Trembling At A High Altitude

Li Teng still ignored the Grim Reaper and continued with his next scene.

He did not know how many years had passed.

Li Teng's hair had all turned white.

The muscles that were once robust seemed to have started to wane as well.

When he completed the two hundred and fifty-fifth scene and pushed open the alloy door at the end, he could not enter the next level.

There was only an empty room.

An empty room of around two hundred square meters.

The Grim Reaper stood in the center of the room, facing away from him.

At the end of the empty room, no new door appeared, just a glittering treasure chest resting against the wall.

When Li Teng pushed the door open and entered, the Grim Reaper slowly turned around, head bowed.

He lifted the hood from his head, removed the cloak from his body, and reached up to peel off the mask from his face.

He revealed his true face.

It was none other than the director, Liu Shiyuan.

"Since this script was written, you are the first to have come before me," Liu Shiyuan sighed.

"You've entered into the Scripted World too, Director?" Li Teng faced the director without disrespect.

It was like when players in a game meet a GM, charging at them carelessly is simply seeking death.

"I haven't entered the script. This is just my projection, or copy, within the script—an AI program that possesses almost all my memories and Wisdom," replied Liu Shiyuan to Li Teng.

"I've made it this far; isn't there any extra reward?" Li Teng asked, eyes intently fixed on the treasure chest behind Liu Shiyuan, which shone more brilliantly than any they had encountered before.

"Defeat me, and the treasure chest behind me is yours," answered Liu Shiyuan.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

As soon as Liu Shiyuan's voice fell, Li Teng had a pistol in his hands and fired four shots in quick succession—one bullet hit Liu Shiyuan between the eyes, one in the heart, one in the throat, and another toward the area below his navel.

"You can't use a gun, and besides, I didn't say start," said Liu Shiyuan, retreating awkwardly a few steps before standing up to explain the rules to Li Teng.

The plot here was set for Liu Shiyuan to be shot at, then to summon an air wall with a flourish to stop the bullets, sweep them aside arrogantly, and then explain the rules to the challenger.

Li Teng's actions were too quick, not giving him any time to react.

"Fine." Li Teng put away his pistol.

"You cannot carry any weapons or equipment. I am immune to all ranged attacks. You can only defeat me with your fists, and then you will receive the ultimate reward," Liu Shiyuan declared the rules.

"Fair enough," Li Teng agreed, swinging his fists as he rushed toward Liu Shiyuan.

Not five seconds into their exchange of blows, Li Teng was sent flying by Liu Shiyuan's kick.

Li Teng got up from the ground and charged at Liu Shiyuan again.

This time, Liu Shiyuan's fist connected with Li Teng's chin, sending him flying once more.

Li Teng stood up again and rushed forward once more.

Liu Shiyuan caught his wrist and with a snap, disabled one of his arms.

Li Teng swung his other arm and charged again.

With a solid punch to the chest from Liu Shiyuan, Li Teng's ribs broke, and he could not get up again.

"I told you long ago, what's the point of staying here any longer?"

"Perhaps you've honed your gunfighting skills to the utmost, but your free combat abilities are virtually non-existent. Without a gun, going hand-to-hand with me can only end in your abuse,"

"Humans have limits; no matter how much they train, they cannot become invincible."

"Go back. It's time to end this," Liu Shiyuan's AI replica advised Li Teng.

"Again," Li Teng replied with just two words to Liu Shiyuan.

"Alright." Liu Shiyuan's fingertips emitted a cloud of white mist that enveloped Li Teng, instantly healing all his injuries.

Upon standing up, Li Teng immediately threw a punch towards Liu Shiyuan's face.

Liu Shiyuan blocked it with his palm and then delivered a fierce kick to Li Teng's abdomen, sending him flying again.

Li Teng scrambled up from the ground and charged towards Liu Shiyuan once more.

Half a minute later, the white-haired Li Teng lay prostrate on the ground, unable to climb up again.

"It's useless, you're not the same as when you first entered the Scripted World. You've aged, your physical condition and reflexes can't keep up, and you can't improve yourself through training anymore."

"Give up. There are other, better scripts waiting for you in the future. There's no need to fixate on this one," Liu Shiyuan continued to persuade Li Teng.

"Again," Li Teng replied with these two words.

"Alright." Liu Shiyuan healed Li Teng once again.

"Teach me how to fight first," Li Teng said, this time not attempting another sneak attack on Liu Shiyuan.

"Alright." Liu Shiyuan began Li Teng's freestyle fighting training from the most basic aspects, starting with footwork and punching techniques.

Half a year later, when it came to freestyle fighting, there was nothing left for Liu Shiyuan to teach Li Teng.

Training complete, Li Teng once again began to issue challenges to Liu Shiyuan, time after time.

Their bouts lasted up to five minutes.

Then six minutes, seven minutes, eight minutes...

Longer...

At most, they reached an hour.

Until then, neither had won nor lost.

In the end, Li Teng could no longer endure and was defeated.

...

Who knows how many more years passed.

Li Teng's persistence did not extend further; rather, it gradually diminished.

He was aging, his physical condition deteriorating.

Liu Shiyuan's AI wouldn't age, its strength wouldn't wane.

The contrast meant that the time Li Teng could hold on shortened as well.

...

"Give up. Can't you see? In your current state, you simply can't beat me."

"You're no longer young, and you can't get stronger through training and actual combat anymore."

"You've already done remarkably well."

"Before you, at least five hundred others have entered my Scripted World."

"None of them reached this stage."

"You can give up now," Liu Shiyuan tried to convince Li Teng.

"Again," Li Teng got back onto his feet.

...

Another year passed.

This time in the fight, Li Teng landed a punch on Liu Shiyuan's chest.

Liu Shiyuan fell to the ground, not seriously injured, and was about to get up when suddenly he fell again.

Li Teng immediately rushed forward with a knee strike, flipping Liu Shiyuan back onto the ground. Then, straddling him, he hammered punch after punch into Liu Shiyuan's face.

"Enough! I lose!" Liu Shiyuan finally conceded.

"Did you let me win?" Li Teng asked after standing up, feeling no triumph.

The performance Liu Shiyuan had just given was clearly not his true strength.

"No, our Scripted World consumed too many resources from the Film and Television City, and it was forcibly shut down. The Scripted World will collapse in half a minute! You better leave quickly! Otherwise, you might never get out!" Liu Shiyuan hurried Li Teng.

True to his words, as soon as Liu Shiyuan finished speaking, the buildings around them began to shake.

Li Teng dashed to the treasure chest and flipped open the lid.