Joshua have search and learned all information on the internet in just one night.

  The next morning he woke up feeling more energized than ever before. He felt like he had slept for weeks and yet he hadn't been to bed. The knowledge he gained was overwhelming.

  He decided to freshen up and use [PORTAL] to go the world of Di, since he was gone for at least three days now.

  The thought of returning to other worlds excites him as last night he had thought of making or improving the martial arts and immortal cultivation there. With his new found spirit weapon and knowledge gathered from other worlds, he don't believe he can't me something even with this cheat.

  He strode into his bathroom, the opulent fixtures gleaming under the soft glow of the lights. He turned on the shower, the water a perfect blend of hot and cold, and stepped under the cascade, feeling the warmth wash over him. As the water rinsed away the grime of his travels, he felt his mind clear, making room for the tasks ahead.

  After dressing in a clean set of clothes, he descended into the bowels of his mansion, where his hidden basement bunker lay. With a flick of his wrist, he opened a [PORTAL] to the world of Di.

  Stepping through, he found himself in the dusty underground chamber that served as his gateway to the various worlds he visited.

  The basement was eerily quiet, and something felt off. The air was thick with a tension that he hadn't felt before. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, then climbed the stairs that led to the house above ground.

  As he emerged from the bunker, the scene that greeted him was one of devastation. The once lush and thriving village of Quinse lay in ruins, the buildings crumbled like children's sandcastles under the relentless onslaught of some beast. The smell of smoke and decay hung heavy in the air, and the ground was littered with the lifeless bodies of the villagers.

  Joshua felt a pang of grief and horror, his heart racing as he took in the destruction. This wasn't the welcoming sight he'd hoped to return to. He had to find out what happened.

  He sprinted through the ruined streets taking him with his sword and Qi pistol, his eyes searching for any sign of life. His mind raced with questions and fears. Who could have done this? Why weren't they prepared? His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his spirit weapon, Neural Nexus, humming softly at the back of his neck.

  The Nexus began to project images, piecing together the events that had transpired in his absence. The visuals were grainy at first, like watching an old VHS tape, but they grew clearer as it gathered more information from the surrounding environment.

  Joshua saw shadows moving through the ruins, the unmistakable march of an organized group. They wore armor with insignia he recognized as belonging to the second prince's elite forces.

  His heart sank as the realization dawned on him: this wasn't the work of bandits or rogue cultivators. This was a calculated, military strike.

  Why would the second prince attack his village? He had always kept his head down, never meddling in the affairs of the higher-ups. His thoughts raced as the reality of the situation set in. The only thing of value in Quinse was him and the bunker hidden under the house. But why was the Bunker remain intact?

  He looked around, his eyes scanning the destruction, searching for clues. And then he saw it, the tracks in the dust, faint but unmistakable. Nexus confirmed it, projecting an image of a group of survivors moving towards the outskirts of the village.

  "Maybe they're still alive," he murmured, a flicker of hope igniting in his chest.

  He turned to Neural Nexus for confirmation, and the spirit weapon's tentacles quivered with the weight of the information it had gathered.

  [We're surrounded by twenty-five hostile presences, all armed with swords and bow, light leather armored] Nexus informed him, its calm voice a stark contrast to the chaotic emotions swirling within him.

  Joshua's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as he calculated his options. Twenty-five to one weren't the best odds, but with the Nexus's enhancements and his own realm and weapons, he wasn't about to back down. The digital symphony in his mind grew tense as he plotted their demise.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  As he was about to make his move, one of the figures stepped out of the shadows, a sword in one hand and a white flag in the other.

  "Surrender," the man called out, his voice gruff and unyielding.

  Joshua's eyes narrowed as he took in the figure's posture. The man was tall, with a scar that bisected his right eye. The sword in his hand was not held in a defensive stance but rather, it pointed towards the ground, the white flag fluttering in the breeze.

  [Li Clan, Elite swordsman, no significant history of treachery] the Nexus informed him. Nexus has access to his memories and has complete records of everything, it saves in files and can easily recall it.

  Joshua studied the man, his mind racing. If the Nexus was correct, this was an unexpected turn of events.

  "What do you want?" he called back, keeping his sword at the ready.

  The swordsman took a step closer, his eyes never leaving Joshua. "The second prince seeks your surrender. He wishes to speak with you."

