Even after facing death, wine is still the best ~!

With the adrenaline and the will to survive, Tang Ling pounced unto the imp and used his fist technique that he self-created in street fighting. Albeit being a scared, based on the Imp response, the fireball that the imp use would need to say some incantations and would need 3 seconds to cast.

Calculating the time of chant, Tang Ling began to punch into the Imp face when it started to chant something. This technique was clearly effective as the Imp couldn't chant the mysterious words that cast the dangerous fireball. He also noticed that the chant was somehow something that gathered a special thing that gathered unto the Imp when he started chanting and would cast his fireball.

Bang! "Hus.." Bang! Tang Ling repeated his punches until the Imp finally died.

[You have killed LV 7 {Elite} Little Imp, gained 1000 EXP]

[You've leveled up to LV 4]

Psh! Golden lights flashed unto Tang Ling and he immediately recovered from all his wounds and hunger. The body's flesh was strengthened and his flexibility too.

"So this Imp is a special Imp, right? No wonder that he was stronger than normal or I would just have killed him in one shot.

Tang Ling started reminding him that he should never do this move again or it may happen like now.

He also remembered these energies that the Imp gathered. What was that?

[Knife Mastery(Basic Insight) learned.]

[Hand Combat Mastery (Entry) learned]

[Tip: Masteries are divided in levels and degrees: Basic Insight, Entry, Peek unto the door, Advanced, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Peak, Sage.]

Knife Mastery and Hand Combat Mastery allowed Tang Ling to comprehend his insights he had a while ago. This allowed them to put in use his thoughts and better control his attacks.

Tang Ling began to put his mastery in use, farming the Imps, increasing his masteries. He then found the stolen items in a crude hideout. The things weren't numerous so with a piece of cloths, he could pack everything inside of here.

As he went to the exit, he re-encountered the corpse of Elite Imp and looked strangely at it. It seemed to have some secrets in its body. Tang Ling let go of the items and touched the corpse, the corpse dissolved in a myriad of lights and a book appeared.

Tang Ling was sure that the manual was very good but just stored in his [Inventory] and returned to the village.

60 minutes later,

"Good, good. You're a pretty good kid! To be able to defeat a Little Imp Elite without the cultivation technique! You're sure are good !" laughed Forger Wang after he heard his story.

"Cultivation technique? What's that ?" asked Tang Ling. The Seeker said he didn't need cultivation technique but could also use one... But what was cultivation?

"Hee? You don't know about cultivation? What a weird fellow you're...." muttered Forger Wang as he explained the concept.

Forger Wang mostly mumbled nonsense but here's the core of he said :

Here in Heavenly Ascension, there is thing called cultivation. The process makes one live longer and possess more strength. There 9 Stages and Martial artists are named after their Martial Artist of the 1st stage, of the second stage, etc. or was shortened as 1st rank.

The higher the stage, the stronger you are. Then after, you can become a cultivator to immortality.

After the long explanation, the [System] gave his rewards.

[Quest received: Deal with these devious creatures!

Difficulty: Easy

25/10 Imps, Returned the stolen loots.

Rewards: Lone Dawn Gourd, Increased Reputation and EXP]

"This is the Lone Dawn Gourd, one of the only gourds that can hold water. Since wine is too much in case of battle, the Lone Dawn Gourd was produced to reproduce the same effect of wine which increase bravery and strength but won't disturb clarity, dexterity, and other things that a warrior should have. "

"Thank you" Tang Ling bowed. If it was like that, the gourd would give him some strength for a certain duration of time. It would be a great help for him.

[Lone Dawn Gourd (Magic-rank item)

Of the myriad of containers, the Lone Dawn Gourd is a special one. It is a gourd that can hold water and wine alike without consequences. Putting water in this gourd is like wine. Wine in this gourd is a stronger wine. Every water and wine (even mythical water) can be held. Although being a Magic-rank, it value surpasses its original rank.

Effect: When water is contained, if drunk has the same effect as a normal wine (water quality determines the water-wine proprieties) without the debuff {Drunk}. If it is wine, the wine quality is increased (depends; it can increase by a little or by 2 ranks). The gourd assure that nothing in here holds poison or similar substances, in fact it can refine and increase the liquid quality.

Note: This gourd currently contains normal water, in the gourd, it increase strength by 0.3 Constitution by 0.2 and agility by 0.1 for 30 minutes]

[Level up(LV5)!]

[Stats calculation....

Name : Tang Ling

Lv 5

HP : 200/200

Qi : 30/30

Mental energy : 5/5

Stamina: 10/10

Strenght: 0.6

Agility: 0.7

Constitution: 0.5

Spirit: 1.2

????

---

Mathematics Lv2: Some simple mathematics can be solved.

Stealing Lv 2: A proficient expert in stealing people pockets and opening simple locks.

Medicine Lv 1: Training upon childhood, you've learned how to bandage people. Your quality of work is better than a normal person!

Handicraft Lv 2: An amateur of manufacturing. Your proficiency in hands is pretty good in terms of the quality of a worker.

Life Lv 2: You can now live in sometimes in the wild without ant problem in hygiene. The house is cleaned without dust with you around.

----

Knife Mastery (Basic): A total amateur at knife handling at least better than a total loser.

Hand Combat Mastery (Entry): Having some experience at hand techniques, maybe it because of your handicraft and your pitiful past, you are the boss at street fighting.

Note: Please note that LV1-10 is the basis of a normal person in Heavenly Ascension, you're not yet a martial artist but a loser that isn't as strong as a child.

Extra: The stats are based on average human in the Game World, do not fret, the average of Host world is about 0.4 and something...]

Argh! Unlike the previous time where his skills were described, this time, his masteries and evaluation was very harsh, crushing his confidence to bits but at least he could be comforted that he was stronger than a normal man of his world by 0.2...

But there was also a new section :

[Talent :

-Heavenly Moon Palace: Talent required to be a certain class (Activated Moon Palace). Considered as the supreme talent in this area, mental power is a yes in reality.

-Hyper Nimble Hands: Your hand is your thoughts. Mastery and Dexterity is increased easily. Dex +2. (Note: Dexterity is one of the special stats, speed and precision of hands)

-Omni Spirit Eyes: A uncommon talent that allows one to see more precise details. Maybe you should become a detective or a worker?

Point: Not bad, you have 2 innate talents and they're uncommon. Normal person would only have 1]

Looking at the System's "commendation", Tang Ling was quite pleased. At least he had a better than average potential.

Tang Ling took his newly acquired gourd and drunk a sip. Although it didn't make him drunk, the taste was still here and his stats were boosted by a lot. It was also the first time that he drunk wine albeit it wasn't a real wine. In Bao Feng City, He was poor and wine was expensive, reserved for the rich. He only drunk beer but it wasn't that good. The wine was more fragrant and refined than beer. Maybe it was because the slums beer was really cheap.

"Even after experiencing the fear of death, wine is still the best ~!"

Indeed, this gourd 'wine' was truly good.