"I'm heading back to game!" Ou Tao said, stepping into the hall. He'd leveled countless accounts. Back in his solo-grinding days, he'd create several new ones daily and grind each from level one to max.
But never—not once—had he felt this excited to log into a fresh low-level account.
Because this game might actually shape reality. Before, authorities would scold him: "Games are fake! What's the point? How does this help your future?"
They had no idea—if he hadn't gamed, hadn't excelled, he and his little sister would've starved. Sure, pro leagues gained Olympic recognition and social approval, but it was still just another sport. His title "Blade of Supreme Might"? Merely a competition alias—like "Soccer King," "Human Emperor," or "Iron Hammer." It changed nothing in his real life.
But if Sister Su's theory was true… maybe his "Supreme Might" could leap right out of the screen and become real!
Ou Tao entered the otherworld. Dawn's first light pierced the snow-capped peaks, sliced through white clouds, and glowed upon ruins beside a quiet mountain village.
The collapsed house needed no repair—they'd leave today. He and Ke Er had slept in a tent.
The moment he opened his eyes, a silver-haired, adorably naive little loli nestled in his arms, her delicate features softened by sleep.
"Father is amazing! Five-hit combo! Made the big dumb boar squeal! Village hero is my Father!" she murmured in her sleep, shifting closer. Ou Tao gently lifted her hands from his waist, eased back, and slipped out of the tent.
He fastened Ami's Persecution to his belt. "Bika, I'm heading up the mountain later."
"Sir, is there a problem?"
"Last night, I had a strange dream—linked to Ke Er. And there are unexplainable phenomena around her!"
"Aggro calculation is off!"
"Right. The Mutated Bamboo Boar King's description: 'Foolish, aggressive, tactically rigid.' Its behavior matched. In gaming terms: boss targets whoever holds aggro. The priest set a tank-front, healer-back formation, but the alchemical potion broke it. After the Artificer used it, the weakened militiaman wasn't targeted next—the boar went straight for the Artificer. So aggro priority is clear: first, whoever smells of Bamboo Rabbit Perfume; second, whoever attacks it; finally, after eliminating those, whoever poses the greatest threat."
"Exactly!" As Ou Tao spoke, Bika pulled up system footage and replayed the battle.
"But after wiping out the Artificer's squad, the boar reset the first two aggro layers. The final calculation was pure threat assessment." After replaying the clip a dozen times, Bika concluded: the target was Ke Er.
"Why would a level-one silver-haired loli seem more threatening than me—a level-five Spirit Swordsman?" Ou Tao dismissed bug theories. Combined with last night's dream, one truth emerged: this daughter held a secret.
"Father! Ke Er made cheese sandwiches for your journey!" Ke Er emerged from behind the tent, frying pan in hand, tiny apron tied, sweet smile glowing.
Ou Tao had hoped she'd sleep longer—giving him time for something he couldn't do before her eyes.
But this thoughtful girl woke the instant she sensed her Father's warmth gone. She slipped out while Ou Tao and Bika reviewed footage, already folding blankets, packing the sleeping bag, gathering firewood, and setting a pot over the snowy ground to cook his breakfast.
Ou Tao took the sandwich, munching as he spoke. "Good job, Ke Er. But I have one last task. Finish packing. The moment I return—we leave!"
"Understood, Father!"
Ou Tao climbed the mountain, eating to restore stamina. The black longsword at his waist shimmered and faded into a faint silhouette.
A slender figure materialized midair. Short hair flicked back, long ears perked up—Yami fell into step behind him.
"Swordmaster, where are we going?"
"Grave-digging."
"Grave-robbing?! We'll get epic materials to upgrade me, right?!" Yami bounced excitedly, fist thrust skyward, radiating pure genki-girl energy.
Without turning, Ou Tao grabbed her donkey ears and pressed her down. "Wrong. We're digging up Ke Er's mother's grave. I suspect this Ke Er isn't Rod and Mai Qiu's daughter. And you—stop bouncing. Don't let Ke Er see you."
