Luo He shouted again, his voice sharper this time. "Let me pass! I am the son of the emperor!" But the guards did not even flinch. Not a single one of them cared.
For the first time, Luo He truly understood what he was without his name. Nothing.
A faint, bitter realization settled in his chest but he did not panic. Luo He was not an impulsive person. He had known the risks the moment he chose this path.
Slowly, he reached for his sword. With a deliberate motion, he drew the blade and held it before them.
The weapon gleamed with an unnatural darkness its surface absorbing light rather than reflecting it. Pure black.
"Do you know what this is?" Luo He asked calmly. "I believe you don't."
He tilted the blade slightly, letting its presence speak for itself. "This is black steel the highest quality steel, forged only in the Flame Capital." The guards hesitated, their expressions shifting.
"So even if I am not who I claim to be," Luo He continued, his voice steady, "I am still someone of status."
He stepped forward slightly.
"It is in all of our best interests that you let me pass. I can compensate you with gold." His tone hardened. "And if not… I can cut through all of you with minimal effort." The threat hung in the air like a drawn blade.
The soldiers stared, stunned. None of them had ever seen black steel before. To them, it was little more than a legend a weapon spoken of in hushed tones.
Before the tension could break a commanding voice cut through. "What is happening here?" The general of the border stepped forward. His sharp eyes immediately fell upon the sword.
"That blade," he muttered, stepping closer. "Name your price." Luo He lowered the weapon slightly. "It is not for sale," he replied. "It is a gift from my mother."
The generals' eyes narrowed. He continued to bargain, his tone persistent, almost greedy. Around him, the soldiers shifted uneasily many of them already seemed unwilling to let Luo He pass after witnessing such a treasure.
Luo He paused. Then, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Very well," he said. He lifted the sword again.
"I challenge you to a duel." The general blinked.
"If I win, I pass the border," Luo He continued. "If I lose… the sword is yours."
A murmur spread among the soldiers.
The generals' lips curled into a confident grin. "Agreed."
The general happily agreed. It was an easy win in his eyes. He was absolutely confident the pretty boy in front of him was just some rich show-off, with no real skill. Before him a refined general who has seen real battle, a pretty boy with an expensive toy is child's play.
They stepped apart. The air grew still.
Then they charged. Steel clashed. The general struck first, his attack heavy and direct. Luo He followed his movement, calm and precise. Then he moved.
"Slice." he performed his tequenick with deliberate grease.
His blade cut through the air in a clean arc. In the next instant, the general's sword shattered not shattered but smoothly sliced into two. His armour suffered the same fate. A thin line of red appeared across his chest. Silence.
Luo He had held back. Otherwise the man would have been cut in two. The general froze. He had felt it. The overwhelming difference. The mocking confidence in his eyes vanished, replaced by something else, Respect.
"You may pass," he said quietly. The soldiers, though confused, immediately obeyed. Seeing their generals' change in attitude, they lowered their weapons and stepped aside.
Without another word, Luo He crossed the border. He had entered the Yue Nation. After some distance, Luo He paused and opened the system. A new skill had appeared.
Charisma. It branched into multiple subcategories:
1: Flattery – Making others feel valued through compliments.
Higher level → compliments feel more genuine.
2: Seduction – Attraction and social charm.
Higher level → stronger projection of interest.
3: Negotiation – Creating and closing agreements.
Higher level → people are more likely to accept deals.
4: Persuasion – Convincing others using logic and emotion.
Higher level → ideas become more believable.
5: Social Awareness – Reading emotions and body language.
Higher level → stronger situational awareness.
6: Presence – Impact of simply being there.
Higher level → stronger aura and respect.
7: Humour – Making interactions engaging.
Higher level → others respond more positively.
8: Charm – Natural likability and magnetism.
Higher level → people feel comfortable instantly.
9: Frame Control – Defining how situations are perceived.
Higher level → control over narrative and atmosphere.
"30 Charisma skill points acquired," the voice announced. "Select allocation." Luo He did not hesitate. He invested all 30 points into Negotiation, raising it to Level 7. Then, using 8 transfer points it was risen to Level 8.
A satisfied nod followed. Next, he focused on his combat ability. By investing 79 transfer points, he raised his Swordsmanship to Level 34. With this 79 and previous 8 only 13 transfer points out of the initial 100 remained. He placed them into Presence, bringing it close to Level 5 just 2 points short.
{In this system, levelling up requires an increasing number of points: moving from Level 1 to Level 2 costs 1 point, from Level 2 to Level 3 costs 2 points, and from Level n to Level (n+1) costs n number of points.}
Continuing his journey, Luo He entered a dense forest as night approached. The air grew cooler, filled with the scent of earth and leaves. He stopped and began gathering wood. As he built a fire, "6 skill points acquired. Fire Building skill is upgraded to Level 3."
He blinked slightly. "Even this counts."
Sitting by the fire, he opened his rations.
He took a bite. His expression immediately soured. "Still terrible…"
Even after days, the food tasted no better than before. With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to eat before lying down to rest.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the trees. Luo He stretched Then froze. His horse was gone. "Great." He stood up and began searching.
Hours passed as he moved through the forest, calling softly and scanning the ground. "Walking skill unlocked. Every mile travelled grants one skill point." He sighed but continued.
After nearly two hours, He finally found it.
Relief washed over him. He approached slowly, patting the horse's back. "Don't run off again."
"Animal Taming Skill Level 6 achieved. 15 skill points acquired." He raised an eyebrow. "Convenient." With the added points, he raised it to Level 8.
Luo He continued deeper through the forest, aiming to reach a city by sunrise. Even through the night, he travelled, guided by the pale glow of the moon.
By dawn, he found a cave. Deciding to rest, he tied his horse nearby and entered. The cave was cool and quiet.
Too quiet. He lay down and quickly fell asleep. Some time later he woke up and froze.
A massive brown bear lay beside him.
Sleeping. Its heavy breathing echoed through the cave. Luo He's heart pounded. "How did I not notice before…?" He asked him self. Carefully and slowly he began to move away, step by silent step. Almost. Almost.
Then hoof beats. Loud. Sudden. A hunting party arrived outside. The noise shattered the silence. The bear's eyes snapped open. It rose with a low, rumbling growl. And turned toward Luo He. Fear surged through him. But instead of running he hesitated.
"Maybe..." Slowly, he raised his hand.
attempting to tame it. The hunters watched in stunned silence, unable to react.
Then a thunder of hooves. A figure burst into the clearing. A stunning woman clad in red armour, riding a red horse with red armour chargers at full speed. Her long crimson hair flowed behind her like fire, her presence commanding and fierce a true bustling beauty.
Her sudden arrival stole Luo He's focus just for a moment. And that moment was enough. The bear lunged. Claws tore across his face ripping open a deep, brutal gash where his skin had once been flawless. Pain exploded through him from the shock and concussion.
He was lucky. Unlike normal people even though his outer sink is damaged his inner skin was unharmed due to having his armour. It protected him form drawing blood or being infected. It was truly a treasure.