System Poet, I Eat

Late Night.

Martial Training Chamber.

Shen Tianling stood still, gripping a long spear with one hand. Through the one-way mirror before him, he stared silently and intently—not at his reflection, but at the system panel.

[Spear Technique Proficiency]: Stage 2 (20%)

“Only a 4% increase in three hours.”

“I still haven’t even mastered the basics of Thunder Spear Technique.”

“There must be something wrong in the process.”

Thunder Spear Technique was a Tier-3 spear art.

Ordinarily, such techniques were only suitable for Tier-2 Source Martial Artists and above.

Most entry-level martial artists began with Tier-1 techniques, and only a rare few with extraordinary talent would attempt Tier-2 ones.

For example, the original body had practiced Flash Piercing Spear, Cloud Treading Footwork, and Rock Fist Technique—all Tier-1 techniques.

Shen Tianling’s talent in martial skills was only average.

His mastery levels were:

• Spear and Fist Techniques: Stage 2

• Footwork: Stage 3 (beginner)

Even that was only because the original Shen Tianling had spent every day running errands for Liu Ruyan, which helped hone his movement skills.

To truly utilize a Tier-2 technique, one’s skill needed to reach Stage 3 peak.

With just Stage 2 spear mastery, learning a Tier-2 technique was already pushing it—let alone a Tier-3 technique like Thunder Spear.

In fact, most people who attempted to learn such a high-level technique at this level ended up unable to use it properly—often getting beaten down by someone using even a Stage 1 skill correctly.

Right now, Shen Tianling attempting to learn Thunder Spear Technique was as foolish as daydreaming.

A Tier-3 technique typically required at least Stage 4 peak proficiency to wield effectively.

“Thunder Spear Technique… definitely interesting.”

Without hesitation, Shen Tianling activated the item from his system inventory:

[Skill Comprehension Token]

[Ding! You have activated Skill Comprehension. Please select a target technique.]

“Comprehend Thunder Spear Technique.”

As he spoke, he kept his eyes on the proficiency percentage, waiting for the “20%” to jump up by hundreds—maybe even a thousand.

But the next moment, the interface changed.

[Confirmed. Activating Skill Comprehension.]

[Entering Simulation Mode…]

“Simulation Mode?” Shen Tianling blinked.

Wasn’t it supposed to just increase proficiency with one click? Why the extra mode?

He didn’t get to think much more.

Suddenly, a wave of fatigue overwhelmed him.

He blacked out on the spot.

When Shen Tianling opened his eyes again—

He was stunned by the scene before him.

“Am I… still in the country?”

He looked around and felt a chill creep up his spine.

He was now in a blood-red arena.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed.

Light condensed into the form of a humanoid phantom holding a long spear, its gaze as sharp as a blade.

“…This can’t be right.”

[Loading complete.]

[Training Mode: You will enter a deep sleep and train in Thunder Spear Technique within this simulation. During training, spear proficiency will gradually increase.]

“…Huh?”

What kind of twisted system was this?

It was like an employer promising a paycheck, dragging you to the bank, and saying, “It’s all here—go rob it yourself.”

“The f*ck—”

Before he could even finish cursing, shlick!—something stabbed him.

He looked down.

Oh. A long spear had pierced clean through his chest.

A burst of force erupted.

Shen Tianling felt himself soaring backward, blood gushing from his mouth. He crashed 20 meters away.

“Urgh… am I dying?”

Pain flooded his senses like a tidal wave, especially the burning agony in his chest as the embedded spear slowly drained his life.

Warm blood ran down his skin.

His consciousness dimmed. His eyes lost focus.

Moments later—

A flash of light.

The humanoid phantom reappeared, and Shen Tianling was back at square one.

“I… I revived?”

“What the hell was that pain? System! SYSTEM!”

[Ding! Pain level set to 100%. Cannot be adjusted. Resuming training in 3 seconds.]

[Please prepare.]

Prepare?

Might as well call it a suicide simulator.

What kind of “training mode” has this much pain?

Then it hit him.

It was because the Thunder Spear Technique was a Tier-3 skill.

It wasn’t any easier than facing a Tier-3 martial artist head-on.

A bitter smile tugged at Shen Tianling’s lips.

Still, he swallowed his regret.

Tier-2 or Tier-3, it didn’t matter—eventually, he’d master them all.

With that resolve, he bent down, picked up the spear, and straightened his posture.

The humanoid phantom moved.

In a flash, it executed the first move of Thunder Spear Technique:

[Lightning Flash Shadow Piercer]

The spear shot forward with a sonic boom.

Like a missile locked on a target, it blasted straight toward Shen Tianling’s head with lethal precision.

The spear struck.

Shen Tianling’s body shuddered violently.

Then he collapsed, motionless.

Time passed.

In the same arena, countless versions of Shen Tianling appeared—again and again.

“Holy sh*t,” Shen Tianling shouted hoarsely. “This is your idea of training mode? What am I, a masochist trying to die in creative ways?!”

He had tried dying up close, from afar, diagonally—every way possible.

This wasn’t training—it was slaughter.

After hundreds of deaths, Shen Tianling finally grasped the essence of the first technique: Lightning Flash Shadow Piercer.

It was a lightning-fast thrust that could not be dodged at close range.

True to its name, the spear stabbed like lightning—direct, unavoidable, and deadly.

Against equal-level opponents, this was a guaranteed hit.

At a distance, it was even more terrifying.

After fifty tries, Shen Tianling realized—this move had auto-lock.

Once it targeted you in its line of sight, you were hit.

Close? Instant kill.

Far? One-hit impale.

He had died so many times, he lost count.

But finally, for the first time—he didn’t get one-shot.

He actually blocked the strike.

Not only that—he counterattacked.

With a fluid motion, Shen Tianling swung his spear, mimicking the phantom’s strike.

The spear danced in the air, leaving behind streaks of blinding white.

Explosive cracking sounds filled the air as it tore through space.

Suddenly, Shen Tianling lunged forward.

Sparks of lightning crackled across his body.

His right hand thrust the spear forward—now glowing with radiant white light.

Thunder exploded from the tip.

Its speed was so fast the human eye couldn’t follow.

BOOM!

The lightning-charged spear shot forward like an arrow piercing the heavens, drilling straight through the phantom’s head.

A deafening thunderclap followed.

The entire space trembled.

[Ding! Spear Technique Proficiency has risen from Stage 2 (20%) to Stage 3 (30%)]

[Ding! Initial training complete. Lightning Flash Shadow Piercer has been successfully executed. Exiting training mode…]

“…I-I did it!!”

Shen Tianling collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.

He panted heavily.

The final strike still replayed in his mind—

That exhilarating fusion of body, soul, and spear into one.

It felt incredible.