Kai stumbled into the village, his mind reeling from the events of the past few hours. The once-quiet village now buzzed with activity as families reunited and tended to the wounded. He spotted familiar faces among the rescued prisoners - women and girls he'd come to know during his short time here.

"Kai! You did it!" Mei Li rushed towards him with tears in her eyes. "You saved us all!"

Before he could respond, Kai found himself surrounded by a crowd of grateful villagers. They patted his back, shook his hand, and showered him with praise.

"Our hero!"

"We knew you'd come for us!"

"How can we ever repay you?"

Their words washed over him, but Kai barely registered them. His mind kept replaying the moment he'd taken Feng's life. The feeling of the qi blade sinking into flesh, the light fading from the bandit's eyes...

It's not like in the games, he thought. There's no respawn. No reset button. He's just... gone.

"Kai?" Mei Li's voice cut through his thoughts. She looked at him with concern. "Are you alright? You look pale."

"I'm fine,” Kai forced a smile. “Just tired, I guess."

Keep it together, he told himself. You did what you had to do. It was him or you.

But the logical part of his brain couldn't quite silence the voice of doubt gnawing at him.

As the crowd continued to celebrate around him, Kai felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Zhang Wei.

"Come with me, young man," Zhang Wei said quietly. "I think we need to talk."

Kai nodded, grateful for the excuse to escape the crowd. He followed Zhang Wei to a secluded corner of the village, away from the noise and commotion.

The old man studied Kai's face for a moment before speaking. "You had to take a life today, didn't you?"

Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you-"

Zhang Wei held up a hand. "I've seen that look before. On my own face, many years ago."

Kai slumped against a nearby wall, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I didn't think... I mean...but this..."

"Was very real," Zhang Wei finished for him. "And now you're wondering if you did the right thing. If you're still a good person."

Kai nodded, unable to find the words.

Zhang Wei sighed heavily. "Let me tell you something, Kai. For those of us who walk the path of righteousness, it never gets easier. Taking a life should never be done lightly, and it should never stop affecting you."

"But what if it does?" Kai asked. "What if I get used to it?"

The old man's eyes hardened. "Then you risk becoming the very thing you're fighting against. Those who say it gets easier, who can kill without remorse... they're the ones who become monsters."

Kai didn't respond. He thought about the games he used to play, how easily he'd racked up virtual body counts without a second thought. Now, faced with the reality of taking a single life, he felt shaken to his core.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this world after all, he mused. But what choice do I have?

Zhang Wei seemed to sense his inner turmoil. "Go rest, Kai. What you're feeling... it's normal. It's human. Don't try to push it away."

Kai nodded, grateful for the old man's wisdom. "Thank you, Master Zhang."

As he made his way back to his room, Kai's mind continued to race. The villagers' gratitude, Zhang Wei's words, the memory of Feng's death - it all swirled together in a confusing mix of emotions.

Once inside, Kai collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly, he remembered something - the system notification he'd received after defeating Feng.

That's right... I leveled up.

With a thought, Kai pulled up his status window:

Name: Kai Thorn

Level: 4

XP: 0/400

Qi: 75/75

Strength: 25

Agility: 27

Durability: 25

Intelligence: 18

Wisdom: 15

Huh. Nice boost across the board, he thought, his gamer instincts kicking in despite his emotional turmoil. But wait... XP?

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Kai sat up, frowning at the screen. He'd never seen an XP bar before. Since arriving in this world, he'd assumed experience points weren't a thing here. Cultivation had seemed to be the only path to growth.

So, I do gain XP after all. But how? Just from fighting? Or completing tasks? This changes things. I might be able to level up faster than I thought.

Kai's gaze then drifted to his right wrist, where the mysterious trident mark glowed faintly. One of its prongs now shone a deep, blood-red color.

What are you? Kai wondered, tracing the mark with his finger. And what will happen when the other two turn red?

Curious, Kai focused his qi, forming a simple dagger construct in his hand. He studied it carefully, looking for any changes or improvements.

Seems about the same, he mused. Maybe a bit more stable? Hard to tell.

Kai dispelled the construct and flopped back onto the bed.

If it took one life to turn the first prong red, does that mean I need to kill two more people to complete it? And then what? Will I unlock some new skill?

He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts away. "No point in speculating," he muttered to himself. "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

If I come to it, a small voice in the back of his mind added.

Exhaustion finally began to overtake Kai. His eyelids grew heavy as the events of the day caught up with him.

Maybe sleep will help, he thought as he drifted off. Maybe I'll wake up and this will all have been a bad dream...

But Kai's sleep was far from peaceful. As soon as he closed his eyes, he found himself back in the forest, reliving the fight with Feng.

The dream-forest was darker, more ominous than reality. Shadows seemed to move of their own accord, and every rustle of leaves sounded like whispered accusations.

Dream-Kai faced off against Feng, but the bandit's features were distorted, almost demonic. His eyes glowed red, and his mouth was filled with sharp fangs.

"You think you can defeat me, little hero?" Dream-Feng taunted, his voice echoing unnaturally. "You're nothing but a pretender. A fraud playing at being a warrior."

Kai tried to respond, but no words came out. He reached for his qi, trying to form a weapon, but nothing happened.

