I Level Up By Making Enemies

Jack was having a terrible day. Actually, scratch that as it wasn’t just a terrible day, it was a existence shattering day. One moment he was fighting for his life in a hornet’s nest in a dark forest on Earth, and the next, he was staring at a muddy cobblestones, feeling a heavy boot pressing firmly into his shoulder blade.

”Say, who is the second rate monkey?”

Jack didn’t answer immediately. His brain was currently trying to process two entirely conflicting, highly ridiculous sets of memories.

Memory A: He was a twenty four year old former jobless guy who spent his nights as a legendary, professional internet troll. His life had ended precisely twenty minutes ago due to an extreme excess of dedication to a social media war.

He had spent three consecutive weeks arguing on a zoology forum with a community of hardcore believers, insisting that Bigfoot was statistically impossible and that they were all brain damaged.

To completely ruin their forum, he bought a ridiculously oversized gorilla suit to film a fake, incredibly insulting ”sighting” video.

He had gone out into the local woods at night to record the video. While wearing the heavy, fur suit and doing a stupid, mocking dance for the camera, he had accidentally stepped backward off a literal cliff because he couldn’t see through the plastic eyeholes.

He had plummeted forty feet completely intact, only to land directly onto a massive, angry hornet’s nest. Trapped inside a zipper heavy fur suit with hundreds of furious insects, he had met his demise. He was literally killed by a combination a swarm of spiteful hornets.

Memory File B: He was a sixteen year old sect disciple of the Flowing Wind Sect, named Lin Feng. This Lin Feng was a textbook definition of ’martial arts trash.’ He had weak meridians, zero backbone, a level that could be lapped by a random kid, and a spectacular knack for getting beaten up by anyone.

Wait, he thought, his face still squished toward the dirt. If I’m here... where did the original guy go?

As if answering his thought, a translucent image flickered across his vision. It was a ghostly version of the original, scrawny Lin Feng. The ghostly teenager took one look at the modern Earth memories (of social media wars, corporate taxes, and other brainrot shit he have consumed from internet) and let out a terrified shriek, then violently ejected his own soul out of the body.

Before vanishing entirely, the ghost turned back, gave modern Lin Feng a frantic, two handed thumbs up, and waved a joyful goodbye like a kid.

Did he just literally abandoned his own body to a stranger just to avoid dealing with the local bullies?

Jack almost choked on his own spit. A soul that literally ran away because his memories were too weird.

So am i Lin Feng Now?

A sudden, bubbly urge to laugh erupted from deep within his chest. The sheer absurdity everything was simply too much. He let out a loud, snorting chuckle.

The boot on his shoulder tightened painfully.

”What are you laughing about filth?” the voice snarled. The owner of the boot was Zhao Feng, a mid stage Qi Condensation disciple with a streak of attention seeking behavior and an exceptionally above average ego.

”Lin Feng, you useless piece of garbage, I asked you a question. Who is the second rate monkey?”

Lin Feng slowly raised his head. His face was smudged with dirt, but lit by the manic urge to troll the clown in front of him. He looked at Zhao Feng’s overly styled topknot, his pristine silk robes, and his practiced dramatic posture.

Without even thinking, Lin Feng’s professional instincts as a lifelong internet instigator kicked right in.

”...You?” Lin Feng said cheerfully.

The courtyard fell dead silent. The surrounding outer disciples, who had gathered to watch the usual daily beating, froze. Someone who was sipping their morning tea actually sprayed it across the pavement.

Zhao Feng’s fake, arrogant smile shattered like cheap glass. His face rapidly shifted through three different shades of crimson before settling on a angry red.

”You... you court death! What did you just say?!”

[ Ding! Master Ragebaiting System initializing...]

[Host : Lin Feng.]

[Current Status: Level 1 Trash ]

[Emotional volatility detected in target ’Zhao Feng’.]

[ Genuine, vein popping hatred confirmed. Rage Value +52. ]

[ First successful ragebait accomplished! Dispensing newbie rewards to prevent immediate expiration of the Host. ]

Before Lin Feng could process the mechanical, deeply disrespectful voice in his head, a violent shockwave of warm energy exploded directly in his lower abdomen. It felt like someone had shoved a jumper cable connected to a car battery straight into his spine.

His clogged, weak meridians tore open with a sharp pop. The constant, sluggish fatigue in his muscles vanished and replaced by an electric, buzzing vitality. His vision sharpened so fast he could suddenly see the individual threads on Zhao Feng’s robes. Even the heavy boot pressing down on his shoulder suddenly felt like nothing more than a minor inconvenience, like a heavy pillow resting on him.

Oh, Lin Feng thought, a slow grin forming on his face. Oh, this is beautiful. This is an absolute goldmine.

