《Realm of Genes》 Chapter 1 - A new beginning! ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± A teenager ran wildly through a dense forest as if his life depended on it. In truth, it did. He had stolen the eggs of a giant bird. The creature resembled a chicken but was much larger, nearly the size of a human, with sharp claws capable of tearing through iron. The teen skidded to a stop and hid behind a thick tree trunk, glancing around anxiously to see if the monsters were still chasing him. Soon, the creatures¡ªknown as Iron Clawers¡ªpassed by him. Their bloodshot eyes burned with fury, scanning the forest for their thief. Stealing one of their offspring right before them had driven the Iron Clawers into a frenzy. Now, they attacked anything that even vaguely resembled their child¡¯s kidnapper. But that was someone else¡¯s problem, not his. Evil? Maybe. But in this world, only the strong had rights. Survival in this era was built on a single principle: evolution. It all began 500 years ago, when dimensional rifts descended upon Earth, triggering a cataclysm that merged all the continents back into a single landmass¡ªPangaea. Nations that once existed collapsed overnight, and new powers rose from the ashes. Organizations sprang to life, many of which cared little for the survival of the common people. Wars broke out, merciless and unchecked, and within the first 50 years, the death toll had reached a staggering 4 billion, leaving humanity¡¯s population halved. But the worst was yet to come. As humans explored these new dimensional worlds, they encountered other intelligent creatures¡ªsome friendly, most hostile. And what was this worst outcome? Humanity was weak. Weakness led to humans being hunted for their evolution points. Over time, we became slaves to stronger races. Every year, we had to sacrifice a portion of our genetic potential just to survive, paying with resources and lives in exchange for so-called ¡°protection.¡± Refusal wasn¡¯t an option. What happened to those who defied the system didn¡¯t need to be explained. This subjugation led to a divide within human society¡ªthose who accepted servitude and those who resisted. The resulting conflict tore humanity apart once again, and shockingly, the pro-slavery faction emerged victorious. It wasn¡¯t surprising, though. The race that enslaved us¡ªthe Were Tribes¡ªhad sent their warriors to suppress any resistance, easily crushing even humanity¡¯s strongest fighters. Such a grim fate awaited humanity. And yet, over the years, the demands of the Were Tribes only grew more insatiable. Recently, they had begun to demand living humans as tribute. Who are the Were Tribes? They¡¯re a coalition of werewolves, weretigers, and other werebeasts. Each member possesses inhuman strength from the moment they are born. How vast is the gap between us? Those who max out their gene cap in the first realm among the Were Tribes can easily overpower humans who have maxed out their gene cap in the second realm. This difference snowballed so much that even a group of fifth-realm humans teaming up against a third-realm member of the Were Tribes would still be defeated effortlessly. But what are these realms and gene caps? When someone enters a dimensional rift, they are teleported randomly to a new world filled with monsters. The only way to leave is through specific exit points, which vary for each race. Currently, humanity¡¯s strongest individuals have only reached the fifth realm. Despite this, we are on the verge of losing our last stronghold. From other races, we¡¯ve learned there are seven realms in total or there are more, but no one ever reached it. Even the Were Tribes struggle in the sixth realm. They only know of the seventh realm because one of their most powerful gene evolvers successfully ascended to it. However, he never returned, and with no information about that realm, no one has dared to ascend since.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! What Are Gene Caps? Within these realms, there are creatures whose flesh can enhance the human body to superhuman levels. A person''s gene cap determines the maximum potential of their genetic evolution. Gene caps are heavily influenced by ancestry. If someone maxes out their gene cap, their descendants have a chance to inherit a higher cap. However, this is rare¡ªtypically occurring in every fifth or sixth child. Most others inherit mixed traits, resulting in a cap similar to, but rarely exceeding, their parents. This rule applies to all realms. A person¡¯s gene cap doesn¡¯t decrease as they ascend but remains constant. To ascend to a higher realm, you need to reach at least half of your gene cap in the current realm. However, those who ascend with only half their cap are significantly weaker than those who ascend with a fully maxed-out cap. The highest recorded human gene cap was 144, achieved by a legendary figure who tragically died 200 years ago during the rebellion against the Were Tribes. It was said he could almost fight weaker members of the Were Tribes to a standstill. And Our Protagonist? His gene cap is 31. Yes, 31. He is considered trash by society, incapable of ever reaching the third realm in his lifetime. To survive in the third realm, a person needs a gene cap of at least 55 maxed out in the previous realms. Because of his low gene cap, no one wants to associate with him. The average gene cap for humans ranges between 60 and 80, making his number a near-miracle of deficiency. He holds the dubious honor of being the lowest gene evolver ever recorded. Ridiculed by everyone, he lives in constant humiliation. Even his own family severed ties with him. His family, though commoners, had respectable gene caps: his father at 67 and his mother at 62. Their marriage was nearly forbidden, as the law prohibits unions with a gene cap difference greater than 3. This law exists to promote the creation of elites with higher gene caps while preventing genetic deterioration over time. In contrast, those with high gene caps face no such restrictions. A person with an elite cap can have multiple spouses, and society celebrates it. Even if their partner has a lower cap, their children are expected to inherit above-average potential. But for low gene cap families, my parents serve as the perfect cautionary tale. And how am I even alive with such a low cap? Because I¡¯m considered a valuable research material. I had been used as a lab rat for as long as I could remember. No one ever treated me like a human¡ªmore like a bug. When they finally lost interest in me, they cast me aside, leaving me to fend for myself. But this so-called freedom wasn¡¯t entirely a blessing. Thugs, robbers, and loan sharks sought to exploit me. My gene cap was public knowledge, broadcast far and wide. Knowing how low it was, they dragged me into these realms to use me as live bait. For four long years, I was nothing more than a tool for their survival. But not anymore. Now, I have a system. As if the gods themselves took pity on my wretched existence, they granted me this system. But there was a catch¡ªit didn¡¯t activate on its own. I needed to gather a silver coin to unlock it. What is a Silver Coin? After the great cataclysm, paper money lost its value entirely. At first, people traded goods, but eventually, the old-fashioned method of coins took over. Soon, currencies of copper, silver, gold, platinum, and diamond coins were established. How does such a vast number of coins circulate in the economy? The answer is simple: the realms. The realms not only strengthened people but also allowed for the extraction of valuable items. Because of my weak gene cap, I wasn¡¯t sent to the mines to labor¡ªI was too frail for such work. Instead, the young master of the mine owner, who had a sick hobby of using people as live bait, found another use for me. People with great strength had lost their humanity, indulging in their pleasures. To them, those weaker than themselves were nothing but insects. What About Weapons? In the early years after the cataclysm, most weapons were either used up or rendered obsolete. The technology to replicate them was lost, and in the face of the realms, they became irrelevant. Think about it: what good is a gun when someone can move faster than a bullet? What about nuclear bombs? Or weapons of similar magnitude? No one invests in them anymore when individuals can wield the destructive power of a nuclear explosion. Radiation, once a mortal threat, is useless against those who¡¯ve ascended to the fourth realm or higher. The blast itself might still kill fifth-realm evolvers, but for anyone stronger¡ªand most other races¡ªit¡¯s nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Weapons of mass destruction lost their terror long ago. Back to the Present I stare at the egg in my hand and the system interface floating before me. ¡°Please don¡¯t disappoint me. I¡¯m betting everything on you!¡± I whisper to myself. ¡°Cash out!¡± Chapter 2 - The System The egg vanishes from my hand, replaced by a glowing window that reminds me of the old video games from centuries ago. [Determining the ¡®Iron Clawer Egg¡¯¡­][You gained 5 copper coins.][All your copper coins have been merged into a silver coin. Do you want to activate the system?] [Y(cost:1silvercoin)/N] I could only smirk at myself. All these years of suffering¡ªfinally, I could throw them away! [Systemloading¡­beginning.] [Cash-Out System has been integrated into the host!] [You can exchange resources for system coins and use them to obtain various rewards.] [Your current bank value: 1 silver coin.] Suddenly, a row of new windows materialized before my eyes.
System Shop
  1. Genetics
  2. Herbs/Medicines
  3. Skills
  4. Occupations
  5. Items
Your current funds only allow access to the Genetics section. Other sections are locked until you acquire more money.
I frowned. I can¡¯t even view the other sections. Still, the fact that I could buy anything at all felt like a blessing. With that thought, I focused on the Genetics section.
Genetics Shop
  1. Gene Points
  2. Gene Potions
  3. Gene Locks
  4. Gene Ascension
The System Shop wasn¡¯t surprising. I had expected something along these lines when it mentioned a "shop." But the Genetics section intrigued me¡ªit was different. I recognized Gene Points, but the other options? I had no clue what they meant. Curious, I tried to focus on the third and fourth options, but something seemed to block me. Sigh. Giving up, I assumed I was simply too poor to even see what they were. No point in stressing about things I can¡¯t afford.
Gene Points
  1. Mortal
  2. Extraordinary
  3. Elite
  4. Champion
  5. Sovereign
  6. Overlord
  7. Legendary
  8. Mythical
  9. Catastrophic
I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at the tier list in the Gene Points section. What little I knew about genetics already hinted at the massive power differences between each rank. My hand hovered uncertainly over the first option, Mortal, as I pondered my next move. I could only blankly stare in front of me. What are all these things? Why isn¡¯t it listing creatures whose flesh I can buy? So many secrets were revealed by this system. Do the higher-ups know about this? Most likely not, otherwise, humanity wouldn¡¯t be in this dire situation. Even the Were Tribes might be in the dark about this. What¡¯s the difference between these categories? I could only view the Mortal up to the Elite sections, with the others still locked. Another secret! I wished the system wouldn¡¯t tease me, but just tell me about these categories. When I looked into them, I found many familiar creatures from the Mortal realm¡ªbeasts whose flesh I could imagine would grant significant power. But when I scrolled into the Extraordinary and Elite sections, many creatures showed up that I had only ever seen on the internet¡ªbeings so dangerous they could obliterate entire settlements with their mere presence. No weapon could harm them. I wanted to buy gene points, but I held back this impulse. I discovered that I could easily max out my gene points directly from the system shop. So, I checked the second section.
Gene Potions
  1. Mortal
  2. Extraordinary
  3. Elite
  4. Champion
  5. Sovereign
  6. Overlord
  7. Legendary
  8. Mythical
  9. Catastrophic
You can take only one from each category, so choose wisely!
Soon, a surge of information flooded my mind about using these potions. You don¡¯t need to ascend to incorporate all your collected genes. Instead, these potions can elevate your status from a mortal to an extraordinary lifeform. This is why the Were Tribes are so much stronger¡ªthey have a higher lifeform status compared to humans, who remain only mortal.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Even if you ascend, it doesn¡¯t guarantee that your lifeform status will ascend. If you collect too many Mortal genes, you¡¯ll stay in that same mortal lifeform. But your status will change if you consume many Extraordinary or Elite genes. Even with a low gene cap of 31, if I can utilize this method, I¡¯ll soon overcome all those who humiliated me! Just thinking about this bright future fills my mind, but then I remember my current situation. How do I explain my newfound strength? It¡¯s an unbreakable heavenly law that gene cap is everything, and if news came out otherwise, it would be immediately rebuked and suppressed. I might become a lab rat once again. I remember all the cruel experiments I went through¡ªeach one inflicted great pain, leaving my stomach area scarred and never fully healed. They performed many tests on me, all in the name of finding out why my gene cap was so low, using methods that would have resulted in severe punishment for others. But because of me, they could conduct their crazy experiments. One day, I¡¯ll find them and make them suffer the same fate they inflicted on me. But then these thoughts leave my mind, and I look back at the Mortal potion section. There¡¯s only one option, with a price tag of 10 silver coins. I only have 1 silver coin after four years of struggle. Do I need to spend another 36 years? Even though gene potions can extend lifespan once you ascend, it¡¯s not by much. Each ascension from realm to realm only extends a person¡¯s lifespan by 10 years. So even if you reach the 6th realm, you can live up to 160 years of age. The sooner you reach a higher realm, the longer you can maintain your youthful vigor. This has resulted in many people not maxing out their genes and ascending, as the strength difference isn¡¯t as great when both are mortal lifeforms. With power-hungry organizations and families picking up any talented person and feeding them resources of many kinds, stagnation has set in. They don¡¯t realize that consuming higher-tier genes is better than lower ones. Then comes the question How do you know the difference? Is this based on the creature¡¯s strength or something else? With no available information and families and organizations hoarding talented individuals for themselves, everything just repeats from the beginning. There is a way to break this endless loop, but it requires giving up all power and combining everyone¡¯s strength. But will all of humanity come together for it? That¡¯s impossible. Even if extinction looms, some people still want to profit from it. Greed is the eternal sin of man. Every time humanity was on the verge of shaking off their shackles, infighting erupted and dragged everyone down with themselves. Aliens do exist, and xenophobia is rampant among humans¡ªdifferences between people are just too vast. After all, in the past, a certain painter went to extreme lengths to prove his claims about race. Such is the nature of humans greedy for better things and willing to do anything to achieve them. When humanity was offered the chance to become slaves, many accepted it for their benefit, and you can see the consequences today. Humanity is just a slave to other races. Shaking my head, I got up from the ground and looked around to make sure no monsters were in sight. I headed to my secret place, which I found hidden behind a waterfall two years ago when I was being chased by monsters. You might think others have found it too, but this entrance is extremely small¡ªtoo small to see from the outside. I found it when I managed to escape from the monsters and was chased behind the waterfall. Since then, I¡¯ve used that place as a hiding spot from the young master when he sent me and others out to gather monsters. He never cared about us bringing him monsters, he only cared about our miserable sights and screams as we were ripped apart by the monsters in the forest. It didn¡¯t take long to reach the waterfall and go inside my cave. After crawling a few meters, the cave expanded to the size of a 6x7x14-meter room. There are cracks in the ceiling that lead to the outside¡ªI¡¯ve roasted food here before, so I know it¡¯s safe. Going back to the system, I started buying food. To my surprise, the Herbs and Medicines section isn¡¯t locked. I didn¡¯t gain any more money, so why is it opened? I went inside and found only one potion I could buy.
Gene Shackle BreakerDescription: Consuming this potion can help people who have had their gene cap destroyed and restore it to its original state.Cost: 3 silver coins
Looking at it, I understood why the system showed this to me. It wanted to convey to me that my gene cap is the result of something happening to my body. What happened to my body to cause my gene cap to be so low? So it wasn¡¯t natural, someone had done this to me while I wasn¡¯t even born. Someone had already destroyed my future, and if not for the system, I would have ended up dead somewhere in the forest. Who and why? I could only sigh and think I would find out later, once I became stronger. I started buying food from the system to fill my gene cap. I only needed to spend around 80 copper to fully replenish my gene cap. {The exchange rate between copper and silver is 100:1. Silver and gold is 100:1. Gold and platinum is 1000:1. Platinum and diamond is 10000:1.} The best part? The food was already prepared¡ªsome were roasted, others made into soups, and so on. I thought I would need to spend time roasting it myself, but the system is more humane than I thought, sparing me from the boring task of preparing the food. My next target was to get the medicine. As I was full from the great meal, I leaned against the wall and felt something behind me. I looked and saw an old vine extending from the wall to the ceiling. As I touched it, a new screen appeared in front of me: [Old Dark Vine. Collecting its leaves can be sold to the system for 1 copper each.] Seeing this window pop up, I started plucking its leaves and climbing up the vine to reach the higher ones. When I finished collecting all of them, I realized something: I don¡¯t need to just kill monsters, I can gather other ways to earn money for myself. Thinking about selling them at a gathering place, I realized something. No one knows what the system uses these leaves for at all! The system has a monopoly on them. There are a few people who wander the path of herbalism, and even fewer in the first realm who study all kinds of life. The main themes for life support are forging and alchemy. Herbalism is rare, as combining many herbs hastily can result in death, and there are no safety systems to save you if you fail. Monsters I hunt can only be sold in settlements, but people would raise suspicions about how I hunted them down, so I can only sell them to the system in bulk, with a significant loss. But I wasn¡¯t too disheartened. Something for something. With a clearer path in mind, I crawled out from the cave and warily looked around for any monsters. Upon not seeing anything, I fully crawled out and left the cave. If anyone were to see me doing what I was doing, they might think I had gone crazy. I touched every plant I came across, and only a few times did the system flare up, telling me how much I could exchange them for. Feeling sheepish, I went back into the cave and put together a leaf bed to sleep on. Chapter 3 - Strange cave and equipment The day and night cycle in this realm is different from Earth. In this realm, the cycles are much longer. If we were to convert it, a single hour on Earth is equivalent to ten hours here. The day cycle is 55 hours long, while the night cycle is surprisingly short¡ªonly 5 hours long. Even if I sleep for 3 or 4 hours, it would still be bright outside. Why sleep here and not in the settlements? If you¡¯re weak, you can be robbed at any time if you don¡¯t pay attention to your surroundings¡ªeven in inns. Only the rich and high-influence people who have their strongholds and guards can sleep peacefully. For everyone else, it¡¯s the jungle law. Or you can return to reality and sleep on Earth, but you lose more since the time cycle is much faster there. Simply put, you don¡¯t sleep for the same amount of time. But I shouldn¡¯t complicate myself with these thoughts. I just shut down my brain and went to sleep. Will anyone search for me? No one is searching for the people sent out by the young master as long as you don¡¯t show up publicly in front of many people. They can threaten your family if you do. And I have no family, so why did I stay with that asshole? Even if I escaped, the same situation would befall me again. For me, the settlements are the greatest threat. Some people will recognize me because of my past and try to exploit me. So, sleeping outside the settlements is much better. This is how I spent my days searching for herbs or stealing monster eggs. After 4 days of hard work, I made 3 silver. Thanks to the herbs, I could collect many times the money I needed. Monster eggs only sold for 1 or 2 copper each, and then you had to escape from the monsters chasing you. On the other hand, herbs aren¡¯t protected by anything at all, and I could gather a lot of them in no time. As I was in my cave, I bought the potion. It was in a glass bottle with a cork keeping the green liquid inside. The cork was easily removed, and with one gulp, I downed all the liquid. I almost spit it out due to its horrible taste, but soon I felt a warm feeling inside of me, and the scars on my body slowly healed¡ªthough not all of them. Looks like I have to buy a few more potions to fully heal myself, but this is progress too. [Your genes are being healed. Your gene cap went from 31 to 38.] Seeing this message, I bought myself some food from the system and ate it. I felt this meal was more delicious than any I had in my past years. Soon, my gene cap went from 31 to 38. How do I know how much I have? It¡¯s just a feeling, like you know instinctively, like a sixth sense. Strange, I know, but don¡¯t question me¡ªI don¡¯t know why. I¡¯ve thought about this many times, but I couldn¡¯t find an answer. My days passed like this, repeating the same actions but never boring. After all, being chased by monsters as I stole their eggs for money is exciting. Why not build a trap? With what? Do you want me to dig a hole? With what? Do you want me to craft a weapon when I don¡¯t have any? Do you think they¡¯d let you have a weapon as bait? The moment they find I have a weapon, I would be killed on the spot with no one questioning or daring to raise their voice on my death. So, with no weapon to protect myself, only my legs to escape, I had no choice. I was eyeing the item shop, but even when I collected 4 silver, it did not open up at all. In the settlement, the cheapest weapon costs 10 silver! It¡¯s daylight robbery, as on Earth, you can live well for a month with only 1 silver. I thought the system might be asking for 10 silver like in the settlements too. I considered saving up, but what if I need more? The system doesn¡¯t show me how much I need¡ªit will show up by itself. In just 10 days, my gene cap went from the original 31 to 58. Just great progress. I¡¯m almost as strong as my mother¡¯s gene cap now. It¡¯s like a big rock was lifted from my heart. I sat down in the cave and started playing with the rocks, drawing my progress each day. Ugly as hell, but only I know about this place. As I touched the rock, it felt warm. Warm?! Soon, the rock wall started getting more and more heated until it began radiating heat from itself. I had to escape the cave because the temperature was rising rapidly, and with water nearby, just inhaling the air caused pain. Thinking of finding another hiding spot, I felt disheartened. I don¡¯t know what happened¡ªsomething like this never happened in the past years I spent here. Suddenly, the ground started shaking. Looking around, I saw silhouettes appearing from the distance¡ªmonsters, many of them! I looked for a way to escape, but with no options available, I climbed a lush tree and tried to hide myself. Monsters after monster¡ªI could recognize a few of them I¡¯d stolen eggs from. I could see them being injured, likely having encountered humans and fought with them. But no monster paid attention to me. All their attention was on the waterfall, or more likely, the cave behind it. What is happening, and why are the monsters gathering here? Soon, I saw monsters much bigger and stronger than the ones here. Elite monsters. Just their aura made me fear them. Do I have to hunt down such monsters myself? Even if there were hundreds of me, I can¡¯t guarantee I could leave a scratch on them, let alone kill them. Mortal and extraordinary monsters I can imagine I could handle, but elites are far beyond my league. Now, I think there are monsters even above those. But I soon regained my composure. If I can kill them, my strength will skyrocket. I have a system¡ªI should fear nothing. It¡¯s only a matter of time before I can defeat anyone. But first, I have to escape. Monsters upon monsters as far as the eye can see. Just what is happening? Soon, I felt warm air hitting me. I looked back at the cave¡ªits heat radiating out to this tree, which is at least 50 meters away! What kind of heat is being generated inside the cave? Thankfully, I left before it was too late, otherwise, I would have been cooked alive. My breathing became heavy as the air itself was painful to inhale. The monsters aren¡¯t faring better than me¡ªsome mortal monsters already collapsed. But for the extraordinary and elite monsters, I felt my grip on the tree trunk loosening. I started positioning myself so that if I fell unconscious, I wouldn¡¯t fall off the tree into the monsters.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Before I closed my eyes, I saw a system message [Due to the high concentration of spiritual powers in the area, the system will repair the user''s gene cap instead of enhancing it.] With that, everything turned dark.
When I opened my eyes, the monsters had long since disappeared from the area, and I felt like my whole body hurt after sleeping who knows how long on the tree. What surprised me was the feeling of my gene cap being fully healed. In just half a month, from 31 to 70. Even better than my parents. I could almost be categorized as above average. My eyes felt misty, so I used my clothes to clean them. Looking at myself, covered in dust and worn out, with holes in my shoes¡ªhow good would it be to buy clothes for myself? [The user has regained his consciousness.] [Due to the user fully repairing his gene cap, the system function will now be unlocked up to the elite tier.] Huh? Wait, so the reason I couldn¡¯t unlock those sections was because of my defect? Could it be everything was limited as a system protection for me? I opened the system, and I was astonished. The previous sections that were locked now opened up to me. In the herb section, many new herbs and medicines appeared one after another! Some had great effects, like one that, for 10 gold coins, could expand the gene cap by 10! I felt like the world around me was shattered. I could hardly imagine what the other sections were like, so I opened them. First, there were skills. Unlike in games, here you needed to learn them¡ªhow to chant or use them¡ªand they weren¡¯t bestowed upon you miraculously. Learning skills took time, but seeing a few of them, like ¡®Sword Mastery (Overlord)¡¯ for 1 platinum coin, I was amazed. Just remembering those elite monsters, I could hardly imagine how strong this skill is. It¡¯s a passive one that helps you learn how to master the sword. Once you fully master it, it will disappear as it¡¯s fully integrated into your body. For occupations, I found the one I was searching for¡ªHerbalist (Mortal). It gives you an encyclopedia of all mortal plants. This encyclopedia will appear in your mind, and if you encounter a new herb, you can identify it. It cost 20 silver. I already prepared myself to save up for it. There are many occupations like ¡®Dragon Slayer (Legendary)¡¯. I was shocked. Do dragons exist? Don¡¯t judge me, but there are no records of dragons ever appearing in front of humans. If there is one, I don¡¯t think the dragon would think the same way humans do when they meet. A snack, I guess. In the Realms, you don¡¯t know who is a native creature and who isn¡¯t, as there are intelligent species, but they are xenophobic to the extreme. They view us as invaders, which isn¡¯t wrong. People from who knows where came and stole their land and food. At least the good thing is we leave the realm once our gene cap is maxed out. Of course, people are staying in the realm because they know if they advance, it will become worse for them. On the higher realms, it¡¯s a dog-eat-dog situation. How do I know so many things about it? Well, the people who experimented on me loved to chit-chat all the time, and one of them was from the 5th realm, so he said many things that should not be said. But I cleared my mind and climbed down the tree. Everything was trampled to the ground, but interestingly, there was no blood or remains of animals, as if all of them were friendly to each other. But that¡¯s not possible. I could only give up my thoughts and went back to my cave. Inside, nothing had changed, but the drawings on the wall had disappeared. Did I trigger something with my drawings on the wall? I refrained from doing anything to it, who knows what might happen next. Instead of thinking, I started buying food from the system and prepared for a feast. Knowing that I was weak and needed all the strength I could get, I started planning. In the item section, I found many items, but I sorted out those I couldn¡¯t afford. What¡¯s the point of looking at items much higher in price if I can¡¯t buy them? You might think it¡¯s good to plan for the future, but what about the present? You need to live in the present to know what lies ahead. Don¡¯t plan if you can¡¯t accomplish it in the present¡ªthat you need to do so you can plan. Strange, but the past years taught me that the present is the most important. Dreaming about the future is a waste of time. I need strength now, not later. But the little money I had made for me was an easy choice. The system listed three items for me
Worn Down DaggerDescription: A dagger on the brink of breaking apart. It can cause significant damage when stabbed into a target and may infect it with who knows what bacteria.Cost: 2 silver Worn Down Short SwordDescription: A short sword on the brink of breaking apart. It can cause significant damage when stabbed into a target and may infect it with who knows what bacteria.Cost: 4 silver Worn Down SaiDescription: A Sai on the brink of breaking apart. It can cause significant damage when stabbed into a target and may infect it with who knows what bacteria.Cost: 1 silver and 50 copper Current possession: 87 copper
In just 5 days, I gathered enough money for my short sword.Looking at it, as the system said, rusty, but the weight is not that heavy. I can swing it around a few times before my arms lose strength. Feeling this, I need to train with this short sword before I start hunting. If I don¡¯t know my weapon, how am I supposed to use it? Coming near to one of the trees, I started practicing¡ªhitting its bark, slicing it, or stabbing it. The slicing isn¡¯t that great, but the stabbing has much better effects. Katanas are much better for slicing targets whose skin is weak, but once you use them against those with tougher skin or armor, it¡¯s like they¡¯re made out of glass¡ªthey break instantly. On the other hand, swords are much better. Even though their slicing effect isn¡¯t good, their stabbing capability is effective against even armored targets as I can attack their weakness or joints for a much better effect. I tried to attack as fast as I could, so I knew what my speed was, and it was not bad. As for how much strength I can inflict, I have to know what monster I want to hunt. Feeling my ego swelling, I calmed myself down and started thinking about my past. When I realized how weak my gene cap was, many people attacked me and thinking back, I would have had a hard time even if I had my body now. I should choose my first target to be weak¡ªthat I can easily hunt down. Searching the forest for a good target is not easy. First, I need to prevent strong beasts from detecting me and find monsters whose strength is the same as mine or weaker, which is hard because most beasts have the same strength as humans or even stronger. But most of the time, monster strength is greater than humans. The hardest point in my search is avoiding other gene evolvers. People are not afraid of stealing other people¡¯s prey, and it is more common if you don¡¯t have enough background. There are groups of people specializing in this kind of thing. Chapter 4 - First fight As time passed and I became impatient about not finding any good monsters, I found a group of wild chickens. They weren¡¯t the same as iron clawers but were different¡ªalmost like normal chickens, but with stronger wings. They could glide if they dropped from a higher position, and their claws were sharp enough to cause injuries. Because of their smaller build, they weren¡¯t good prey for meat that gene evolvers typically hunted. I searched for seeds from different types of plants and found enough to lure one away and test my strength. I wasn¡¯t overconfident about defeating 20 at once. Blocking a few of them while fighting is easy, but once all of them attacked me, I had no chance of victory. I started luring one away as quietly as possible. From looking at it, it also tried to be quiet for the rest of its herd not to find out about the food it found. I left the remaining seeds at the bottom of a tree I climbed up. As it slowly neared the tree, it looked around suspiciously. But when it found the seeds, it happily ran there to start eating them. When its head was in the seeds, I jumped down and aimed my sword at the wild chicken¡¯s body. Why not the head? It¡¯s much smaller than its body, and missing it would scare it away and alert its herd, starting my daily marathon all over again. As I landed on the ground, my short sword was inserted into its body. A painful scream erupted from the chicken as it started kicking around to escape, but instead, it made it much worse for itself. I didn¡¯t think much about it, with the extra weight on my sword, I started running for my life as the scream was likely for its herd. As the blood spilled from its body, the herd at first wanted to chase after me, but I was already too far away, so they gave up. It felt awful for them to give up one of their kin, but what can they do? Their kin would die no matter what, and the seeds I left gave them quite a bit of charm. Wild chickens are still just chickens, and their brains aren¡¯t much more developed than those that live on Earth. As I ran, I suddenly felt danger. I ducked, and above my head passed a shadow. I dropped the chicken on the ground and looked up at the shadow. It was a small wild cat, around the same size as a lion. I could feel my fear rising. Was it an elite creature? No, thankfully it was only extraordinary, but why was it here? Could it have tried to hunt the chickens too, but I was there first? Did it think killing me or stealing my prey would be easier than fighting that herd of wild chickens? Kicking the chicken away, I started backing away. I could always get food from the system, and I didn¡¯t have to take risks. But on the other hand, these monsters risked their lives all day. Seeing me kicking away the chicken, its eyes glowed with a predatory light, but it held back the impulse to drag my prey away and eyed me more. Was I its prey now? Soon, it saw my hesitation and leaped at me. I ducked to the side, but I felt my grip on the sword weakening. How could anyone without fear fight against these monsters for the first time? Even my sword was shaking from fear. I saw its teeth and realized my head would be crushed easily under its jaw. As it landed, it turned and jumped again without giving me a moment to react. I ducked once more, but this time it was prepared and struck my back with one of its claws, leaving a bleeding mark. If its reach were any longer, I would¡¯ve been sent flying instead of just having a claw mark on my back. I flinched at the pain, leaving me in a worse position than I already was. Looking around for a way to escape, I realized this monster was much faster than me, so I couldn¡¯t escape¡ªit was either face it head-on or perish. But as I watched its moves, I realized it had only recently started hunting, and rather than killing me instantly, it seemed to be toying with me.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I gulped heavily at these thoughts. I positioned myself with a tree behind me, so if it leaped at me, it would strike the tree first rather than me. Sensing what I was doing, it didn¡¯t give it much thought and jumped at me again. But this time, it didn¡¯t make a big leap. It jumped at a much lower height, allowing it to react quickly to my side-step. Unprepared for this move, it struck at the tree with its claws as it couldn¡¯t alter its trajectory mid-air. As it landed, its claws were embedded in the tree, and I seized the opportunity to thrust my sword forward. I felt great resistance as I sank the blade into its side. With my sword still inserted into its side, the monster ripped its claws out of the tree and jumped away. Blood gushed from the wound, and the sword was limp in its body as I lost my grip on it. Soon, it started thrashing around to remove the sword, but every movement only worsened the injury. Finally, the sword slipped from its body, but it was in a sorry state¡ªbent and covered in blood. The monster stared at me with hatred in its eyes, but realizing the extent of its wound, it began to back away, knowing that fighting with such an injury would mean certain death. Seeing my chance, I dashed for my sword. The cat, sensing my intent, turned and tried to flee, but the wound caused it too much pain. As it tried to run, it hit a tree, aggravating the injury even more. Grabbing my weapon, I dashed towards the monster. It turned to face me, but its injury made it slow and sluggish. I thrust forward my sword into its neck. As I did, it bit my arm in a final act of revenge, sinking its claws into my chest and trying to tear my arm from my body. The pain was intense, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins dulled it. With my free hand, I gripped the hilt of the sword and started twisting it wildly. It was a fight to the death now¡ªeither I die or it does. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the chicken and leave me alone?¡± I thought, feeling the desperation of the situation. But soon, more pain surged through my body. The cat¡¯s grip on my arm loosened, and finally, it fell limp against me, its body heavy with defeat. Pushing the lifeless monster off me, I lay there in a pool of blood, my wounds throbbing with pain. I quickly checked the system for any way to stop the bleeding. In the medicine section, I found bandages that could staunch the bleeding and herbs that could cleanse the wounds from infection. Removing my torn and soaked cloth from my upper body, I carefully cleaned the dirt and blood from my wounds, hoping I got everything out and applied the herbs correctly. Bandaging myself as best as I could, it was crude but necessary. I knew my arm felt weak and likely broken from the cat¡¯s bite, making movement agonizingly painful. Looking at the body of the big cat, I considered eating it but instead decided to sell it to the system. I wanted to keep the chicken for myself¡ªafter all, it was my first prey¡ªbut in the end, I gave in and sold it as well. The chicken fetched 30 copper, while the cat brought in 6 silver. I now had 10 copper remaining, but with the sale, my total had increased to 6 silver and 40 copper. It was a small fortune, but the pain coursing through my body prevented me from smiling. I needed to clean myself, but I hesitated. The river water might contain unseen dangers, risking infection if I tried to wash my wounds there. Crawling back into my cave, each movement jarred my battered back and made me grimace with pain. I settled on the leaf bed, opening the system once more to see what could help me. What I needed now was protection¡ªarmor. Scrolling through the items section, I found several options that seemed essential The combined cost of these items would be 7 silver and 40 copper¡ªjust beyond my current reach of 6 silver and 40 copper. I realized I could gather silver quickly after seeing how much I could sell monsters for, but finding a reliable method to hunt them safely was essential. Poison seemed like a good idea¡ªif I could find the right herbs. However, considering the nature of the monsters here, it was likely any potent herbs had already been monopolized by powerful organizations for their exclusive use. I needed to find a different approach. So what¡¯s left for me? Traps? I don¡¯t have the equipment for them or the experience to build them. My only choice is to hunt these creatures down, but with my wounds, it would take a few days to fully recover. I started browsing the herb section of the system and found a medicine that could speed up recovery for 30 silver. I didn¡¯t have enough money for it, so with a heavy heart, I went to sleep.
