First Blood
1380 Words
Chen Wei stared at the golden text floating in his vision.
SOVEREIGN INHERITANCE SYSTEM - ACTIVE
HOST: Chen Wei
STATUS: Critical Condition
He tried to sit up. Every muscle screamed. Blood soaked through his shirt. The construction site was empty except for him.
CURRENT ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 4
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 7
Constitution: 3
Charisma: 3
Combat Ability: 1
AVERAGE HUMAN BASELINE: 5
Five years of starvation had reduced him to nothing. Less than nothing.
EMERGENCY QUEST ACTIVATED
Quest: Survive
Objective: Live through the next 24 hours
Reward: Beginner Package
Failure: Death
Time Remaining: 23:47:12
A countdown timer appeared. Chen Wei focused on it.
CURRENT THREATS
- Internal bleeding (47% probability of death within 6 hours)
- Infection risk (moderate)
- Hostile entities likely to return
Wonderful. The System could calculate exactly how many ways he might die.
Chen Wei grabbed a concrete pillar and hauled himself up. His vision swam. He pressed a hand against his cracked ribs.
BASIC SKILL UNLOCKED: Observe
He blinked. Knowledge settled into his brain like it had always been there. Chen Wei looked at his bloodied hand and concentrated.
Chen Wei's Hand
- Severe abrasions
- Knuckles fractured (minor)
- Infection risk if untreated: 68%
The information was precise. Useful.
His mother had told him stories when he was young. Ancient bloodlines. Powers beyond normal humans. He thought they were fairy tales.
Apparently not.
Chen Wei activated Observe on his surroundings. A mini-map appeared showing the area. A pharmacy glowed green two streets away.
Recommended Action: Acquire medical supplies
Problem: No currency available
The System went quiet. It could guide him, but it would not hold his hand.
Stealing from a pharmacy while half-dead. Not heroic. But heroes were for people with choices.
He limped toward the fence gap. The pharmacy sat on a corner, glass windows displaying neat rows of products. An old woman in a white coat organized shelves behind the counter.
Chen Wei used Observe.
Liu Pharmacy - Family Owned
Owner: Liu Meifang, Age 67
Security: Basic (1 camera)
Threat Level: Minimal
HIGH-VALUE TARGETS DETECTED
- Antibiotic package (rear shelf)
- Antiseptic solution (middle shelf)
- Bandages (front counter)
The System showed him exactly what he needed and where to find it.
He circled to the back alley. Metal door with a simple lock.
Security Door - Standard Commercial
Lock Type: Basic Pin Tumbler
Difficulty: Easy
Required Skill: Lock-picking (Basic) - YOU DO NOT POSSESS THIS SKILL
Chen Wei found a wire coat hanger near a dumpster. He straightened it and worked the lock. Years ago, before his cousin Chen Feng framed him and stole everything, he had watched a documentary about security systems. The concepts were still in his head.
The wire scraped against metal. His hands were clumsy from injury.
Click.
SKILL LEARNED: Lock-picking (Basic)
Intelligence +1
The door swung open. Chen Wei slipped inside and grabbed what he needed. Antibiotics. Antiseptic. Bandages. His hands moved fast, stuffing supplies into his pockets.
He saw the cash box on a desk. Maybe three thousand yuan inside.
His hand reached for it. Stopped.
Taking medicine to survive was one thing. Stealing an old woman's earnings was different. Chen Wei had spent five years refusing to become the monster the Chen family accused him of being.
He found a pen and paper.
I took medicine. I am sorry. I will repay you ten times over. - A debtor who keeps his word
He left the note and slipped out.
QUEST PROGRESS UPDATE
Medical supplies acquired
Survival probability increased to 47%
HIDDEN CONDITION SATISFIED
Maintained moral boundary under extreme pressure
SPECIAL REWARD UNLOCKED
Title Gained: Honorable Thief
Effect: +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence when acting for survival rather than greed
Bonus: Fate's Notice
The universe marks those who hold to principles. Future encounters influenced by this choice.
Chen Wei stared. The System was not just tracking physical progression. It monitored his choices.
What exactly had he inherited from his mother's bloodline?
He found an abandoned apartment building. Third floor. Broken window. Inside was a ruin, but it was shelter.
