Behind the Doorway, the Starting Point of a World

Life's greatest ups and downs sometimes came this suddenly.

A Holy Crystal without a Dragon Soul was like a phone without an operating system. What difference was there between it and a brick? Of course, there was still a difference—when it came to the intricacy of its internal design, a brick could never compare.

But no matter how exquisite the internal design of a brick was, it was still, at its core, a brick.

At that moment, Fang Heng was like a traveler in the desert who had suddenly glimpsed a mirage, his wild joy gradually turning into bewilderment and helplessness. He did not know how to describe his feelings: bitterness, disappointment, despair, resentment, or self-mockery? It was as though a bottle of every flavor had been overturned within him, leaving him with a chaotic mix of emotions.

If he could, there was an MMP in his heart that he did not know whether he should say.

This joke had gone a little too far.

But just when the mountains ended and the rivers ran dry, when Fang Heng came to a stop, a line of text suddenly appeared in his field of vision from left to right:

'Dragon Knight System has detected a host—'

He froze for a moment before remembering this thing.

When he had obtained the Sea Forest Crown, he had seen these words before. But the situation then had been too sudden, and afterward he had completely failed to recall it. He also remembered that he should have seen it even earlier, when Miya's dagger had first glowed. It had vanished in a flash then, and he had thought it was an illusion.

"Could it be...?" Fang Heng suddenly thought of an unbelievable possibility.

A percentage progress bar unfolded before his eyes.

It slowly advanced, from one percent to ten percent, then halfway. When it reached the end, Fang Heng instinctively held his breath. After the progress bar flickered faintly, it folded downward and vanished.

A pale blue line appeared in the air, stretching from left to right.

Then from top to bottom, it slowly unfolded. A sea-blue page appeared before his eyes. Like the rolling waves of the ocean, deep blue radiance reflected in the depths of his pupils, glittering brilliantly.

Fleeting lights swept across his irises, refracting dense rows of tiny text.

Fang Heng parted his lips slightly.

ID: 079040116H

Name: Ed, male human, 17

Nationality/Identity: Kaolin-Ishurian Alliance, Lorraine Dale Region, registered Level 2 Silver Star Artificer

Basic Qualities: Magic Adaptability (non-elemental), Talent (Twin Stars), Dragon Soul (Silver Library, Tata-Thumb-Morningstar)

Strength Rating [F]—Combat Load: 15 kg (+1 kg), Carrying Capacity: 29 kg (+1 kg), Explosive Power: 14 (Note: the bonuses in parentheses are modifiers from other sources and are already included in the total; the same below)

Melee Hit Modifier +7%, Physical Damage Modifier +12%

Agility Rating [F]—Speed: 16, Melee/Ranged Accuracy: 17 (+3)/16 (+2), Evasion: 12 (+1), Balance: 17 (+1)

Balance Modifier +16%, Block Value Modifier +20%, Resistance Modifier +5%

Constitution Rating [F-]—Stamina: 110, Resistance: 15 (+1), Recovery: 3

Health Modifier +7%, Combat Load Modifier +5%, Carrying Capacity Modifier +11%

Intelligence Rating [F++]—Learning Ability: 177% (+7%), Memory: 32, Computing Ability: 47

Language Ability Modifier +21%, Logical Analysis Modifier +30%, Willpower Modifier +22%

Perception Rating [F]—Awareness: 19, Language Ability: 22 (+3), Analytical Ability: 18 (+4)

Evasion Modifier +10%, Accuracy Modifier +20%, Learning Ability Modifier +7%

Survival Attributes: HP—16 (+1), Stamina—110 (Recovery Rate: 30)

Combat Attributes: Evasion Value—62 (+12), Block Value—0 (No weapon/shield equipped), Shield Value—0 (No Magic Furnace detected, Recharge Rate: -)

Physical Condition/Diseases/Mental State: Good, None, Excellent

Fang Heng suddenly lowered his head slightly and rubbed the corners of his eyes with both hands.

He was afraid that he might suddenly start crying.

This was what he had dreamed of. It was something he claimed not to care about, but wanted more than anything else in his heart—a doorway. Behind it lay mountains and rivers howling beneath icy winds, vast forests shrouded in dark gloom, plains where light songs drifted through the air, and bright, vivid harbors.

