I transmigrated to a chaotic world and became the sole player.

When Lu Zhao returned to the foot of the city wall where the refugees had gathered, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

He ventured alone into the ruins and returned alive, bearing the marks of his battle with the rotting corpses (tattered clothes, black blood on his machete), and the unremarkable gray crystal in his hand. All of this, in the eyes of the other refugees, evoked a mixture of awe and an unspeakable sense of alienation.

Master Zhao approached, his white eyebrows furrowed: "Young friend Lu, that golden light just now... and your attire... did you encounter any danger?"

"I encountered a monster called 'Soul-Eating Puppet'," Lu Zhao didn't hide anything, but skipped over the part about the Qingyun Sect disciples, only saying, "I was lucky enough to kill one of them and suffered some minor injuries, but I'm fine now. Master, this place is indeed very dangerous, and it's not advisable to stay here for long."

He handed the broken soul core to Master Zhao. The old scholar took it and felt a chill as soon as he touched it. He examined it carefully but couldn't figure it out. Based on his knowledge as a scholar, he judged: "This thing has a sinister aura and is not a good thing. Young friend, you'd better handle it with caution."

Lu Zhao nodded and withdrew it. He knew, of course, that this was not a good thing, but in his eyes, it was more like "material," a "trophy" that might contain experience. He tried to absorb it silently, just like in a game.

No response.

It seems that direct absorption won't work. He tried injecting a wisp of his will, or sensing it like he was using the [Turtle Breathing Technique], but the soul core only felt slightly cool and showed no other changes.

"Perhaps... a specific 'cultivation technique' or 'skill' is needed to utilize it?" Lu Zhao wondered to himself. This made his desire for "cultivation" even stronger.

The refugees searched the edge of the ruins but found only a few dried-up wells and a small amount of uncontaminated weeds; the drinking water problem remained deadly. An atmosphere of despair once again permeated the air.

"We can't wait any longer," Master Zhao said, looking at the sky. "We must find water. I remember the map says there should be a small river ten miles south of this town. We have to take the risk and go get the water."

For the starving and thirsty refugees, the ten-mile journey was nothing short of a life-or-death ordeal. But staying put was tantamount to waiting for death. Without objection, the group struggled to their feet and prepared to head south.

Lu Zhao hesitated. His gaze returned to the ruins. The fact that the Qingyun Sect disciples had gone inside meant there might be something they valued. And while the Soul-Eating Puppet Sect members were dangerous, the experience points they gained from killing them were considerable (80 points, almost three times that of a level 1 snake). More importantly, they seemed to have a fixed range of movement ("the aggro range of dungeon monsters"?), and... they feared that golden light.

"Golden light... holy damage..." Lu Zhao recalled Su Zhiyun's stunning attack, "If I could find a similar power, or utilize the terrain..."

A bold idea took shape in his mind. Following the refugee caravan to the unknown south in search of water was a perilous journey. But the ruins before him, though dangerous, were a known "dungeon" that might hold opportunities. He had a data-driven perspective, able to observe monster health bars and discover weaknesses; perhaps… he could try "monster trapping" or "luring monsters" to gain experience in a safer way?

The risks are extremely high, but the rewards could also be enormous.

"Master," Lu Zhao said, his voice calm yet firm, "you all head south to find water. I... want to stay here and observe further."

Master Zhao was greatly alarmed upon hearing this: "Young friend Lu! Absolutely not! That Youkui is extremely dangerous; how can you deal with it alone?"

Several other refugees nearby also tried to dissuade him. Although they were afraid of Lu Zhao, they felt that his actions were tantamount to suicide.

Knowing he couldn't explain his "player" mindset, Lu Zhao could only make up an excuse: "When I killed that ghost puppet just now, I seemed to sense a faint moisture somewhere in the town. I want to investigate further; if I can find a water source, it will solve everyone's immediate problem. If it's not possible, I will retreat immediately."

This reason was half true and half false, and Master Zhao was skeptical. However, seeing Lu Zhao's resolute attitude, he knew that this young man's will was extraordinary and that he could not be persuaded by him. In the end, he could only sigh and say, "In that case... young friend, you must prioritize your own safety! If you cannot find a water source, hurry south to meet us! We will leave markers along the way!"

"Thank you, Master. I will be careful."

Lu Zhao clasped his hands in farewell to the crowd. Watching the refugees, supported by each other, stagger and disappear into the dust of the southern official road, he took a deep breath, turned around, and faced the desolate ruins once more.

This time, he was not forced to intrude, but actively explored.

He didn't go in immediately, but first found a relatively secluded spot on the periphery with broken walls, and began to carefully examine his gains and condition.

