Chapter 10: Advancement and Incarnation

Ou Xiaolu slept well through the night. Early the next morning, as he got up, he glanced at the system; the ink seahorse had already completed its exploration of the “World: Coral Reef” and was now awaiting Ou Xiaolu’s next command in the interface. Following the instructions of the beginner’s guide, Ou Xiaolu placed the “World: Coral Reef,” which had already been used once, into the pending observation world section, while the “Character: Ink Seahorse” was moved to the character storage interface.

After selecting the option to clear the stage, Ou Xiaolu’s vision blurred and a new interface popped up, covering all the others.

[Ou Xiaolu, Level: 0, Experience: 110/100, Level up?]

Checking further, he realized that after his recent exploration of the mini-world, he’d received a C+ rating thanks to a battle. From the base 50 experience, he’d earned 40, plus 10 more for killing the shark, and an additional 30 for discovering the sun coral’s egg, which was recognized as the world’s core. This had propelled his experience total to a point where he could level up.

Now, Ou Xiaolu cared nothing for the stage-clear card packs—his entire focus was on his level. When the prompt appeared, he selected “yes” without hesitation.

A red light immediately enveloped him, drawing him into the interface. His body rapidly faded and then solidified again. Except for his amputated left hand, which couldn’t be restored, all his internal injuries were cleared away, along with the scars from the previous car accident.

[Ou Xiaolu, Level: 1, Experience: 10/500, Health: 100, Mana: 100.]

[Controllable Characters: 10+10, Simultaneous Worlds Unlocked: 3+3.]

[Avatar Function Unlocked, Avatar Count: 0/1.]

[Note 1: Both avatars and projections are characters, but avatars are superior. When not participating in world activities, avatars can recover combat power spent in worlds (theoretically allowing infinite world runs).]

[Note 2: Avatars are a part of the player’s spirit, theoretically capable of independent thought and growth. Their level cannot exceed the player’s.]

[Note 3: Players may use the power of their avatars for combat at any time, regardless of the avatar’s location.]

[Note 4: When the avatar limit is reached, only when an older avatar dies in battle can a new avatar be synthesized.]

[Note 5: The avatar synthesis formula is: 1 Character Card (Professional or higher) + 1 World Card (Small or higher) + 3 Skill or Equipment Cards (Green or higher).]

[Altar Function Unlocked: World Altar, Character Altar, and Random Altar, each with one daily attempt.]

[Note 1: Except for the guaranteed full card on the first draw at each altar, every 20 draws guarantees a full card. All other draws yield corresponding altar card fragments.]

[Note 2: Fragment combination formula: 5 fragments = White Card, 20 fragments = Green Card, 50 fragments = Blue Card, 300 fragments = Purple Card, 1000 fragments = Orange Card.]

This barrage of information dazzled Ou Xiaolu. He realized that only upon reaching Level 1 did “Traverse the Myriad Worlds” truly begin. What was frustrating was that the beginner’s guide hadn’t led him to this point—it vanished after he cleared the first stage, leaving him with no one to ask for help.

From this information, he inferred that once Level 1 was reached, world exploration would undergo new changes. The appearance of avatars—characters capable of self-growth and self-recovery—would allow players to focus on multiple worlds simultaneously.

At Level 0, using projections merely taught players that worlds could be explored in this way. Only after unlocking avatars at Level 1 did the main force for real exploration emerge. Those who planned carefully would even design specific growth routes for each avatar, possibly considering more intricate details.

But there was no one for Ou Xiaolu to consult. Even if he wanted to scour a forum for advice, he didn’t know where to begin.

With a hint of frustration, he decided to rely on luck—the most primitive method.

Coming from a family renowned for their luck, Ou Xiaolu chose to try drawing from the three altars immediately.

Since each altar guaranteed a full card on the first draw, he would get a character card, a world card, and a random card. That meant he only needed to make up a skill or equipment card, making the choice relatively straightforward.

With this in mind, Ou Xiaolu didn’t even bother examining the altar function interface closely; he simply clicked “draw” on all three altars.

As three beams of light shone forth, he noticed for the first time that the altars actually had a ten-draw feature that guaranteed at least one full card. But he had never found the option to recharge, so he had no idea how to spend money if he wanted to.

Fortunately, his attention was quickly diverted by the three beams of light changing color. As expected, his family name brought him luck: two blue lights and one green, a rather decent haul.

[Wandering Swordsman, Character Card, Supporting Role Level, Combat Power: 610/610, Master of Basic Swordsmanship, Foundational Inner Power, Twelve Catch-and-Hold Techniques, Grass-Light Step, and Sleeve-Dart Skills.]

[Ancient Battlefield, World Card, Medium Size, 10/10/1. Opens a passage to an ancient battlefield where a decisive war between two dynasties is underway. Anyone entering will be swept into the conflict. It is unsafe to go alone; one must bring companions.]

[Lion’s Chain Slash, Skill Card, Green. A mysterious blade technique said to have evolved from the Five Tigers Gate-Crushing Blade. It’s a combo skill, reputed to slice even a lion to pieces if not interrupted mid-attack.]

These three satisfied Ou Xiaolu’s requirements: a wandering swordsman roaming an ancient battlefield—there was no better setting. As for the Lion’s Chain Slash, it was enticing enough for any swordsman, and if need be, he could simply switch from sword to blade.

With his options clear, Ou Xiaolu immediately prepared to create his first avatar.

Soon, though, he realized he was short on skill or equipment cards. He still had two pieces of equipment, but neither suited the style of a swordsman.

Fortunately, while time was paused, no matter how much he hesitated or deliberated, no time was wasted. After several rounds of indecision, he finally made up his mind and added [Equipment: Branded Sunglasses] and [Equipment: Deadly Revolver].

His reasoning was that since the “World: Sunken Ship” involved a submarine, he shouldn’t expect the game’s timeline to be strictly historical.

Following the avatar creation instructions, he placed [Supporting Role: Wandering Swordsman], [World: Ancient Battlefield], [Skill: Lion’s Chain Slash], [Equipment: Branded Sunglasses], and [Equipment: Deadly Revolver] into the five corners of the interface.

Then, placing his hand at the center, he began to channel his own spirit. In that instant, he felt a force drawing his essence from his body and into a new form.