What was the one thing that cultivation always entailed? It was enlightenment. Pure and simple. Through the act of observing—anything, really—one could be enlightened and advance in their cultivation journey. It could be a small step, or it could be a great leap. In the end, it didn’t matter.
The problem was that it wasn’t as simple as it seemed. It wasn’t about just saying words like, “Yes, life is a cycle. Things die and become nutrients for the future,” and expecting instant enlightenment. No, it was far more complex than that.
For starters, not just anything will provide that spark that will catapult you forward. You needed to have a connection, no matter how flimsy it might be. To cultivate such connections, you first had to establish a path—one from which these links could grow.
Then you had to have experiences and just the right conditions for everything to click within yourself, allowing things to take their natural course and expand your mind.
Finally, you actually had to truly understand whatever it was that you were studying and observing. The way it was described was never about theoretical knowledge, science here would only serve as a stepping stone—an aid, not an answer. True understanding had to come from within.
And that’s where the problem lay. Eric had nothing and he understood nothing. He didn’t have a foundation, a path to follow, nor did he feel connected to anything that surrounded him. Even weapons felt alien to him, or at least they didn’t feel like how they did to his friends.
Alex described punching as the only true equal in a fight. That it was the best way to give your opponent the respect they deserve. Especially since he was fighting mostly wild creatures who couldn’t wield tools or weapons. Body against body was as simple and fair as it could get.
Anna described it as the sword being an extension of herself. Though there was the fact to consider that her sword was itself an incredibly rare and odd phenomenon, that might not even be a sword. Regardless, for her, the sword was just her body in a different form. It was a connection that needed to be experienced to be understood.
In stark contrast, Eric felt nothing for the tools he used to kill monsters. Not his fists, not the sword, the spear, nor the bow, none of them felt particularly better than the other.
What about a path? Marcus had decided to follow the path of magic and technology, striving to bring marvels from fiction to life. Stella was following the path of magic, she said she felt no particular draw toward it but the fact that she was so good at it, might mean that it was only a matter of time. Alex and Anna both obviously followed a path of combat, though their aims might be different, they were currently on a similar road.
As for Eric, what path was he following? He was like an aimless vagrant who only pursued whatever got his interest in the moment that it got his interest. That meant that nothing really mattered to him. Sure, he cared about his friends and family, but he didn’t really stop to think about them that often. And even if he did, if they were a core aspect of who he was, would that really be a path to follow?
“The path of connections, maybe?” he mumbled with uncertainty oozing from every word. “Wait… when did I become certain that I needed a foundation, and a path?” Eric’s mind began to race as it, and Mental Focus searched for the exact moment.
And there it was, the exact moment that his mind made the connection for what he needed. It had been mere moments ago, as he pondered about what he was missing, his mind made the connection. No, not only his mind—something within him resonated with those thoughts, dispelling doubts and reassuring his mind. Allowing him to accept it as fact.
“Was that…enlightenment?” he asked, incredulously. “It didn’t feel special or even different from normal pondering. Is that truly what enlightenment is? Pondering until you get an answer? Oh!” He clapped his hands once. “Is that what being in seclusion is about?” he said with amazement.
Just then as he accepted and understood that enlightenment wasn’t always something great and profound that required spectacle or was accompanied by a great rush of power, something within him clicked. A rush of possibilities rushed from his mind and resonated with something within him.
Still, Eric frowned, feeling this new rush of possibilities overflow him, he wondered why it felt like it was hidden. “Was it because I dislike cultivation novels?” he began. “Was my dislike so great that I blocked everything related to them?” He took a moment to think about it. “Eh, who cares,” he said, discarding the topic altogether.
Once more he closed his eyes, ready to begin his cultivation. Following the cultivation method that detailed how to move his energy within his core, he guided his energy into the mentioned pattern.
As he attempted to maintain control over the energy, he struggled to keep it from veering off course. The pressure within his core intensified, and he could feel the energy beginning to leak, threatening to escape his grasp. Eric steadied his breathing, determined to channel the energy into the correct pattern.
Mana Insight has reached level 17.
In response to his efforts, his skill leveled up. However, he didn’t have time to feel proud or happy about this achievement; he had no time to think about anything other than the energy and preventing as much of it as possible from escaping.
Struggling bit by bit, he stabilized the pattern that the energy was forming. This was only step one. At first, he had simply added energy into his core while trying to form the pattern, but now he approached it differently. First, he formed the pattern, stabilized it before adding any more energy.
