I woke up feeling like I'd been put through a meat grinder, reassembled wrong, and then put through again for good measure.
Every muscle ached. My bones felt like they'd been replaced with lead. My head throbbed with a dull, persistent pain that made thinking difficult. And the smell...
Oh god, the smell.
I cracked open my eyes and immediately regretted it. Sunlight streamed through the window, far too bright for my current state. I was still on the sleeping mat, but now I was lying in what looked like a puddle of black tar.
Except it wasn't tar.
It was covering my skin. Thick, viscous, and absolutely revolting. The stench hit me like a physical force. Rotting garbage mixed with sewage mixed with something I couldn't even identify but desperately wanted to forget.
"What the actual hell?" I croaked, my voice rough.
I sat up, slowly, and chunks of the black substance flaked off my arms. More covered my chest, my legs, every exposed inch of skin. My robes were soaked through with it.
Then I remembered. The fruit. The eight hours of agony. Body reconstruction. Impurity purging.
"Oh. Oh, this is the impurities." I stared at my blackened hands. "My body literally expelled toxins. That's... actually kind of cool. In a completely disgusting way."
I tried to stand and nearly fell over. My legs felt like jelly, but also somehow stronger than before. It was disorienting, like learning to walk in a body that responded differently than expected. My center of gravity felt off. My muscles fired with more force than I intended.
A blue notification blinked in the corner of my vision.
[CULTIVATION INITIATION COMPLETE]
"Finally," I muttered. "Something going right."
I focused on the notification and it expanded, filling my vision with text.
[BODY RECONSTRUCTION: SUCCESS]
[IMPURITY PURGING: 87% COMPLETE]
[PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT: ACTIVE]
[SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION: ESTABLISHED]
[STATUS INTERFACE NOW AVAILABLE]
[VERBAL COMMAND: "STATUS" OR MENTAL COMMAND TO VIEW FULL PROFILE]
I hesitated. This was it. The moment every isekai protagonist lived for. The status screen. The quantification of power. The RPG menu that would tell me exactly what I was working with.
Part of me was excited. The weeb part that had consumed hundreds of hours of this exact trope.
Part of me was terrified. Because numbers made things real. Made failure measurable.
"Status," I said aloud, my voice barely above a whisper.
The world shifted.
A massive interface materialized before me, translucent blue panels floating in midair like holographic screens. Text scrolled across them, organized into neat categories that pulsed with a soft inner light. It was beautiful in its complexity, overwhelming in its detail.
I squinted at it, trying to take it all in at once, then forced myself to slow down.
"Okay. One section at a time. Don't get overwhelmed. You've read enough LitRPG to handle this."
---
[STATUS INTERFACE]
Name: Adam Twilight
Race: Human
Age: 18
Affiliation: Twilight Reign Cult (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆)
Rank: Mortal (Unawakened)
Constitution: Primordial Chaos Constitution (Dormant - Awakening 0.00%)
Affinity: [Fire - 0%] [Water - 0%] [Earth - 0%] [Air - 0%] [Lightning - 0%] [Light - 0%] [Dark - 0%] [Blood - 0%] [Time - 0%] [Space - 0%] [Gravity - 0%] [Ice - 0%] [Nature - 0%] [Death - 0%] [Life - 0%]
Core: Origin Genesis Core (Unformed)
Talent: Throne of the Eternal Sovereign (Dormant - 0.00% Awakened)
Attributes:
STR: 18 | AGI: 17 | END: 19 | INT: 20 | WIS: 21 | LCK: 16
Skills:
[System]
Cult Metrics:
- Followers: 1 (Self)
- Influence: 0.000%
- Territory: None
- Loyalty Average: 100%
Cult Abilities:
- Shared Strength (Inactive - Requires 50+ followers)
- Genesis Blessing (Locked - Requires Core Formation)
- Origin Resonance (Locked - Requires Core Formation)
Karma: Pure Neutral (Unmarked)
---
I stared at the screen for a long moment, my eyes tracking from section to section. Processing. Analyzing.
"Okay," I said slowly. "Let's break this down piece by piece."
Name, Race, Age. Simple enough. I was Adam Twilight now. Eighteen years old. Human. That tracked with what I remembered of waking up in this body.
Affiliation: Twilight Reign Cult. Ten empty stars mocked me from the interface. Whatever those stars represented, I had exactly none of them. Zero progress. Zero credibility. A cult in name only, consisting entirely of one confused dead guy from Earth.
"Ten stars to fill," I muttered. "Great. No pressure or anything."
Rank: Mortal (Unawakened).