Chapter 5 - The new home A few days passed since my fight with the cat, and my wounds slowly healed. Thankfully, my arm wasn¡¯t broken, though it was heavily bruised. I could move it around, but it was painful. I had to stop myself from doing any heavy work for a while. Occasionally, I¡¯d hear voices outside the cave¡ªpeople talking¡ªbut they would soon pass by. I didn¡¯t want to meet anyone now, they might use me as bait again or steal everything I¡¯d fought so hard to gain. The items I bought from the shop were a Leather Breastplate and a Chain Arm Protector. The wrist armor was useless for my current situation since my wrist was heavily bruised, and putting on the wrist armor would only cause me more pain and discomfort. So today, instead of using my dominant right arm, I tried to wield my short sword with my left. It felt strange, and I struggled to get used to it, but I had no choice. I had zero copper coins left after spending the rest on food. My options were either to hunt or gather herbs and plants. With my wounds still healing, I chose the safer route of gathering herbs. Days passed, and my wrist finally healed. After that, I bought a new piece of armor. Just like last time, I started searching for monsters I could hunt. I encountered quite a few weaker ones¡ªeasier targets¡ªso I easily killed them. I did get hit a couple of times, but with the armor taking the brunt of the attacks, I avoided more dangerous strikes and only received a few scratches. I didn¡¯t let my ego inflate, I remembered the cat that suddenly attacked me. I stayed alert at every moment, even when I killed other creatures. I looked around constantly, in case anything tried to sneak up on me. From gathering herbs and plants for coppers to hunting monsters, I collected 3 silver in three days! It felt like my efforts were finally being rewarded after all the struggles I¡¯d faced. But as I continued hunting, I had to go farther and farther to find monsters. Soon, I would have to migrate to another place if I wanted to continue hunting. I decided to search for a new location once night passed. Preparing myself for a grand venture left me scared and ecstatic. As the night passed, I ventured out from my cave, following the river so I could easily find my way back if I didn¡¯t find anything. Several hours later, as the sun began to rise, I moved down the river and found more and more monsters. I thought about camping near the river but gave up when I realized how long I would have to wait to hunt anything. I didn¡¯t want to waste my time sitting in one place all day, waiting for a beast to come within range. And what if a monster appeared that I couldn¡¯t handle? All my time would be wasted. The hours dragged on, but I didn¡¯t find anything where I could spend the night safely. Unlike on Earth, where the moon provides some light at night, here there is no moon. It¡¯s complete darkness at night, and no one dares to hunt in it. Setting up camp is a great risk¡ªmonsters that hunt at night are accustomed to the darkness and can see in it. As I was thinking, in the distance, I saw some mountains. I could set up a base in the mountains, there could be many caves. I picked up my pace, having spent ten hours walking. It took another three hours to reach the mountains. As I climbed up, the air was fresher, and the plants I encountered were all herbs! One sold for 40 copper, making it the highest-priced herb I¡¯d sold yet. I tried to search for more of it but to no avail. Most surprisingly, I couldn¡¯t make out what kind of plant it was. Likely extraordinary, but even mortal plants had little use other than to make a place smell nicer. But buying the extraordinary herbalist occupation would cost 20 silver! I¡¯d rather buy the gene cap potion. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. Taking in big breaths, I calmed myself down and started focusing on climbing this mountain. Soon, I found my first cave, but it was filled with bat shit¡ªliterally, the whole ground was covered with it. I skipped it and went to search for another. Living in the wilderness and having clothes that are torn and worn down was bad enough, but sleeping in shit? Nah. Just the smell alone would scare off any monster, let alone sleep there. After another hour, I found a small cave. Like the one in the waterfall, this one has a small stream coming out from it. I started crawling inside this small cave, and as I did, the cold stream washed over me and my clothes. As I looked back occasionally, I saw the water turning dark from its crystal-clear appearance. I hoped no one drank from it, as it could cause a stomach ache¡ªor worse. As I reached the end, the cave expanded slightly. It was smaller than the one behind the waterfall¡ª3x3x4 meters. In the middle, a small water stream led outside, forming a small pond where it emerged. As I finished exploring my new home, I went outside again, crawling around for about 5 meters. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t set up a fire here as there was no way for it to escape, so I would just end up suffocating inside the cave. I searched for good monsters, and soon I found a rock turtle. When it spotted me, it used its front legs to cause a rumble and lose my balance, but it was useless as I was too far away. Likely a warning as it just watched me and did nothing.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I looked at the rock turtle but gave up on hunting it. Its whole body was as hard as a rock, and its eyes had special protection from stabbing attacks. A waste of time and effort. As I left, the turtle started digging again for something, but I didn¡¯t care about it. My whole day passed gathering herbs and selling them to the system. But I found quite some rock turtles in this mountain, and each one was like the first one¡ªdigging for something. Wait, could they be building their nest? I soon remembered the places I passed by and made sure to remember them. Licking my lips in anticipation about the money I could make, but would the rock turtles leave their eggs alone? I¡¯d never encountered one in my life. But I gave up. If I stay near the turtle, it might never lay its eggs down, and I¡¯d waste my time. As I went around exploring the mountain, I found more and more precious herbs while climbing higher. Something was telling me there was a great treasure at the mountain peak. But another problem came while climbing. Giant birds! Their size was enormous. The wingspan, from what I could tell, was around 40 meters. It could easily pick me up and carry me away, just as it had dragged a rock turtle away like nothing. Just how much does a rock turtle weigh? From the looks of it, around 400 or 500 kg. Mainly because of their rock bodies. Now I have to watch out for these giant birds too. Their size alone makes them dangerous, and with my small frame, likely, they won¡¯t target me. I¡¯m less effort for them to catch than a rock turtle, which is much slower. But then I encountered another problem¡ªthe mountain above became extremely steep. No wonder these giant birds live here. Who could climb up these mountains? Seeing no way to climb up, I started going around to find a way up. But I met the same fate everywhere. Without proper equipment, it would be extremely dangerous, and I already gained 4 silver on the way up the mountain. I felt this whole mountain was made out of treasures. So I had a total of 6 silver and 33 copper now¡ªgetting closer to the potion I desperately needed. As I saw the sun starting to set, I decided to go back to the cave and prepare for the night, but I took a longer route so I could explore more. Sadly, this whole mountain was full of rock turtles, which I couldn¡¯t hunt down with my current equipment. I could only descend the mountain and search for other prey. But this mountain gave me a much better view, and I saw behind this mountain was a big field. I saw many animals eating there, so I decided to make that my way the next day. As I was nearing my way, soon a small earthquake happened. I lost my balance and fell to the ground, and rocks started falling from the mountain. As I looked up the mountain, I saw its peak split in two. Shaking my head, thinking I might be imagining things, I looked again, but the mountain was split in two. Just what in the world happened? Some things humans found out about this world are similar to Earth, but the world is dead. The planet''s core is cold, and no continent is moving, so the only explanation is that something did it. What is capable in the first realm to cause an earthquake and split the mountain peak in two? Giving up on going up, as I might encounter the creature who did it, while I was watching, I heard a big shriek. ¡°Shrieeek!¡± The sound was deafening, my eardrums almost felt like they would pop. I covered my ears, but it didn¡¯t get better, so I went inside the cave where the sound was weaker. Soon another round of earthquakes happened. I prayed that it stopped, otherwise, this cave would collapse, and so, as I wished for it, it stopped shaking. A bestial roar filled with pain sounded out. ¡°Eek!¡± With a big boom, an even bigger explosion happened. Did those rock turtles and giant birds fight? Most likely. I only encountered these two in this whole mountain and a ton of herbs that I sold to the system. As everything went quiet, I prepared a small bed for myself by going outside and collecting grass or leaves for a makeshift bed. I spent the night sleeping in my cave, and as morning came, I prepared to check what happened on the mountain. I didn¡¯t have to worry about other people as this place was even farther away from the settlement. The forest was already 11 kilometers away from the settlement, and I surely walked in the opposite direction to this mountain another 4 kilometers. With no other person around, and if there were, they were most likely the same as me¡ªrunning far away from the settlements because of the outrage of those organizations, and not likely strong people. As the enxt day came I climbed up the mountain, I looked around and saw no rock turtles anywhere, as if all of them had disappeared overnight. Even the giant birds did not fly around in the sky. As I reached the same position as yesterday, I found the crack already extended here, and, using it, I climbed easily up the steep mountainside. When I climbed up to the position to overlook, I saw many herbs¡ªalready from what I could see, a hundred or even more. I picked them up crazily and started cashing them out. [You sold a Mountain Lotus for 11 copper.] [You sold a Mountain Lotus for 10 copper.] [You sold a Mountain Lotus for 10 copper.] Soon, rows upon rows of information flooded my brain, but all I was on was selling all these herbs. Sadly, as if the system was trying to stop me from growing strong this way, it started reducing how much I could sell them. In the end, I only gained 1 copper per Lotus. In the end, I ended up with a net worth of 44 silver and 29 copper. I could buy 4 potions, but I held back and told myself that only if I went back to the cave would I buy them and use them. Searching for more herbs, sadly I could not find any more. I had a hard time climbing as the crack started to become even wider, and I could hardly climb it like a ladder. I could not reach the other side of the crack. But I did not give up¡ªif these herbs could be sold for so much, how much could I gain from those caves higher up in the mountain? From time to time, I stopped and bought food from the system to replenish my strength. As I reached the peak, there was a giant bird nest that was split in two, with the corpses of hatchlings littering it. I tried to sell them, but the system did not respond to me. Because I did not kill or collect them, the system viewed it as cheating. Good to know¡ªif I ever became rich and started buying monsters and tried to sell them, that time I would lose out a lot. Looking around, I found nothing, and I could only descend the mountain slowly. Eating the monsters? My gene cap was already maxed out at 71. I could not gain any more from eating. I only hunted monsters for money and experience, but this didn¡¯t even check for one of the requirements, so I left them to rot here. Chapter 6 - New strength and big fight As I climbed down, I was shaking, knowing I would change my fate forever. But I remembered my fate had already changed after I got this system. Why did I get this system in the first place? Who and why was I chosen? No matter what, I have to pay a price for this power. But I am ready to pay for it. So what if it takes my soul? My life is so immeasurable, and I don¡¯t know what I did in the past yet I suffer for it now. Humiliation and being a lab rat¡ªall the days new serums were tested on me, bringing pain that I always fainted from and having mental traumas, relying on drugs to surpass some of the effects. You might think this is now better. No, it is not better¡ªI always have nightmares, but I got accustomed to them so they no longer do anything to me. I went through so much pain yet I am scared of everything around me. I do remember how the cat attacked me, and I was frozen to death. Knowing that it would kill me and experiencing it firsthand is different. People say you can get accustomed to the pain, but I have a different opinion. No matter how much you suffer, you will never get used to it. Sometimes I try to remember things, but I always get this twisted memory as if my memory was tampered with for some reason. I remember how I was treated as a lab rat, but never the experiments, only to later wake up to extreme pain all over my body. Soon I reached the cave and I crawled into it. I opened the system and bought the Mortal Gene Cap Potion. In a glass bottle, a rainbow-colored liquid. What was more shocking was that I could buy more of it. Didn¡¯t the system say I could only buy one? What is happening to the system? Does the system mean I could only buy one when my body was weak back then? I did not try to buy another one instantly but looked at this one. I calmed myself down and prepared some food from the system in case of necessary. As I gulped down the liquid, I felt like throwing up. It had the most horrible taste imaginable. Even dog shit had a better taste than this! I wanted to puke it out, but soon, as if ants were crawling inside my body, I started scratching myself. The sensation soon passed, and a new system message appeared [Confirmed Gene Cap Potion consumed.] [Gene cap has been raised by 29 points. All genes have been consumed.] That''s it? No pain that I must endure? But soon, how wrong I was. The pain was a stomach ache. As if my body was about to explode, I had to dash out of the cave and let it out far away from my place. I felt like a rocket about to take off, my body had so much to give out. After this great fight, I went back into the cave and ate some food before looking at the other gene cap potions. I bought another one. Should I give it a try? Before doing that, I started eating food to max out my gene cap. As I drank this one, the taste became much sweeter. I did not feel like puking anymore. [Confirmed Gene cap potion consumed.] [Gene cap has been raised by 10 points. All genes have been consumed.] With a rumbling, my stomach began to prepare for the rematch as a stomach ache assaulted me again. The first one raised it by 29 points, the second one by 10. What about the others? I bought another. [Confirmed Gene cap potion consumed.] [Gene cap has been raised by 10 points. All genes have been consumed.] Again 10, and again the great battle. I did not dare to consume any more as I had to rest for some time. I felt my ass about to explode, and I was out of leaves to clean myself. So I had to prepare for more natural toilet paper. After a few hours of resting and a bit of sleeping, I consumed the last one, but this time, it gave me a different message [Confirmed Gene cap potion consumed.] [Gene cap has been raised to the maximum. All genes have been consumed.] Does that mean it has no more possibility to raise it? So the maximum is 150, or could the potions of higher order change this? Likely, but what disappointed me was I did not get stronger than I imagined. Most of the genes were consumed, unlocking my full potential. I felt stronger, but not much bigger. Giving up these thoughts, I started eating. For the last time, there was no great battle. Forty silver went just like that, plus the ones I spent on food, another three silver, and my remaining money was one silver and twenty-nine copper. Farming begins once more. But this put a smile on my face, knowing I am even better than that person 200 years ago. He was one of the strongest humans known, with 144 genes, and mine is 150. With these potions, I will become even stronger. Imagining the potential left me in my fantasy for a few seconds when I realized the sun was already high up in the sky. I should go and start collecting some herbs and, if possible, hunt down a few monsters. I will visit the field the next day when I have more time. Who knows how much time I have to spend in the field, and if I have to spend the night there, it¡¯s almost a death sentence. As I gave up on going today to the field, I went down the mountain. Descending is even more dangerous than climbing as a wrong misstep could send you rolling down the mountain without a stop. Once I descended the mountain, a big roar sounded behind me. ¡°ROOOOAR!¡± A big lion appeared from one of the caves that I found empty. Because it was close to the ground, I gave up inhabiting it, and my god, how lucky was I. As the lion roared, it slowly descended, and behind it, a female lion appeared. A pair¡ªfucking hell, and cats too. I liked cats, but not anymore. Why do all the cats target me?This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I prepared myself for a big battle as the male came from the front while the female went behind me. I had to focus on two enemies at the same time, and where had these lions been in the past? I only found rock tortoises, but those tortoises were gone, and now these lions appeared out of nowhere. Soon, I felt a gush of wind behind me, and I dodged to the side, swinging my short sword at the female lion. The male jumped at me, so I was forced to halt my attack and block its paw. The female, as soon as it landed, tried to go for my throat in a swift movement, while the lion tried to overpower me. I was barely holding against the lion, yet the female did not give me time and launched itself. Stepping back, suddenly the male lion lost its balance, and the female collided with the male. I swung down, but as I hit the lion¡¯s mane, it was like encountering solid rocks. The blow bounced back, and the shock almost made me lose my grip on the sword and drop it on the ground. Seeing my sudden weakness, the lioness tried to bite my ankles, but instead, I kicked its head, which caused great pain to it as it rolled away. The lion was shocked by my attack and it also prepared itself to receive an injury, but nothing happened. Seeing that I posed no threat to it, it became much bolder and tried to hit my arm with its paw. Its big body made it useless in trying to bite me, as the lioness was already having a hard time, and it would be much more impossible as the mane obstructed its head movement. With no choice, I tried to stab the lion¡¯s paw, but I failed as it could not penetrate its skin. What the hell is this lion made out of?! I roared to myself as I was hit back from receiving the lion¡¯s attack. The first attack was much weaker. The cunning lion made me misjudge its strength. As I fought with the lion, the lioness circled me and attacked me from behind. This time the lion did not attack, but waited where I would dodge so it could react instantly. If I did not dodge, I would meet the lioness head-on and it could pin me down. Seeing the situation, I rolled towards the lioness, and using my legs, I pushed her into the lion. Sadly, I misjudged the lioness¡¯s weight as I could not launch it as far away as I wanted, and it only landed itself in front of the lion. Grasping for air and feeling the strain in my legs, I looked at the lion and lioness with fear. My sword can¡¯t pierce its skin, so I can only attack its weaknesses, but that won¡¯t be so easy to target. I need to create a situation for myself. But it¡¯s not only me who is planning on taking down the other side. While I was thinking of a way to defeat these two lions, the female started going around me again, and the male went directly to me. This time it did not avoid me but met my attacks head-on. It was not scared of my attacks at all. Seeing this, I knew my chance was close. This time the lioness did not attack but waited for an opportunity. As the lion¡¯s attack missed me and landed on the ground, I stabbed its ears. With a painful roar, I tried to stab deeper, but the female lion was jumping at me. I could only stop my attack and dodge to the side. Feeling something tearing my back, I looked at my back where clear scratch marks appeared. Even the armor did not protect my back. Cold sweat dropped from my head of what would happen if I did not have any armor. Backing off to gain more space, the male lion was in pain as one of its ears was stabbed while the lioness was checking what happened to its pair. Seeing blood gushing out of its pair¡¯s head, its eyes went red with anger and it started attacking me crazily. The lion, half-deaf and with a blood-stained face, looked around dazedly and took only two shaky steps before collapsing on the ground. Seeing this, I knew my attack had hit an extremely important part of its body. As if its balance was totally off the stake, and seeing how hard it could walk, I decided to focus entirely on the lioness that was crazily attacking me. It jumped and tried to bite me or maul me at all costs. Seeing that it no longer seemed to think about its actions, I knew my chance had come. As it jumped towards me, seeing my chance, I stabbed toward its head. However, as I aimed for its head, I hit its side due to a miscalculation in my attack. I needed to aim not for her head but slightly before it. I needed to predict where it would move. I could not afford to attack blindly, as I was already exhausted, and who knew how long it would be before the lion regained its balance. I could already see it walking slowly towards me, but its movements were still sluggish, and the female only had me in its sights, intent on killing me at all costs now. Soon, another back-and-forth game began between me and the lioness as I dodged and it attacked me crazily. But I could see it was already taking big breaths, its movements getting slower and slower, and not carrying much strength behind them. Soon, it tried to jump at me again with the last bit of its strength, and I could already see the bloodlust fading away and clarity returning to its eyes. I needed to kill it before it regrouped with the lion and took me down. As it jumped, I predicted its movement and thrust forward with all my strength. I felt resistance as I landed the hit on its neck. With strength, I thrust the sword even deeper as blood gushed out. It landed on its side and started squirming on the ground, but I did not release my grip the slightest bit. Soon, it stopped moving, and I did not have the time to check if it was playing dead or truly dead as I turned my attention toward the lion, who was slowly regaining its balance. Still sluggish, it could stand on its legs and walk, but running was too much for it. I saw it try to run to its mate, only for it to stumble on a rock and fall to the ground. Seeing this, I ran up to it and stabbed its eye socket. It tried to hit me with its paw, but I jumped on its back and moved the sword back and forth in its wound so more blood could flow out. This game lasted a few minutes until the lion stopped moving entirely. Soon, I felt my strength leave me entirely, and I realized where I was lacking in weaponry and skills. I needed a stronger weapon to pierce the monster''s skin and more refined skills so my attacks weren¡¯t so clumsy. Just remembering all the chances I had, I could only bitterly smile to myself, realizing I had gotten lucky. Soon, I cashed out the two lions the female sold for 1 silver and 33 copper, while the male was sold for a whopping 2 silver and 70 copper. I don¡¯t know why they were sold for so much, as the beast I killed before did not sell for so much. The lions were both mortal, but at their peak, only a step away from being extraordinary. The cat I fought back then was weaker, yet extraordinary. Just what was the difference? Was the cat back then just a juvenile and not fully grown? I could only massage my temples in frustration. Even if it was juvenile, why was it sold for such a low price? This system will one day lead to my death or drive me crazy. Getting up and seeing the cave where they came out, I went forward to check if there was anything inside. As I walked in, I saw several cubs. Thinking about killing them, I hesitated, but I slowly realized something they were malnourished and had passed away not long ago. Now I remembered that both lions were a bit skinny. So they had no food, and that¡¯s why they were so desperate. The lioness wasn¡¯t desperate about its pair, but rather about not being able to feed its cubs. As I touched them, all of them were cold. What a sad fate¡ªunable to grow up. But it was probably for the best, otherwise, I would have had to kill them. I cannot afford to feed them until they grow up, and then I would have to be wary of them. This isn¡¯t a game where I can tame them and have no worries about them backfiring on me, as many rich people have tried to tame these beasts only for them to grow up and maul them in their own homes one day. Shaking my head, I left the cave as there was nothing for me. I soon made my way back to my cave, as I was exhausted from this big fight. Soon, I lay on my ¡®bed¡¯ and started to sleep as I could barely stay awake. Thankfully, my armor protected me, otherwise, I would have received serious injuries. Now that I think back, these potions did not disappoint me. Even though they didn¡¯t give me great strength, they helped to boost my stamina much better. I didn¡¯t think anymore as everything went dark as I descended into another nightmare. Chapter 7 - The rabbit and the wolves As I woke up, I realized it was morning, but my stomach already started to make a big ruckus, demanding food. I bought some food from the system, and after finishing it, I left the cave to explore the field today. Before I left, the old armor was replaced with the same type, but sadly, the lioness had torn through my back, and I didn¡¯t want to risk something attacking me from behind. Climbing down the mountain, I entered the field. As I traveled in the field, I had to watch out, as the weeds reached up to my waist. Not only did this slow down my travel, but it also made it harder to spot monsters hiding in the weeds. As I walked, in the distance, I saw the weeds moving in a different direction than the wind blows. I knew a monster was approaching me. Preparing myself for a big battle, I saw the monster jump at me. A horned rabbit?! I was flabbergasted. Why? Horned rabbits don¡¯t like to live in high weeds. Because of their fast reproduction, they mow down the weeds at an extremely fast speed, resulting in their habitat having small weeds and making it easier to spot predators. But here? Dodging to the side, the horned rabbit flew past me and sprinted into the distance. From what did it run away? Puzzled by this sudden event, I heard howls. ¡°HOOOWL!¡± Hearing the howls, just like the rabbit, I started sprinting after it. No wonder it didn¡¯t pay any attention to me. As I looked back, I saw the weeds moving in my direction. That rabbit used me as bait to lure away the wolves! Damn it, I will make a rabbit stew out of that rabbit for putting me in this danger! Looking back to see how many wolves were following me, I counted four from the way the weeds were moving, but there could be more. To my surprise, two went after the rabbit. So I had to deal with only two wolves. I didn¡¯t stop running, as it would draw the other two to me. I needed to put some distance between the two groups of wolves so reinforcements wouldn¡¯t come as fast. Soon, I could no longer see the ones chasing the rabbit, so I turned around to face the wolves. The wolves didn¡¯t attack me directly but moved around me, trying to find a weak spot to attack from. Even their coordination was perfect as they moved in total synchronicity, each on opposite sides. I had to pay attention to both, and as they moved, I knew I needed to strike first. I didn¡¯t know how many more wolves would come, and the rabbit might already be caught¡ªwho knew how long they had been chasing it? As I dashed towards one of the wolves, it jumped back and tried to dodge my attack, but my sudden outburst and speed left the wolf unable to dodge in time. I also saw it for the first time a grey wolf with a horn on its head. But this didn¡¯t stop me from attacking first. With a swift movement, I pierced its head. Feeling no resistance, I was shocked¡ªat how weak this wolf was. As I turned around, I saw the other wolf, shocked and turning to run away. I didn¡¯t chase it but turned toward the mountain and ran towards it. If I chased it and it led me into its group, even if I could kill them with one strike, that was based on whether I could pierce their heads. As I was running, I suddenly felt the weeds opening next to me. The rabbit that had been chased by the wolves jumped out, and I swear it showed me a mocking smile. Soon, the two wolves that chased the rabbit caught up to me. Seeing me here and not the other two wolves, they were shocked, but then they smelled the blood of their kin and started howling. ¡°HOOOWL!¡± Damn it¡ªthey are calling for their pack to come to their help. The other one didn¡¯t call for help as it viewed me as a big threat and was scared away, but these wolves didn¡¯t know anything at all. They gave up on the rabbit and instead followed behind me, constantly howling, reminding their pack of where they were. But soon, the weeds started getting smaller and less as I got closer to the mountain. It wasn¡¯t even time for lunch when I returned to the mountain. What a shitty stroke of luck, and that rabbit! It was intelligent to make the wolves target me, coming back later to let me be followed by the wolves that smelled the blood on me. They would rather take revenge on me than chase that rabbit. As I left the field, I looked to see if the wolves were chasing after me. Was this out of their territory? No, wolves chase their prey outside of their territory. But as I was watching, in the distance, I saw a big wolf¡ªthree times the size of a normal grey wolf! A grey wolf is about 0.8 meters in height, and that thing was at least 2.5 meters high. Looking at it made my blood run cold, and I felt a primal fear from it as if I knew I had no chance against it. Shaking my head, I sped up to the mountains and made myself a promise never to return to the field, hoping it would not chase after me. Such a monster is hunting here. The great grey wolf stopped once it reached its kin and looked at me with a ferocious light in its eye but didn¡¯t give chase. It was hesitating as it looked up the cleaved mountain in the distance. Even this monster felt fear of the creature living on that mountain.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As I was running, I forgot to cash out the wolf corpse! ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m so stupid! I forgot the corpse.¡± I could only curse at myself for my stupidity. ¡°Yea, you are really stupid.¡± A voice sounded from my left side. I was scared shitless as the rabbit that drew the wolves onto me was running next to me. In fright, I slipped and fell to the ground, face-planting into the dirt. ¡°What are you?!¡± I could only point at this rabbit in fright. You have to know there are no intelligent creatures capable of speaking in the first realm¡ªat most, they have the intelligence of a 5-year-old. To be able to speak, I don¡¯t know what effort I had to go through to be able to do it. ¡°Hey, calm down. Otherwise, the guy behind us will catch up with us on the mountain.¡± Said the rabbit, as it stopped next to me and spoke to me. ¡°You can speak? Wait, no¡ªwhy did you follow me?!¡± I screamed at the rabbit and looked back as I saw the big wolf getting restless, seeing me face-planting into the ground. ¡°We can talk once we reach the mountain, the tortoise is sleeping, so we won¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± The rabbit said as it started running towards the mountain. Having no choice, I followed the rabbit. As we reached the mountain, the rabbit started talking again. ¡°Thank you for helping me out. I was quite in danger from those stupid guys. Oh, right, can you lead me to your hiding spot? I need time to regain my strength.¡± ¡°You were the one who threw those wolves at me, and secondly, no.¡± ¡°They would have found you as you didn¡¯t mask your spiritual energy. Oh wait, those guys can¡¯t detect spiritual energy,¡± the rabbit said, giving me a side-eye. ¡°Spiritual energy? What is that?¡± I was interested because the system had mentioned it when the cave started heating up back in the forest. ¡°You don¡¯t even know about this? What kind of low-class race are you from?!¡± The rabbit opened its eyes wide at me and pointed one of its paws at me. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t call me low-class, and it¡¯s not my fault I don¡¯t know anything about it. No one ever told me about it, so can you tell me what it is? In exchange, I won¡¯t hold a grudge against you.¡± As I said this, I kept in mind I wouldn¡¯t keep my promise. Who¡¯s stupid enough in this world to keep their promises? ¡°Okay, I will tell you about it, but bring me to a safe place as I need to regain my strength,¡± the rabbit replied. As I led the way to the lion¡¯s cave¡ªsince I wouldn¡¯t lead it to my hiding place¡ªonce inside, the cubs¡¯ bodies, which I had left there, had already turned to stone. Something had eaten them. ¡°You picked the mountain lion¡¯s cave as a hiding spot, not bad, it would scare away most monsters. Good job, low-class,¡± the rabbit praised me, but I could hear the sarcasm in its voice. ¡°Now tell me, what is spiritual energy?¡± Seeing the impatience in my voice, the rabbit didn¡¯t answer but changed the topic instead. ¡°First, I need to regain my strength, then I will tell you. First, you need to bring me food every day and also cook it, as my stomach can¡¯t handle raw food.¡± Hearing what it demanded, I got pissed, but I held back when I heard the rest of it. A rabbit who can¡¯t handle raw food and needs it cooked? This was not a normal rabbit. Could it be hiding its true appearance as something other than a rabbit? I wouldn¡¯t back down that easily, though. ¡°No, tell me what spiritual energy is first, you promised it to me,¡± I insisted. The rabbit sneered at me, then released an aura similar to the Elite monsters I had felt. Feeling myself at death¡¯s doorstep, I took several steps back until my back hit the cave wall. ¡°Heh, low-class is low-class, no matter what. Now, bring me food,¡± the rabbit demanded, sneering at me. My hands were shaking, but I remembered, if it had such a scary aura, why had it run away from the wolves? Seeing the change in my eyes, the rabbit then added to its sentence. ¡°If you bring me food, not only can I tell you what spiritual energy is, but also how to use it.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, just turned around and left the cave. As I was outside and was sure the rabbit didn¡¯t follow me, I opened the system and checked the skills, searching for spiritual energy, but I found nothing. Why is there nothing from the system? Could it be I need to master it before I can get the skills to use it? Well, it does make sense after all¡ªspiritual energy is like fuel, and the skill is the car that uses this fuel to function. Sighing, I bought food from the system and brought it back to the rabbit. Seeing me back so fast with food, the rabbit was amazed and then suspicious that I led it to a fake hideout. I could only smile awkwardly at the rabbit. But smelling the food I brought, it ate all of it in one sitting, and I was surprised as its small body fit all the food into it. ¡°This food was not bad, but what can I expect from a low-class? Still, I have to praise you for making it so fast.¡± The rabbit said as it lay on the ground. ¡°Will you tell me what spiritual energy is?¡± ¡°Once I finish my nap, then I will tell you,¡± said the rabbit as it started snoring right after finishing its sentence. I wanted to beat up this rabbit, but I held back. Once it told me how to use spiritual energy, I would teach it a lesson, but I left. I need to make money first to become stronger. While I left the cave, the rabbit inside opened its eyes and looked at the cave entrance for a few seconds, then sighed. Shaking its head, the rabbit got up and took out from nowhere a small wood ring. It put it on its small finger, and a portal appeared in front of it. Soon, items came out papers, ink, herbs, and crystals. The ink started floating, and the rabbit controlled it into the paper, making different types of signs. Using the crystals, it inserted them into the paper, and as it did so, the crystals disappeared into the paper. The paper then lost all the signs it was drawn upon and turned into a blank sheet. ¡°Another failure.¡± With that sigh, the rabbit put everything back into the portal, took off the ring, and with a blink, it disappeared. With everything done, the rabbit went back to sleep. As for our protagonist, he is currently going around the mountain to search for any herbs that can be sold. He gave up on hunting monsters after the recent encounter with so many strong monsters, and even if he sees any monster that is dying, he would rather run away at the sight of it. Bad luck upon bad luck. Chapter 8 - Spiritual energy Looking through the items, I found nothing worth my money or just too expensive for me currently. The next gene cap potion also cost out of my league. I went into skills to look for something useful for me, but there was nothing to my taste, and they were costly too. Having no choice, I went to that rabbit. I want to learn spiritual energy. As I entered the cave, I saw the rabbit meditating. It looked strange to see a rabbit meditating. I wanted to wake it up, but remembering its awful personality, it would use that as an excuse not to teach me how to use spiritual energy. As if sensing that I entered the cave, the rabbit opened its eyes and looked at me. ¡°I can teach you how to use spiritual energy, but it will affect your future growth. Are you certain about it?¡± This time, the rabbit didn¡¯t have such a high-and-mighty tone, but one that seemed to have lost everything. But I didn¡¯t care about it. After all, I did everything for this, and I have a system that has a method for it. I would become a waste if not for the system. Seeing so much information and learning some secrets of the world, the system has a method to fix it. ¡°I want to, even if it affects my future growth.¡± I didn¡¯t show any hesitation as I said it right after. ¡°Huh, for low-class, their potential is already limited, so you made the right choice. This can enhance your status among your people.¡± Never mind, this rabbit didn¡¯t change the slightest bit. ¡°Now hold your hand out and spread your palm.¡± The rabbit said, and I did so. Then suddenly, the rabbit bit my hand. ¡°Ahhh! You son of¡­¡± As I wanted to finish it, I didn¡¯t feel any pain. When I looked closer, the rabbit didn¡¯t leave any bite marks on me, but as I looked at my hand, I suddenly saw marks appear. A scorpion with black ink was left on my hand where the rabbit should have bit me. Suddenly, the mark started to heat up, and I could feel it burning my skin. I could barely endure it as I collapsed on the ground. The rabbit doesn¡¯t look much better than me. ¡°Try to spread the heat from your hand to your whole body. Don¡¯t let it slip away, as this is your only chance, otherwise, you will be a cripple for the rest of your life.¡± As the rabbit said it, its breath started to become heavy. How do you even spread the heat from one place to another? You didn¡¯t teach me anything at all. I tried to use my muscles as a way to spread the heat, and it worked. The heat soon engulfed my whole body. ¡°Not bad, but don¡¯t lose focus. Try to make sure the heat in your body lasts as long as you can. The longer the better.¡± Easy to say, as I felt like I was in a sauna. No matter what I did, I felt like I was dying every minute, and you want me to endure such a thing for who knows how long?! Time seemed to pass slowly for me¡ªit felt like forever. Every minute, I felt like I was being melted. I hope I never have to endure such a thing again. As I slowly felt the heat inside me disappear, out of nowhere, my whole body flared up like a furnace. Hot steam engulfed my body as my body tried to use sweat to cool down, but just my skin¡¯s temperature alone was enough to instantly evaporate it. The rabbit just watched me from the side as it lay down next to the wall. It didn¡¯t show any emotion or movement as if made out of stone. The heat became unbearable, and my skin cracked as the tattoo on my hand slowly reformed. From the scorpion, it turned into a snake. The snake was made out of black ink, but its fangs were green, symbolizing its poisonousness. As the snake tattoo on my hand formed completely, the heat disappeared completely, leaving only the water droplets from the ceiling of the cave as a reminder of what happened here before. ¡°Congratulations on your awakening,¡± said the rabbit mockingly.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°You never told me this would happen!¡± I pointed my finger at the rabbit as I said this. ¡°Even if I told you, what would you do? Anyway, you need to sleep a bit,¡± the rabbit said dismissively, shooing me away from the cave. I left, completely exhausted. I¡¯ll ask the rabbit what all this was about later, but for now, I need a good sleep. With my final strength, I made my way back to my cave for a good sleep even if it was full of nightmares of my past.
As I opened my eyes and looked around, I remembered what happened. Soon, I thought about it and opened the system. I went into the skills menu, and I was right. In the items section, I saw an item designed just for me, costing 5 silver
Beginners Guide to Master Spiritual Energy Description: Anyone who reads this book and can use spiritual energy can master it in no time, as long as they follow the instructions in the book.Cost: 5 silver
Why is the book so cheap? Well, the requirements are already harsh enough. Having spiritual energy is one thing, but you need to awaken it too, as there is a difference between those who awaken it and those who have it. Think of it like an aura. I can sense within a 5-meter radius, though not perfectly¡ª I can¡¯t sense smaller things like the wind blowing the grass or insects moving on the ground. Instead, I can detect larger movements, even if they¡¯re not in my line of sight. As I bought the book, I began reading it, dedicating most of my time to it. At first, it described what spiritual energy is and what¡¯s more widely accepted among the many strong races. It explained how to use it like a weapon or a shield, but mastery requires specific skills honed over years of practice. Then, I learned about the meditation methods, each with their grade. If the grade is too high, it will backfire. For example, consider me as a mortal lifeform. Getting a technique above Overlord¡ªlike a legendary one¡ª would be too much to handle. It¡¯s like pouring water into a glass or a jug. At first glance, it doesn¡¯t seem bad, right? But your body has a limit to how much spiritual energy it can absorb before it explodes. For the glass, the water might spill out, but for my body, there¡¯s no way to handle too much spiritual energy. Even if I use skills, they¡¯re only a temporary measure¡ªmeditating requires intense concentration on drawing energy into my body and leaves little room for anything else. Being interrupted while meditating has no side effects, it¡¯s like suddenly unplugging your phone¡ªnothing bad happens to it. Soon, my thoughts were interrupted by my protesting stomach, signaling that I¡¯d read enough for the day. After eating, I remembered the rabbit, so I brought some food to it. The rabbit said nothing, but I could see the resentment in its eyes for not bringing it food sooner. As I went outside, I was struck by the mesmerizing view of the sun setting down. I had done so much today, yet it was still daytime. Going back to my cave as the diminishing sunlight entered the cave. I spent all my time while I can read on reading the book and trying to use my spiritual energy. Making some progress, which made me happy. The progress I¡¯m talking about involves wrapping spiritual energy around my sword, but when I tried to project it outward like the rabbit, all I achieved was the sensation of a balloon bursting. I could only sigh at the failure and realize this wasn¡¯t how you did it. Somehow, you have to constantly exert pressure on your opponents¡ªnot in every direction, but more like a targeted aura that enchants your presence to be more intimidating. As I was thinking about this, I looked into the system to search for any spiritual-related books. I found plenty that caught my eye ¡®Spiritual Aura¡¯, ¡®Spiritual Ascension¡¯, ¡®Spiritual Lock¡¯, ¡®Spiritual Mastery (Intermediate)¡¯, and finally, ¡®Spiritual Pressure¡¯. Each one had a price tag of 10 silver. My chest tightened at the thought. To buy all of them would cost me 50 silver. I wanted to learn them all, but the sheer effort of reading them was daunting. What can I do? Learning is the only way to become strong, but this was a real pain in the ass. As for the book I had already read, I placed it next to my bed. I didn¡¯t want others to find it and use it against me, but I also couldn¡¯t bring myself to burn it, as it cost me 10 silver. This is what the big players always face, huh? What a great dilemma. To do it or not to do it? Instead of making a decision, I practiced controlling my spiritual energy. The rabbit¡¯s warning about my future potential nagged at me, so I checked the system for any potions related to spiritual energy. There was nothing¡ªno options for spiritual energy or similar enhancements. The mortal gene cap potions were still locked, and I couldn¡¯t buy anything. You might wonder why not let the last one reverse-engineer it. It¡¯s like giving a monkey a spaceship, along with all the necessary books, and saying, ¡®Build a complete replica¡¯. Even if you know how it works, without practical experience, you¡¯ll never fully understand it. And it would cost a lot of resources to attempt reverse engineering, with only one potion available to experiment with. I have 50 chances at most to get it right. Too few to accomplish anything, especially since it takes hundreds of experiments just to figure out the direction you should go. That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s the correct one. First, I don¡¯t have the talent or patience for it. Second, I¡¯m too lazy, but mostly, I lack the talent. Stopping myself from thinking further, I decided to practice wrapping my spiritual energy around my weapon. Not only did it become lighter and sharper, but it felt like part of my body. Swinging it around used much more energy, as I had to make sure the spiritual energy didn¡¯t dissipate. My head was exploding from concentrating on two things at once as if my brain could hardly keep up with it. I had to stop, panting heavily, completely drained like a sponge. Soon, I tried to test how to gather spiritual energy, but it was excruciatingly slow, just as the book described. With no other choice, I went into the system to check if there was any meditation skill but found one¡ªholy shit, 1 gold. Worst of all, the meditation skill was of mortal grade. I saw the extraordinary meditation method listed for 10 gold¡ªexorbitantly expensive. I could barely stand on my feet at the thought of such high costs. I knew I wouldn¡¯t acquire it anytime soon, I had to spend my resources wisely and use it sparingly. It might take a whole day to fully replenish my energy. Realizing this, I gave up on training more and went to sleep. Chapter 9 - Praying mantis As morning came, I walked out of the cave after a quick breakfast and fed some food to that rabbit. The rabbit just ate and said nothing, retreating into the cave afterward. ¡°I¡¯m going out hunting,¡± I told the rabbit as I left, but it didn¡¯t even flinch at the thought. As if it didn¡¯t care at all. You might wonder why I¡¯m keeping this rabbit or bringing it food. It¡¯s simple to answer. This rabbit is not from the first realm and could be from another intelligent race with unknown strengths. If I offend it, they might chase me across this entire realm for who knows how long. In the first realm, the environment is primeval, making long-distance travel risky and not worth the effort unless one is super strong. Here, it¡¯s a world that humans know very little about, with new dangers at every turn. Well, not like we know much about the other realms either, but from the scattered information I¡¯ve heard, this world seems almost endless. No one has ever managed to accomplish anything like Columbus, who sailed the Atlantic to create a trade route with India. Even to this day, all the realms are still being explored, with new things being added constantly. Many new races are being encountered, and even they don¡¯t know how vast each realm is¡ªonly that they are massive. Humans have explored the most in the third realm. How much land have humans explored? An area three times the size of Jupiter, and they are still exploring. The exploration is led by Wei from the eastern territories. He made a name for himself 50 years ago when he discovered ancient ruins. Rather than settling down, he used the money from selling those ruins to fund his explorations into the third realm. Back to the present, as I reached the bottom of the mountain, I wondered where all those rock tortoises went. They can¡¯t just migrate to another place in such a short time. Shaking off these thoughts, I went to the river where I had once come from. As I reached it, I saw some monsters drinking from the river. I hid behind some trees so I wouldn¡¯t be spotted. The monsters in question were creatures similar to deers, but different. They had eight eyes and an exoskeleton-like armor covering their necks and backs. They had evolved in such a strange way. Exoskeletons¡ªwere they bugs or mammals? This was a good question, but I wasn¡¯t a scientist or particularly interested in it. So I decided to hunt them down. As I approached, I soon heard a sharp cry, and the deer-like creatures ran off. I looked up and saw a bird-like creature screaming at me. Its high-pitched voice was much louder than any regular bird, more like the call of a great tit, but much more aggressive. This bird had scared off my prey. As I turned around and started to leave, the bird didn¡¯t give up. It continued to follow above me, screaming nonstop. What had I done to make it follow me like this? It felt like I was being tormented by a banshee for hours. I tried to throw rocks at it, but that only agitated it more, making it scream even louder at me. Ten minutes passed¡­ and I was still being followed by that stupid bird, with it still screaming at me non-stop. How could anyone tolerate this constant noise? Just as I was about to throw another rock, hoping to finally hit it and put an end to this torment, the bird suddenly stopped screaming and, as if losing all strength, fell to the ground. I was overjoyed at such a sight. I ran up to it, hitting it with full force. Its blood splattered over me, but I didn¡¯t care. I had been haunted by this bird for 10 long minutes! Do you know how tormenting it is to be screamed at non-stop for that long? I felt like I would go deaf from the constant screeching. After dispatching the bird, I quickly looted it. I learned its name Death Screamer. Whoever named it must have had an unfortunate encounter with one. As I was cashing out the monster, a sense of danger overwhelmed me, and I felt something closing in on me at high speed. I tried to dodge to the left, but I felt something slice down my leg. Turning around, I saw the back of my leg had a huge wound, but thankfully, it wasn¡¯t deep. With some basic first aid, I could manage the injury easily. But I wouldn¡¯t have time for it just yet, as I looked at my new challenger. A giant blue praying mantis¡ªwhat I meant by a giant was that it was only around 40 cm in height, but its blades were at least 20 cm long. I saw one of its front legs was covered in blood, and I realized I was lucky. It had tried to slice off my leg, but dodging in time had saved me.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As I looked at the mantis, I knew it wasn¡¯t normal, it was extraordinary, approaching an elite level. Just its speed alone was something I couldn¡¯t keep up with. Thankfully, we were in a forest¡ªwell, not as lush as the giant forest I had been in, but it still had enough cover for me. The mantis stared at me, licking the blood from its front legs. Then, suddenly, it sped up and closed in on me. Utilizing the spiritual energy I had in my legs, I dashed backward, but it only gave me less than a second before it was on me again. I wrapped my blade in spiritual energy and slashed at the mantis. It backed up as it sensed the threat from my weapon. Sensing an opportunity, I canceled the spiritual energy on my blade. Without feeling any more threat, the mantis charged at me again. I knew it, this monster wasn¡¯t too intelligent, fully following its instincts. As it extended its front legs to slice at me, I blocked it with my short sword. Our blades clashed, and I was pushed back, leaving a strip in the ground behind me. Its strength was incredible for such a small creature, but its speed and aggression compensated for its lack of intelligence. Soon, the mantis made the distance between us, leaping back. I needed to make a plan¡ªand fast. My only advantage was being faster than it. I could also sense my arm was going numb from just two hits it had landed on me. The mantis sped up again, but instead of coming straight at me, it faked a frontal attack and attacked my side. I channeled spiritual energy into my side, taking the hit without being plummeted into the ground. Now, it was above me, ready to strike me down. In desperation, I channeled energy into my blade and struck at its body, but sensing danger, the mantis backed off. This time, I felt some resistance when I swung my sword. There was purplish blood on the tip, and looking at the mantis, its chest had blood oozing out of it. But it didn¡¯t care about the blood, it didn¡¯t flinch or hesitate and went straight for another round, seeing me getting up from the ground. I tried to dodge, but I got hit again, though not as brutally. This time, I was only pushed back half a meter. My arm felt numb, so I switched my sword to my other hand. I couldn¡¯t utilize my full strength with my dominant arm, so even if my other arm wasn¡¯t as strong, it was better than fighting with a half-crippled arm. While I did so, the mantis didn¡¯t give me a moment¡¯s rest. It struck again, aiming for my head. I saw the blades coming fast, and with my spiritual energy depleting, I channeled all my remaining energy into my sword. Last night, I had tried to recreate what the rabbit had done¡ªusing its aura to suppress me. Instead of mimicking that, I focused all of it in front of my blade. A green wave erupted from my blade, slicing the mantis¡¯s head off along with one of its front legs. But this wasn¡¯t the end. The mantis still attacked with its other working leg. Its other front leg inserted itself into my shoulder, easily penetrating the flesh. ¡°Argh!¡± I could only scream in pain as I frantically sliced at the mantis. In a series of desperate strikes, I managed to sever its other arm from my shoulder. Blood was gushing out from my wound. I opened the system to find some herbs to stop the bleeding and used bandages from the system to try to halt the bleeding, but it wasn¡¯t enough as I saw the bandage turning red. I collected the mantis parts and sold them. I received 6 silver and 12 copper for them. Not caring about the money, my full focus was on stopping the bleeding. Moving with such a wound would be a death sentence, as the injury could easily worsen. So I had no choice but to limp away from this battle. I didn¡¯t want to fight another monster here. Sighing to myself, I realized I was far too weak to strategize against my opponents. Only if the two forces opposing each other were equal would strategy appear. The mantis didn¡¯t need a strategy to kill, it just simply followed its instincts to hunt me down, and I almost died. Thankfully, it was stupid. As I reached the river again, I found some bushes and hid in them. They provided a good hiding spot from any nearby monsters and gave me an advantage for spotting any prey I could hunt. But with such a wound, it was a dream only. I looked at myself¡ªtorn clothes everywhere. I needed to find a settlement so I could buy a new set of clothes for myself. Resting for a few hours, I felt I could move somewhat, but had to stop several times to drink from the river to replenish my blood loss. The bandages had to be changed several times as they soaked through with blood. Once I reached the mountain, I went inside my cave, but I left a trail of blood at the entrance where I had come in. Moving through such a narrow space with my wounded arm made it impossible to avoid brushing against the walls. I had to clean it up, otherwise, monsters would be drawn to this place, smelling the blood. But not now, I cannot afford to move and I need to rest. Going through the system I found some herbs that specialize in calming down the mind and helping against fever as I felt my head is heating up. Most likely I got an infection. Having no choice I could only lay down and rest. I only got up to eat, but most of the time I slept as the pain was unbearable even with painkillers. It took me a whole day to fully heal. So much time is wasted instead of gathering herbs or killing monsters for money, but what can I do? Getting up to leave and check on the rabbit as I haven¡¯t been given any food for a whole day and most likely be pissed at me. As I entered the rabbit cave the rabbit was nowhere to be seen. Most likely left as I did not come to deliver food. Smiling to myself I went back to my cave and rested for a few days, before departing from the way I came. Chapter 10 - Skylit City Walking out of the forest, I caught sight of the city walls looming in the distance. How many years had these walls been bathed in the blood of the monsters lurking in the nearby woods? No one knew for sure. But there was one thing everyone agreed on¡ªthis city, standing resolute, was older than any organization that now called it home. As I approached the city gates, the crowds of people passing in and out barely spared me a glance, though a few scoffed or laughed at my appearance.Torn clothes clung to me, stained with blood and barely held together. Bandages wrapped my body in a patchwork of red and white. Only my equipment showed any sign of upkeep, having been replaced after a few battles on my way back here. Looking around, I noticed countless people radiating spiritual energy like beacons in the dark. They couldn¡¯t see it or control it, much as I hadn¡¯t in the past.But then why hadn¡¯t I seen the rabbit or the forest monsters emitting any spiritual energy? Were they incapable of harnessing it, or was there some unknown requirement? I sighed as I approached the city gate. A guard stepped forward, barring my path.