Kai and Liu Wei made their way through the forest, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of fallen leaves. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and vegetation. Kai's eyes flicked constantly to the translucent map hovering in his vision, a feature he was still getting used to seeing in real life.

Red dots of varying sizes pulsed on the map, indicating potential threats. Kai steered them clear of these danger zones, much to Liu Wei's bewilderment.

"Master," Liu Wei said, breaking the silence. "It's strange. We haven't encountered any spiritual beasts yet. Usually, the forest is teeming with them."

Kai shrugged, careful to keep his face neutral. "Maybe we're just lucky."

Or maybe having a video game mini-map is the ultimate cheat code, he thought with amusement.

"Still," Liu Wei continued, "when I was with the bandits, we'd get into skirmishes with beasts almost daily. It's a bit scary with how quiet it is now."

Kai nodded, only half-listening as he focused on a particularly large red dot on his map. It dwarfed the others, pulsing ominously.

Wonder what that could be. A boss monster, maybe? Foundation Establishment beast sounds about right for this level of the game. Need to stay far away from that area.

"We should remain vigilant," Kai said aloud, more for Liu Wei's benefit than his own. "Just because we haven't seen any beasts doesn't mean they're not out there."

"Of course, Master,” Liu Wei nodded eagerly. “You're so wise."

As they walked, Kai's mind raced with possibilities. I need to level up fast if I want to survive in this world. But how? Grinding low-level mobs would take forever. Cultivation is even slower. There's got to be a more efficient way.

He glanced at Liu Wei, who was nervously scanning their surroundings. And what am I going to do with him? Having a follower could be useful, but can I really trust someone with forced loyalty?

"So, Liu Wei," Kai said casually, "tell me more about your time with the bandits. How'd you end up with them in the first place?"

Liu Wei's shoulders slumped. "It's not a proud story, Master Kai. My family... we were poor. Barely scraping by. When the bandits came to our village, they offered a choice: join or die. I was young and scared. I chose to live."

Kai nodded, filing away the information. Tragic backstory. Classic NPC stuff. But it could be useful leverage later.

"And what did you do for the bandits?" Kai pressed.

"Mostly scouting and lockpicking," Liu Wei admitted. "I was never much good in a fight, but I could sneak around and get into places others couldn't."

Interesting. Those could be valuable skills.

They continued their journey in silence, Kai expertly navigating them around the threat indicators on his map. After a few hours of travel, they finally reached the clearing where the bandit camp had been.

Kai let out a low whistle as he surveyed the destruction before them. The once-bustling camp was now a scene of carnage and chaos. Tents lay in tatters, supplies were scattered everywhere, and the ground was scarred with deep gouges and scorch marks.

"By the heavens," Liu Wei breathed, his eyes wide. "I remember it being bad, but this..."

Kai nodded. "The Thunderclaw Tigress did quite a number on your friends."

As they picked their way through the wreckage, Kai's eyes landed on a massive form lying motionless at the edge of the clearing. A slow grin spread across his face.

No way. Did they seriously leave the beast’s corpse behind?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He approached the fallen beast, marveling at its size. Even in death, the Thunderclaw Tigress was an impressive sight.

This has got to be worth a fortune. And it's just sitting here, free for the taking.

Without hesitation, Kai reached out and touched the tigress’ corpse. In an instant, it vanished, absorbed into his inventory.

Liu Wei's jaw dropped. "Master! Did you... did you just store that entire beast in your storage ring?"

Kai turned, hiding his amusement. "Something like that. Now, let's see what other treasures these bandits left behind, shall we?"

Liu Wei nodded, still looking a bit shell-shocked. "R-right. The treasure vault is this way, Master."

As they made their way to the bandits' stash, Kai's mind raced with possibilities. A high-level monster corpse, plus whatever loot these bandits had squirreled away. This is turning into quite the profitable expedition.

Liu Wei led him to a large tent that had somehow survived the destruction relatively intact. Inside, Kai found a treasure trove of stolen goods, spirit stones, and various cultivation resources.

"Last time I was here, I only had time to grab a few things for the villagers," Kai mused aloud. "But now..."

He grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what we've got here."

As Kai began systematically looting the tent, stuffing everything of value into his inventory, Liu Wei watched with a mix of awe and trepidation.

"Master," he said cautiously, "some of these items... they're quite valuable. Are you sure it's wise to take everything?"

Kai paused, fixing Liu Wei with a stern look. "Are you questioning my decisions, Liu Wei?"

The young man paled. "N-no! Of course not, Master. I just... I mean..."

Kai softened his expression slightly. "Look, these bandits stole all this stuff in the first place, right? We're just... redistributing the wealth. Besides, we'll need resources if we're going to get stronger."

Liu Wei nodded quickly. "You're right, of course."

As Kai continued his methodical looting, his eyes fell upon a small, ornate box tucked away in a corner. Curious, he opened it to find three ancient-looking scrolls inside.

Jackpot! Skill scrolls, if I'm not mistaken.

He carefully unrolled the first scroll, and a translucent window immediately popped up in his vision:

Skill Scroll Discovered!

Name: Iron Skin Technique

Description: A defensive cultivation technique that hardens the user's skin, providing increased protection against physical attacks.

Would you like to learn this skill?

Kai's heart raced with excitement. This must be the technique Liu Wei mentioned earlier. The one that made the bandit leader so tough to hurt.

He glanced at the other two scrolls:

Skill Scroll Discovered!

Name: Wind Step Technique

Description: An agility-focused cultivation technique that allows the user to move at greatly increased speeds for short bursts.

Would you like to learn this skill?

Skill Scroll Discovered!

Name: Flame Palm Technique

Description: An offensive cultivation technique that imbues the user's strikes with fiery energy, dealing additional burn damage.

Would you like to learn this skill?

Three new skills, just like that. This is almost too easy.

Kai glanced over at Liu Wei, who was busy sorting through a pile of spirit stones. Making sure the young man wasn't paying attention, Kai stepped behind a large crate for privacy.

I have a feeling this might look a bit weird to an outside observer.

Taking a deep breath, Kai focused on the Iron Skin Technique and selected 'Yes'.

Instantly, the scroll in his hand began to glow. It grew warm to the touch, then hot, before suddenly crumbling to dust. Kai felt a rush of knowledge flood his mind, as if he'd just speed-read an entire textbook on the technique.

A new notification appeared:

Skill Acquired!

Iron Skin Technique (Level 1)

Your Durability increases by 10% when activated

Grinning from ear to ear, Kai repeated the process with the other two scrolls. Each time, he felt that same rush of knowledge, followed by a notification of his new skill.

Skill Acquired: Wind Step Technique (Level 1)

Your Agility increases by 10% when activated

Skill Acquired: Flame Palm Technique (Level 1)

Your Attack increases by 10% when activated

Kai couldn't help but do a little victory dance. Three new skills, just like that! This is exactly the kind of power-up I needed.

He pulled up his status window to admire his newly expanded skill list:

Skills:

* Qi Condensation (Level 2)

* Basic Cultivation Technique (Level 3)

* Unarmed Combat (Level 2)

* Deception (Level 3)

* Iron Skin Technique (Level 1)

* Wind Step Technique (Level 1)

* Flame Palm Technique (Level 1)

* Mental Fortitude (Passive)

Not bad at all. Of course, they're all at Level 1 for now so the increase isn’t that significant, but that just means I've got room to grow.

Lost in his thoughts, Kai didn't notice Liu Wei approaching until the young man called out.

"Master! Master, come quick! I've found something!"

Kai quickly closed his status window and turned to face his follower.

"What is it, Liu Wei?"