"Ah! Big Sister, that little bean is coming over!" the bald man exclaimed. "Eat your food!" the blond youth snapped back. "Um! Excuse me, may I sit here?" "Sit," replied a fair-featured, red-haired woman. She had an oval face, large blue eyes, and a delicate, sharp nose that gave one an instant pang of attraction. Though she wore a voluminous black mage's robe, it couldn't entirely conceal her fine figure—clearly, a mage.

To the girl's left sat a blond youth with an air of elegance. A peculiar, serpentine longsword hung at his waist—I recognized it as a Silver Serpent Sword—and he was clad in pure white Soul Battle Armor. This youth seemed to be a Daoist, and not a weak one either. Wielding the Silver Serpent Sword requires formidable mental fortitude; if he truly could use it, his power must have reached at least the rank of a High-Level Daoist. His eyes were large and piercing, and at this moment, he was gazing at me with intense scrutiny. This guy was even handsomer than I was in my previous life; I felt a surge of deep disdain.

To the girl's right was a bald giant, clad in heavy green armor. Propped beneath his stool was a massive battle-axe—a Shura! This big bald man must be a strength-based Warrior, probably only slightly weaker than Feng. Of the three, this one seemed to possess the greatest strength.

What struck me as odd, however, was the feeling that the seemingly delicate red-haired woman was actually the leader of the trio. It felt strange. Furthermore, their combination—Daoist, Warrior, Mage—was the ideal setup for an adventuring party. But "adventurer" wasn't a term in this world; they were likely called Rangers. Judging by their bearing, they weren't ordinary village youths; they must be noble-born scions honing their skills outside. The only nearby place suitable for cultivation seemed to be the Skeleton Cave. Could these people also be heading there to train?

In the flicker of a thought, I sat down. "Little brother, how dare you venture out all alone!" The red-haired girl scrutinized the little bean before her, finding him increasingly adorable. He looked about thirteen or fourteen, yet he was trying so hard to put on the air of a cool, little adult. It made her want to tease him. "Um, my name is Xing Chen, not little brother!" I blurted out my former life's name instinctively. I had intended to try and ingratiate myself with them, build rapport, but the girl's single sentence dashed all my mood. What a drag. I glared around with displeasure. What was going on? The waiter hadn't brought my food yet, and my stomach was nearly empty. I instinctively ignored the red-haired girl; being called "little brother" by a bratty little girl was infuriating, even though I was currently only fourteen. My mental age was already twenty-two. After finally managing to get Feng to change his view of me, I run into this nonsense the moment I step out. All the sense of accomplishment from the past few days had vanished into thin air. "This little guy certainly has quite a temper!" The blond man seemed unimpressed by my reaction.

I decided to adopt an air of lofty indifference, ignoring everything. These three must think I'm some runaway young master, trying to amuse themselves.

Finding no reaction from me, the three lost interest in teasing me and dropped the idea.

However, they were greatly astonished by my appetite. A full pound of beef, ten steamed buns, and a pound of red wine were devoured by me with the speed of a whirlwind. "One silver coin!" The innkeeper maintained an affable smile, though he was clearly surprised by my consumption.

The price was fair, but the names of the dishes were baffling. I dug into my pocket, produced a silver coin, and handed it to the boss: "Where in this town can one pick up Ranger quests?" I had already planned this on the road: arrive here, take on tasks related to the Skeleton Cave first. That way, I could cultivate and earn money simultaneously—a fine arrangement. "When you leave this door, walk straight down the main street to the left, and you'll see a very large notice board. The large hall behind that board is where Ranger quests are posted," the proprietor explained enthusiastically. "However, it's already dark now; if you want to pick up a quest, it's better to come early tomorrow!" As the boss spoke, he studied me closely. But when he noticed the sword strapped to my back, he subtly shook his head! Clearly, he also viewed me as a child playing house. This thoroughly annoyed me. Alas! I wish I could grow up faster! I sighed internally.

With the Crimson Moon hanging high, I sat by the window, lost in thought. Three months had passed since I arrived in this world. Yet, in my previous life, I often traveled and lodging in inns was routine, so I felt no ill effects now. My only worry was my family—how were they doing? Though I left a letter for my mother, I imagined she must be extremely concerned. And Feng—he must be absolutely furious right now, since I ignored his arrangements. As for how his swordsmanship had progressed, I had no way of knowing. But considering his usual relentless diligence, he must have improved quite a bit. Perhaps one day I won't be able to beat him anymore.