¡°It¡¯ll cost you 20 copper to enter the city,¡± he said. With no other choice, I withdrew the coins from the system and handed them over. ¡°Heh. Go on in,¡± he sneered, his lips curling into a mocking grin. ¡°But don¡¯t let me catch you looking this ugly again, or I¡¯ll charge you extra next time.¡± Suppressing the urge to retort, I stepped past him into the bustling city. Crowds moved purposefully, vendors hawked their wares, and shops buzzed with activity. But to me, it was all meaningless. The system¡¯s offerings were far superior¡ªits worst items were leagues beyond anything sold here. As I navigated the throng, a man bumped into me. ¡°Hey, watch where you¡¯re stepping¡ª¡± he started, his voice sharp. But when he turned to see who I was, his expression twisted into a malicious grin. ¡°Well, well, well. If it isn¡¯t our favorite punching bag,¡± he said mockingly, throwing an arm around my shoulder with a force meant to steer me toward a nearby alley. I resisted, glancing around and noticing others moving through the crowd with purpose. They blended in, but their presence didn¡¯t escape my notice. My fists clenched, anger bubbling beneath the surface. My face turned cold, suppressing the urge to strike the man and wipe the grin off his face. He had planned this out carefully, bumping into someone to cause a scene and extort money. But he hadn¡¯t expected to run into me. And he knew exactly who I was¡ªan outcast. No one was going to step in for me. Everyone knew my gene cap was 31. Who would risk standing against them now? They were Black Jackal, an organization infamous for extorting money from the people of Skylit City. Would the mayor intervene to stop them? No. Why? Because the organization paid tribute to him, as well as to the bigger families and groups in the city. As long as their pockets were lined, Black Jackal was untouchable. Just as Josh started dragging me toward the alley, a deep voice cut through the noise. ¡°Josh, not now. We have a mission to complete. You can deal with him later, but if we fail, the higher-ups will have our heads.¡± I turned toward the speaker and saw a man with glasses walking over. He placed a hand on Josh¡¯s shoulder, his calm demeanor commanding attention. Josh hesitated, his goons halting their movements as though nothing had happened, seamlessly blending back into the crowd. This man had to hold some authority¡ªI¡¯d never seen him before. Josh, however, shrugged off the hand on his shoulder without any trace of fear. ¡°Hey, greenhorn, the mission can wait,¡± he said, sneering. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I ran into an old friend and wanted to catch up? Or¡­ are you friends with this cripple?¡± The venom in his words was palpable, but the man with glasses didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Do you even know who I am?¡± he shot back sharply, his voice cutting through the mocking tone. Josh smirked, bowing exaggeratedly as he replied with a playful edge. ¡°How could I not? The thirteenth young master of the Niel family, His Majesty Lord Cain.¡± His tone dripped with sarcasm, but Cain either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care. He straightened, puffing out his chest as if genuinely proud of the title. ¡°That¡¯s right! I am the young master of the Niel clan,¡± Cain declared, clearly basking in his self-imposed grandeur.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I suppressed a smile. He¡¯s completely oblivious to the mockery in Josh¡¯s tone, lost in his dream world. While Cain continued boasting, I took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. He was too busy reveling in his delusions to care. Wandering through the market, I eventually found a clothing shop. But the moment I stepped inside, their staff barely acknowledged me. My torn and bloodied appearance was enough for them to dismiss me outright. I didn¡¯t care about their indifference¡ªit felt better that way. Wandering around, I picked out a jacket, pants, a shirt, and a pair of shoes. The total came to 2 silver. What a robbery. With my new clothes in hand, I headed to an inn and rented a room for three days. After spending a month straight in the wilderness, hunting monsters and collecting a mountain of herbs to sell to the system, I needed a proper rest. Once inside, I removed my armor and made my way to the bath. The warm water was a welcome relief, washing away the grime and fatigue of the past weeks. After cleaning myself and changing the bandages on my shoulder, I settled in front of the television to catch up on the news. Normally, such technology doesn¡¯t function in the realm. But years ago, a group of relentless inventors created a breakthrough¡ªa television capable of operating here. This innovation marked the beginning of certain electronics being usable in the first realm. Unfortunately, such advancements don¡¯t work in the second realm, where the laws of that world are far stricter. ¡°In today¡¯s news, we announce that the Eastern Alliances will be hosting this year¡¯s Helix Cup,¡± the broadcaster announced. So, it¡¯s that time of year already? The Helix Cup¡ªnamed after Grandmaster Helix, the strongest human alive. Helix was the trailblazer who established the first safe city in the fifth realm. His accomplishments were legendary, too numerous to recount in a single day. Whether all the tales were true or exaggerated was anyone¡¯s guess, but his influence was undeniable. The Helix Cup was founded 50 years ago and has been held annually ever since. Participants are allowed to enter up to three times in their lives. Once registered, they receive full protection under the Cup¡¯s rules, shielding them from any forces seeking to harm them. For those who perform well, the rewards are immense. High rankings attract powerful organizations eager to recruit and invest in them, grooming them for leadership roles or prestigious family guard positions. There have even been cases where individuals used the Helix Cup to turn their fortunes around, offending major organizations beforehand and using their success in the tournament to gain backing from powerful patrons. As for those offended organizations¡­ well, their fates were sealed. Who would dare to challenge the authority of Grandmaster Helix or his Grand Phoenix Hall? Mentioning either name was enough to instill fear invoking both was a death sentence. ¡°As the Eastern Alliances host this year¡¯s Cup, they¡¯ll likely aim to outdo the Western Alliances¡¯ performance from last year,¡± remarked one of the television hosts. ¡°You¡¯re right, Maya,¡± the male host replied. ¡°The Eastern Alliances are pulling out all the stops, offering incredible rewards for the winner and encouraging participation by giving every entrant a gift just for signing up.¡± ¡°Just for participating, you get a reward?¡± Maya asked, her curiosity evident. ¡°Not exactly,¡± Jeremy corrected her. ¡°The reward is only for people from the Eastern Alliance.¡± Hearing this, I had initially considered participating to claim even a basic reward. But the mention of the restriction made me abandon the thought. I wasn¡¯t from the Eastern Alliance. I belonged to the Northern Alliance. What are these alliances? There are five in total Western, Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Central. The first four are coalitions of organizations representing their regions and acting as a counterbalance to the overwhelming power of the Central Alliance. The Central Alliance, controlled by the Grand Phoenix Hall, occupies the most strategic and prosperous territory. It is the strongest and wealthiest region. Following it in power is the Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Alliances. Unlike the Central Alliance, which consists of a single organization, the regional alliances are made up of three organizations each. This structure enables them to collectively challenge the Grand Phoenix Hall¡¯s dominance and deter its influence, as no individual organization could match its might. The Grand Phoenix Hall commands around 40% of all fifth-realm evolvers. Only by combining their forces can the other alliances rival its strength. I shook my head, pushing aside these thoughts. They were far stronger than me and far beyond my reach to influence. ¡°Not only that, but this year I heard that Helix¡¯s grandson will participate!¡± Jeremy announced enthusiastically. ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m a huge fan of Helix and his grandson Heron,¡± Maya exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. ¡°But are you sure he¡¯s participating, Jeremy?¡± She turned to him, her expression eager. ¡°Of course,¡± Jeremy replied smugly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be allowed to mention it on television otherwise.¡± ¡°Do you have any information about his gene cap? After all, he¡¯s Helix¡¯s grandson,¡± Maya asked, her curiosity returning. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it, but his gene cap is¡ª¡± I turned off the television before Jeremy could finish. I wasn¡¯t interested in the Helix Cup. This tournament was nothing more than a platform for big organizations to scout talented individuals to recruit. Why wasn¡¯t I participating? On paper, my gene cap was 31, marking me as one of the weakest in the first realm. In reality, it was now 150. If I entered and performed well, people would inevitably notice. If I won, they would come knocking, demanding answers about how I raised my gene cap. Even if I claimed it was luck, they wouldn¡¯t believe me. I¡¯d end up as a subject of their experiments again. Without a strong backer to shield me, there would be no escape. Even my family, if forced to choose, would likely crumble under the pressure and abandon me. The weight of my powerlessness settled heavily on my shoulders. With a deep sigh, I decided to cut my stay in the city short¡ªfrom three days to just one. The Cup was set to begin in a month. Soon, people would flood back to the city, eager to test their strength and try their luck. It was better for me to leave before that chaos began. Chapter 11 - Trouble in Skylit City (1) Waking up early, I got out of bed and wandered the streets. I bought a large backpack, similar to a military one but slightly smaller to fit my size. With everything packed, I was ready to set off, but then a thought struck me¡ªhow would I make money? I opened the system shop and considered whether I could resell equipment from the system in the real world. However, I recalled how, when I over-harvested a specific plant, the system started giving me less and less money for it. Thinking it over, I realized I might be able to sell a few items without issue, but it could backfire in the long run. Why, you ask? Well, what happens if the system blocks me from buying more of that specific equipment? If my current one breaks and I can¡¯t afford a replacement, would I have to fight barehanded? That would be a death wish, and I¡¯d gain nothing from it. There was another issue those thugs. They knew I was back in the city and were hunting me down for the little money I had left. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could stay here before they came knocking on my door, demanding a so-called ¡°protection fee.¡± My only option was to leave the city. They seemed to be searching for someone¡ªor something¡ªand staying here any longer was too dangerous. I packed all the clothes I had into my new backpack and started thinking about my next move. The cave by the waterfall came to mind. It emitted spiritual energy and had benefitted me once before. If it didn¡¯t work out this time, I could follow the stream past the mountain and see where it led. As I stepped out of the inn, I noticed the streets were deserted. Soldiers patrolled the area, their presence tense and unwelcoming. One of them spotted me and quickly approached. ¡°Go back inside. The streets are under lockdown by order of the Mayor,¡± he commanded, his tone firm as he waited for me to comply. ¡°Why is it forbidden to leave the city?¡± I asked, curious but cautious. The soldier¡¯s expression hardened, clearly annoyed by my question. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions, cripple. Get back inside,¡± he snapped before turning away. Another soldier chuckled at his remark, mocking him. Frustrated but knowing I had no choice, I returned to the inn. Their treatment left a bitter taste in my mouth, but what could I do? Causing a scene would only draw more soldiers, and I might end up grouped with whoever they were searching for. This inn was different from most others. It lacked a common hall where travelers could gather and talk. Instead, it was full of private sleeping quarters, and meals were delivered directly to your room. If there had been a place to drink and mingle, it would¡¯ve been an excellent spot for gathering information. Returning to my room, I could only watch the soldiers patrolling the streets in boredom before turning my attention to practicing spiritual energy manipulation. Without enough funds to purchase proper skills, I had to rely on basic exercises. I concentrated on channeling my energy efficiently, moving it from one part of my body to another in a zigzag pattern. I believed these exercises would prove useful in future battles, where speed and precision often determined the outcome. Afterward, I purchased food from the system, and the sight of my remaining money¡ª2 silver and 64 copper¡ªleft me uneasy. I was already running low on funds and needed to prioritize saving for either new skills or better equipment. But which should I choose? Equipment would immediately help in hunting monsters, while skills offered long-term benefits. Unfortunately, I was in dire need of money, so I had to put off buying skills for now. Just as I finished practicing and glanced out the window, I noticed that even the soldiers had disappeared. Curious, I decided to step out of my room, but the innkeeper intercepted me. ¡°You should go back inside,¡± he said with a wary expression. ¡°It¡¯s not safe out there. Stay in your room and let the soldiers handle it.¡± The innkeeper appeared to be in his early forties, though his worn face and graying beard suggested he was likely over sixty. He wore a simple white shirt and yellow pants, both slightly faded from years of use. ¡°Sir, do you know what¡¯s happening outside?¡± I asked, hoping he had some information. He hesitated, glancing around to ensure no one was listening, then gestured for me to lean closer. ¡°Well, if anyone asks, you didn¡¯t hear it from me,¡± he whispered, his voice barely audible. ¡°But from what I know, the Truth Seekers are in the city.¡± The mention of their name made me gasp in shock. The Truth Seekers¡ªa notorious organization¡ªwere hunted worldwide for the horrific experiments they conducted. Despite years of efforts by countless groups to eradicate them, they always managed to survive and come back even stronger. But why were they so reviled? The Truth Seekers performed inhumane experiments on people, turning them into grotesque monsters. These creatures were worse than zombies their presence brought devastation wherever they appeared. Entire cities had been transformed into uninhabitable wastelands due to their experiments, plagued by the abominations they left behind. While monsters occasionally escape from the realms and raze cities to the ground, they are a lesser concern in the long term. Like us, they can travel to Earth, but unlike the devastation caused by monsters, cities destroyed by them can often be rebuilt after some time, allowing people to live there again. Zombies, however, are a different story. When they occupy a city, they spread a mysterious virus that infects anyone who comes too close, turning them into more of the undead. What do the higher-ups do about this? They have no choice but to deploy individuals from the Fourth Realm and beyond to keep the zombies contained. If those containment efforts falter, the zombies could overrun nearby cities. And as for our so-called "protector"? They turn a blind eye to these threats as long as they aren''t external. They seem more than happy to let us fight among ourselves. Returning to my room, I couldn¡¯t shake a growing sense of unease. I cursed myself for staying in the city. Why hadn¡¯t I left earlier instead of spending the night here? As I gazed out the window, I noticed the sun setting, painting the sky in deep hues of orange and purple. I had spent the entire day practicing. Now, with the sun gone and the streets eerily quiet, an ominous feeling settled over me.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Moments later, shadowy figures in black emerged from the alleys. They moved quickly, clearly attempting to escape the city. But the city seemed prepared for this. The gates were suddenly closed, and soldiers swarmed the streets, capturing the fleeing individuals and escorting them away. Was that it? Something didn¡¯t add up. From what I knew, whenever the Truth Seekers appeared, chaos always followed. Yet this seemed almost too clean, too controlled. Something was off. With no other options, I returned to my bed, my unease only growing. I braced myself for what might come next. Something big was on the horizon¡ªI could feel it. In an underground basement, figures draped in black robes gathered, their presence thick with an unsettling aura. Unlike the ones who had tried to escape the city, these individuals exuded a sickening, rotten stench that clung to the air. ¡°How is the plan progressing?¡± one of them asked, their voice hoarse and rasping. ¡°Everything is ready, Great Priest,¡± another replied, their tone equally coarse and unnatural. ¡°Then commence the purification. This city shall serve as our offering to the great god. All shall hail !?$@^+.¡± But as the Great Priest uttered the entity''s name, his body convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground. His form twitched once, then lay completely still, lifeless. Despite the sudden death of their leader, the others didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, they looked elated, their expressions filled with fanatical joy. ¡°The great god is watching us! We must not fail this mission!¡± another black-robed figure declared, their voice fervent and full of zeal. Without hesitation, the group dispersed into the shadows, each carrying out their roles in the attack. The ominous silence of the basement was replaced by the faint echoes of their movements as they vanished into the city to fulfill their grim purpose. Knock.Knock. I woke to the sound of knocking from my neighbor''s room. Faint chewing noises accompanied it, adding an eerie edge to the stillness. I nearly yelled out in annoyance, but then I remembered¡ªI didn¡¯t have neighbors. Both rooms next to mine were empty. A chill ran down my spine as I got out of bed, equipping my weapon and armor before cautiously stepping into the corridor. The moment I opened the door, an overpowering stench hit me like a wall. ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered, recoiling. ¡°Did someone take a shit in the hallway and smear it everywhere?¡± But as I took a closer look, I realized it wasn¡¯t feces. Black, viscous liquid coated the walls and floor, its oily sheen glinting faintly in the dim light. ¡°Is this some new drug from the underground?¡± I wondered aloud, resisting the urge to touch it. The substance pulsed faintly, almost alive, as I carefully made my way to my neighbor''s door. The handle, too, was coated in the strange black substance. Grimacing, I pulled a cloth from my backpack, wrapped it around my hand, and turned the handle. What awaited inside was a sight that froze me in place. The innkeeper was crouched over a body, feasting on it like a wild animal. Flesh and blood stained his mouth as he gnawed with ravenous hunger. "Holy shit! The innkeeper is a cannibal?!" The sound of the door opening startled him, and he turned toward me. That¡¯s when I saw his face¡ªand I knew something was horribly wrong. His features were grotesquely distorted. Black liquid oozed from his mouth, and his eyes, once human, were now pitch black, with a glowing red pupil at the center that burned with a feral light. Panic gripped me. This wasn¡¯t normal. I had seen this before¡ªsomewhere. I instinctively tried to slam the door shut, but the innkeeper lunged at me, slamming into it with inhuman strength. His head burst through the wood, splinters flying everywhere, as he began gnawing at the door and clawing at the edges. With a swift motion, I drove my sword straight into his head. But it wasn¡¯t enough. The blade embedded deep, but instead of stopping, he grew more frenzied, his movements even more violent. ¡°Ah, shit,¡± I muttered, dread settling in. ¡°I know what this is.¡± Zombies. These things were almost impossible to kill. Even decapitating them wouldn¡¯t stop them¡ªthey¡¯d keep chasing you for another 24 hours, headless and relentless. The only way to stop them was to target the stomach. That¡¯s where the parasite¡ªthe source of their grotesque transformation¡ªnested. Gripping my weapon tighter, I prepared myself for the fight ahead. Here¡¯s a lesser-known fact about zombies they are controlled by parasites. Once these parasites enter a host''s body, they slowly take over. The host feels nothing during the process, oblivious to the creeping infection until it¡¯s too late. By the time the transformation is complete, the host becomes a frenzied monster, a ticking time bomb set to explode into chaos. The innkeeper smashed through the door with inhuman strength, splinters flying everywhere. I had no choice but to act. Drawing on my spiritual energy, I slashed his body in half with a precise strike. I hated wasting energy like this, but getting infected was far worse. Taking out another cloth, I covered my face to block out the stench. The odor was unbearable, and I didn¡¯t want to risk breathing it in any longer. As I descended the stairs, I didn¡¯t bother warning the other guests in the inn. For all I knew, they could already have been infected, waiting to turn into monsters. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste precious time on them. Once outside, the chaos of the city hit me in full force. Zombies were feasting on corpses in the streets, their grotesque forms illuminated by flickering streetlamps. Screams erupted all around, piercing the night as the city awoke to the nightmare. Doors creaked open, and confused residents peeked outside to investigate, only to retreat in terror as they spotted the undead. More zombies appeared, and their movements were erratic and feral. My stomach turned as I recognized their armor¡ªthey were city soldiers. The very ones who had patrolled the streets earlier. They¡¯d all turned. Realizing the gravity of the situation, I knew there was only one option I had to escape the city. The southern gate was crawling with zombies, so I sprinted toward the northern side, praying it wasn¡¯t sealed shut like the south. Others began running alongside me, but they were slower. I quickly left them behind. Along the way, I saw people fighting¡ª not against the zombies, but each other¡ªover trivial things like coins and supplies. It was madness. Under different circumstances, I might have considered robbing a bank and cashing the loot into the system. But with the zombies overrunning the city, it was too risky. A single scratch or bite would mean death¡ªor worse. I hacked through zombies as I dashed toward the northern gate, my spiritual energy coating my blade to make each strike lethal. Frustratingly, none of the kills could be sold to the system. Zombies were classified as worthless. I gritted my teeth in frustration. All this effort, and no reward. Finally, the northern gate came into view. Like the southern gate, it was sealed shut, but there were far fewer zombies in the area. It seemed they had been lured away earlier. A small group of people was already fighting off the remaining zombies near the gate. Seeing an opportunity, I joined the battle, my spiritual energy enhancing my strikes as I cut down the undead with ease. The sight of my skill boosted their morale, and the group rallied around me, dispatching the rest of the zombies with renewed vigor. Once the last zombie fell, I turned to the group. ¡°Does anyone here know how to open this gate?¡± I asked, my voice cutting through the tense silence. I gestured toward the massive structure¡ªroughly four meters tall and six meters wide. The two towering wooden doors were bound tightly with thick iron rods, making it clear brute force wouldn¡¯t work. A hesitant voice broke the quiet. ¡°I know. The Northern Gate captain always carries the device with him.¡± All eyes turned toward the speaker. He was a rotund man, likely a merchant, flanked by three heavily armed bodyguards. His golden teeth gleamed in the faint light, and his clothing was far too luxurious for someone in a city under siege. Everything about him screamed shady. ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± I pressed, desperate for any clue that could get us out of this nightmare. The merchant shrugged lazily. ¡°He spends most of his time in the red-light district. Probably holed up there now. But why not check the southern gate? It might still be open.¡± I shook my head, frustration mounting. ¡°The southern gate is in the same condition as this one. Worse, the captain there is already one of them¡ªturned into a zombie along with his men.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to focus as I considered our options. The walls were climbable, but at six meters high, a fall would almost certainly be fatal for anyone without significant training or protective gear. An idea sparked in my mind, risky but perhaps my only shot at escaping this city. Chapter 12 - Trouble in Skylit City (2) I thought about getting a rope and climbing down the wall, but where would I find one? The whole place was in chaos. ¡°What should we do? Both gates are closed!¡± one of the people shouted, clearly having a mental breakdown. ¡°Should we barricade ourselves in?¡± another person chimed in. ¡°Does anyone know where the magma crystal is stored?¡± I asked, looking around the group. Everyone seemed puzzled by my question until a merchant suddenly spoke up, claiming he knew and offering to lead me there. The magma crystal is a rare resource found only in the realms. It forms when magma crystallizes, resulting in a substance with explosive properties. Initially used for mining, its power was later harnessed in wars. The crystal shone brightly in history due to its affordability and its readiness for use straight from the source. ¡°I know my warehouse has around a ton of it,¡± the merchant said, drawing suspicious looks from the group. A ton might not sound like much, but even a single kilogram is enough to obliterate a four-story building. Storing so much in one place was incredibly dangerous. Normally, such a stockpile would require notifying the authorities to establish proper defenses in case of an accident. ¡°Hey, everyone has to make a living somehow. Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± the merchant added, clearly flustered by the judgmental stares. ¡°Alright, everyone, listen up. We¡¯ll use the magma crystal to make an escape route,¡± I announced, outlining the plan and urging everyone to help transport the explosive material. The warehouse wasn¡¯t far, but even so, we lost three fighters on the way. On the bright side, we gained nine more as we progressed through the city, bringing our numbers up to 22. With everyone working together, we managed to start moving the magma crystals toward the nearest wall. ¡°Everyone, listen up! Find cracks in the wall and insert the magma crystals into them. Before setting them off, make sure to warn everyone nearby,¡± I instructed, raising my voice so everyone could hear. Thanks to my strength and leadership, people respected me and quickly followed my orders. The urgency of our situation united us. Failure meant certain death for everyone, leaving no room for hesitation. ¡°To the rest of you, start building a barricade using materials from the nearby houses. When the explosion goes off, the barricade will help us fend off the zombies that are sure to swarm this area,¡± I added. Following my command, the unarmed members of the group searched the wall for suitable spots to place the crystals, while those with armor fought off zombies and worked on constructing the barricade. ¡°We found a crack! Everyone, get away from the walls!¡± one of the guys shouted, urging others to back off while we sealed down the street from both sides and found a good hiding place. Boom! A massive explosion erupted, and as the dust settled, we saw a hole around the size of our fist with a crack around it. Everyone had grim expressions the explosion caused weaker damage to the walls than we¡¯d expected. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged just keep doing it and we can blast the walls open! Everyone else, please prepare to fend off our guests,¡± I said, turning around just in time to strike a zombie as it tried to break through the barricade we¡¯d set up. The zombie¡¯s head was pierced, but it tried to reach out to me with its arms. Using my other arm, I grabbed a stick and pushed the zombie away from my sword. The creature stumbled back, only to be trampled under the feet of other zombies as they surged out of the streets and houses after hearing the explosion. We even saw survivors in the houses, waving at us to be rescued. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy trying to kill them. Just hold them off,¡± I instructed the people on my side, then sent a runner to relay the same message to the others. Using the stick instead of my sword, I pushed the zombies back when another explosion went off. This time, the hole had grown larger¡ªnow about 50 to 60 centimeters in diameter. I knew this fight would be long. As we fought off wave after wave of zombies, they grew closer and closer, and the barricade wouldn¡¯t last much longer. ¡°Everyone, drop the magma crystals at the zombies! The barricade can¡¯t hold for much longer!¡± I shouted, then took a magma crystal from my supply. With a lighter I found in one of the houses, I ignited it and threw it into the zombies. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Boom! Boom! Boom! In a clear success, the crystals detonated, killing or incapacitating many zombies. Boom! Another magma crystal exploded, and the wall was on its last breath, soon opening up a way for us to escape. The zombies quickly took up the spots vacated by the previous ones, and the barricade was once again in clear danger. Just as I was about to order another wave of magma crystals, a roar erupted, and the zombies became even more frenzied. ¡°ROAR!¡±A zombie stood out¡ªa hulking, muscular figure over 2.5 meters tall, trampling any zombie in its path as it drew closer to the wall. ¡°There¡¯s already a mutated one?!¡± one of the people next to me exclaimed in a high voice, his fear evident. Mutated zombies are different from humans¡ªthey don¡¯t need to ascend to gain strength. Instead, consuming human flesh or other zombies is enough to trigger their transformation. This one had been eating for days. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that Mayor Belnoz?!¡± one of the survivors suddenly recognized the mutated creature. Mayor Belnoz¡ªa former leader, now transformed¡ªcaught a nearby zombie and threw it at us. The zombie collided with the barricade, causing part of it to collapse, allowing other zombies to pour through. ¡°Hold the position! I¡¯ll deal with the mutant myself.¡± With that, I drew several magma crystals and, using my stick, hurled them towards the Mayor. Feeling threatened, the mutant grabbed zombies around it and hurled them at the incoming magma crystals. Two managed to reach their target and exploded shortly after impact. The zombies around the mutant were cleared, but the mutant itself didn¡¯t sustain much damage beyond some burned skin. Enraged, the mutant charged forward into the barricade, blowing a big hole in its center. Dropping the stick to the ground, I drew my sword and aimed for the mutant¡¯s stomach, but only managed a scratch on the surface. The mutated creature looked at me with a menacing gaze, and I met its eyes awkwardly. Raising its arms to strike me down, I dodged to the side and sliced at its arm, but only left white marks on its flesh. Damn it! I need to use spiritual energy to even hurt it, and I don¡¯t have much left. I can¡¯t gather spiritual energy while I¡¯m fighting either. I only have enough for two more attacks after this then, I¡¯ll be left only with enough energy to buy time for others to create an escape route for us. Others, seeing the dire situation, were scared and wanted to run away. ¡°Stay in position!¡± I shouted. ¡°As I said, I¡¯ll deal with the mutant. You guys hold off the regular zombies!¡± I couldn¡¯t pay much attention to them as I dodged the mutant¡¯s relentless attacks. Due to its bulk, the mutant¡¯s movements weren¡¯t very agile. I struck at its Achilles with spiritual energy wrapped around my sword, slicing its leg off. ¡°ROAR!¡± it cried out in pain as it lost one of its legs and could only limp around. When it tried to grab me with its remaining arm, I dodged back and forth, keeping its full attention on me. After I sliced off its leg, it no longer paid attention to anyone else it was completely enraged by me. Unable to capture me, it started throwing anything its hands could grab and lift. However, being on the ground limited its throws, making them easy to dodge for me. Soon, another explosion echoed around the wall, and people cheered. ¡°The wall has collapsed! Everyone, get out quickly!¡± the man next to the hole shouted. People started flooding the hole, giving up their positions to escape. The small size of the hole made it only possible for one person at a time to escape, but with the chaos of everyone trying to leave, it became harder. Soon, everyone had escaped, and I was the last one left, still having to hold off the mutant. The zombies on all sides closed in on me. Using my last bit of spiritual energy, I created a blast, sending the zombies back a few steps, enough to entangle them with each other. As I crawled through the hole, zombies swarmed into the place, but with the last remaining magma crystals, I threw them at the zombies. The explosions buried the zombies under the rubble as the wall collapsed. Turning around, I saw the others already running into the forest, and soon I followed them. Two black-coated figures appeared on the city walls not long after. ¡°Leader, should we hunt down the few rats that escaped?¡± one of the black-coated figures asked. ¡°No need for us,¡± the other black-cloaked figure replied, looking at the rubble. Soon, a muscular arm broke through, and the figure searched around for its prey. Failing to find it, it erupted into another roar, summoning more zombies to the area. ¡°Isn¡¯t it incapable of chasing anything? That guy sliced off one of its legs,¡± the black-cloaked figure said, puzzled at his leader. ¡°Heh, that would normally be the case, but the Great God has blessed me with this item.¡± The leader took out a pulsing black meatball, holding it up. With a swift movement, he threw the meatball in front of the mutant. The mutant immediately grabbed the meatball and devoured it. Soon, the muscles all over its body began to squirm and reform. Its size slowly expanded from the original 2.5 meters to an enormous 7.2 meters. It gained an extremely big belly with arms like battering rams just one leg was taller than a normal person. The other black-cloaked figure was stunned by the sight. ¡°How is this possible? Shouldn¡¯t these mutants be punished for appearing here?¡± he asked, stunned, speaking to his leader. The leader paid no attention to him as the mutant turned its attention to them. It grabbed the guy and stuffed him into its mouth. The leader only smirked as he walked away. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have betrayed the order. Otherwise, I would have let you live, Jacob,¡± he said, shaking his head at his former colleague, who was now being eaten alive. Soon, the mutant turned to face the city and roared again. ¡°ROAR!¡± Zombies swarmed out from the city, transforming it into a dead place, and started marching towards the people who had escaped. The mutant had unfinished business that it must settle. If anyone saw it, they would be shocked. The zombie that appeared in this realm was a horde leader, a creature on Earth that typically required the intervention of third-realm evolvers to take down. But even if they shared this news, no one would believe them. This kind of event had happened before, only for the realm to intervene, killing the horde leader or forcing it to ascend¡ªsomething that, for zombies, meant death. With the mutant leading the way, the zombies started following it out of the city, leaving everyone who arrived puzzled about what had just happened. Our protagonist, Dax, had no idea what monstrosity was chasing him down. If he had known, he would have surely killed the mutant instead of crippling it and leaving it in the city. Chapter 13 - Taking off! As I left the city and ran for a few kilometers, I stopped next to a tree to rest for a moment before continuing my journey.When I returned to the cave by the waterfall and stepped inside, everything was still in place. No one had been here, but I didn''t want to linger for too long¡ªwho knew when those zombies might leave the city and wander into the forest?But first, I needed a proper rest. I put down my backpack, leaned against the wall, and began gathering spiritual energy. As I concentrated, I noticed that I could draw energy from every direction except the cave wall, which had previously heated to an unbearably high temperature.Curious, I pressed my hand against the wall and tried to channel spiritual energy into it, but it felt as if something was blocking me. Even when I attempted to draw on the wall, nothing happened this time. It seemed that my success last time had been pure blind luck. With no other options, I decided to wait for the morning. Navigating the forest at night was treacherous¡ªI had already stumbled into several trees on my way here. Only the fireflies illuminating the night had guided me safely to the cave. I couldn¡¯t bear to stay in the city, not with those zombies roaming freely. By now, it was likely that everyone in the city had turned. Soon, I fell asleep on the bed I had left here. Although the leaves were dry and crunchy, making it far less comfortable than before, it was still better than sleeping on the cold ground.As I drifted off, I braced myself for the nightmares to come. ¡°ROAR!¡± A deafening, bestial roar jolted me awake. The sound was both familiar and yet...different. I jumped out of bed and hurried outside, only to see a massive figure moving between the trees.A colossal zombie was lumbering through the forest, searching for something, with hordes of smaller zombies trailing behind it. Sweat drenched my back as I hurriedly grabbed my backpack and ran along the riverbank.Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t move without making noise, and several zombies turned their heads toward me. Their guttural roars filled the night as they began their pursuit. I had to fend off the zombies while running. I didn¡¯t want to waste my stamina fighting them and risk attracting an even larger horde.First, they could turn me into one of them. Second, they wouldn¡¯t even earn a single copper from the system for me¡ªafter all, the system doesn¡¯t buy defective products. Yet another reason to avoid engaging with these creatures. Once I¡¯d put some distance between us, I kept running along the river, but the zombies relentlessly followed. To make matters worse, even more of them joined the chase.As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the colossal zombie began to take notice of the commotion on this side of the forest. Its sheer presence sent a chill down my spine. Faced with the risk of being discovered by that monstrosity, I jumped into the river. The cold water shocked my system, but I forced myself to swim to the other side.When I glanced back, I saw the zombies attempting to cross the river, but the middle section was surprisingly deep. Many of them were swept away by the current. Still, I knew the river wouldn¡¯t hold them off for long. With their sheer numbers, they¡¯d likely clog the river in no time. But where were all these zombies coming from?! I hadn¡¯t thought the city held this many people. Row after row of undead figures emerged from the forest and gathered on the far side of the river. I didn¡¯t stop to think about it. I just ran. My only focus was survival. Why were there so many zombies? Had they followed that giant zombie out of the city?So many questions swirled in my mind, none of which I wanted answered. As I ran, I entered an unfamiliar part of the forest. The trees grew denser, the shadows darker, but stopping wasn¡¯t an option. Eventually, I broke free of the woods and saw, in the distance, the mountain I had once called home. By now, my lungs burned, and my legs felt like lead. I couldn¡¯t go any farther without a break. Gasping for breath, I collapsed against a nearby tree, looking back over my shoulder. To my immense relief, no zombies were in sight. I had finally lost them¡ªfor now. I wiped the sweat from my forehead before it could irritate my face and waited for my breathing to slow.Once I felt ready, I pushed onward toward the mountain. I promised myself I¡¯d take a proper break when I reached it and resume my journey once the sun stood high in the sky. ¡°ROAR!¡± A thunderous roar echoed from the forest behind me, breaking the fragile silence. My heart sank. The giant zombie had made it out of the woods. I could only hope that whatever it was searching for, it would find it¡ªand leave me alone. Halfway through the sparse forest, I noticed zombies appearing near the spot where I had rested. In the distance, I saw the giant zombie making its way toward me. As I watched it, I couldn¡¯t help but notice several similarities between it and the mutated zombie I had encountered before. Upon closer inspection, it seemed¡­ eerily familiar. No way. Is it coming for revenge? I didn¡¯t kill it¡ªI just crippled it. Besides, it doesn¡¯t even have basic intelligence¡­ does it?
{Author''s Note: To clarify, normal zombies and mutants have roughly the same low IQ. However, horde leaders gain significant intelligence boosts upon reaching their level. While they cannot recall their past lives, their memories improve starting from the moment they "awaken." This particular horde leader¡¯s first memories are of being injured and toyed with, which explains its aggressive fixation on our protagonist.}
But how the hell did it get so big and strong? Was it fueled by anger? I shook my head in disbelief, but there was no time to dwell on the question. The real problem began when it turned its massive head in my direction¡ªand our eyes met. For a moment, it seemed to study me. It compared my appearance to the person it had fought before. I had changed clothes, and I wasn¡¯t wearing my cloth mask anymore¡ªI had dropped it when I entered the forest. Running with a mask was just too suffocating. Then, as if two lonely brain cells in its massive head managed to spark a single coherent thought, recognition dawned. Its reaction was immediate. ¡°ROAR!¡± The earth trembled beneath me, and all the zombies in the area turned toward me, their groans echoing in unison. They started running after me like a tidal wave of death. I sprinted as fast as I could. The regular zombies weren¡¯t the issue¡ªthey were slower than me. The real threat was the giant zombie. With every thunderous step, it crossed several meters in an instant, closing the gap between us at an alarming rate. In the distance, I caught sight of the mountain I had been heading toward. But before I could feel any relief, something unexpected happened.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The roar had disturbed several large boulders embedded in the mountainside. Or at least, I thought they were boulders. To my astonishment, the ¡°rocks¡± began to move. One by one, they shook free from their resting places, opened their eyes, and turned to face the intruder entering their territory. They didn¡¯t even glance at me. To them, I was nothing more than an insignificant bug. That¡¯s when I realized the truth the ¡°boulders¡± were rock tortoises. One of them was gigantic, towering at least five meters high and stretching ten meters in length. Its legs were massive, each one thicker than two battering rams combined. It was a literal moving mountain. The rock tortoises paid no attention to me. Instead, their focus was solely on the horde of zombies and the colossal intruder leading them. Seizing the opportunity, I zig-zagged through the chaos, weaving my way between the tortoises and the zombies. Their distraction gave me the precious seconds I needed to escape. Before long, I vanished into the mountain, leaving the battle¡ªand the danger¡ªbehind me. Seeing this, the giant zombie grew even angrier. Something¡ªor rather, someone¡ªdared to protect the creature it was hunting. Its fury was palpable. The giant rock tortoises, sensing the threat, readied itself for battle. As the two titans clashed, the ground shook violently. Around them, the normal zombies and rock tortoises erupted into their own chaotic skirmishes. Tens of thousands of zombies faced off against hundreds of rock tortoises. It was quantity versus quality. Reaching the cave where I had previously rested, I crawled inside and retrieved the book I had left behind. My body was battered and exhausted. Though my injuries had partially healed during my previous stay, the constant fighting and relentless running had strained them to their limits. I needed to rest, or my body would give out entirely. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground quaked beneath me as the two giants clashed. The vibrations reverberated through the cave walls, each tremor a testament to their titanic power. Curious¡ªand somewhat compelled¡ªI crawled to the cave entrance and peered out. From my vantage point, I could see the battlefield. The giant zombie was relentlessly attacking the rock tortoise, hammering away at its impenetrable defense. Slowly but surely, it was chipping away at the tortoise¡¯s rocky armor. For the smaller zombies, however, breaking through a rock tortoise¡¯s defense was impossible¡ªtheir fists simply weren¡¯t strong enough. In contrast, the rock tortoises held their ground against the normal zombies. Small skirmishes erupted around the battlefield, with the rock tortoises winning those engagements. But the larger battle was turning in favor of the zombies. The clash of titans was devastating to all around them. Each thunderous blow sent shockwaves through the battlefield, obliterating the smaller combatants¡ªwhether zombie or tortoise. One stray hit from either of the Titans could easily end me if I were caught in the crossfire. I could only watch and hope. I prayed for the rock tortoises to win because, if they didn¡¯t, the giant zombie wouldn¡¯t stop until it found me. As I watched, something caught my eye¡ªa strange, gleaming substance. Was it blood? Or something else? The glimmer appeared when chunks of rock fell off the giant tortoise¡¯s back. The fragments weren¡¯t just harmless debris. Each one was launched with such velocity that it tore through the normal zombies like cannon fire. But the flying shards also posed a danger to the rock tortoises themselves. Those struck by the fragments were either seriously injured or outright killed. The situation was deteriorating for the giant rock tortoise. It seemed to sense this as well. With a desperate move, it lunged forward and bit down hard on the giant zombie¡¯s leg, aiming to incapacitate its monstrous foe. Seeing this, the giant zombie grew even angrier. Its rage consumed all thoughts of self-preservation as it began attacking the giant rock tortoise with reckless abandon. It lashed out with its legs, arms, and even its head, hammering away at the tortoise¡¯s tough exterior. Soon, a large piece of the rock tortoise¡¯s shell broke off, revealing something unexpected¡ªa charred, crystalline surface beneath the outer layer. Is this even a rock tortoise to begin with? I wondered, staring at the gleaming crystal. The sight of its exposed crystal core seemed to enrage the tortoise even further. It lashed out with frenzied aggression, matching the zombie¡¯s unrelenting assault blow for blow. Neither side showed any signs of tiring, their shared fury fueling the chaos. I didn¡¯t dare to run. The giant zombie could catch me in no time if I tried. Watching their brutal clash, it seemed likely that both combatants would perish. Neither appeared to have a finishing move strong enough to end the other, leaving them locked in a deadly stalemate. *** Hours passed. Both sides began to show signs of exhaustion. Their once-unstoppable attacks grew slower, sloppier. The smaller skirmishes between the normal zombies and the remaining rock tortoises had also ended. The rock tortoises emerged victorious but at a terrible cost. At the start, there had been hundreds of them. Now, I only had to glance to count their survivors¡ªjust thirty-two rock tortoises remained. The battlefield was littered with corpses, mostly of zombies but also the shattered remains of rock tortoises. The zombies held no value, but the fallen rock tortoises were a different story. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much those crystalline remains might be worth. The surviving rock tortoises could only stand on the sidelines, watching their leader fight on. The giant zombie was in shambles. One of its arms was completely gone, and the other was little more than a tattered stump of flesh and bone¡ªa miracle it could even move. Its original goal was long forgotten. Now, all it wanted was to kill and devour the giant rock tortoise. The rock tortoise wasn¡¯t faring much better. Its rocky armor was completely gone, replaced by a shattered crystal carapace. One of its eyes had been gouged out, and its movements were sluggish, labored. Both combatants prepared for a final attack. As they clashed one last time, the rock tortoisedodged the zombie¡¯s blow at the last second, swinging its head to the side. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, it rammed its head into the zombie¡¯s stomach, sending it stumbling backward. The zombie lost its balance, crashing to the ground. The rock tortoise seized the opportunity, pressing its massive weight onto the zombie¡¯s head. With one last, decisive push, it crushed the giant zombie¡¯s skull under its massive leg. The victory was short-lived. As the surviving rock tortoises began to cheer for their leader, the giant tortoise collapsed to the ground. Its body heaved once, then stilled. The zombie¡¯s final attack had crushed its trachea, leaving it to suffocate moments after its enemy. Both titans perished after a long and gruesome battle. Normally, such a prolonged fight wouldn¡¯t happen. But these two were relentless brawlers, each built for endurance. Neither had the kind of decisive finishing move that could counter the other. It was like watching two video game characters, both specialized in taking hits, locked in an endless stalemate¡ªuntil exhaustion finally claimed them both. The aftermath of the bloody fight left the battlefield littered with bodies, and an opportunity I couldn¡¯t ignore presented itself. Getting to my feet, I steeled myself for the task ahead¡ªa feast of profit awaited. The surviving rock tortoises were in disarray, seemingly unsure of what to do next. Taking advantage of their confusion, I darted between their massive, unmoving forms, placing my hand on each one. The system responded instantly. [You sold a Rock Tortoise for 4 silver and 11 copper.] I continued, my pace quickening as my confidence grew. With each touch, another tortoise disappeared, converted into currency by the system. [You sold a Rock Tortoise for 4 silver and 1 copper.] [You sold a Rock Tortoise for 3 silver and 89 copper.] [You sold a Rock Tortoise for 3 silver and 77 copper.] The weight of their loss wasn¡¯t lost on the rock tortoises. As they watched their companions and family vanish before their eyes, their confusion turned to anger. But their bulky forms made them slow, and dodging their sluggish attempts to pursue me was effortless. The growing pile of silver and copper in my inventory made me faster, and bolder. The thought crossed my mind¡ªwhy not hunt down the surviving tortoises as well? They were wounded, vulnerable, and profitable. But as quickly as the idea formed, I dismissed it. I was the one who brought the zombie horde here. These creatures had already suffered enough because of me and also I don¡¯t want to waste my money buying weapons on these rock tortoises as the last one already sold below 1 silver and most likely they would sell for even fewer. Finally, I reached the colossal giant rock tortoise, its massive crystalline form a testament to its fallen strength. Without hesitation, I touched it, and the system delivered its reward. [You sold a Crystal Tortoise for 1 gold, 44 silver, and 34 copper.] Checking my total earnings, I could barely contain my excitement. 3 gold, 73 silver, and 2 copper. What a harvest! With my newfound wealth and a giddy sense of accomplishment, I was ready to take off. Chapter 14 - A Grand Feast I almost danced with joy at the sight of so much money!But reality hit me hard as the rock tortoises started closing in.Not wanting to get killed, I turned and bolted back toward the waterstream cave. It took me several hours to reach it, dodging their attacks and evading their relentless chase, but I couldn''t contain my excitement when I finally made it back and settled in.Why did it take hours? Well, outrunning rock tortoises isn''t exactly a walk in the park¡ªit was exhausting! As I lay on my bed, I started planning. What should I buy first?A gene cap potion was a no-brainer¡ªI needed to raise my strength. Next, skills. And finally, equipment. Browsing through the potions, I spotted the Extraordinary Potion. It was selling for just 1 gold, so I bought it without hesitation. The next one, the Elite Potion, was priced at a staggering 10 gold. I skipped it.The price tag sucked all the excitement out of me. I turned my attention to skills¡ªthe ones I''d previously only dreamed of owning. This time, I bought them instantly.Spiritual Aura, Spiritual Ascension, Spiritual Lock, Spiritual Mastery (Intermediate), and finally, Spiritual Pressure¡ªall for just 50 silver.After spending 1 gold and 50 silver, I still had 2 gold, 23 silver, and 2 copper left. Remembering I needed a meditation skill, I started browsing again. The Mortal Meditation skill was affordable, but the Extraordinary version cost a jaw-dropping 10 gold¡ªthe same as the Elite gene cap potion!I almost fainted from anger. Reluctantly, I settled for the mortal version. Honestly, meditating all day already drives me crazy. How do people claim to meditate for an entire week without a break? Lies, I tell you¡ªabsolute lies! Back in the items section, I searched for anything under 1 gold. I wanted to save the 23 silver for emergencies. That¡¯s when I found Refined Short SwordDescription: Despite some flaws in its crafting, this sword has decent sharpness. Suitable for a beginner.Cost: 40 silver I bought it, leaving myself with 60 silver for future needs. Iron Chest PlateDescription: Offers strong defense against piercing and slashing attacks.Cost: 60 silver. I could only cry in the corner with my new items. Even after spending most of my money, I couldn''t fully arm myself. With a bittersweet smile, I shoved those thoughts aside and took out the Extraordinary Gene Cap Potion. I mentally prepared myself for the worst¡ªjust in case I¡¯d have to dash out for a ¡°big emergency.¡± Without overthinking, I gulped it down in one go. It wasn¡¯t much different from the lower-grade potions I¡¯d tried before¡ªexcept for one glaring difference. It was sweet. Sweet to death. I used to love sweets, but this? This abomination was enough to ruin them for me forever. The taste was so revolting that my tongue went numb. Soon, the numbness became the least of my problems. It felt like my entire body was on fire. Gasping, I stumbled out of the cave.
[Confirmed: Gene Cap Potion (Extraordinary) consumed.][Gene cap raised by 50 points. All existing genes consumed.][Note: Only monster flesh of Extraordinary grade or higher can now raise the user''s gene capacity due to potion side effects.]
