Chapter 1

The thatched cottage was dilapidated, and the wind howled.

In the cold night, the chilly breeze seeped through the cracks in the walls, making Anle, who was inside, shiver.

He lay on the hard, uncomfortable bed, wrapped in a single layer of hemp clothing, trembling from the cold.

His body was cold, but his heart was even colder.

Just two hours ago, he was sitting in front of his newly bought computer, planning to make a character in a game suffer a tragic ending, while waiting for the delivery of fried chicken to enjoy a dull yet wonderful weekend. But just as he heard "Open the door, Ken..."

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in this hellish place.

"I really didn't want to be transported here..."

Anle sighed deeply, silently tightening his clothes, trying hard to prevent the tears from sliding down his cheeks.

He inherited some memories from the original owner, who had the same name as him. This world seemed... very dangerous!

There were legendary cultivators, terrifying monsters in the deep mountains, and tales of ghosts in the villages.

But he was just an ordinary person!

This body was only a teenager, and it was particularly weak, with thin arms and legs, as if it had some kind of illness. Even chopping wood was a struggle, and it was even weaker than Anle's original body, which was fat and sedentary from years of office work.

One word—weak!

His family was a hunter's household, and he lived with his father. But a few days ago, his father died while hunting.

The original owner probably died from excessive grief and a weak constitution.

What a miserable start!

If he had a choice, Anle would rather be transported to a peaceful world without any supernatural powers, where he could at least die of old age...

Suddenly, low voices came from outside the thatched cottage, making Anle's heart race.

"Er Gou, are you really going to do it?"

"Of course! The kid's father just died. Why can't we use the hunting tools in his house? This is called recycling!"

The owners of these voices were clearly young, probably children from some family in the village.

They were eyeing the only inheritance left by the original owner, planning to take it without permission.

In this resource-scarce world, an old bow and a few arrows were enough to make people covet.

Who would bully if not a lonely and sickly person like Anle?

Anle quickly got up and, with great difficulty, took out a chopping knife from under the bed and placed it by his side.

Just this action made him break out in a cold sweat and pant heavily, but he dared not breathe too loudly, for fear of being discovered by the two outside.

Anle had no intention of rushing out to fight the two, he just wanted to defend himself.

Adults might just beat him up, but half-grown kids, being ignorant, might not know their own strength and could easily kill him.

The hunting tools were stored in the neighboring thatched cottage, and the two boys knew this, so they pushed the door open and started to loot.

The rustling sounds of their search mixed with the wind, occasionally accompanied by complaints.

"His house is so poor!"

"Is this all he has? What a disappointment."

"Be quiet, don't wake him up."

"Haha, so what if he wakes up? Will he dare to resist?"

Anle could only grip the chopping knife tightly, his palms sweating, feeling quite desolate. He suddenly remembered a famous line of poetry.

—The children from the southern village bully me for my old age and weakness, daring to steal in front of me.

And here he was, in a thatched cottage!

Anle wasn't particularly attached to the original owner's father's legacy. With his current body, hunting would be like offering himself to wild beasts, and he probably wouldn't use them for a long time.

If they were stolen, so be it; it wasn't a big deal.

But tonight, the fact that two children dared to break into his house and steal in front of him showed that this village was probably quite "simple and honest." Anle didn't dare to think about what might happen tomorrow.

The days ahead would be tough!

Just as he was feeling disheartened, Anle suddenly noticed the light in front of him distort for a moment, and the next moment, a light screen appeared.

[Name: Anle]

[Lifetime: 15/23]

[Realm: Mortal]

[Cultivation Technique: None]

[Skills: None]

[Current Entries: "Naturally Beautiful," "Weak and Often Ill," "Poor and Destitute"]

[Parts Available for Evolution: Upper Limbs, Lower Limbs, Brain]

[Do you want to start the evolution?]

"Is this... a game interface?"

Thinking of the game he had been working on intensively over the weekend, Anle, as a game designer, was moved to tears, and his stiff body gradually warmed up.

This was an unconventional simulation game where you could evolve different parts of your body, unlock entries, and make choices, adding elements of a roguelike game.

Without hesitation, Anle focused his mind.

[Start Evolution!]

[Warning: Evolving the body goes against the will of heaven and is not tolerated by the universe!]

[Do you want to start the evolution?]

This warning made Anle pause. He hadn't seen such a setting when he was testing the game.

But he had no choice!

Not evolving meant waiting to die.

The "15/23" in his lifetime clearly showed that even without any external factors, he wouldn't live for more than 8 years.

'I don't want to die!'

Anle steeled his resolve and gritted his teeth.

[Start Evolution!]

[Unlock Permanent Entry: Abandoned by Heaven]

This entry was a bloody red, looking very ominous, but Anle just gave a bitter laugh and continued reading.

[Please choose the part to evolve.]

Anle only wanted to protect himself, so he immediately ruled out the brain option. After hesitating for two seconds between the upper and lower limbs, he chose the former.

[Choose the part to evolve: Upper Limbs!]

[No evolution bias yet.]

[Day 1: You start chopping wood from morning to night to strengthen your arms, but the results are minimal. The food at home is almost gone, and you are a bit hungry.]

[Day 2: Ignoring the soreness in your muscles, you continue chopping wood, but the results are still minimal.]

[Day 5: You continue chopping wood, but your upper limb muscles show signs of overexertion due to the high-intensity exercise. The food at home is completely gone, and you are very hungry.]

[Unlock Entry: Hungry Enough to Eat Dirt]

[Day 6: Without adequate nutrition, the exercise is meaningless. You decide to sell yourself into servitude at the village chief's house in Chen Village to secure a better living condition. The village chief, impressed by your good looks, agrees after some hesitation.]

[Day 31: After persistent exercise, your upper limbs gradually become stronger and more muscular. Your arms are much thicker, and the village chief praises you as a good helper.]

[Unlock Skill: Farming (Beginner)]

[Day 62: The food provided by the village chief is insufficient for your current body needs, and the progress of your arm training slows down. You decide to start hunting.]

[Day 63: You return empty-handed and are scolded and confined to your room for three days by the village chief.]

[Day 67: An old hunter in the village, who was a friend of your father, teaches you some techniques at your request.]

[Unlock Skill: Hunting (Beginner)]

[Day 87: You gradually master these techniques and successfully hunt your first prey. You share it with the old hunter, who is pleased and begins to teach you more.]

[Unlock Skill: Hunting (Proficient)]

[Day 110: You hunt every day and persistently train your upper limbs. Your arms are now three times as thick as before. On this day, you find a mysterious fruit in the forest. You crush it and apply it to your arms. The mysterious medicinal power penetrates your skin, flesh, and bones, making you feel intensely hot, and a continuous surge of strength flows from your arms.]

[Choose the evolution direction: "Tiger and Leopard Strength" / "Bone Spikes"]

Anle didn't hesitate and chose the former.

[Unlock Entry: Tiger and Leopard Strength]

[Day 111: You died.]