Okay, this is just like a boss battle. Assess the enemy, figure out its weaknesses, and exploit them.

A notification popped up in Kai's vision:

New Quest: Exterminate the Giant Scavenger Roach

Reward: 150 XP, Rare Item Drop

Failure: Death

He quickly compared his physical stats to the beast's:

Kai Thorn

Level: 5

XP: 150/500

Qi: 100/100

Strength: 31

Agility: 33

Endurance: 32

It outclasses me in raw stats, but I have more skills and Liu Wei as backup. Plus, it's weak to fire. I can work with this.

"Liu Wei!" Kai called out, his voice steady despite the deadly threat. "It's weak to fire. Use any fire-based skills you have!"

"I-I don't have any fire skills, Master!"

Right, of course not. That would be too easy, Kai thought.

The roach charged forward, its mandibles clicking ominously. Kai activated his Wind Step skill, darting to the side just as the creature's massive form barreled past.

"Aim for the joints in its legs!" Kai shouted. "We need to slow it down!"

Liu Wei nodded, pulling out a handful of throwing knives, he threw them at the creature's leg joints. Two found their mark but the creature's tough exoskeleton deflected most of the damage.

This is just like that giant beetle boss in Forest of Doom, Kai thought. We need to find its weak points.

The roach spun around with surprising speed, its antennae twitching as it faced Liu Wei. A glob of greenish liquid shot from its mouth, narrowly missing the young man.

"Watch out for its spit!" Kai warned. "It's acidic!"

Liu Wei nodded, ducking behind a tree. "Master, what's the plan?"

Kai's mind raced, recalling countless gaming strategies. "We need to kite it!" he shouted, then quickly corrected himself. "I mean, we need to keep it moving, tire it out. You aggro it, and I'll look for weak spots!"

Liu Wei looked confused but nodded. "I'll keep it busy!"

He then darted out from behind the tree, waving his arms. "Hey, you overgrown bug! Over here!"

The roach turned, its multifaceted eyes gleaming with hunger. It scuttled after Liu Wei, who led it in a zigzag pattern through the trees.

Kai took advantage of the distraction, circling around behind the creature.

Wait a second. My Qi Condensation skill... I wonder...

Kai focused, drawing on his qi and channeling it through his Qi Condensation skill. He visualized flames, willing the energy to take that form.

To his amazement, a small orb of condensed fire formed in his hand.

Holy crap, it worked! This is just like crafting a spell in an RPG.

"Liu Wei!" Kai called out. "I'm going to try something. When I give the signal, hit it with everything you've got! We need to maximize our DPS!"

"Understood, Master!"

Kai began to circle the roach, condensing more and more fire qi into the orb in his hand. The creature tracked his movements, its eyes gleaming with malice.

Just a little closer...

When he was directly in front of the roach, Kai shouted, "Now!"

He hurled the condensed fire orb straight at the roach's face. At the same moment, Liu Wei leaped from his perch, daggers in hand, aiming for the creature's back.

The fire orb exploded on impact, engulfing the roach's head in flames. It thrashed wildly, nearly catching Liu Wei in mid-air. But the young man managed to twist his body, landing on the roach's back and plunging his daggers deep into a gap in its armor.

The roach bucked and writhed, trying to dislodge Liu Wei. Kai saw his chance and charged in, activating his Iron Skin for protection. He aimed a powerful Flame Palm Strike at the roach's underbelly, where the armor looked thinnest.

The strike connected, and Kai felt the satisfying crunch of chitin giving way under his fiery palm. The roach let out another piercing screech, this time tinged with pain and desperation.

"Liu Wei, get clear!" Kai shouted.

His support didn't need to be told twice. Liu Wei vaulted off the roach's back, rolling as he hit the ground.

Kai pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of Flame Palm Strikes on the roach's wounded underside. Each hit caused the creature to shriek and flail, its movements becoming more erratic.

This is it, Kai thought. Time for the finishing move.

He gathered his remaining qi, condensing it into the most powerful fire orb he could manage. The effort made his head swim, but he pushed through the discomfort.

Skill Leveled Up!

Flame Palm (Level 3)

Your Attack increases by 30% when activated

You have gained 75 XP!

Perfect timing!

"Hey, ugly!" Kai taunted, backing away from the roach. "Over here!"

The creature turned towards him, mandibles clicking in fury. It reared up, preparing to bring its full weight down on Kai.

Wait for it…

Just as the roach lunged forward, Kai hurled his condensed fire orb straight into its gaping maw.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the roach's eyes bulged, and its body began to swell. A muffled boom echoed from within its carapace, and flames burst from every joint in its armor.

