Game On: A World Reborn

The morning sun bathed the room in a soft golden glow as Liang Wu sat cross-legged on his bed. “Stats!” he blurted out. He was more excited about how his stats looked, than the new skill he'd just gotten. He had finally begun cultivating, and now he would see the changes for himself.

"Perfect! This is exactly how I imagined! Just like in a video game where a character levels up and sees their strengths displayed visually. Now cultivators can experience the same thing!”

 

For the first time, Liang Wu could see real progress in numbers. It felt oddly satisfying. A small chuckle escaped him at the thought. His eyes flicked over to the ‘Soul Damage’ debuff, his smile fading just a little.

 

After savoring the sight of his stats for a few more moments, he turned his attention to the jade tablet resting in his lap. The technique he'd learned was unfamiliar to him, and he couldn’t remember ever hearing of it. Ming Bao probably found it, he thought. That girl had a knack for uncovering rare treasures. The thought of her made him smile briefly. The master of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion was one of the few people he trusted in this world. 

 

With a shake of his head he stopped his wandering thoughts and focused back to the present, on the new skill, he didn't know what the skill was, however he could tell that it had potential. Let’s see what this skill can do.

 

Liang Wu closed his eyes and focused on his Qi, experimenting with the new skill. He had never studied the Qi fluctuations of others, so he would have to rely on his imagination. His mind flickered through images: fierce lions, powerful dragons… and then, inexplicably, a small yellow mouse. He furrowed his brow and quickly dismissed that thought.

 

And then, an image of a cute bear—just like the one embroidered on Chen Li Li’s robes—flashed in his mind. Really? He thought, surprised at the idea. But before he could second-guess himself, the transformation began.

 

His body shrank rapidly, fur sprouting across his skin. His bones shifted, and in seconds, he plopped down on his back end. Liang Wu blinked and raised a paw, inspecting it. He was now a small, fluffy bear. It wasn’t exactly fearsome, with its soft, squishy paw pads, and tiny, little claws, but it would suffice for the now.

Aw! 

 

He thought he heard a girl's voice, however when he looked around there was no one there. He figured it was just a noise from outside and pushed the thought away.

 

He snorted—though the sound came out as a squeaky growl. At least it’s functional.

 

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. “Sir, I've come to deliver breakfast!” A young woman’s voice called from the other side. Liang Wu recognized it but couldn’t quite place where.

 

He tried to speak, however nothing but a quiet squeal came out, his vocal cords were different now, he would have to experiment more before he'd be able to talk in this form. Great.

He thought sarcastically.

 

The door creaked open before he could shift back. The pretty maid from the previous day entered, balancing a tray of breakfast. She smiled brightly, oblivious to the strangeness of the situation.

 

“Sir, I’ve brought—” She froze, her eyes locking onto the small bear sitting on the bed. The tray wobbled in her hands. “Oh my gosh! What a cute little bear!” she exclaimed. Her voice was loud enough to echo out in the hallway.

 

Liang Wu groaned inwardly, and this time, it came out as a small growl. Of course.

 

The maid, undeterred, set the tray down and knelt beside the bed, her eyes gleaming with adoration. “You’re adorable!” she cooed, reaching out as if to pet him.

 

Before Liang Wu could react, a sudden commotion came from next door. The door burst open as Chen Li Li stumbled in, her hair half-braided and her robes only loosely tied. “A bear? Where?!”

 

Her eyes landed on Liang Wu’s small, fluffy form, and her face lit up. “No way! It’s so cute!” She rushed forward, kneeling beside the maid. Her love for bears was well known. “I love bears! You're even cuter than my mother’s spirit beast!”

 

Of course, Chen Li Li would show up now. Liang Wu inwardly sighed, but there was no time to dwell on his embarrassment. 

 

Enough was enough. Focusing his Qi, he willed himself to return to his original form. His fur receded, and his body shifted back. The two women stared wide-eyed, as he returned to his usual self—He stood there, arms crossed, his expression mildly irritated but mostly amused.

 

Both women stared at him, blinking in shock. Chen Li Li was the first to recover. “Y-you were the bear?” she stammered, her cheeks turning a shade of red that rivaled the morning sky.

 

Liang Wu shrugged. “Just testing out a new technique.” He glanced down at her robes, she was wearing a new set, however they were still pink, this one with a cute panda embroidery. “Bears were the first thing that came to mind.”

 

The maid giggled softly. “I thought you were a spirit beast! You were so cute.”

 

Chen Li Li joined in, laughing. “You did look adorable, though.”

 

Liang Wu began to respond when a soft rustling sound drew their attention downward. Both women’s eyes widened as they realized that Liang Wu’s robe had slipped off when he assumed his tiny bear form, leaving him bare-chested—and bare ‘elsewhere’ too.

 

His strong, muscular body caused them to blush, however when their eyes traveled further down, they both yelped while covering their eyes.

 

“Why are you shouting?” He didn’t understand what had caused both women to have such a strong reaction. That was, until he looked down and saw his naked upper body, and the ‘elephant trunk’ fully exposed between his legs—that was not from the Beast Transformation Technique.

 

Without a care, Liang Wu bent down and retrieved his robe, calmly dressing himself. It’s just a body, he thought, slightly amused by the women’s reactions.

 

The maid peeked through her fingers, and he caught her staring. He lifted his head and flashed a cheeky smile at her, as if he could feel her gaze—which he could, thanks to his enhanced senses as a cultivator.

 

“Hic!” She choked in surprise, forgetting to cover her eyes again, instead watching as he slowly dressed. Her body was feeling hot, so she removed her hands from her face to fan herself, still staring wide-eyed as he put his clothes on one piece at a time.

 

“Hurry up and get dressed!” Chen Li Li shrieked, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, unwilling to see any more.

 

Liang Wu finished dressing at his own pace, smirking. “Well, that was one way to start the day.” he said with a chuckle.