Races: Online

His stomach growled.

Han Jing held a hand over his stomach and sighed, "If only I had a Skill that actually stops hunger or something, or a body that didn't even need it. Like an actual character's body. Danggit." He had already ended up using all his money to buy take-out last night for his sister and mother.

...But he still had some of his money in his mobile app.

"The Noble said one levels up through hardship…" Han Jing was starting to have a habit of speaking it aloud now? He shook his head and searched for the extra keys he had to the apartment and made his way out. He can go on a little jog and that'll increase his endurance right?

Needless to say, the man jogged down the stairs.

He hurried to it and tried not to trip himself to death—working out, he had never considered it all before. His metabolism was still good enough that he hadn't pulled on any weight, and his mother would never let him hear the end of it if he actually grew fat or something. In record's time, he made his way down to the main entrance of the apartment.

Now where should he eat?

Visiting Mou Gu right now, wouldn't that be too risky? He wasn't even sure if the guy was around—going on to whatever side job they had. Han Jing gulped for a moment. A job. Did it matter…? Of course it did, his Skills weren't going to place food on their table and it wasn't going to pay for the bills either.

"I mean, if I look hard enough...there's probably some underground brawling area?" He considered it seriously for a moment. And he had already found himself walking through the familiar street towards the convenience store—it was automatic. "What about online games? Some kind of tournament? I'm too slow to become pro."

He ignored the look of some passerby.

They really should mind their own business. There wasn't anything wrong about a person talking to themselves—and yet Han Jing dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out his earphone cords. He plucked them in his ear and sighed.

It wasn't attached to his phone.

[ A New Message Arrived ]

It appeared suddenly without even him noticing it—he blinked and checked it.

Peach: There's my favorite Human! Long time no talk!

Han: ...I'm probably the only Human you talked to?

Han Jing entered the convenience store and glanced around, there were some people this time. He minded his own business and headed to the hot food aisle, he didn't mind getting a dumpling or a wonton soup. Cheap but filling.

Multi-tasking was possible, and compared with a phone—contacting the Moderator with only his thoughts? This was almost like Telepathy with extra steps right?

Peach: Did you ask about Soul Calibration and Synchronization? I was busy the last time—I became an emcee to some boring event. Yuck, I hate my job. 

Her words made him raise his brows? The word 'hate' didn't exactly seem to suit her… Han Jing flinched and bit back a curse. His gaze looked past into the screen and the piece of paper attached to the hot food section: 'Don't Touch'

One at a time.

He really couldn't do two things at the same time? He picked up one of small paper containers and tongs, opened the cabinet and plucked out some dumplings and meat buns. Three pieces for each and picked up some cold milk tea from the drinks section. And then he replied.

Han: I did, I think I managed to get a gist of how this Soul Calibration and Synchronization works—but I'd like to learn how to unlock locked skills

Peach: You're treating me like some Helpful NPC Guide—I'm a Moderator

Han: ...you didn't have any plans to answer me then? 

Why did she greet him then? To rant about her work? He had assumed that she was a solid employee that stuck to her work, but it seemed like any Human… human, like any person—she also had her own complaints.

"Are you paying for that? Your food is growing cold."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that." He placed the food on the counter and pulled up his phone, freezing for a second before opening his money app. A sweat ran down the corner of his forehead. The cashier showed him a QR code to scan, and he did. Of course the cashier wasn't going to notice anything. 

Once he was done, Han Jing made his way to one of the available tables near the windows and plopped down. One thing at a time, he ate one dumpling and rechecked the screen. Which was weird, because he thought he needed the phone to chat but they could also communicate directly? 

Peach: Let's see, you basically have two bodies—one on earth and one in the Creators world, well, let's go with that. They have different calibrations, your current body now is incapable of magic and you're still in the adjustment period. Imagine how much pressure you'd experience if we simply forced your Mana Senses to activate fully? The environment is too different here.

Han Jing wasn't sure if that was fair enough—heck, how long was the adjustment period before he unlocked them all? That was what he was concerned about, but there was another thing that was on his mind. He took a sip of his milk tea. 

Han: ...are you sure that there was no occupant in the body I'm residing there?

Peach: Why? Did you experience something weird?

Han: No, but that's not a dismissive answer.

Peach: Huh? I was only concerned. I do have to remind you—you are a Beta-Tester, if there's bugs, you still need to report it. Gaining sentience is possible… or was it already there? Anyway, as for the calibration percentage—adjustment period as I said. You could attempt to hasten the adjustment by proving that your body is capable of the locked features

Han: So I need to train? Repeat stuff?

Peach: You can do things over and over again, but it's not efficient. That's effective, it works, but not fast enough—and isn't that boring? Geez, you Humans call it grinding? Too much caution instead of facing a challenge head on, it's a little pathetic. Now what Skill would be a good example…

Han: I have a suggestion? Hastened Learning. I'd really appreciate it if you can tell me how to unlock that one.

Peach: Mana Sense—it's unlocked and inactive. If you manage to keep it consciously active, there is a chance that you'll be able to unlock Mana Control as it's the next step, but you'll also unlock Mental Fortitude. Well, I hope you do, who knows what's the quality of mana there in your world nowadays

Han Jing ate two more dumplings and chewed. This conversation, or rather the way that they were commenting on earth? It was a little deja vu. The Wood Elf had probably also called the earth as some kind of bad place, Han Jing craned his head out to the window and at the vehicles that passed through the paved streets. The buildings that rose sky-high and such.

The numerous number of people.

Sometimes he hated it, hated the world—he felt a bit edgy when he acknowledged that. But it wasn't all that bad to him. At least not as bad as the others were saying as it was. Not that his perspective was unbiased, but that was how he saw it.

Han: I need Mental Fortitude to protect my mind because the world is polluted, that's it? 

Peach: There's that, but who knows what other dangerous entities are there—if you're too weak, they'll eat you alive

Han: What?

Peach: I thought you were smarter than you look? You already know about Souls right—I hope you remember it. We just talked about it. There's a multitude of levels? Honesty, what a bad memory you have. Even if you're a beta-tester for us, it doesn't mean that you're the big frog in the pond.

Han Jing blinked.

Peach: Honestly, I still remember your request to connect with all the other Humans from other servers—but think about yourself first. You're in a big city right? I can imagine multitude of individuals there who are stronger than you, even with the Soul Calibration up. I mean, if all of you were weak—wouldn't the Demons or other invasive Races tried to conquer you by now?

Had he been worrying about the wrong things entirely? Han Jing took a sip of his drink and gulped it down. He glanced around at the people in the convenience store, complete strangers. There was the cashier, some other buyers, an old man, a woman with her kid, some giggling university girls…

Were these the people he should be worried about?

'Fellow humans may stab you in the back, but they're also the ones who stand behind you.'

Old Man Joe Light told that to him and Timothy before they arrived at the Academy, and it sounded wise before—but if a person stood behind you, then wasn't it easy to stab you in the back? Great. He wasn't only worrying about visiting Elves now but also the people around him? 

Han: So there are dangerous people here who might attack me with their mana?

Peach: Or qi, whatever it is you use in that area. I mean, it wouldn't be surprising if they used a gun too—you're not bulletproof.

Han: Thank you for the image

Han Jing needed to unlock his mana control soon—a Mana Shield can probably take attacks from bullets right? Wait. He still had a pathetic amount of mana, and he had to do all of this and hope that there wasn't some big frog… big fish in his area who'd eat him up?

Peach: Well, I am giving you nice reminders—I'm such a great Moderator, aren't I? You could even say that I like you enough to give these information for free :)