This Game Is Toxic

In a small storeroom lit by only a single lamp, the light swayed in the wind. Down in the dim underground pit, two men and a woman worked hard at digging out a cavern.

Two of them continuously took turns shoveling dirt, while the third swiftly carried the excavated soil up to the surface. The three rotated almost every ten minutes, maintaining peak efficiency without ever stopping, like emotionless robots.

"This game is seriously incredible. It truly deserves its 100% virtual realism. The dirt we dig up isn't just mixed with rocks of all shapes and sizes—even the hardness and softness of every shovelful is different. Every swing brings a new experience."

"I really have no idea how the developers pulled this off. Getting to experience something like this for only 4,999 is simply too worth it!"

Twilight of the Gods dug as he sighed in admiration, utterly conquered by the technological prowess of High Martial Descent.

"Yeah. Although the start of this game is a little difficult, no other game can compare to this level of freedom." Fang Zhen nodded in agreement. "I thought it was an RPG, but who knew we could dig tunnels too? I wonder if we can just keep digging downward. If we can keep digging forever, then this game really is incredible."

"I don't know. We still have far too little information, and we don't even understand this world's background very well." Twilight of the Gods shook his head slightly, though his eyes were full of anticipation. "But if this game really lets us keep expanding underground, it'll be downright godly. Just give me enough time, and I'll definitely build an underground city."

"Do either of you feel anything?" Wu Shang suddenly interrupted their conversation, her expression somewhat grave. "When we first started digging, I didn't feel much. But now, for some reason, I can faintly feel a prickling pain all over my body."

"A prickling pain all over your body?" Twilight of the Gods looked at Wu Shang, who had returned from hauling soil, in confusion. "I haven't felt anything so far. Is there something wrong with this storeroom?"

"Feel anything?" The moment Fang Zhen heard those words, they felt strangely familiar. He could not help looking at Wu Shang, admiration appearing in his eyes. He had to admit that Heavenly Might's vice president truly was no ordinary player. He then said, "I know what this is."

"So there really is something wrong with this storeroom?" Twilight of the Gods stopped working and pushed up his nonexistent glasses, asking Fang Zhen curiously, "Brother Zhen, what's going on?"

Seeing the sincere looks in their eyes, Fang Zhen paused before smiling. "It's not a major problem. It's just that this place is poisonous."

"Poisonous?" Twilight of the Gods was instantly speechless.

Was being poisoned not a major problem? They were doing a tunnel-digging challenge quest!

"No wonder. I was wondering why it felt a little difficult to mobilize my body's strength. So there's poison." Wu Shang's expression immediately relaxed after hearing that.

"Uh, you two, we're doing a challenge quest. If we die, we'll have to start all over again." Looking at the two calm figures, Twilight of the Gods suddenly felt that he was the only normal person here.

"Don't worry about that." Fang Zhen explained, "That poison probably won't kill us within the quest's time limit."

"Mm. This poison may be potent, but killing me within two hours and twenty minutes is impossible." Wu Shang nodded. "This game is very realistic and can basically reproduce my control over my body. I can't purge the poison, but I can slow its spread through my body. Holding out for half a day won't be a problem."

Once Wu Shang finished speaking, Fang Zhen and Twilight of the Gods looked at her as if they were looking at a monster.

Slowing the spread of poison through one's body—was that really something a human could do?

The conversation between the three of them also traveled down the corridor and reached Lin Qi, who had come to supervise them, at the first opportunity.

"Is this the gap between people?" Lin Qi took out his little notebook and flipped straight to Wu Shang's entry.

Player Wu Shang, age 18 (self-reported). Measured physical attributes: strength, 99 kilograms; speed, 9.8 meters per second.

After players entered the high martial world, the Martial Transmission System conducted some basic assessments that could roughly measure their physical data.

Wu Shang's measured physical data placed her only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Quasi-Apprentice. She was already comparable to middle school students in this world, and her martial talent was terrifying.

People in the high martial world were different from those on Blue Star. They could be said to start training from childhood, and schools taught some very basic body-strengthening methods. Moreover, anyone in the city with an official identity would more or less give their children food or potions that boosted their vitality and blood. Their physical qualities were simply not something Blue Star people could even dream of comparing themselves to.

Without any of the high martial world's resources, Wu Shang had still come within a hair's breadth of becoming a Quasi-Apprentice. Her martial talent was obvious. That was also why Lin Qi had brought out the Fitness Breathing Technique as a direct reward.

The high martial world was not peaceful, and neither was City of Light Chasing. Without strength, survival was difficult—especially for someone like him, who intended to open a martial arts hall.

Now, with Wu Shang's extraordinary ability to sense her own body added to the equation, calling her a little monster was no exaggeration. At present, she absolutely counted as Obsidian Martial Arts Hall's ace combat power, so naturally he had to nurture her. Even if he had nothing right now, he still had to make some gesture.

Two hours later, Fang Zhen and the other two ran into the training hall with excited faces.

"Dojo Master, we've completed it."

Looking at Lin Qi, who sat at his desk writing something unknown, Fang Zhen and the other two reported their completion almost in unison. They had prepared thoroughly, intending to exploit Lin Qi's bug.

"Mm."

Lin Qi answered without stopping his pen. Only after quite a while did he reply calmly, "You have done very well. You have proven your potential. From this moment onward, you are official disciples of Obsidian Martial Arts Hall. Take these three copies of the Soul Shocking Breathing Technique. I hope they will help your futures."

With that, Lin Qi placed the three booklets he had just copied onto the desk before them, leaving all three staring in wild delight.

"We successfully exploited it!"

"This NPC really isn't very smart."

"Now we can finally start training."

Fang Zhen, Twilight of the Gods, and Wu Shang took the three booklets, whose ink had not yet fully dried, and immediately began flipping through them, eager to find out just how powerful this treasured technique was.

Soul Shocking Breathing Technique (Upper Volume), the highest-grade Martial Apprentice-level training method. It is divided into three stages and consists of upper, middle, and lower volumes. Through a special breathing rhythm, it stimulates every cell in the body, allowing each cell to receive the most effective training, ultimately breaking the body's limits and achieving martial warrior status. (Required Martial Hall Points for exchange: 1 point. Required points for the middle volume: 10,000 points. Required points for the lower volume: 50,000 points.)

"Upper volume?"

"1 point?"

After reading the basic introduction, Fang Zhen, Twilight of the Gods, and Wu Shang were all dumbfounded.

They had spent more than two hours, even exploiting a bug, and had been poisoned, only to receive a training method that could be exchanged for 1 point?

Wasn't that practically one copy for every person?

"Since you are now official disciples, you may accept the martial hall's daily development quests and daily planting quests." Lin Qi glanced at the three, who had yet to recover, and continued calmly. "The development quest rewards 1 point for every square meter of energy-rich land developed underground, along with priority planting rights for that land."

"The daily planting quest lets you spend 5 points to exchange for one Blood Essence Rice seed. For every ten grams of Blood Essence Rice submitted, you will receive 20 points. Renting developed planting land costs 1 point per square meter for ten days."

Trying to fleece his little chives right in front of him, the game designer?

If he could not fleece these people bald, then he would consider it his loss!