Huang Lu picked up the Board Games scroll, and he instantly felt it bind itself to him. It felt like he suddenly understood chess, checkers, and all the other types of silly games that was played out in the world.
"HOW IS IT?"
"I feel like I can play board games now." Well, understood overstated it. He had a beginner-tier comprehension of the games, which was wholly inadequate for his level.
"THEN LET US PLAY."
Huang Lu proceeded to lose the next 10 games of chess against the Marsh Dragon Statue, but each time, he felt like he understood a bit more of what was happening. No, the system simply embedded sufficient knowledge that he could grow it on his own. At the end of the tenth game, he said. "I should leave. My travel partners must be waiting for me."
"DO NOT WORRY. THIS REALM IS TIME-DILATED. THEY WILL NOT FEEL YOU MISSING."
"Whoah." He didn't understand what time-dilated mean, since he was after all, a country bumpkin. A street rate. So all he could say was, whoah. "How do you even do it?"
"JUST LIKE YOU. SUFFICIENT GRAVITATIONAL FORCE CAUSES TIME TO MOVE SLOWER."
"I don't get it."
"ONE DAY WHEN YOU GET SUFFICIENT POWER WITH YOUR SUPERDENSE MUSCLES, YOU WILL."
"How'd you know I have that?"
"I AM A DRAGON-STATUE. MY EYES CAN RECOGNISE THE TOUCH OF THE HEAVENLY SPIRITS!"
"That's crazy overpowered." Huang Lu said.
"THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL A CULTIVATOR MUST HAVE IS GOOD EYESIGHT. LEST YOU FACE MOUNT TAI AND CANNOT RECOGNISE IT. IF YOU CAN SEE WHO YOUR FOE IS, YOU CAN TRULY KNOW WHETHER TO FIGHT OR FLEE."
Huang Lu nodded. The statue made a good point. "I should get some eye-abilities."
[You can now purchase the ability - the Left Eye of the Green Dragon - 500 coins]
"Oh." Huang Lu had a look of surprise on his face that the dragon clearly picked up.
"I SEE THE HEAVENS HAVE GRANTED YOU THE OPTION."
"You can see my choices?"
"NO. BUT I RECOGNISE THAT 'OH' ANYWHERE."
"Huh."
"MORE GAMES?" The wooden chessboard magically readjusted itself.
"How many games should I play before I become a master?" Huang Lu asked. He didn't know how deep the game was.
"YOU WILL PLAY FOREVER BEFORE YOU BECOME A MASTER! BUT ONE THOUSAND GAMES WILL MAKE YOU COMPETENT."
"And I will play one thousand games?"
"THERE IS NO POINT PLAYING ONE THOUSAND GAMES AGAINST THE SAME PERSON. YOU MUST PLAY WITH MANY, MANY OTHERS."
Huang Lu nodded, once again the dragon made a lot of sense. "That is true. How do I even know who I should play with?"
Stolen novel; please report.
The dragon statue made a big fat laugh. "AH. IS THE CIRCLE OF THE BOARD STILL AROUND?"
"The what?"
The dragon was quiet and then, a small wooden ring appeared. There was a symbol, or more appropriately, a 19x19 grid printed on the wooden ring. "THIS RING WILL HELP YOU FIND THE CIRCLE. EVERY CAPITOL CITY SHOULD HAVE A BRANCH WHERE YOU CAN PLAY."
"Oh. To be honest, there are other games I can play, right?"
Huang Lu felt an immense pressure pressing on him. It took his entire willpower to resist. "HOW DARE YOU? WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO PLAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN CHESS?!"
"But the scroll has all these other board games?!" Huang Lu said.
"...THAT IS TRUE. BUT THOSE OTHER GAMES ARE BAD."
"Why?"
"THEY JUST ARE." Huang Lu was now determined to try them. "AND NO. I WON'T PLAY THEM."
"I see. I should go."
"ONLY AFTER YOU PLAY 90 GAMES OF CHESS WITH ME."
"Why 90?"
"BECAUSE THAT MAKES IT A HUNDRED. AND A HUNDRED GAMES IS WHAT IT TAKES TO HAVE A MEASURE OF A MAN." Huang Lu made a move, and proceeded to lose the next 90 games. The dragon was really good at the game, and though Huang Lu saw his death coming, he didn't know how to prevent it.
