Child of the Patch

Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, training grounds.

"We've been digging dirt for so many days. Finally, we can change things up. I wonder what this new map is like."

"But this mission's requirements are a bit high. Strength has to be 95 kilograms, speed has to be 9.5 meters per second. My breathing technique is only at 4% beginner proficiency right now. I'm still lacking in both strength and speed. Have any of you reached them?"

"I've practiced Leopard Shadow Steps a lot lately, so my speed meets the requirement. But I'm still short three kilograms in strength."

The four newcomers who had arrived, including One Leaf Floating Cloud, stared at the mission board with blazing eyes. However, they had only been here for four days.

Even though they had worked around the clock for twenty-four hours a day, improving themselves as if their lives depended on it, they still fell short of the mission requirements.

"Although the rewards for this newly opened map are ordinary, if the game developers are testing the game, they won't test something casually. There might be a special storyline or special mission," Twilight of the Gods said as he walked over, his eyes gleaming.

Previously, he had triggered a special storyline just by digging a hole. He had been awarded five hundred points in one go, then sold them to Luo Wu Shang and made a hundred thousand.

A hundred thousand yuan meant he did not have to worry about living expenses for several months. He could even add extra dishes to every meal, making the others in his dormitory green with envy. Every one of them suspected he had won the lottery.

Even when he had recently died while exploring the underground Radiation Zone, he no longer needed to pinch pennies. He could die whenever he pleased.

And in order to explore underground more effectively and improve his efficiency, he had forcibly traded more than ten deaths for raising his Soul Shocking Breathing Technique to 8% beginner proficiency.

Now, his physical qualities had reached the mission requirements in every respect. He was only a hair's breadth away from becoming a true Quasi-Apprentice.

"Qing Wei, how are you doing?" Luo Wu Shang asked, looking toward Zhang Qingwei, who had just arrived.

"There's no problem with my speed. I'm only short 0.4 kilograms in strength," Zhang Qingwei said with a smile. "But there shouldn't be any problem taking this mission today."

As she spoke, Zhang Qingwei sat cross-legged and began practicing the Soul Shocking Breathing Technique. Yet before she had practiced for even a few minutes—

She spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering it across the ground.

"Mhm, done. My breathing technique has reached 8% beginner proficiency." Zhang Qingwei wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, a delighted smile appearing on her face. "But my injuries are rather serious. One of my lungs is hemorrhaging badly. Wait for me a moment—I'll respawn."

Zhang Qingwei then violently activated the Soul Shocking Breathing Technique. Her entire body nearly turned into a blood-soaked figure before she crumbled into flying ash.

The sight filled One Leaf Floating Cloud and the others with envy.

A breathing technique was not something that could be improved just because one wanted to improve it. It required constant exploration. If one had an idea, improvement came quickly. But without any clue, even dying several times was useless.

"Brother Zhen, are you going?" Outlander Gunslinger asked.

"I'm going. Why wouldn't I?" Fang Zhen said without hesitation. "At worst, I'll take leave today. Let the captain and the others scold me if they want."

"What a pity. Gunslinger and I have been improving our breathing techniques too slowly. We're only at 7% now, so we can only leave the pathfinding to Brother Zhen," Peerless One Shot said with a sigh.

Within their Mecha Squad, only Fang Zhen had raised his breathing technique to 10%, making him a Quasi-Apprentice.

Among the ten of them, he was one of only two Quasi-Apprentices. It would likely take them another two or three days to catch up. If they wanted to speed things up during that time, they would have to spend quite a bit of money to die a few times.

Outside City of Light Chasing.

The noon sun blazed down upon the earth. As far as the eye could see lay nothing but ruins; not even a blade of grass could be found. There was only irradiated wasteland.

A tricycle the size of a small truck slowly traveled down the cracked streets. Fang Zhen, Luo Wu Shang, Twilight of the Gods, and Zhang Qingwei sat in the cargo bed, curiously studying their surroundings like newborn infants filled with wonder at everything around them.

"This map is huge! We've been traveling for almost over an hour, haven't we? At this speed, we must have gone at least thirty kilometers," Fang Zhen said, utterly shaken by the scenery along the way. "I can't imagine how much it cost to make such a huge and detailed map."

"It really is huge." Twilight of the Gods deeply agreed. "If this were any other game, a map this large would probably have several towns scattered across it already. Yet this game doesn't even have one town. The effort this game has put into creating a sense of realism is simply unparalleled."

In normal virtual games, maps could also be vast, but there would never normally be scenery stretching for dozens of kilometers without interruption. They would generally design numerous stages, missions, and even large numbers of buildings. Yet in High Martial Descent, there was none of that. Such lavish extravagance was truly unheard of.

"This vehicle is pretty nice. I wonder when we'll be able to own one. Traveling would be much more convenient then." Luo Wu Shang paid little attention to the scenery around them. Instead, she was fascinated by the Big Three-Wheeler before her.

If they could directly own a vehicle comparable to a small truck, they could ditch the NPC, haul ore and lumber trip after trip, and earn points far more efficiently than by digging dirt.

"A vehicle this awesome probably won't be available to players, right?" Fang Zhen said, touching the metal-skinned vehicle with an indescribable yearning. "I checked—it's electric. It only needs charging. If I could really own one, I'd fleece the hall master bald."

