Chapter Eleven: My Aspiration to Transcend Mortality

Xiao Jie took the firewood cleaver and was about to leave when another person walked into the blacksmith shop—a young man, bare-chested and holding a stick, with a rather delicate appearance, probably around twenty years old.

Just by his look, it was clear he was a new player.

Xiao Jie casually glanced at the man's name.

“I Wish to Ascend” (Returnee), Level: 1.

The man surveyed the blacksmith shop briefly before heading straight to Wang Kai.

“Excuse me, are you Wang Kai, the guy who sells gold?”

Wang Kai responded, “That's right. What can I do for you?”

“I want to buy some gold. I'm the younger brother of ‘I Desire to Seal the Heavens.’”

“Oh, so you’re the younger brother of Brother Seal the Heavens. No wonder the name seemed familiar. How’s your brother doing? Haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Dead.”

“Ah… my condolences, brother.”

The stocky man said with some regret.

Xiao Jie watched their conversation coldly, feeling a twinge of sympathy.

“I want to buy gold,” said I Wish to Ascend.

“Sure, how much do you need?”

“Five thousand coins.”

Wow, does a newbie really have that much money? Xiao Jie was surprised—five thousand coins equaled fifty thousand yuan. What could he want with so many copper coins? Perhaps he intended to gear up and venture out of the village?

Right, hadn’t he had a similar idea before?

“No problem. For Brother Seal the Heavens’ sake, I’ll give you a 5% discount. By the way, are you gearing up? I’m an apprentice here, so I have insider prices. Plus, some hidden items require reputation to buy—I can help unlock those for you.”

Indeed, wealth commands respect. Wang Kai treated I Wish to Ascend with exceptional enthusiasm, completely different from the stingy attitude he showed toward Xiao Jie, who haggled over a simple firewood cleaver.

“Well, that might be a bit much. How about I pay you the difference?” I Wish to Ascend said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, brother, no need to be so formal. I was good friends with Brother Seal the Heavens; his brother is my brother. Let me introduce you to the best gear in the shop. Oh, and let’s add each other on WeChat first…”

“That’s why I need to prepare. I want to spend money to buy gold. Once I have a full set of gear, I won’t be afraid anymore.”

---

In no time, I Wish to Ascend was fully equipped.

He wore thick leather armor, sturdy leather boots, and a horned leather helmet—not because he couldn’t afford iron; mainly due to weight restrictions. Wearing iron armor would incur a burden penalty, so he settled for leather.

His weapons included a snake-spine longbow, a fine steel sword, an iron-inlaid shield, and a cold iron spear—truly armed to the teeth.

For a skillless novice, all weapons had no particular advantage or disadvantage; the more, the better. He could switch weapons depending on the monster he faced.

This set of gear cost over three thousand coins. Wang Kai handed the remaining money directly to I Wish to Ascend. With the rest, he planned to buy some antiseptic ointment and food supplies before venturing out.

Xiao Jie thought, this guy is really splurging—fifty thousand yuan just spent like that. Still, the gear looked considerably stronger. But being only level one, wasn’t it too risky?

He couldn’t help but warn, “Buddy, I think you should be cautious. It’s dangerous outside the village, and in this game, death is permanent. You know that, right?”

I Wish to Ascend replied confidently, “I know, but I have my reasons to get stronger. With my skills, as long as I’m careful, it’ll be fine. I’ll start by exploring the weakest monsters and take it slow, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Brother, don’t worry. Since there are gods in this game, there must be resurrection spells. I’ll definitely bring you back.” The boy in front of the computer looked at his imposing avatar on screen, eyes full of determination.

His voice had a youthful tone but was unwavering.

Xiao Jie sighed inwardly. Well, no need to interfere; it’s a personal choice.

Watching the young man leave the blacksmith shop without hesitation, Xiao Jie felt a pang of emotion. “Little brother, I hope you survive.”

“You’re so close to ‘I Desire to Seal the Heavens’; don’t you want to advise his brother?” Xiao Jie asked Wang Kai.

Wang Kai was indifferent. “No use. You can’t reason with the dead. Everyone who plays this game is bold and skilled. If he knows the truth about the game and still dares to fight monsters, he’s confident or has a reason to risk it. What’s the point of advice?

Besides, how do you know he’s not a hidden expert? Maybe he really can kill gods and demons and will come back covered in rare gear.

Danger is something you can’t understand unless you experience it firsthand. So what’s the point of advice? If you want to adventure, sooner or later you have to face this. At least with the gear I gave him, his chances of survival are much higher. Consider it taking care of his brother through me.”

Xiao Jie was speechless. Well, that attitude does emphasize equal respect for everyone’s choices.

But he wasn’t wrong.

At least the kid had some decent gear. When Xiao Jie ventured out himself, he might not be so lucky.

Enough dithering—time to chop wood.

Since he decided to take the cautious path, he would stick to it.

Stepping out of the blacksmith shop, Xiao Jie didn’t rush up the mountain to chop trees.

---

Instead, he pondered where he’d gone wrong and why he wasn’t making money.

Chopping wood deserved some study. The game couldn’t possibly let players run at a loss; he must be doing something wrong.

After some thought, Xiao Jie suddenly smiled—why bother so much? Just ask online!

Since the game was so realistic, chopping wood must follow real-world principles.

He logged out of the game and onto a familiar knowledge forum, “Boundless Sea of Knowledge,” and posted a question.

[Inquiry: Does anyone know any tips for chopping wood? I keep breaking my cleaver. Generous reward for useful answers.]

He casually offered a fifty-yuan bounty.

Now, he just had to wait for replies.

While waiting, he prepared his lunch.

If his game character could eat until full, he shouldn’t go hungry either.

Opening the fridge, he found only a few eggs. Seeing the empty fridge made Xiao Jie feel down—today was Han Luo’s turn to buy groceries.

Oh well, he’d just cook noodles.

Skillfully, he boiled water on the induction cooker, added noodles and eggs in one go, then threw in two fish balls for flavor.

Soon, a steaming bowl of noodles was ready. Just as he was about to dig in, the phone rang at the worst possible moment.

Xiao Jie glanced at the screen—a number he didn’t recognize. He hesitated, vaguely guessing who it might be.

After a moment, he answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Xiao Ge, remember me? It’s Liu Qiang. How have you been? Yesterday I asked Han Luo to bring you a game. Have you played it yet?”

So it was that bastard!