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

The Giant Scavenger Roach collapsed, twitching a few times before finally going still. A message popped up in Kai's vision:

Quest Completed: Exterminate the Giant Scavenger Roach

Reward: 150 XP, Rare Item Drop: Roach Carapace Fragment

You have received a bonus reward for defeating your first beast!

150 XP!

Level Up! You are now Level 6

Kai let out a long breath, the tension draining from his body. He turned to Liu Wei, who was staring at the roach's corpse with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked.

Liu Wei nodded slowly. "That... that was incredible, Master. The way you controlled the fire, it was like nothing I've ever seen."

Kai grinned, trying to hide how drained he felt. "Just a little trick I've been working on. You did great too, by the way. Those knife throws were spot on."

Liu Wei beamed at the praise. "Thank you, Master. But... what do we do now?"

Kai glanced at the roach's smoking corpse. "Well, first things first. Let's see what we can salvage from this thing. In games- I mean, in stories I've heard, monster parts can be valuable."

They approached the dead roach cautiously. Kai reached out and touched its carapace, surprised to find it warm to the touch. A small piece came away in his hand, glowing faintly with residual qi.

This must be the Roach Carapace Fragment, Kai thought. He slipped it into his inventory, making a mental note to examine it more closely later.

"Master," Liu Wei said hesitantly, "do you think there are more of these... things out here?"

Kai frowned. It was a good question. "Possibly. We should stay alert. But hey, look on the bright side. If there are more, that just means more experience for us, right?"

Liu Wei gave him a puzzled look. "Experience?"

Right, not a gamer term here, Kai reminded himself. "I mean, more opportunities to test our skills and grow stronger," he clarified.

"Ah, I see," Liu Wei nodded. "You're right, Master. Every challenge is a chance to improve."

As they continued their journey, Kai couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. The forest around them seemed more alive now, every rustle in the bushes a potential threat... or opportunity.

This is way more intense than any game I've played, he thought. But the principles are the same. Adapt, overcome, and level up.

They walked in silence for a while, both lost in thought. Kai used the time to review his new stats and skills:

Name: Kai Thorn

Level: 6

XP: 0/1000

Qi: 150/150

Strength: 41

Agility: 43

Endurance: 40

Intelligence: 25

Wisdom: 22

Skills:

Qi Condensation (Level 3)

Basic Cultivation Technique (Level 3)

Unarmed Combat (Level 2)

Deception (Level 3)

Iron Skin (Level 2)

Swift Wind Step (Level 2)

Flame Palm Strike (Level 3)

Mental Fortitude (Passive)

Not bad for one fight, Kai mused. But I'll need to get a lot stronger if we're going to face whatever's guarding that treasure.

"Master," Liu Wei's voice broke into his thoughts. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Liu Wei hesitated for a moment before speaking. "During the fight, you said some... strange things. Like when you shouted 'aggro' and ‘kite’. What does that mean?"

Kai winced internally. He'd been so caught up in the moment, he'd slipped into gamer lingo without realizing it.

"Ah, that," he said, trying to sound casual. "Aggro is just a term I picked up... from some mercenaries I met before. It means to attract attention, to make the enemy focus on you."

Liu Wei's eyes widened with interest. "I see! That's sounds useful. And what about when you said 'DPS' when you were hitting it with those fire strikes?"

Crap, Kai thought. I really need to watch my language.

"That's, uh, short for 'deliver powerful strikes'," he invented on the spot. "It's just a way to remind myself to hit hard and fast."

"Fascinating," Liu Wei said. "The way you think about combat is so... structured. Is that how they train in your homeland?"

Kai tensed slightly at the question, it seems Liu Wei was still curious about his background, problem was, he still hadn't come up with a solid backstory for himself.

"Something like that," he said vaguely. "From what I can remember, I’m used to... analyzing battles a lot. Break them down into components, you know?"

Liu Wei nodded eagerly. "That makes sense. It clearly works well for you, Master. Do you think you could teach me more of these concepts?"

Kai considered for a moment. On one hand, explaining game mechanics to someone from a non-gaming world could be tricky. On the other hand, having Liu Wei understand his strategies better could be a huge advantage.

"Sure," he said finally. "I can try to teach you some basics. But remember, these are just ways of thinking about combat. The most important thing is to stay adaptable and trust your instincts."

"Of course, Master," Liu Wei said, bowing slightly. "Thank you."