Reading these messages, I wanted to vomit blood. My legs barely held me up as I crawled back into the cave, feeling utterly drained. It felt like my insides were trying to escape, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder Will I die if I consume a potion above the Elite level? Sighing, I tried to get up, but my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground. Exhausted, I dragged my body toward the books. Did I feel different after consuming the potion? Somewhat. But the effects weren¡¯t as dramatic as I¡¯d hoped. Perhaps the Elite potions¡ªor higher¡ªdeliver the real game-changing benefits. After all, these are shortcuts, not ascension. My guess? My body is storing up these genes, preparing for the moment I ascend to the second Realm. When that time comes, this ¡°hidden storage¡± will likely unleash, enhancing me beyond what I could achieve naturally. But there was a more pressing issue. The worst news yet.I¡¯d only bought food of the Mortal grade. Now, with my upgraded genes, I¡¯d have to buy Extraordinary grade food. Just checking the prices of Extraordinary-grade food almost brought me to tears.Fifty dekagrams cost 1 silver¡ªnot even a full kilo! That amount would only give me 2 genes. For the 200 genes I need, I¡¯d have to spend 2 gold.How am I supposed to collect that much money after spending nearly everything I had? Even with my newfound strength, I didn¡¯t think I could take on the giant zombie or the crystal tortoise I barely escaped before. Sure, the crystal tortoise sold for more than 1 gold, but I¡¯d have to hunt down two such monsters to cover my needs. And if I upgraded to Elite? I shuddered at the thought. Hunting Elite-grade monsters might be an even scarier ordeal, and I didn¡¯t even dare look up the price of their meat. The thought alone might kill me. Shaking off those discouraging thoughts, I turned my attention to the new skills I¡¯d purchased.First on the list is spiritual Mastery (Intermediate). As I started reading, I felt an unexpected calm settle over me. My mind grew clear, and I could fully concentrate on the text. The book detailed methods to channel spiritual energy and use it for basic abilities. It even explained how that rabbit I fought earlier was able to exude such deadly pressure. Wait¡­ then what about the Spiritual Pressure skill I bought? Did I waste 10 silver on it?No, that¡¯s impossible¡ªthe system wouldn¡¯t trick me like that¡­ right? I brushed aside the nagging doubts and continued reading. The book also describes how to construct a proper spiritual energy pathway. Out of curiosity, I attempted to follow its prototype, only to discover I already had one. When did this happen?The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning it must have been back when the cave wall radiated spiritual energy and the system alerted me to it. Not only had it helped me absorb the energy, but it had also created this amazing pathway in my body. How lucky I am¡­ I paused. Wait, scratch that. I¡¯m not lucky at all. If I were, I wouldn¡¯t have gone through so much suffering before now. I finished reading the book, my mind brimming with newfound knowledge. I needed time to digest it all. As for the beginner version of Spiritual Mastery? I¡¯d already burned that to make a fire. Now, with my body synchronized with my heart rate, I channeled my spiritual energy.The goal was to make the process instinctual¡ªto have my subconscious handle it automatically. If I succeeded, I wouldn¡¯t have to think about it during combat. It would function as seamlessly as breathing a natural, effortless action my body performed without conscious input. But for now, it was incredibly difficult. Sadly, I¡¯m not at that level yet. I can¡¯t implement such advanced techniques so easily. Setting the book aside, I picked up the next one Spiritual Pressure.I was curious to understand how it differed from Spiritual Mastery. As I read, it became clear just how badly I¡¯d misjudged the two. What the rabbit had demonstrated back then wasn¡¯t true Spiritual Pressure. It was something weaker¡ªa form of spiritual influence. What it did was amplify my fear, making it overwhelming, and my body reacted instinctively. However, this effect can be resisted by fighting back or with a strong spiritual defense. Spiritual Pressure, on the other hand, is far more dangerous. Simply put, it directly attacks an opponent''s spiritual energy or mind. Imagine the mind as the engine that generates spiritual energy. Using Spiritual Pressure is like jamming a rock into that engine, causing it to malfunction or even stop entirely. For those who haven¡¯t awakened their spiritual energy, the effect can be deadly¡ªthey could suffocate under the weight of the pressure if they lack the strength to resist. This raised a question Do zombies have spiritual energy? Or is it the parasites controlling them that possess it?I wouldn¡¯t know until I tested it. Putting that thought aside, I moved on to the next skill Spiritual Aura. I won¡¯t lie¡ªI¡¯ve always admired those characters in movies and shows who wield energy-based hands or weapons to fight. I thought this might be my chance to emulate them. Eagerly, I dove into the book, reading with all my focus. But I quickly realized it wasn¡¯t what I expected. While Spiritual Aura does use spiritual energy, it isn¡¯t about wrapping energy around your weapon to enhance it permanently. Instead, it described a more efficient method using the weapon as a conduit. Here¡¯s how it works Rather than constantly transferring spiritual energy into the weapon, you channel it through your body, holding it in reserve. When it¡¯s time to attack, you release the energy into the weapon at the moment of impact, creating a spiritual slash. This way, you don¡¯t even need to physically strike your opponent¡ªthe spiritual energy does the job for you. On the other hand, wrapping spiritual energy around the weapon continuously enhances its sharpness and durability. However, it consumes a considerable amount of energy over time. Worse, when the weapon encounters resistance, it draws even more energy to maintain its edge. Reflecting on my past battles, I realized I had been using raw spiritual energy inefficiently. By constantly enveloping my blade, I was draining myself needlessly. This new method¡ªfocusing the energy into short bursts¡ªpromised to be far more sustainable. Instead of consuming energy constantly, it would only take a small ¡°chip¡± each time I attacked. But the revelations didn¡¯t stop there. As I read further, I began to understand why this technique is called Spiritual Aura. To enhance its effects, the book explained, you can create spiritual points in your body. These points act as storage hubs for spiritual energy, allowing you to store and release it instantly when needed. This was when I recalled the strange tattoo on my dominant arm¡ªthe one left by the rabbit. That tattoo was a spiritual point, deliberately created by the rabbit. The book also mentioned that these tattoos could be hidden, though it didn¡¯t explain the meaning behind the symbols. I studied the tattoo closely, and for a moment, I thought I saw a winged snake etched into my skin. But the design was so blurred that I couldn¡¯t tell if it was real or just my imagination. The text didn¡¯t say anything about these tattoos changing over time, so I dismissed it as a trick in my mind. As I continued reading, I learned I could create more of these spiritual points in my body. Ideally, they should be placed in key areas each hand, each foot, and the head. These points are not just decorative; they allow spiritual energy to be stored and released instantly. This eliminates the need to channel energy continuously to specific parts of the body¡ªa process that costs more energy to maintain. The method to create these points wasn¡¯t complicated. Since I already had one, I simply mimicked its structure on the opposite side of my body. As I did, tattoos appeared briefly on those areas before fading away when I chose to hide them. So, why is it called Spiritual Aura? The book finally answered this question. At advanced levels, a person¡¯s spiritual energy becomes so powerful that it manifests visibly around their body. This visible aura is a mark of overwhelming spiritual energy. I could hardly imagine such a state¡ªhaving so much energy that it spills into the physical realm. To normal people, it would look like an impenetrable force field. How much spiritual energy must you possess for such a thing to occur? With this book finished, I moved on to the next one Spiritual Ascension. The title itself piqued my curiosity. I knew what ascension meant in general, but Spiritual Ascension? What could it involve? As I read, time seemed to fly by. Despite my initial hesitation, I realized I¡¯d already finished half the books. It¡¯s amazing how quickly time passes when you¡¯re engrossed in something you truly enjoy. The book explained that Spiritual Ascension is much like regular ascension¡ªit occurs when you rise to a higher plane. However, it requires you to open your mind completely during the process. There are no shortcuts, no treasures, and not even the system has a tool to aid in this process. It must be done purely through your effort and understanding. When ascending, the book explained, you must burn your spiritual energy and push yourself to the brink of mental collapse. If anything goes bad you become nothing more than a lifeless body¡ªnothing more. Whoever created this method must have been utterly insane. Igniting your spiritual energy while ascending? The very essence of your existence is on the line, and you¡¯re expected to fight against it like a crazed beast. This summed up the process and the philosophy behind it. One word Madness. Shaking my head, I picked up the final book Spiritual Lock. This book delved into unlocking the full potential of the mind¡¯s power. According to its pages, the mind is constrained by nine locks. These locks are not tied to one¡¯s evolution, meaning even mortal beings can attempt to unlock them. However, unlocking these locks doesn¡¯t increase the energy your mind can generate. Instead, it makes the energy far more efficient. The book compared the mind to a rusted machine¡ªcapable of great things but bogged down by inefficiencies. Unlocking the locks is like oiling the gears, allowing the machine to operate at full capacity. The process sounded deceptively simple you must reform your spiritual energy completely. The key is to increase the density of your spiritual energy. To do this, you must gather all your mental energy into a single, concentrated spot, ensuring none of it escapes. Then, you reintegrate it back into your spiritual mind. And here¡¯s the kicker you must do this not once, not twice, but eleven times. Each repetition forces your spiritual energy to condense further, changing its very nature. Easy, right? Not even close. The book emphasized the mental strength required to maintain such focus. Gathering large amounts of energy into one point risks catastrophic failure¡ªit can explode within your body if you lose control. Thankfully, the author offered a precaution to ensure you have a spiritual point established in your body before attempting this. That way, if something goes wrong, you can discharge the excess energy safely. After digesting all this information, I closed the book. It was time to stop reading. The only thing left now was to put these lessons into practice. Chapter 15 - Newfound Strength As I created spiritual points within my body, I began gathering spiritual energy into them. Forming my hand into a fist, I tried to recreate the motion of turning a feigned attack into a real one¡ªlike when you pretend to strike someone but hold back at the last moment. Like a fake attack, but isntead of the air hitting their faces it would be spiritual energy. I aimed to train my body to adapt to this technique, intending to discharge the energy in the same manner. However, practicing this proved far more challenging than I anticipated. My muscles cramped, sending waves of horrible pain through me. The agony was unbearable! Time seemed to stretch into eternity as I fought to reverse the cramp, but it felt as though even the gods had abandoned me to my suffering. A full minute passed before the pain subsided. They say that once you evolve, you no longer have to worry about your body¡ªbecoming almost immune to everything. Lies! All lies! If anything, the muscle cramp became even more excruciating. After finishing my internal rant, I returned to practice, this time pacing myself. Between each attempt, I allowed my muscles more time to recover, unwilling to endure another rebellion from my body. My goal was to find a way to discharge spiritual energy through my fist, but without a weapon, it was exceedingly difficult. The energy seemed to cling stubbornly to my body, anchored to the spiritual points within me. Each time I tried to release it, the energy recoiled, returning to my body and causing my attempts to fail. Using a weapon simplified the process. By channeling the energy into the weapon¡ªan object devoid of spiritual points¡ªthe energy could flow unimpeded. Once in the weapon, it moved forward into the surrounding environment, free from the influence of my body. This allowed the energy wave to manifest properly. But how could I separate the spiritual energy from my body without relying on a weapon? How could I make it follow my command rather than cling to me? I tried using the same method I had employed to generate spiritual pressure, but that required expelling all the energy from my body at once. Controlling the energy to exit in only one direction was infinitely harder. It required precision not just in channeling the energy within my body, but in directing it outward as well. After countless failed attempts, I gave up¡ªat least for now. Perhaps I needed a new refinement of spiritual energy to uncover the solution. Resigned, I returned to my Refined Short Sword. Its weight felt lighter, and its sharpness more pronounced. It was a weapon of unparalleled precision, and I could wield it effortlessly. Satisfied with its performance, I stepped out of the cave, eager to test my new weapon in the real world. With a swing, I drove my blade into the side of a tree, cutting about 7 cm deep. Not much, but it was a good start. Next, I used a new method to channel spiritual energy into the sword and release an energy wave. A green trail lingered in its wake, a mere after-effect of my spiritual energy. The energy itself moved faster than the green wave that followed closely behind. The wave struck the tree, raising a cloud of dust as it stirred up the ground. When the dust finally settled, I saw the results¡ªmy energy wave had already cut halfway through the tree. Considering the tree¡¯s diameter was an impressive 160 cm, being an oak, I had not expected one energy wave to nearly slice it in half. I sucked in a cold breath, a mix of awe and fear swelling within me. Awe, because of the raw power I now wielded. Fear, because I dreaded the thought of such a technique being used against me. To the untrained eye, the spiritual energy itself would be invisible; only the green wave trailing behind would be visible. How many people would misjudge the attack speed or fall victim to its deceptive appearance the first time they faced it? Curious to test further, I channeled the energy differently, this time coating my entire blade. Without effort, the tree behind me split cleanly in two. I approached it and had to push it over before it toppled to the ground. The blade had cut through so swiftly that I had felt no resistance at all. Eager to understand my limits, I began calculating the cost of each attack. I discovered that I could perform a spiritual slash a maximum of six times if I didn¡¯t use spiritual energy for anything else. Coating my blade in spiritual energy, however, could last for about 17 seconds. This duration would decrease significantly if I faced resistance, such as the defensive side of a mutant. Next, I experimented with channeling spiritual energy into the spiritual points within my body instead of releasing it. The effect was immediate¡ªI felt lighter and stronger as I moved. When I slashed at the fallen tree again, my blade cut twice as deep as before. Pride swelled within me at this clear progress, though I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of disappointment. I still wasn¡¯t like the superheroes who could fall a tree with a single swing. It would take multiple tries, but even so, I was making great strides. Confidence surged as I thought about the Praying Mantis from before. I felt I could handle it now. Yet, even as my body burned with the desire to fight, I reminded myself that there were monsters out there far stronger than me. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose myself to overconfidence. But still, it¡¯s worth it for practice, right? I bought some food from the system and cried as I ate. It was extraordinary monster flesh, but knowing how much I had wasted on it made the meal taste bitter. Finishing my meal, I drank some water I had gathered from the river, though it tasted awful. Getting up from the ground, I stretched and moved my body around to shake off the stiffness. It was time to put my newfound strength to the test and gain some real combat experience. Leaving the cave, I walked for about half an hour before encountering my old foes: the iron clawers. This time, I resolved to test my frontal strength. I didn¡¯t bother laying a trap or drawing them in. Instead, with a swift movement, I dashed out from behind a tree, heading straight for the larger of the pair. The iron clawers, startled at first, likely mistaking me for a bigger predator, soon grew enraged when they realized I was the threat. Their fury drove them to charge at me, claws raised, as if they were eager to rip my face apart.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The male was faster, reaching me first. But I was ready. With a practiced swing, I unleashed an energy wave that tore through its body, slicing it cleanly in two. The sight of its fallen companion paralyzed the female with fear. I stood in awe of how much stronger I had become. Turning to the motionless iron clawer, I released another energy wave, cutting it into two as well. Selling the remains of both clawers earned me a combined total of 44 copper. Frustrated, I muttered to myself, One day I¡¯ll figure out how this system works. How does it decide what¡¯s worth what?! Despite the victory, I felt empty. I hadn¡¯t been able to fully test my strength. I had no choice but to venture deeper into the forest in search of stronger prey. As I moved forward, the landscape began to change. The forest transformed from a typical woodland into a dense, almost jungle-like environment. The further I went, the louder the sounds of buzzing grew. Looking around, I saw nothing at first. But when I glanced up, I froze. Swarms of bees crowded the treetops¡ªa mass of buzzing chaos that stretched as far as the eye could see. I tried to get as far away as possible, knowing that alerting the bees would be disastrous. If they besieged me, the outcome wouldn¡¯t be good. My armor might offer some protection, but it wasn¡¯t full-body armor¡ªit wouldn¡¯t save me from a swarm of stingers. As I left the bees behind, the faint sound of water splashing reached my ears. Moving cautiously, I followed the sound and discovered a lake nestled in the middle of the forest. The lake wasn¡¯t large, only about 20 to 25 meters wide. Its depth, however, was a mystery. The water was so dark that I couldn¡¯t see the bottom, and even if I moved closer, I doubted I¡¯d be able to. Curiosity pulled at me. Why not take a closer look? Just as the thought crossed my mind, I froze. A deer, grazing too close to the edge, was suddenly dragged into the lake by a massive tentacle. What the hell?! An octopus¡ªhere, in this lake? The tentacle alone was at least 10 meters long, and I hadn¡¯t even seen its full size. Taking a step back, I quickly realized I might already be within its range. If that monstrosity was lurking in this small lake, then it had to connect to something far larger. A creature of that size couldn¡¯t survive here on such limited prey. After all, this lake wasn¡¯t the forest¡¯s only water source. Another forbidden place. Better to find such dangers this way than to stumble into their territory unknowingly and provoke them. Continuing deeper into the forest, the environment around me began to change. The trees grew denser, and the familiar oaks gave way to kapok and mahogany trees. How did I know their names? I¡¯d collected their seeds earlier, thinking they might have value. I was right¡ªthey could be sold through the system. Unfortunately, earning a measly 1 copper for my efforts endeavored feels utterly pointless. As I navigated the increasingly cramped forest, a strange scent reached my nose. It was sweet, almost intoxicating. My thoughts became fuzzy, and I felt my mind slipping. Shaking my head violently, I snapped out of it and turned fearfully in the direction of the scent. My blood ran cold. A giant Venus flytrap loomed before me. The monstrous plant stretched several meters wide, and at its center was an enormous flower, radiating the alluring scent. If not for my spiritual awakening fortifying my mind, I would have walked right into its trap, becoming an easy meal. The flytrap remained motionless, waiting for its prey to succumb. I narrowed my eyes. This might just be the perfect practice partner. Channeling energy into my sword, I aimed for the flower and unleashed a powerful slash. Sensing danger, the plant snapped its massive jaws shut, but my attack still landed. The ground beneath me trembled, and vines erupted from the soil, slithering toward me with terrifying speed. I backed off, my confidence faltering. I had assumed the Venus flytrap wouldn¡¯t be capable of ranged attacks. How badly I had miscalculated. With no other choice, I channeled energy into my legs and leaped backward. Slashing at an approaching vine, I severed it cleanly, only to watch in frustration as it regenerated almost instantly. My jaw tightened in annoyance, but I didn¡¯t stop. I continued hacking away, though each cut seemed futile. Just this brief skirmish had already drained about 30% of my total energy. Realizing I couldn¡¯t win this fight, I dodged a few more attacks before vanishing into the jungle. The vines pursued me for a while but eventually halted, their reach unable to extend any further. I sighed, berating myself. I shouldn¡¯t have been so reckless. I was too eager to test my strength, and now I¡¯ve paid for it. Still, the encounter was a valuable lesson. I could escape for now, but what about next time? A bigger problem loomed over me¡ªI was lost. I tried using the sun as a guide, but the dense canopy of the forest blocked most of the sunlight. Left with no better option, I guessed at the direction I¡¯d come from and began walking.
Several hours later, I finally emerged from the jungle. Along the way, I had several close encounters that left me shaken. First, I crossed paths with a tiger. It had decided I would be its next meal. As I fled, I stumbled upon a silverback gorilla. The tiger turned its attention to the gorilla, and I foolishly thought I might get lucky like before. But luck wasn¡¯t on my side this time. The tiger dispatched the gorilla with brutal efficiency. Luckily for me, having secured its prey, it no longer seemed interested in chasing me. Later, I found myself pursued by a group of chimpanzees. They were relentless, forcing me to run for what felt like an eternity. Just when I thought I couldn¡¯t keep going, we stumbled upon the Venus flytrap. The chimps, lured by its alluring scent, fell into the trap. Some of them were devoured instantly, while the others, terrified, fled in panic. I took the opportunity to move in the opposite direction, avoiding further confrontation. As I continued, I found myself back at the lake. Keeping a respectful distance, I carefully made my way around it. But an unsettling feeling crept over me¡ªlike I was being watched. It was as if something was silently beckoning me, urging me to take just one more step toward the lake. I kept calm as I left the lake, though the feeling of being watched lingered long after. It clung to me, a heavy presence, before finally fading. Continuing my journey, I passed by the bees once more. This time, they paid no attention to me, fully engrossed in their work collecting honey. The sun had climbed high into the sky by the time I made it back to the cave. Exhausted, I sat down and began to meditate. As I focused, I tried to sense the spiritual energy around me. To my surprise, I noticed tiny sparks of light swirling around my body before slowly entering it. Wait¡­ this wasn¡¯t part of the meditation technique. Curious, I concentrated deeper, watching as more and more of these lights flowed into me. It was strange¡ªI could only perceive them in this meditative state. What are these lights? And why hadn¡¯t I noticed them before? My question was answered as I observed the lights emerging from the walls of the cave itself. Is this some sort of spiritual gathering place? It clicked. I must have triggered the spiritual energy the last time I was here, and now it was gradually regenerating. The realization left me both intrigued and resolved. I needed to start planning my next steps. The jungle? Too dangerous. It was teeming with enemies I wasn¡¯t yet ready to face. The mountain? Already stripped of resources¡ªthere was nothing left for me to gain there. That left me with my original plan: venturing out to find a new location. This cave was useful, no doubt, but its ability to help me recover spiritual energy faster wasn¡¯t enough to justify staying. Not yet, anyway. If I waited for it to gather enough energy again, I could trigger it and absorb it for a significant boost. But that would take time, and time wasn¡¯t something I had in abundance. With no other choice, I began preparing to leave, my mind set on finding new opportunities. Chapter 16 - New Land and new opportunities I made a rough map of my current location.To the west lies the city, the southeast is dominated by the mountains, and to the northwest stretches a dense jungle.I created this map to ensure I have a clear understanding of the terrain around me and to decide my next move. Heading north or south would be ideal, but there¡¯s no constant water supply in those directions, and the system only sells soup¡ªwhich isn¡¯t sustainable in the long run. Even though the water tastes awful, it¡¯s still better than surviving on soup alone.So, my only viable option is to follow the stream as it winds past the mountain and alongside the field. Thinking about the wolves, I felt a twinge of fear. But as long as I could avoid them, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Gathering the books I had with me, I suddenly realized something about learning skills the books disappear once a skill is fully mastered. I could still improve on the beginner level of spiritual mastery, which explained why the book hadn¡¯t vanished yet. I also remembered I¡¯d used it as a firestarter. I sighed, knowing I could always buy the book back later. Sometimes, returning to the basics is the best way to learn¡ªreliving the joy of why you started in the first place and appreciating the progress you¡¯ve made since then. With a final glance at the cave, I understood I might never return. It was time to find a new settlement. Why not wait for the settlement to be rebuilt? Or even return to reality? The entire city was overrun by zombies, and no reinforcements had arrived from Earth. This made it clear that the crack leading to Earth was also surrounded by trouble. With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I left the cave. The sound of the waterfall eventually faded behind me, marking the start of a new journey.
For three days, I¡¯ve been walking alongside the river, encountering and killing minor monsters. Luckily, I haven¡¯t faced any enemies strong enough to force me to flee with my tail between my legs. I passed the mountains a day ago, but the most dangerous thing I¡¯ve faced so far is the night. The absolute darkness makes it nearly impossible to rely on anything but your other senses¡ªunless you have a large reserve of spiritual energy. I tested something during one of those nights channeling spiritual energy into my eyes. It worked, allowing me to detect the surroundings and make out murky outlines of nearby monsters. Unfortunately, I could only sustain it for about 40 seconds before my spiritual energy was completely drained. If I had a large reserve of spiritual energy, I might be able to sustain it for an entire night. But this thought led me to another question is there an item that can store spiritual energy for later use? The answer is yes, there is! And it costs only 50 gold coins! That¡¯s right, just 50 gold coins! A mouth-foaming price.Even the most shameless capitalists would have lowered it to 49 gold, 99 silver, and 99 copper to make it seem less painful. But no¡ªthe system proudly stuck with 50 gold, a number so precise and greedy that it would make capitalists green with envy. Snapping out of my mental rant, I returned to eating while lying on the grass. A little napping between meals never hurt anyone. I mean, I can¡¯t just walk all day, right? I¡¯m not some ancient Roman soldier trekking endlessly across the empire. I¡¯m a free man in a free world¡ªwhere oppressing the weak is praised, and being weak is practically a crime. If only people didn¡¯t fight amongst themselves. But no, everyone has an opinion they refuse to keep to themselves. After finishing my nap, I started walking again. The monotony quickly set in. All I did was hunt the occasional monster and stare at an endless field. No trees, no landmarks¡ªjust weeds upon weeds. Not even the interesting kind, but the boring, dry kind. Eventually, the air changed. It was fresher. No clouds were in sight, so the only explanation was that I was nearing the sea. Soon, I heard the unmistakable cries of seagulls. Looking up, I spotted them¡ªnormal-sized seagulls. Or so I thought. As they flew closer, it became clear they were larger than normal. They cast glances in my direction but paid me no mind, diving into the ocean where, judging by their frenzied movements, either a swarm of fish or a cluster of sea monsters had gathered. That spectacle was far more exciting than a lone wanderer trudging along a field. When I finally reached the shore, I looked around. The sea breeze was refreshing, but aside from the endless expanse of water and the field behind me, there was nothing in sight. No ships, no settlements¡ªjust emptiness. North or South? With no clear direction, I decided to head south. As I walked along the shore, I occasionally glanced toward the water. Something in the ocean caught my attention¡ªmovement beneath the waves. I paused, and soon the sound of splashing water reached my ears. A group of six creatures emerged from the sea. They were fishmen, but unlike the scrawny ones you¡¯d find in stores, these were far more robust. Their gray, scaly skin glistened in the sunlight, and their shark-like teeth jutted from their fish-like heads. On either side of their throats were gills, an unmistakable sign of their underwater origin. They didn¡¯t dare attack me outright, likely because they¡¯d encountered others like me before. Their wary glances toward my weapon gave them pause.Despite being surrounded, they hesitated, and I realized they might be waiting for reinforcements. I didn¡¯t intend to give them that chance. Without warning, I unleashed an energy slash, catching them off guard and striking one down instantly. As I approached the fallen fishman, I touched its body and sold it to the system for 1 silver and 12 copper¡ªa mortal-grade being. Should I stay and fight or retreat? My hesitation didn¡¯t last long. More fishmen surfaced from the water, their numbers swelling rapidly. It was clear my only option was to run. No¡ªthis wasn¡¯t running away it was a strategic retreat! If you ignore the 30 fishmen chasing me, that is. What did I do to deserve this? Why were so many of them after me?!If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. As I sprinted along the shoreline, I suddenly felt something rush past me. Ahead, a spear had embedded itself firmly into the ground. From out of nowhere, a larger fishman appeared, its hulking form joining the "fight." It seemed to think its kin weren¡¯t enough to handle me. Just great. But hope flickered on the horizon¡ªhigh walls! A city! Fueled by desperation, I pushed myself to reach the gates. As I drew closer, horns blared, and I watched in horror as the gates began to close. ¡°No, wait for me!¡± I shouted, but my pleas only seemed to make the gates shut faster. Boom! The gates slammed shut. From the top of the city walls, I could see people peering down, indifferent to my plight. They showed no concern for the fishmen advancing toward the city. Desperate and out of options, I veered away and began circling the city wall. Surprisingly, the fishmen didn¡¯t follow. They stopped at a distance, watching me with cold, calculating eyes. It was clear this wasn¡¯t their first time attacking this city. Frustrated, the fishmen vented their anger by kicking up sand along the shore. Their growls and hisses echoed faintly as they slowly retreated into the sea, disappearing just as suddenly as they had come. Soon the gates opened and as I walked in the city guard grumped at me. ?Tch, you made us close the gates and work so hard and scare off the merchants so your entry to the city is 1 silver.¡± Said the guard with an evil smile on his face. 1 silver?! Are you kidding me? What merchant are you talking about who I scared off or did you mean yourself as you guys closed the gates so fast? Seeing my reaction as my face distorted the guard was as happy as it felt, he gained 1 silver for nothing as its only job was to check for any suspicious person and ask for entry into the city which is 10 copper. Instead of it I turned around and left. I made my way around the city while the guard was stunned in its place the other guards made fun of him as how he let go of a big fish. I made my way around the city and took a long distance from the shore as I did not want to get near it. I don¡¯t even know what city this is, but 1 silver for entry is a clear robbery, no wonder I have not seen anyone in the streets who can afford to go in and out of the city. As I left the city and walked in the field I encountered some monsters, but I always felt uneasy about the sea. Like the lake where that giant octopus was. Something was off about it, but I just can¡¯t point my finger at the cause of it. As I walked soon I found a road. I don¡¯t know who built it, but there will be a city in which entry does not cost 1 silver. Soon I saw another city in the distance, but these city walls were bigger, and even Skylit city walls were smaller with at least 5 meters. This is truly a bastion. As I got near the city just like before I was stopped, but they only did a checkup on me and did not ask for money. Normally cities ask you money to enter it as a means by which you pay for their protection and you can sleep peacefully at night and in exchange you pay in money for it. Not the best method, but the most effective and fastest way. They compared my face with multiple ones who are wanted by the alliances and when they found no similarities, they told me they saw me somewhere and I should be a famous person, but they can¡¯t remember it. I could only give a small chuckle as I left, but the city guards were better people here. This city''s name is Ostfurk. No one knows why the city was named Ostfurk, but over time, everyone grew accustomed to it. It became such a fixture that no one even considered changing it anymore. I also learned that the previous ¡°city¡± I visited wasn¡¯t a proper city at all¡ªit was merely an outpost, populated mostly by fighters tasked with defending against sea monster attacks. This outpost was established by the previous city lord to shield the people of Ostfurk from the relentless assaults that had once made daily life a nightmare. Before the outpost was built, the city was under constant siege by sea monsters. But the tide turned, quite literally, when the city lord made strategic sacrifices to fortify the region. The outpost kept the monsters at bay, allowing the people of Ostfurk to live in relative peace. However, things changed when the fishmen appeared. Unlike the mindless sea beasts, fishmen were more intelligent, though still primitive in many ways. Their intelligence was at the level of barbarians¡ªthey could mimic weapon designs and use them against humans. They even began crafting their versions, though something seemed to block their advancement, preventing them from developing a wider range of weapons. Their arsenal was simple but effective tridents and spears. They didn¡¯t bother with shields, as their tough, scaly bodies were resilient enough to shrug off most conventional weapons. Only magic cannons, developed under the guidance of the previous city lord, turned the tide in humanity''s favor. These magic cannons, powered by magma crystals, fired devastating blasts that traveled in a straight line, incinerating anything in their path. Even the fishmen¡¯s hardened scales couldn¡¯t withstand the searing explosions and the scorching heat that followed. The fishmen, realizing that fire alone couldn¡¯t harm them effectively, were unprepared for the deadly heat waves generated by the cannons. The balance of power shifted decisively, transforming Ostfurk from a city under siege to one where the guards barely considered their jobs a danger. What had once been one of the deadliest occupations became one of the safest. The current city lord came to power under unusual circumstances. The previous city lord died in battle against the fishmen, and his successor¡ªa trusted lieutenant¡ªtook control without a formal election. However, his leadership quickly earned the full support of the people, ensuring that no one questioned his authority. The new city lord, by contrast, rose to power through political maneuvering, backed by major organizations that supported his ascension in exchange for significant concessions. How do I know all this? Well, drunk people love to tell stories, and I¡¯m a good listener. Currently, two factions vie for power in Ostfurk. On one side, the former city lord¡¯s assistant, who oversees the military and the magic cannons, holds significant influence. On the other side is the new city lord, whose power is rooted in the backing of the major organizations that helped him secure his title. In his thirst for power and wealth, the new city lord attempted to transfer full control of the magic cannons to the organizations backing him. However, the city¡¯s military intervened, halting the deal before it could be finalized. This betrayal soured the organization¡¯s relationship with the city lord, leading to a tense and uncertain atmosphere. The once-strong alliance fractured, and clashes between the organizations and the city military became more frequent. The situation grew darker as threats began targeting the families of military guards, coercing them to comply. Fear spread through the ranks, discouraging recruits from joining the city guards. Even those who did were loyal only to the city lord, deepening the divide between the factions. Slowly but surely, the influence of the old city lord¡¯s administration faded, giving way to widespread corruption. Those who had never experienced the horrors of the past could only imagine the chaos and suffering. But no imagination could capture the true depth of the despair¡ªit was a hundred times worse than anyone could fathom. As I sipped my drink, the man beside me, whom I¡¯d offered a drink earlier, nudged me and gestured toward a commotion nearby. I turned to see a standoff between city guards and a group of thugs. ¡°Do you see that?¡± the man slurred, his words barely comprehensible through his drunken haze. ¡°Those thugs? They¡¯re the city lord¡¯s men. And the guards? They¡¯re loyal to the old military. Looks like they¡¯re at it again.¡± He grinned, leaning in as if to share some grand revelation, but before he could continue, he face-planted onto the table, completely passed out from drinking too much. Chapter 17 - Old and New forces ?Do you have to disrespect the city, Lord?!¡± said a guy with full body armor made out of iron, but his face wasn¡¯t covered and you could see a ferocious light in it. His face had a scar across it from fighting humans rather than monsters, as the scar was too smooth. ?So what if I disrespect the city, Lord? He sold the city to you parasites! You guys would have taken the cannons and reinforced your base and left us to rot here!¡± retorted a senior soldier, and from the looks of it, there was no captain among them. ?What do you know? We bought those magic cannons from the city Lord of course, we can do what we want with them,¡± said the leader of the city Lord¡¯s thugs. ?You don¡¯t know how many people would have died to finally have this peace that we have today, and you guys just recently came here you don¡¯t know anything about how much we fought for this place!¡± It could be seen that the soldiers were getting angry, and a fight would erupt at any moment. ?Those were old times, and that was in the past, and now? Look, no more beasts are coming to the city than the occasional monsters, but even they are no match for us,¡± said the thug Mocinkly, as he wanted the soldiers to start a fight against them so they could leverage it against those in higher power¡ªa moral kidnapping. The most effective method to blackmail someone into doing something you want. The soldiers were fuming with anger and could hardly hold back from hitting those thugs'' smug faces, but they knew they could not afford to do it otherwise, the higher-ups would be in an even worse position. Soldiers attacking the city Lord¡¯s guards would be what would be told by the other side and would fully deny any provocative action. Why would they do this? They want the people who come into the realm to think they are the good guys and gather more supporters for themselves. With no support from the commoners, the old city guard would be in a bad position. ?You¡­¡± The soldier could not control his anger as he pointed his finger at the guy. ?Did your mother never tell you not to point your finger at other people, as it is rude to do so?¡± said the thug with a wide grin on his face. Seeing this, the soldier wanted to go up and beat him up, but the other soldiers held him down. Another soldier came forward. ?Scram already we have reason to investigate this place as it is smuggling magma crystals illegally.¡± As the soldier said so, he pointed with his finger to the building behind the thugs. It was like a normal home nothing fancy about it or anything that made it stand out. ?I told you before, this place belongs to the city Lord, and you have no right to search it.¡± He was stalling for time, hoping his colleagues could evacuate everything from the building. Soon, a bird chirping could be heard. ?Ah well, we have to show some face to our colleagues who have protected the city for so long, don¡¯t we, boys? Let them in and search this empty place.¡± As he said this, he laughed at them and left with his thugs. As soon as the thugs left, the soldiers could only lower their heads as they entered the place. Soon, they emerged with nothing on them, their heads lowered in defeat. The higher-ups had paid an extremely high price to get this information so they could gain leverage over the new city Lord, but they had failed. Their guard numbers were constantly decreasing, and hardly any recruits were joining them. Even when they did, they were spies full of bad intentions. The organizations blackmailed anyone they could from the old guards, as many had to leave their positions because their families on Earth might encounter unexpected accidents that could take their lives. Each day, they had fewer soldiers on their side, while the opposing faction had more and more men. The city people first supported the old faction, but with the new faction¡¯s hardline actions, many people began to fear them. Kidnapping, beating, and blackmailing became the norm in this city. When troubling times come, people can unite in the greatest despair, but once the dark times pass, those with darkness in their hearts arise. These people cannot face monsters, but they prey on other humans. They know how to maximize their profits from other humans. Hunting monsters themselves? Why would they do something so stupid when other people can do this job for them? All they have to do is take away this prey and threaten them a little bit. This is not the old world anymore. Here, the strong have all the rights, and the alliances are all controlled by these corrupt people who sided with the Were tribes in the rebellion against them. Soon, the soldiers returned to their headquarters, and their commander had an ugly expression on his face. Someone from the inside had informed their enemies and sold out their informant from the new faction. Now they had one less card. They never guessed there was a traitor among their men.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. It was not a low-ranking member, but a high-ranking one. Suspicion engulfed the headquarters as no one could trust anyone anymore. Who knew who the spy among them was? They had wanted a city where people could unite together and everyone could live happily, following the old city Lord''s example. But they just realized that without the city Lord, they couldn¡¯t accomplish it at all. Is happiness so hard to achieve? Why do people want to take away others¡¯ happiness? Did they commit a grave sin in their previous life to let this happen to them? As for our protagonist, he was eating his fill at the inn, having left the drunken guy behind long ago. Why didn¡¯t I interfere when such an injustice occurred? I am more clear about this than anyone. If I had interfered on the side of the soldiers, the city Lord¡¯s thugs would have thought I was part of the old power and would have made my life harder in the city. They would have dragged the soldiers and their higher-ups into trouble. This is not a fairy tale world. Your actions will have consequences. It might have made their situation even harder, and for one person, they would not implicate all of their people. And another thing¡ªwhy should I help them? Where were the people when I needed help? Only when you are strong will people respect you and fear you. I want to become stronger first, quietly, so that when people face injustice, I can change it. But I have to hold back, even if it puts a bad taste in my mouth. Hypocrite? Maybe, but sometimes sacrifices are necessary for a better future. Even if I hate myself for it, I cannot change the whole city situation. An elephant can be defeated by ants. One person is against an organization with an unknown number of people in their ranks. Even worse, I don¡¯t know who these organizations are, who their backers are, or if they have any connection to even higher people. Nowadays, you cannot climb higher on the ladder of power if you don¡¯t have any connections. A cruel world, but you have to be even more cruel to yourself to gain more power. Trust is the greatest poison in this world. From the slums, I learned that trusting someone is the greatest mistake you can make. You must always expect their betrayal and be prepared for it. After finishing my meal and paying for it, I wanted to eat something else other than the system food and gather information about the city. Booking a room for myself, from what information I gathered, the monsters started retreating into the ocean and gave up on attacking the city entirely. Knowing this, I felt a sense of unease, like in Skylit City when disaster strikes during the calmest times. As if something that doesn¡¯t belong here is watching everything. Lying on the bed, I could only sigh. Troubling matters do not leave me alone. I should prepare to leave the city before the troubling time comes. The city is in turmoil politically, and the old and new factions are at their wits¡¯ end with each other. If the monsters decided to attack now, the city might not be able to hold. The new faction likely will not supply the old faction with cannons as long as they control them, and the old faction knows that the only reason they can still stand is those cannons. So they will never compromise with each other. Thinking about this, and the monsters not attacking, it¡¯s likely they are preparing for a big attack. Jumping up from the bed, I made my way out of the inn and left the city. I didn¡¯t care about collecting 20 pieces of copper from the innkeeper I changed my mind. Soon, my silhouette vanished into the field full of weeds. I didn¡¯t go far away I found a small hill where I had a somewhat good view of the city. Waiting for the monsters to attack the city so that after the fight ended, I could collect a lot of money. I need to get stronger faster, even if I have to resort to such methods. No one will protect me for free. There will be times when I need to pay it back, and most likely with my life. Soon, the night came, and I saw the city walls being lit up in fire. From time to time, I checked if any monsters were moving, but no silhouettes were moving in the night. I used my spiritual energy to sense if any monsters were nearby. I had to be wary of everything as I was in the open field, but it was much better than spending time in a ticking time bomb. No one knows when the monsters will attack or when the factions will tear down all facades and cause bloodshed in the city for power. As half of the night passed, in the distance, I saw many small dots of lights sparkling. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see far away if there were only one or two, but when many monsters are together in the darkness, the spiritual energy they give off collectively makes up for it. It is happening. They slowly and quietly approach the city walls. I knew troubling times were coming, but this was a bit strange. City after city fell. This should not have happened in decades, but now, in just a week, two cities and one outpost have already fallen. It was well said that decades pass with a week of action, and weeks pass with decades of action. It was as if something wanted to destroy humans in the first realm. Did some creator from a higher realm descend here to control the monsters into uniting and fighting against humans? I thought about the octopus, but I shook my head. It¡¯s more likely that some organizations are working with monsters, as it happened in the past from higher realms. Here, the monsters¡¯ intelligence is limited by the realm, but those fishmen clearly show wisdom above this, as does that rabbit. The rabbit is likely also an evolver, so he¡¯s crossed off my list. Looking at the city as the monsters slowly get closer and closer without sounding any alarms, I could only pray that those people could avoid this anger by hiding in secret places. I counted more than a thousand fishmen. Soon, I heard a horn going off, followed by more and more. The city now realizes monsters are attacking, but their reaction is too slow. The monsters had already reached the walls and climbed up using kelp and vines they harvested and used as ropes. I could see some flickers of light on the walls moving, but then extinguishing¡ªlikely hit by the fishmen¡¯s weapons. I stopped using my spiritual energy as I felt drained and needed to meditate to recover. I watched as the city fought with the invaders. Soon, I saw the monsters climb up the city walls and take them over. A big explosion followed as the cannons were fired, and monsters on the wall perished. The wall got damaged, but this didn¡¯t stop the monsters for long. New vines and kelps were thrown up, allowing them to climb again. I sighed at their foolishness. The enemy never disappeared they had merely prepared for a big attack. Instead of reinforcing the city, they fought day and night against each other. Chapter 18 - Troubling Times Ahead --A Few Minutes Before the Attack-- ¡°When do you think those old-timers will finally give up their powers?¡± asked one of the young soldiers as he spoke to another while lighting the beacon torches. They had been ordered to light all the beacons because there was no moon to illuminate the darkness. Artificial lighting was too expensive and impractical to produce on a large scale. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but things have gotten worse since Commander Elin was killed,¡± the older soldier sighed, his tone heavy with knowledge of the commander¡¯s fate. ¡°They know who they¡¯re fighting and still go through with it? I don¡¯t get it. So many of us have been blackmailed. Thankfully, because of my position, they haven¡¯t targeted me yet¡ªbut who knows when they will,¡± said the young soldier, his voice edged with unease. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Justice always wins in the end.¡± The older soldier patted the younger one on the shoulder, but as he did, something moved in the darkness, catching his eye. He squinted, trying to make out the shape of the figure approaching the wall. But there was nothing¡ªjust shadows. ¡°SOUND THE HORNS! ENEMY ATTACK!¡± the older soldier suddenly yelled, readying himself as he saw kelp and vines being thrown over the wall, hooks tied to their ends. Moments later, fishmen began scaling the walls. ¡°The fishmen are here! Cut their ropes! Don¡¯t let any of them reach the top!¡± A voice rang out¡ªa soldier covered in medals, resembling a political general. But unlike those who earned their accolades through bureaucracy or self-serving deeds, this man had earned him through genuine honor and valor. The soldiers hurried to sever the ropes, but their efforts were in vain. More ropes appeared, and the fishmen kept coming. ¡°Sir, there are too many of them!¡± a panicked soldier cried as the fishmen climbed closer and closer to the top of the wall. ¡°Damn it! Sound the horn already, or I¡¯ll kill you myself!¡± the general barked as he cut another rope and turned, yelling at the young soldier whose task it was to blow the horn. The young soldier shook in fear, unable to act. ¡°What are you doing?! Do you want us all to die?!¡± The general roared, fury flashing in his eyes as he charged toward the young soldier, intent on grabbing the horn himself. But another soldier stepped forward, blocking the general¡¯s path. ¡°Are you all going crazy?¡± The general was flabbergasted. Someone not only dared to defy his authority but was putting the city in danger with their actions. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, General. We have to do this,¡± one of the soldiers said, blocking the general¡¯s path. ¡°Killing everyone in the city?¡± Shock registered on the general¡¯s face, but before he could respond, a Fishman hurled a spear at him from more than forty meters away. ¡°You all¡­¡± The general tried to speak his final words, but blood gushed from his mouth as he fell to the ground. ¡°Sorry, General, but our families were on the line,¡± one of the soldiers said, grief in his voice as he closed his eyes. A spear then flew towards him, piercing his head and pinning him to the ground. One of the soldiers, witnessing the scene and realizing it was only a matter of time before the fishmen breached the walls, abandoned his position and ran toward the horns. The young soldier tried to stop the older soldier from making his way toward the horns, but he was shoved aside and fell on his butt. With all his strength, the soldier sounded the horn. ¡°BWOOOON!¡± Soon, the horn echoed through the city, one after another, and the entire city was mobilized. But dark figures began to move in the shadows. ¡°Let¡¯s move and get rid of the old generals so we can take over this city and deal with them later,¡± said one of the figures, cloaked in dark clothing. ¡°Strange. Why did the fishmen attack us now? They shouldn¡¯t be ready to wage a siege, and why wasn¡¯t there any news from the outpost?¡± one figure wondered, surprised by the sudden development. The other dark-clothed figure merely shrugged, starting to run toward his target position. Not getting an answer, he followed. Soon chaos ensued in the city as generals were assassinated left and right. This fueled the remaining leaders to gather their troops from the old powers around them, moving toward the walls to reinforce them. They swore they would stage a coup once this Fishman invasion was over. But they were too slow. The fishmen had already reached the top of the wall. Another general, seeing the dire situation, commanded his unit to control the magic cannons and aim at the fishmen on the wall. With no choice, it was a military command. He could only mourn the soldiers who fought on the wall, knowing they would be blasted away along with the fishmen. Part of the wall was also blown away from the sheer force, and now they had to wait for the cannons to cool down. If fired constantly, they would be permanently damaged. With no other choice, the general had to send all his troops and himself into the fray against the fishmen climbing the wall. ¡°Don¡¯t give up, soldiers! Reinforcements are on their way!¡± the general called, his voice strained as he looked at the soldiers emerging from the barracks and making their way toward the wall. But they moved too slowly at this rate, the fishmen would seize the entire wall.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Sadly, the general had no time to dwell on this, as more and more fishmen scaled the wall. It was already hard for two people to fight against one Fishman, but now the numbers were against them¡ªeverywhere humans were being pushed back. Every minute, a soldier died. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone sound the alarm? Whoever did this, I¡¯ll put them on a military court!¡± the general roared, fighting even more desperately against the fishmen. But it was only a temporary boost to his strength before a Fishman stabbed him in the stomach. Soon, the city wall fell into the hands of the fishmen. The soldiers who made their way to the city wall were blocked by the city guard thugs, who wanted to rid themselves of the commanders. Greed had blinded them¡ªseeing their end would not be far if they started a fight themselves¡ªbut greed is the eternal sin of man. Soon, fights broke out in the city for power as the organizations betrayed the new city lord. They wanted all the power for themselves. It became a three-way fight¡ªor could be said, a four-way¡ªas the fishmen attacked everyone. Chaos reigned as everyone fought against everyone. The first to lose were the old powers, as their ranks were assassinated and a few remaining made their way toward the wall, only to be stopped by both the city lord and the organizations and suppressed and killed. Next was the city lord, as his backers were the organizations and most of his men were not loyal to him. This resulted in a bloodbath as he was killed with disbelief on his face. The organizations emerged as the victors of the three-way fight, but one enemy remained the fishmen. Too many people died in the struggle for control, leading to a mass evacuation toward the portal, as everyone sought to return to Earth and abandon the city. As for the cannons on the wall? The fishmen claimed them. They broke through the gate, dismantled the cannons, and carried them out of the city. The fight ended with the fishmen winning it all. They burned the city to the ground and captured the cannons, which the organizations had paid a heavy price to acquire, only for the fishmen to seize them. The portal was also destroyed by the fishmen, severing the connection to Earth. In a high-rise building that reached into the sky, the view was blocked by dark clouds and heavy smog in the air. After years of war, Earth¡¯s atmosphere had become heavily polluted, making the Realms the only place where fresh air could be breathed. Many chose to live in the Realms where the air was fresh and calming to the mind. In recent years, however, a new invention was introduced¡ªone that could purify the air and was widely distributed, leading to improved air quality in the city itself. Outside the city, though, it was a different story¡ªdeath awaited due to mutated creatures and new viruses, including the zombie virus, which had eradicated half of the total population. No one knew how it evolved or who might have created it. Back at the high-rise building, in the highest office, an old man stood looking out the window. Behind him, four men shivered¡ªthree remained alive, the fourth having already been killed by the old man. ¡°So, why did you fail?