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

The trio walked through the darkness in silence, approaching a small house where a single light flickered.

"Dad! You're back!"

Suddenly, a thin boy with a sallow complexion, roughly twelve or thirteen years old, sprinted out of the dwelling and threw himself into Chen Guodong's arms. This was Chen Chen, the younger brother of Chen Fan.

Raising his head to scan their surroundings, Chen Chen’s expression slumped with disappointment. "Dad, didn't you bring any food back this time?" he asked.

The boy’s stomach let out a loud, traitorous growl just as the words left his lips.

Chen Guodong’s face flushed with shame as he stammered, "There was an accident during the hunt. Next time, I promise."

"But you said the same thing last time," the boy replied, his clear eyes blinking with innocence.

The woman quickly moved to pull him away, scolding, "Can't you see your Dad is injured? Be careful not to touch his wound."

She kept the truth hidden; she didn't dare mention that her husband had barely escaped with his life this time.

"Ah?"

Following his mother’s gaze, the boy’s eyes widened in fear. He took a hasty step back, whispering, "Dad, I-I'm sorry."

"How is this your fault?" Chen Guodong said, patting the boy's head gently. He then turned to the woman. "Could you cook some rice soup? Do we have any money left? Tomorrow, I’ll see if I can head to Song Family Castle to trade for some supplies."

"It's long gone. I even traded the wedding ring you gave me," she replied with a shake of her head. She went inside, scraped a meager half-spoonful of rice from the bottom of a jar, and began preparing the porridge.

The rice jar was nearly empty. At their current rate, it would last a week at most. Once it was gone, they would face total starvation.

"Xiaofan."

Chen Guodong gestured for Chen Fan to come closer, his voice filled with concern. "How is your health?"

"I'm fine now, Dad," Chen Fan answered.

He did his best to imitate the behavior and tone of the original owner of this body. From his inherited memories, he knew the original Chen Fan was somewhat intimidated by his quiet, stern father, resulting in an estranged relationship. For a transmigrator, this distance was a blessing.

Chen Guodong opened his mouth as if to speak further, but simply nodded. "It's good that you're fine," he said briefly.

Dinner consisted of a thin, watery porridge with only a few stray grains of rice at the bottom of the pot. The four of them licked their bowls clean. As the family's primary provider, Chen Guodong was given a second serving.

Once the meal was finished, everyone retired to rest.

Chen Fan shared the west room with his younger brother. Through the thin walls, the hushed voices of his parents reached his ears. It wasn't intentional eavesdropping; the house was simply too primitive to block out the sound.

"Guodong, do you know? I was so terrified today, fearing you wouldn't return like the others," his mother sobbed quietly.

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

"But what about next time?"

A heavy silence fell over the house.

Chen Fan let out a quiet sigh. In this world of hardship, where the next meal was never guaranteed, many people didn't even have a roof over their heads. Even if one managed to reach the safety of the cities—assuming they would even let you in—the journey was so treacherous that an ordinary person wouldn't survive it with ten lives.

Strength—only absolute strength—offered a chance at survival.

Closing his eyes, he summoned a thought. An attribute panel, strikingly similar to a video game interface, manifested vividly in his mind.

Realm: NoneLevel: 1 (0/1)Constitution: 8 (Average for an adult male is 10 points, the same below)Power: 7Agility: 7Spirit: 5Skills: NonePotential Points: 1 (1 point/1 day)

A prominent plus sign sat next to his level, catching his attention. It hadn't been there an hour ago. He had transmigrated late last night, and roughly 25 hours had passed since then.

When the data panel first appeared, he suspected it was a hallucination, but repeated checks confirmed it was his "system" at work. He theorized that the plus sign required potential points to function.

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

"Crack, crack."

Faint popping sounds echoed from his joints. A wave of pure exhilaration washed over him.

"Is this strengthening my body?" Chen Fan wondered. He could distinctly feel his physical power increasing.

The heat dissipated after a few seconds. Had his clothes not been drenched in sweat, he might have thought it was a dream. Clenching his fist, he felt a reservoir of strength that had been absent before.

"That's it! The system works!"

He checked his stats again. As expected, the numbers had 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. Every attribute had grown by ten percent, bringing him much closer to the standard of a healthy adult male. No wonder he felt so much more capable.

Excitement bubbled within him; there was finally a glimmer of hope for his future. However, his potential points were spent, and the panel remained static.

"It looks like I have to wait another day for a single point of experience," Chen Fan sighed. The plus sign had vanished, and the requirement for the next level had increased from one point to two.

"I'll need two points for the next level up. I wonder if there's a way to speed up the generation of potential points. One point a day is too slow when we’re out of food; surviving until tomorrow is already a luxury."

Chen Fan muttered to himself, realizing time was his greatest enemy. His eyes drifted to the empty skills section. Was the system prompting him to learn martial arts?

In this Earth Castle, he hadn't heard of anyone practicing true martial arts. He remembered some Tai Chi moves from his school days, but those were just for show and long forgotten. Besides, without medicinal support, close-quarters combat with fierce beasts was suicide. A single bad wound was a death sentence here.

If he was to learn anything, it had to be a ranged skill like archery, or at least how to use a long spear or a staff. "An inch longer is an inch stronger." Blades would be his last resort.

"I'll try it tomorrow," Chen Fan decided. He would focus on archery.

Metal was scarce in the Earth Castle, and iron bows were even rarer—only a select few, like his father, possessed them. Most others used spears and shields. As for firearms? They were incredibly effective against low-level fierce beasts, but their price was astronomical.

That didn't matter. He could craft a wooden bow using scrap wood and bowstrings made from beast tendons. Finding those materials wouldn't be impossible. Even if archery wasn't a high-level cultivation technique, it was essential for self-defense. If he could join the hunting team, he could secure his own food. Relying on others wasn't a long-term plan.

In this brutal world, self-sufficiency was the only path to survival.

With these thoughts swirling in his head, Chen Fan eventually succumbed to exhaustion. Early the next morning, he was jolted awake by a piercing scream from outside.