Zhao Feng raised a qi infused palm, ready to slap Lin Feng’s teeth straight out of his skull.

”I will tear your tongue out, you miserable parasite!”

Lin Feng didn’t flinch. Instead, he looked directly into Zhao Feng’s eyes and raised his voice so the entire courtyard could hear him.

”You know, for someone who spends so much time stepping on people to look dominant, your balance is so shit. Are your legs always that shaky, or are you just nervous to be standing so close to me?”

”What?!” Zhao Feng roared, his focus completely breaking from the sheer, unexpected audacity of the insult.

Taking advantage of the split second of confusion, Lin Feng violently shifted his weight. He planted his palms against the ground and shoved his shoulder upward with the explosive new strength surging through his veins.

Zhao Feng, who had been leaning almost all his body weight onto one leg just to look cool and imposing for the crowd, had absolutely no counter for a sudden vertical launch. His single supporting foot slipped on the smooth stone.

With a loud, undignified YELP, the great sect bully went flying backward, his arms flailing before landing flat on his backside in a puddle of muddy water.

SPLASH!

For three whole seconds, the outer courtyard was so quiet you could hear the wind rustling the bamboo leaves. Then, a single disciple in the back let out a hysterical giggle. That broke the dam. The entire courtyard erupted into a cacophony of howling laughter.

[Ding]

[Zhao Feng’s emotional damage is critical. Rage Value +96!]

[Total Rage Value: 148.]

[Reward: Basic Qi Circulation Technique (Simplified) has been forcefully installed into your brain. You’re welcome.]

A flood of instinctual knowledge poured into Lin Feng’s mind. He suddenly knew exactly how to draw the ambient spiritual energy of the world into his body, and how to cycle it to reinforce his muscles. He stood up smoothly, dusting off his patched gray robes with a casual, leisurely air. He stretched his neck, letting out a satisfied sigh as his spine popped.

He looked down at the muddy, trembling mess that was Zhao Feng.

”Thanks for the free lesson, brother,” Lin Feng said, flashing a brilliant, completely shameless smile.

Zhao Feng’s killing intent surged so violently that the ambient temperature in the courtyard seemed to drop. A faint, red aura of unstable Qi began to fluctuate around his body as he scrambled to his feet, his fingers twitching toward the sword at his waist.

The laughing disciples immediately stopped joking and took three massive steps back. A madman with an unsheathed blade was no longer funny.

[WARNING: Target’s hatred has escalated to ’I will Kill You’ Levels! Extreme hostility detected!]

[Bonus reward issued for surviving the initial push]

[ Dispensing: Fleet Footed Dash (Level 1).]

More energy flooded Lin Feng’s legs, making them feel light as feathers. He could feel that if he took a single step right now, he could probably outrun a deer.

Zhao Feng drew his iron sword, the metal gleaming menacingly in the morning sun. ”Lin Feng! Today, not even the Sect Master himself can save your wretched soul!”

Lin Feng didn’t wait around to test that theory. He turned around on his heel, waving a hand lazily over his shoulder as he began a brisk, unbothered walk toward the residential quarters.

”Yeah, yeah, court death, yellow springs, etcetera. I’ll be in the dorms if you want to gift me more power later. Do try not to trip on your way over, buddy. It’s embarrassing for both of us.”

”LIN FENG!!!”

Zhao Feng’s furious, lung bursting roar echoed off the walls of the sect, scaring a flock of spiritual cranes right out of the nearby trees. He lunged forward to give chase, but a passing Inner Sect Elder suddenly dropped from the sky, frowning heavily at the unsheathed weapon in a public courtyard and the screaming Zhao Feng.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng casually strolled down the winding mountain path, entirely isolated from the chaos he had left behind. He pulled up the floating, translucent blue system screen that only he could see.

”Now let’s see what this is all about?”

[Host Name: Lin Feng]

[Realm: Qi Condensation - Level 1 (Trash!!!)]

[Current Title: Novice Provoker]

[Next Milestone: Make 10 people genuinely wish for your immediate demise. Progress: 1/10]

[Available Rage Points: 148 (Can be used in the System Shop once you stop stingy)]

Lin Feng stared at the screen for minute. Then, a slow grin spread across his face, stretching from ear to ear.

Back on Earth, people just reported his accounts, or sent him angry direct messages. But her iIn this world? Every time he made someone lose their absolute marbles, the universe itself rewarded him with godlike power.

”The more they hate me and the more enemies i make... the stronger I get,” Lin Feng whispered to himself.

He looked up at the massive mountain peaks of the Flowing Wind Sect, home to thousands of proud, arrogant, easily offended cultivators who valued their ’face’ above life itself.

”Oh. This transmigration is going to be an absolute blast.” he chuckled, cracking his knuckles as he approached the crowded disciple dormitory.