I frowned at that. "Wait. Hold on. I ate the fruit. I went through eight hours of literal hell. Shouldn't I be awakened now? What was the point of all that suffering if I'm still mortal?"
As if responding to my confusion, another notification appeared.
[QUERY DETECTED: CULTIVATION STATUS]
[EXPLANATION: CULTIVATION FOUNDATION INCOMPLETE]
[FRUIT OF FOUNDATION FUNCTION: BODY PREPARATION ONLY]
[The Fruit of Foundation does not grant cultivation directly. Instead, it reconstructs your physical body to withstand the strain of spiritual energy. Think of it as reinforcing a building's foundation before constructing the tower. Without this preparation, attempting to form a cultivation core would likely result in your body exploding from the energy pressure.]
[CORE FORMATION STILL REQUIRED FOR TRUE AWAKENING]
"Are you kidding me?" I said to the empty room. "That wasn't the end? That was just the prep work? That was just so I don't explode when I actually start?"
[CORRECT]
[ANALOGY: FRUIT OF FOUNDATION = PREPARING SOIL. CORE FORMATION = PLANTING SEED. CULTIVATION = GROWING TREE.]
I laughed, bitter and tired. "So I suffered for eight hours just to be qualified to start cultivating. Fantastic. Just fantastic."
But even as I complained, I noticed something. My attributes. They were higher than they should be for a normal human.
STR 18, AGI 17, END 19. I remembered enough from games to know that 10 was usually average for a baseline human. These numbers meant I was already above average, even without awakening to cultivation.
"The fruit did do something," I realized aloud. "It made me stronger. Faster. Tougher. Just... not cultivator level yet."
I kept reading, my eyes drawn to the next section.
Constitution: Primordial Chaos Constitution (Dormant - 0.00%).
Now this was interesting. I'd consumed enough cultivation webnovels to know that special constitutions were rare. Game changing. The kind of thing that separated protagonists from cannon fodder.
And "Primordial Chaos" sounded powerful. Possibly overpowered.
But dormant. Completely dormant. Zero percent awakened.
Below it, the affinity list stretched on like some kind of cosmic wish list. Fifteen different elements. Fire, water, earth, air, lightning, light, dark, blood, time, space, gravity, ice, nature, death, life.
Every single one at 0%.
My mind immediately kicked into overdrive, drawing on every cultivation story I'd ever read.
"Wait. Fire AND water? Light AND dark? Those are opposing elements. Mutually exclusive. You can't have both in standard cultivation. That's like... fundamental law. Fire cultivators can't use water. Light cultivators can't use darkness. You pick your path and you're locked in."
I focused on the constitution, willing the System to give me more information.
[QUERY DETECTED: PRIMORDIAL CHAOS CONSTITUTION]
[EXPLANATION AVAILABLE - WOULD YOU LIKE TO VIEW?]
"Yes! Obviously yes!"
[PRIMORDIAL CHAOS CONSTITUTION - DETAILED ANALYSIS]
[ORIGIN: Born from the primordial chaos that existed before the universe separated into distinct elements and laws. In the beginning, there was only chaos—undifferentiated, unlimited potential. Fire and water were one. Light and darkness were unified. Life and death were aspects of the same force.]
[YOUR CONSTITUTION: Embodies this primordial state. Unlike normal cultivators who must specialize, you can theoretically master ALL elements simultaneously because your body remembers the time before they became separate.]
[STANDARD CULTIVATION RESTRICTIONS:]
- Fire Cultivator: Can master fire, but water is locked (opposing element)
- Light Cultivator: Can master light, but darkness is locked (opposing element)
- Most cultivators can achieve 100% mastery in primary element, 30-40% in compatible secondary elements
[YOUR SITUATION:]
- Can potentially reach 100% mastery in ALL fifteen affinities
- No opposing element restrictions
- Fire AND Water possible
- Light AND Dark possible
- Life AND Death possible
- Can combine contradictory elements that would normally destroy each other
[CRITICAL LIMITATION:]
Each affinity must be trained individually from 0%. No shortcuts. No natural talent bonuses. You start from scratch with every single element. This represents decades, possibly centuries of work to master everything.
[CURRENT STATUS: DORMANT]
Your mortal body cannot handle the constitution's power. It will awaken gradually as you grow stronger, usually triggered by life threatening situations where adaptation is necessary for survival.
I read through the explanation three times, my heart racing.
"I can use everything," I whispered. "Every element. No weaknesses. No blind spots. I could counter any enemy because I'd have access to whatever element beats theirs."
But then reality set in.
