"Scrap material?"
"Robust… this talent looks pretty mediocre…"
"Dodge? Isn't this just the King's Roll? Why is it only a fifty-percent evasion chance? Did the game devs drown in saltwater or something?"
Li Miao couldn't help complaining.
Rogge, standing beside him, looked helpless.
The Spirit Candle's grade was only so high—being able to grant a decent, middle-of-the-road talent was already a blessing.
As for a hundred-percent damage avoidance… Rogge wanted that too.
Still, he understood Li Miao's frustration. For a game, a fifty-percent evasion chance was quite bizarre…
Any game dev who implemented that would be packing up their desk the next day…
…Forget it. Better give the kid some candy.
If this one and only player logs out in anger, he'd have to start all over again…
"You are the first flame to arrive in this world… this may help you."
Rogge said softly and handed something to Li Miao.
It had dropped when he fought monsters earlier—back when he hadn't yet mastered combat. It had been extremely useful then, but now he no longer needed it.
Still muttering under his breath, Li Miao reached out instinctively to take it.
His hands were now fully controllable.
[Acquired: Murloc Strange Scale ×1]
[Murloc Strange Scale (Common)]
Type: Accessory
Description: A strange scale shed from a slain murloc. Reduces the damage murlocs deal to you.
[Equip / Store]
Note: Equipped items will become part of your body. You have ten free storage slots.
Li Miao's eyes lit up. He clicked Equip, and the strange scale gradually fused into the palm of his hand.
[Equipped: Murloc Strange Scale]
After equipping the accessory, Li Miao recalled Rogge's earlier words.
The first flame to arrive in this world?
Didn't that mean more players would come later, and he was the very first?
So this wasn't even a single-player game!?
The thought immediately excited him.
Seeing Li Miao stop complaining, Rogge moved on to the next stage of guidance.
[Touch the flame of the Spirit Candle to distribute your attribute points]
Spotting the new prompt, Li Miao looked toward the candle.
"Touch the flame… with my hand?"
He hesitated for a moment, but quickly realized—
It's just a game.
What's there to be afraid of?
Reaching out, he touched the flickering flame.
Instead of the expected burn, warmth enveloped him.
Focusing on the "Attributes" tab caused the interface to shift.
Strength: 5
Constitution: 6
Agility: 5
Mind: 5
Faith: 5
Free Attribute Points: 5
"Five attributes… how do I distribute these…" Li Miao muttered, troubled.
The worst part: he didn't even know what each attribute did.
Rogge only knew some of them himself… which was why he hadn't provided detailed explanations.
But Li Miao's hesitation didn't last long.
[If you offer enough Wax Oil, the Spirit Candle can reshape your attributes]
A prompt appeared before his eyes—instantly curing his indecision.
"So there is a respec feature…" He exhaled, then focused on Constitution. "Let's raise Constitution to 10 first."
He finished distributing soon enough.
Constitution up to 10, and the remaining point placed into Strength.
Seeing the preparations finally completed, Rogge let out a sigh of relief.
"This weapon isn't sharp, but it's better than fighting bare-handed."
He handed over a slightly rusty blade.
[Acquired: Slightly Rusted Blade (Crude)]
Type: Weapon
Description: A somewhat rusty blade, but still retains some killing power.
[Equip / Store]
Of course the starter weapon had to be equipped—Li Miao wasn't about to punch monsters.
"Go now, newborn flame. Bring the Spirit Candle's light and warmth to the corners swallowed by darkness…"
When the Candlekeeper finished speaking, his body dissolved into pale yellow Wax Oil and slowly flowed beneath the Spirit Candle.
Once he vanished, Li Miao found he could finally move freely again.
The prompt in his vision also changed.
[Slay monsters, collect Wax Oil, and increase your level]
Looks like the tutorial was over.
Though a bit short, Li Miao thought it wasn't bad.
"Since it's a VR game, high freedom is the whole point!"
"Alright—battle time!"
He bounced in place twice to adapt to this new body, then eagerly grabbed the blade and dashed out of the reef cave.
Seeing everything progressing smoothly, Rogge relaxed.
Good thing he didn't mess up the dialogue, and the player didn't rage-quit…
Once he confirmed Li Miao had left, Rogge's body re-formed.
"It's still not time for me to rest…"
He sighed and walked toward another corner of the reef cave.
His Wax Oil reserves were still far from enough.
He had to summon more players to raise the Spirit Candle's grade and unlock more functions…
…
"Roll… roll…"
"Screw it, ignore—go!"
On the dim shoreline, Li Miao gleefully rolled around, occasionally performing a backflip, swinging his blade at the air for flair.
Aside from a pair of shorts, he wore no equipment.
But after practicing, breath slightly quickened, he felt incredibly strong.
"Rraaagh!"
Just then, a short, slime-covered murloc with a vicious fish head spotted him from the waves.
Letting out a shriek, it charged toward him.
[Tidemire Murloc]
Grade: Remnant Ash
Level: 3
Talent: None
Skill: Slime Spray
Description: A murloc living on the shore. Mindless and attacks anything that isn't one of its own.
"Good! Come at me!"
Seeing the murloc rush toward him, Li Miao wasn't afraid.
This thing looked like a total trash mob.
He figured he only needed one slash to—
"RRAAA!"
Before he could finish the thought, the murloc shrieked again, bent its legs, and leapt straight at him!
"What the—!?"
Startled, Li Miao's mind went blank. All thoughts of rolling vanished.
Thud!
The murloc slammed him to the ground, biting wildly, foul-smelling drool splattering across his face.
The expected intense pain didn't come—only mild pain.
But pain was still pain.
And he could clearly feel his life force dropping fast.
In the crisis, Li Miao snapped out of shock, fury igniting.
He wrestled with the creature.
Soon, with his superior Strength, he forced it onto its back and clamped his hands around its throat.
"Die!"
Finally remembering he had a blade, he grabbed it and hacked downward at its neck.
[You have slain a Tidemire Murloc]
As the prompt appeared, the murloc beneath him dissolved into ash, leaving behind a droplet-shaped Wax Oil.
"Hff… hff…"
Li Miao collapsed onto the sand, gasping heavily, covered in bite marks.
Dark yellow Wax Oil oozed from the wounds…
His expression twisted in disbelief.
Something's wrong.
This was supposed to be a trash mob.
Why did it take so much effort?
I was almost killed by a trash mob!?