Chapter 35: Redefining “Survival”

Early the next morning.

The first thing Shen He did upon waking was to check whether his daily tasks had refreshed.

With his attribute points growing ever higher, many of his minor ailments had long since vanished. Now he slept soundly, ate well, and could gorge himself without gaining a pound.

Not bad at all.

He glanced at the task panel—the timer for Daily Task One had dropped to two days. Soon, this first daily task would be completed and no longer take up a slot in the task bar. The reward of three free attribute points would be his.

Still, it was proving rather difficult to earn.

Just like Daily Task One, the main storyline task’s deadline had also been reduced by a day. However, at his current pace, finishing the task ahead of schedule was a certainty, so he didn’t need to worry about it.

What he did look forward to was what rewards awaited him after stepping into the first tier and completing the main task—besides that incomplete Earth Dragon set missing a left arm. Would there be something else?

If his guess was right, “Earth Online” was modeled after a game and ought to include other features: a store, battle modes, social systems, and the like. No matter how high the degree of freedom, a game should still have its essentials, right?

He then shifted his gaze to Daily Task Two.

[Daily Task Two: Raiders Approaching]
[It seems this ruined camp has attracted the attention of some raiders. They plan to seize all supplies here, and even intend to wipe out the official restoration forces, turning this place into a new paradise for monsters.]
[Only by foiling their devious schemes can you continue to survive here.]
[Task reward: 3 free attribute points]
[…]

Staring at the newly appeared Daily Task Two on the translucent screen before him, Shen He fell silent.

By now, he was finding the system increasingly odd. Wasn’t survival supposed to mean ignoring the outside world and hunkering down at home? Why did this blasted system keep sending him to deal with monsters one moment, and now these so-called raiders the next?

Was this really the art of survival through hiding?

Others played Assassin’s Creed and considered it a perfect stealth run after killing everyone. Was it the same for him—eliminate anything that threatened his ability to hide, and that counted as a successful survival?

Maybe the system arrived two years earlier than it should have and ended up glitching him out. His mental state was beginning to seem even more abstract than that of contemporary netizens.

He let out a deep sigh.

But even if he was supposed to deal with these “raiders,” the system could at least tell him when they were coming, couldn’t it?

Did “daily task” mean they’d show up today?

Shen He set aside Daily Task Two for now and looked at his “Martial Artist” panel.

[Martial Artist]
[Current Progress: Beginner (66%)]
[…]

His eyes lit up. Huh! Even after a night’s sleep, he’d gained another percentage point—had he digested his fighting experience in his dreams?

He stood up, entered the bathroom for a quick wash, then downed a cup of black coffee on an empty stomach and began practicing his sanda forms in the living room.

After a brief round of practice, he headed downstairs for breakfast.

With no leads yet on Daily Task Two, he decided to ignore it for now. With nothing else to do, he’d spend the day training at the boxing gym.

…

11:30 AM.

Li Ding’s Sanda Training School, inside the training room.

Shen He’s punch landed squarely on Li Ding’s abdomen, nearly making the latter vomit bile.

Li Ding staggered back a few steps, raising a hand in surrender. “Enough, enough! You’re not even human, kid.”

After breakfast, Shen He had come straight to the training school to practice. He started by sharpening his muscle memory, then gradually moved into sparring with Li Ding.

Li Ding’s skill was truly impressive. Even though Shen He’s stats had all surpassed seven, Li Ding still nearly found an opening to strike him.

But the difference in their physiques was simply too great. Any technical deficiencies were totally overwhelmed. Even if Li Ding managed to land a hit, with his strength it barely tickled Shen He.

Yet if Shen He hit back, even with only twenty percent of his strength, Li Ding might not be able to handle it.

Bent double, Li Ding stood for a long while before recovering. He looked at Shen He in shock.

“Did you get even stronger? You’re faster than before, too.”

There was no hiding the gap in Shen He’s physical prowess. Yet no matter how he racked his brains, Li Ding couldn’t understand how, in just one day, there could be such a leap. Was Shen He truly that once-in-a-lifetime martial arts genius?

Shen He gave him a thumbs up. “It’s all thanks to your teaching, Coach Li. After learning sanda from you, my physique’s improved a ton—stronger, faster, all around.”

Li Ding waved him off. “Cut it out. You think I’m a three-year-old?”

He straightened up. “With your current level, all I can teach you now are some technical tricks. Anything else, I can’t help with. Maybe you should just ask for a refund!”

Shen He replied, “I signed up for the course—I can’t just quit now, can I? There’s still stuff I haven’t learned. I’ll just keep coming back now and then to practice till I use up all the sessions.”

Now it was Li Ding’s turn to give a thumbs up. “Alright, big spender.”

Shen He stretched a bit. “Coach Li, do you know any swordsmanship? I’ve been interested in that lately.”

Li Ding was surprised. “Thinking of learning swordsmanship now? Western fencing or traditional styles?”

Thinking of the alloy longsword the system had rewarded him, Shen He said, “The kind our ancestors passed down.”

Li Ding stroked his chin. “That’s a huge field. Sword dance, forms, practical combat techniques—they’re all different. The only thing they have in common is how expensive they are.”

Ding!

A message alert sounded on Shen He’s phone. He unlocked it—a notification from the bank.

‘Your account 9641 received a deposit of 500,000 Daxia yuan on July 14. Available balance: 3,039,689 yuan.’
‘Note: Police department mission reward issued.’

Shen He paused. Half a million?

He was surprised—the reward was more generous than he’d expected.

Li Ding, standing beside him, caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and fell silent.

Shen He put away his phone. “Price isn’t an issue—what matters is real combat effectiveness. Do you know any good teachers or coaches?”

It was better to get a recommendation from an insider like Li Ding than to search blindly himself.

Besides, Shen He could tell that Li Ding had been earnestly teaching him all this time, holding nothing back.

Li Ding thought for a moment. “Actually, there is someone, but my old buddy’s working as a fight coordinator for a film crew right now—he might not have time…”

Shen He interrupted, “A hundred thousand.”

Li Ding’s eyes widened before he could finish his sentence, like a duck with its throat squeezed.

He swallowed. “What do you mean, a hundred thousand a month?”

Shen He shook his head. “A hundred thousand, ten days.”

Li Ding thumped his chest with a hollow fist, looking utterly stricken.

Shen He glanced at him. “Too little?”

Li Ding caught his breath. “Not too little—it’s just watching that bastard make money hurts me more than death!”