The idea was simple: it was easier to correct an overflowing river than it was to try to create one with a constant influx of water. And up until this point, his idea had been solid. The pressure that the energy created, while at first was the number one cause of the energy leak, it now helped keep most of the energy contained within his core.
With the energy basically driving itself, he carefully removed his skill from around it and brought it outside, with much greater ease this time around. Eric took in a deep breath, holding it in his chest for a several seconds as he calmed his already racing heart.
He was about to do something stupid once more. The exact same thing that had made him a Breaker and had cracked his core. Yes, he was about to yank a strand of incredibly dense mana into his core.
This time there were no thoughts that invaded his mind and pushed him to do it. He also wasn’t in a rush to get stronger. This time, it was simple curiosity.
During the previous 9 levels, he only converted enough energy to reach the next level, at points slowing his cultivation to a crawl so that he didn’t overshoot it. Now, he wanted to know what would happen if he cultivated more energy than required. Will it be like on previous occasions? What about the six extra stat points? Will I even survive?
Searching for the thinnest strand of mana around him, he realized that the mana carried what seemed to be intent or perhaps an attribute, though it was far to alien for him to be able to discern what it was. Quickly locating a suitable strand—one that, by his rough estimation, was greater than all the strands he had previously used combined—he began.
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Pain Tolerance has reached level 11.
Pain Tolerance has reached level 12.
The process was just as painful as it had been before. Even though his core could now accommodate much more mana, it was also a much greater amount of mana this time around, pushing him to his limits. The pain was so great that his skill shot up by two whole levels just by enduring it.
Continuing with the river analogy, it was no longer a mere overflow, it was a flood. The mana that had already been processed, becoming the unnamed energy and the newly introduced mana, followed two different patterns.
Sometimes the energy siphoned from the mana, while at other times, it poured back into it. The pattern from the cultivation manual was shaky, but it was unmistakably there. The new mana followed the default cultivation method, running along the inner surface of the core, causing great losses.
But Eric didn’t care about the loss, the sense of fulfillment was near, so near he could already feel it. He was working on autopilot, mechanically repeating what he had already done countless times before—integrating the new mana with the processed energy while striving to keep the pure mana contained within his core. The amount had just increased, the process was the same.
Suddenly, his senses dimmed, as if the world around him was pulling away and another domain was appearing. His mind began to race, connecting ideas he had never grasped before. It felt like a surge of knowledge, intuition, or perhaps something deeper. A state that was utterly foreign, and yet strangely familiar.
“My path. What is my path?” he whispered, the words slipping out unconsciously.
The world grew darker, and his senses dulled further until they vanished completely. He was no longer tethered by sight, sound, or touch. Yet, he still felt whole, as though he was being moved—not physically, but mentally or spiritually, as if something was guiding him elsewhere.
As he opened his eyes—yes eyes, plural—he saw an ever-expanding night sky full of stars. It was an infinite tapestry where some stars gleamed with fierce intensity, while others flickered faintly in the cosmic web.
Following the intricate web fusion of constellations and technological networks all the way down to their origin, Eric finally saw it—his core, energies rampaging wildly within it.
Focusing intently on it, he could see more clearly than ever before. The crack that he assumed was small but now looked enormous before him. The intricate pattern that formed when he followed the cultivation manual. And last but not least, the way that mana rapidly swirled inside.
“This is… incredible,” Eric muttered, the words escaping his lips as he felt genuine awe at the sight before him. It was as if he were witnessing the universe itself distilled into the very essence of his being, every star an aspect of himself. This was the source of the resonance.
But just as suddenly as he appeared, he appeared somewhere else. This time, when he opened his eyes, he was floating in the emptiness of space, all the stars merely distant points. He knew that this was no longer where he was just a second ago, this was completely different.
Level up!
Congratulations! You have reached your first evolution. Choose a class:
Heritage Vessel: Begin to return your body to its true state. Devour the heavens and restore the forgotten glories. With every step, a warning is given.
* +100 mana
* +200 endurance
* +250 constitution
Stats on level up:
* +10 endurance
* +50 constitution
* +60 stat points
* +20 free stat points
Unbreakable Vanguard: You are the embodiment of resilience. Pain is your constant companion, but it is also your greatest weapon. On this path of destruction, your body becomes an unstoppable force—ignoring wounds that would fell others.
