Chapter V

Zayn squeezed his hand, choking the player to death. It wasn't an accident; he was getting the hang of his overwhelming strength. He tossed the player's body aside with a thud. The only sound that broke the silence of the forest was the fatty's slow, choked cry.

Zayn huffed heavily. Blood dripped from his eyelids, momentarily clearing his vision. The metallic smell of blood and flesh filled his nostrils. He'd already eliminated six players while struggling with his strength, and now, eighteen more lay dead. With each kill, a strange sense of satisfaction bloomed within him, a feeling he couldn't quite grasp.

His body felt heavy, his legs sore and cracked, blood slowly seeping from the wounds. His fists were no better; not only were they slick with enemy blood, but they also sported small cracks that bled freely. He turned towards the kneeling fatty, who had watched the entire slaughter unfold.

Blood stained the Zayn's dark robes and face, as he strode towards the fatty, his steps heavy. Finally, he looked at the notifications that had flooded his vision.

Ding! You have killed mortals. x18

Ding! You have acquired:

Basic Qi gathering cultivation technique (Mortal Rank-Peak grade) x 12.

Spring Breeze Sword (Earth Rank - Low grade)

Five Element Resistance Talisman (Earth Rank - Mid)

Low-Grade Spirit Stone x 100

Qi-Eye Scope (Mortal Rank - Peak)

Flowing River Robe (Earth Rank - Low)

Sunfire Straw Hat (Earth Rank - High)

The rewards for killing were impressive, but the next notification caused him to halt.

Ding! You have killed more than 10 mortals.

Ding! You have received Stigma: Heartless Mortal Slayer

Ding! You are the first player to acquire a Stigma in under 30 minutes.

Ding! Achievement Unlocked! Reward for acquiring a Stigma in under 30 minutes: Sect Heart

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered, a low chuckle escaping his bloodstained lips. "A Stigma, one of the hardest things to obtain in Heavenly Ascension, and a Sect Heart, one of our workshop's goals in the game, all on the first day." Excitement thrummed in his chest, all the uncontrollable actions due to his uncontrollable strength, now seemed worth it, he exhaled and calmed his heart. He could check his rewards later; first, he had to deal with the main problem – the fatty player.

"Status," he muttered as he strode towards fatty, and a screen with his character information popped up.

[Name: Ye Feng

Age: 19

Race: Human

Bloodline: None

Cultivation: None

Physique: Eternal Silence

Spiritual Root: Frost Shadow Spiritual Root

Stigma: Heartless Mortal Slayer

Inheritance: None

Physical Constitution: 1229

Mental Constitution: 1040

Soul Constitution: 1629

Cultivation Technique: Eternal is Path, Silence is Direction

Battle Techniques: None]

Zayn saw the changes in his status and nodded in understanding. His unlocked stats had assimilated with him, explaining his burst of strength. He now possessed a physique, cultivation techniques, and most importantly, the stats to use his soul weapon – Silent Dawn. This deepened his excitement, and his pace quickened as the fatty's heavy breathing reached his ears.

Just as he closed in on the fatty and closed his status bar, a thud erupted in front of him, accompanied by loud, exaggerated words.

"Big brother, please have mercy on me! I'm the only child of my parents, and I'm very fat too! I can't support them in any physical job, and neither am I good at studying! I can only play games while lying in bed! I'm useless, but I don't want to remain that way, so that's why I played other VR games for many months and then only I was able to afford Heavenly Ascension and this recorder function; please big brother, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were that great, I didn't realize the Mount Tai! Big brother, you are the moon and the sky! Big brother, you are eternal, and you are the lord, please forgive this helpless fat life of mine..."

Zayn observed the fatty's shameless rambling. It was clear this man was putting on an act.

"Stop," Zayn bellowed, "stop with your acting. Do you take me for a fool?"

"Big brother, what are you talking about?" The fatty stammered, but Zayn's glare cut him off mid-sentence.