His hands shook as he swallowed the antibiotics. The System provided medical guidance like having a doctor in his head. He cleaned his wounds with antiseptic. The pain was blinding.
SKILL LEARNED: First Aid (Basic)
Constitution +1
Chen Wei wrapped his ribs and collapsed against the wall. His body needed rest desperately.
REST RECOMMENDED
Current location marked as SAFE for next 8 hours
Set alarm? YES/NO
He selected YES for six hours. His eyes closed. Sleep took him instantly.
The alarm woke him. Chen Wei jerked upright. The countdown showed 16:22:47 remaining.
His body felt different. Stronger. He checked his status.
CURRENT ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 5
Agility: 6
Intelligence: 9
Constitution: 5
Charisma: 3
Combat Ability: 1
He had recovered to baseline human levels in six hours. The System was actively enhancing his healing and learning speed.
OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE AVAILABLE
Face your attacker before quest completion
Reward: Combat ability increase, Additional skill unlock
Risk: Moderate
Scarface and his thugs. The animals who beat him for a sleeping spot. The System was offering him payback.
He checked the minimap. Three red dots appeared two blocks away.
Hostile Entities Detected
Previous Attackers - Confidence Level: 94%
Threat Assessment: Manageable with preparation
For five years, he had run and hidden.
No more.
Chen Wei headed toward the red dots. As he walked, combat knowledge flooded his mind. Where to hit. How to move. Principles of leverage.
He found them in the same alley. Scarface sat on a crate, smoking. His two companions played cards.
Chen Wei stepped into view.
Scarface's eyes went wide. Then he laughed. "Look who came back. Thought you died, boy." He stood. "Come for another beating?"
Chen Wei activated Observe.
Hostile Target: "Scarface"
Threat Level: Low-Medium
Strength: 7
Agility: 6
Combat Ability: 4
Weaknesses: Overconfident, injured left knee, poor stamina
"Last chance to walk away," Chen Wei said.
Scarface gestured to his friends. They spread out, flanking him.
The System painted trajectory lines across his vision. Predicted movements.
Scarface charged. Chen Wei sidestepped and hit him in the kidney. Precise. Efficient.
Scarface stumbled.
The thug on the left swung a pipe. Chen Wei ducked under it, stepped inside, and drove his palm into the solar plexus. The man collapsed gasping.
COMBAT ABILITY +1
The third man hesitated. Chen Wei closed distance and delivered three strikes—knee, ribs, jaw. He crumpled.
Scarface threw a wild haymaker. Too slow. Chen Wei caught the wrist, twisted, and swept his injured leg. The big man crashed down.
Chen Wei stood over him. "You took my sleeping spot. You beat me half to death. You stole my twelve yuan." He paused. "I see you again, I break something that does not heal."
He walked away.
OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE COMPLETE
COMBAT ABILITY +2
SKILL UNLOCKED: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: First Victory
Reward: All physical attributes +1
MAIN QUEST COMPLETE
YOU HAVE SURVIVED
BEGINNER PACKAGE AWARDED
Golden light erupted around Chen Wei. Power flooded through his body. Strength. Speed. Clarity.
When it faded, he checked his status.
CURRENT ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 10
Constitution: 9
Charisma: 4
Combat Ability: 6
BEGINNER PACKAGE CONTENTS
- 10,000 Yuan (deposited to System Inventory)
- Skill: Business Sense (Basic)
- Skill: Negotiation (Basic)
- Ability: Enhanced Recovery (Passive)
- One free stat point
Yesterday he was dying in mud. Today he was stronger than any normal human.
And this was just the beginning.
NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: Reclaim What Was Stolen
Chen Wei smiled for the first time in five years.
Back when he was seventeen, he had everything. His father Chen Zhentian groomed him to take over portions of Chen Group—a billion-yuan conglomerate that dominated Donghai City. Then his cousin Chen Feng, the legitimate heir, got jealous. Framed him for theft. His own father watched in silence as the family threw him into the streets with nothing.
Chen Feng took his inheritance. Married his fiancée Lin Yue. Lives in the family estate while Chen Wei slept in gutters.
Five years of planning. Five years of memorizing their routines, their weaknesses, their secrets.
Now he had a System that could turn him into whatever he needed to become.
"Chen Feng," he whispered to the empty street. "I am coming for everything you stole."
- Writer
