A loud knock jolted Kai from his now peaceful sleep. He blinked, disoriented, as the pounding continued.

"Mister Kai! Please help!" a child's voice cried out between sobs.

Kai scrambled out of bed, his mind instantly alert. He yanked open the door to find little Ming, the baker's son, tears streaming down his face.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked, crouching down to the boy's level.

"Bad man... in the village..." Ming hiccuped. "He's hurting people!"

Kai's blood ran cold. The bandits are back? But how?

"Stay here," he told Ming firmly. "I'll handle this."

As Kai sprinted towards the village center, his mind raced. This is like a surprise raid event in an MMO. Gotta assess the situation fast and form a strategy.

The scene that greeted him made his stomach churn. Villagers huddled in terrified groups, many weeping openly. At the center of it all stood a man Kai recognized instantly - the bandit leader.

The man was a mess. His clothes were torn and bloody, deep gashes visible across his arms and torso. One eye was swollen shut, and he swayed on his feet as if a strong breeze might topple him.

But what made Kai's breath catch was the sight of old man Zhang. The elderly cultivator lay prone on the ground, the bandit's foot pressed firmly on his neck.

"Please," a woman near Kai whimpered. "We've given you everything. Just leave us in peace!"

The bandit leader's head snapped towards her, his one good eye blazing with fury. "Peace?" he snarled. "There will be no peace! That little bastard," he gestured wildly with his free hand, "lured a Stage 7 beast to our camp! My men... my entire operation... destroyed!"

His gaze swept the crowd, finally locking onto Kai. A twisted smile spread across his battered face.

"There you are," he growled. "The boy who thinks he's clever."

Kai met the man's gaze steadily. The Thunderclaw Tigress must have been stronger than I thought to eliminate the whole camp and put the leader in this state, how is this guy even alive right now?

"I don't care about money anymore," the bandit leader continued, pressing down harder on Zhang's neck. The old man wheezed painfully. "All of you... every last one... will die!"

Kai's eyes narrowed, and he focused on the bandit leader. A translucent window appeared in his vision:

Name: ??? (Injured)

Level: 7 (Fluctuating)

Optimal State: Stage 7 Qi Refining (Low)

Current State: Severely Weakened

Qi: ???/???

Strength: ??? (Unstable)

Agility: ??? (Impaired)

Durability: ??? (Critical)

Intelligence: 10

Wisdom: 8

So he really is Stage 7, Kai thought, a chill running down his spine. No wonder he was able to survive. But he must be on the lower end of that stage if the beast was still able to do this to him.

For a brief, shameful moment, Kai considered running. I'm outmatched, even with him injured. I could slip away, start over somewhere else...

But then he looked at the terrified villagers. At Mei Li, clutching her younger siblings protectively. At Auntie Chen, looking at him with hope. At old man Zhang, still fighting for breath under the bandit's boot.

These people helped me, Kai realized. I can't abandon them now. I’m not that kind of person.

Taking a deep breath, Kai stepped forward. "Let him go," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. "Your problem is with me."

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The bandit leader's eye gleamed with malice. "Oh, it's with all of you now. But you... you I'll save for last."

Kai's mind raced, assessing the situation. He's injured, unstable. That's my only advantage. I need to keep him off balance, use the environment...

"Big words from a man who can barely stand," Kai taunted, hoping to provoke a rash move.

It surprisingly worked. With a roar of rage, the bandit leader charged, abandoning his hold on Zhang. The old cultivator gasped for air as Mei Li and another villager quickly dragged him to safety.

Kai dodged the initial rush, but the bandit was faster than he expected. A wild swing caught Kai across the ribs, sending him stumbling back with a grunt of pain.

Damn, even injured he hits like a truck, Kai thought, wincing. Can't take too many of those.

He focused his qi, forming a shield construct just in time to deflect another blow. The impact still rattled his bones, but it was better than taking the hit directly.

"Coward!" the bandit leader spat. "Fight me like a man!"

Kai allowed himself a small smirk. "Sorry, I prefer to fight smart."

He created a series of qi platforms, using them to leap and bound around the village square. The bandit leader gave chase, growing more frustrated with each missed swing.

"Stop running!" he bellowed.

"Make me," Kai shot back, channeling his inner troll. Keep him angry, keep him sloppy.

As they weaved through the village, Kai heard the murmurs of the watching villagers.

"Look at him go!"