"Fifteen affinities. All starting at zero. All requiring individual training. That's... that's insane. That's a lifetime of work. Multiple lifetimes."
Still. The potential was incredible. Terrifying. The kind of cheat ability that main characters got in the most overpowered stories.
If I could actually unlock it.
I moved on to the next section.
Core: Origin Genesis Core (Unformed).
The critical piece. The foundation of cultivation itself. Currently unformed. Just potential waiting to be realized.
Talent: Throne of the Eternal Sovereign (Dormant - 0.00% Awakened).
I tried focusing on it, hoping for another detailed explanation like the constitution.
[INSUFFICIENT AUTHORITY TO VIEW TALENT INFORMATION]
[TALENT DETAILS LOCKED UNTIL FIRST AWAKENING]
[FURTHER INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE]
"Oh, so NOW there's information you won't give me?" I glared at the interface. "Great. Fantastic. I love mysteries. Especially when my life depends on figuring them out."
I made a mental note to unlock this talent as soon as possible. "Throne of the Eternal Sovereign" sounded important. Probably related to leadership, given the whole cult leader situation. But without details, I was working blind.
Attributes: STR 18, AGI 17, END 19, INT 20, WIS 21, LCK 16.
I studied these carefully. Standard RPG stats. Strength, agility, endurance, intelligence, wisdom, luck.
"These are actually decent," I said, genuinely surprised. "For a starting character, I mean. My Earth body was probably like... 8 or 9 in everything? Scrawny college kid who got winded climbing stairs. Now I'm nearly double that in some stats."
The fruit had enhanced me significantly. Made me stronger, faster, tougher than I'd ever been. But still mortal. Nothing supernatural.
Yet.
Skills: [System].
Just one skill listed. The System itself. Everything else locked or unavailable.
Cult Metrics.
I couldn't help but laugh at this section. It was simultaneously depressing and hilarious.
Followers: 1 (Self).
Influence: 0.000%.
Territory: None.
Loyalty Average: 100%.
"Of course I'm one hundred percent loyal to myself," I said, still laughing. "That's literally the only thing I can count on in this mess. Me, myself, and I, the world's saddest cult."
All the cult abilities were locked. Shared Strength needed fifty followers. Genesis Blessing and Origin Resonance needed core formation.
"So I can't access any cult leader benefits until I actually have a cult. Makes sense. Cruel, but makes sense. Can't share power with followers I don't have."
Karma: Pure Neutral (Unmarked).
Clean slate. No good deeds, no evil acts. Just... existing. A blank page waiting to be written on.
I stared at that designation for a moment, wondering what karma I'd accumulate building a cult. Would helping people count as good karma? Would recruiting them count as manipulation? Where was the line?
Questions for later.
Another notification appeared, interrupting my thoughts.
[BRANCH QUEST 1: PROGRESS UPDATE]
[FRUIT OF FOUNDATION: CONSUMED ✓]
[BODY RECONSTRUCTION: COMPLETE ✓]
[IMPURITY PURGING: 87% COMPLETE]
[CORE FORMATION: PENDING]
[TIME REMAINING: 61 HOURS, 47 MINUTES]
The timer ticked down even as I watched. Sixty one hours. Less than three days to form my core or die. Again.
"Okay," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "So what exactly is core formation? Walk me through it. All of it."
[QUERY DETECTED: CORE FORMATION PROCESS]
[PREPARING DETAILED EXPLANATION...]
New panels blossomed around me, arranging themselves in a logical sequence like pages in a textbook.
[CORE FORMATION - COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE]
[WHAT IS A CULTIVATION CORE?]
A cultivation core is a sphere of condensed spiritual energy that forms within your dantian, the energy center of your body located three finger widths below your navel. Think of it as an internal engine that processes and stores spiritual energy, allowing you to use supernatural techniques and grow stronger.
[WHY IS IT NECESSARY?]
Without a core, you cannot:
- Store spiritual energy in meaningful quantities
- Circulate energy through your meridians
- Use cultivation techniques or skills
- Progress beyond mortal limitations
- Extend your lifespan beyond natural human limits
You would remain forever trapped at the mortal level, unable to access the power this world offers.
[THE FORMATION PROCESS - THREE PHASES]
PHASE 1: ENERGY GATHERING (Estimated Duration: 2-3 hours)
You must enter deep meditation and learn to sense the spiritual energy that permeates the world around you. This energy is invisible to mortals but becomes perceivable once your body has been prepared by the Fruit of Foundation.
