After creating his character, Mu Lan removed the helmet from his head, as he couldn't enter the game just yet. He had to wait two more days before he could play. Not long after, Beng Zeng also took off his helmet and asked Mu Lan, "Mu, what's your name in the game?"

Mu Lan looked at Beng Zeng and said, "God Slayer."

"Wow, Mu, so you're going to be God Slayer. That name is so authoritative. Let's hope we don't get into trouble in the game."

"No way, Beng. What kind of trouble could we get into? And what's your name in the game? I hope you chose a fitting name for a paladin."

"My name is Bounty Hunter. How about that? Not as cool as yours, but still pretty awesome."

Mu Lan was suddenly taken aback when he thought about his old name. He knew he hadn't used this name in his previous life. Since he hadn't played a paladin in his previous life, he thought it might be a small butterfly effect. He was certain that Beng Zeng's name in his previous life was "Real Man."

"That's a great name, 'God Slayer' and 'Bounty Hunter' will be number one on the server. No one will be able to stop us, and we'll 'Challenge the God.' What do you think?"

Beng Zeng hesitated for a moment. "Challenging the God is a big deal. Can we really gather all those scrolls? And even if we do, can we defeat him? It could take us years."

Beng Zeng, like everyone else, had read the main storyline of the game. He had seen the information about challenging the God. The one who possessed the necessary 100 scrolls could challenge the God. The story didn't give any information about the God. The one who obtained the 100 scrolls would learn about him. It was a mystery.

"By the way, Mu, do you know which stats we should invest in the game? I've read a bit, but as a paladin, I have no idea what would be best. You're an archer, so maybe you know since you suggested I open this character."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

Mu Lan immediately replied, "You should always invest in defense stats. Leave the extra stat gain to me. I'll make you immortal. You don't need to deal too much damage. I'll take all the damage." Then he thought to himself, 'Having a friend like Beng Zeng is really awesome.'

Mu Lan turned to Beng Zeng and said, "Alright then, since we have nothing else to do, let's start practicing the martial arts we've learned. This way, we can improve our bodies and get them into shape for the martial arts. Let's set the alarm for 5 a.m., run 10 kilometers, take a shower, and then head to school?"

"Alright, Mu," Beng Zeng said, and they began their training.

After 1-2 more hours of practice, their bodies were drenched in sweat, and their clothes were sticking to their skin. After finishing their training, they took showers and went to bed, knowing they needed to work on their conditioning early in the morning.

At 5 a.m., the alarm they set went off, blaring loudly enough to wake anyone. As soon as they got out of bed, they washed their faces and hands. In the hallway, they made eye contact, still half-asleep but feeling extremely exhausted. The techniques they practiced were top-notch. If they went back to bed now, they could sleep for two days straight.

"Good morning, Mu."

"Good morning, Beng."

After washing their faces and hands, Mu Lan and Beng Zeng grabbed a light snack from the cupboard. Then they sat at the table and ate their snacks.

"Mu, I'm really tired right now. I hope we can run 10 kilometers. If I die of exhaustion, have 'Real Man' written on my tombstone."

Mu Lan quickly responded, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Beng. Pain makes a man stronger. A real man is strong."

Mu Lan's last words aligned perfectly with Beng Zeng's motto, instantly filling him with energy.

"Come on, Mu, haven't you finished yet? We've got 10 kilometers to run."

Beng Zeng's sudden change from whining made Mu Lan smile. He quickly finished his snack at Beng Zeng's words.

Mu Lan and Beng Zeng headed outside to the park for their run. At this early hour, there was hardly anyone around except a few people who were also there to exercise, just like Mu Lan and Beng Zeng.

Without wasting much time, Mu Lan and Beng Zeng took their positions and started running. They applied the knowledge from the book on how to run. Since it was their first run, they were exhausted after just one kilometer, but that didn't stop them. They had 9 kilometers left. They had to do this, they had to succeed.

They ran 2 kilometers. They were completely spent, but they didn't know the meaning of giving up.

At 3 kilometers, they were barely able to stand. Their legs had given out, but their minds hadn't. They believed they could do this. And they continued.

4 kilometers...

5 kilometers...

8 kilometers...

10 kilometers...

They ran 10 kilometers in exactly 2 hours. As much as they wanted to follow the book, they would continue to run with breaks until their bodies got used to the conditioning. Even if their bodies couldn't keep up with their conditioning right now, the path to victory was paved with hard work. Mu Lan and Beng Zeng were drenched in sweat. Now they had to go home, shower, and head to school.

Beng Zeng felt like he had lost 3-4 kilos. He was shedding his excess weight. Mu Lan, on the other hand, felt like he had lost 1 kilo compared to Beng Zeng. He didn't have much fat to lose.

After showering at home, they headed to school. The school was two blocks away from where Mu Lan lived, making the commute relatively easy.