The soft light of the moon filtered through the cracked windows of the dilapidated manor, casting eerie shadows across its dusty halls. The faint echoes of footsteps and muffled chatter reverberated as Lin Xuan's summoned heroes, Li Mei and Shen Jun, eagerly explored their surroundings.
Seated cross-legged in the center of the main hall, Lin Xuan watched their movements through the faint glow of a System Projection hovering before him. The Heavenly Dao System displayed the heros' actions in real time, alongside a series of prompts and updates that kept Lin Xuan informed of their progress.
[Administrator Quest 2: Train summoned warriors in combat.]
[Objective: Direct the warriors to engage in basic actions, including exploration, combat drills, and spiritual training. Time limit: 30 minutes.]
"Exploration is going well," Lin Xuan muttered to himself, his sharp eyes following their movements. Though their behavior remained peculiar, there was no denying their enthusiasm. Li Mei had taken to poking and prodding at everything with boundless curiosity, while Shen Jun approached each new room with cautious precision, occasionally muttering comments like, "This level design is unreal," or "The textures are insane."
"Players…" Lin Xuan mused, recalling the word they had used to describe themselves. Their mannerisms and speech patterns were unlike anything he had encountered in this world, yet their unwavering energy and drive to explore reminded him of the cultivators he had met in his time with the Blood Jade Clan.
"Perhaps they'll prove more useful than I initially thought."
Meanwhile, Li Mei crouched in front of a dusty cabinet in one of the manor's side rooms, her sharp eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. With a flick of her wrist, she yanked the creaky door open, revealing a collection of old scrolls, broken jade ornaments, and a single, small bottle of crimson liquid.
"Ooooh, loot!" she exclaimed, holding the bottle up to the faint light seeping through the cracks in the walls. The liquid inside seemed to glow faintly, as though imbued with spiritual energy.
Shen Jun appeared behind her, his brow furrowing. "Careful, that could be dangerous. It might be a cursed item or some kind of trap."
Li Mei rolled her eyes. "Relax, Captain Paranoid. It's probably just a health potion or something." Without hesitation, she uncorked the bottle and took a cautious sniff. "Hmm… smells like… iron? Blood, maybe? Either way, it's definitely valuable."
"Bring it to me," Lin Xuan's voice echoed from the hall. His tone was calm yet commanding, carrying the weight of authority. "And continue searching. There may be more hidden within this manor than meets the eye."
"Got it, boss!" Li Mei replied with a playful salute, pocketing the bottle before bounding off to the next room. Shen Jun sighed but followed, his hand resting on the hilt of the simple sword he had discovered earlier.
Back in the main hall, Lin Xuan examined the items the warriors had gathered so far. Among the treasures was the crimson potion, an ancient elven trinket with faint spiritual runes etched into its surface, and a rusted iron dagger that emanated a faintly malevolent aura.
"These objects…" Lin Xuan muttered, tracing a finger over the runes on the trinket. Though the system provided no immediate information about their origins, his instincts told him they held significant value.
As he pondered their potential uses, a soft chime echoed in his mind, signaling a new system prompt.
[Perception Scanning unlocked.]
[You may now scan items and entities for detailed information. Be warned: scanning may alert intelligent entities of your intent.]
Lin Xuan's lips curled into a faint smile. "Perfect timing," he said, activating the new ability. His gaze focused on the crimson potion as the system's scanning function began its analysis.
A moment later, a translucent panel appeared before him, displaying the results.
[Blood Essence Elixir (Low-Grade)]
[Effect: Temporarily enhances the physical and spiritual capabilities of the consumer by 30%. Side effects include minor bloodlust and fatigue after the effect wears off.]
"Useful," Lin Xuan remarked, setting the elixir aside for later. The elven trinket, meanwhile, yielded little more than faint traces of spiritual energy, likely a remnant of its once-powerful enchantments.
The dagger, however, proved far more intriguing.
[Cursed Dagger of the Withered Moon]
[Effect: Inflicts minor spiritual damage with each strike. Prolonged use may corrupt the wielder's mind. Handle with caution.]
Lin Xuan's brow furrowed as he studied the blade.
"Corruption…" he murmured. "A dangerous weapon, but in the right hands, it could be a powerful tool."
He made a mental note to investigate the dagger further before rising to his feet. The warriors had done well so far, but the true test lay ahead. If they were to survive in this world and prove their worth, they would need to learn the basics of combat.
"Li Mei! Shen Jun!" Lin Xuan's voice carried through the manor, drawing the warriors back to the main hall. Both arrived moments later, their arms laden with more trinkets and treasures scavenged from the side rooms.
"What's up, boss?" Li Mei asked, setting her haul on the floor. "Find anything cool?"
"I have," Lin Xuan replied, gesturing to the items he had already analyzed. "But for now, your task is to prepare for battle."
Shen Jun blinked, his expression turning serious. "Battle? Against what?"
"Not against anything," Lin Xuan clarified. "Not yet, at least. But this world is dangerous, and you must be ready to defend yourselves. Consider this your first training exercise."
The warriors exchanged glances before nodding. "Understood," Shen Jun said, drawing his sword. Li Mei, meanwhile, armed herself with the rusted dagger, twirling it experimentally in her hand.
"Good," Lin Xuan said, stepping back to give them space. "Let's begin."
For the next thirty minutes, Lin Xuan guided the warriors through a series of basic drills, teaching them how to wield their weapons effectively, dodge incoming attacks, and channel their latent energy into their strikes. Though their movements were clumsy at first, their progress was swift, far swifter than Lin Xuan had anticipated.
"They adapt quickly," he thought, observing their growth with a mix of satisfaction and intrigue. "Almost unnaturally so. Could this be the work of the system?"
By the time the session ended, both warriors were drenched in sweat but grinning ear to ear. Li Mei wiped her brow with the back of her hand, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That was awesome!" she exclaimed. "What's next?"
Lin Xuan chuckled softly. "Rest for now. You've earned it."
[Administrator Quest 2: Train summoned warriors in combat (Completed).]
[Reward: +5 Summoning Tokens. New system feature unlocked: World Map Projection.]
As the warriors sat down to catch their breath, Lin Xuan turned his attention back to the system. The new reward intrigued him, and he wasted no time in activating the World Map Projection.
A detailed map of the surrounding region materialized before him, displaying everything from Silverleaf City to the distant mountains where the demonic clans resided. Marked on the map was a single, glowing point of light, his next destination.
"The Midnight Shade Forest," Lin Xuan murmured, reading the name inscribed beside the marker. A faint sense of unease crept over him as he studied the forest's dark, twisted outline.