As they continued walking, Kai began explaining some basic gaming concepts to Liu Wei, translating them into terms the young man could understand. He talked about "tanking" as deliberately drawing enemy attacks to protect allies, "kiting" as a way to damage enemies while staying out of their reach, and "crowd control" as techniques to limit an enemy's actions.

Liu Wei listened intently, asking thoughtful questions that forced Kai to really think about how these concepts applied to real combat.

"This is amazing, Master," Liu Wei said after a while. "It's like you have a whole system for understanding battles. No wonder you were able to defeat that roach so easily."

Kai chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't say easily. That thing was tough. And remember, all the strategy in the world doesn't matter if you can't execute it. Your skills were just as important in taking that thing down."

Liu Wei beamed at the praise. "Thank you, Master. I'll keep practicing to improve my skills."

As they walked, Kai noticed Liu Wei practicing some of the movements he'd used during the fight, mimicking the way Kai had dodged and struck.

He's a quick learner, Kai thought approvingly. That'll come in handy.

The sun was high in the sky now. Kai checked his map, noting that they were getting close to the area marked on the treasure map.

"We should be nearing our destination," he told Liu Wei. "Stay alert. If there was one monster guarding the path, there might be more ahead."

Liu Wei nodded, his hand moving to the hilt of his dagger. "Do you think we'll face more of those roach creatures, Master?"

Kai shook his head. "I doubt it. In ga- I mean, in my experience, challenges tend to vary. We should be prepared for anything."

As if on cue, a rustle in the bushes ahead caught their attention. Both Kai and Liu Wei dropped into defensive stances, ready for another fight.

But instead of a monster, a small, furry creature scampered out onto the path. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel, with large, curious eyes and a fluffy tail.

"Oh," Liu Wei said, relaxing slightly. "It's just a forest critter."

Kai, however, kept his guard up. In games, cute creatures are often more dangerous than they appear, he thought. He quickly checked his map function, expecting to see a marker for the creature.

His blood ran cold when he saw... nothing. The map showed the surrounding area, but there was no indication of the being right in front of them.

What the hell? Kai thought, sweat beading on his forehead. Is my map function broken? Or is this thing so powerful it doesn't even register?

Suddenly, a system notification flashed in Kai's vision:

Unknown Entity

Level: ???

Unable to identify. Entity's level exceeds your perception ability by a significant margin.

Holy crap, Kai thought. The map function isn’t broken, this thing is just too OP! It could probably sneeze and accidentally wipe us out.

The creature tilted its head. Then, to Kai's surprise, it spoke.

"Greetings, travelers," it said in a high-pitched voice. "What brings you to this part of the forest?"

Liu Wei's jaw dropped. "It... it talks?"

A talking animal NPC. Maybe, it’s friendly, let's see where this goes. Kai bowed deeply, nudging Liu Wei to do the same.

"We're on a... quest," Kai said carefully. "Looking for a treasure that's supposed to be in this area. Do you know anything about that?"

The creature's whiskers twitched. "Treasure, you say? Hmm... there are many valuable things in this forest. But not all treasures are what they seem."

Cryptic NPC dialogue. Check, Kai thought wryly.

"Can you give us any more specific information?" he bowed again.

The creature scratched its ear thoughtfully. "I might be able to... for a price. Do you have any spirit fruits on you? They're quite tasty, you know."

Kai glanced at Liu Wei, who shook his head. "Sorry, we don't have any spirit fruits," Kai said.

The creature sighed dramatically. "Oh well. In that case, I can only offer you this advice: beware the guardian of the hollow tree. Its bark is worse than its bite, but its bite is still pretty bad."

With that cryptic warning, the creature scampered back into the bushes, leaving Kai and Liu Wei staring after it in confusion.

"Master," Liu Wei said slowly, "what just happened?"

Kai exhaled slowly, finally relaxing. "We just had an encounter with a being far beyond our current level. We're lucky it was feeling benevolent."

Liu Wei nodded, still looking bewildered. "A guardian in a hollow tree... what do you think it means?"

"I'm not sure," Kai admitted. "But if we’re unlucky, we'll find out soon enough. Come on, let's keep moving."

As they resumed their journey, Kai's mind raced with possibilities. A guardian in a hollow tree... could it be some kind of plant monster? Or maybe the tree itself is alive? I’d rather not face a demonic tree!

He glanced at his wrist, where only one prong was red. Still no change. I guess killing monsters doesn't count towards giving me respawn lives.

A thought occurred to him, making him frown. It would probably be good to find a few bandits and... deal with them. Just to be prepared for whatever is at that treasure spot.

The idea made him uncomfortable, but he pushed the feeling aside. This is a xianxia world. It's kill or be killed. I need every advantage I can get.