"What was what?" Aukhman said, confusion written all over his face.

After explaining everything that had happened to him, Aukhman mocked, "Well, it did say it was a battle simulation. You should have fought with that monster instead of just running away." Shrugging his shoulder, he continued, "At least you don't have to worry about time because only a few seconds have passed."

"Seconds?" Asked Jing, shocked. But he quickly processed the fact that the function had some time-bending properties and defended, "I was afraid I would die. This game isn't exactly known for its mercy either, I didn't know if those were some trials of worthiness or some nonsense like that. But damn. That was scary. Battle simulation, couldn't they have thrown me in some normal arena to fight a normal human or something? A weird rocky monster with a creepy face isn't exactly what I consider training."

"Fuck," He mumbled after he was done with his frustrated complaints, feeling aggrieved by the whole thing. He didn't gain anything, just lost. It was one of the scariest experiences of his life, he didn't learn anything, and he lost 500 Game Coins.

"At least you learned that your life is safe there," Aukhman said with an amused smile.

"I guess," Jing replied, still agitated. After a while, he remembered something very important and asked, "You aren't able to access that dimension, correct?" He asked.

"True, what of it?" Asked Aukhman.

Jing's eyes lit up, and he finally felt like he had won something.

His stolen privacy. If things got too overwhelming for him under Aukhman's magical and invisible cameras, he could run away to that world.

'But definitely not now,' He thought with a wry smile. 'That was too weird and scary for me.'

"Never mind," He said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll try that Send friend request and chat option, I think it has a lot of value."

"Yes, it does." Aukhman replied, but his voice turned cautious as he warned, "But be careful not to give too much information."

Jing nodded and opened the leaderboard menu once again.

Rank - Name - Race - Cultivation - Soul Purity - Kills

1 : WhiskerTail - Musurian - Qi Condensation(4) - 58% - 1

2 : MushroomLover - Goblin - Body Tempering(9) - 57% - 1

3 : Iron Horn - Tauren - Qi Condensation (2) - 47% - 1

4 : TinyTesties - Musurian - Qi Condensation(2) - 59% - 1

...

Jing noticed some slight differences from last time. Mainly the fact that they all had names now, but most importantly he distinctively remembered that Rank 1 previously had only 48% Soul Purity.

'Seems like he got a second blood too,' He thought. Some of them had also increased in their cultivation from what he could remember. Naturally, the biggest addition was the Kills bar, and thus using that he began tinkering with the filtering options.

Rank - Name - Race - Cultivation - Soul Purity - Kills

1 : Great Bardu - Goblin - Qi Condensation(1) - 71% - 3

2 : Autumn Leaves - Tauren - Qi Condensation(2) - 67% - 2

3 : CrimsonClaw - Vulperian - Qi Condensation (3) - 56% - 2

4 : White Gown - Xenithian - Qi Condensation(1) - 59% - 2

'Three kills? How?!' Jing exclaimed in his mind. He found the concept to be utterly impossible. Though he had killed one it was purely a random stroke of luck and more so an accident. He couldn't fathom how one in the last few days might find three other players and then proceed to kill them.

'These Goblins look fierce.' He thought warily.

As much as he was tempted to speak with new sapient races for the first time, he changed the filtering options once again. His time was limited and he had to rest in preparation for tomorrow. Thus, he began shifting the filtering option to only include humans with the highest kills.

Rank - Name - Race - Cultivation - Soul Purity - Kills

1 : SilverFang - Human - Qi Condensation(3) - 70% - 1

2 : Kenneth - Human - Body Tempering(9) - 63% - 1

3 : Bearfeast - Human - Body Tempering(9) - 59% - 1

Noticing the high cultivation Rank 1 had, Jing was sure that he wasn't with them in the sect. He had made sure to gather information before, and every new outer disciple was only at the Body Tempering stage. 'But I also woke up at the Qi Condensation, maybe they're already inside the sect?' He mused, and his hypothesis seemed very likely. At the same time, he was a bit overwhelmed by the guy's high cultivation compared to his, and even higher Soul Purity.

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'Silver Fang?' Jing thought with a pondering expression. 'One Punch Man reference or coincidental? Guess there is only one way to find out.'

His heart began nervously beating inside of his chest although he was very safe in his dark room, and he closed his eyes. Upon clicking on the row of the Rank 1 Player a basic chat menu appeared. Black background and blue corners. It had emoticons, a send button, and the whole package.

Kenneth: Hey Silver Fang, how's the dojo business going? Found any worthy successors?

After he sent his message, he nervously awaited the reply in the dark world of his closed eyelids as his fingers anxiously tapped his leg.

A few minutes later.

SilverFang: Sigh, I unfortunately have not. But seeing that you've managed to kill another player at the Body Tempering stage you seem worthy yourself. I have some premium meat I wanted to cook, if you feel like giving my dojo a try.