Your task is to slowly absorb this energy into your body with each breath, guiding it downward through your meridians toward your dantian. The energy will resist. It does not want to be controlled. It will slip away, disperse, fight against your will.
You must persist. Breath by breath, you accumulate energy in your dantian until sufficient quantity has been gathered.
PHASE 2: COMPRESSION (Estimated Duration: 1-2 hours)
Once enough energy has accumulated, you must compress it. Imagine taking a cloud and crushing it into a marble. The energy will resist violently. It wants to expand, to escape, to return to its natural dispersed state.
This phase is painful. The energy pressure in your dantian will feel like being stabbed from the inside. Your body will scream at you to stop.
You must not stop.
Continue compressing until the energy forms a solid sphere. This is your core taking shape.
PHASE 3: SOLIDIFICATION (Estimated Duration: 1-2 hours)
The compressed energy sphere must be locked into permanent form. This is the most dangerous phase. The core will begin rotating on its own, drawing in energy automatically. You must guide this process, ensuring the rotation is stable and the core properly anchors itself to your dantian.
If done incorrectly, the core can shatter, explode, or become malformed. Any of these outcomes is catastrophic.
[TOTAL EXPECTED TIME: 4-6 HOURS]
[RISK ASSESSMENT]
The System analyzed your body after consuming the Fruit of Foundation. Based on current physical condition and spiritual compatibility:
- Probability of death during formation: 8%
- Probability of permanent cultivation crippling: 15%
- Probability of minor injury requiring recovery time: 30%
- Probability of successful formation: 47%
[SYSTEM ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE]
The System will provide:
- Visual guidance showing optimal energy pathways
- Real time monitoring of energy stability
- Automatic intervention to prevent fatal mistakes
- Emergency stabilization if core formation goes critical
However, the System cannot eliminate all risk. Core formation is fundamentally dangerous. Many cultivators die during this process. You must be mentally prepared for intense pain and the possibility of failure.
I read through everything twice, my mouth going dry.
Eight percent chance of death. Fifteen percent chance of crippling myself permanently, unable to ever cultivate again.
"Better odds than the fruit," I muttered. "And I survived that. Barely. But I survived."
I pulled up the quest timer again. Sixty one hours remaining.
The number continued ticking down. Relentless. Uncaring.
"I need to do this now," I decided. "No point waiting. The longer I delay, the more time I waste, and I have three other quests with their own death penalties waiting."
But first, I needed to clean up. I was still covered in black sludge that made me look like I'd crawled out of a tar pit. The smell alone was enough to make my eyes water.
I found a water basin in the corner of the room, half full of clean water. Probably left by the previous cult leader before he killed himself with that pill. I dipped my hands in and started scrubbing at my arms.
The black sludge came off slowly, reluctantly, like it didn't want to leave. But underneath, my skin looked different. Healthier. Smoother. Like I'd been given a full body spa treatment from the inside out. Every pore cleaned, every imperfection removed.
"Impurity purging," I said, watching the water turn black as I scrubbed. "Literally cleaned out toxins at a cellular level. My skin actually looks better than it ever did on Earth."
It took twenty minutes of scrubbing before I was mostly clean. My robes were unsalvageable, stiff with dried impurities and reeking like death. I'd need new clothes eventually.
But that was a problem for later. For after I formed my core. For after I didn't die.
I found some dried meat and hard bread in a pack near the wall. Probably the previous cult leader's emergency supplies. I ate mechanically, not really tasting anything, just fueling my body for what was coming.
The food settled strangely in my stomach. I wasn't as hungry as I should be after not eating for over twelve hours and putting my body through hell. The fruit had changed my metabolism somehow. Made me more efficient.
"Enhanced endurance," I realized. "Need less food, less sleep. Part of the body reconstruction. My body runs better now."
I finished eating and sat back down on the sleeping mat. Crossed my legs in what I hoped was a proper meditation posture. Tried to remember that one yoga class I'd taken freshman year when I thought it might help with stress.
It hadn't helped then.
Hopefully it would help now.
"Okay," I said to the empty room. To the System. To whatever cosmic force was watching. To myself. "Let's do this. Let's become a cultivator."
I closed my eyes.
[MEDITATION POSTURE: ADEQUATE - MINOR ADJUSTMENTS RECOMMENDED]
My back straightened slightly without my conscious input. My hands shifted position. The System making small corrections.
[BREATH PATTERN: ANALYZING...]
[ADJUSTING FOR OPTIMAL ENERGY FLOW]
My breathing slowed. Deepened. Became rhythmic in a way that felt unnatural but somehow right.
