Kai's eyes narrowed as he assessed his opponent. Despite strength being his greatest stat, Feng was lean and wiry.

"Well, well," Feng sneered, twirling his daggers. "Looks like we've got a little hero here. You really think you can take me on, boy?"

Kai forced a confident smirk onto his face, even as his mind raced through possible strategies. "Why don't you come find out?"

Feng's eyes flashed with anger. "Cocky brat. I'm going to enjoy cutting you down to size!"

With that, Feng lunged forward, his daggers a blur of motion. Kai barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind from the blades as they passed inches from his face.

He's fast, Kai thought, his heart pounding. But speed isn't everything. I need to outsmart him.

As the bandit's right dagger came slicing down in a horizontal arc aimed at Kai's midsection, Kai focused his qi, channeling it into a thin, translucent barrier just as the blade descended. The dagger struck the barrier with a shower of sparks, deflecting harmlessly away.

Not wasting a moment, Feng followed up with his left dagger, stabbing straight for Kai's chest. Kai quickly formed another barrier, this one angled. The blade glanced off, throwing the bandit slightly off balance.

Now's my chance! Time to go on the offensive.

Kai focused his qi into his right hand, quickly forming a dagger of his own. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, aiming for the bandit’s throat.

Feng's eyes widened and he tried to jerk his head back, but Kai's attack was too fast. The dagger sliced through the air, catching Feng across the face.

A thin, glowing cut appeared from chin to cheekbone, the edges sizzling with residual qi.

"What kind of technique is this?" Feng stumbled backward, his hand flying to his face. "I-I’ve never seen anything like it."

"Let's just say I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Kai smirked.

And a whole lot of gaming experience to draw from, he added silently.

"But want to try again?" he continued; his tone purposely nonchalant to rile up his opponent.

Feng's face contorted with anger, the cut on his cheek making his expression even more menacing. "Oh, I'm going to do more than try," he growled, tightening his grip on his daggers. "I'm going to carve you up piece by piece!"

Good, he's angry, Kai thought. Angry fighters make mistakes. But I need to be careful, condensing qi drains my energy fast. I need to end this as quickly as possible.

Feng snarled and charged again, both daggers raised. He brought them down in a powerful overhead strike. Kai crossed his arms, channeling qi to form a thick barrier above him. The daggers crashed against the barrier with a resounding clang. The impact sent vibrations through Kai's arms, but the barrier held.

As Feng recoiled from the failed strike, Kai noticed the bandit's eyes flick to his right side.

There it is, Kai thought. He's telegraphing his next move. Just like an NPC with a predictable attack pattern.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

When Feng's right arm whipped out in a wide slash, Kai was ready.

Predicted and countered, Kai thought with satisfaction as he ducked under the blade. Now to capitalize on this opening.

He formed a quick qi platform at his feet, propelling himself to Feng's left side.

He'll have a harder time defending from this angle. Time to press my advantage.

But before Kai could attack, Feng spun, his left dagger coming around in a backhand slash. Kai created a small, disc-shaped barrier in his palm and used it to parry the strike. The clash of qi against metal rang out, and Feng's arm was knocked wide.

Perfect, Kai thought, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the opening. He's off-balance. Time to counter-attack and combo into my next move.

Kai formed a spiked gauntlet around his right fist and delivered a right hook. The qi-formed spikes raked across Feng's jaw, leaving thin, glowing scratches. The bandit stumbled back, spitting blood.

Seizing the opportunity, Kai formed a long, flexible whip of qi. With a flick of his wrist, he wrapped it around Feng's ankle and yanked. The bandit crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"You son of a-" Feng began, his face contorted with rage. His curse was cut short as the qi whip tightened around his leg, sending a jolt of energy through his body. "Argh! How in the nine hells are you doing this?!"

Feng thrashed on the ground, trying to free his trapped leg. His daggers scraped against the floor as he attempted to cut himself free, but the qi whip held firm.

"Damn you, boy!" Feng snarled, his eyes wild with a mixture of pain and fury. "I'll gut you for this! I'll-"

But before Feng could finish his threat, Kai was already moving. His hands glowed with concentrated qi as he shaped his energy into a new weapon. A large hammer began to form above his head.

As Feng's eyes widened in fear, Kai shifted his stance and swung the massive qi hammer in a powerful, horizontal arc.

Just like swinging a giant warhammer in an RPG, Kai thought, his muscles straining with the effort.

"Oh, shi-" Feng's curse was cut short as the hammer connected with his midsection. There was a dull thud, followed by a whoosh of air forcibly expelled from the bandit's lungs.

The impact lifted Feng off the ground, the qi whip around his ankle dissipating. He flew back several feet, his body limp as a rag doll, before crashing into a nearby tree with a sickening crack.

Feng slumped to the ground, his daggers clattering uselessly beside him. His eyes rolled back in his head, and a final, weak groan escaped his lips before he fell silent.

Kai stood up, breathing heavily but grinning from ear to ear. I did it. I actually won my first real fight!

His gaze turned to the bandit’s unconscious form, and he formed a sharp qi blade, his hands trembling at the thought of what he was about to do.

I should end this. In the games, it's so easy. Just click a button and your enemy disappears.

But as he raised the blade, Kai hesitated. The reality of taking a life hit him hard. This wasn't a game character made of pixels. This was a living, breathing person.

Can I really do this? Am I ready to cross that line?

Images flashed through Kai's mind - the terrified faces of the kidnapped villagers, the casual cruelty of the bandits' conversation. He thought of what would happen if he let Feng live. How many more people would suffer at his hands?

It's not just about me. It's about protecting others.

Kai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and plunged the qi blade down. He felt a sickening resistance, then nothing. As the life drained from Feng, Kai's eyes widened in shock. The trident mark on his wrist suddenly blazed with an intense golden light. One of its sharp prongs shifted from black to a deep, blood red, while the other two remained dark.

A translucent message appeared in Kai's vision:

Experience gained: 100 XP

Level up!

You are now Level 4!

Kai stared at his blood-stained hands and the glowing mark on his wrist. His whole body trembled. The metallic smell of blood filled his nostrils, threatening to make him retch.

What have I done? As much I wish it was, this isn't a game. I just... I just killed someone. And what's happening to my mark?

A deafening roar snapped Kai back to reality. The battle between the Thunderclaw Tigress and the remaining bandits raged on in the distance.

No time for this now, Kai shook his head, forcing himself to focus. I need to make sure the villagers are safe.

With one last glance at Feng's body and a worried look at his changed mark, Kai turned and ran in the direction the freed prisoners had fled. As he disappeared into the forest, the sounds of battle faded behind him, but the weight of what he'd done settled heavily on his shoulders.

This was no longer a game. The stakes were real, and Kai had just learned the hardest lesson of all - in this world, survival often came at a terrible cost.

And usually, it was a life.