* +70 vitality
* +50 strength
* +200 constitution
Stats on level up:
* +20 vitality
* +40 constitution
* +20 stat points
* +20 free stat points
Battle Adept: You have begun your journey with a broad array of weapons. Whether it's a sword, spear, or axe, no weapon is beyond you. You can turn any weapon into a tool of opportunity. Your versatility makes you a formidable opponent, every weapon is an extension of your will, and nothing will stand in your way.
* +10 vitality
* +30 endurance
* +50 strength
* +40 dexterity
* +30 constitution
* +20 agility
* +30 perception
* +20 intelligence
Stats on level up:
* +20 strength
* +20 dexterity
* +10 agility
* +10 perception
* +50 stat points
* +10 free stat points
Dark disciple: A remnant of darkness and shadow lingers within your body, claim it and begin your path of obscurity. The shadows are your friends and the darkness your guide.
* +200 mana
* +120 dexterity
* +80 agility
* +100 perception
Stats on level up:
* +40 dexterity
* +15 agility
* +20 perception
* +10 free stat points
Bombarded by such great options, Eric felt overwhelmed and uncertain about where to begin. Forcing his head to calm, he carefully analyzed each of the class options that was presented before him.
“Heritage Vessel…” he said, letting the words trail on their own. “It’s definitely the best, especially in the long run, but…” he continued, the doubt in his voice clear. “I don’t like that whole ‘restore forgotten glory,’ or the fact that I become a vessel. So, no.”
Mentally rating the classes that appeared before him, he put Heritage Vessel at the bottom. Next, he began to analyze the next class.
“Not as strong overall, but it definitely feels like it fits with my current fighting style. High up, definitely,” he said as he placed Unbreakable Vanguard in first place. “Battle Adept… I like the name, but the description seems off, I feel no particular affinity toward any weapon,” he said confused. “Maybe affinity isn’t needed to master weapons. Second,” he added, turning to face the last class. “Nope, too dumb and edgy,” he said, not giving it a second though and recoiling a bit.
Shifting his gaze between two classes, Eric had to decide between Battle Adept and Unbreakable Vanguard. If it was in terms of pure stats, than the answer was obvious, Unbreakable Vanguard had more of an initial boost and similar stat growth each level.
But he hesitated. “I don’t want to fight tooth and nail every single time I face an enemy. I don’t think the classes will restrict my fighting style, but they might influence it. The evolution might even change my body to fit the class.”
“I don’t want to become bulky,” he said as he considered the ups and downs of each class carefully. “I want to get better at fighting with weapons,” he said, somewhat resigned.
With that, he came to a decision that he was sure he wouldn’t regret. But just as he selected the Battle Adept class, his vision blurred, and as if transported, he was somewhere else.
The world around him was distorted, his view obscured as if looking through a hazy barrier. He felt weightless, as though floating, but his skin registered no sensation. There was no need to breath, even his thoughts began to blur, seemingly becoming a waste. Beyond the blur, a figure in white approached and stood before him.
“Is this the finished container?” a calm, feminine voice asked. Murmurs were heard in the background, a conversation that Eric couldn’t make out. “Understood. Prepare the samples for cataloguing,” the voice said, speaking to someone away from view.
His eyes began to feel heavy, but before he could close them the scene shifted once more. The blur persisted, but there was an incredible amount of heaviness and exhaustion overwhelming him. Another indistinct figure appeared—cloaked in white, yet somehow different from the first.
“Is this it?” another female voice said, clearly distinct from the previous one. “It’s completely intact,” the voice said with admiration, “Let’s get to it then.”
Before he could make sense of it, his vision snapped back into focus. The strange scene faded as reality returned to him, and Eric noticed that the option for Heritage Vessel had vanished from his selection. Then, without warning, a brilliant light enveloped him.
----------
From within a dark and empty room, a tear in space appeared, and a man dressed in a tattered, loose gray robe stepped through. Once he crossed completely through the portal, he raised his hand, inspecting the damaged eye that had been given to him.
An attendant emerged from the shadows, silent and efficient, offering a neatly folded garment for him to change into.
“Your father has struck a bargain with the System,” the attendant said, their tone merely informative. “He has initiated a tournament on Earth.”
The man gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, showing no surprise. Without another word, he turned and left the room, the attendant and the tear in space fading away behind him, swallowed by the darkness.