The level has increased to level 2, and the attributes have increased again:

[Strength: 0.9, Body: 0.8, Sensitivity: 1.0, God: 2.0]

Agility finally broke through the 1-point mark, and his divine attribute also reached 2 points. He could feel his body was lighter and his mind was clearer.

His experience with the [Turtle Breathing Technique] was slowly increasing, reaching Lv1 (7/100). He tried to control his breathing more precisely, even attaching a wisp of his mind to the [Broken Soul Core] to simulate the feeling of "cultivation".

At first, nothing seemed amiss, but after he had maintained this state of intense concentration for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a new notification suddenly flashed before his eyes:

[You are attempting to guide unknown energy, your mind is highly focused, and you have gained a new understanding of the "Turtle Breathing Technique" and your own state.]

[Turtle Breathing Technique (Beginner) Experience +5]

[Spiritual state slightly improved; Divine attribute slightly enhanced (effect is weak and does not meet display standards).]

Although he couldn't directly absorb the soul core or learn any new skills, this prompt greatly boosted Lu Zhao's spirits!

"Effective! Proactive and focused 'cultivation' activities, even without specific techniques, can promote skill proficiency and even slightly improve attributes!"

This confirms his hypothesis—in this data-driven world, any systematic and clearly targeted behavior can be recognized and produce results!

He carefully put away the soul core and picked up the wood-chopping knife. Next, it was time for a real-world test.

He crept back into the ruins, but this time with greater caution. Using the broken walls and rubble as cover, he observed the wandering, pale red lights from a distance.

【Soul-Eating Puppet, Level: 3】

【Soul-Eating Puppet, Level: 2】

【Soul-Eating Puppet (Weak), Level: 1】 (Possibly the one that was injured by the golden light before?)

He discovered a pattern: most of these phantoms were level 3, but a few were level 2, and even this one, like the one he was now, was only level 1 and its health bar was not full, only about 60%.

"Pick the softest persimmon to squeeze..." Lu Zhao set his sights on the level 1 weakened ghost puppet.

It was wandering aimlessly through a narrow alley. One end of the alley was blocked by collapsed houses, and the other end was an open space.

A plan formed in Lu Zhao's mind. He picked up a stone, calculated the distance and angle, and threw it at a broken wall behind the ghost puppet.

"Thud!" The stone made a sound as it hit the ground.

The ghost puppet was immediately startled and roared as it turned towards the direction of the sound. Lu Zhao then seized the opportunity to rush out from his hiding place, not to attack, but to quickly run to the end of the alleyway near the open area, pick up a few larger pebbles, and pile them up to form a simple obstacle.

Then, he taunted the level 1 phantom that had been lured over, shouting, "Hey! Look this way!"

Upon sensing the presence of living beings, the ghostly puppet immediately accelerated its charge. However, when it reached the alleyway entrance, it was slightly hindered by a pile of rubble.

It's now!

Lu Zhao didn't fight head-on, but turned and ran, controlling his speed and keeping a distance from the ghost puppet, leading it to the edge of the town, to a relatively open, deserted square where no other ghost puppets were active.

"Kite tactic!" Lu Zhao muttered to himself. This was his plan—to use the terrain and speed to take on the weakest target one-on-one!

Rushing to the center of the square, Lu Zhao abruptly turned around, his machete raised. The level 1 ghost puppet roared and pounced, its claws aimed straight for his face!

Having learned from his previous experience, Lu Zhao kept a close eye on the weak point indicator that flashed before its attack, dodged the claw attack by sidestepping, and then slashed at its knee joint with his wood-chopping knife!

[Attack hit! Deals damage to the Soul-Eating Puppet (Weakened)! Health -12%!]

Having landed a successful blow, Lu Zhao didn't linger and immediately retreated to create distance. The puppet's movements were restricted, and its speed decreased further. Lu Zhao repeated the same tactic, dodging, attacking, and retreating time and time again.

The entire process was extremely dangerous. Every attack from the Phantom was a deadly threat, but Lu Zhao's data-driven perspective and ever-improving agility allowed him to narrowly evade them and seize fleeting opportunities to counterattack.

A few minutes later, as the final blow pierced the eye socket of the Ghost Puppet, the poor level 1 monster howled and vanished into black smoke.

[Successfully defeated 'Soul-Eating Phantom Puppet (Weakened)' (LV1)!]

[Experience points gained: 30!]

[Obtained: Broken Soul Core x1]

Success! Safe solo kill!

Although the experience gained was less than from level 3 monsters, the risk was also much lower. More importantly, he proved the viability of game tactics such as "luring monsters," "blocking," and "kiting" in this world!

Lu Zhao leaned on his knife, slightly out of breath, but a genuine smile appeared on his face—the first one he'd shown since entering this world.

"It seems I can continue playing this 'game'."