My mind was cluttered, often drifting to strange thoughts. Then there was tomorrow’s business. How powerful were the Skeleton Generals in the Skeleton Cave, and could I even handle them? All these were unknowns. I would have to make a trip tomorrow to find out. Only after confirming whether my strength allowed me to establish myself in the Skeleton Cave would I consider taking on quests. I hoped everything would go smoothly.

The next morning!

Perhaps due to habits formed at home, I woke around five o'clock. Although this world lacked watches, it possessed magical clocks that served the same purpose. Their function wasn't quite comparable to modern watches, but they were more than adequate for timing. The sky outside was still a dull gray. Unlike Gingko Village, this place wasn't under any noble's domain; it was entirely a free trading town. Even though it was still early, through the window, I could see figures slowly appearing on the streets. Shopkeepers were busy opening their doors and sweeping the storefronts, while street vendors were setting up their stalls. This reminded me of my past life's small county town—it seemed that wherever there was commerce, there were always merchants eager for profit before dawn.

A slight rustling sound drifted up from downstairs; clearly, the waiter had also risen. A new day had begun. Fumbling, I finished dressing and intentionally tied up my hair. This style was inspired by the protagonist in Chinese Little Master Chef, and now, even without a mirror, I could fix my hair in a short time. In a word: cool!

When I went downstairs, I noticed others were already awake, even earlier than me. Most of them were Rangers carrying weapons. At the table by the window from yesterday, those three youths were still seated. Seeing me descend, they offered a slight wave, and I nodded in return as a greeting.

Breakfast was simple: eggs, milk, and bread. I didn't join the three of them, instead monopolizing a large table by myself. Five minutes was all it took to finish breakfast. Afterward, I packed ten steamed buns and a pound of dried beef into my backpack. "Innkeeper! I'll be back tonight! Here is the deposit for reserving the room!" I handed over a silver coin. "Please look after my horse for me in the meantime." "Alright, I'll keep the room for you!" The innkeeper yawned.

I already knew the location of the Skeleton Cave; it was only about an hour's walk from the town, though it involved climbing a mountain. Although the sky was starting to lighten, the surroundings were still murky gray, obscuring anything too far away. Occasionally, small animals like rabbits or foxes darted across the mountain path, adding a touch of life. However, the higher I climbed, the sparser the trees and undergrowth became, until all I could see were bare, jagged rocks. An oppressive, stifling atmosphere hung in the air. After rounding a hilltop, I spotted a massive, dark maw in the distance—a huge cave that looked like the open mouth of a ferocious demon beast. Even from afar, I could sense a sinister, chilling aura.

This must be the Skeleton Cave. I wondered how strong the Skeleton Generals inside would be. I covertly heightened my vigilance.

Finally reaching the mouth of the Skeleton Cave, I heard no unusual sounds. I drew my Hundred Battles Blade and cautiously crept toward the entrance. By now, the sun was fully up, but the cave remained dim. Still, I could make out the interior conditions.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Suddenly, two black shapes the size of footballs shot toward my face.

Hmph! Highly alert, I didn't hesitate. The Hundred Battles Blade flashed out, carving two arcs of light.

Splat! Splat!

It felt like a direct hit! I looked down and saw two indistinct clumps of flesh on the ground—two ferociously ugly bats. Are these the cave bats from Legend? I guessed internally.

Walking nearly fifty meters deeper, I finally saw my target. Ahead stood a tall, white, humanoid skeleton, motionless. It seemed to be over two meters tall. In its hand, it held an oversized, scythe-like weapon, very similar in style to the Grim Reaper's Scythe from Western mythology. Its appearance wasn't exactly horrifying; I'd seen far worse in games, and my mental fortitude was already beyond ordinary. Still, for safety's sake, I decided to engage this skeleton one-on-one first. Quietly picking up a small stone near my foot, I flicked it toward the skeleton.

Clang! A crisp sound.

It hit the mark! The skeleton suddenly spun around and charged toward me!

I ran! Without hesitation, I turned and fled. My goal was simple: lure it as far outside as possible. This would prevent alarming other Skeleton Generals during the fight. Against an enemy of unknown strength, caution was always the best policy.

Finally, I reached a relatively open area. Twenty more meters and I would be at the cave mouth—this was part of my plan. Through days of scouting, I learned that Skeleton Generals never leave the cave. If things went south, I only needed to run out the entrance to escape unscathed.

Alright, this is my territory now. Show me what you've got! I swiftly turned, grasping my blade in both hands, and settled into a low stance.