It was a name that had haunted his dreams.

It was after more than half a year in this world.

It was after wandering and studying, after long adventures, after the reunions and separations of Dawnstar, after those who had cared for him like family silently left, after he had experienced the hearts of people and the truth of Aethelria.

That he had finally pushed open this doorway—

Behind it was a shining sea, gentle winds, rippling shallow grass, and forests murmuring low.

It was a world.

It was his dream, which he had seized for himself.

And it was also responsibility and promise.

Fang Heng let out a long breath and forced out a smile uglier than crying. He had always been optimistic; even the most difficult circumstances could not make him bow his head. Yet this sudden happiness had struck him so hard that he did not know what to do.

What a coincidence, wasn't it?

In the end, his Dragon Soul had been personally given to him by Miya—

Fang Heng raised his head.

The Dragon Soul emblem on the crystal was no longer transparent, but had taken on a bright azure hue. It slowly rose, flew toward him, and landed in his hand.

A soft, somewhat calm voice rang out in his mind. "Tata-Thumb-Morningstar, guardian of the Silver Tower, is at your service, esteemed knight."

Blue light flickered, and a little beauty gradually emerged from transparency, floating before him.

Pointed ears, with two transparent ornaments hanging from crystal-clear earlobes. Her waterfall-like long hair flowed over her shoulders in waves, cascading all the way down to her pale ankles. It was a fresh light green, the color of new sprouts.

Her eyes were tranquil, the sort that seemed incapable of taking interest in anything. Yet they were clear to the bottom and seemed to look straight into one's heart. She wore a long dress woven from grass leaves, and two pairs of transparent wings grew from her back, holding her steadily aloft.

A typical fairy.

But Fang Heng had never seen such a quiet fairy, one who was not noisy at all.

"You are... a Dragon Soul?" Fang Heng asked, somewhat uncertainly.

Tata nodded. Her voice was like lukewarm water, neither salty nor bland, so even and placid that it was almost unbearable. "I am the Artificial Dragon Soul of the Silver Tower. You are my second master."

Fang Heng's heart stirred. "Can you remember anything about your previous master?"

But Tata shook her head. "I only know this much."

Fang Heng could not help feeling a little disappointed. He did not know why he was disappointed. Yet he also vaguely felt embarrassed, as though he had been trying to pry into Miya's privacy.

"Would you like me to explain it for you, esteemed knight?"

"Explain?" Fang Heng came back to himself. "You mean the system? There's no need." He shook his head.

He was already thoroughly familiar with the Chosen System, so naturally he was no stranger to the Dragon Knight System it had imitated. Though it was a higher-tier version, there was not much actual difference.

Looking at his interface, he felt rather emotional. He had not expected that, after more than half a year in this world, he was only now seeing his Chosen data for the first time.

His first thought was: his basic data was pretty average.

The standard for ordinary people in this world should be around an all-[F] rating, yet even his Constitution did not reach that level. Only his Intelligence rating was an anomaly, having even reached [F++].

This might have been related to his studies over the past half year, and Intelligence was originally one of an alchemist's primary attributes.

Every rating in the Chosen System was not a single value, but generally included a long list of data. For instance, the Strength rating included combat load, carrying capacity, explosive power, melee hit modifier, and physical damage modifier.

Combat load mainly referred to the weight of equipment, weapons, and other magical devices a Chosen could bear during prolonged combat. It was an average value, with weapon weight accounting for roughly a quarter of it. The Seventh Style Firearm he had used before weighed a little over three kilograms, which was basically right within his load capacity.

Together with the various alchemical devices on his body and the weight of the Magic Furnace itself, that brought him close to the fifteen-kilogram combat load threshold. Carrying capacity, meanwhile, included combat load, and the two were not added together.

As for Constitution and Agility—in this era, Earth naturally had no shortage of virtual games related to the New World for ordinary people's entertainment. But unlike those games, Constitution had almost nothing to do with HP in the real New World.

Though it provided a small bonus, even a top-tier frontline Chosen of the Second World only had a little over a hundred HP. If Fang Heng could hit their actual body with the Seventh Style Firearm, it would only take three or four shots.