  Joshua felt the lie coil around the man's words like a serpent, cold and calculating. The Nexus had warned him, its tentacles flashing with an alarming pattern that told him the truth was being twisted.

  He took a step forward, his eyes locked on the swordsman's. "You're lying," he said calmly, his voice carrying the weight of the accusation.

  The Nexus's warning had painted a picture of impending betrayal, its tentacles pulsing with the urgency of the situation. It had shown him the hidden intentions of the soldiers, the way they had moved in the shadows, preparing for an ambush. The man's words were a trap, and he wasn't about to walk into it.

  With a swiftness that defied his physical form, Joshua closed the distance between them. His sword, a gleaming blade of ancient power, flashed in the sunlight as he brought it up in a defensive posture. The swordsman's eyes widened, the lie on his face faltering for just a moment but was prepared for the sudden attack.

  The first blow came from the shadows, a blur of steel aiming for his unprotected side. But Nexus was ready, its tentacles moving in a pattern that anticipated the attack.

  Joshua's sword sang as it met the incoming blade, the sound echoing through the desolate streets.

  BANG

  The force of the impact was like nothing the swordsman had ever felt, and he stumbled back, his arm numb from the shock.

  Joshua's eyes flicked to the shadows where the archers had been hiding. The Nexus had warned him about them, and he had already calculated the trajectory of their arrows. His Qi pistol was in his hand before the first shot had even been fired, and with a series of precise bangs, the archers crumpled to the ground, their life force snuffed out.

  The remaining soldiers, their numbers now significantly reduced, charged him with a ferocity that spoke of desperation. Their swords gleamed in the harsh sunlight, their faces twisted into snarls of anger and determination.

  Joshua's mind raced with the Nexus's input, calculating each step, each strike, and each beat of their hearts. He felt the world slow around him, his movements becoming a ballet of death as he danced through the storm of steel.

  The first swordsman's charge was met with a bone-crushing blow from his left fist, the impact sending the man flying back into the dust, dead before he even knew what had hit him. The Nexus had shown him the man's weakness, the exact moment to strike, and he had not held back.

  The next wave of soldiers rushed towards him, their blades glinting with deadly intent. But they had underestimated the power that now coursed through Joshua's veins, the power of the Nexus that allowed him to move with the grace of a ghost and strike with the might of a titan.

  The first swordsman's charge was met with a swift sidestep and a precise swipe of his sword, cutting the man down before he even knew what was happening. The Nexus's influence had made him a master of timing and precision, and he felt like he could read his opponents' movements before they even made them.

  The second the third and the next swordsmen were no match for him either. They had been ready for a fight, their eyes filled with the kind of hatred that comes from fear. But they had not been prepared for the kind of power that Joshua now wielded. He dispatched them with a grace that was almost beautiful, his blade moving in a dance of death that left them no chance to respond.

  With each strike, he felt a strange thrill, a sense of purpose that he had never felt before. It was as if he was fulfilling a destiny that had been laid out for him from the moment he had been born. The Nexus whispered in his mind, guiding his movements, making him one with the flow of battle.

  The soldiers fell like wheat before the sword, their screams of agony and fear music to his ears. The once-threatening mob was now a collection of lifeless bodies, weapons discarded like the detritus of a forgotten war.

  Joshua's blade didn't waver, his movements methodical and precise. Each kill brought a strange sense of calmness, as if he were merely plucking petals from a flower. The emotion of taking a life no longer held sway over him as he slaughter them.

  Their fearful cries became a backdrop to his silent rage, a symphony that fueled his actions. His eyes had become cold, emotionless as he surveyed the battlefield, his mind a calculating machine.

  The leader of the group, the one who had called for his surrender, was now cowering behind the last standing building, his once confident stance reduced to trembling.

  Joshua approached him, the sound of his boots echoing through the empty street. The man looked up, his one good eye filled with terror.

  "Stay back!" As the man swing his blade wildly.

  Joshua raised a hand, and the world around him grew still. The Nexus's power surged forth, wrapping the trembling leader in a cocoon of digital energy. The man's eyes glazed over as the hypnosis took hold, his sword dropping to the ground with a clatter.

  "What happened here?" Joshua demanded, his voice a cold whisper that sent a shiver down the leader's spine. It was time to learn the what happen here while he was away.