High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 2: Add Points, Level Up

The trio walked toward a house where a single light flickered, their journey marked by a heavy silence.

"Dad! You’ve finally returned!"

A thin, sallow-skinned boy of about twelve or thirteen suddenly dashed out of the residence, throwing himself into Chen Guodong’s embrace. This was Chen Chen, the younger brother of Chen Fan.

Looking up with an expectant gaze, Chen Chen scanned the area before asking with a hint of sadness, "Dad, did you bring any food back this time?"

Just as the question left his lips, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach.

Chen Guodong’s face flushed with embarrassment as he stammered, "There was an unexpected problem today. Next time, I promise I will."

"But that’s what you told me last time."

The young boy blinked, his eyes shining with a painful clarity.

Quickly pulling the boy away, the woman chided him, "Can't you see your father is hurt? Be careful not to bump into his injuries."

She kept the terrifying truth to herself—that this time, his father had nearly lost his life out there.

"Oh?"

Following his mother's eyes, the boy’s expression turned to one of fear. He recoiled instantly, whispering, "Dad, I... I'm sorry."

"How could this be your fault?"

Chen Guodong rubbed the boy’s head gently before turning to the woman. "Could you prepare some rice soup? Is there any money left in the house? I’m thinking of heading to Song Family Castle tomorrow to see if I can trade for supplies."

"It’s all gone. I even had to trade the wedding ring you gave me." The woman shook her head sadly. She walked inside, scraped a meager half-spoonful of rice from the bottom of a jar, and began to prepare the porridge.

The rice container was nearly empty. At their current rate, it wouldn't last a week. Once it was gone, they would face total starvation.

"Xiaofan."

Chen Guodong beckoned Chen Fan over, his voice full of worry. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm recovered now, Dad."

Chen Fan did his best to imitate the behavior and speech of the body's previous owner.

From his inherited memories, he knew the original Chen Fan was somewhat intimidated by his quiet, distant father. This emotional gap was actually a relief for him, as it made his soul-transmigration easier to hide.

Chen Guodong looked as if he wanted to say more, but he simply nodded. "I'm glad you're okay," he said curtly.

Dinner consisted of a watery porridge so thin that only a few grains of rice sat at the bottom of the pot.

The four of them scraped every drop from their bowls. As the family's primary provider, Chen Guodong was given a second portion.

Following the meal, the family retired for the night.

Chen Fan shared the west room with his younger brother. Through the thin, poorly insulated walls of their modest home, the hushed voices of his parents drifted into his ears.

"Guodong, I was so scared today," his mother sobbed quietly. "I was terrified you wouldn't come back, just like the others."

"I'll be fine, don't worry," the man replied, his voice deep and steady.

"But what about the next time you go out?"

The house fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

Chen Fan let out a soft sigh.

In this brutal world where the next meal was never guaranteed, many lacked even a roof over their heads. While cities existed, getting to them was nearly impossible; an average person would lose their life ten times over trying to navigate the dangers between settlements.

Survival required strength—absolute strength.

Closing his eyes, he focused his mind. Suddenly, a translucent attribute panel, remarkably similar to a video game interface, manifested vividly in his consciousness.

Realm: NoneLevel: 1 (0/1)Constitution: 8 (Average adult male is 10)Power: 7Agility: 7Spirit: 5Skills: NonePotential Points: 1 (1 point/1 day)

A very prominent plus sign sat right next to the level indicator.

This symbol hadn't been there an hour ago. It had been roughly 25 hours since he had arrived in this world the previous night.

When the panel first appeared, he had dismissed it as a hallucination. Only after repeated checks did he realize it was his "system" finally activating.

He suspected the plus sign required potential points to function.

Taking a steadying breath, Chen Fan focused his intent on the plus sign. Immediately, a surge of intense heat erupted from his heart, flowing rapidly into every limb.

"Crack, crack."

Faint popping sounds echoed from his joints, accompanied by a wave of pure euphoria.

"Is my body being tempered?"

The thought flashed through his mind as he felt a tangible increase in his physical power.

The heat faded after a few seconds. Had his clothes not been drenched in sweat, he might have thought he imagined the whole thing.

Clenching his fist, he felt a surge of vitality that was entirely new to him.

"It really is the system!"

He checked his stats again. They had indeed shifted.

Realm: NoneLevel: 2 (0/2)Constitution: 8.8Power: 7.7Agility: 7.7Spirit: 5.5Skills: NonePotential Points: 0 (1 point/1 day)

"!!!"

His eyes sparkled with excitement. Every attribute had risen by ten percent, bringing him close to the standard of a normal adult male.

The feeling of newfound strength was undeniable.

Hope flickered in his heart, though he noted his potential points had returned to zero and the rest of the interface remained unchanged.

"So, I gain one point of experience every day."

Chen Fan sighed. The plus sign had vanished, and the requirement for the next level had risen from 0/1 to 0/2.

"It looks like I need two points for the next upgrade. I wonder if there's a way to speed up the generation of potential points. At one point a day, and with the food running out, surviving long enough to level up is going to be difficult."

Chen Fan murmured to himself. Time was a luxury he didn't have.

He turned his attention to the empty skills category.

Was the system prompting him to learn actual Cultivation or combat techniques?

However, no one in this Earth Castle seemed to know martial arts. He remembered some Tai Chi moves from his school days, but he had practiced them half-heartedly and long since forgotten the details.

Besides, Tai Chi wasn't practical here. Without medical supplies, close-quarters combat with fierce beasts was suicide. A single bad wound was a death sentence.

Archery was the better path. If not that, then long-reaching weapons like iron spears or staffs. "An inch longer is an inch stronger," as the saying went. Knives and swords were desperate last resorts.

"I'll try it tomorrow."

Chen Fan decided on archery.

Metal was scarce in the Earth Castle. Iron bows were rare treasures held by a few, including his father. Most others used spears and shields.

Guns existed, and while they could kill low-level fierce beasts easily, they were prohibitively expensive.

But he could start small. He could fashion a wooden bow using scrap wood and beast tendons or old strings. Finding those materials wouldn't be impossible.

Even if it wasn't a legendary Cultivation technique, archery would provide self-defense. If he got good enough, he could join the hunting parties. He couldn't rely on his family forever; he needed to be capable of providing for himself.

Survival in this unforgiving world demanded nothing less.

Lost in thought, Chen Fan eventually grew tired and fell into a deep sleep, only to be jolted awake at dawn by a piercing scream from outside.