The First to Try It

The mountain wind blew through the forest, carrying the damp scent of earth.

Hu Liena stood on the mountain path, motionless for a moment.

It was not as if she had never seen illusions before.

There were plenty of Spirit Hall Academy soul masters skilled in mental control, and she herself excelled at fox charm. With her spiritual power, ordinary illusions could not last long before her.

But everything before her was too real.

So real that the gravel beneath her feet hurt her soles, so real that when the mountain wind swept through her fur, she could feel every single strand moving.

What unsettled her most was that she could not sense her martial spirit.

The Demon Fox Martial Spirit gave no response, and her Soul Power seemed to be cut off by an invisible wall.

She tried to activate a soul skill, but there was not the slightest stir within her.

In its place was an unfamiliar yet nimble body.

She looked like a monkey now.

Or rather, she had been forced into a monkey's body.

"This isn't an ordinary illusion."

Hu Liena quickly reached her conclusion.

If this was an illusion, then its caster's spiritual power had to far surpass hers.

But that shop owner clearly had not shown even the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power.

Could it be some kind of Soul Tool?

Since when did Douluo Continent have Soul Tools like this?

As she pondered, the grass ahead suddenly rustled.

A short wolf demon crawled out.

It was not tall, its back hunched, and it carried a rusted blade in its hand. Its cloudy eyes stared straight at Hu Liena.

Hu Liena instinctively took half a step back.

The wolf demon gave a low growl and suddenly lunged at her.

In reality, such a little thing would not even have been qualified to approach her.

But now, she had no Soul Power, no soul skills, and no Demon Fox charm.

Hu Liena could only evade on the instincts of this body.

The wolf demon chopped down with its blade. She barely dodged, but its edge still grazed her shoulder.

Pain struck her instantly.

Hu Liena's expression changed.

The pain was not fatal, but it was real enough to make her heart tighten.

At last, she stopped treating this place as a mere illusion. She turned, grabbed a wooden stick from the ground, and charged at the wolf demon.

On her first swing, she misjudged the distance, and the wolf demon dodged sideways.

The second time, she tried to use the body's agility to circle behind it, but the wolf demon kicked her in the abdomen.

The third time, she barely struck its shoulder, but because she pressed her attack too greedily, the flat of its blade smashed into her head.

Her vision went black.

Hu Liena heard a dull notification.

[You have died.]

Inside the internet café.

Hu Liena's body still sat in the chair, her breathing steady.

But her brows were tightly furrowed, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

Yan's expression had already changed.

"What's wrong with Nana?"

Lin Chuan stood beside her and glanced at the screen.

On-screen, the Destined One lay on the ground while the wolf demon circled nearby with its blade.

He gave a light cough.

"It's her first time playing. She isn't familiar with the controls. That's normal."

Yan did not understand what controls meant.

He had only heard the words "fell down."

"What did you do to her?"

Yan stepped forward, flames of Soul Power surging around him.

Xie Yue also frowned, one hand already resting at his waist.

The onlookers outside the shop hurriedly retreated.

The Golden Generation was about to make a move.

But Lin Chuan did not retreat.

He actually wanted to.

But the system had just displayed a notification before his eyes.

[During business hours, the host is protected.]

[Damage suffered by customers in games will not be reflected on their real bodies.]

[Warning: Fighting is prohibited inside the shop.]

Lin Chuan pointed at the rules on the wall.

"Fighting is prohibited inside the shop."

Yan sneered. "And you think you can stop me?"

As soon as he spoke, an invisible pressure descended from the depths of the shop.

There were no soul rings, nor was there any color of Soul Power.

Yet the flames around Yan were instantly forced back into his body.

His face turned pale, his knees buckled, and he nearly fell to his knees on the spot.

Xie Yue reacted faster. He immediately supported Yan, and the look he gave Lin Chuan changed completely.

This was not the pressure of a Soul Ancestor, nor was it that of a Soul King.

It did not even resemble the pressure of a Titled Douluo.

It was more like a rule.

Not allowed meant not allowed.

Lin Chuan was startled as well, but he maintained a composed expression.

"The customer is experiencing the game. Her real body is not in danger. If you're worried, you can wait for her to wake up herself."

Yan gritted his teeth, wanting to say something, only to discover that he could not even mobilize his Soul Power.

A few breaths later, Hu Liena suddenly opened her eyes.

She took off the helmet, her breathing noticeably more hurried.

"Nana!"

Xie Yue immediately asked, "Are you all right?"

Hu Liena did not answer.

She lowered her head to inspect her hands, then touched her shoulder.

There was no wound.

The place where the wolf demon had cut her was not even torn through her clothes.

Yet the memory of pain remained in her mind.

The sensation of being grazed by a blade, of death closing in, was crystal clear.

Hu Liena fell silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Lin Chuan.

"I died just now?"

"You died in the game," Lin Chuan said. "You're fine in reality."

"What happens after you die?"

"You can start again from the Respawn Point."

Hu Liena's gaze shifted slightly.

Start again.

Those four words were far too rare for soul masters.

There were no second chances in real battles.

In fights between soul masters, a single mistaken judgment could cost one's life. No matter how strict training at the academy was, it was impossible to truly let students repeatedly make mistakes at death's door.

But this so-called game could.

Hu Liena put the helmet back on.

Xie Yue stopped her. "Nana, figure out the situation first."

"I've already figured out part of it."

Hu Liena's voice lowered, but she sounded far more serious than before.

"This isn't merely an illusion, nor is it an ordinary Soul Tool. It lets people experience battle in another body, and death does not harm their real bodies."

Yan's expression darkened. "But you were just killed by a small monster."

Hu Liena gave him a cold look.

"You'd die too if you went in."

Yan immediately bristled. "Me?"

Lin Chuan promptly chimed in, "The second machine is empty. Ten Gold Soul Coins for one hour."

Yan glared at him.

Lin Chuan's expression did not change.

Business was business. When an opportunity came, he had to seize it.

Xie Yue watched the two of them, his brows slightly furrowed.

He truly was worried about Hu Liena.

But as a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, he understood even better what this thing represented.

If Hu Liena's judgment was true, then this shop was not a scam.

It was a training ground where soul masters could experience life-and-death battles without injury.

Xie Yue asked gravely, "In the battles inside, can you only rely on that body?"

"For now," Lin Chuan said. "There will be guidance once you enter. How much you can learn depends on yourselves."

Hu Liena had already reentered the game.

On-screen, the Destined One revived beside the earth temple.

She did not rush out immediately. Instead, she gripped the wooden stick tightly and watched the distant grass.

The same wolf demon appeared again.

This time, Hu Liena did not attack in a hurry.

She waited.

Waited for the wolf demon to strike first.

The moment the blade flashed down, she sidestepped and smashed her stick into the wolf demon's back.

The wolf demon staggered two steps, then turned and lunged at her.

This time, Hu Liena still failed to dodge perfectly. The flat of the blade swept across her arm, throwing her off balance.

But she did not panic.

She rolled with the momentum, opened up the distance, and got back to her feet.

Inside the internet café, Xie Yue watched the screen, his eyes growing increasingly solemn.

Hu Liena was improving.

Though it was only a battle against a minor monster, her judgment of distance, rhythm, and the enemy's attack windup was clearly much better than during her first attempt.

This was no illusion.

This was training.

And it was a form of training that even incorporated death.

Half an hour later, the wolf demon finally fell.

Hu Liena took off the helmet. A light sheen of sweat covered her forehead, but her eyes shone with astonishing brightness.

She looked at Lin Chuan.

"I want to continue."

Lin Chuan smiled.

"Welcome to renew your session."