¡± the old man asked in a calm voice, still gazing out the window. From his reflection, it was clear he was focused on the man on the ground, trembling. ¡°We¡ªwe were too rash, Sir,¡± one of them stammered, but his trembling ended abruptly as the old man punched him. The sheer force of his punch killed the man instantly. The remaining two could only shut up, hoping they wouldn¡¯t be killed or tortured. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the answer I wanted,¡± the old man said, as if his actions meant nothing. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll take back the city at all costs,¡± one of the remaining men replied, his brain racing to find the right words to please his boss. Boom! With another punch, the man died too, his answer falling short. ¡°The city is already lost, so how do you plan to capture it?¡± the old man asked, turning around to look at the last remaining man on the floor, trembling. ¡°Recently, the Golden Gate had a falling out with the Mayor of Zinith City. We can get closer to him and take over the city once he leaves,¡± the man replied, trembling, hoping his answer would satisfy his boss. ¡°Not bad. You live. But no more errors.¡± With that, the old man delivered another punch, crippling the man¡¯s legs. ¡°Now scram.¡± The man could only hold back his scream and agony as he crawled out of the room. Knock! Knock! Two knocks on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± the old man said, facing the door. Soon, a butler entered. ¡°Sir, the young master wants to see you,¡± the butler said, stepping aside to reveal a young man who entered. He looked like the old man, only much younger¡ªgolden short hair instead of the old man¡¯s long white hair. He had no beard like his grandfather, his sharp eyes darting around the room, collecting all the information he could. His face was youthful, and his body muscular from years of training. Honest in appearance, he would not stand out much from the crowd. ¡°Grandpa, killing people isn¡¯t good. You made the carpet bloody again, and last time we spent a lot of money on buying it,¡± the young man said, paying no attention to the bodies on the ground, but rather to the blood staining the carpet. Hearing this, the old man was caught off guard. He looked at the carpet and then back at his grandson. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can buy another one. But we must punish those who harm the company,¡± the old man replied after collecting himself. His personality changed instantly once his grandson entered the room. ¡°But what about the city, and more importantly, the magic cannons?¡± the young master asked his grandfather. ¡°Oh, Hades, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Those things were only useful in the first realm, and we already have captured the old city lord and asked him nicely how to make those magic cannons. Even though we¡¯re so nice to him, he won¡¯t say anything, so we had to invite some specialists to help us out.¡± The old man spoke so casually, but if a normal person heard him, they would think he was a psychopath. He even smiled while saying the old city lord was at fault for not cooperating with him. ¡°If you say so, Grandpa, but will you watch my performance in the cup?¡± Hearing his answer, the youth was not taken aback as he had done something similar already. But he was asking a question that made him uncertain¡ªthis question was more important than people¡¯s lives his grandfather¡¯s attention. He wanted to perform well in the cup to gain his grandfather''s recognition, as he had two other siblings fighting for the company chairman position of the Dark Hawk. His father¡¯s generation was classified by his grandfather as useless and not seen as having the potential to lead the company. He paid more attention to his grandchildren as multiple ones had the potential to lead the company. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll watch your big brother and sister participating in the cup, so why shouldn¡¯t I watch yours?¡± the old man said, laughing at the end. He was extremely cruel to everyone except his lone daughter, whose child was Hades. His favorite child, of course, he paid special attention to. Hades had the highest potential with a whopping 104 gene cap, whereas his daughter had 94, and his other children had a mediocre range between 70 and 90. He had taken numerous wives to ensure he had a worthy descendant to take over his legacy. He used his other two siblings as a grindstone for him. His big brother thought he would be the one inheriting the company, as he had a gene cap of 92, and his sister had a gene cap of 89 but was smarter than everyone else and only second to him. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t guess what was happening in his granddaughter''s mind, making him cautious about her. He had already decided that Hades would be his next heir but didn¡¯t disclose it so his siblings could fight against each other, allowing Hades to mature earlier. But this strategy also brought him trouble¡ªhe spoiled not only his daughter but his grandson too, whom both vied for his attention. Still, he soon became happy about it. With his confirmation, Hades left with the butler. Few knew the butler had a gene cap of 98. He could be a high-ranking executive, but he would rather look after the next heir. He knew why the next heir was much easier to brainwash and lead, gaining many more benefits. But he didn¡¯t care that was something Hades would have to solve himself. With these troubling tasks taken care of, he turned to look outside the window, his mind lost in thought¡ªthough no one could guess what it was. Chapter 19 - Turmoil on the horizon As I wandered around the destroyed city, I collected the monster''s bodies and the human remains, trying to reassemble them. However, many parts were missing, so I eventually buried their bodies. Sometimes you can see how a person died by their last look¡ªbetrayal, injustice, or regret. It took me several days to gather what I could, but it was a rich harvest. Sadly, people not only evacuated but also took their wealth with them. Even the bank that resided here was not spared. To the last penny, everything was taken. I collected 2 gold and 83 silver by selling all the monsters. There were extraordinary creatures and mortal-grade ones too, but what surprised me most was the Elite remains. It had been blasted open by a cannon. The system didn¡¯t sting, though¡ªit gave me 1 gold, 47 silver, and 55 copper for it. I felt rich again, but remembering the meditation technique and the Elite gene cap potion I had lost all motivation. With everything ready, I left the city. What about the outpost? Those monsters lurk in the water, and they might spot me if I go near the outpost and attack. Who knows what I might find there? Maybe nothing. So, without wasting any time, I buried the bodies of the people whose remains I could find. Half a day passed while I did so. Walking through the fields, I continued south. United Earth Headquarters BANG! A loud slap echoed through the room, and the wooden table cracked and split in two. The culprit was an old man who had smashed it with his fist. The ground beneath him even cracked as he struck the table again. BANG! With bloodshot eyes, he glared at the people in the room, who all looked down, not daring to meet his gaze. ¡°Tell me how we lost 28 cities in just three days in the first Realm!¡± the old man demanded. If you had been here a few minutes ago, you could have read his name on the template in front of his desk Helix¡ªCentral Region representative. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering me?!¡± His voice grew even more hoarse. His concern wasn¡¯t for the people or the land, but for meeting the quota of the Were tribes. If this wasn¡¯t met, they would take people instead, targeting those with high gene caps, claiming they are more tender to the teeth. Helix knew better than anyone else. His son had been taken by the Were tribes because his son¡¯s gene cap was 110¡ªgreat potential, but now lost. At the time, Helix had wanted to join the rebellion, but he realized that fighting against the Were tribes was why he had led people who destroyed and sold out humans to them. The regret and pain he felt that day were overwhelming. For days, he couldn¡¯t sleep and was haunted by it. The endless guilt and regret almost made him end his life, but a ray of light broke through the darkness of his grandchildren. He later discovered his son had children, and instead of denying anything to them, he took his grandchildren in as his own. Many knew about his grandson, who he revealed to the public, but he could protect his granddaughter¡ªwhose gene cap, at 147, was the highest since humanity¡¯s birth¡ªby casting a veil of secrecy. He knew he might not accomplish the rebellion, but he could nurture the future generation to fight for their freedom. That was why he was building up a secret force, to break free from the Were tribes at the right time and atone for his past crimes. But now, he had to find a way to meet the quota before the deadline. No one said anything, though, as they were afraid of Helix and the Were tribes alike. They wanted the Were tribe to choose another spokesperson, distancing themselves from the destruction of so many cities. They blamed it on a terrorist organization and moved on. Even now, they endure the consequences, but their hearts and minds are occupied by the golden future that lies ahead. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do we should prepare some sacrifices. Those organizations prospered for too long. We should ask for compensation, after all, it was in their jurisdiction, and they should bear the burden of not meeting the quota,¡± said the Southern Alliance representative. Their alliance only suffered the destruction of 2 cities, while the rest happened in the other alliances'' territories 4 in the Central, 7 in the Western, 6 in the Eastern, and 9 in the Northern. The face of the Northern Alliance representative was pained, to put it mildly. ¡°We suffered this because of those terrorists and rebels. It¡¯s not our fault for losing so many territories,¡± he said, shaking with anger. If they paid compensation, their alliance would become the weakest, and even then, within the alliance, his faction¡ªcurrently the ruling one¡ªmight be besieged by the other factions. He would be seen as the biggest traitor in his alliance. He had to make the Central region pay the most somehow.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He knew the Western and Eastern regions both aimed to become the strongest and were competing with the Central in every aspect. However, they could never truly surpass the Central as long as Helix remained the representative. Soon, a dogfight of words ensued, but the outcome was what the Northern Alliance hoped for. The Central region paid the most, but their alliance didn¡¯t get off scot-free either. They had to sacrifice 30,000 people with a gene cap above 70. He had to call the leaders of the other two factions to judge who to send¡ªlikely rebels and organizations dissatisfied with them. But even then, he had to sacrifice someone from his own family. Without hesitation, he chose his nephew. He had never gotten along with his brother, and his brother always opposed him in everything. With a malicious look, he left, almost smiling¡ªa snake with human skin. After many days of walking, I reached another city. Upon entering, not only did I have to pay 10 copper, but my gene cap had to be tested. When I hesitated, one of the guards, recognizing me, exclaimed, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this the famous gene deficit?¡± As he spoke, many people turned to look. Seeing this development, I pretended to hide my real gene cap. ¡°Haha, he is! You don¡¯t have to check his gene cap! It¡¯s well known his gene cap is 31,¡± the soldier who recognized me laughed, waving me away. ¡°You should go. You¡¯re not one of the people we¡¯re searching for.¡± With that, he shooed me away, and many people cast disgusted gazes or spat at me for still being alive and shaming anyone who came into contact with me. Shaking my head, I quickly entered an alley, changed my clothes, and put on a mask. The mask was nothing more than a full-face cover with two holes for the eyes. Many people avoided me, as walking around with a mask was suspicious during the day and even more so at night. Soon, I entered an inn, went to my room, and collapsed onto the bed. Life sure is hard for the famous, but even harder for the despised. I positioned myself for meditation. After a few more hours of calming down from the looks and whispers, I searched for some food from the system. I couldn¡¯t go downstairs to eat because people would recognize me, and rumors spread quickly. The innkeeper might even kick me out if he knew I was the one who booked the room. With nothing to do, I could only read the books again, familiarizing myself and preparing for at least a month in this city. But now, I wondered why the guards were checking people¡¯s gene caps. This raised questions in my mind. They couldn¡¯t be recruiting¡ªif they did, they would put out a notice, and people would go to apply for it. The only explanation seemed to be that they were making some sort of check-up on people, or something entirely else. I pondered this hard, but I couldn¡¯t come up with an answer that might explain the situation. All I could do was practice. I tried to combine my mental strength as described in the Spiritual Cap, but it was extremely difficult. It took me several hours just to succeed. By nighttime, all my spiritual energy was exhausted, so I had to meditate again to replenish it and think about why I had failed. Was it because I tried to forcefully unite the energy, causing clashes between them? Thinking about this, I tried again with less energy, and I succeeded. I moved them in a circulating way, not trying to blend them forcefully but waiting for them to do so naturally. Seeing my success, I wanted to channel it back into my mind, but I failed the moment I tried to control it. It wasn¡¯t working that way, so should I try to, like when I blend them, let it flow into my mind rather than forcing it there? I could give it a go once I recovered all my spiritual energy. As I gathered energy, I also realized I could perform small actions like moving my hand or arms a little bit. So, I tried to synchronize the meditation technique not with my heart but with my body, but it failed. Was it not possible, or was I missing something? Could it be that instead of the body, it has to synchronize with the soul? But how do I do that? I can feel my body, but not my soul, which is the main repository of spiritual energy. The soul is like a vase that contains spiritual energy. There is a limit to how much this vase can hold. My vase is already stronger than the average person¡¯s, and I could defeat others more easily. But I¡¯ve never had a chance to do so¡ªwhether with people or monsters¡ªbecause they seem to group up much more in the South. Do the monsters in the South like to group? After all, I have limited spiritual energy, and if there are too many, it will be problematic for me. Not knowing the answer to my question only upset me further. What could I do? I gave up the useless thoughts and focused fully on meditation. But every time I did, I heard a small, rhythmic thumping sound. At first, I thought it was my heart, but it wasn¡¯t. What is this sound? It drives me crazy not knowing. I wanted it to stop because it irritates me extremely. Bored with meditating, I started to sync with the thumping rhythm of how I gathered spiritual energy. Every time I synchronized with it, I felt a closer bond with myself. It felt strange¡ªas if I could feel my body better. It¡¯s hard to explain, but the world seemed clearer, and my hearing and sense of smell provided much more information in my brain. Moving around, I found that controlling the spiritual energy in my body was much easier¡ªas if it had become part of me rather than a foreign object. Did I integrate my soul and body into one, or am I in the process of doing so? Something happened, but I don¡¯t know exactly what. It felt strange and good at the same time. Just as night fell on the city, I moved out of the inn to learn about the city and its layout. In the center of the city is the city Lord''s mansion, with various facilities around it. The city¡¯s name is Zinith. From what I know, someone misspelled it when it was originally written down, and it was supposed to be Zenith. This resulted in the city having such a funny history, making it much more enjoyable. Chapter 20 - Shameless? Me? Never! When the sun rose again, I continued exploring the city, searching for anything useful. While wandering, I came across a blacksmith¡¯s shop. At first, I planned to walk past it, but the items displayed inside caught my attention. One sword, in particular, stood out¡ªit cost the same as the one I had bought from the system but looked far superior. Curious, I stepped inside. ¡°3.3 points,¡± an old, muffled voice said as I entered. The speaker was an old man reclining in a chair, his face obscured by a hat. His well-built arms, however, revealed the years of hard work he¡¯d put into forging. What took me aback was his comment¡ªwas he evaluating me? Sorry, old man, but I¡¯m not into men. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid, you¡¯re not my type. I like forging more,¡± he replied without even lifting a finger. What a cheeky bastard. I wanted to pummel him into the ground, but I held back. This was a city, and attacking someone here would bring the soldiers down on me in no time. I needed to grow up and not rise to such provocations. ¡°Is there a problem, sissy?¡± he taunted again. Without thinking, I swung a punch at his face. The old man dodged effortlessly as if expecting it. ¡°Not bad. 4.2 points,¡± he said, narrowly avoiding my fist. ¡°But you lack experience. Likely a high gene cap, though.¡± He remained unfazed, his tone casual, as if he had just woken from a nap. For the first time, I got a good look at him. A scar stretched across his face, distorting it. Maybe he had once been charming, but now his appearance was unsettling. He was also completely bald. ¡°What do you want, old man? You didn¡¯t provoke me for no reason,¡± I said, glaring at him. ¡°I wanted to see if you were worthy of my babies.¡± He held up a sword, cradling it delicately as though it might shatter from a mere touch. This man was crazy. I considered leaving the smithy right then. ¡°But the sword on your waist isn¡¯t half bad. And the armor you¡¯re wearing¡ªit must have cost a fortune for a poor boy like you to acquire it,¡± he remarked, looking me up and down. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m poor?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. How had he deduced so much about me with just a glance? ¡°Oh, come on, anyone can tell. You didn¡¯t look at the weapons first¡ªyou looked at the prices. Even when a weapon caught your eye, the first thing you checked wasn¡¯t the blade but the price tag. If you¡¯re not a poor person, then who is?¡± The old man spoke with a smug grin plastered across his face. I clenched my fists, wanting to channel spiritual energy and wipe that grin off him, but I held back. ¡°Why should I even buy from your store, old man? What¡¯s the difference between you and any other blacksmith? You¡¯re not exactly welcoming,¡± I said, stepping closer. It was then I noticed the height difference. He was noticeably shorter than me¡ªmaybe 160 cm, while I stood at an average of 174 cm. His eye twitched as he realized I was sizing him up. Ah, old man, you¡¯re just like me. I¡¯ve found your weakness. A smug smile began to creep onto my face. Suddenly, something heavy slammed onto my foot. Pain shot up my leg, nearly making me scream. ¡°Oops, my bad. I accidentally dropped my hammer,¡± the old man said with an innocent smile, though his smug expression betrayed him. ¡°Old man, believe me, I¡¯ll beat you up for this!¡± I shouted as the pain began to subside. I kicked the hammer away and stepped closer, ready to throw a punch. But the sly old fox was one step ahead. ¡°If you dare hit me, I¡¯ll scream for the soldiers. Let¡¯s see who they believe¡ªa total stranger or good old Hen.¡± He had me cornered again. This old man was relentless. ¡°Okay, shorty, you win,¡± I muttered, trying to calm myself. His expression froze at the word shorty. ¡°What did you say, brat? Do you wish to die?¡± He began rolling up his sleeves, glaring at me with fire in his eyes¡ªuntil he remembered I was stronger than him. ¡°Ahh, my back¡¯s acting up again! You¡¯re lucky, brat. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve shown you!¡± He winced dramatically, clutching his back as if in pain. It was such a poor performance it could¡¯ve won an award for cheesiness. My eye twitched at the absurdity of it all. I turned around, ready to leave this ridiculous scene, when the door opened, and a group of men walked in. ¡°Hey, old man, I heard your voice. Sounded pretty lively. Does that mean you¡¯ve got enough money to pay us back?¡± The one who spoke had glasses perched on his head, a stark contrast to his hulking, muscular frame. His shirt seemed ready to burst from the sheer size of his muscles. His face? It had the kind of thuggish look that made you want to punch him on principle. Hen immediately perked up and pointed at me. ¡°This young man here promised to pay on my behalf,¡± he said, grinning as if he¡¯d just won the lottery.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The thug turned his gaze to me, his expectant eyes boring into mine. Two-faced bastard. ¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡± The man with the glasses scoffed, glaring at Hen. ¡°This guy just walked into your shop, and look¡ªhe¡¯s wearing a mask! Like he¡¯d promise to cover your debt. Who¡¯d want to help your miserable shop that¡¯s been bleeding money for years? Don¡¯t think being friends with the Mayor will save you forever.¡± Despite his thuggish look, the man wasn¡¯t stupid. His cronies, however, eyed me expectantly, as if I were supposed to pay. Hen didn¡¯t miss a beat, shuffling closer to me until he was practically glued to my side. No sign of that ¡°back pain¡± he had earlier. When I shot him a glare, his eyes practically sparkled, as if to say, It¡¯s already healed. ¡°I told you, this young man promised to pay me back!¡± Hen declared, clutching my sleeve like a desperate puppy. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are! I just came into the shop to look at your weapons, and you¡¯ve been rude to me the entire time!¡± The glasses-wearing thug crossed his arms and huffed. ¡°See? Just as I thought. You¡¯re trying to scam another poor sucker! Brother, don¡¯t waste your time in this dump. The old man sells overpriced junk and doesn¡¯t even bother labeling his prices right. Says he ¡®misprints¡¯ them because of his bad vision!¡± Hen¡¯s face twisted with indignation. ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand true craftsmanship! This young man is a wealthy patron with powerful connections. You¡¯d better back off before you find yourselves living outside the city!¡± He tried to sound convincing, but his grip on my clothes didn¡¯t loosen for a second. I growled in frustration. ¡°Can you let go of me already?¡± ¡°What if you run off? You promised to help me repay my debt!¡± Hen said his expression now a convincing mix of fear and desperation. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. ¡°How much debt do you even have? Why not just sell your weapons to pay it off?¡± ¡°55 gold coins and 11 silver,¡± the glasses gorilla stated without hesitation, smirking as he glanced at the weapons hanging on the walls. Hen¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Lies! It was 44 gold last time you came here!¡± ¡°That was three months ago! Either pay up or we take your weapons.¡± The man¡¯s eyes drifted greedily toward a large axe hanging prominently on the wall. But my brain froze. Fifty-five gold coins. This old man was trying to rope me into paying fifty-five gold coins?! With lightning speed, I yanked myself free as Hen¡¯s grip loosened during his argument with the gorilla. I darted toward the exit, desperate to escape this absurd situation. But Hen wasn¡¯t about to let me go quietly. ¡°Thief! Catch him!¡± he bellowed, pointing at me with theatrical indignation. The crowd¡¯s murmurs turned hostile, and unkind gazes followed me. Before I could take another step, Hen lunged and grabbed my arm again, his grip surprisingly firm for an old man. ¡°I caught you, thief! Now pay me back!¡± Hen declared loudly as if putting on a show for the growing audience. His face was a mask of righteous fury, but I could see the sly glint in his eye. This old man wanted to be punched. But I held back. If I used force here, the crowd would side with him, not me. Hen, sensing my hesitation, doubled down. ¡°If you pay me half the value of what you ¡®stole,¡¯ which is 55 gold, I¡¯ll let you go right now!¡± He puffed out his chest, trying to look magnanimous in front of the onlookers. ¡°Lies! He¡¯s not a thief¡ªyou¡¯re the real thief, old man!¡± the glasses gorilla roared. He stormed out of the shop, pointing an accusatory finger at Hen. ¡°Pay us back, or I¡¯ll smash your smithy to pieces!¡± Hen¡¯s face turned red, his panic slipping through his facade. ¡°Lies! You¡¯re all working together to extort me! I knew it the moment you all walked into my shop!¡± The tension thickened as the crowd murmured in confusion. But then, worse came. The soldiers. A squad marched in, led by a stern-looking captain. Hen waved frantically, still clutching my sleeve. ¡°Captain, help! These thieves tried to rob my shop!¡± The captain¡¯s sharp gaze swept over the scene before nodding to his men. Without hesitation, they surrounded and detained the gorilla and his cronies. ¡°Why are you arresting us? We didn¡¯t steal anything!¡± the glasses gorilla protested, his face a mask of outrage. ¡°Oh?¡± Hen sneered, walking up to one of the thugs with the confidence of a man who had just won the lottery. He reached into the thug¡¯s waistband and pulled out a dagger¡ªa finely crafted one, with the price tag still dangling from it. The crowd gasped. With bloodshot eyes, the gorilla turned to his trembling goon. The poor man looked like he wanted to sink into the ground. He hadn¡¯t expected Hen to spot the dagger before he escaped. Hen¡¯s expression turned solemn as he held up the dagger, his voice trembling with conviction. ¡°See this? A masterpiece worth 20 gold! If this thief had gotten away, my shop would¡¯ve gone bankrupt!¡± The gorilla¡¯s goon shrank under his glare, but I noticed something strange. Hen¡¯s fingers discreetly shifted the price tag, changing it from 20 silver to 20 gold with a quick flick. The captain didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Take them all away. Lock them up!¡± he barked. Before I could protest, the soldiers grabbed me too, slapping a pair of cuffs on my wrists. Unlike the others, these cuffs glowed faintly¡ªthey were designed to suppress strength. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t affect my spiritual energy. As I was led away alongside the thugs, Hen¡¯s smug face loomed in my mind. I had to give it to him¡ªhe was a two-faced devil who played his cards perfectly. "Don¡¯t worry, Captain. I¡¯ll handle this young man myself. Just take those hooligans away and lock them up,¡± Hen said with a sly grin, waving dismissively toward the gorilla and his gang. The captain nodded and motioned to his soldiers. ¡°Take them out of here.¡± As the soldiers removed my cuffs, Hen leaned in, smirking. ¡°Hey, kid, you owe me one.¡± I clenched my fists, my body trembling with barely contained rage. Every fiber of my being screamed to punch this insufferable old man, but the sight of more than 30 soldiers¡ªsome patrolling, others stationed on high walls with watchful eyes¡ªforced me to swallow my pride. This suffocating frustration was enough to make me spit blood. With no other choice, I followed Hen back into his smithy, watching the gorilla and his men being escorted away.
Inside the forge, I stood over a glowing piece of iron, hammering it with a black face while Hen barked instructions beside me. "Harder, boy! You''re barely denting it!" he jeered, slapping the back of my head. ¡°Even with my eyes closed, I could hammer better than you!¡± I gritted my teeth, enduring the humiliation. The hen had me completely cornered. He claimed that if I didn¡¯t comply with his demands, he¡¯d spread information about me to the entire world. When the soldiers detained me earlier, they had taken my mask off. Luckily, not many people recognized me, and I¡¯d been whisked into Hen¡¯s shop before things got worse. But Hen¡¯s threat wasn¡¯t idle. He promised to announce that my gene cap was much higher than 31, and I knew such news would attract attention I didn¡¯t want. In his shameless way, he¡¯d use this information to manipulate me into forging weapons for him. I briefly entertained the idea of silencing him for good, but one look at the way he had equipped himself made me reconsider. The man was practically a walking fortress, wearing bits of armor that gleamed with enchantments. He was prepared for any betrayal. ¡°Endure it,¡± I muttered under my breath, focusing on the red-hot metal in front of me. "One day, when I¡¯m strong enough, I¡¯ll pay him back a hundredfold." Hen cackled beside me. ¡°Keep muttering, kid. Just make sure you hit the iron harder. Or do you want me to show you how it¡¯s done again?¡± I held back a sigh. This old man wasn¡¯t just annoying¡ªhe was the bane of my existence. Chapter 21 - Dax and the Rebellion Two days had passed since I was blackmailed into working for Hen, and every moment was as grating as nails on a chalkboard. ¡°Be kind to me, and I might raise your pay,¡± he¡¯d say with a smug grin. Pay? The bastard doesn¡¯t even give me a single copper! Other gems included, ¡°You can give up on anything as long as it doesn¡¯t lose me money,¡± or, ¡°Work hard, and one day, I might let you forge a real weapon.¡± Every time he threw one of these lines at me, it messed with my focus, causing me to fail at the forge. Naturally, I¡¯d have to start over, and since I had a daily quota to meet, failure meant staying even longer in his forge listening to his endless nonsense. Hen often bragged about being ¡°best buddies¡± with the mayor, but from what I¡¯d seen, the mayor avoided him like the plague. Whenever Hen tried to arrange a visit, the mayor was conveniently ¡°too busy with city affairs.¡± I could hardly blame him. Friend or foe, anyone who spent time with Hen suffered equally. Somehow, though, I was getting used to his constant chatter. That didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t surprise me with new ways to irritate me. If there was one thing I couldn¡¯t deny, it was Hen¡¯s skill. His forging techniques were leagues ahead of anything I¡¯d seen before. Out of curiosity, I checked the system for forging skills and found something called Spirit Forging. The price? A whopping 1 platinum coin. No, thank you. I can¡¯t even scrape together 10 gold coins, let alone 1 platinum. What does the system expect me to do? Hunt down every monster in the first realm? While begrudgingly working in Hen¡¯s forge, I stumbled upon something intriguing¡ªelemental weapons. I¡¯d never heard of them before. I wanted to ask Hen about it, but knowing him, he¡¯d demand an outrageous price for the information. A price I¡¯d probably never afford in my lifetime. Adding to my frustrations, I couldn¡¯t even go out hunting or gathering herbs. When I tried selling raw materials like ores to the system, it ignored me. However, when I forged a crude dagger, the system bought it for 47 copper. Why? Don¡¯t ask me. Maybe the system rewards effort rather than raw materials. It seemed like the more I invested in crafting or hunting, the higher the rewards. That had to be the main factor, though there could be other hidden conditions. But then a bigger question hit me¡ªif crafting was so important, how would I manage it in the wilderness? Where would I find a forge? Even in cities, why would a random smith let me use their tools and workspace for free? The more I thought about it, the more alchemy started to sound appealing. At least with potions, I¡¯d only need herbs and a basic setup. Compared to forging weapons, it seemed like the far more practical option. Thinking about crafting in the wilderness reminded me of something I had nearly forgotten¡ªthe occupations section of the system. I hadn¡¯t used it in so long that it had completely slipped my mind. While Hen was away, I decided to search the system for anything related to smithing or forging. I found a few options, but one look was enough to make me give up the idea entirely. The mortal version of a forging-related occupation costs 8 gold coins. Eight gold? Just for a basic profession? Why is there such a huge price gap between occupations? This is outright discrimination! Unable to vent my frustration anywhere else, I channeled it into the iron on the anvil, hammering with renewed vigor. Hen, of course, had been swapping out my hammer every chance he got, replacing it with heavier and heavier ones. Today, he dragged in a monstrous hammer¡ªsomething he could barely move himself¡ªand declared it his ¡°special hammer¡± that I could use only if I worked hard enough to earn it. Sometimes, I wondered if Hen had escaped from a mental hospital. His strange actions, his nonsensical mutterings, and his constant attempts to irritate me seemed specifically designed to drive me insane. To maintain my sanity, I forced myself to focus entirely on hammering, blocking out his incessant babbling. While hammering, an idea struck me¡ªwhat if I used the meditation method to enhance my focus? I timed each hammer strike to the rhythmic thumping sound of the anvil, creating a strange but consistent pattern. Hen shot me a confused look but said nothing as I continued. The result shocked even me. The weapon was still a crappy dagger, with terrible durability. But its lethality? Off the charts. Hen, curious about my work, picked it up to inspect it. The moment he accidentally dropped it, the dagger sank straight into the concrete floor¡ªnot just a small dent, but to the crossguard.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. It didn¡¯t shatter, crack, or pierce the ground¡ªit simply sank, as if the floor had turned to liquid. Hen confiscated the dagger immediately, muttering something about ¡°great research material.¡± Not even an hour later, he returned, demanding that I make another one. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I made it,¡± I told him honestly. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe me. He threatened me, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t reveal anything about the dagger¡¯s properties¡ªit was too valuable for him to share. Grumbling, he left me alone for now, but I could tell he¡¯d come back, better prepared, to squeeze more out of me. That¡¯s why I needed to be ready. If I could extract valuable information from him¡ªlike how to forge elemental weapons¡ªI¡¯d gain far more than I¡¯d lose. I already suspected that elemental weapons were special. Deep in Hen¡¯s forge, I¡¯d seen one¡ªa blade that radiated cold, freezing the air around it. When I asked about it, Hen warned me not to go near it. ¡°It¡¯s a failed weapon,¡± he said. ¡°Touch it, and you¡¯ll get permanent frostbite. But it cost me too much to dispose of, so I¡¯m leaving it to fate to decide who can wield it.¡± That failure spoke volumes about its power¡ªand the potential for success. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it¡ªI found a gem in this dust-ridden place,¡± Hen said, speaking into an old-fashioned phone on Earth. His tone carried both excitement and annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to praise someone this highly. When was the last time you evaluated someone like this?¡± The voice on the other end was distorted, making it impossible to discern whether it belonged to a man or a woman. ¡°Humph. The last one? That ungrateful kid who betrayed us¡ªjoined those who killed our heroes and enslaved us!¡± Hen¡¯s voice cracked with anger as he recalled his previous disciple. His hand tightened around the phone, veins bulging in frustration. ¡°Calm yourself, old friend. Tell me more about this youngster you¡¯ve taken in. What¡¯s he like? Could he join our organization?¡± The voice was curious, clearly intrigued by this mysterious newcomer. Hen grunted. ¡°His temper¡¯s fiery, but I can reforge him. He¡¯s got a nasty streak, selfish to the core, and that¡¯s a problem. Our cause is to save humanity, and selfishness doesn¡¯t fit into that. But I¡¯ll hammer it out of him¡ªone swing at a time.¡± His confidence was unshakable. ¡°I trust your judgment. But be cautious. They¡¯re still after us, blaming us for their so-called sacrifices to the Were Tribes. Hide your disciple well.¡± The voice dropped into a serious tone, warning Hen of imminent dangers. Hen chuckled darkly. ¡°Even if I shouted his gene cap from the rooftops, no one would believe me. They¡¯d call me crazy for spouting such nonsense. But the kid believes it, and that¡¯s enough for now.¡± ¡°Wait¡ªhave you checked his gene cap?¡± The voice betrayed a hint of urgency. Hen¡¯s disciples were legendary, and every one of them had left an indelible mark on the organization before their untimely deaths. ¡°Not yet,¡± Hen admitted. ¡°But based on what I¡¯ve seen... I¡¯d say he might be on Apollo¡¯s level¡ªor even stronger.¡± The line went silent for a moment before the sound of porcelain shattering came through. ¡°Did you just say... Apollo¡¯s level?¡± The voice was trembling, disbelief and awe mixing into a chaotic tone. Apollo. The name alone was enough to send chills down anyone¡¯s spine. He had been a once-in-a-generation genius with a gene cap of 149, the highest ever documented. For the organization, Apollo had been their shining star¡ªa prodigy who nearly reached the limits of human potential. ¡°I¡¯m not certain yet,¡± Hen clarified, though his tone carried its conviction. ¡°But the boy can wield Apollo¡¯s equipment. I tried to punish him with it¡ªthought he¡¯d struggle¡ªbut he handled it effortlessly.¡± ¡°You gave him Apollo¡¯s gear?¡± Hen smirked. ¡°Not just his gear. I handed him Apollo¡¯s battle hammer to use as a forging hammer. The kid swung it like it was made of feathers.¡± The other person¡¯s disbelief was palpable. ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°I thought so too,¡± Hen admitted. ¡°But he surprised me. And that¡¯s not all¡ªhe crafted something remarkable. A weapon unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but I¡¯m certain of one thing. If he reaches a higher realm and works with better materials, he¡¯ll forge weapons that could finally turn the tide. We might have a chance to overthrow the Were Tribes¡¯ iron rule.¡± Hen¡¯s voice carried a flicker of hope¡ªa rare thing for a man as jaded as him. The organization is a remnant of a rebellion that once fought against the oppressive rule of the Were tribes. After the failure of the rebellion, the survivors scattered across the Realms to avoid capture and continued their struggle from the shadows. Over time, they rebuilt their ranks, seeking vengeance and freedom for mankind. The organization¡¯s leaders realized they needed something more to surprise and counter the superior forces of the Were tribes. Initially, they experimented with blood mixing, but this approach was deemed unethical, so they turned to elemental weapons as a potential game-changer. The true turning point came when Apollo, a prodigious member of the organization, emerged. Apollo was the first to uncover the mysteries of elemental weapons, dramatically boosting the organization''s strength and influence. However, Hen¡¯s fifth disciple betrayed them, leaving the organization severely weakened. This betrayal not only exposed the organization¡¯s weaknesses but also left Hen in doubt about his judgment of character. He swore never to take another disciple until Dax appeared. Dax was different¡ªhe had a fiery personality and lacked experience but showed untapped potential. Hen tested Dax¡¯s abilities and found something extraordinary¡ªDax¡¯s gene cap was exceptionally high, much higher than anyone expected. This revelation made Hen reconsider his decision not to take on another disciple. The higher-ups saw Dax¡¯s potential and decided he could be the next leader of the organization if he could surpass Apollo¡¯s achievements. However, there were concerns about Dax¡¯s flawed personality and basic skills, such as his poor reading and writing abilities. These deficiencies worried the organization¡¯s leaders, making them cautious about fully integrating Dax into their plans. Nonetheless, Hen believed in Dax¡¯s potential and was willing to shape him into the leader they needed¡ªa leader who could lead the organization out of the shadows and into a new era of prosperity. He was the one who discovered Dax, yet his old friend wanted him for himself. ¡°Hmph! For the sake of our friendship, I¡¯ll let you train him, but don¡¯t let him turn out like the last one. Otherwise, the other old fogies won¡¯t sit idly by once they find out about your new disciple¡¯s potential,¡± the voice grumbled before ending the call. Chapter 22 - Elemental Weapon Forging While this was happening, I was still forging¡ªor, more accurately, trying to forge. As it turns out, forging is incredibly difficult. Even after countless attempts and experiments, I still couldn¡¯t craft a proper weapon that people could use. However, with spiritual energy imbued into the process, I managed to create one-time-use weapons. These weapons resemble ordinary daggers, but the spiritual energy imbued within them makes them dangerously unstable. Not only are they incredibly sharp, but they also explode when they break. I could guess why this was happening. First, my forging skills are abysmal, which naturally leads to this result. Second, the materials I¡¯m using aren¡¯t strong enough to handle the spiritual energy I channel into them. As a result, the instability is inevitable. I didn¡¯t dare to channel more energy into the weapons¡ªI feared they might overload and explode right in my face. When I sold one of these creations to the system, it classified it as a spiritual bomb instead of an explosive dagger. A spiritual bomb? What the heck is that? I checked the item¡¯s section in the system and found its price tag of 1 gold and 50 silver. It could cause citywide destruction if given enough time to charge. Are you telling me that for just 1 gold and 50 silver, I could wipe out an entire city? That seemed absurd. But how much preparation time would it require? Would it drain my spiritual energy to charge up? Most likely¡ªit¡¯s far too cheap for such an outrageously destructive weapon. More importantly, if it destroys the corpses, how am I supposed to make any money from the aftermath? It seemed more like a final weapon¡ªsomething I¡¯d only use as a last resort. Shifting focus, I¡¯m finally halfway through my gene cap! Even better, I managed to unlock my third spiritual lock. How did I achieve that? It all happened during forging. While channeling spiritual energy into a weapon, I discovered I could control the flow of energy exactly how I wanted. For instance, if I wanted the tip of the blade to hold more energy, I could direct it there and pin it down using the hammer. Using this method, I experimented with controlling the spiritual energy as I molded it. Instead of relying on the rhythmic thumping of the hammer to push energy into the weapon, I synchronized my actions. Every time I struck the blade with the hammer, I hit it with the remnants of my spiritual energy. It was as if the strikes triggered the energy to refine itself. Rather than shattering into scattered fragments, the spiritual energy started to condense into a singular, unified force. Slowly, it transformed into something more refined¡ªsomething far more potent than the chaotic clusters I¡¯d been dealing with before. This refined version was worth more than just a single point of progress! I managed to break through to my fourth lock. Unfortunately, when I tried to use the same method to unlock the fifth, I failed miserably. When I lost control of the energy, it went rampant inside my body, causing me to bleed from my eyes, nose, and mouth. I knew I had to stop immediately¡ªany further, and something far worse could happen. This method was no longer viable, but the benefits I gained were undeniable. First, my meditation technique became significantly faster at gathering spiritual energy. Second, the speed at which I could channel energy through my body skyrocketed. It was almost as fast as my nervous system. Although my spiritual energy capacity didn¡¯t grow, my ability to handle and control it increased tremendously. It wasn¡¯t long before I realized that creating spiritual energy points throughout my body was starting to feel like a waste of time. Why? Because these new techniques compensated for the deficits of the older ones. It was like combining two sides of the same coin¡ªsomething that had never been done before. So, I made a drastic decision I destroyed all the spiritual points in my body. The question then became where I should rebuild them. After careful thought, I decided to create a single, massive spiritual energy point, positioned on the opposite side of my heart. Instead of forming clusters of small points, I created spiritual threads that wove through my entire body. These threads connected to my veins, nerves, and even my bones. Each thread was dedicated to a specific part of my body, with one main thread leading directly to my brain. Using this new system, I felt no real difference compared to my earlier reliance on spiritual points. However, if I didn¡¯t suppress the visual manifestation, my body would appear covered in tattoos¡ªsnakes slithering along every inch, their heads marking the destinations of each thread. How did I create these threads? Unlike before, where I concentrated spiritual energy into a single point and pinned it down, this time I pulled the energy outward, stretching and connecting it to different parts of my body. I started by linking the spiritual points to my ribs. Instead of forming a tangled network of threads, I carefully connected them rib by rib, one at a time. Slowly but surely, I extended these connections throughout my body, replacing the spiritual points with what I now call spiritual threads. Although I initially feared this new system might be slower than spiritual points, it matched their speed¡ªand I could feel its potential to become even faster in the future. When I channel my energy into my sword and not all of it reaches where I channel it, the remaining energy that was left behind, instead of disappearing, strengthens that part of my body closest to it. So when I channel energy into my sword, not only will I release an energy wave, but I can also release it even faster and stronger, and if I cover my blade with energy, it will also strengthen my arm so I swing the sword faster and stronger. These were my recent accomplishments, and I felt a deep sense of satisfaction with forging. It was as though each strike of the hammer uncovered new secrets waiting to be discovered. Could my experience in the spiritual field advance further if I took up other professions¡ªlike alchemy? Some potions could strengthen the user and enhance their physique, but none could raise a person¡¯s gene cap.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. What if I combined alchemy with spiritual energy? This thought surfaced in my mind while I was hammering away at the iron. Suddenly, I felt a touch on my shoulder. "Hey, kid! I¡¯m talking to you! Can¡¯t you hear me? And look¡ªyou¡¯ve already ruined the forging," Hen said, his voice sharp as he pointed at the mangled iron I had been working on. I glanced down at the metal, which had suffered too many poorly placed strikes and was now just a lump of useless scrap. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled reluctantly. If it were up to me, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything to this crooked old man. But Hen had a way of forcing the words out of me¡ªevery time I failed, he demanded an apology. If I didn¡¯t comply, he¡¯d punish me by making me clean every weapon in the shop. Cleaning was a tedious task, and it only got worse. If he found even one weapon that wasn¡¯t properly polished, he¡¯d make me redo the entire batch. ¡°Hmph! You better be sorry! Otherwise, I¡¯d have kicked you out of my shop for being an ungrateful brat after I so generously took you in!¡± He said, puffing up with pride as if he¡¯d done me a great favor. Took me in? More like forced me into this. ¡°Now stop hammering and watch carefully. Let me show you how it¡¯s done,¡± he barked, grabbing his hammer. It was much smaller than mine¡ªabout half the size. He went to the furnace and pulled out an iron casket filled with molten metal, pouring it smoothly into a mold. As the metal took shape, he quenched it in water. The cooling hiss was sharp and quick. Using a special glove, he grabbed the newly formed sword by the hilt and placed it on the anvil. And with that, his smithing began. I watched closely as he worked, though it was hard to keep up with his swift and practiced movements. I could guess why he made certain strikes¡ªone move led logically to the next¡ªbut some of his actions baffled me. Why is he hitting the side of the sword all of a sudden? And why the center now? As Hen continued, he pulled out a gemstone and placed it on the blade. I leaned in, trying to understand what he was doing. The gem slowly melted into the sword, its glow fading as it fused seamlessly with the blade. I didn¡¯t know what kind of gem it was, but I was certain it held a unique attribute for Hen to incorporate during the forging process. Soon after he resumed hammering, the sword began to emit violent spiritual energy, catching me completely off guard. I stared in shock. Did that gem possess spiritual energy? Could it have been a living creature? No¡ªthat was impossible. Only living beings could possess spiritual energy. As I wrestled with these thoughts, the turbulent energy suddenly subsided. In its place, flames erupted from the blade, roaring to life with intense heat and fury. Instinctively, I stepped back in alarm. Hen, however, remained unshaken. He continued striking the sword with his hammer, undeterred. The flames lashed out, wild and unrelenting, as though trying to engulf him. Yet He gave them no chance. Every time the flames surged, he struck them with his hammer, dispersing their fury. His movements were precise and rhythmic, each strike landing with deliberate intent. This intense forging process carried on for hours. As it drew to a close, Hen placed the sword down and turned to look at me. ¡°Did you see it?¡± he asked, his voice devoid of emotion, his gaze piercing. ¡°Yes, I did. All of it,¡± I replied, still reeling from what I had just witnessed. It surprised me that he even acknowledged me¡ªHen rarely showed me any regard. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing me a small gem no bigger than the tip of my finger. ¡°This is an elemental gem. It¡¯s not as strong as the one I used, but it¡¯s good for practice.¡± As I took the gem, I immediately felt the immense spiritual energy radiating from it. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± I dared to ask, hoping he might share the source. ¡°I got it through a channel, so don¡¯t ask me any further,¡± he replied curtly. Without waiting for another word, he turned and left, disappearing back into the shop. Left alone in the forge, I glanced at the half-finished sword he¡¯d left behind. As I approached it, the heat emanating from the blade was overwhelming, but there was something else¡ªsomething unsettling. I could feel emotions seeping from the weapon. Sadness. Sorrow. It was as if the blade itself was grieving, burdened by the sense that it had been forced to act against its will. I could almost see it¡ªa vision of the sword raised by its wielder, bringing devastation while filled with the same sadness and regret that seemed to pour from its essence. With a heavy sigh, I resolved to try forging an elemental weapon myself. Following Hen¡¯s example, I picked up my hammer. But instead of copying his process step by step, I chose to stick with my methods. They were crude, yes, but at least I understood them. And so, I began to hammer, feeling both anticipation and trepidation as I worked. As I reached the final stages of forging, I carefully dropped the gem onto the sword. The gem began to melt, fusing seamlessly into the blade. To my astonishment, I heard the faint sound of a bird chirping. The sound felt like a subtle disguise, masking the gem¡¯s true nature. When its spiritual energy manifested, I used my energy to rein it in and stabilize it. Though subdued, the gem¡¯s rebellious nature remained palpable. As I continued forging, my inexperience betrayed me¡ªI made mistakes. In those moments, the spiritual energy within the gem flared up, taking action on its own. It seemed to understand that this blade would become its new home. Rather than allow it to be forged poorly, the gem guided me, almost as if it sought to shape the weapon into something worthy. Feeling its guidance, I began to follow along. The rhythmic thumping sound I often felt during forging grew stronger than ever before. Each time I sensed the thump, the gem directed me to a specific point, and I struck it with precision. When I finally completed the sword and took a step back to admire my work, I was utterly flabbergasted. This blade was unlike the one Hen had forged¡ªit felt entirely different, even to hold. Instead of radiating negative emotions like sorrow or hatred, this sword emanated positive energy. It was a blade born of resolve, with a singular purpose to protect its newfound home and the life it had gained. As I attuned myself to the sword¡¯s emotions, I sensed something else¡ªenvy. Hen¡¯s sword, unfinished on the anvil, seemed to resent the superior craftsmanship and energy of the weapon I had created. How do these gems possess spiritual energy? I wondered, my curiosity piqued. And how do they hold such vivid emotions? This process of spiritual forging felt like an uncharted frontier, brimming with potential. After crafting the hilt for the blade and securing it in place, I wielded the weapon with eager hands. Immediately, I noticed a remarkable difference¡ªit was better than any sword I had ever held, including my own. When I channeled spiritual energy into the blade, I encountered no resistance. Instead, the sword amplified my energy, sending it coursing through the weapon with unparalleled ease. I swung it at a test dummy made of iron. The blade cut through it effortlessly, cleaving it in two with a single stroke. The force of the swing didn¡¯t stop there¡ªdeep gashes marred the wall behind the dummy, evidence of the sword¡¯s overwhelming power. This changes everything, I thought. If I can forge such weapons in the wilderness, away from the constraints of the cities, imagine the possibilities. I resolved to find a way to forge not only in the comfort of a workshop but also in the untamed wilds. First I need equipment, but I just cannot bring with me all the equipment I need to forge. Also, how do I melt the iron and other ores? So many problems, I couldn''t lower my head. I was in distress, then I realized something. How do I explain what I did here? As I looked at the mess I created after testing out the sword. First, I needed equipment. But I couldn¡¯t possibly bring everything I needed to forge with me into the wilderness. How would I even melt iron and other ores without a proper furnace? The problems kept piling up, weighing on my mind until I could barely lift my head. I was in distress, struggling to find answers. Then another realization hit me¡ªhow was I supposed to explain what I had done here? I glanced around at the chaos I¡¯d created during the sword¡¯s testing. The mess was catastrophic. Chapter 23 - Champion! ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that you made this mess with the new sword you created?¡± Hen asked, his flabbergasted expression fixed on me as I scrubbed the floor. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± he added, swinging the sword I had made. The blade left a deep mark on the forge wall, and I winced as the remnants of spiritual energy surged outward. I had gone overboard when channeling spiritual energy into it. ¡°¡­Okay, after you finish cleaning up this mess, go home. You¡¯ve done enough for today,¡± Hen finally said, though his eyes lingered on the sword with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. With the sword in hand, he left the forge while I continued cleaning up the disaster I¡¯d caused. "Sigh... I¡¯ll never finish this mess in my lifetime,¡± I muttered, blaming myself for going overboard. ¡°Ugh, it hurts so much,¡± I groaned, stepping out of the forge. I rushed out quickly, trying to avoid Hen, who undoubtedly had questions about the sword. Questions I wasn¡¯t in the mood to answer. Wandering the streets, I noticed more and more organizations cropping up, clashing with the city¡¯s soldiers. Day after day, the soldiers and these organizations fought as the city lord struggled to maintain control. The city lord had recently fallen out with his old backer, choosing instead to ally with a new one. But distrust poisoned that alliance and it quickly collapsed into conflict. The old backer, eager to reclaim control, tried to subjugate the city lord once more. But after tasting freedom, the city lord refused to yield. This defiance led to the city lord being besieged by the organizations, who saw an opportunity to exploit the chaos. New factions emerged daily, all vying for power amidst the turmoil. This city is never calm, no matter where I go. Will it be destroyed too? I hoped not. I didn¡¯t want to leave¡ªjust the thought of walking all day again made my legs ache. Why do I even stay in the city? You might wonder. Well, cities offer safety. If danger arises, or if a beast wave approaches, the city walls are the best protection. They¡¯re also the only places where one can travel back to Earth or wait for new gates to appear that lead to the First Realm. But the ongoing chaos was pushing many normal people to their limits. As the clashes between the factions escalated, countless civilians left the city, seeking refuge in the wilderness¡ªclose enough to return for supplies, but far enough to avoid the constant fighting. Before leaving, Hen told me he¡¯d be gone from the smithy for two days, leaving me free to do whatever I wanted. With time to spare, I wandered the streets, looking for something to catch my eye, but nothing did. Frustrated, I decided to leave the city and make the most of my temporary freedom.