"The moment I looked at you, you stared back directly into my eyes. Then you got scared, but how did you see me from that far directly into my eyes? You even made a horrified face that same moment, but before that, you were recording just fine, as if you cared nothing about the world. However, for me, your biggest giveaway that you were acting was the moment you knelt and began pleading rather than running like a frightened chicken. That's not the thinking one would see in someone scared for their life. So fatty, without disgracing yourself further, why don't you speak the real truth? Why did you do all these little tricks and why are you still not afraid of me when you are the only player in front of me?" Zayn stared directly into the fatty's soul as he spoke the truth.

Fatty made fast decisions, extremely fast, but his giveaway was—wasn't running away. Zayn never doubted others' intelligence.'Only fools doubted other's intelligence'—he believed, humans were the craftiest of all, especially one who had nothing to lose. Fatty too stared back into Zayn's eyes, though less intimidating than Zayn's. A chuckle escaped Fatty's lips as the fear in his eyes decreased, and he slowly stood up, while rubbing his chubby, tear-stained face with his robe.

"Well, I'll have to give you that," Fatty conceded. "You're a sharp one, big brother. You see right through me. But that's precisely why I, Wu Kong, want to follow you!" Wu Kong, the fatty, declared matter-of-factly.

Zayn was prepared to kill the Fatty regardless and have him delete his recording. However, seeing the Sect Heart as a reward muddied the waters and the screws in his brain worked on overdrive. This Fatty was crafty, not scared, and seemed to be looking for an opportunity. Maybe that fatty even believed he could escape alive. Zayn needed answers. He held the silver, arm-sized, double-sided Spring Breeze Sword which he acquired as a reward, he held it in his right hand, and pointed the tip of the sword at Fatty. It slightly nicked Fatty's neck. Fatty gulped, feigning agony, but held Zayn's gaze.

"Show me your sincerity," Zayn spoke, his voice calm and cold. "If you want to join me, hand over your recorder function and tell me the truth.”

Wu Kong, the Fatty, felt a chill run down his spine at those cold words. He chuckled awkwardly and slightly lowered his gaze to look at the menacing sword that nipped his neck, with a gulp he spoke, his voice flattering. "Ah, big brother, I can show you my recording panel and delete the video right in front of you, wouldn't that be alright? I'm dirt poor, so I was planning on recording and posting things on the internet to earn some money, you remember, right? I'm a single child—aah!"

Before Fatty could finish, Zayn's hand flashed. He slashed, opening a cut on Fatty's right hand. Fatty clutched his hand, not daring to move. Blood gushed forth, the pain causing a grimace on his face, but tears wouldn't come nevertheless grunts escaped his lips.

"You want to follow me, then you'll have to abide by my rules," Zayn said.

"Give me your recorder function and tell me your real story. I don't believe your bullcrap. Every lie will earn you another cut, even if your skin heals at an impressive rate." As Zayn spoke, he glanced at Fatty's right hand, which was already beginning to heal. This Fatty maybe possessed a healing physique, evident by the resistance Zayn felt when he pressed the sword against his neck – as if the skin itself was pushing the blade away.

Fatty, in agony, gasped for breath and asked for Zayn's player ID. He then transferred the recording function with a grimace that seemed more intense than the pain from his healing wound. It was as if he expected his fat to melt away and reveal a fit physique beneath. "Big brother," he wheezed, his voice hoarse, "do you see my sincerity? I'm truly willing to follow you. I've never seen someone fight like you, so decisive and powerful." He paused, a hint of flattery creeping back into his voice.

Zayn noticed a notification flicker in the corner of his left eye.

Ding! Player Wu Kong has sent you the Recorder Function.

Ding! Would you like to link this to your Heavenly Ascension Player ID?

"Yes," Zayn whispered, eyeing the Fatty with suspicion. The recorder function's value was almost on par with the VR headset and nanobot injection combined. This Fatty's willingness was unsettling. Perhaps he was using the recorder as bait, a way to gain Zayn's trust while his friends from Blue Ink City lurked nearby. Zayn needed the whole truth, every detail, before allowing another player to join him.

"Now, speak the truth," Zayn demanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Wu Kong gave a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright, big brother you win," he conceded. "The truth is, big brother, I'm a reincarnated player."