The following days, Lam Minh's life proceeded as usual, at least in the eyes of others. He still went to class, still dozed off, still occasionally teased Hung 'fat'. But no one knew that every night, he spent hours in the "Alley of Death," testing new combat methods and, of course, finding creative ways to die to accumulate points.
However, farming points in the simulation was excruciatingly slow. After three days of grinding like a moth to a flame, he had only managed to accumulate an additional 1500 points.
"Dammit, at this rate, I won't reach Foundation Establishment until hell freezes over," Lam Minh grumbled, lying on his bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. "I have to find a real-world opportunity. One quality 'hit' out there is worth a whole day of grinding in here."
The opportunity came sooner than he expected.
On Saturday morning, while he was eating breakfast, the news on TV suddenly switched to a breaking report. A female announcer with a tense face reported, "Emergency bulletin! At 6 a.m. this morning, a group of Madakaros breached a weak section of the defensive wall in the Z-7 suburban area, Go Vap district. The military is urgently deploying forces to encircle and eliminate them. Residents are advised not to leave their homes and to strictly adhere to the curfew."
The Z-7 sector!
Lam Minh nearly dropped his chopsticks. That was the exact area with the vacant lot he had told his father to lease. Mr. Lam Dao had just completed the paperwork yesterday!
"Oh my god! Z-7? That's near my Aunt Tu's house!" Mrs. Mai exclaimed worriedly, quickly grabbing her phone to call her relatives.
Mr. Lam Dao's face hardened. "Those bastards found a loophole again. Hopefully, the army deals with it quickly."
But in Lam Minh's mind, a completely different thought sparked.
This is it! A golden opportunity!
A group of Madakaros had broken in. There would definitely be Qi Refining ones and maybe even a few stray Foundation Establishment cultivators. If he could "die" at the hands of a Foundation Establishment enemy in the real world, the points he'd receive would surely be a colossal number!
"Dad, Mom, I'm going up to my room to study," Lam Minh said, trying his best to sound calm.
"Okay, you stay put in your room. Don't go running around," Mrs. Mai instructed.
Lam Minh obediently agreed before slipping straight into his room. He changed into a sleek, black sportswear outfit and put on a small backpack containing only a bottle of water and an old fruit-peeling knife. He didn't need a fancy weapon, because his goal wasn't to kill, but to... be killed.
He opened the window and looked down into the alley below. Luckily, his family lived on the second floor. With the physique of an Early Qi Refining cultivator, this jump was no problem.
Lam Minh climbed out, grabbed onto a drainpipe, and slid down to the ground with ease. He quickly weaved through the small alleys, avoiding the checkpoints being set up by the police and militia.
He knew the terrain of this area like the back of his hand. In his past life, he had fought here no less than ten times. He knew which paths were shortcuts, where he could hide.
After about 20 minutes of moving, he was near the military's containment perimeter. The sounds of gunfire, explosions, and the roars of the Madakaros grew louder and clearer. The air was tense enough to explode.
Lam Minh hid behind a collapsed wall, peering out. He saw soldiers struggling to fight against a dozen or so Madakaros. Most were Qi Refining, but in the center, there was one that was significantly larger, its skin a darker shade of blue, and it moved with astonishing speed. It easily dodged machine-gun fire and tore a jeep apart with its bare hands as if it were paper.
"Early Foundation Establishment!" Lam Minh's eyes lit up. That was his target!
"Dying to a peak Qi Refining enemy in the real world might give me around 700-800 points. So dying to this Foundation Establishment guy should be worth at least 1100 points, right? One death would be enough to get to Mid-stage Qi Refining!"
While he was still calculating, the situation on the battlefield worsened. The Foundation Establishment creature broke through the encirclement and charged towards a nearby old apartment building.
"Dammit! It's trying to find civilians to slaughter!" a commanding officer yelled. "Bravo Team, stop it!"
But it was too late. Its speed was too great.
Lam Minh didn't hesitate. This was the perfect moment! He dashed out from his hiding spot, ran across the road, and deliberately placed himself right in the path of the Foundation Establishment creature. To attract more attention, he even raised the fruit knife and yelled:
"Hey, ugly three-eyes! Your grandpa is over here!"
His suicidal act immediately drew everyone's attention.
"What crazy kid is that? Get back here!" the officer shouted in desperation.
The Foundation Establishment creature also paused for a second, its third eye narrowing as it looked at Lam Minh. Perhaps it was wondering why such a foolish piece of prey would serve itself up on a platter. But it didn't care. It simply changed direction and charged straight for Lam Minh.
"Come to me, baby! Give me a glorious death!" Lam Minh spread his arms wide, his face filled with anticipation.
In the eyes of the soldiers, he was a brave but foolish boy. In the eyes of the Foundation Establishment creature, he was a light snack. But only Lam Minh knew he was about to hit the jackpot.
The creature was right in front of him. It raised its muscular arm, its sharp claws aimed straight at Lam Minh's head.
Lam Minh smiled and closed his eyes. "Ticket to Mid-stage, here I come!"
Just as the monster's claws were inches from Lam Minh's forehead, a sharp whoosh tore through the air.
THWACK!
A gleaming, specially-made alloy arrow embedded itself deep in the third eye on the creature's forehead.
The monster let out a roar of absolute agony. Its attack went wide, grazing Lam Minh's shoulder and tearing away a chunk of his shirt and flesh.
Lam Minh's eyes flew open in bewilderment. What the hell just happened? Who ruined my big moment?
He turned his head, looking in the direction the arrow came from. On the rooftop of an opposite building, a small figure in black combat gear was standing there, holding a modern compound bow. A shock of pink hair flew in the wind.
Even from a distance, with his Qi Refining eyesight, Lam Minh could clearly see it was a girl. A very young-looking girl.
"Blacklight Legion?" Lam Minh muttered. ASEAN's most elite force.
The Foundation Establishment creature, hit in its weak spot, thrashed and roared madly, its internal energy thrown into chaos. Seizing the opportunity, the soldiers unleashed a barrage of bullets and rockets at it.
Lam Minh, on the other hand, was so annoyed he wanted to curse. "Fuck! I was just about to 'climax' and got interrupted! You pink-haired girl, do you have any idea you just robbed me of several thousand points?!"
He didn't die. He was just injured. A rather deep wound on his shoulder, bleeding profusely.
"Kid! Are you okay?" The officer and a few soldiers ran over.
"I'm... I'm fine..." Lam Minh said through gritted teeth. Fine my ass, how can I be fine after losing a mountain of points?
Just then, from the rooftop, the pink-haired girl leaped down, landing as lightly as a cat. She walked towards Lam Minh, her bow now slung across her back.
As she got closer, Lam Minh could see her face clearly. A cute, lovely loli face, but her eyes were razor-sharp, and her lips were pouted in annoyance.
"Hey, kid," the pink-haired girl spoke, her voice sharp and sassy. "Did you leave your brain at home? If you want to die, at least find a way that looks a little smarter, will you?"
Lam Minh stared at the girl. The pink hair, that voice...
Quynh Nhu! The genius sniper of the Blacklight Legion. One of the three most important women in his past life.
But right now, in Lam Minh's eyes, she wasn't his past-life lover, but the party-crasher who had stolen a fortune from him.
He glared at her and growled, "What's it to you?"