A few hours had passed since I left the city. Following a map, I made my way toward a nearby forest. This forest was known for harboring strong monsters, but its real appeal lay elsewhere. The creatures here didn¡¯t form packs. They hunted alone, which made the risks more manageable for someone like me. Entering the forest with caution, I reminded myself that many had met their end here due to carelessness. I activated my spiritual eye to scan for any monsters nearby. I found nothing threatening¡ªonly an unsettling number of spider webs stretched across the trees. With a swing of my sword, I sliced through the webs blocking my path. What I didn¡¯t notice, however, was how the vibrations from my actions caused the surrounding webs to tremble slightly. As I delved deeper, I found the webs growing denser and far stickier. I sighed, frustrated. I wish I had the sword I forged. Too bad it was confiscated in the name of science. Suddenly, I felt something enter the edges of my spiritual field. It was coming from above. Instinctively, I dodged to the side just as a massive leg slammed into the ground where I had stood. The leg was as large as I was. Turning to look, I felt an ancient, predatory presence watching me. My gaze met a monstrous spider¡ªhalf as big as the crystal tortoise but still towering over me. I quickly circulated my spiritual energy, breaking free from its oppressive spiritual attack. The spider didn¡¯t give me any time to recover. It lashed out with another of its enormous legs, aiming for me. I jumped back, narrowly avoiding the attack, and countered with a strike to its leg. To my dismay, the backlash left my arm numb, and my attack left only a faint white scratch on its exoskeleton. ¡°Damn it! Why are all these monsters so ridiculously tough?¡± I cursed aloud, shaking off the pain in my arm. The spider moved fast¡ªtoo fast¡ªand launched another attack. I sidestepped, leaping to the side, and began strategizing. Its legs are too tough to pierce. My only chance is to go for its abdomen. I couldn¡¯t run. The webs around me would trap me if I tried to escape. I had no choice but to face it head-on. Seeing me close in, the spider lunged with its venomous fangs, but I retaliated with a concentrated burst of sword energy, striking one of its eyes. ¡°Kriiek!¡± It shrieked in pain, recoiling. I didn¡¯t give it a chance to recover. Using its momentary distraction, I slid beneath its belly. Channeling my spiritual energy into my blade, I drove it deep into its abdomen and sliced through its underside as I dashed out from beneath the beast. The spider screeched again, staggering back. One of its eyes was blinded, and its abdomen had been severely injured. Sensing its life was in danger, it began retreating instead of continuing its relentless attack. Before fleeing, it spat a stream of silk at me. I dodged swiftly, watching as the creature disappeared into the woods. A trail of yellow blood marked its path, but I didn¡¯t bother following. The idea of eating spider meat disgusted me, and even if I killed it, the effort wasn¡¯t worth a measly gold coin. Just looking at the spider¡¯s hairy leg left me feeling nauseous. Without hesitation, I walked in the opposite direction of where the spider had fled.
I encountered two other Elite creatures along the way. I have to say, they weren¡¯t as strong as I expected. However, their spiritual attacks were intimidating enough to scare most people off. This seemed to be their primary method of gaining the upper hand. I understand how to use intimidation myself, but I prefer not to rely on it. What if it fails? Besides, I¡¯d rather let a creature think it has a chance against me. That way, I can slay it and sell its corpse for money. If all the monsters fled the moment they sensed my presence, I¡¯d waste weeks without finding a target.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Curiously, all the Elite monsters I encountered fled as soon as they realized I was stronger than them. It baffled me. Is this the fearsome place everyone warned me about? Shaking my head, I thought, I need something that prevents these monsters from running away. As I continued walking through the forest, a pleasant scent reached my nose. Following the aroma, I stumbled upon a field where a flower with white petals the size of my fist grew. What shocked me wasn¡¯t the flower itself but the number of monsters gathered around it. Each one of them was on the level of an Elite. In the middle of the field was a giant python radiating the strongest spiritual energy among them. Its aura was oppressive enough to keep the other creatures at bay, though I could easily shrug off its influence. Its control over spiritual energy was crude and lacked refinement. The python had clearly noticed me, as had the other monsters. They regarded me as just another potential foe, maintaining vigilance toward me and, more importantly, each other. Among the gathered creatures, I recognized the giant spider. It seemed particularly wary of me and positioned itself in a way that allowed it to react to either me or the python. Interestingly, it didn¡¯t treat the other monsters as threats, focusing its attention solely on the two of us. At first, I considered backing away. But seeing so many high-level monsters gathered here, I changed my mind. They weren¡¯t banding together to attack me, which meant I could exploit the situation. Just as I was formulating a plan, the flower began releasing an even stronger scent. The beasts grew agitated, their desire to consume the flower reaching a frenzy. The python lunged for the flower, trying to swallow it whole. But before it could, it collapsed. From beneath the ground, a massive mole surfaced, aiming to devour the flower. The python, despite its condition, managed to slow the mole down. More and more monsters entered the fray, including the giant spider, which moved like a walking tank. No monster could penetrate its legs or abdomen. The battlefield descended into chaos as the creatures fought each other relentlessly. Strangely, the flower remained unharmed, despite the carnage. I decided against diving into the middle of the fight. Instead, I targeted the monsters that turned to flee the battle. Attacking from behind, I managed to slay two giant wolves and a three-tailed fox. I sold their corpses immediately and earned five gold and two silver coins. What a lucky day! Instead of seeing monsters, what I saw were walking bags of money. But I couldn¡¯t catch all of them or sell them for a good price, as most of their corpses were destroyed in the chaos of the other monsters fighting. The central area became a deadlock between the giant python, the mole, and the giant spider. The mole and spider seemed to be working together to take down the python, but it wasn¡¯t easy¡ªeach of them was heavily injured. The python appeared to be in the worst condition, its body battered and bleeding, but it refused to flee. It was as if the flower held the key to its evolution, driving it to fight with relentless determination. As the battle raged on, the python eventually emerged victorious, though it was gravely wounded. It swallowed the flower whole. The moment the flower disappeared into the python¡¯s maw, a cold wind swept across the battlefield. The temperature dropped rapidly, and I could see my breath forming in the frigid air. The remaining monsters, sensing the change, fled in panic. I stayed behind to collect the corpses, but as I lingered, a chilling sense of danger washed over me. The python turned its gaze toward me, its body beginning to transform. Its brown scales started to shift and shimmer, turning an icy blue. In that instant, I knew I had made a grave mistake. The spiritual power radiating from the python was overwhelming, far greater than mine. Thankfully, it still didn¡¯t seem to know how to fully control its newfound strength. Before I could plan my escape, the python moved with terrifying speed. I couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Its massive tail struck me, sending me flying. I rolled several meters across the ground, sharp pain flaring in my chest and arm where the tail had hit. This isn¡¯t an Elite monster... Could it be a Champion? Damn, my greed. The python prepared to attack again, but before it could, the skies darkened. A powerful force descended upon it, filling the air with a crushing, otherworldly pressure. I realized what was happening the realm itself was rejecting the python. Its transformation had pushed it beyond the limits of what this realm could house. The python fought back against the realm¡¯s will, refusing to ascend. Though its strength and speed were greatly reduced, the will of the realm couldn¡¯t fully expel it either, leaving the two forces locked in a stalemate. Seeing my chance, I channeled all my energy into my legs and launched myself at the python with full force. Its focus remained entirely on resisting the realm, giving me the opening I needed. I poured spiritual energy into my sword and swung it at the python¡¯s icy-blue body. However, instead of cutting through it as I had expected, I encountered immense resistance. For the first time, my blade failed to slice cleanly through a target. Even with spiritual energy, the sword slowed and finally stopped. The python roared in pain, thrashing violently in response to my attack. Realizing I couldn¡¯t finish it in one blow, I pulled my sword free and retreated before its rampage could reach me. With my attack successfully injuring the python, its condition worsened further as it continued fighting against the realm¡¯s will. It seemed to realize its dire situation¡ªit could not ascend. If it entered the upper realms in its current state, it would die. Here, it might have been a king, but in the upper realms, it would be prey. Even monsters could ascend, but the natives of those realms were like evolvers¡ªstronger, smarter, and far more dangerous. The python was now caught between focusing on me and resisting the realm¡¯s suppression. It was clear it was struggling its recent upgrade from Elite to Champion had not left it enough time to adjust. Desperation overtook it. Ignoring its wounds, it lunged at me, its massive jaws open wide, aiming to swallow me in a single bite. I quickly released an energy wave toward it as it closed the distance and dodged to the side. Taking advantage of the opening, I swung my sword, leaving another mark on its massive body. Its condition was deteriorating rapidly. The wounds it had sustained from the mole and the spider earlier hadn¡¯t fully healed, and now, with my repeated strikes, its injuries worsened. Yet, its upgraded life realm offered it an edge¡ªthe frost covering its scales acted as a natural barrier, slowing the bleeding and stalling further damage. Still, this came at a cost. The frost defense slowed the python¡¯s movements, making it easier for me to land additional strikes. It turned toward me, blood oozing from its mouth, and swung its tail with force, attempting to knock me away. I evaded the attack, ducking under its swing, and countered with another blow. In mere seconds, I had struck its body over 30 times. The python, determined to survive, refused to give in. Its massive mouth opened again, and I watched as the elements began converging within. Water materialized, swirling rapidly, freezing into jagged shards of ice as it prepared a devastating attack. I could feel its power rising¡ªa true Champion¡¯s strike. Gathering all the energy I had left, I sent a powerful wave directly at the python, hoping to disrupt its buildup. It partially worked. The python¡¯s charge faltered, and the massive icy blast it had been preparing erupted prematurely. Even so, the remnants of its attack tore through my energy wave and surged toward me. The speed was staggering. In a blink, the freezing energy was upon me. I kicked off the ground, propelling myself sideways, but the frost still grazed me. A biting chill swept over my body as the impact sent me crashing through trees, leaving a trail of frozen devastation in its wake. I landed hard, unable to feel any part of my body. My limbs were stiff and unresponsive, encased in ice. All I could do was lift my head slightly to see the aftermath. The giant python was thrashing wildly on the ground, its movements growing weaker by the second. The realm, sensing its defiance, unleashed an even greater force upon it. The python¡¯s time was up. It had two choices ascend or die. As its strength faded, it attempted to submit to the realm¡¯s will and ascend. But it was too late. The strain on its body was too great, and the final blow came. With one last, shuddering gasp, the python collapsed to the ground, lifeless. The python had exhausted all its elemental energy, leaving it unable to staunch the bleeding from its wounds. Without its icy defense, every injury reopened, and blood poured out in a torrential flood. Regret was evident in its fading eyes. Why hadn¡¯t it chosen to ascend instead of wasting its final moments fighting that persistent little rat? Meanwhile, I was still frozen¡ªquite literally¡ªpinned to a tree and unable to move.
It took me several agonizing hours before I could finally regain control of my body. Thankfully, no other creatures had dared approach, likely frightened away by the sheer intensity of the fight and the python¡¯s overwhelming aura. Even so, my body wouldn¡¯t stop shaking from the frostbite. ¡°Achoo!¡± I sneezed loudly, wiping my runny nose with a sleeve. ¡°D-Damn s-s-snake... I w-won¡¯t f-forget t-this!¡± I muttered through chattering teeth, my entire body trembling uncontrollably, my teeth clicking together like castanets. Stumbling toward the python¡¯s massive corpse, I pressed a hand to its cold, lifeless body. ¡°C-Cash O-Out!¡± I exclaimed, shivering so hard the words barely came out. A message appeared before me. [You sold a Frost Python for 33 gold, 73 silver, and 94 copper.] A weak grin spread across my frozen face. ¡°A-choo!¡± Another sneeze rocked me as I swiped at my nose again. ¡°D-Damn it, snake... I sh-should¡¯ve made soup out of you!¡± I grumbled, half in frustration and half in relief, while my teeth clattered in protest. Chapter 24 - A Reason for Strength. A Reason for Fear. I had to make a bonfire to warm myself up.¡°Achoo! Damn snake!¡± I grumbled, still seething over how the python had messed me up. Even though I technically won, it felt like dying might have been the easier option. The fire kept me warm, but only barely. The ice elements hadn¡¯t just frozen my body¡ªthey had also disrupted the spiritual threads within me, slowing the flow of spiritual energy through my system. I had to meditate constantly to counteract the freezing effects while keeping the fire alive to maintain some warmth. After a while, I started feeling better and decided to head back to the city. The forest was eerily calm on my way back. I didn¡¯t encounter a single beast, but when I reached the city, I understood why. The walls were splattered with blood, and people were cleaning up the aftermath of an attack. It looked like a beast tide had struck. The chaos must have been caused by the python going berserk in the forest and releasing so much spiritual energy. The weaker monsters had been scared off, driven from their hunting grounds, and, in turn, moved toward the human city where no other monsters lived. It caused a domino effect, forcing many beasts to flee in the same direction¡ªstraight to the city. As I entered the city with my mask on, the guards didn¡¯t stop me like they had last time. They must have already found the person they were searching for. Back at my inn, I sat on the bed and tried to catch up on the news. What I learned shocked me. Twenty-eight cities had been destroyed. Although there were many cities in this Realm, each one possessed at least three gates that led to the First Realm. Losing 28 cities wasn¡¯t a minor event. Each city housed a minimum of 10,000 people, meaning at least 280,000 lives were lost¡ªlikely even more. The reports blamed the Truth Seekers for the destruction, but I couldn¡¯t believe it. Why would they destroy so many cities? And how could they even manage to pull it off? Exhausted, I lay down on the bed and piled as many blankets as I could over myself, hoping this lingering cold would go away soon. But sleep wouldn¡¯t come easily. The clashes between the city lord and the organizations raged on, the unrest outside keeping me awake.
Creak! A vase flew across the room, smashing against the wall as a man vented his frustration. The entire room was in disarray, with furniture turned upside down and papers scattered everywhere. ¡°Damn them all!¡± He roared. ¡°I was so close to having the city lord in my grasp. Why did they interfere?¡± The man¡¯s features were contorted with rage, but if anyone were to see him, they would think he belonged among the most handsome men of all time. With crystal-clear blue eyes, black hair, and a perfectly built body¡ªmuscular enough to be both imposing and attractive to any woman¡ªhe exuded an aura of effortless charm. His voice was as smooth as silk, yet his personality was anything but. He knew his failure would soon be reported to his father, and he dreaded facing the same fate as his brothers. He was one of the four who had failed to cover for the old man in the Dark Hawk organization¡¯s headquarters. The old man had killed his sons, branding them as failures and blocking their advancement in the Realms. His father intended for his daughter to inherit the company without competition. The only reason he was still alive, he knew, was his ability¡ªnot his looks or genetic capabilities. Under his leadership, the company had gained control of several cities, but one misstep could have cost him dearly. ¡°Damn it!¡± He muttered, shaking with anger. ¡°Why did you all have to mess things up in the end? And those damned Truth Seekers too! It cost me a hundred platinum coins just to fix my leg!¡± He blamed everyone but himself for his failure. Why? His father had eyes and ears around him constantly, and they reported anything suspicious. In the company and his family, no one dared to speak ill of him¡ªdisobedience would result in death. Even his mother had perished for criticizing him behind his back. He considered himself lucky that his eldest brother¡¯s mother had met a similar fate at the hands of that monster.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As he sat down, his hands shook from a mix of fear and anger. ¡°Hehe, hehehe¡­ HAHAHA!¡± he suddenly erupted in maniacal laughter¡ªnot from joy, but from the sheer terror bubbling up inside him. ¡°If I die, then let me drag all of you down to hell with me!¡± he vowed, staring out at the city with a twisted smile that would make anyone who saw it deeply uncomfortable. ¡°This tea was excellent, Jerad,¡± said a man with an elegant aura surrounding him, his eyes giving off a glimmer of hope in the darkness as he looked at his butler. His face could be considered average in a crowd, but his aura made him the center of attention in any room.
¡°Sir, it is my honor to serve you!¡± said the old butler, beaming with happiness as he bowed towards the man sitting in the luxurious chair in his well-appointed room. ¡°Can you tell me something, Jerad?¡± said the man, taking a sip of his tea with a casual smile. ¡°Anything, Sir!¡± responded the butler eagerly. ¡°Do you know about a letter that was exchanged between you and the Dark Hawk organization?¡± the man asked, his tone indifferent. ¡°Even now, you¡¯ve not stopped exchanging letters with them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie, City Lord!¡± Jerad pleaded, dropping to his knees in front of the City Lord. ¡°I would never betray you!¡± ¡°Drag him into the dungeon,¡± the City Lord ordered. Two guards entered the room and roughly hauled Jerad away. Once in the dungeon, Jerad¡¯s fate was sealed¡ªpeople who entered there never saw the light of day again. The City Lord maintained his iron rule by not allowing any opposing factions or voices to rise against him. His alliance with the Dark Hawk organization stemmed from his sister¡¯s marriage to one of the organization¡¯s high-ranking executives. However, their relationship had soured not long ago when his sister and her husband were sacrificed to the tribes. Outsiders knew nothing of this, and the City Lord never spoke of it. His sister had kept the secret too, fearing they would use her against him. They had grown up together in the slums, and because he possessed a high gene cap, he quickly rose through the ranks. Rather than ascend, he chose to stay in the city and take control, ensuring a safe place for his sister. But later, he learned that his sister had married and had a family¡ªhe was overjoyed at first but then devastated when he learned she had gone missing. He searched high and low for her, only to discover her fate. Every time he ate sweets or drank tea, he was reminded of their shared happiness¡ªtheir playful days building sandcastles on the beach, catching fish in the river, or sleeping under a bridge in heavy rainstorms, clutching each other for warmth to stave off the cold. The sweetness always tasted bitter to him afterward. His butler, Jerad, continued to bring him sweet tea, unaware of the dark memories it stirred. As he put the empty teacup down, the City Lord looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. He was not strong enough to face the tribes or the organizations that had sacrificed his sister. He even searched for rebels to help them, and that¡¯s how he met the old Hen. Sadly, the rebels weren¡¯t strong enough to face the tribes or any other human factions unless they ventured into forbidden territories. Sighing, he got up and gave up on the thought of fighting against the tribes. Yet, his heart refused to give up on any hope. One day, he would take his revenge. Only if such a day ever comes, but hope is the last thing to be extinguished from any person. No matter how darkness veils the sky, the light will always break it apart.
¡°A-choo!¡± Damn this cold! Why doesn¡¯t it go away?! I thought to myself, frustrated as several days passed without me getting better. Even Hen chased me back, saying I should get better. When I tried to meditate, the frozen energy in my body greatly affected me. I could only search for anything that might help me in the system, but there was nothing. So, I had to give up on those thoughts. My only happiness was that I finally maxed out my gene cap for extraordinary monsters. I was only short about 44 silver from the Elite gene cap potion, but my situation didn¡¯t allow me to go hunting outside the city as I felt weak all over my body. Unable to meditate or control spiritual energy in a normal way, I lay on the bed, covered myself with blankets, and thought about what to do. For the first time in my life, I felt bored. I always dreamed of living in luxury and doing whatever I wanted once I reached such heights. But now, here I am. I can be considered one of the strongest people in the First Realm, yet I¡¯m bored to death. Was that always my dream? It was, but not anymore. Do I want to become the strongest for revenge? No, it¡¯s something else. Is it a weakness? No, it¡¯s not weakness. I hate the people for experimenting on me, but I also hate myself for my weakness. If I had had strength, none of that would have happened to me. Is this the fault of the world we live in? I could only ponder until I heard a bit of laughter entering my room. As I went to the window and looked outside, I could see people laughing and talking with each other. The scenery seemed warm. Did those people, who had enjoyed such a life before, become zombies or were they killed by fishmen? They never did anything wrong or unjust. They just wanted a quiet and slow life with their families around them. They did not wish for power or authority, but this world demanded it from them. This world turned people against each other. But can I change this world at all? I looked from the people to the sky and doubted myself. I remembered the system and how heaven-defying its abilities were. ¡°Do you want me to change all of this world?¡± I could only ask the air in front of me, but no one answered¡ªonly the cold silence remained. Yet, I felt as if the answer was ¡®Yes.¡¯ Watching the happy people, I soon saw it turn ugly as soldiers sent them into their homes. ¡°Sigh,¡± I muttered, ¡°No matter where I go, people never change. Evil is always lurking in the heart, and if given a chance, it sprouts like a mushroom after the rain, eating away all the good in a person¡¯s heart.¡± I could only lament the people and their fate. To change the world, I needed to change the people first, but how do I do it? Strength, as it grants everything a person needs. But first, I need to play according to the world''s wishes to gain my wish. I removed the blankets around me and started meditating, even though it hurt. I must go on. I need strength to overcome all obstacles in front of my path. I must break this game. Remembering how weak the python was against the Realm, I knew I had a long way to go to reach the top. Yet, it would be fun. For the first time in my life, I genuinely smiled. The meditation hurt, but it motivated me¡ªknowing my path was the right one. Chapter 25 - Blood Bugs I lay on the ground, regretting my hasty decision. My entire body felt like it was on fire¡ªeach breath seared with pain¡ªbut the ice elements in my body had diminished significantly. I could now use my spiritual energy almost at the same level as before being frozen. However, I noticed something strange: my spiritual energy had gained an elemental attribute. It resembled the python¡¯s ice energy, but it seemed more like a forced conversion. Not all of my energy had turned into ice; some resisted the change, fighting against it. This conflict was the most troublesome part. Whenever I tried to channel my spiritual energy, it sometimes failed, as the ice energy clashed with my normal spiritual energy inside my body. "Ugh, so frustrating! Why won¡¯t these remnants of ice elements just disappear?" I clenched my fists in frustration, hoping for a swift resolution to this problem. I needed it gone so I could finally acquire the elite gene cap potion! It was so close, yet it felt so far out of reach. I stood up and glanced out the window. The situation outside seemed to worsen every time I looked. The clashes between soldiers and the various organizations were no longer hidden; they fought openly in the streets. As time went on, more and more organizations emerged, forcing ordinary people to sell their shops or destroying them outright, leaving countless lives in ruins. Why were these people so greedy? They already had so much in this broken world, yet they wanted more. Why? Perhaps only someone as rich as them could understand. More likely, it was fear¡ªthe fear of losing everything they had worked so hard to gain, only to have it all slip away in the end. As the skirmishes finally died down, the veil of night blanketed the sky. The next day, I had to visit the smithy, but a hollow feeling lingered inside me. The old man¡¯s personality had been terrible¡ªhis nagging irritating¡ªbut after all these years, his presence had felt like someone looking out for me. It wasn¡¯t much, and it wasn¡¯t comforting in the usual sense, but it had been something. And now, it was gone. *** (Author''s Note: I¡¯ve had issues with formatting when posting my works¡ªline breaks sometimes fail to register properly. To avoid confusion, I now use "***" to signify time and location shifts.) ¡°Sir, everything is ready. Shall we commence the operation?¡± The speaker, a man in his forties, bowed respectfully to another man seated behind a desk. The latter¡¯s face remained focused on the documents spread before him. The man was none other than the youngest son of the Dark Hawk organization''s chairman¡ªand the only survivor of his father''s wrath. ¡°Yes, do it.¡± His voice was icy cold. ¡°But, sir, when the other organizations realize what we¡¯ve done, they won¡¯t tolerate us in the city anymore. The city will suffer greatly...¡± The man hesitated, trying to dissuade him from this reckless plan. It had seemed insane from the start. ¡°I don¡¯t care! Do it¡ªor you can join the others down there!¡± The younger man¡¯s fist slammed against the desk, sending papers scattering to the floor with the force of his sudden movement. His gaze was piercingly fierce as he glared at the man before him. ¡°I understand, sir,¡± the man replied, bowing deeply. He turned and left, steeling himself for the chaos that would inevitably follow. When this operation began, hell would seem like paradise compared to what they were about to unleash on the city. *** In the barracks'' medic room, wounded soldiers lay sprawled across the ground, their bodies wrapped in bloodied bandages. ¡°Ha, this is the third incident. We don¡¯t have any more beds for the wounded,¡± muttered a man in a white coat, his ID badge identifying him as ¡®Dr. Henrick.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s always us who suffer for their decisions,¡± remarked a nurse standing behind him, her voice heavy with frustration. Dr. Henrick, an older man and one of the longest-serving medics in the barracks, held little authority in the hierarchy. Yet, he was deeply respected by many for his tireless dedication to his work. Despite the meager pay, he continued his duties because he genuinely loved helping those in need and cherished the gratitude in his patients¡¯ smiles. The sound of hurried boots pounding against the floor broke the momentary quiet. Soldiers entered, carrying another casualty¡ªa man with a deep, gaping wound in his abdomen. His stomach had been viciously torn open. ¡°Sir, please save him!¡± one of the soldiers pleaded desperately, scanning the room until his eyes locked onto Dr. Henrick. The doctor said nothing, allowing himself to be dragged to the stretcher by the frantic soldier. Resistance would only escalate the chaos, and saving lives always took precedence. ¡°What happened to him?¡± the doctor asked, his voice sharp with shock at the sight of the brutal injury. ¡°We don¡¯t know, doctor! He screamed while wandering off to take care of... personal business. We found him like this,¡± explained another soldier, his panicked expression betraying that he likely knew the injured man. Dr. Henrick examined the soldier closely, his trained eyes quickly assessing the situation. The man had already lost too much blood, and there was no pulse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t save him. It¡¯s too late for him,¡± Dr. Henrick said, his voice heavy as he finished his examination. ¡°Lies! He¡¯s still breathing!¡± one of the soldiers shouted, grabbing the doctor by his coat and pointing toward the mauled soldier. ¡°Impossible! I checked his pulse and examined his wounds¡ªthere¡¯s no way he could have survived this long!¡± Shocked, Henrick knelt again to recheck the body. But what he found made his blood run cold. It wasn¡¯t the soldier¡¯s body that was moving¡ªit was something inside him. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Horrified, Henrick staggered backward, his face pale. ¡°Something¡¯s inside him! He¡¯s been dead for a while¡ªsomething is feasting on his body!¡± He pointed at the corpse, his trembling hand shaking violently. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! You¡¯re no doctor! Where¡¯s a real doctor when we need one?!¡± another soldier shouted in frustration. The chaos in the room only grew, with injured men lying everywhere, and no one else available to confirm Henrick¡¯s claims. One of the soldiers, who had carried the body in, refused to look at it again. He turned away, his face pale, unable to bear the sight of the gruesome injuries. ¡°This is how you treat us?! We risk our lives for you, and you won¡¯t even treat a wounded soldier!¡± the enraged soldier yelled, his voice cracking as he pointed an accusatory finger at Henrick. But before anyone could react further, a loud boom echoed through the room, and blood sprayed in every direction. From the dead soldier¡¯s body, a massive worm burst forth, its grotesque form writhing as it broke free. The creature began devouring the corpse in front of everyone, its sickening movements sending waves of revulsion and panic through the room. The sight was so horrifying that even the enraged soldier froze in shock. Despite their initial paralysis, the soldiers quickly sprang into action. They attacked the worm, crushing it until its reddish blood splattered everywhere. The room fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of those who had witnessed the grotesque scene. The soldier who had carried the body in was utterly broken. He collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the now-lifeless corpse of his comrade. His lips quivered, but no words came. What had happened was no isolated incident. Similar horrors were unfolding all across the city. *** I awoke abruptly from my sleep, my senses tingling with unease. Something had entered my spiritual field. Rising from my bed, I focused on the presence, my gaze narrowing as I spotted it. A small, red bug crawled toward me across the floor. It wasn¡¯t large¡ªabout the size of my little finger¡ªbut its presence radiated an unnatural, menacing aura. Squashing the bug under my boot, I shook my head, trying to dismiss the unease it left behind. I wanted to go back to sleep, but something about it kept me on edge. Why had it triggered my spiritual energy field? This wasn¡¯t something an ordinary bug could do. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± A piercing scream erupted from somewhere in the city, jolting me upright. The sound struck a chord of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Rushing out into the hallway, I found people spilling out of their rooms in confusion. My breath hitched as I noticed them¡ªthose same bugs I had squashed earlier. They were everywhere. The walls. The floor. The ceiling. As the others began to notice the infestation, panic broke out. One person screamed, his voice filled with terror. ¡°Blood Bugs!¡± Without hesitation, he bolted back into his room. Moments later, the shattering of glass echoed through the hallway as he smashed a window to escape. The bugs, as if reacting to the noise, turned their attention to the nearest people and started crawling toward them in waves. I unleashed my spiritual energy in an attempt to repel them, hoping to scare them away. But instead, it had the opposite effect. Every single bug froze for a moment, then turned toward me in unison. And they moved fast¡ªfaster than I could have imagined. Damn it! What are these things?! I slammed my door shut, but it was no use. The bugs, as if made of liquid, squeezed through the cracks beneath the door. Panicking, I turned toward the window. Without a second thought, I sprinted and leaped through it, shattering the glass as I dove into the night air. I landed hard on the ground, the impact making my legs buckle momentarily under my weight. Thankfully, it was temporary; my enhanced body was far stronger than a regular human¡¯s, and the drop from the second floor wasn¡¯t enough to harm me. Looking around, I saw the bugs swarming everywhere, relentless in their movements. But then, unexpectedly, they began to retreat. People armed with strange sprays appeared, dispersing the bugs with quick bursts of mist. The creatures hissed and fled, their numbers thinning rapidly. What the hell are Blood Bugs? I¡¯d never encountered anything like them before. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my shoulder. I whirled around, ready to fight, but it was Hen. His expression was grim. ¡°Take this, kid,¡± he said, thrusting a spray can into my hand. ¡°And don¡¯t let those things cling to you. If they do, they¡¯ll burrow into your body and make a nest inside you.¡± I stared at him, horrified. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªthey¡¯re not strong,¡± Hen continued, sensing my fear. ¡°But they¡¯re damn good at reproducing. Extremely fast, too.¡± I gripped the spray tightly, glancing around at the scattered bugs and the people still fighting them off. Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯ll make a nest inside me if they catch me?! ¡°How did these things get into the city? And how did you know where I live?¡± I demanded, my voice sharp as I sprayed another wave of bug killer at the encroaching swarm. ¡°I don¡¯t know how they got in,¡± Hen replied, his focus on the bugs as he emptied his spray can with precision. ¡°But¡ª¡± He paused to spray at a particularly dense cluster. ¡°I¡¯ve had people keeping an eye on you. Can¡¯t have you running off on me, after all. They owe me a favor.¡± A malicious grin spread across his face, smug and irritating. Damn this old man. Why did I even miss him?! My thoughts fumed, but my body moved instinctively, spraying even more of the bug killer at the relentless insects. ¡°But it¡¯s strange,¡± Hen muttered, eyeing the growing swarm around us. ¡°It¡¯s not their season. There shouldn¡¯t be this many of them. Someone must be breeding and releasing them deliberately.¡± ¡°Who do you think would do that?¡± I asked, holding out my hand for another can of bug spray. My fingers were already cramping, and the last thing I wanted was to run out. Hen rummaged through his backpack and handed me another can. ¡°One of the major organizations, most likely,¡± he said, his voice grim. Heaven bless whoever invented this bug spray, I thought as I resumed spraying. ¡°We should head to my smithy,¡± Hen continued. ¡°It¡¯s safer there.¡± He led the way, cutting through the swarms as the bugs crawled toward us from every direction. I considered using my spiritual energy to wipe them out, but seeing how they reacted earlier, I realized it would only make things worse. These creatures seemed to crave spiritual energy. It took us over an hour to walk less than a kilometer, the bugs slowing us at every step. When we finally reached Hen¡¯s smithy, he guided me inside and down to his basement. As we descended, I noticed a variety of herbs and traps lining the passageway, each carefully positioned. None of the traps activated as Hen showed me the safe path through them. Eventually, we arrived at a small room. ¡°This,¡± Hen said, gesturing dramatically as he sat down in a chair, ¡°is my apocalypse bunker.¡± The room wasn¡¯t large or particularly impressive. A locked door on one side likely led to another escape route. There were three narrow beds pushed against one wall, a small mountain of canned food, and an even larger stash of bug spray stacked neatly in the corner. Hen flexed his fingers, massaging them after holding down the spray nozzle for so long. ¡°Not even a thank you for saving your life, kid?¡± he asked, smirking at me. ¡°Thank you, but I could have survived without you,¡± I said, turning away. I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of his smug, grinning face. ¡°Heh, you¡¯ve changed, haven¡¯t you?¡± Hen snickered, clearly enjoying my reaction. ¡°Ugh, enough already. Just tell me, how long do these Blood Bugs stick around?¡± I changed the subject, hoping to steer the conversation away from his irritating glee. Hen shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Hard to say. When they show up during their natural season, they can last anywhere from a week to a month. But these? They¡¯re man-made. Probably not long¡ªafter all, how can you control a city if everyone¡¯s dead?¡± He spoke as if he didn¡¯t care, but something about his tone hinted otherwise. The way his shoulders stiffened ever so slightly told me he knew more than he was letting on. Unbeknownst to me, Hen had already informed the city lord of the impending danger. I sank into one of the chairs, trying to let the exhaustion seep out of my body. But my rest didn¡¯t last long. A faint hissing sound caught my attention, followed by a green smoke curling into the room from the entrance we had just come through. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, alarmed, as I turned to Hen. He showed no expression, almost as if he had been expecting it. ¡°That,¡± he said casually, ¡°is the same bug spray we used earlier, but in a much stronger concentration. It¡¯s designed to be more effective, but it¡¯s also not exactly pleasant to breathe in.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out a gas mask from his bag and strapped it onto his face without any hesitation. ¡°What about me?¡± I asked, glaring at him. Hen shrugged again. ¡°I only have one. Didn¡¯t exactly prepare for company, you know.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for my response. Instead, he adjusted the mask, waved lazily over his shoulder, and walked straight into the creeping green fog. I muttered a string of curses under my breath, channeling my spiritual energy around my body as a protective barrier. As the green mist touched the edges of my energy field, it parted instantly, unable to penetrate. Satisfied that I wouldn¡¯t suffocate, I followed Hen. We hadn¡¯t been in his so-called bunker for long, but honestly, I didn¡¯t mind leaving. A month in close quarters with this old man? No thanks. Chapter 26 - A Dream full of flowers As we left, I noticed my energy was depleting much faster than I¡¯d anticipated. By the time we surfaced, the streets were littered with the corpses of countless Blood Bugs. Soldiers moved methodically, carrying heavy chunks of iron that continuously emitted that green gas. The stench was unbearable, like a mix of vomit and rotting dog waste, left to bake under the sun for hours. No wonder everyone wore gas masks. This old man, of course, still hadn¡¯t given me one. Probably just to spite me. As we exited the city, a man bumped into Hen. The old man didn¡¯t apologize, didn¡¯t even glance at him, just kept walking as if the man didn¡¯t exist. The stranger shot me a scornful look before turning away. ¡°What an asshole,¡± I muttered under my breath, glaring at his retreating. ¡°Hey, kid,¡± Hen said softly, looking around as though checking for eavesdroppers. ¡°What is it?¡± I snapped. ¡°You dragged me out of the city for this? If it¡¯s not important, I¡¯m leaving you here.¡± ¡°If you go back to the city now, you¡¯ll be arrested,¡± Hen replied, his tone unusually serious. Before I could respond, he pulled out a rolled map and a sword¡ªthe same ice-elemental blade I¡¯d admired countless times in his shop. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing them to me. ¡°This is the best map I could find of the surrounding areas. And this sword... I know you¡¯ve been eyeing it.¡± I hesitated, staring at him in disbelief. ¡°Why are you giving me this? And why can¡¯t I go back to the city?¡± Hen sighed heavily, his gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. ¡°The city lord has fled. He was attacked by the Dark Hawk organization, and now they¡¯re about to launch a purge. They¡¯ll wipe out anyone who opposed them.¡± ¡°A purge?¡± I repeated, my voice thick with disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re telling me they released those Blood Bugs just to distract everyone while they took over the city?¡± He nodded grimly. ¡°Exactly. The bugs were meant to throw the city into chaos and make people focus on survival instead of their schemes. And now, anyone who¡¯s spoken against the Dark Hawk is a target¡ªnormal citizens, soldiers, even merchants. If you go back, you¡¯ll be caught in it.¡± My mind reeled at the implications. How many innocent people have already died because of this? From where we stood, I could still see green fog rising from the city, like a sickly haze of death. ¡°I... I can¡¯t believe it,¡± I said, shaking my head. Hen placed a hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Listen, kid. Things are going to get much worse from here. You should leave this place entirely. Start fresh somewhere else. Me?¡± He gave a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the upper realms. It¡¯s time for me to move on.¡± Before I could reply, Hen started to fade, his figure dissipating into the dim light as though he were never truly there to begin with. ¡°Wait, what about your smithy?¡± I asked, struggling to process the old man¡¯s sudden departure. Hen chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll miss this old man, will you? Don¡¯t worry about the smithy. My people will take care of it. But I can¡¯t afford to be captured. That¡¯s why I had to leave the city.¡± He paused, his expression growing stern. ¡°And listen¡ªdon¡¯t tell anyone you met me. Or that you learned elemental forging from me. Ever.¡± Before I could respond, his body began to shimmer and dissolve into particles of light. Slowly, he ascended, the glowing fragments rising toward the sky. I watched him disappear, realizing he wasn¡¯t truly ascending yet. Instead, he was being transported to a place outside this realm¡ªa safe space where the baptism for ascension could take place. A separate dimension is still under the jurisdiction of this realm. And just like that, he was gone. For a moment, I stood there, clutching the ice-elemental sword he¡¯d given me. It wasn¡¯t long before I realized the weapon was freezing my hand. Wincing, I quickly tied it to my waist to avoid frostbite. Unfolding the map Hen had handed me, I was struck with disbelief. This wasn¡¯t just any map¡ªit was a detailed depiction of the entire known world. Every city humans had explored was marked, along with rivers, mountain ranges, and the capitals of each alliance. Even forbidden areas, like the dense forest not far from here, were clearly labeled with ominous black skulls. What surprised me most were the hideouts marked on the map. Hen had meticulously prepared this for me. Why? Shaking my head, I dismissed the thought. Questioning his motives wouldn¡¯t change anything. He¡¯d left me a gift¡ªa valuable one at that. Tucking the map into my backpack and the gas mask away, I turned my back on the city. A pang of sadness hit me as I glanced at its fading silhouette, but I knew I couldn¡¯t stay. Chaos was everywhere, yet most chose to ignore it. That¡¯s why the cries of those suffering never reached us.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. *** Five days later. I trudged through the wilderness, clutching the map Hen had given me. The journey hadn¡¯t been easy¡ªmonsters had chased me more often than I¡¯d fought them. And on the rare occasions I did fight, it wasn¡¯t the heroic slaughter of a conqueror. No, it was a desperate struggle for survival. What kind of steroids are these beasts on? Even now, the memory of a massive beast horde made my skin crawl. Led by several Elite-tier creatures, it was clear a Champion-class monster had been among them. Its mere presence radiated a suffocating aura of dominance. It reminded me of that python I¡¯d encountered before. I wasn¡¯t ready to face something like that again. Eventually, I arrived at the location of the first hideout Hen had marked on the map. Perched on the side of a cliff, it was well-hidden beneath a dense curtain of vines. The instructions Hen left made it easy to find, though, and I slipped through the greenery. Inside, the cave was much larger than I¡¯d expected. The chamber stretched roughly 8 meters wide, 9 meters tall, and 13 meters deep. Putting everything down, I called up the system and purchased the Elite Gene Cap Potion. The moment it appeared in my hand, I nearly dropped it. The potion looked like molten magma, radiating an intense heat that made my skin feel like it was burning just holding the bottle. Do I have to drink this?! Regret hit me like a hammer. I glanced at the system interface, half-tempted to return the potion and get my money back. But it was too late for that¡ªI was broke again, with only 50 silver left. Slapping myself, I tried to snap out of it. I¡¯m not poor! I started with just one silver, and now I had fifty times that. ...Still, that didn¡¯t make me feel any better about drinking this thing. With a deep breath, I yanked the cork out. The heat hit my face like a furnace blast. The potion bubbled violently, and a single drop spilled onto the ground. Hissss. The ground dissolved instantly. Panic gripped me. This is what I¡¯m supposed to drink? My hands shook as I raised the bottle. Every instinct screamed at me to stop, to throw it away, but I knew there was no going back now. Closing my eyes, I tilted the potion back and drank. The first drop hit my tongue¡ªand I froze. Literally. It wasn¡¯t as hot as I expected. It was the exact opposite. A bone-chilling cold spread through me, so intense it felt like my throat was freezing solid. The liquid moved agonizingly slow, inching its way down my throat like frozen sludge. But as soon as I finished, the freezing sensation disappeared. And then the heat came. My body turned into a living furnace. I felt as though molten lava was coursing through my veins, melting everything in its path. The air around me grew thick with steam as my body began to vaporize every droplet of moisture in the room. The entire cave was filled with fog, the humidity rising with each beat of my heart. Desperate for a distraction, I channeled my spiritual energy, forcing it through the threads I had painstakingly woven within my body. But that only made things worse. The potion¡¯s effects surged through me, wreaking havoc. My spiritual energy turned scalding hot, burning through my body like liquid fire. The icy elements that had lingered in my core vaporized instantly, and the threads of energy I¡¯d carefully crafted over months began to unravel, melting under the heat. Reforging. That¡¯s what this was. The potion wasn¡¯t just enhancing me; it was breaking me down first. The pain was unimaginable. My body screamed in protest as every fiber was destroyed, reshaped, and rebuilt stronger than before. But the price was excruciating. Tears streamed down my face as I fought to maintain control, the spiritual energy coursing through me barely manageable. My mind blurred, overwhelmed by the endless cycle of destruction and creation. My vision darkened. My energy was depleted. And then... nothing. Everything faded as I passed out, consumed by the agony of transformation. *** Opening my eyes, I looked around me hazily. I was in a small, cotton-walled room, my arms tied to the bed. When I tried to get down, everything felt smaller¡ªnot the room itself, but me. Where am I? Why does this place feel so familiar? ¡°Test subject 011, we are going in. Please fully cooperate with us.¡± A voice crackled from a loudspeaker in the top right corner of the room. Soon, heavily armed people entered the room, their weapons intimidating. I tried to ask where I was, and what had happened, but my voice failed me. I couldn¡¯t move as I wished. My body seemed to have a mind of its own now. What had they done to me? Who were they? The soldiers picked me up, covering my eyes so I couldn¡¯t see anything as they carried me into another room with other kids. There were many kids, all like me but strangers. Another child approached me then¡ªa little girl with boyish hair and a mix of red and orange hues. A small nose and lips, but a clean and beautiful face. ¡°Good morning, Dax. Did you have a good dream?¡± she asked, her voice cheerful. ¡°Yes, I did, Hera,¡± I heard myself respond¡ªa voice that wasn¡¯t mine, yet familiar. I don¡¯t know her at all, and I don¡¯t remember anything from my past either. Is this a dream? A hallucination? No, it feels real, but I can¡¯t shake the sense of familiarity. ¡°What did you dream about, Dax?¡± Hera asked, her eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°I dreamed¡­ Mom and Dad brought me into a store and picked out the biggest teddy bear for me. I played with them all day and when I went to sleep they even told me a fairy tail.¡± I answered, feeling embarrassed about my simple dream and I could not even keep eye contact as I looked down at my shoes. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m so envious! I can¡¯t even dream or sleep here, yet you can dream about such beautiful places, Dax. I¡¯m so envious of you,¡± Hera said, her voice tinged with longing. ¡°Hera, can you tell me something?¡± Dax asked, looking up to her with expectation. ¡°Of course, anything, Dax. We are friends after all! We should help each other if we want to live to see the next day,¡± Hera said, her words shifting the mood with a sense of urgency. What does she mean by that? I thought, my heart skipping a beat. Is this a place where we have to fight to survive? But unlike the older Dax, the little Dax didn¡¯t react to her statement with shock. Instead, he asked his question. ¡°When will this be over, and can we go home?¡± he asked, looking at Hera with hope. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Dax. But you shouldn¡¯t want to go back to your family, do you? I also don¡¯t want to go back¡ªthey sent us here! They did not want us,¡± Hera said, her voice growing angry and desperate. Dax could only look down, sad and almost wheezing, but then I saw Hera trying to hug him. Well, she tried, but their arms were tied just like his. As this happened, I felt a wave of guilt and endless regret wash over me. Why do I feel guilty? I don¡¯t even know her! But soon everything changed as the kids grew more restless. The loudspeaker crackled again. ¡°For today, to live, you need to escape the forest we have escorted you into. Those who do not come out in 24 hours will be eliminated. I hope you all pass this test.