Jia Changjiang swallowed hard, a bold—perhaps reckless—idea forming in his mind.
That two-meter-tall brute was undeniably intimidating.
But still…
He'd just finished swinging an entire tree around and smashed a bunch of Slimes to death, hadn't he?
If he could treat anything he picked up as a weapon… then even if he didn't understand how he'd uprooted that tree earlier, charging in while holding one should—
Jia Changjiang briefly imagined the scene.
Him charging forward with a tree in hand…
Only for the giant, axe-wielding primitive to cleave straight through the tree—and him—with a single swing.
"…Shit."
He shuddered violently.
"Head-on combat is a bad idea!"
That conclusion was reached instantly.
But…
His gaze never left the axe.
He was a Weapon Master now. As long as it counted as a weapon, he could pick it up and use it proficiently. Judging from his earlier feat of ripping a tree out of the ground, the weight of an axe shouldn't be a problem.
If he could get his hands on that thing…
Maybe he could actually fight them.
Jia Changjiang carefully observed the humanoid creatures below.
The smaller ones were about the height of children—thin, but armed with crude clubs.
The more he looked, the more familiar they seemed.
After watching for nearly two minutes, a daring thought finally surfaced.
"These guys… don't tell me they're… Hilichurls?"
"…This is totally a Hilichurl camp. The setup, the look—everything."
The art style had jumped from virtual to real so abruptly that he hadn't recognized them at first. But now, he was certain.
And thinking back—
Hadn't he just killed Pyro Slimes earlier?
Jia Changjiang let out a long breath.
Thank god this wasn't a world of nothing but primitives.
At the very least, Genshin Impact had the Seven Nations—and human civilization.
"So where exactly am I?"
He swallowed nervously.
"This huge grassland… don't tell me this is Mondstadt?"
"It's way bigger than the map…"
Having roughly confirmed the world he was in, Jia Changjiang clenched his teeth and turned his attention back to the system prompt.
First things first—deal with the system.
All he needed was a long-handled weapon, right?
Hilichurls weren't exactly known for their intelligence. If he couldn't snatch it outright, couldn't he just… steal it?
Decision made, Jia Changjiang began observing the camp from above.
The earlier ritual dance around the pot had ended. The Hilichurls were now crowding around it, scrambling for food.
The large one—the brutish Hilichurl—stood up, walked over, grabbed one of the smaller Hilichurls by the head, shoved it aside, and plopped itself down next to the pot to eat.
And in doing so—
It set its giant axe down.
"…Chance!"
The moment Jia Changjiang saw the axe leave its owner's hands, he knew this was it.
He quietly set his heavy backpack aside and crept down the hill through the tall grass, using the Hilichurls' noisy eating as cover.
By the time they were halfway through their meal, Jia Changjiang had already reached the bushes beside the camp.
At this distance, his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his throat.
The brutish Hilichurl's axe lay less than five meters away.
His palms were slick with sweat.
Yet mixed in with the tension was a strange excitement—the same thrill he'd felt fighting the Slimes earlier.
Should he rush in now and grab it?
Or play it safe and get even closer?
He didn't have time to overthink it.
The food was almost gone.
Jia Changjiang lunged forward.
"Ya!"
One Hilichurl spotted him and let out a shrill, garbled cry, instantly alerting the entire camp.
But by the time they all turned—
Jia Changjiang was already at the axe.
His hand slammed down onto the haft.
As the Hilichurls locked onto him, Jia Changjiang hoisted the massive axe onto his shoulder, flashed them a grin full of white teeth, and laughed.
"Come on, idiots! Hit me if you can!"
[Long-handled weapon acquired. Beginner assistance is now being issued…]
As the system's mechanical voice rang out, the already enormous Hilichurl battle axe in Jia Changjiang's hands became wrapped in a layer of glowing light, its form subtly shifting.
The Hilichurls charged, clubs raised.
The brutish Hilichurl, now weaponless and furious, pounded its chest and charged straight at him.
[Primary long-handled weapon detected. Beginner assistance selection in progress… Selection complete.]
The system might not have intelligence, but it had one undeniable virtue—
It never dragged things out.
Almost the instant Jia Changjiang sidestepped the brute's charge, the reward finished deploying.
[Aegisong Axe — Delivery Complete.]
The axe on his shoulder had completely transformed.
It was even larger than before.
The sheer presence of it made Jia Changjiang look far more ferocious.
The shaft was pitch-black, engraved with a single name.
The bronze blade gleamed like a razor's edge.
Its weight made every step Jia Changjiang took feel heavy and grounded.
The moment his hands fully closed around the axe, countless combat techniques flooded his mind.
At the same time, he understood its origin.
This was once the weapon of the Weapon Master Jax.
The name carved into the haft was that of Jax's ancestor—also the name of his ancient tribe.
In Beyzeck, Jax had wielded this axe alongside his comrades to slay a Shuriman Ascended—a god-warrior.
They had flattened half a mountain before the battle ended.
And when it was over, Jax himself had used this very axe to sever the Ascended's head.
This weapon proved that beings worshipped as gods still bled flesh and blood.
That even so-called demigods could be killed.
Gripping the massive axe, a fire seemed to ignite in Jia Changjiang's chest.
He stared at the charging Hilichurls, tightened his grip, and bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"Now…"
"…it's my turn."
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