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

The setting sun bathed the ruins in a dim yellow light, like the blood flowing from a dying beast. Lu Zhao dared not remain in the lair of the "Soul-Eating Puppet" after nightfall. He cautiously retreated to the outermost edge of the ruins and found a half-collapsed, dilapidated building that might have been a night watchman's hut as a temporary shelter.

The hut had only three walls and a dilapidated roof left, but at least it could keep out the wind and cold, and the view was relatively open, making it easy to observe what was happening.

He tallied his gains for the day: two [Broken Soul Cores], the woodcutter's knife's durability dropped by 5 points (10/20 remaining), the [Turtle Breathing Technique] experience increased to Lv1 (15/100), and the level experience bar became (60/200). Most importantly, he verified the feasibility of the tactic and gained a deeper understanding of the "Soul-Eating Puppet's" attack patterns and weaknesses.

"Level 3 ghost puppets are much stronger in attack and speed, so fighting them head-on is extremely risky. But for level 2 or even level 1, we might be able to find a way..." Lu Zhao chewed on the dry, hard snake meat (the texture was terrible, but it could fill his stomach) while planning his next move.

Night completely enveloped the land, and from the depths of the ruins came more unsettling sounds—not just the howls of the ghostly puppets, but also a faint, eerie sound, like the whispers and weeping of countless people—a sign that the dense, malevolent energy was active at night. Pale red lights flickered in the darkness, much more active than during the day.

Lu Zhao huddled in the hut and lit a small campfire made of dry wood chips and withered grass. The flickering flames brought some warmth and light, dispelling the surrounding chill and lessening his unease.

He took out the two soul cores and examined them carefully in the firelight. Inside the gray crystals, there seemed to be extremely fine black energy slowly swirling. He tried various methods to "activate" them again—holding them in his palm and circulating the Turtle Breathing Technique, communicating with them through his consciousness, and even dripping a drop of blood onto them—but there was still no response.

"It seems that either a specific 'cultivation technique' is needed to refine and absorb it, or... this thing is just a pure 'material,' and you need to find the corresponding 'NPC' or 'functional building' (such as an alchemy platform or an enchanter) to use it, just like in a game." Lu Zhao put away the soul core with some helplessness. It's not a pleasant feeling to have a treasure mountain but not be able to enter it.

He turned his attention back to the campfire. The flickering flames reflected in his pupils, crackling softly.

"Fire...I wonder if it can be considered a 'skill'?" A thought flashed through his mind. He tried to control his breathing more precisely, to feel the heat of the campfire, and even tried to "guide" a small flame with his mind.

This was undoubtedly a very dangerous move, and the slightest carelessness could have resulted in him getting burned. But he controlled it very carefully, only using his mind to lightly "touch" the edge of the flame.

At first, he could only feel the heat. But as he continued to concentrate and tried to apply the subtle control over his own energy gained from the [Turtle Breathing Technique] to his perception of the external flames, a strange sensation arose.

He seemed to "see" the flow of energy within the flames, blurry yet undeniably real. He tried, with his extremely weak mental energy, to mimic that flowing rhythm.

A tiny spark suddenly popped out of the campfire.

[You are attempting to perceive and guide the external fundamental element (fire), your mind is highly focused, and you are gaining new insights into the control of energy.]

[Mental resilience has slightly improved.]

[Turtle Breathing Technique (Beginner) Experience +3]

[This activity carries potential risks due to failure to master the relevant skills; please attempt it with caution.]

Although he hadn't mastered any fire-type skills, the notification once again proved that "active exploration and experimentation" was an effective path to growth! The improvement in mental resilience, although not directly displayed on the attribute panel, made him feel that his perception of the outside world seemed to have become slightly sharper.

This greatly encouraged him. It seemed that everything in this world could be understood and interacted with through "data"!

In the latter half of the night, Lu Zhao did not sleep. Instead, he maintained the operation of the [Turtle Breathing Technique] to recover his strength while keeping watch vigilantly. At the same time, he made various small attempts: swinging his sword with different forces and angles to observe the "effects" on the air (attempting to learn the "Slashing" skill); controlling the speed of chewing snake meat and the rhythm of swallowing more precisely (attempting to improve the "Nutritional Supplement" effect); and even trying to judge the approximate location and distance of the ghost puppets in the distance in the dark by relying only on hearing and faint light (attempting to learn "Reconnaissance" or "Perception" skills).

Most of these attempts failed or yielded little result, but his experience with the [Turtle Breathing Technique] was growing slowly but steadily. He enjoyed it immensely, like a child who had received a new toy, exploring the "ways to play" in this world.

As dawn approached, during the most exhausting moment, a faint yet frequent rustling sound came from the gravel ground outside the hut.

Lu Zhao instantly became alert and gripped his wood-chopping knife tightly. Through the cracks in the wall, he saw several fist-sized scorpions with glowing red eyes crawling toward the embers of the campfire, seemingly attracted by the heat.

[Shadow Erosion Scorpion, Level: 1]

Health Points: 100%/100%

[Status: Photophobia (Attributes decrease under strong light)]

It's a new monster! It's only level 1 and has a weakness to light!

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He gently poked at the campfire, adding a few dry branches to make the flames burn brighter again. Sure enough, the Shadow Scorpions immediately cowered and took a few steps back, pacing anxiously at the edge of the firelight.

"Opportunity!" Lu Zhao seized the moment and suddenly rushed out from the gap in the hut. His wood-chopping knife whistled through the air as he precisely slashed at the nearest Yin-Erosion Scorpion!

"Crack!" The scorpion's fragile carapace was easily split open, and green fluid splattered out.

[Successfully defeated 'Shadow Scorpion' (LV1)!]

[Experience points gained: 10!]

Startled, the other scorpions immediately charged forward, brandishing their venomous pincers. However, Lu Zhao used the light from the campfire to keep himself within the "bright light" range, which noticeably slowed down the scorpions' movements. He easily dodged and slashed, quickly eliminating these small monsters.

[Experience points gained: 10!]

[Obtained: Shadow Corrosion Scorpion Venom Sting x 2 (materials)]

[Experience points gained: 10!]

[Level upgraded to Level 3!]

It's leveled up again! Although each scorpion gives very little experience, it's safe and easy to kill.

The sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, and the darkness receded like the tide. The eerie sounds and pale red lights from the ruins gradually faded away. A new day had dawned.

Lu Zhao looked at his attributes, which had slightly improved after leveling up to level 3, and the new poison needles and soul cores in his inventory, feeling the growing power within his body.

He stepped out of the hut, looked at the still desolate ruins in the morning light, and then glanced at the southern official road—the direction in which the refugee caravan had left.

Should they stay in this dangerous "newbie dungeon" to grind experience, or head south to catch up with the team and find a more stable environment to survive?

After a moment's thought, Lu Zhao made his decision.

"Let's stay another day. At least, we need to try and see if we can take down a level 2 Ghost Puppet on our own. Besides, the people from the Qingyun Sect haven't come out since they went in; there might really be 'treasure' inside..."

Once the idea of ​​adventure takes root, it is difficult to suppress.