned how to control my sphincter, and the Big Boss is already Lv2?]

[Reply: Big Boss, please teach us! How did you level up? My only quest is "Learn to crawl." How long will that take to finish?!]

[Reply: +1 +1! Begging for a guide!]

Watching the screen fill with "worship the Big Boss," Su Li closed the forum interface with satisfaction.

"Leave after brushing off my clothes, hiding my achievements and fame."

After showing off, Su Li turned and looked into the pitch-black depths of the cave.

"Now that I'm already Lv2 and have talents and attribute points, next..."

"Let's take a look inside first. My instincts tell me there's definitely something in there."

As if responding to his words, the panel lit up again at just the right moment.