[BEGINNING CORE FORMATION SEQUENCE]
[PHASE 1: ENERGY GATHERING - COMMENCING]
At first, nothing happened.
I sat there in the darkness behind my eyelids, breathing slowly, trying to sense... something. Anything.
Minutes passed. The room was silent except for my breathing.
Then, gradually, like adjusting to darkness, I began to feel it.
Energy.
Not physical. Not tangible in any conventional sense. But present. Real. Moving through the air like invisible currents in an ocean I'd never known existed.
It felt like static electricity, but alive. Aware. Purposeful. Like the world itself was breathing, and I was finally learning to feel its breath.
"Holy shit," I whispered. "I can actually feel it."
[SPIRITUAL ENERGY DETECTED]
[SENSORY AWAKENING: SUCCESSFUL]
[BEGINNING GUIDED ABSORPTION]
Glowing lines appeared in my mind's eye. Not visible in the real world, but somehow overlaid on my perception. Pathways through my body. Routes the energy should take. Like a GPS navigation system but for spiritual power.
I followed them.
Breathed in, and felt energy enter with the air. Not much. Just a trickle. But it was there.
Breathed out, and guided that trickle downward. Through my chest. Past my stomach. Toward my dantian.
The energy resisted immediately. It didn't want to be controlled. Didn't want to follow the pathways. It slipped away like water through my fingers, dispersing back into the environment.
"Come on," I muttered through gritted teeth. "Work with me here."
I tried again. Breathed in. Pulled energy. Focused my will. Guided it down.
It slipped away again, but slower this time. I managed to get a tiny bit into my dantian before it dispersed.
Progress.
Again.
Breathe. Pull. Guide.
A little more stayed this time.
[PROGRESS: 2%]
The number appeared in my vision. Two percent. Barely started. Ninety eight percent to go.
I kept going. Breath after breath. Pull after pull. The energy slowly, grudgingly, began accumulating in my dantian like water filling a bucket one drop at a time.
It was tedious. Exhausting. Every breath required total concentration. Every moment of lost focus meant losing energy I'd worked to gather.
But slowly, the percentage climbed.
[PROGRESS: 5%... 8%... 11%...]
Time became meaningless. There was only the breath. The energy. The slow, agonizing accumulation.
My back ached from sitting motionless. My legs went numb. Sweat dripped down my face despite the cool air.
[PROGRESS: 18%... 23%... 29%...]
An hour passed. Maybe two. I'd lost track.
The energy in my dantian grew warmer as more accumulated. Then hot. Then burning, like I'd swallowed a coal that was slowly heating up.
[WARNING: ENERGY TEMPERATURE INCREASING]
[THIS IS NORMAL - CONTINUE PROCESS]
I pushed through the discomfort. Through the burning. Through the part of my brain screaming at me to stop.
[PROGRESS: 35%... 42%... 51%...]
Halfway there.
My concentration wavered. For just a second, I lost focus.
The energy in my dantian immediately began dispersing, leaking back out into my body.
[WARNING: ENERGY DISPERSION DETECTED]
[MAINTAIN FOCUS]
[CORRECTING LEAKAGE...]
The System intervened, stabilizing what I'd gathered, plugging the leaks. Giving me a chance to regain control.
I refocused. Clamped down on the energy with my will. Kept pulling more in.
[PROGRESS: 58%... 64%... 71%...]
Three hours. It had been at least three hours of constant meditation. My body was screaming. My mind was fraying.
But I was almost there.
The burning in my dantian intensified. What had been uncomfortable became painful. The accumulated energy was pushing against the boundaries, trying to escape, fighting to disperse.
[WARNING: ENERGY INSTABILITY AT 71%]
[GATHERING PHASE ENTERING CRITICAL STAGE]
[ADJUSTING GUIDANCE PARAMETERS...]
The pathways in my mind shifted slightly, showing me a different way to channel the energy. More stable. Less resistant.
I followed the new patterns.
[WARNING: PRIMORDIAL CHAOS CONSTITUTION DETECTING ENERGY STRESS]
[DORMANT CONSTITUTION RESPONDING...]
Something deep inside me stirred. My body, recognizing what I was trying to do, recognizing the strain I was under, began helping. The constitution, even dormant at zero percent, provided instinctive support.
The energy became more manageable. Not easy. But no longer fighting quite so hard. Like it recognized me as its proper container.
[PROGRESS: 78%... 84%... 91%...]
Almost there. So close.
The burning in my dantian was nearly unbearable now. Like holding molten metal in my gut. But I couldn't stop. Couldn't risk losing what I'd gathered.