¡± With that, the voice from the loudspeaker stopped, and the doors beneath it slid open. I looked around the room, my attention shifting away from Hera. There were hundreds of kids like me¡ªno equipment, no explanations, nothing. Just how did I end up here? Is this a lucid dream? Maybe, but that won¡¯t explain the guilt in my heart toward Hera. With the doors opening, I felt my legs moving again, compelled to follow the other kids as they ran toward the outside. Fear was in their eyes. Just what is this place? Chapter 27 - ...And Nightmares As I ran outside with Hera and the other kids, the sudden brightness of the sun blinded me for a few seconds, forcing me to pause and recollect myself. Though I couldn¡¯t control my body, I felt everything happening to me as if I were both a participant and an observer. When my vision cleared, I saw a sprawling field ahead. The other kids had already started moving, sprinting toward the forest, their hands still bound together. Something about the forest felt wrong¡ªits towering trees and the shadows within seemed to pulse with malevolent energy. Hera stayed close by my side as we entered, but I noticed others disappearing into the dense fog that had begun to roll in. No one slowed down, even as exhaustion gripped us. It felt as though stopping would mean certain death. Eventually, Hera and I had to stop to catch our breath, but the pause was brief. We soon started jogging again, though my lungs burned with every step. "I... I can¡¯t keep up," I gasped, feeling my strength wane. "Don¡¯t stop, Dax! You can¡¯t give up here!" Hera urged, trying to pull me along, her grip firm despite her exhaustion. "Just... leave me. I¡¯ll catch up later," I wheezed, shoving her away gently as I sank to the ground, utterly spent. Tears welled in her eyes as she bit her lip. Without another word, she turned and ran ahead, leaving me behind. I could only sit there, gasping for air, unable to move. *** Hours passed as I rested before mustering the strength to continue through the foggy forest. It was strange¡ªno matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t recall this place. I didn¡¯t remember ever setting foot here, nor had the map the old man Hen gave me mentioned such a forest. Where am I? As I pondered this, young Dax suddenly stopped and hid behind a tree. Confused, I couldn¡¯t tell why. I didn¡¯t hear or sense anything unusual. Then, from the fog, a deer emerged. At first glance, it seemed like any other deer, but as it drew closer, the sight of its antlers froze me. Impaled on its jagged horns were the limp bodies of children, their lifeless forms swaying with each step the creature took. What kind of sick monsters are behind this? Entertainment at the expense of children? I tried to probe my memories for answers, but something stopped me. It was as if my mind had locked away this part of my past, shielding me from a horror too immense to face. What could have been so terrifying that I would choose to bury it? The deer passed by, oblivious to Dax¡¯s trembling form. The boy didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t even breathe until the monster disappeared into the mist. Only then did he resume his desperate trek through the forest, weaving between trees and staying low to the ground. The deeper we went, the worse it became. The forest felt alive with danger. I saw monsters lurking in the fog, their twisted shapes illuminated briefly by the dim light filtering through the canopy. Scattered among the roots and undergrowth were the bodies of other children who hadn¡¯t been as lucky. Yet, somehow, Dax survived¡ªmore by luck than skill. Time wasn¡¯t on our side, though. I knew he had less than four hours left before the 24-hour deadline. And being "eliminated" was a fate worse than death¡ªof that, I was certain. As I pushed forward, a sudden, chittering sound snapped me back to the present. A centipede the size of a small tree burst from the underbrush, its glossy, segmented body glinting in the faint light. It lunged at me with terrifying speed. I managed to dodge at the last second, my instincts screaming at me to move. The centipede¡¯s claws swiped past me, but not without consequence¡ªa sharp sting on my arm made my heart sink. Paralysis poison. I could feel it already, spreading slowly through my veins. It would take time to reach my brain, but adrenaline surged through me, giving me a fleeting window to act. First, I had to deal with the centipede. Dax darted between the trees, weaving in frantic zigzags as the centipede relentlessly pursued him. It was a desperate game of cat and mouse, with each step demanding every ounce of his strength and focus. Then, he spotted an opportunity. Without hesitation, Dax scrambled up a tree, his small body moving with a speed and agility that even my older self would envy. The centipede didn¡¯t stop¡ªit followed him, its segmented body coiling as it climbed. High in the tree¡¯s crown, where the branches were thick and twisted, Dax found his advantage. The centipede¡¯s movements became sluggish, its large frame unsuited for the confined space. Dax broke off a sturdy branch, gripping it tightly as he prepared to strike. Pinned by the branches, the centipede struggled to maneuver. Taking the chance, Dax leaped behind the creature and plunged the broken branch into a vulnerable spot near its segmented joints. The makeshift weapon didn¡¯t pierce deeply but was enough to enrage the beast. The centipede thrashed wildly, dislodging itself from the branches in its fury. Dax didn¡¯t wait to see the outcome. He leaped from the tree, landing hard on the forest floor and sprinting away without looking back. Behind him, the centipede crashed to the ground, momentarily stunned by its fall. It flailed, trying to regain its footing, but the delay brought Dax just enough time to vanish into the thick fog.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The centipede eventually stopped chasing Dax and began retreating. Seeing an opportunity, Dax leaped down from the tree and landed directly behind it. With all his remaining strength, he drove the broken branch into the creature''s soft joint where its exoskeleton segments connected. The branch didn¡¯t pierce deeply but was enough to send the centipede into a frenzy. Dax quickly jumped to the ground, but as the centipede twisted and turned to pursue him, the branch lodged in its body snagged on a low-hanging tree limb. The sudden halt threw the centipede backward with a violent force, slamming its face into the ground. Wasting no time, Dax disappeared into the dense fog while the centipede flailed, momentarily stunned. By the time it recovered and began searching for him, he was already long gone. However, Dax''s condition was rapidly deteriorating. The strenuous effort of jumping between branches and the flood of adrenaline in his system only accelerated the spread of the paralysis poison. His entire arm was now numb, and the creeping sensation was moving toward his chest. He had no idea how much time had passed, but his vision began to blur. The forest seemed endless, and his body felt like it was shutting down. Yet, hope remained¡ªa flickering determination to escape. And then, as if by some miracle, the dense wall of trees began to thin, revealing an open clearing ahead. He stumbled forward and saw the other children gathered there. Among them was Hera, her face lighting up the moment she spotted him. Relief washed over him, but deep down, the older Dax knew the truth he wouldn¡¯t make it. The poison had spread fully through his body. Each step felt like an eternity, his movements slower and weaker. Yet, somehow, he kept going, inching closer to the finish line. Then it happened. Beep! Beep! Beep! The timer had expired. Dax collapsed to the ground, the sound of the beeping reverberating in his ears. His vision dimmed. A man in a white coat emerged from the crowd of children. His expression was cold, clinical. ¡°Time¡¯s up, kids. As for this unlucky one, take him away,¡± he said, motioning to a nearby guard. The guard moved to lift Dax¡¯s limp body, but Hera stepped forward, arms outstretched. ¡°He made it! He reached the finish line! Why are you taking him?!¡± she shouted, her small frame trembling with defiance. The guard paused and turned to the white-coated man. The man¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Do you know what I despise most, Test Subject 031? Useless people.¡± With those words, the man strode toward Hera, his imposing presence casting a shadow over her. ¡°But I¡¯ll make you a deal, as I¡¯m feeling generous today,¡± the white-coated man said, crouching down to meet Hera¡¯s eyes. Hera, uncertain but desperate, nodded slowly, signaling her willingness to hear the offer. ¡°You can exchange places with him. If you do, I¡¯ll let him live for another day,¡± the man said, a wide, sadistic grin spreading across his face. Though I couldn¡¯t see his features¡ªmy vision clouded as though a fog obscured his appearance¡ªhis voice carried a cruel, taunting tone. Hera froze, her small frame trembling. The words struck her like a blow, yet guilt began to gnaw at her. She remembered how she had abandoned Dax earlier, leaving him to fend for himself. Somehow, against all odds, he had made it this far, suffering because of her decision. Her eyes filled with tears, and her lips quivered. It was her fault. If she hadn¡¯t left him behind, they might have made it here together, unharmed. Finally, after a long, agonizing moment, Hera nodded. ¡°Good, good, good, very good.¡± the man said, each repetition dripping with mockery. He straightened, pulling a sleek pistol from his coat. He pointed it directly at Hera¡¯s forehead. Bang! *** The gunshot shattered the dream. I awoke gasping, my chest heaving as guilt clawed its way into my heart, gnawing at me from within. Tears blurred my vision, and my thoughts spiraled into chaos. The memory¡ªfragmented, disjointed, incomplete¡ªleft a hollow ache deep inside me. I clenched my fists, trembling under the overwhelming weight of emotions. Who was she? The question rang in my mind, unanswered. I couldn¡¯t even recall her face, her name, or her voice. It was as though my past had been locked away, buried beneath layers of mental barriers. ¡°Tell me! Let me remember!¡± I screamed internally, the plea echoing uselessly in the dark corners of my mind. Somehow, my recent transformation into a higher lifeform had fractured these barriers, revealing glimpses of a past I had long forgotten¡ªor deliberately hidden. But this memory, broken as it was, only tormented me further. I slammed my fists into the ground, again and again. Each impact left small craters in the earth, the force shaking my body. I didn¡¯t care about the pain. I didn¡¯t care about the blood dripping from my knuckles or the bones that ached with every strike. The guilt refused to subside. Deep down, I knew the truth. She hadn¡¯t died. But that only made the emotions more complicated. The memory had ended abruptly. What happened after? Where did she go? No answers came. Only silence. Exhausted, I slumped to the ground, staring blankly at the sky above. My chest rose and fell in uneven gasps, and pain coursed through my body¡ªespecially my bruised, bleeding fists. But something else stirred inside me. My spiritual energy, wild and uncontrollable, surged through my body at incredible speed. Before my thoughts could even form, the energy seemed to act on its own, moving with a will of its own. Did my subconscious command it? Most likely. But what truly caught me off guard was how effortlessly I could now manipulate spiritual energy. I could release it, gather it back, and reconvert it into a usable form within my body. More astonishingly, my spiritual energy capacity had expanded significantly. Could it be? Most creatures begin sensing and controlling spiritual energy only in the Elite realm, yet I had been doing so much earlier. That likely explains this rapid increase in capacity. Even the system, advanced as it seemed, didn¡¯t fully understand the workings of this world. I began recalling the books I¡¯d read. Were they truly insights from the system, or had the system simply gathered and distributed knowledge authored by others? Most likely the latter. If that¡¯s the case, then there could be countless unknown ways to expand one¡¯s spiritual energy capacity¡ªmethods so rare or dangerous that few lived to share their secrets. As I mulled over these thoughts, a new system message materialized before me. *** [Confirmed: Gene Cap Potion (Elite) consumed.] [Gene cap raised by 50 points. All existing genes consumed.] [Note: Only monster flesh of Elite grade or higher can now raise the user''s gene capacity due to potion side effects.] *** My lips curled into a satisfied smile. My new gene capacity was 250¡ªa staggering number. For most, the maximum gene cap was 150, even after a grueling effort. I now had a cap nearly double that. And if I managed to consume a Champion-level potion, I could push it even higher. But the thrill of my newfound potential quickly faded as a harsh reality dawned on me. It had cost 2 gold coins to max out my current genes. How much would it take to fill a capacity of 250? The calculation made my knees weak. 0.1 kilograms of Elite-grade monster flesh cost 1 gold coin. That tiny amount granted a single gene point. To reach the full 250, I¡¯d need 250 gold coins. The sheer number was crushing. Even if I hunted and sold Champion-level monsters, the system¡¯s rewards wouldn¡¯t be enough. From what I¡¯d seen, I¡¯d need to kill at least six or seven of them to gather the required funds. It felt impossible. My smile faded entirely. There had to be another way¡ªa method beyond conventional means. I couldn¡¯t rely solely on the system or the marketplace to achieve my goals. I would have to find that hidden path, no matter the cost. Soon, I recalled the professions. Becoming a blacksmith wasn¡¯t an option for me, but perhaps an alchemist could be. I could sell potions¡ªitems that were incredibly expensive to buy but could grant temporary boosts to strength and speed. However, the thought of becoming an alchemist felt like a distant dream. To start, I¡¯d need to buy the basics¡ªalchemy knowledge¡ªthat would cost around 40 gold coins. Lying on the ground, I just stared at that number, feeling a deep despair. How could I ever accumulate such a sum? And that wasn¡¯t even considering the materials required, which the system would not provide in infinite supply. This world felt unbearably cruel. Chapter 28 - The Monster in the Darkness After coming to terms with the sudden loss and facing the reality that I might work myself to death just to gather enough resources for the system, I couldn¡¯t help but think, So this is modern slavery, huh? I tried to sleep, but I didn¡¯t feel tired. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Hera¡¯s corpse. I knew she wasn¡¯t dead, but how could she survive being shot from such a close distance? Driven by this nightmare, I could only work hard and gather the new gene-cap potions so I could uncover the past hidden from me. First, let¡¯s check our gains. My lifeform has been upgraded to Elite. I could feel my strength skyrocket I could easily defeat myself from just a day ago. I wouldn¡¯t have suffered such an injury from the python if I had this strength. Channeling my energy, I could tell that my energy reserves had become much larger and more refined, though not stronger. My attack strength didn¡¯t increase significantly¡ªif it did, it wasn¡¯t enough for me to notice. What changed was that I could unleash at least 30 energy waves continuously without stopping. Covering my short blade in spiritual energy, I could feel it would last much longer than before¡ªit could last up to 5 minutes! Such a shocking increase, and I wanted to check what the difference was between this and the elemental weapon the old man gave me. When I gripped the sword and channeled energy into it, I could feel it wailing at me Release it from its prison. As I released the energy wave from the sword, not only did the color change from green to icy blue, but it also had side effects. Whoever got hit by it would suffer from frost invading their bodies, slowing them down, or freezing them on the spot. Secondly, the tattoos on me changed. They went from snakes to winged snakes, and I could see them growing legs too! I wasn¡¯t fantasizing when I first saw it! The tattoo changes¡ªlikely the side effects of evolution. So many secrets and too few answers. After changing clothes and leaving the cave, I resumed my journey. Staying in this cave for a few days was okay, but I needed to move to a big city¡ªlikely one of the cities linked to the Northern Alliance capitals. Yes, the Northern Alliance has multiple capital cities, and they switch every term. There are three alliances and three capitals. Don¡¯t ask me how bureaucrats manage to deal with all the paperwork that comes with it. Before I go to the capital, I should slay some monsters down. Wandering around the forest, I found some normal and extraordinary monsters, but it seemed like all the Elite ones had disappeared from this world. It took me several hours to find one, and it was a black leopard¡ªjust like the ones that used to live on Earth. This one was the same, but much faster it could only last three energy waves before succumbing to its wounds and dying. It couldn¡¯t even escape. Feeling my newfound strength, I also started searching for new skills. My current skills are good, but I felt they had reached their limits in certain fields, and I didn¡¯t have any attack skills that focused solely on raw power but rather enchanted the user or his attacks. I also searched for mastery skills in the sword section. I found one I liked ¡®Dance of Flowers.¡¯ Sounds girlish, right? Well, I thought so at first, but I bought it in the end as I was curious about it for 1 gold and 50 silver. When I started reading, I realized its name made sense. When you¡¯re in a field of flowers, they always move with the wind, and when they move, their petals move differently¡ªnot a single flower moves in the same direction. Each one has its distinct move some move more to the left or right. This technique mimics your opponent¡¯s movements as they move left, so do you, and you¡¯ll mirror their strikes. It¡¯s like a mimicking technique, but later on, it also tells you when to strike your opponent when they are in their weakest state if you follow along with the corresponding technique. I have to tell you, this technique is extremely hard to master. You have to follow your opponent¡¯s movements and move in sync with them. Not only that, but you also have to punish them when they don¡¯t follow your rhythm. So when they¡¯re out of rhythm, you can attack them. It¡¯s like facing a copy of yourself, and when the copy feels the original making mistakes, you push them and take over the rhythm. In that moment, the opponent has to move according to your movements. Even though the flowers in the field each move differently when the wind blows, they all face the same direction when they move. I tried multiple times with this technique, but I knew it wasn¡¯t for me. No matter how much I practiced against my opponents, I realized it was a waste of money. Sighing, I could only sell this technique when I got to the city. While spiritual techniques are universal and everyone can practice them, these specific techniques are not the same. One has to be born with the necessary talent to master them to perfection. Maybe someone in the future will be able to master this technique, but it¡¯s not for me. I also learned a valuable lesson not everything in the system is useful for me. Some traps could lead me astray on my path. I need to carefully consider which skills to buy, but the descriptions make it all a gamble. They¡¯re vague and scare me, fearing that if I try them, they won¡¯t suit my liking or style. But as I thought, soon total darkness descended upon the world. Night fell, but this didn¡¯t slow my advancement. Using my spiritual energy, not only could I detect what was around me, but I could sense if any creature was trying to attack me. Even though I shouldn¡¯t rely solely on it, it¡¯s still a useful skill for me. As I stepped on a branch and made a sound, I felt something passing by me¡ªa shadow faster than the python when it advanced to Champion of the Life Realm. I could only channel even more energy into my eyes as I looked around vigilantly. All I made out was a dark shadow the size of a basketball. Soon, I felt it attacking from behind me with extremely fast speed. I turned around just in time and released an energy wave, but the monster dodged in no time and moved back into the darkness. What surprised me most was that it could hide its presence in the darkness I couldn¡¯t detect any spiritual energy from it.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I knew I was in a tight spot as the creature was moving around me, and I couldn¡¯t even hear anything when it attacked, making it even worse for me. I could only move slowly, trying to find a place where I could gain an advantage. Whoosh! With the leaves making a sound, I instantly reacted and struck where I heard the sound. Nothing. I hit nothing but the trees in that direction. Damn it! What the hell is it? I can¡¯t see it, nor can I make out what it is, and in such darkness, I have to be on full alert as it could attack from any direction. Soon, the wind started blowing the leaves, making my job harder. I knew I couldn¡¯t channel any energy into my eyes anymore because I couldn¡¯t see it. With the wind blowing the leaves, I couldn¡¯t even hear where it would attack from. Then something entered my spiritual field as I was momentarily caught up in my thoughts. Feeling the danger, I swung my sword in that direction, but again, there was nothing¡ªonly the forest. But this time, I could make out its figure more clearly. It was a whole body covered in fur, and it didn¡¯t have any eyes, just cat-like whiskers on its nose to sense anything in front of it. That might be why it dodged every time. But I couldn¡¯t make out more about the monster as it retreated too fast, and the minimal light from the bugs or plants in this forest started to darken, leaving my last source of light diminishing fast. I never bet on this little light to navigate in the darkness, but it helped me identify the direction I was going. Yet even at such a close distance, I still couldn¡¯t sense any spiritual energy from it. Every attack I tried seemed to bounce off the creature, which surprised me. Just how is it immune to spiritual energy attacks? Could it be a dead creature? No, that wouldn¡¯t explain its intelligence. But happily, I didn¡¯t have to wait long as the first ray of light descended on the forest. Sensing its time had run out, the creature retreated. I knew it would try to find me and hunt me down as soon as darkness fell again. I don¡¯t know how, but I felt that I was marked by it somehow. Knowing this, I had to find a good place to face it again. Even though it was Elite level, it gave me the most headaches. I couldn¡¯t see it or sense it at all. Every time I killed it, it would retreat instantly, dodging all my attacks. I could walk for a few days without sleeping thanks to my promotion to Elite level, but I knew I needed to sleep, and it would strike me even if I slept during the daytime. I could sense it did not leave me completely alone as it watched me from the darkness of the forest. A fricking stalker, huh? Not stopping until I found a good place to face it again, I started jogging instead of walking or sprinting. Moving faster conserved more energy for me. *** I moved around the forest for quite some time, but I didn¡¯t see an end or a place where I could confront this creature. No wonder it lived here¡ªa perfect hunting ground for it. What surprised me was that there were no monsters. No birds or even insects. Did this thing hunt down every creature that entered its territory? Knowing I was running out of time and didn¡¯t want to waste my time with this monster, I had to improvise. Soon, I started cutting down trees, but only enough for them not to fall to the ground. Using vines I found, I connected the trunks of different trees, creating a big web. They weren¡¯t strong, but they would hinder the movements of anyone trying to pass through this location. As for the ground, I bought from the system soups and different drinks and poured them on the ground to make it mushy and slippery. Waste of money, but I had to do it if I wanted to catch this creature. I could only wait for it to strike while I pinched my nose against the unbearable smell of so many foods being thrown on the ground and baking under the sun. Soon, darkness came, and I stopped meditating. Dark circles under my eyes showed how tired I was from brainstorming ideas and executing them. Soon, the wind started again, making sounds by moving the leaves, and darkness engulfed everything. Nothing happened for a long time, but I knew it was watching me from the darkness, waiting for its opportunity. Soon, the wind stopped, but the leaves did not as something moved fast, and I could hear the vines snapping. I saw something approaching me and brandished my short sword, sending an energy wave to meet it. The creature tried to back away, but the mushy ground made it slip and land heavily on the ground. Its four limbs spread out, clinging to its bare body. It tried to get up, but the vines tangled around its legs and the slippery ground made it hard to balance. Knowing the creature could not escape, I sent another wave of energy its way. If I moved, I would fall into my trap, as the ground around me within a meter was still mushy. Soon, another wave went towards it. The creature, sensing danger, jumped at a nearby tree. The sudden force made the tree instantly fall, as I had chipped so much from the trunk that with a little force, the tree could be knocked down. The monster lost its balance and grip, making its attempt to jump away weaker, causing it to fall to the ground and get entangled by vines again. Another energy wave went towards it. Feeling the danger, it tried to get up but slipped its footing and fell to the ground again. In its desperation, it made a great sacrifice its front leg was cut off. With only three legs and a bleeding wound, it tried to retreat¡ªand it did, successfully, as my energy waves have a limit on how far they can reach. But the blood it left behind allowed me to follow it easily. This creature had not let go of me for so long, and I don¡¯t think it would with such grievances. Following it around for some time, I soon caught up with it as it weakened from the loss of blood. What surprised me most was that I could sense its spiritual energy flowing out from its body. No longer would I be in darkness as I sent another energy wave toward it. With that, I followed up by covering my sword in spiritual energy and continuing after my initial attack. Sensing the danger, the monster dodged, but sluggishly, as it tried to climb a tree but failed due to its adjustment to having only three legs instead of four. With its momentum broken, but dodging the energy wave, I struck at it. Feeling the danger closing in, and with not enough energy, the monster moved sideways to dodge a fatal attack and bit onto my arm. ¡°Not this again!¡± I saw it trying to bite through my arm, but the wrist protector did its job, stopping the monster from seriously damaging my wrist. I slashed the monster in two as I changed direction. My sword moved as the monster did not have high defense. Soon, its body weakened and dropped to the ground, but not before causing some injuries to my wrist as its fangs penetrated the leather in the end. I moved my wrist around a bit the injury wasn¡¯t serious, so I made sure no infection occurred. I bought a few herbs for this job, applied them to my wound, and wrapped my wrist in bandages. But this wasn¡¯t the last monster that irritated me on my journey to the capital. I encountered many monsters and hordes of them that chased me around. In the end, though, I reached the capital. Chapter 29 - Alchemy (1) One of the cities connected to the capital is Zadra. Zadra is one of the first human cities established in the first realm. Unlike the places I¡¯ve previously visited, this city is controlled by an organization¡ªand within it, a prominent family.The organization? The Drake Slayers. An edgy name, sure, but it was founded years ago by a group of idealistic youths with dreams of changing the world. Who would¡¯ve thought they¡¯d end up becoming the very kind of people they once despised in their youth? I didn¡¯t dwell on these thoughts as I approached the city gates. Instead of the usual buzzing streets, I was greeted by an unusually quiet city and two guards who looked bored and anything but disciplined. They stood at their posts, barely paying attention. As I got closer, one of the guards glanced at me briefly, then returned to his indifferent stance. Not a word, not even a request for an entry fee. With my mask on, I walked right into the city without being stopped or questioned. Strange. Why didn¡¯t they charge me the entry fee? Cities like this thrive on merchant trade or monster hunters selling their spoils to fuel the local economy. A lax attitude like this could hurt them in the long run¡ªor maybe they just assume no one would dare cause trouble in a city so close to the capital. The streets were eerily empty, and the shops were all closed. Intrigued, I entered an inn. Inside, I found the innkeeper and a crowd of people glued to a television screen. ¡°With one strike, Aron wins the match!¡± Cheers erupted throughout the inn. People had bright, excited expressions, though a few faces turned sour with disappointment. I furrowed my brow, momentarily confused. Then it clicked. The Helix Cup. I¡¯d completely forgotten it was happening now. ¡°Man, if only I could participate,¡± muttered a man, slumped over in his chair and drunk. His eyes were fixed on the screen, filled with envy. ¡°Hah! Even if you did, you¡¯d lose in the first round with your weak potential,¡± jeered another drunken man nearby, slamming his mug down on the table. ¡°Let me tell you, anyone with less than 100 genes doesn¡¯t stand a chance at breaking into the top 1,000!¡± declared an old man seated at the counter, leaning closer to the glowing screen. The room fell silent as many of the rowdy patrons absorbed this information. Most of the older men present had around 50 to 60 genes¡ªa respectable number for the lower realms. But they all knew the harsh truth the gap between them and the elites only widened with ascension. It was a chasm too vast to cross. That¡¯s why many of them had chosen to remain in the lower realms. I took a seat at an empty table and ordered a drink. My throat felt dry from the journey, and I needed something to settle my thoughts. Like the others, I stared at the screen, curiosity piqued. How strong were these fighters compared to me? Their weapons and armor caught my eye¡ªeach piece infused with elemental energy, covering them from head to toe. While their equipment seemed slightly weaker than mine, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at their resourcefulness and wonder about the staggering amount of money they must have spent on such gear. For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed my mind if I robbed them and sold their equipment, I¡¯d easily earn at least 100 gold. But then I remembered the organizations backing them. No wonder these fighters hadn¡¯t been stripped clean already¡ªeach of them had connections, with some backing stronger than the last. I even recognized the names of a few organizations being mentioned by the rowdy crowd in the inn. Despite my time spent in the wilderness or being used as bait, rumors and names like these still managed to reach my ears. It reminded me of that arrogant young master from back home, constantly bragging about his strength and influence. Boasting seemed to be his strongest skill, now that I thought about it. Pushing the memory aside, I refocused on the screen as I ate and drank, watching the combat unfold. *** ¡°Let¡¯s give a big round of applause for our two contenders who¡¯ve fought their way to the top!¡± As the speaker said he gestured towards the two fighters from the podium. Cheers erupted in the arena as the camera panned to the two combatants walking into the ring. These weren¡¯t just any fighters¡ªthey were favorites to win the championship. Many in the crowd had hoped to see them clash in the finals, not here in the semifinals. Disappointment lingered in the air, but the excitement outweighed it as applause thundered through the venue. The two warriors entered the ring, a circular platform with a diameter of 25 meters, made from an alloy designed to withstand the fiercest of blows. There were no fences or barriers¡ªfalling out of the ring meant instant elimination, adding another layer of tension to the match. One contender was a familiar face to the crowd Hades. Across from him stood Neron, the grandson of Helix himself¡ªa fact that the media had latched onto, hyping him up as the clear favorite to win the cup. The stats told a different story. Neron boasted a gene cap of 113, while Hades was slightly behind at 104. On paper, Neron seemed like the obvious victor. However, the crowd knew better. Hades had far superior equipment and an unmatched mastery of his weapons, putting Neron at a disadvantage in skill and technique. This match wasn¡¯t just about raw power versus skill¡ªit was a clash of two giants, each embodying different philosophies of combat.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Hades with his look of everything below him charmed many young girls while Neron had a look of zero interest in all of this. His look that showed no emotion made many of his opponents angry for him not showing any emotion when they faced him, but Hades did not care as he only hoped to catch his grandfather''s attention. Neron did not have any look that made him stand out from the crowd other than an extremely cold and indifferent personality. He had brown hair and brown eyes as the majority of the Central Alliance people. Both went to the middle of the ring and the referee asked both if they knew the rules. Both answered patiently and with the judge signaling the match to start both contenders attacked each other. Neron has a blade with two holes at the end with rings hanging out and a small shield while Hades has a two-handed sword with no shield as he cannot use it with the two-handled sword. Both started contending with strength and Neron gained the upper hand. Hades feeling being pressed down with a quick movement made the blade slide to the side and he aimed at Neron''s neck, but before he could land a hit a shield blocked his blade. Missing his chance, he retreated as Neron''s blade was already moving towards him. With moving his two-handed sword, he blocked the blade, but with his shield, Neron hit Hades in the chest. Haddes grit his teeth to hold back from spitting out his saliva. Hades had an extremely ugly look on his face as he was almost humiliated in front of his grandfather and looked at Neron who had an indifferent expression. Soon both contesters fought against each other. Blow for blow as they each faced each other, but it was clear Haes was losing, he recorded underhanded attacks, but Neron defended them successfully as he saw how Hades fought beforehand and he knew he loved to do it. As for Neron, there was little information as Neron always one-hit his opponents. Seeing their fight made many people amazed except Dax as their movements seemed slow and dull. He felt he could easily defeat them with only 2 moves or even one if he made himself serious. Getting bored from the fight he knew already it was a matter of time before Hades lost so he finished his meal and drink and went to the room that he booked. No one paid any attention to me all eyes were glued to the screen. *** Back in my room, I began browsing through the books I had accumulated, trying to determine which ones I could sell without causing myself trouble later. The main concern was whether the books would vanish if someone else fully mastered them, just as they had for me. If the books disappeared, people would undoubtedly start asking questions. How would I explain their sudden absence without becoming a target? I briefly entertained the idea of copying the contents into blank books, but the illustrations posed a significant problem. Each movement and each technique was accompanied by intricate diagrams, and my drawing skills were atrocious. After some thought, I abandoned the idea. It seemed there was no easy way to make money. Was alchemy my only viable option? Alchemy required specific tools and equipment, but it was still less demanding than blacksmithing. Sighing, I pulled out the map to plan my next move. My eyes drifted westward, to the areas marked as forbidden zones. One location stood out¡ªa cluster of ominous black skull symbols. Each skull represented an Elite-class monster, but several clustered together. That could only mean something far worse, perhaps even a Champion-class monster. No one would willingly venture there. The price paid to gather such information must have been steep, and it was doubtful anyone would risk their lives further for the promise of untold dangers. But for me, it was an opportunity. Champion monsters were bound by the rules of the realm, unable to unleash their full strength. That restriction leveled the playing field¡ªat least enough for me to consider taking the risk. My mind made up, I folded the map and prepared to leave. Heading downstairs, I caught the end of the match on the inn¡¯s screen. As expected, Hades had lost, and his expression told the entire story. His bloodshot eyes trembled with barely contained fury, his pride shattered. Had he taken a blow to the head? No, it wasn¡¯t physical. The loss had broken him. I shook my head. If I had participated and defeated him, what then? Hades would likely fixate on me, seeking revenge the moment the cup ended. Unlike Neron, who had a powerful backing, I had no such protection. Facing Hades¡¯ wrath wasn¡¯t worth the glory. Leaving the inn, I noticed the streets bustling with activity once again. People filtered in and out of shops and homes, their break from the tournament allowing them to return briefly to their daily lives. The buzz would no doubt intensify once the finals began. *** Thud! A buffalo slid across the ground, split cleanly in two from my strike. With this, I finally collected enough gold to buy the Beginner¡¯s Guide to Alchemy. With a single click, all my hard-earned gold vanished. It took killing 34 Elite monsters just to scrape together enough. The grind had been brutal. I purchased the book and sat down in the middle of the field to read. As I flipped through its pages, the foundational principles of alchemy began to take shape in my mind¡ªhow to extract properties from materials, combine them, and concoct potions. The book included a few basic recipes, but two of them stood out to me. The first was a potion that temporarily boosted strength by 30%, which could be a game-changer in combat. The second recipe accelerated digestion by 50%¡ªa practical but less exciting use. The third recipe, which sped up regeneration by 5%, was practically useless. A 5% increase wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference, especially since the ingredients required were from monsters in the Second Realm. That made it inaccessible to me unless I could trade with someone who¡¯d already ascended. My focus shifted to the strength potion. To brew it, I¡¯d need a few key items several glass tubes, glass bottles, a cauldron, and specific ingredients. The materials for the strength potion included raging bull hair, a toad tongue, and several herbs. In total, the cost would come to about 15 silver. I calculated the risks and rewards. The experience I¡¯d gain from concocting potions, along with their potential value, could make the investment worthwhile. If I succeeded, I could snowball my profits in the First Realm and set myself up for success when I ascended. Eventually, I¡¯d reach a point where I wouldn¡¯t even need to lift a finger¡ªmoney would come to me effortlessly. But then a thought struck me. Would the system allow me to carry this wealth into the next Realm? If the system took everything upon ascension, I¡¯d have to start from scratch. On the other hand, if it didn¡¯t, I¡¯d be the happiest person alive. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. I started with nothing here, and I could do it again in the Second Realm if I had to. Besides, I¡¯d be stronger by then. For now, the priority was clear gather enough money to buy the necessary equipment and secure a place to concoct potions. Chapter 30 - Alchemy (2) After killing enough Elite creatures, I made my way to the city. Same guard, same experience.My first stop was the local real estate business. Unlike in reality, housing here doesn¡¯t boom¡ªconstant battles against monsters have forced many people to abandon their homes and seek new ones. With no truly safe place in the Realm, not everyone lives here. Only 1 in 1,000 people make the Realm their home.Because of this, housing prices are extremely low. I bought a house for just 3 gold. It was near the walls, had a small garden, and was big enough for me to concoct potions. After checking out my new house, I visited several shops and gathered the materials I needed to craft my first potion a Strengthening Potion. According to the recipe, I needed to crumble the herbs together first. The juice extracted during this process had to be filtered and poured into the cauldron, while the leftover plant material was discarded. The herb juice was the key ingredient.The fire under the cauldron slowly heated it. I couldn¡¯t let the fire go out, so I had to prepare plenty of wood. If the fire died, I¡¯d have to start the entire process over from scratch. My cauldron wasn¡¯t very big, holding only 5 liters of liquid, but I couldn¡¯t fill it even halfway. If the potion was too concentrated, it would become useless. On the other hand, if I added too much water, it would lose its potency. I needed to find the perfect balance. When bubbles began rising from the cauldron, I added Bull¡¯s hairs and a toad''s tongue. What kind of toad? As long as it wasn¡¯t poisonous, it would do.But what if it was poisonous? In that case, I¡¯d probably end up spending the rest of the day in the restroom, suffering and regretting my life choices. Soon, the liquid changed from light green to dark green. I stirred the pot to ensure the ingredients mixed properly and didn¡¯t stick to the walls, which could reduce the potion''s potency. The dark green liquid eventually turned light red. That was the sign the Bull¡¯s hairs were working. Their only purpose was to turn the liquid red. Why? Well, would you willingly drink something that looked like swamp water? At least the potion should have a decent texture, even if the taste was terrible. Seeing the bubbles subside, I knew the potion was progressing successfully.Soon, the brewing process finished, and the liquid turned dark red. To be cautious, I used another glass for a taste test before pouring it into flasks and sealing them. As I sipped, I felt a slight sting on my tongue, but I ignored it. When I gulped the whole thing down, however, my stomach churned violently. I knew immediately¡ªthe toad had been poisonous. Thus ended my first potion creation, and I spent the rest of my second day in the capital locked in a battle so intense no living being could endure it, seated on the toilet, pale-faced and broken. *** With a white face and unsteady legs, I stumbled back to the cauldron and poured all the potion onto the grass, letting the ground absorb the useless liquid. "I shouldn¡¯t have trusted that damn merchant!" I muttered bitterly. He had sold me the toad at half the price the system offered it for, and now I knew why. Faulty ingredients. Frustrated, I threw the rest of the toad¡¯s tongue into the bin¡ªit was clear as day that the merchant had cheated me. Preparing for a second attempt, I started over. This time, the liquid didn¡¯t turn red it turned blue. I froze. That was a bad sign.Before I could react, the liquid started rising. Some stray herb remains must have gotten into the cauldron, and soon the potion overflowed onto the floor, extinguishing the fire. The second try was a disaster. I sighed and prepared to restart. Once again, I cleaned the cauldron, crumbled the herbs, and carefully poured the extracted herb juice into the cauldron. I added water, ensuring the level was just halfway¡ªno more, no less. I waited patiently as the liquid turned dark green, then added the remaining ingredients. This time, the liquid slowly turned dark red. I knew I was almost done. I tasted it cautiously. No sting¡ªjust a bitter taste. This time, it worked. As I finished drinking, I felt strength coursing through me, a clear sign of success. My strength had increased by about 30%. "Not bad," I thought, wiping sweat from my brow. After failing twice, I finally got it right. I poured the finished potion into glass flasks and sealed them with corkscrews. With these potions ready, I was good to sell them. Would people suspect where I got them? No, not likely. Alchemists were common in the industry, and these potions weren¡¯t anything groundbreaking. After all, humanity had been in the Realm for 500 years, and basic alchemical recipes like this were already well-researched. Potion creation in the First and Second Realms includes thousands of recipes, each yielding different results. Why doesn¡¯t everyone use them? Simple¡ªthey¡¯re absurdly expensive. The rich have monopolized the potion market, buying up everything of value. Freelancers occasionally sell potions, but they¡¯re snapped up almost immediately.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. From what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s an auction house where I can sell my potions. But before that, I need to stockpile a decent amount. Each brewing session only produces four potions. Each potion sells for a minimum of 60 silver, while my brewing costs amount to 15 silver per session¡ªor, considering my earlier failures, 45 silver. If I manage to brew successfully, that¡¯s a net profit of 2 gold and 5 silver per session. On my third day, I focused entirely on brewing potions. By the end of the day, I¡¯d brewed 28 potions. But I also failed 13 times, wasting around 1 gold and 95 silver¡ªnearly 2 gold. However, with each potion selling for 60 silver, my total profit amounted to 16 gold and 80 silver! Satisfied, I set aside one potion for myself and made my way to the auction house. Selling potions isn¡¯t as straightforward as it sounds. Shops demand a consistent supply, but potion brewing is unpredictable¡ªsuccess isn¡¯t guaranteed, and each batch requires time. Machines can¡¯t replicate the process, and for some reason, brewing potions outside the Realms doesn¡¯t work. On top of that, machines don¡¯t function inside the Realms either, creating a vicious cycle with no solution. These thoughts occupied my mind as I walked, the journey to the auction house passing by in a blur. The auction house itself was under the control of the Alliance, an organization powerful enough that no one dared to mess with them. Inside their walls, I didn¡¯t need to worry about trouble. Another advantage they keep their clients¡¯ identities completely anonymous. After all, if they leaked sellers¡¯ information, who would trust them in the future? They¡¯re like a legal black market¡ªefficient and discreet. Inside, I headed straight to the reception desk, where a woman sat behind the counter. She looked like a perfectly ordinary person. Her black hair was neatly tied back, and she wore glasses that gave her a sharp, professional appearance. No remarkable features, nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°What may I help you with, sir?¡± the woman asked, looking at me warily. I wore my mask, as always. Wherever I went, it drew strange looks¡ªafter all, no one trusted a man who walked around with his face covered. ¡°I want to sell my potions,¡± I said bluntly, skipping any pleasantries. I¡¯d already gathered enough information from the local shops, asking about their prices and costs. That¡¯s how I knew my potions would fetch 60 silver apiece. Hearing this, the woman stood up and stepped out from behind the reception desk, walking to stand in front of me. ¡°Please, sir, I¡¯ll need a sample to ensure the quality of the product you wish to sell.¡± She bowed slightly, extending her hand. I could tell she was being careful¡ªprofessional, but polite. Alchemists were rare, and anyone who could create potions held a certain status, even in a place like this. Still, they couldn¡¯t accept just anyone or the auction house would be flooded with swindlers. I removed my backpack, pulled out a flask of the potion, and handed it over. She accepted it and disappeared into one of the rooms behind her. The wait felt longer than it was¡ªabout five minutes¡ªbefore she returned. ¡°We¡¯ve tested the product, and it meets our standards,¡± she said with a professional smile. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll give you a form to fill out. You¡¯ll need to state how many potions you plan to deliver for auction, as well as details about the product, including its effects and any side effects for disclosure to buyers.¡± She stepped back to the desk, retrieved a form from beneath it, and handed it to me. ¡°Additionally, you¡¯ll need to attend your first auction,¡± she added. ¡°We¡¯ll reserve a seat for you in advance. Don¡¯t worry, though¡ªthis is only required for your first submission. Future sales won¡¯t require your presence.¡± I nodded in understanding. It made sense¡ªthey wanted to ensure someone was accountable in case of failure or other unforeseen issues. I took a seat and looked over the form. It asked for my address, the number of items I wished to auction, a description of each item, and clear details about their effects and potential side effects to warn buyers. After filling it out, I handed the form back to her. She thanked me politely as I left the auction house. Not long after I returned home, a wagon arrived in front of my house. A group of workers disembarked, carefully loading all the potions onto the wagon. The vehicle was pulled by a creature resembling a horse but with six legs instead of four. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the beast. I didn¡¯t know how much effort had gone into taming it, but I was certain the process had cost lives¡ªmany people were likely injured or killed in the attempt. They carefully packed the potions into special cases, using cloth to cushion the flasks and prevent any damage. Their stay was brief¡ªthey left as quickly as they arrived. Before leaving, they informed me that the auction would begin in two days, at midday when the sun was at its peak. Once they were gone, I returned to my room to rest briefly. However, money waits for no one, and soon enough, I began preparing for my second batch of potions. This time, I focused on Digestion Potions. Why would anyone buy them? Simple. The extremely rich would snap them up. Normally, a person can only eat a limited amount of food at one time, capping how much genetic evolution they can achieve. With Digestion Potions, this limit could be bypassed, allowing someone to max out their genes faster and progress to the Second Realm sooner. For those with wealth and ambition, time is everything. The process for this potion was different. First, I needed to carefully dry a selection of herbs¡ªslowly, to preserve their essence. Once dried, I boiled a fresh pot of water and added the herbs to the cauldron. Next came the most critical step the stomach of a Pygmy Shrew. These little creatures were infamous for their insatiable hunger. Their stomachs were the key to enhancing the potion¡¯s effects, giving it an additional boost. I had to be careful, though. The stomach had to be empty. If it contained even the smallest trace of food, it would ruin the entire batch. I boiled it alongside the herbs, watching closely as the liquid began to change color. Success meant achieving a yellowish-green hue. How would I know the potion was ready? A taste test¡ªwhat else? Pygmy Shrew''s stomachs weren¡¯t poisonous, so the worst outcome would be yet another epic clash with the restroom. Unfortunately, creating the Digestion Potion proved far more troublesome than I¡¯d expected. The system didn¡¯t sell Pygmy Shrew stomachs¡ªor the creatures themselves. I had to buy them from a butcher, which wasn¡¯t cheap. And so, I failed five times before I finally got it right. As frustrating as it was, I couldn¡¯t deny it time had flown by. *** Far away, in a dark underground chamber, shadowy figures had gathered. Each wore black robes with hoods and masks, their faces hidden even from the faint light that flickered in the room. ¡°How long until the preparations are complete?