Jing exhaled loudly through his news in both amusement and relief.

Kenneth: Alright, since we're both One Punch Man Fans there is no need to waste too much time with icebreakers. Where are you?

SilverFang: Lol, that's rather presumptuous of you. Where are you?

Kenneth: Well, I am not really asking you where you are exactly right now, I just want to know if we're in the same area so that we could help one another perhaps? I am in The Dragon's Tail Continent, how about you?

SilverFang: Me too...

Jing's eyebrows shot up in surprise, 'Now that is interesting.' He thought.

Kenneth: I am in the Southern Part of the continent.

SilverFang: I am in the north!

Kenneth: Really? Which city then?

SilverFang: Let's just say I am not in any city right now but in one of the branches of the High Tower Holy Land.

Kenneth: Holy Land???

SilverFang: Yes, it's that place where cultivators gather and there are teachers and the rest of it.

Kenneth: What is the name of the nearby kingdom or dynasty?

SilverFang: We don't have have any. There are only independent cities controlled by different High Tower branches.

Kenneth: How about sects?

SilverFang: We don't have those either. Technically the Holy Land is a sect, but they don't like that name really.

Kenneth: Damn, so this Holy Land rules the whole northern part of the Dragon's Tail Continent without any opposition?

SilverFang: In paper, yes.

Kenneth: In paper?

SilverFang: Well, you know, it's not that much different from how things are over there. Just instead of different sects and kingdoms, we have different branches. The Holy Land used to have a leader long ago, but after her death, that spot remained empty. Now, it's more like a democracy. But not really? I don't know, this body's memories weren't exactly involved in the politics and I didn't have the time to learn. All I know is that there are different branches and each branch has their enormous city.

Kenneth: Well, how about that? It's indeed complicated. I don't know much where I am from honestly, I woke up in a village boy's body.

"Shit!" The moment Jing sent that message he cursed. He felt like that was too specific of information about him.

SilverFang: I see, but how are things there?

Kenneth: Sorry, I really couldn't you. I just entered a sect...

Just as he was about to send that message he stopped, he felt like that was also a piece of very important information. He began writing another one.

Kenneth: Sorry, I really couldn't you. I woke up in a random sect and I don't know much honestly. All I know is that there is a Great Empire to the distant west of where I am. There is a very young kingdom called The Red Jade to the very south, and directly close to it there is one called Kaesen Dragon Dynasty. From what I learned there are no sects in The Red Jade as they have assimilated everything, and the Kaesen Dragon has very close ties to a sect called The Golden Mountain sect, and both of them have strict control over the sects in their region.

SilverFang: I understand, not that I care much honestly. Just this part is enough to overwhelm me, and I bet there are even other continents. I will make sure to read some history after the first event.

Kenneth: Ok. Can I ask you what you received in the first blood achievement?

SilverFang: Looking at your Soul Purity I think it's more or less the same. 20% Soul Purity, a spiritual root, and 10.000 game coins.

Kenneth: Jesus Christ that's a lot.

SilverFang: What did you get?

Kenneth: 10% Soul Purity, a spiritual root, and 5.000 game coins.

SilverFang: Thank god, I got the first. There was only a little time between us.

A bit of silence stretched out before:

SilverFang: So, was the player your very first kill?

Kenneth: Of course, it was yours too.

SilverFang: No, I mean...

Jing's eyes widened at that, and the implication was clear to him. There was a chance that who he was talking to had killed on Earth too.

Kenneth: Yes, I am only 23 and I lived in the US, I didn't have much time to kill, lol. You?

SilverFang: Me too. I was just asking.

SilverFang: So, How did you do it?

Kenneth: It was an accident.

SilverFang: Me too😉

Jing knew that these two could be of help to one another, and in order to advance their relationship he had to reveal some things about himself and not remain as a blurry figure in the other's mind.

Kenneth: There was a guy who was making it very difficult for me to survive. We were on a mission with the rest of the sect and he kept putting me down in front of the others, and because I was new and overwhelmed by everything I didn't know how to respond to everything. In the end, I fought with him once, and needless to say, he beat me up really well. Then, I waited for another opportunity when he was alone and occupied and I hit him in the balls with everything I got. Because we were in a very risky environment and we were barely holding on, we managed to kill him. But it wasn't my intention.

SilverFang: Haha interesting. I thought you were just joking when you said it was an accident.

Kenneth: And how about you?

SilverFang: It was my third day there, and our branch was having a ceremony. It was something about the remembrance of their ancestors and some stupid stuff like that. I was just randomly standing in the crowd when one of our elders walked in the air, and I suddenly heard someone saying in English, "Bloody Hell!" And yada yada, he died.

'What?!' Exclaimed Jing, shocked.

Kenneth: Yada yada, meaning?

SilverFang: Sigh, don't make me feel bad more than I already do. I took advantage of his lack of memories and pretended we were long-time friends and I gave him a poisoned drink.