"But can he win?"

"He's so brave..."

“I want to marry him!”

"The boy's going to get himself killed!"

Marry me? Kai shook his head as he tuned out the chatter, focusing entirely on the fight. He created tripwires of solidified qi, causing the bandit to stumble. He formed slippery patches beneath the man's feet, throwing off his balance.

But for all his tricks, Kai couldn't land a decisive blow. The bandit leader, for all his injuries, was simply too tough. Nothing like the bandit he had fought.

This isn't working, Kai realized after several minutes of cat-and-mouse. I need a new strategy.

He glanced around, looking for any advantage. His eyes fell on a stack of empty barrels near the village well.

Perfect.

Kai darted towards the well, the bandit hot on his heels. At the last second, he leapt up, using a qi platform to vault over the barrel stack.

The bandit leader, unable to stop his momentum, crashed straight into the barrels. They toppled, several smashing over his head and shoulders.

For a moment, Kai dared to hope it might be enough, even though he knew that wouldn’t be enough to kill any cultivator. A roar of rage proved him right as the bandit leader burst from the wreckage.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared, his remaining eye blazing with murderous intent.

Before Kai could react, the bandit shot forward with some sort of dash skill. A massive hand closed around his throat, lifting him off the ground. Kai gasped for air, clawing desperately at the iron grip.

"Not so clever now, are you?" the bandit sneered, squeezing tighter.

Black spots danced at the edges of Kai's vision.

Can't... breathe...

In desperation, he focused every ounce of his remaining qi into his right hand. A blade of pure energy formed, wickedly sharp.

With the last of his strength, Kai plunged the qi blade into the bandit's shoulder.

The man howled in pain, his grip loosening just enough for Kai to squirm free. He fell to the ground, gulping in precious air.

But his reprieve was short-lived. The bandit leader, driven by pain and fury, lashed out with a vicious kick. It caught Kai square in the ribs, sending him flying back several feet.

Kai hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs. He tasted blood.

Get up, he told himself. Get up or you're dead.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Kai staggered to his feet. His vision swam, and he could feel warm blood trickling down his side.

This is bad, he thought. Really bad.

The bandit leader advanced, a predatory grin on his battered face. "I'm going to enjoy this," he growled.

Kai tried to form another qi construct, but his reserves were dangerously low. The energy blade flickered and died in his hand.

No no no, Kai thought, panic rising. I'm out of options. I'm out of-

His train of thought was cut off as the bandit's fist connected with his jaw. Kai's head snapped back, and he tasted more blood.

Another blow to his stomach doubled him over. A knee to the face sent him sprawling.

Through the haze of pain, Kai heard the villagers crying out.

"Someone help him!"

"He's going to die!"

"We have to do something!"

But no one moved. They were too afraid, too weak to make a difference.

Can't blame them, Kai thought as another kick caught him in the side. This guy's way out of their league. Out of my league too, apparently.

The bandit leader grabbed a fistful of Kai's hair, yanking his head back. "Any last words, boy?" he sneered.

Kai spat blood. "Yeah," he rasped. "Your breath stinks."

The bandit's face contorted with rage. "Die!" he roared.

Kai saw the glint of steel as the bandit drew a wicked-looking dagger. Time seemed to slow.

So this is it, he thought. Game over. No respawns in this world.

He closed his eyes, bracing for the killing blow.

This time, it came.

Kai felt a searing pain across his neck, and then... nothing. The world spun dizzyingly, and he had the strangest sensation of falling.

When he opened his eyes, he was staring at the ground. But something was wrong. His perspective was all off. Why was he looking up at his own body?

With dawning horror, Kai realized the truth. His head was no longer attached to his body.

I've been... decapitated? The thought was surreal, almost comical in its absurdity. This can't be happening. This isn't how the game is supposed to end!

But as he watched his own body crumple to the ground, a lifeless heap, the reality of the situation hit him like a punch to the gut. Or rather, where his gut used to be.

I'm dead. Actually dead.

The villagers' screams seemed distant, muffled. The bandit leader's triumphant laughter barely registered. All Kai could focus on was the bizarre sight of his own headless corpse.

This isn't fair, he thought desperately, his fear fighting against the effects of the Mental Fortitude skill. There has to be a way to reload, to try again. There's always a way in games.

As his consciousness began to fade, Kai clung to one final thought:

Respawn in 3... 2... 1...

Then the world went dark.