[PROGRESS: 95%... 98%... 100%]
[PHASE 1: ENERGY GATHERING - COMPLETE]
[ACCUMULATED ENERGY: SUFFICIENT FOR CORE FORMATION]
[BEGINNING PHASE 2: COMPRESSION]
I didn't get a chance to rest. Didn't get a moment to recover.
The gathered energy swirled in my dantian like a storm cloud. Chaotic. Unstable. Ready to explode outward if I lost control.
Now came the hard part.
I had to compress it. Take this cloud of power and crush it down into a solid sphere. Force it against its nature.
I imagined the energy as a balloon in my hands. Pictured myself squeezing it. Making it smaller. Denser. More concentrated.
The energy screamed in resistance.
Pain lanced through my abdomen. Sharp. Intense. Like being stabbed with a red hot knife from the inside.
I gasped, my meditation posture nearly breaking.
[MAINTAIN COMPRESSION]
[PAIN IS NORMAL - DO NOT STOP]
I gritted my teeth so hard I thought they might crack. Kept squeezing. Kept compressing.
The energy fought back viciously. It wanted to expand. To escape. To return to freedom.
I refused to let it.
[WARNING: COMPRESSION INSTABILITY DETECTED]
[ENERGY ATTEMPTING TO EXPLODE OUTWARD]
[RISK OF DANTIAN RUPTURE: 34%]
Thirty four percent chance my dantian would rupture. Which would cripple me permanently or kill me outright.
[PRIMORDIAL CHAOS CONSTITUTION ACTIVATING EMERGENCY RESPONSE]
My body intervened again. The constitution, recognizing mortal danger, provided structure. Framework. A pattern for the compression to follow that wouldn't destroy me.
The pain lessened slightly. Not gone. But manageable.
The energy became more cooperative, following the pattern my constitution provided.
I pushed harder. Compressed more. The cloud of energy began shrinking. Condensing. Forming a shape.
A sphere.
Small at first. Unstable. Flickering between solid and dispersed. But there.
[CORE FORMATION DETECTED]
[COMPRESSION PROGRESS: 15%... 28%... 41%...]
I poured everything into maintaining the compression. Every ounce of willpower. Every bit of focus. Every shred of determination.
The sphere grew denser. More solid. The energy packing tighter and tighter like compressed springs ready to explode.
[PROGRESS: 56%... 67%... 78%...]
Almost there. So close.
The sphere was beautiful now despite the agony. A perfect ball of condensed spiritual energy, rotating slowly in my dantian. Still not fully solid. Still not permanent. But taking true form.
[PROGRESS: 89%... 94%... 98%...]
One more push. One final compression.
I squeezed with everything I had. Every bit of strength. Every fragment of will.
The sphere locked into place with an audible click that I felt more than heard.
[COMPRESSION: 100% COMPLETE]
[PHASE 2: COMPRESSION - COMPLETE]
[BEGINNING PHASE 3: SOLIDIFICATION]
The sphere began spinning faster on its own. Drawing in ambient energy from around me. Anchoring itself to my dantian.
This was it. The final phase. The most dangerous moment.
If the core didn't solidify properly, it would shatter. Or explode. Or become malformed in a way that would cripple my cultivation forever.
I guided the spinning. Kept it stable. Prevented wobbles. Maintained the perfect rotation.
The sphere grew more solid with each rotation. More real. More permanent.
Energy flooded through my body as the core activated fully. Racing through meridians I didn't even know I had. Lighting up pathways that had been dormant my entire life.
[CORE SOLIDIFICATION: 34%... 59%... 77%...]
My muscles burned. My bones ached. My blood felt like lightning coursing through my veins.
But it wasn't painful anymore. Not like before.
This was exhilarating.
[PROGRESS: 88%... 96%... 99%...]
The core gave one final pulse.
[CORE SOLIDIFICATION: 100% COMPLETE]
[ORIGIN GENESIS CORE - 1ST LAYER - SUCCESSFULLY FORMED]
[RANK ADVANCEMENT: MORTAL → NOVICE (1ST LAYER)]
[CONGRATULATIONS: YOU ARE NOW A CULTIVATOR]
The world exploded in sensation.
Energy erupted from my core in waves, flooding every cell of my body. It raced through my meridians like wildfire, igniting pathways, opening channels, transforming everything it touched at a fundamental level.
My muscles restructured themselves, becoming denser, more efficient. My bones hardened, reinforced by spiritual energy. My organs optimized, working better than they ever had. Even my brain felt different, processing faster, thinking clearer.
I opened my eyes.
Everything had changed.