"I lost.... again."
"THAT WAS SATISFYING."
"To you. Losing a hundred games suck."
"THAT IS TRUE. THANK YOU FOR ACCOMPANYING ME." The dragon spoke. "IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO GO, THEN."
"Yeah. Treasures... and wait, I remember the heavens said there were harem members here."
"HAREM. AH. YES, FEMALES. LET ME CHECK THE FILTERS. I SHOULD HAVE SOME TO FULFILL THE REPRODUCTIVE ROLES."
"Filters?"
"YES. US DRAGONS ALL HAVE ANTI-INTRUSION FILTERS." Such anti-intrusion filters did not work with individuals like Huang Lu who are chosen by the heavens, so he naturally bypassed all such problems. At that moment, two bubbles appeared, and two unconscious naked ladies. There were also other guys around the ladies who were also naked and unconscious. They were all wrapped in vines of the marsh, and they all looked pale.
"What's happening?"
"MY FILTERS CAUGHT THESE INVADERS. AS YOU ARE A MAIN CHARACTER CHOSEN BY THE HEAVENS, IT IS ONLY NATURAL FOR YOU TO SAVE THESE DAMSELS IN DISTRESS."
"This feels like a set up."
The dragon laughed. "I AM BUT A COG IN THE GREAT MACHINATIONS OF THE HEAVENS TO SUPPLY MAIN CHARACTERS WITH FUTURE HAREM MEMBERS. WE MUST MAINTAIN THE FERTILITY AND POPULATION OF THE WORLD."
"What?"
"WHAT WHAT?"
"What the hell was that fertility thing?"
"AS YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD FIGHT AND KILL AND CRIPPLE EACH OTHER FAR TOO EASILY. THUSLY, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE WORLD'S POPULATION CONTINUE TO REPLENISH ITSELF IN SPITE OF SUCH BRUTAL MURDERS AND KILLINGS."
Huang Lu stared at the statue.
"YOU, CHOSEN AS YOU ARE, ARE TO BREED WITH THESE FEMALES AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH FUTURE MAIN CHARACTERS AND HAREM MEMBERS."
Huang Lu was too stunned to understand what was happening. Was this entire heavenly chosen thing some kind of heavenly reproduction programme meant to repopulate the world? Yes. Yes it was. Of course, Huang Lu didn't have to know that, but the fates did. After all, it is a really big problem if the constant killing of 9 generations resulted in massive population declines, so naturally new families and new dynasties must emerge to replace those killed in all these ridiculousness.
As such, it is only natural that every significant male character has a harem, and their brains rewired to copulate like rabbits to ensure that the population continues to replenish itself after such catastrophic battles.
"Am I supposed to know that?"
"NO. BUT SO, WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT TO RESCUE?"
Huang Lu didn't recognize both groups, but it didn't seem right that he choose to save only one. Without knowing anything of both groups, he, as a 3rd party, should endeavor to rescue both. Thus, he asked. "Can I choose both?"
The statue laughed. "SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE HAREM MASTER. BOTH IT IS. BEFORE YOU GO, HERE'S SOMETHING FOR YOU."
A cup filled with a green liquid appeared. "What's this?"
"THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE MARSH DRAGON."
"Your essence?" Huang Lu felt kind of strange that this was being offered. It's like a human offering someone else human blood.
"NO. OF COURSE NOT. IT'S THE OTHER, FALLEN MARSH DRAGONS."
Huang Lu stared at the statue. "Is this a trap?"
"NO."
Huang Lu sighed, and downed the cup in a single gulp. Huang Lu felt his body burn as the energies of the green liquid entered his body, and he felt his muscles pulse. He felt stronger, even if he wasn't sure how.
"GOOD. NOW YOU HAVE THE BLOOD OF DRAGONS. ACCUMULATE MORE BLOOD OF THE DRAGON KIN, AND IN TIME, YOU WILL BE A DRAGON YOURSELF."
Huang Lu wondered whether that mean he had to drink more dragon essence?
"OFF YOU GO!" The statue's eyes glowed.
Huang Lu was ripped out of his position, and flung into another secret realm filled with vines and tentacles.