Swish! The Skeleton General didn't slow its pace at all. Only two thumb-sized green lights burned in its hollow eye sockets, looking sinister and eerie. Bolstered by the long sprint, it swung its massive scythe in a horizontal sweep aimed at my waist. I was wary of such an oddly shaped weapon and dared not meet it head-on. I constantly reminded myself that brute strength was my weakness; I must absolutely avoid direct confrontations unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, I had already formulated the strategy for this engagement. Step one: ascertain the Skeleton General's movement speed and attack speed. From the preceding chase, I could analyze that its running speed wasn't fast. If things got dangerous, I wouldn't fear being caught with my speed. Now, it was time to test its attack speed and technique.

I stepped slightly aside, and the scythe swept past, grazing my abdomen. In fact, after sparring with Feng, I had absolute confidence in my own speed. Almost simultaneously as the horizontal sweep missed, the Skeleton General swung its massive scythe back in the opposite horizontal sweep. I timed the scythe's arrival and dodged again, and at nearly the same instant, the scythe, having missed its sweep, came down in a vertical chop aimed at my head.

Roar! I dodged again. The missed scythe flowed smoothly into an upward upward swing, targeting my lower legs.

Damn, this 'groin strike' technique is truly insidious! I dodged!

After that, the scythe followed with a diagonal slash, left then right!

Thus, the Skeleton General and I engaged in a game of hide-and-seek, yet the massive scythe couldn't even brush against the corner of my robe. Gradually, I figured out the Skeleton General's attack pattern.

***This fellow only uses right horizontal sweep, left horizontal sweep, vertical chop, upward swing, left diagonal chop, and right diagonal chop—it's exactly like the Japanese Tōken techniques, except it uses a gigantic scythe. Now that I was familiar with its attack patterns, dodging became effortless. It seemed that with the Skeleton General's attack speed and technique, injuring me was impossible.

The remaining test was its strength. Having made up my mind, I stopped dodging the horizontal sweep of the approaching scythe. I stepped forward with a short advance and swung my blade to block.

CRACK!! My hands went instantly numb! I was sent flying backward, immediately performing a backflip to just barely steady my footing.

Blast! This thing's strength is too immense! I absolutely cannot confront it head-on.

Finally, it was time to test its defense.

Swish! Swish! The Skeleton General didn't pause, stepping forward. The huge scythe came down in a vertical chop.

Roar! In the instant of a side-step evasion, I suddenly accelerated, gripping my blade with both hands, and delivered a diagonal slash.

Clang! This full-force strike landed on the Skeleton General's rib cage, but it felt like hitting a slab of hardened steel—not even a scratch remained. Instead, my hands holding the blade were jarred numb.

Swish! The scythe swung upward! With my attack repelled, I quickly dodged away.

Hoo... This guy's defense is truly formidable. My all-out strike didn't even leave a mark. Perhaps I need to find a weak point on its body.

In several exchanges, my Hundred Battles Blade struck the Skeleton General's head, arms, thighs, chest, and even its groin. But none caused any damage. Of course, I easily evaded all of the Skeleton General's attacks as well.

Does this thing have no weak points anywhere? I wondered silently. Perhaps, like the Scarecrow, its weakness lies in the throat or neck area. Having decided, I aimed for its neck on the next blow.

At this moment, dodging the Skeleton General's attacks had become a subconscious reflex. I didn't need to consciously control it; my body automatically reacted to the General’s movements.

Another diagonal slash arrived. My body naturally ducked low to avoid it, then I suddenly accelerated. The Hundred Battles Blade struck the Skeleton General's neck like lightning.

Thwack!

With a crisp sound, the Hundred Battles Blade sliced through, and the Skeleton General's head tumbled to the ground. The two-meter-tall skeleton then crashed down heavily.

Good grief, it fell just like that? That seemed a little too easy! I could hardly believe my eyes. That neck was far too vulnerable.

It seems the Skeleton General's weakness is indeed its neck; striking there causes its head to part ways. After nearly ten minutes of testing, I finally gathered the necessary data.

Attack Speed: 60 Attack Technique: 50 Attack Strength: 90 Defense: 90 (Weakness: Neck, 50)

It seems that to deal with these big guys, one only needs to hit the neck for an instant KO—basically no different from killing the Scarecrow. I realized that Feng probably hadn't grasped this point, which is why he thought my strength wasn't enough to defeat the Skeleton General. But if that's the case, does that mean Feng back then had to use immense brute force to hack the Skeleton General to death?

Thinking about it sent a chill down my spine. Feng's strength truly was abnormal. A creature that could shrug off my full-force strike was apparently hacked to death by him.

Perhaps my lack of strength was also a major factor. But now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. I had found a way to kill the Skeleton General, and this method was very simple for me—and that was enough.