And Fang Heng was merely a novice, while the Seventh Style Firearm was already an antique from the Lion War era.

In fact, the true safeguards of the world's top Chosen mainly came from four attributes: armor, Evasion Value, Block Value, and Shield Value. The last of these mainly came from Magic Furnaces. Because shield generators required a stable operating environment, they were generally only equipped by scholars, sages, mages, and healers who did not directly participate in battle.

Shields had many restrictions, but their advantage was that they remained active at all times, unlike evasion and blocking, which were so unstable.

Of course, the latter two were not without their advantages either. In Aethelria, Evasion Value was basically equivalent to HP, with damage offsetting it. But before Evasion Value was depleted, a Chosen's instinctive intuition would allow them to avoid almost every kind of attack—as long as they noticed the attack in advance.

Moreover, evasion did not involve enduring impact force, unlike blocking and shields, both of which had to withstand impact to some extent. The former was especially severe; before learning advanced force-dissipation techniques, the excess damage caused by impact could exceed forty percent.

However, evasion's sole problem was its enormous stamina consumption and slow combat recovery—this had a great deal to do with the Balance attribute, and was far inferior to blocking.

Thus, generally only Agility-type Chosen considered going deeply down this path.

As for Strength-type Chosen, they generally chose blocking. Though it could not completely offset damage and had many problems such as being ineffective against magical spells, the high resistance brought by high Constitution could effectively mitigate the excess damage caused by impact.

Not to mention that most Strength Chosen wore heavy armor, and armor could provide an additional layer of protection.

All in all, armor, shields, and evasion had no perfect choice. It was even said that some people cultivated all of them at once, and Fang Heng happened to know one such top-tier figure.

God Ra, president of Tip of Thebes.

As for Fang Heng himself, he could not afford to consider so much.

He had even lost his Magic Furnace, so for the moment he could only run around naked—those fifty-odd points of Evasion Value were nowhere near enough. After all, Evasion and Block Values not only absorbed ordinary damage, but also had to bear the additional damage from accuracy modifiers.

After the light on the crystal went out, a person and a fairy simply stood quietly in the darkness. Fang Heng did not speak, and neither did Tata.

As though it were only natural.

Yet there was still light in Fang Heng's eyes, reflecting the bright glow from the page.

He only glanced over his Chosen panel, his gaze lingering briefly on Talent (Twin Stars). This was the Dragon Soul talent—the unique ability every Dragon Knight possessed, and one of the benefits granted by the higher-tier Dragon Knight System.

But the talent's specific effects could not be seen. He could only explore them himself.

Furthermore, every Dragon Knight's talent was different. Even if they resonated with the same Holy Crystal one after another, differences in synchronization rate would result in vastly different talents.

Twin Stars. Fang Heng pondered the meaning of the name, then closed the page without understanding it.

Then he examined the skills and knowledge he had mastered.

As mentioned earlier, there was no concept of professions in Aethelria. They were more like social identities, such as Fang Heng's identity as an alchemist—it was the knowledge, skills, and social standing he possessed that determined this identity, not the other way around.

In theory, one could learn nearly all knowledge and skills, provided they had normal intelligence and unlimited time. More importantly, they first had to learn all kinds of foundational introductory theories, because knowledge always accumulated step by step.

But no one had unlimited time, so most Chosen chose the fields in which they excelled. This was how all sorts of professions came into being.

It was roughly as Fang Heng had expected. He had invested around forty thousand experience in many related fields of knowledge and skills, including basic magical theory, small Flexible Construct knowledge, aether knowledge, elemental knowledge, pharmacy, carpentry, forging, and botany. Added to that were combat-oriented firearm knowledge, basic firearm handling and use, and various other odds and ends, bringing him almost exactly to the theoretical threshold of a Level 2 character.

However, he was still some distance from being a formal alchemist. A formal alchemist theoretically required a Level 3 alchemist, and that did not include combat experience.

But this was not what truly mattered.

Fang Heng fumbled around for a while before learning how to operate the page, though he was still not very proficient. In the end, he simply asked, "Miss Tata, how much cognitive experience do I have left?"

"Fifty-three thousand five hundred and seventy-two. In addition, you have one thousand seven hundred and thirty combat experience."