Lin Qi, who had been driving the Big Three-Wheeler the entire time, could not help feeling speechless at their conversation.

It was just an Electric Tricycle that had passed through who knew how many owners and been used for who knew how many years, yet it had become a divine artifact in the players' eyes.

Lin Qi did not dare imagine how excited the players would become if they learned that the High Martial world had not only war vehicles capable of fighting ordinary mutant beasts, but also combat armor that could arm martial artists—both of which were sold directly in City of Light Chasing.

Of course, Lin Qi also longed for those things. But even the middle class could only gaze at those prices from afar for an entire lifetime.

Even for the current Lin Qi, this broken Electric Tricycle cost fifty thousand bits from those profiteers, while the rent was two thousand bits per month. It was completely beyond the reach of unregistered drifters.

If he had not considered the efficiency of repairing the martial arts hall, Lin Qi truly would not have been willing to rent this Electric Tricycle.

Grizzly Mine.

After Lin Qi had driven for more than three hours, a range of rolling mountains came into view. Towering trees grew everywhere on the mountains, completely different from the ruins they had passed along the way, brimming with vitality.

Not long after Lin Qi drove onto the mountain road, a drone with a radius exceeding two meters flew over from afar and scanned Lin Qi's group. Its body was equipped with a machine gun and two RPGs.

"Identity confirmed. You may now follow me to the mining area."

The drone's appearance and its intelligent level of armament instantly left Fang Zhen and the other three staring in stunned silence.

It was not only Fang Zhen's group that was dumbfounded. Even the livestream viewers gaped in astonishment, completely unable to believe it was real.

Wasn't this supposed to be a post-apocalyptic wasteland? How had it suddenly become a futuristic technological world?

Why learn martial arts at all?

Wouldn't learning guns be better?

"Brothers, is it too late for me to switch to mechanical studies?"

"Holy shit! The world setting of High Martial Descent is insanely awesome. I wasn't interested in martial arts, and if it weren't for the 100% virtual realism, I probably wouldn't have even signed up. But now I love it. Mechas and cannons—I have to get in and play. My marksmanship is first-rate: within ten steps, fast and accurate."

While the livestream viewers buzzed with discussion, Lin Qi followed the drone to the mine entrance.

"Alright, split into two groups now. One group will carry ore from inside the mine, while the other chops trees." Lin Qi glanced at the departing drone and directly gave the four of them their orders.

Grizzly Mine was enormous. Even the major factions of City of Light Chasing, despite occupying it, could not cover every corner. Most of their efforts went toward monitoring the area and preventing outsiders from entering. Since Lin Qi had a partnership with Azure Crystal Weapon Shop, Grizzly Mine would record how much ore he took from the mine and later send that record to Azure Crystal Weapon Shop.

Thus, neither side worried about problems with the ore—unless the people hauling it no longer wanted to live.

And the most important thing at Grizzly Mine was ore. They paid no attention at all to the ordinary trees on the mountains, so naturally they would not care if Lin Qi's group chopped them down.

After Lin Qi finished speaking, the four looked at one another.

Luo Wu Shang and Zhang Qingwei headed directly to haul ore, while Fang Zhen and Twilight of the Gods went to chop trees.

Within the forest.

"Brother Zhen, why didn't you fight for the ore-hauling job? With your strength and speed, you shouldn't be worse than Sister Qingwei. The hall master might have agreed," Twilight of the Gods asked Fang Zhen in confusion.

Fang Zhen ranked first among the ten in strength, while his speed was second only to Luo Wu Shang's. Hauling ore was not difficult either—one only had to load it onto the vehicle. The mine was simply deep, requiring more running back and forth to carry more. But one hundred kilograms earned three points. Compared to chopping trees and hauling logs, it was much better.

"You don't understand," Fang Zhen said with a sly grin. "Before this new map opened, the NPC had us learn two martial skills. Leopard Shadow Steps can be practiced while hauling things, but what about Crushing Stone Fist? I've always been curious about that. The game test wouldn't introduce something useless."

"You mean... Crushing Stone Fist is meant to be used here?" Twilight of the Gods still did not quite understand.

"Of course." Fang Zhen nodded, wearing the air of a professional expert. "Every game test has a purpose. Previously, we tested Leopard Shadow Steps beneath the martial arts hall. Now that we've come to Grizzly Mine, naturally we're testing Crushing Stone Fist. And doesn't the description of Crushing Stone Fist make it perfectly clear?"

"The first level is the Stake-Shattering Realm. Stake-shattering, stake-shattering—aren't these natural wooden stakes? With so many wooden stakes here, this is a natural holy land for martial arts practice. If we don't practice Crushing Stone Fist now, when will we?"

"Brother Zhen, you're incredible! This understanding of the game is simply invincible." Twilight of the Gods felt as though thunder had exploded beside his ears and gave Fang Zhen a thumbs-up.

He had thought Leopard Shadow Steps were the answer to the current patch. Who would have expected Crushing Stone Fist to be the child of the patch?

"Alright, let's practice quickly. Don't let them discover us."

"Otherwise, they'll definitely come compete with us."

Fang Zhen waved a hand dismissively, unconcerned. He walked straight toward a large tree four or five meters tall, intending to practice Crushing Stone Fist.