The room looked sharper. Clearer. More real. I could see individual grains in the wooden walls. Count the dust motes floating in the sunlight streaming through the window. Make out microscopic details that should have been invisible.
Colors were more vibrant. Sounds were crisper. I could hear wind moving through trees hundreds of meters away. Smell the forest, the stream, the earth itself.
But most incredible of all, I could see the energy.
Faint shimmers in the air. Invisible currents and eddies. The spiritual power that permeated everything, visible to me now in a way mortals could never perceive.
"I'm a cultivator," I breathed, my voice filled with wonder. "I'm actually a cultivator now."
I stood, and the movement felt effortless. Like my body weighed nothing. Like gravity had loosened its hold on me.
I looked at my hands. They looked the same, but I could feel the energy flowing through them. Pooled in my palms. Ready to be shaped, controlled, used.
Notifications flooded my vision, one after another.
[CONGRATULATIONS: CORE FORMATION SUCCESSFUL]
[ORIGIN GENESIS CORE: 1ST LAYER ESTABLISHED]
[RANK ADVANCED: MORTAL → NOVICE (LOW)]
[ATTRIBUTE INCREASES CALCULATED]
STR: 18 → 22 (+4)
AGI: 17 → 20 (+3)
END: 19 → 22 (+3)
INT: 20 → 22 (+2)
WIS: 21 → 24 (+3)
LCK: 16 → 16 (+0)
[NEW SKILLS AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKED]
- System Interface (Active): Access detailed cultivation information and guidance
- Energy Absorption (Passive): Automatically absorb ambient spiritual energy to refill core
- Basic Energy Manipulation (Active): Channel energy for simple techniques and effects
[LIFESPAN EXTENDED]
Previous Maximum: ~100 years
New Maximum: ~130 years
Bonus: +30 years added to natural lifespan
[UPDATING STATUS INTERFACE...]
I pulled up my full status again, eager to see the changes.
---
[STATUS INTERFACE]
Name: Adam Twilight
Race: Human
Age: 18
Affiliation: Twilight Reign Cult (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆)
Rank: Novice (Low) - 1st Layer
Constitution: Primordial Chaos Constitution (Dormant - Awakening 0.00%)
Affinity: [Fire - 0%] [Water - 0%] [Earth - 0%] [Air - 0%] [Lightning - 0%] [Light - 0%] [Dark - 0%] [Blood - 0%] [Time - 0%] [Space - 0%] [Gravity - 0%] [Ice - 0%] [Nature - 0%] [Death - 0%] [Life - 0%]
Core: Origin Genesis Core (1st Layer - Formed)
Talent: Throne of the Eternal Sovereign (Dormant - 0.00% Awakened)
Attributes:
STR: 22 | AGI: 20 | END: 22 | INT: 22 | WIS: 24 | LCK: 16
Skills:
[System Interface]
[Energy Absorption (Passive)]
[Basic Energy Manipulation]
Cult Metrics:
- Followers: 1 (Self)
- Influence: 0.000%
- Territory: None
- Loyalty Average: 100%
Cult Abilities:
- Shared Strength (Inactive - Requires 50+ followers)
- Genesis Blessing (Unlocking... Core Formation Detected... Stand By...)
- Origin Resonance (Unlocking... Core Formation Detected... Stand By...)
Karma: Pure Neutral (Unmarked)
---
"Novice rank," I said, a grin spreading across my face. "First layer. I'm actually on the board now. I'm actually in the game."
The cult abilities were changing, updating in real time as the System processed my new status. Genesis Blessing and Origin Resonance were unlocking, though slowly.
Another notification blazed across my vision in golden letters.
[BRANCH QUEST 1: COMPLETE ✓]
[OBJECTIVE: AWAKEN AND ENTER FOUNDATION REALM]
[STATUS: SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED]
[CALCULATING REWARDS...]
[REWARDS EARNED:]
✓ Foundation Realm Entry
✓ +10 TO ALL ATTRIBUTES
✓ Cultivation Interface Unlocked
✓ Basic Technique Access Granted
[APPLYING REWARDS NOW...]
Power surged through me again, but different this time. Not the wild transformation of core formation. This was controlled. Precise. The System directly enhancing my body.
I felt my muscles swell with new strength. My reflexes sharpen to inhuman levels. My endurance deepen like an ocean. My mind expand with crystalline clarity.
The numbers changed before my eyes.
STR: 22 → 32 (+10)
AGI: 20 → 30 (+10)
END: 22 → 32 (+10)
INT: 22 → 32 (+10)
WIS: 24 → 34 (+10)
LCK: 16 → 26 (+10)
"Holy shit," I breathed, flexing my hands. "Now we're talking. Now this is real power."