Feng lunged forward, his daggers flashing in the dim light. Kai dodged desperately, feeling the blades whistle past his face.

"What's wrong?" Feng sneered. "Can't use your little tricks here? This isn't a game anymore, boy. This is real!"

Kai stumbled backward, his heart pounding. He knew it was a dream, but the fear felt all too real.

Suddenly, the scene shifted. Kai found himself standing over Feng's defeated body, a qi blade in his hand. But this time, Feng looked human - scared, vulnerable.

"Please," Dream-Feng begged, his eyes wide with terror. "I have a family. Children. Don't do this!"

Kai tried to lower the blade, to show mercy, but his arm moved of its own accord. He watched in horror as the qi construct plunged into Feng's chest.

The bandit's face contorted in pain and betrayal. "Monster," he gasped. "You're no better than us."

As Feng's life ebbed away, Kai felt a burning sensation on his wrist. He looked down to see the trident mark glowing brightly, its first prong turning blood-red.

The scene shifted again. Kai stood in the village square, surrounded by the people he'd rescued. But their grateful smiles had turned to looks of fear and disgust.

"Murderer," Mei Li hissed, backing away from him.

"We trusted you," another villager accused.

"He's dangerous," someone else whispered. "A killer."

Kai tried to explain, to defend himself, but once again, no words came out. He looked down at his hands and saw they were covered in blood.

The villagers began to close in around him, their faces twisted with anger and fear. Kai frantically tried to wake himself up, to escape this nightmare, but he remained trapped.

Suddenly, a new voice cut through the crowd. "This is what you are now, Kai Thorn."

Kai turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows. It was... himself. But this version of Kai looked different - colder, harder. His eyes glowed with an eerie red light, matching the fully crimson trident mark on his wrist.

"This is what you'll become," Dream-Kai said, his voice devoid of emotion. "A killer. A monster. It's the only way to survive in this world."

"No," Kai tried to say, but still, no sound came out.

Dream-Kai smirked. "Oh yes. You've taken your first step down this path. And deep down, you know it felt good. The power. The rush of victory."

Kai shook his head frantically, trying to deny it. But a small part of him, buried deep, knew there was truth in those words.

"Embrace it," Dream-Kai urged. "Stop fighting what you're becoming. In this world, only the strong survive. And to be strong, you must be willing to do whatever it takes."

The scene shifted once more. Kai found himself standing atop a mountain of bodies, his hands dripping with blood. At his feet lay the corpses of Feng, Zhang Wei, Mei Li, and countless others.

"This is your destiny," Dream-Kai's voice echoed around him. "This is the price of power."

Kai wanted to scream, to run, to wake up. But he remained frozen in place, forced to confront the nightmarish vision before him.

In the sky above, the trident mark appeared, massive and glowing. Its three prongs pulsed with a sickly red light.

"Three lives to unlock your true potential," Dream-Kai whispered in his ear. "How many more to become a god?"

Kai felt his resolve weakening. The temptation of power, of safety in this dangerous world, pulled at him.

Maybe this is the only way, a traitorous part of his mind whispered. Maybe I have to become the monster to survive.

But then, cutting through the darkness, came another voice. Warm, familiar, full of wisdom.

"It never gets easier," Zhang Wei's words echoed in his mind. "Those who say it does... they're the ones who become monsters."

Kai clenched his fists, fighting against the nightmare's pull. "No," he finally managed to say, his voice growing stronger. "This isn't who I am. This isn't who I want to be!"

The nightmarish landscape began to crumble around him. The mountain of bodies dissolved into mist. Dream-Kai's mocking laughter faded away.

"You can't fight it forever," his doppelganger's voice called out as it faded into nothingness. "Sooner or later, you'll give in. It's the only way..."

Kai sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for air. Sweat drenched his clothes, and his heart raced as if he'd run a marathon.

For a moment, he sat there in the darkness, trying to calm his breathing. The nightmare's images still danced behind his eyelids, vivid and terrifying.

It was just a dream, he told himself. Just a dream. I'm not that person. I won't become that.

But as his gaze fell on the trident mark, its single red prong glowing faintly in the moonlight, Kai couldn't quite shake the lingering doubt.

What if the dream is right? What if this is the path I'm on?

He shook his head, trying to clear the dark thoughts away. "No," he muttered aloud. "I make my own choices. My own destiny."

You have successfully faced your inner demon!

Reward: 100 XP

Kai blinked, reading the notification twice to make sure he understood. A weak smile tugged at his lips.

"So even my nightmares are worth XP now?" he muttered. "I guess that's... good?"

New Skill Unlocked: Mental Fortitude

Kai’s eyes widened, not expecting to unlock a skill.

Mental Fortitude (Passive): This skill grants the user increased resistance to emotional trauma and mental stress. It helps maintain a calm and logical state of mind in high-pressure situations, reducing the impact of fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions. While it doesn't completely eliminate these feelings, it allows the user to process them more effectively, preventing them from overwhelming rational thought.

This could be really useful, Kai thought feeling a subtle shift in his mind as the skill took effect. The lingering fear and doubt from the nightmare seemed to recede, becoming more manageable. Especially if I have to face more situations like today.