¡± asked one figure, his voice low and commanding. He turned toward another cloaked figure¡ªthis one unmistakable, holding a staff topped with a skull. ¡°I¡¯ll need around two months to finish everything,¡± the staff holder replied, his tone indifferent, eyes fixed forward. The others fell silent, pondering his words. ¡°Then two months from now, we shall begin our ascension!¡± another figure declared, his voice full of fervor. ¡°Let the world see! We, who possess the truth of this world, will reveal it to all. We will show them our lord and deliver them from the darkness that has engulfed humanity!¡± ¡°Let the truth be known to everyone!¡± the group chanted in unison, their voices echoing through the chamber. Their plans remained shrouded in secrecy, but one thing was certain trouble was coming. This wasn¡¯t a scheme that would affect just a handful of people¡ªit was a storm that would shake the entire world. Chapter 31 - The Start of the Countdown to ruin It had been a week since the auction, and I was so disappointed with it that I almost fell asleep during the event.I thought it would be exciting to see people with bloodshot eyes fighting over items, driving up prices endlessly like crazed lunatics. But no¡ªeverything, felt planned out in advance. Only a few items sparked real bidding wars, with multiple people competing. At least my potion sold for 70 silver, which was higher than my estimate of 60 silver. From what I could tell, some people had ugly expressions when my potion came up, likely pressured into not bidding for it. Still, by consistently selling my potions to the auction house every day, I managed to earn 90 gold and 40 silver this week. Why so little? An accident occurred midway through the auction, and some of my potions were damaged and couldn¡¯t be sold. I received compensation of 12 gold, but it was much less than what I would have earned had the potions been sold properly. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much I could do the auction house was the only reliable channel I had for selling potions. Lately, however, I¡¯ve noticed people tailing me as I return home. I¡¯ve been targeted.With no other choice, I started taking long, winding routes around the city until I finally lost them. But I know this won¡¯t last. More people will come for me. They¡¯ll try to figure out who¡¯s backing me, and once they realize I have no backer, they¡¯ll strike¡ªlikely to steal my potions or coerce me into working for them. But I have zero interest in working under someone else. They¡¯d take the lion¡¯s share of my work while leaving me with mere scraps. I had no choice but to plan my escape. Trouble was already at my heels after just one week. After brewing my final batch of potions for the auction house, I took out my map and pondered where I should go next. I stood there, hand on my chin, deep in thought. That¡¯s when I remembered Skylit City.Wasn¡¯t it ruined? There wouldn¡¯t be many people there, not with zombies infesting the place. It could be the perfect opportunity to scavenge for loot. I hesitated, though. The memory of that giant zombie still haunted me. What if there was another one? The chances were small, but I couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility. That said, I was much stronger now than I had been before. If another giant zombie appeared, I was confident I could face it. My main goal, however, was to search for things left behind in the abandoned city. Also, the jungle was nearby. I couldn¡¯t shake the thought of that octopus. It had to be an Elite monster, but something about it told me it was far stronger than a typical Elite. Then there were the Fishmen from the sea¡ªwhat was their deal with taking the magic cannons? I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it, though. My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. I froze. I didn¡¯t have any friends or acquaintances in the city, and I hadn¡¯t told the auction house about my latest batch of potions. Who could it be? I wasn¡¯t about to check. Whoever it was could knock all they wanted¡ªI wasn¡¯t answering. They could go away. But the knocking didn¡¯t stop¡ªit became louder and more irritated. I quickly poured the potions into the grass behind my house. I knew I couldn¡¯t escape with them, and I certainly didn¡¯t want anyone else to benefit from my hard work. ¡°Open the door already! We know you¡¯re inside! We saw you coming home! Either open up, or we¡¯ll break it down!¡± a loud, old voice barked from outside. I didn¡¯t care. Without hesitation, I hopped over my neighbor¡¯s fence and kept going, repeating the process until I emerged onto a street. People stared at me like I was a thief, but I ignored their glances and darted straight to a crowded area. It wasn¡¯t that I was afraid of those men¡ªI simply didn¡¯t want to waste my time fighting them. What would I gain from fighting? Nothing. I¡¯d only lose more. ¡®You could show them your strength so they won¡¯t dare attack you again!¡¯ Really? Have you ever seen someone who¡¯d rather drag others down just because they couldn¡¯t rise themselves? Too many people like that exist. Some people don¡¯t care about winning as long as they can ensure you lose, too. If I showed them my strength, they¡¯d only double down, pressuring merchants and shops into refusing to sell me anything. They might even escalate and try to force me to work for them. Worse, the system had already blocked me from buying herbs¡ªproof of how far these organizations would go to suppress competition. By the time I left the city, the people pursuing me had broken into my house. They turned everything upside down, searching for potions or clues about my whereabouts. When they realized I¡¯d escaped, they sent out search parties to track me down. All they found was a dead garden¡ªpoisoned by the failed potions I¡¯d dumped. *** My stay in the city had earned me close to 100 gold, but it was still a long way from the 250 gold I needed. If I converted everything to genes, I¡¯d have about 166 genes¡ªthanks to eating the meat I¡¯d bought from the system.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But then I encountered another problem there simply wasn¡¯t enough meat available in the system for me to cap out my Elite genes. I checked the price of Champion-grade meat¡ªa staggering 100 gold for half a gene. If my next gene cap was 300, then I¡¯d need to gather 60 platinum coins. Sixty platinum coins... Just thinking about it made my head spin. What about those higher up in the realm? How much did their genes cost? For example, what about Myth-grade genes? There might not even be enough monsters in the entire realm to supply the genes I¡¯d need at that level. I couldn¡¯t ignore this problem and leave it for the ¡°future me¡± to deal with. I needed a plan now. How could I gather more genes? Then I remembered the python. It had eaten that strange flower and its power had been enchanted¡ªelevating its grade by one. That meant there were herbs or resources capable of pushing a monster beyond its grade, possibly by one or more levels. I need to cultivate herbs and monsters later so I can kill them, but how long will this take? No one knows, so my next problem is to fasten it up. Herbalist is a good profession for this and with alchemist I can make fertilizers for it so it can grow faster I need several professions for me. First then a beast tamer then a hunter and lastly a cook profession. I need these professions for my future and looking at their cost I need to gather 110 gold, I was shocked by just how much they cost! Unlike the Herbalsit which is separated for each grade of plant, these cover the basics of the profession. Another big spending on top of the already pile of spending. Then I have to change my armor for a better one. My weapon is good already, but I need an armor that is comfortable to wear. Making a list in my head of what to buy now and what to save for a later time. The armor should be now and the professions for later as I can wait with that once I reach higher realms, but I need to prepare myself to kill the remaining zombies in the city. With everything settled, I continued my journey. To Skylit City. *** In a room, people gathered together. ¡°Sir, not good the Were tribes might have found clues about our preparation for betrayal.¡± Said one of the people wearing a demonic mask with two horns on the top and a white robe that hides his whole body. ¡°Are you sure they found us?¡± Said a person with a red robe and angelic mask on his face. ¡°We are currently trying our best, but we don¡¯t have long before they realize our betrayal and will strike us down.¡± Said the white-robed man as everyone started murmuring with the people closest to them. ¡°Quiet down everyone!¡± Said the red-robed person as he continued ¡°How are the preparations? Are all the elemental weapons ready?¡± With saying that he turned towards a brown-robed individual with a mask that had no future only eyes. ¡°Everything is ready, this time we won¡¯t fail, but we need around 1 and a half months of preparation time before our final weapon is ready for deployment against the Were tribes.¡± Said the brown individual in a tired voice. ¡°Then White demon try to buy time as long as possible even if means blowing your cover.¡± Said the red-robed person to the white-robed individual. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Said the white-robed individual as he left the meeting swiftly. ¡°Everyone, please prepare yourself this is our only chance to save humanity from this darkness.¡± Said the red-robed person as he said this and they talked about other important factors, but they did not take long before they left this place. *** ¡°Sir, bad news! The Were tribes found out about the elemental weapons!¡± Said a person as he broke into a small private office. If someone knew where this person broke in they would die from shock as no one can just break into this room without approval even the most trusted people need approval yet this person walked in here to the Grand Phoenix Hall Headquarters and Helix private office. Helix sat at his desk, ignoring the man standing in front of him. He had already predicted the Were tribes would eventually uncover the truth, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to take this long. He had almost forgotten about the extensive efforts he took to block the information¡ªgoing so far as to eliminate the messenger who had originally brought him the news about the elemental weapons. When Helix first learned about the existence of the elemental weapons, he saw it as his chance for revenge finally drawing closer. However, the Were tribes'' insatiable greed had complicated matters. Each year, they demanded more people and whispers about human sacrifices were becoming increasingly difficult to suppress. If the rebels spread this information now, chaos would erupt. He would lose not only his control but also his prestige among the other alliances. He couldn''t afford to act rashly. If he attempted an uprising now, the Were tribes would crush them instantly. The timing was everything. The rebellion needed to wait for the perfect moment¡ªwhen the Were tribes were weakened or preoccupied by another race. But therein lay the problem. The dominant races in the Realm rarely fought against each other. They knew that any conflict among themselves would only benefit the "lower races." Instead, they resolved disputes through diplomacy whenever possible. Why? That was the question. What force ensured the peaceful coexistence of so many powerful races? Helix had spent years digging for answers but was always met with silence. It was as though a towering wall shielded the truth, a truth the ruling races refused to share. If the lower races discovered it, perhaps they would find a way to rise. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed. Continue monitoring the Were tribes,¡± Helix said at last, his voice steady as he turned back to the stack of papers on his desk. But the man in front of him didn¡¯t leave. ¡°Sir,¡± the masked figure said, his voice urgent, ¡°the rebels are making a move. Based on the intelligence we¡¯ve gathered, they¡¯ve developed a super weapon¡ªsomething capable of turning the tide against the Were tribes.¡± Helix finally looked up. His sharp gaze met the breathless messenger. ¡°A super weapon? Do we have any specifics?¡± The masked man shook his head, still catching his breath. ¡°We only know it¡¯ll be ready in half a month.¡± Helix leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. ¡°Half a month¡­ not much time.¡± He let out a deep sigh, his mind racing. ¡°Gather every elemental weapon we¡¯ve forged. Equip our soldiers with them immediately. If the rebels truly have a weapon that can change the course of this war, we will join them.¡± The man bowed low and left the room swiftly, leaving Helix alone with his thoughts. ¡°Can a miracle happen?¡± he whispered to the empty room, his voice barely audible. ¡°Can I finally take my revenge on the Were tribes?¡± His eyes drifted to a framed image on his desk. It showed his family¡ªhis wife, himself, and his young son, who sat perched on his shoulders with an innocent smile. The memory burned his heart. Helix clenched his fists as the pain returned. His son had fought with him bitterly when Helix chose to side with the Were tribes. The boy wanted to join the rebels instead. To protect him, Helix had imprisoned his son. It was a decision he had hoped would save his life. But his son escaped. Years later, Helix had searched tirelessly, only to discover the grim truth his son had been taken as a sacrifice by the Were tribes. By the time he found out, it was far too late to save him. That wasn¡¯t the only truth Helix had unearthed. He had grandchildren. His son, who had raised them alone after their mother died in childbirth, had fought to protect them. Helix had intervened just in time, stopping them from being sold to perverse slavers. But his grandchildren¡­ they looked at him with cold, distant eyes. They didn¡¯t refuse his help, but their resentment was clear. He couldn¡¯t blame them. He had sinned. Only now did he truly understand the weight of his actions. Wiping his face quickly, Helix straightened in his chair. No one could see the master of the Grand Phoenix Hall cry. If they did, his authority among the alliances would crumble. This was his moment¡ªa chance for redemption. *** 44 Days Before the Cataclysm. Chapter 32 - Times up It took me three days in the Realm to reach the outskirts of Skylit City.What surprised me was that there were people, but they all wore masks while working, and there were monstrosities among them. These creatures were like humans, but they had multiple arms growing out of their bodies in unnatural directions. They resembled humans to some extent, but their backs were hunched over, and they pulled carts like animals. Yet the people around them didn¡¯t seem surprised by this sight, as if they were accustomed to it. Just what happened here? I didn¡¯t dare get closer. What if they had a system that alerted them to intruders? From a distance, I could see the monstrosities pulling carts into the city, but there were guards everywhere¡ªextremely heavy security. Something told me not to go inside, as if there was some great danger lurking. Still, whatever they were doing felt extremely wrong, and I couldn¡¯t just turn my back on it. I knew they were up to something terrible, but how could I sabotage them? No one would believe me, and if I spread such news, I¡¯d likely be silenced by these people. From the way they all wore identical clothes, they looked like part of the same organization, but there was an overwhelming feeling of evil about them. Could it be the Truth Seekers? I quickly opened the system and started searching for something I could use. I found a herb that could drive beasts insane and make them even more aggressive. But how could I make enough beasts consume it? A river nearby gave me an idea. I could drink the essence of the herbs and pour it into the river over time. If beasts drank from it, the effects would fade gradually, but if I added beast-luring herbs to the mix, I could trigger their aggression. With a plan forming, I started preparing. 37 Days Before the Cataclysm. *** At the riverbank, I bought the herbs from the system and gathered more from the forest. Using two stones, I began crushing them. I also found another herb, the moonflower, which enhances the rampaging effect significantly. If monsters drank water infused with it, their aggressive nature would easily surface. I knew this would be a long process. I needed as many monsters as possible to drink from the river, but at most, I could infect half of them¡ªmaybe less. Still, that would be enough to cause chaos for the Truth Seekers. At least I could delay their plan, right? So I waited for the winds to start blowing at night to begin my plan. 36 Days Before the Cataclysm. *** It took me two fucking weeks before the wind finally started blowing at night. At that point, who knew how many monsters had already drunk from the river water? I could only hope it was enough. I began using the monster-luring herb alongside the moonflower, enhancing their combined effects. Soon, a powerful scent started rising from the herbs as I coated a piece of meat with it. It Should charm even more monsters, right? Humans couldn¡¯t smell it for some reason, but monsters could¡ªand with the other herbs in the mix, it was bound to work. As the wind carried the scent into the air, many monsters began picking it up. At first, they tried to ignore it, but then their bodies seemed to ignite with a burning desire. They couldn¡¯t resist anymore and began running toward the source of the smell. It was like a switch had flipped in their brains the only thought left was to get to the scent no matter what. I could feel the Earth shaking beneath me, and the sound of trees being knocked down echoed through the forest. I turned toward Skylit City and started running. More and more beasts began following me as I scattered smaller doses of the monster-luring herbs along the way. I kept the strongest, most potent version close to me¡ªthe one I¡¯d enhanced using the new Herbalist Edition I bought from the system. It was an extraordinary grade and cost me 10 gold, but it was worth it. I had also purchased new wrist protectors made of metal, leg guards, and steel-toe boots. The equipment alone cost me 8 gold, bringing my total expenses to 20 gold just to disrupt the Truth Seekers¡¯ plan. I could only hope it would be enough. As I neared the city, the ground trembled even harder, and the people inside realized something was happening. I watched as they scrambled to evacuate anything they could into the safety of the city. Seeing this, I acted. Using my sword like a baseball bat, I swung hard and sent the monster-luring herb flying into the city. It landed deep inside, and though I couldn¡¯t see it, I knew the monsters could still smell it. Like a raging storm, the beasts charged forward, tearing through anything in their path as they raced toward the city. As I watched the chaos unfold, a thought crossed my mind Why hadn¡¯t I used this method before to hunt? Then came the obvious problem¡ªwhere could I lure them? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a massive ravine nearby where I could trap them all. Soon, I saw the monsters clawing at the walls, trying to climb their way up. The situation was spiraling out of control, and I knew I had to act quickly. If I didn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t cause nearly enough damage to the city. To my surprise, I even saw some monstrosities jumping off the walls and attacking the beasts below. With my much smaller frame, I slipped into the horde, weaving through the chaos unnoticed by the guards above. I made my way to the front, getting closer to the city gate. Channeling energy into my sword, I slashed a section of the gate, creating a gap just big enough to slip through. Inside the city, I immediately noticed people moving around the gate, trying to reinforce it. Their eyes widened when they saw me. ¡°Intruder!¡± one of them yelled, pointing in my direction. Weapons were drawn as they prepared to face me. Some monstrosities who hadn¡¯t jumped into the monster horde turned and began advancing toward me as well. I didn¡¯t hesitate. Channeling my energy, I unleashed a wave of power with a single swing of my sword. The results were immediate many of them were sliced clean in half. The rest stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened. From their perspective, all they saw was me swinging my blade¡ªand then their comrades were suddenly gone, severed bodies collapsing to the ground. Why? I thought to myself. Why do I feel nothing? Even though this was the first time I had killed anyone, I didn¡¯t feel disgusted, remorseful, or even shocked. My mind was cold, and detached, as though this was something I had always done. Pushing those thoughts aside, I swung again, sending another energy wave slicing through the massive tree trunks reinforcing the gate. Without the support, the gate creaked and buckled under the pressure of the monsters outside. Moments later, it shattered open, and the beasts poured into the city, driven by the scent I had spread. Channeling energy into my legs, I leaped into the air, landing on the wall. I embedded my short sword into the stone to hold myself in place as the monsters passed beneath me like a violent tide. ¡°They broke in! How could this happen?!¡± Voices of panic and doubt echoed from everywhere. I yanked my sword free and jumped down, landing on the back of one of the monsters. Without hesitation, I urged it forward, riding it deeper into the city. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was happening in the central area, but I had a feeling something was wrong. My suspicions grew stronger as I passed wagon after wagon¡ªeach one empty¡ªmoving toward the city center. Are they transporting something? Then I saw it. My face paled beneath my mask. The square was filled with humans¡ªstarved, hollow-eyed, and barely alive. They had long since given up on resistance. Their gaunt faces didn¡¯t even turn toward the chaos I had caused. It was as if they were already dead inside. What¡­ is this place? I even saw someone gnawing on another person¡¯s arm. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look too closely at what the cages held¡ªanything inside was no longer human. They were shells, monsters wearing human skin. As I moved forward, the situation only became worse. Some people had been sliced apart, their body parts hung up to dry like some kind of jerky. No wonder the Truth Seekers are branded as a terrorist organization, hunted like vermin by every faction.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Soon, I reached the square¡ªand for the first time, my legs nearly gave out beneath me. 24 Hours Before the Cataclysm. *** Humans were crucified, their bodies pierced with different kinds of weapons. Blood dripped from their wounds, pooling onto the ground and flowing into an intricate formation. The formation appeared to be forming a symbol I couldn¡¯t fully recognize. It was a nine-pointed star, and at its center was a screaming head¡ªits mouth contorted in agony as blood seemed to pour from its hollow eyes. As I stared at the symbol, the head¡¯s gaze shifted. It looked back at me. And then it smiled. A voice invaded my mind, whispering words I couldn¡¯t understand, yet they scraped against the edges of my sanity. Somehow, by sheer luck or willpower, I resisted, but my vision twisted violently as everything around me warped and spun. I could barely stand. My legs wobbled beneath me as if the very ground rejected my presence. Desperate to escape, I darted into the nearest house, stumbling my way into its basement. I collapsed against the wall, gasping for air, my chest heaving as sweat drenched my back. What¡­ did I just see? I tried to recall the image of the smiling head, but my mind rejected it. The harder I tried to remember, the further it slipped away, as though my brain had deleted it to protect me. My body trembled at the mere attempt. When I finally dared to look back, the head had returned to its screaming state. From a distance, no one else noticed it¡ªbut one of its hollow eyes remained fixed on the place where I had disappeared. 23 Hours Before the Cataclysm. *** It took me three full hours for my mind to stabilize, yet the lingering dread refused to fade. I knew one more look at that thing would kill me. Is it from a higher Realm? That was the only explanation I could come up with. Outside, I could hear the chaos settling. The sound of beasts had grown quiet as the city finished cleaning up the monster wave. Their focus had returned to preparing for this grand, horrifying sacrifice. I couldn¡¯t allow it to continue. I had to do something to stop them. Lying low in the basement, I opened the system and scrolled through my options. My mind flashed back to something I had once read about¡ªa weapon. A bomb. I found it the Spiritual Bomb. And there it was¡ªan upgraded version that cost 10 gold. I bought five of them. Whatever they were planning, I had to stop it¡ªeven if it meant going bankrupt. Staying here would only make my plans more difficult. As the bombs materialized in front of me, the system gave me a warning I couldn¡¯t purchase more. The limit was five. What a stingy system. The bombs were simple lumps of iron¡ªno holes, no pins. To detonate one, I needed to channel spiritual energy into it, and once the energy was fully infused, I¡¯d have five seconds before it went off. Five seconds to escape? Great. Before putting my plan into action, I needed to recover my spiritual energy and calm my mind. I sat down and began to meditate, but almost immediately, I felt nauseous. The spiritual energy in the air was tainted¡ªinfected by something. It felt sickening as I tried to draw it into my body like sludge polluting a once-pure stream. Even my passive energy gathering had slowed to a crawl. What the hell are they doing here? Just as I tried to figure out my next move, I heard explosions coming from the central area. Climbing up to the second floor, I carefully peered out through a broken window. I saw the rabbit¡ªthe same rabbit I had been with before¡ªfighting against black-clothed figures. But she wasn¡¯t alone. There were other beasts too a deer, a wolf, a tiger, and an enormous bear. The beasts were ferocious, tearing through the Truth Seekers as if they were nothing. Even the monstrosities couldn¡¯t withstand their onslaught. But then I noticed something unusual. The black-clothed figure fighting the rabbit was different. I could sense spiritual energy emanating from him, but it wasn¡¯t normal. It felt chaotic and unstable¡ªa twisted, corrupted version of spiritual energy. The rabbit wielded a hairpin as her weapon. Watching her fight, I finally realized¡ªit was her. The clash between her and the figure was intense, but she managed to block his attacks and landed a devastating blow, seriously injuring him. Clutching his wound, the figure began chanting something under his breath. What happened next sent shivers down my spine. The fallen Truth Seekers and monstrosities began dissolving, their bodies liquefying and pooling together into a single mass. In mere seconds, the mass coalesced, forming a grotesque humanoid monster. It had five arms sprouting from different parts of its body, three legs supporting its distorted frame, and a mouth gaping wide on its stomach. Its head, however, was utterly featureless¡ªno eyes, no ears, no mouth, just a blank, smooth surface. ¡°ROAR!¡± The creature¡¯s roar reverberated through the air, announcing its birth to the world. The sound came from its stomach. I could feel the terror radiating from it, a primal fear that sank deep into my bones. What is that thing? The Realm reacted to the monstrosity, attempting to bind it like the python before, restricting its movements. It resisted, but unlike the python, this creature shrugged off the Realm¡¯s grip with ease. Soon, it turned its featureless head downward, focusing on the "ants" trying to obstruct its master¡¯s plan. With one devastating move, it unleashed a blast into the beast group. The others narrowly dodged, but the bear wasn¡¯t as lucky. The impact sent it flying through five, maybe six houses¡ªI couldn¡¯t see beyond that. Is it dead? I thought, panic seeping in. The bear¡¯s absence left the beasts at a severe disadvantage. What had once been an even fight was now tipping against them. I have to help¡ªbut how? My eyes darted to the black-clothed figure. He was still chanting, his lips moving furiously. The monstrosity seemed fully occupied with the beasts for now, but I knew the figure was the key to turning the tide. Steeling myself, I left the house. The moment I stepped outside, an invasive voice slithered into my mind, scratching and clawing at my sanity. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to focus, and moved toward the chanting figure. Several guards surrounded him, but I could sense they were ordinary humans. They were no threat to me. I channeled energy into my legs, ignoring the voice growing louder and more insistent in my head, and leaped forward. My sudden attack caught the guards off guard. An energy wave erupted from my blade, slashing through their ranks. Despite this, they threw their lives in front of my strike, buying the black-clothed figure precious seconds to prepare. As my attack reached him, I felt an overwhelming resistance. My short-sword clashed against his energy barrier, but no matter how much I cut into it, the energy was replenished almost instantly. His defense was fueled by sheer quantity, and I couldn¡¯t match it. Frustrated, I dropped my short sword. It was useless. Drawing my ice blade, I unleashed a chilling aura that froze the air around me. The black-clothed figure faltered, his confidence visibly shaken. Desperation filled his eyes as he retaliated, sending several black orbs of energy flying toward me. Not knowing what they did, I dodged instinctively. The orbs expanded as they approached, creating fields of immense suction that devoured everything they touched. They blocked my path, forcing me to maneuver carefully to avoid being consumed. Meanwhile, the monstrosity shifted its focus. It began lumbering toward the black-clothed figure, clearly responding to his command. If that thing reaches him, I¡¯m finished. Time was running out. Sending out an energy wave with the ice blade, frost trailed behind it, barely missing the black-clothed figure but slowing him down. One of his legs froze solid, anchoring him to the ground. Without hesitation, he shattered his leg to escape, breaking free and leaping away. I couldn¡¯t let him get far. Ignoring the burning pain as spiritual energy surged through my legs, threatening to tear my veins apart, I channeled everything I had and sprinted after him. His movements were clumsy now¡ªhis speed no match for mine. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± he managed to sputter, likely to beg or stall for time. I didn¡¯t care. My ice blade sliced cleanly through him, cutting his body in two. The moment his life ended, the monstrosity let out a distorted groan and began melting, its massive form collapsing back into black goo. Breathing heavily, I turned my gaze to the beast group. They were regrouping, and to my surprise, the bear¡ªthough battered and bleeding¡ªwas alive. It had somehow survived the earlier devastating attack. As I caught my breath, a deer approached me. It walked upright on two legs, its movements strangely human-like. It lowered its head in a respectful bow. ¡°Thank you for your help. Without you, my group would have been wiped out, and the Chaos Master¡¯s plan would have succeeded.¡± Its voice was deep and masculine¡ªthe group¡¯s leader. The sight of a deer speaking and walking like a man was surreal, but I didn¡¯t let it show on my face. ¡°Not a big problem. I owed the rabbit over there one,¡± I said casually, pointing toward the rabbit. The deer looked momentarily stunned before a small, knowing smile crept onto its face. At least it recognized I wasn¡¯t an enemy. ¡°But we need to move fast,¡± the deer said, urgency returning to its voice. It turned its head toward the massive 9-pointed star formation on the ground, with the screaming head etched at its center. ¡°We have to destroy this formation, or the entire First Realm will be affected.¡± The deer¡¯s gaze shifted toward the bear. ¡°Are the spiritual bombs still usable?¡± The bear, still hunched and struggling to stay upright, shook its head. ¡°They were damaged when I was hit.¡± It lowered its head, ashamed. ¡°WHAT?! Damaged? How are we supposed to destroy the formation now?!¡± Panic crept into the deer¡¯s voice. Hearing their rising desperation, I stepped forward and spoke up. ¡°You mean these?¡± I pulled out the lumps of iron¡ªmy spiritual bombs. The moment they saw them, the deer and the others turned to me, wide-eyed and ecstatic. ¡°Can you lend us those spiritual bombs?¡± the deer asked, its voice trembling with both hope and urgency. ¡°We can pay you back a hundred times over if you let us use them now!¡± ¡°A hundred times the deal?¡± I echoed, smirking faintly as I handed the bombs over. ¡°Done,¡± the deer said, already reaching for them as relief washed over its face. I didn¡¯t know how to use the spiritual bombs properly, so lending them to the beasts seemed wiser. They likely understood how to control them far better than I did. The rabbit glanced at me curiously, as if trying to figure something out, but shook her head and let it go. With the mask covering my face, guessing my identity would be difficult. For her, this was probably just a fleeting episode in a long life. But for me, it was far more significant. Forgetting a person or two along the way isn¡¯t hard when you¡¯ve lived as long as they probably have. ¡°You should escape the city,¡± the deer said, turning toward me. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you caused the beast wave? If so, thank you. It made infiltrating the city much easier.¡± With that, the lumps of iron in their hands began to glow, brightening the surroundings. Then their silhouettes started turning transparent. I realized they were likely planning to leave this place as soon as the bombs detonated. But then a thought struck me How will they pay me back? I didn¡¯t even know who they were. It was too late to ask. The bombs were moments from going off. I hurried toward the city gates, channeling as much spiritual energy as I could into my legs. I didn¡¯t look back. A massive explosion suddenly roared behind me, a blinding wave of light expanding outward with no sign of stopping. The ground trembled beneath me as I sprinted for my life. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the cages filled with prisoners¡ªpeople who were broken beyond repair. I knew, deep down, that there was no saving them. After the horrors they had endured, death might be a kinder fate. Finally, I crossed the threshold of the city. The explosion¡¯s expansion halted, but an even greater shockwave erupted, shaking the earth. The blast sent me hurtling several meters through the air. I hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. Looking back, I saw the city walls had absorbed most of the shockwave. If they hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve been reduced to ash. I sighed, realizing I¡¯d been tricked. The spiritual bombs had done their job, but at what cost? Who was this Chaos Master they mentioned? Was he the one behind the Truth Seekers? 20 Hours Before the Cataclysm. At least their plan was stopped¡ªthankfully. I had no interest in combing through the ruins. There was nothing left after that explosion. 19 Hours Before the Cataclysm. I decided to return to the waterfall cave. Rest was all I needed. 18 Hours Before the Cataclysm. The path was silent as I walked. 15 Hours Before the Cataclysm. I slept in the safety of the cave, regaining my strength. 11 Hours Before the Cataclysm. Time dragged on, my thoughts lingering on the events in the city. 8 Hours Before the Cataclysm. Feeling restless, I set out to gather monster corpses, retracing my steps toward the battlefield. But as I moved closer, an overwhelming sense of dread hit me like a physical blow. A dark, oppressive aura surged from the direction of the ruined city. Every instinct screamed at me to run. 5 Hours Before the Cataclysm. I turned around, my heart sinking, as I saw a black pillar of light erupt into the sky. It pulsed with an unnatural energy, its presence both oppressive and terrifying. 2 Hours Before the Cataclysm. What is that? The question echoed in my mind, but no answer came. Then, a sharp cracking sound pierced the air, followed by a deafening shatter. The black pillar seemed to fracture something unseen. The sky above darkened abruptly as if consumed by an encroaching void. 0 Hours Before the Cataclysm. I didn¡¯t fully understand what I had just witnessed, but one thing was clear¡ªit marked the beginning of something far worse. This wasn¡¯t just the end for humans. It was the true apocalypse, threatening all races and every corner of existence. Chapter 33 - The New World I saw a dark pillar of light soar into the sky and break through it. In the distance, more and more of these pillars began rising from the ground. Even in the farthest reaches of the horizon, I could see them. Didn¡¯t they say the Chaos Master¡¯s plan had to be stopped? Then what is happening? Soon, dark clouds gathered and began to rain. I quickly covered myself with my spiritual power as a black ooze fell from the sky. Any beast touched by the black ooze instantly began moving again. I watched in horror as they rose, some merging to form abominations with multiple legs and eyes. These grotesque creations shouldn¡¯t exist, yet here they were. When the black ooze landed on my body, my spiritual power started dissipating at an alarming rate. Panic set in. I could only think of running and finding somewhere to hide. But how do you escape from the rain? Thankfully, the rain expanded slowly, spreading outward in every direction. Yet I could tell that, soon, these dark clouds would merge into one, blanketing the entire sky. Looking at the monsters, I could already foresee the fate of those who would be infected. They would also transform into monsters. Anyone injured by these creatures would meet the same fate. An endless cycle¡­ Who could break it? I pushed my body to its limits, running faster than I ever had. Despair gnawed at my resolve. Did they know this would happen? And if they did, why did they allow everyone in the First Realm to die like this? I clenched my fists in anger at the injustice of it all. But what could I do? I had to save myself first. Only then could I think about revenge. As I ran, some monstrosities¡ªmore intelligent and less consumed by rage than the others¡ªbegan chasing me. My heart pounded as I saw them closing in. I forced myself to speed up. The wind roared behind me as a monster leaped at me from the shadows. I dodged to the side and zigzagged through the forest, making it harder for them to target me. Glancing back, I saw even the trees transforming. Eyes and tentacles sprouted grotesquely from their trunks and branches. The world had become a nightmare. Their bark split open, releasing black ooze that contaminated the ground beneath them. Soon, these trees began entangling other, untransformed trees, merging with them as they ripped their roots from the earth. An apocalypse. In the distance, I heard the rumble of a waterfall as water crashed to the ground. Ahead of me was the waterfall. I knew it, and behind me, the monsters and the rain of black ooze continued their advance. As I approached, I jumped into a cave and crawled inside. Not long after, monsters attempted to enter, but the cave¡¯s small entrance prevented them. Instead, they fought among themselves, each trying to force its way in first, even though they were far too large to fit. I retreated deeper into the cave, my mind racing for a way out. Grabbing my head in frustration, I struggled to think of a solution, but I had no answers. Perhaps the gate to Earth in the city was still functional? No, it had been destroyed. I could only abandon that hope. Sighing, I turned toward the cave wall. Pressing my palm against the rough surface, I tried to channel spiritual energy into it, but nothing happened. Soon, I noticed black ooze trickling into the cave. The ooze spread, forming a pond that grew larger and larger, leaving me with less and less space. Desperation set in. I attempted to climb the walls to escape, but there was nowhere to go. Thankfully, the ooze eventually stopped rising. Using the vines hanging from the ceiling, I managed to weave a makeshift platform and sat down, utterly exhausted. But I knew this reprieve wouldn¡¯t last. Silence fell. The sounds of the monsters fighting outside had stopped. Likely, the battle was over. Yet, judging by the fully submerged cave entrance, the black ooze had completely sealed me in. Suddenly, the wall I had relied on for support began to crack. Had the black ooze eroded its strength? This was much worse than I had imagined. The wall crumbled, and black ooze started pouring into the newly formed opening, flooding this section of the cave. Inside the hole, a green gem hovered midair, emanating spiritual energy that caused the black ooze to retreat. So this black ooze is sentient?! I was shocked by this revelation. I had thought it lifeless, but now I realized it possessed some form of intelligence. Seeing an opportunity, I used one of the vines as a rope to swing across the black ooze, landing next to the gem. It seemed displeased by my arrival, momentarily focusing on me before returning its attention to keeping the black ooze at bay, as if ensuring it remained far away. I didn¡¯t dare touch the gem, fearing it might lose its spiritual energy and stop repelling the black ooze. I had no idea what limits the gem might have, but I hoped it could withstand the strain until the black ooze finally disappeared. Sitting down, I bought some food from the system and ate, boredom settling in as I watched the gem and the ooze engage in a silent battle of spiritual energy. It was far from entertaining. Shaking my head, I decided to meditate. Unlike the city, the spiritual energy here was much purer. This cave, existing for who knows how long, had likely gathered a vast amount of spiritual energy, with the gem holding the majority of it. I wanted to take the gem, but who knew what might happen if I did? It could even blast me into the black ooze. I had already felt its irritation when I first landed here. Approaching it further might trigger another reaction. With no other choice, I waited. *** Three days passed in the cave. Finally, the black ooze disappeared. The green gem, however, had lost its luster after battling for so long and now floated barely above the ground. Looking at it, the desire to take it grew stronger in my heart, but a lingering sense of caution held me back. What if this was a trap? Perhaps the gem had expended all its reserves. It might have existed here for millions of years, and my earlier actions could have merely caused a small outburst from it.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. As I moved around the gem, it did nothing but float in place. Suddenly, it dropped to the ground, its luster fading entirely. I felt the spiritual energy in the cave vanished as well. "Well, don¡¯t mind if I do," I muttered. With a quick motion, I picked up the gem. Its green hue was similar to the ones I had used before, but something about it felt familiar. Where had I seen this? The smithy! Weren¡¯t these the same kinds of gems I had forged into weapons? What a powerful weapon I could create with this! Though the ice blade I had before was excellent, it had always felt resistant to me. The memory of the python defeating me so thoroughly still sent shivers through me¡ªnot just from the cold but from the humiliation. Channeling spiritual energy into the gem, I noticed a faint light of luster forming in its center. However, the light quickly disappeared once I stopped. Without giving it much more thought, I tucked the gem into my backpack. Exiting the cave, the sight before me left me flabbergasted. There was nothing¡ªabsolutely nothing. The lush green forest that had once thrived here was now a barren desert of endless sand. Even the river had dried up. The sun, which once shone with a protective warmth, now blazed like a merciless death ray, scorching everything beneath it. My skin burned under its oppressive heat. What had that black ooze done? Had it drained every resource from this realm? They claimed to have stopped the Chaos Master?! Is this how they did it¡ªby letting him strip the realm of everything? As I pondered, I noticed something in the distance. A mountain was¡­ moving. Wait, a mountain? No, that wasn¡¯t a mountain. It was a supermassive monstrosity! Its size was beyond comprehension¡ªthe largest thing I had ever seen. Could everything in this realm have combined into one monstrous entity? Most likely, the answer was yes. I need to return to Earth to understand what just happened in the First Realm. Did something like this occur in other parts of the Realm? But how do I find the portal back to Earth? That¡¯s my biggest question. I could wander endlessly before stumbling upon a recreated portal. I cannot ascend, as that would bring me closer to a gate and make finding my way back easier. To ascend, I need to reach my gene cap. [Detected anomaly in the host''s surroundings...] [Anomaly found.] [Quest: Eliminate as many anomalies as you can in the Realm.] [For each anomaly you kill, you will gain a corresponding reward.] New system messages appeared before me. Even the system seemed unsure about my ascension method, but it tasked me with killing. My gaze turned toward the monstrosity in the distance as it moved farther and farther away. How am I supposed to kill that? Is there a smaller version of it, at least three times smaller? As if in response to my thoughts, a supermassive earthworm burst out of the ground and swallowed the distant monstrosity as a whole. Never mind that monstrosity suddenly seemed manageable. I turned around and walked in the opposite direction of where the worm had disappeared. Just what the hell is going on?! Shaking my head, my mind wandered. Are there even any humans left in the Realm? Most likely only a few, but they¡¯ll soon perish from hunger and thirst without a constant food supply. I, too, need to kill monsters to secure food. *** It took me three grueling weeks to escape the gigantic desert. I felt like I was dying with every step I took through it. What I found was a creepy forest with trees twisted in strange directions. There were no tentacles or eyes, just dead trees as if their vitality had been drained away. Inside the forest, I encountered monsters! They hadn¡¯t turned into monstrosities but remained normal. This was the good news. The bad news? They attacked anything they saw with crazed ferocity. I couldn¡¯t tell if this madness was caused by the black ooze or sheer hunger driving them insane. But in a way, I liked it. Why? Well, I didn¡¯t have to hunt them¡ªthey came straight to me, and I killed them with ease. Even in their prime, these monsters wouldn¡¯t have been a match for me. Now, malnourished and desperate for food, they were no challenge at all. Shaking my head at their pitiful state, I slaughtered them. I felt a pang of sorrow as I looked at these once-proud creatures, but that feeling didn¡¯t last long. I made a fortune from their remains 32 gold, 87 silver, and 12 copper. The battles grew larger as more monsters converged on me, often fighting each other for scraps of food before I stepped in to finish the job. Some dragged corpses away to eat, but I didn¡¯t bother chasing after the few coppers they took. With a happy smile, I continued my journey. *** Inside a dimly lit room, several people gathered, their expressions grim. Anyone witnessing this scene would be stunned, as these individuals came from vastly different factions yet were all present here. Helix, the Central Alliance representative who had crushed the rebellion, sat on one side. Opposite him stood a man in a red robe and mask¡ªthe new leader of the rebellion. What happened to bring them here, you ask? The rebellion had been pushed to desperation after being discovered by the Were tribes. With no other options, they launched a preemptive strike. This bold move caused numerous cities to flip to the rebellion¡¯s side, sparking a massive civil war across the continent. Many organizations crumbled in the chaos, and only a few managed to survive. Just as the front lines were being drawn and the Were tribes arrived, they were suddenly called back. This unexpected retreat shattered the morale of their supporters. Not only humans but also the Were tribes were struck by the Cataclysm, leveling the playing field. Seizing the opportunity, Helix betrayed his allies, leading to the defeat of the Were tribes'' supporters in one swift move. No one anticipated Helix joining the side of the Rebellion¡ªnot even the Rebels themselves. Chaos erupted, but it soon settled as Helix relinquished his power and stepped down. This dramatic shift allowed the Rebels to take control of all human cities in one decisive stroke. They abolished the old system and established a new one, the first United Earth Government. Instead of fragmented, independent regions, all territories were unified under one administration. The implications of this new government were unclear, but it was soon tested by the Cataclysm. Portals closed at an alarming rate, yet those that remained open unleashed monstrosities. Anyone infected or caught by these creatures transformed into one of them. Humanity had no choice but to revert to its old weapons¡ªguns and bombs. In a desperate fight for survival, humanity achieved a miracle and defeated the monstrosities, but the victory came at a staggering cost. Two-thirds of all human cities were obliterated. Across the world, only 1 billion humans remained. This catastrophic loss left no doubt humanity''s future was bleak. Another civil war would mean total extinction. To prevent this, the new government ruthlessly cracked down on organizations that opposed it or harbored malicious intent. Many individuals fled into the Realm, having no other choice. At last, a fragile peace was achieved. Initially, the plan was to imprison Helix and his close followers indefinitely for his past crimes. However, the dire situation¡ªwith countless losses and the need for experienced leaders¡ªforced the government to reconsider. Helix and others were reluctantly reintegrated into high-ranking positions. Meanwhile, troubling news emerged that the Second Realm had faced a similar Cataclysm. Unlike the First Realm, however, it survived. This raised urgent questions about how this catastrophe happened and who was behind it. The answers soon surfaced. Truth Seekers, with the help of numerous organizations working in secret, had orchestrated the events. Smuggling and other covert operations contributed to the disaster. To maintain order, the new government enacted its first law anyone found collaborating with the Truth Seekers would face the death penalty. While rebuilding efforts began, another looming threat remained the eventual return of the Were tribes. Humanity needed to amass power and prepare for future conflicts. With so many urgent issues demanding attention, the people in power faced immense pressure. Everyone in the room wore grim expressions as they looked at each other and began planning their next move. Author Note As I update the chapters, I sometimes look at the number of people who visit them, and honestly, it makes me pretty sad.I know this is a niche category on Royal Road, but oh well. Why am I writing this? To be honest, the views on my chapters are only high because people probably click on them accidentally.My main issue is that my older chapters have higher numbers, while the new ones are extremely low. I¡¯m not sure if I should continue, as it feels like not many people are enjoying it at all.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. So, I¡¯ve decided to create a poll to let you decide: should I keep writing, or should I give up entirely?Instead of making the decision myself, I want to leave it up to you. After all, I¡¯m writing this for both your enjoyment and mine. But what¡¯s the point of continuing if only one side enjoys it? This poll will remain open for the next two days, so you can cast your vote. After that, I¡¯ll close the poll and follow the final result to decide whether or not to keep posting. In the meantime, I¡¯ll continue making chapters for the next two days. After that, the poll will decide it all.