"That much!?" Fang Heng was startled.

Of course, he knew that he should still have quite a bit of cognitive experience—there were mainly two sources of experience in Aethelria. One was the process of continuously learning and applying skills and knowledge; as memories deepened, the corresponding categories of skills and knowledge would automatically gain experience.

But as experience accumulated over time during this process, Chosen would also gain additional cognitive experience. It was like people's ability to draw inferences from one thing to another; things and knowledge were always interconnected.

Cognitive experience was equivalent to the free skill points in many old games. Other than the fact that knowledge-oriented and combat-oriented skills could not be used interchangeably, Chosen could invest it into any related field according to their own wishes.

The prerequisite was using the Chosen System.

And Fang Heng did not have one.

Nearly all of his experience had come from proficiency growth.

He had once thought that this did not matter much, but Tata's lukewarm reply gave him a resounding slap across the face. Missing nearly half as much cognition as everyone else, how could his novice period not have been long?

Fang Heng almost looked like he was about to cry. He really wanted to tell Miss Scarpe that he was not actually an idiot.

Unfortunately, Miss Scarpe was no longer here.

He realized that the impact on him might not end there. Once someone began to delve deeply into a field, they would come into contact with more profound things, theories, and knowledge, and the experience they acquired would inevitably rise accordingly.

Put in simpler terms—experience acquisition in Aethelria grew linearly.

He had fallen behind from the very beginning, so naturally he would fall behind at every step afterward.

Fang Heng could not help smacking his forehead, so frustrated that he could not speak. But what could he do? He was a stowaway to begin with, and even getting the opportunity to come to this world had been hard-won.

Thinking of it that way made him feel much better.

"Would you like to use this experience?" Tata asked then.

"Wait." Fang Heng replied. He took a thick glove from his pocket and put it back on his right hand—covering that half-crown emblem.

Because he had suddenly remembered something else.

The fingers of the glove had been shredded by the dagger, leaving even his fingertips exposed. Fortunately, the dial at the back used to control the Clockwork Sprites had not been affected much.

There were twelve pairs of Silver Rails on that dial. Each pair corresponded to the horizontal and vertical axes of a Clockwork Sprite, and their rotation controlled the sprite's flight direction in the air.

It was an extremely complicated task.

It had taken him nearly three months to master the Clockwork Sprites' basic flight techniques, then another month to become proficient in them. It was not until six months later that he could barely use two Clockwork Sprites at the same time.

But now, an urgent thought suddenly arose in Fang Heng's heart. He wanted to see just how much easier it would be to control Flexible Constructs with the system's assistance.

He had originally thought little of this as well.

But after the earlier accident, he no longer dared to be so overconfident.

Clearly, having a system and not having one were completely different things—

Of course, he no longer had any Clockwork Sprites now. But simply manipulating the Silver Rails would work just as well. With a slight thought, two Silver Rails began to turn.

Then—

He froze.

He found that he did not need to consider whether the Silver Rails needed to turn left or right to correspond with the Clockwork Sprite's pitch in the air. He merely needed to picture the sprite's flight path in his mind—whether it should rise or descend—and the Silver Rails would automatically respond accordingly.

It was as though an intricate flight-control program had appeared between him and the dial. With the program's assistance, he could effortlessly perform operations far more complex than before.

Of course, it was not as simple as it sounded, especially when controlling more than two Clockwork Sprites.

But to Fang Heng at this moment, it was nothing worth mentioning.

He closed his eyes.

The second pair of Silver Rails rose upright.

Then the third pair, the fourth pair.

Until the fifth pair of Silver Rails wobbled as it rose—

Fang Heng opened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief.

But this was not yet his limit. It was only because his Computing Ability had dropped into the single digits, and the system could no longer assist in controlling any more Clockwork Sprites.

Above five-control.

Fang Heng could only think of one name. King Slayer LOOFAH, Sword of the World, Twilight Executioner—the seventh-ranked player in the world, and the number one alchemist among Combat Artificers.

But he drew in a light breath.

Unfortunately, he did not possess Magic Adaptability.

While the other party was the strongest dual-element wind-and-lightning Magic Adaptability user.

Going back to revise the values took a lot of time. Sorry, sorry.