I could feel the difference immediately. I'd more than tripled my strength from where I started. My mortal body back on Earth had probably been around 8 or 9 in each stat. Now I was at 32 in most categories.
I was superhuman.
[CULTIVATION INTERFACE UNLOCKED]
New panels materialized, showing information I'd never had access to before.
[CULTIVATION INTERFACE - OVERVIEW]
[ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM]
Current Energy Capacity: 100/100
Maximum Capacity: 100 (increases with core layer advancement)
Regeneration Rate (Resting): 10 energy per hour
Regeneration Rate (Active): 5 energy per hour
Regeneration Rate (Combat): 3 energy per hour
[TECHNIQUE LEARNING QUEUE]
Available Slots: 1
Current Queue: Empty
[BREAKTHROUGH PROGRESS TRACKER]
Current Layer: 1st Layer
Progress to 2nd Layer: 0%
Estimated Time to Breakthrough: 14-21 days (with consistent cultivation)
[AFFINITY DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM]
Active Training: None
Available Elements: All 15 (Primordial Chaos Constitution)
Current Affinity Levels: All 0%
[CONSTITUTION AWAKENING TRACKER]
Current Awakening: 0.00%
Next Threshold: 0.01% (First Stirring)
Trigger Conditions: Survive life-threatening battle, absorb chaotic energy source
"So I have a mana bar now," I said, studying the energy management section. "One hundred points total. That's... actually not a lot. Maybe five or six basic techniques before I'm empty?"
I did quick math. If a basic technique cost 15-20 energy, I could use it maybe five times before I was tapped out. Then I'd need to rest and regenerate for ten hours to fully recover.
Limited resources. Had to be smart about technique usage.
[ANALYZING HOST COMPATIBILITY...]
The System was doing something. New calculations running across my vision.
[PRIMORDIAL CHAOS CONSTITUTION: DETECTED]
[ORIGIN GENESIS CORE: CONFIRMED]
[SCANNING AVAILABLE TECHNIQUES...]
[OPTIMIZING INITIAL SKILL SELECTION...]
[RECOMMENDATION: CHAOS STRIKE]
A detailed panel expanded, showing me everything about the technique.
[CHAOS STRIKE - COMPLETE ANALYSIS]
[TECHNIQUE OVERVIEW]
Type: Offensive Technique
Rank: Novice (Grows with user)
Element: Chaos (Non-elemental)
Energy Cost: 15 per use
[EFFECT DESCRIPTION]
Channel chaotic energy through your body into a physical strike. The attack carries the unpredictable nature of primordial chaos, making it difficult to defend against.
Primary Effect: Ignore 20% of target's physical and energy defenses
Secondary Effect: 10% chance to inflict random status effect on hit
Possible Status Effects: Burn, Freeze, Shock, Weaken, Slow, Confuse
[WHY THIS TECHNIQUE?]
Compatibility: 100% - Perfect match for Primordial Chaos Constitution
Growth Potential: Unlimited - Evolves as your constitution awakens
Foundation: Builds muscle memory and energy control essential for advanced chaos techniques
Efficiency: Low energy cost allows repeated practice
[LEARNING PROCESS]
Basic Mastery: 100 successful uses (can use technique reliably)
Advanced Mastery: 1,000 successful uses (technique becomes second nature)
Perfect Mastery: 10,000 successful uses (unlock hidden effects and variations)
Time to Learn Basic Form: 3 days with System guidance and dedicated practice
[TRAINING PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
The System can download instinctive knowledge of the technique's movements, energy circulation patterns, and optimal execution methods directly into your muscle memory. This doesn't grant mastery, but provides the foundation to begin training immediately.
[ACCEPT SKILL: CHAOS STRIKE?]
[YES] / [NO]
I read through everything twice. A technique specifically designed for chaos-type constitutions. One that would grow with me as I got stronger. And it only took three days to learn the basics with System help.
"Yeah," I said without hesitation. "I'll take it. Absolutely."
[CHAOS STRIKE: ACCEPTED]
[ADDING TO SKILL QUEUE...]
[DOWNLOADING TRAINING PROTOCOL...]
[INSTALLING MUSCLE MEMORY PATTERNS...]
[INSTALLING ENERGY CIRCULATION METHODS...]
[INSTALLING COMBAT APPLICATIONS...]
Information flooded my mind, but gently this time. Not overwhelming. More like... remembering something I'd once known but forgotten. The movements came back to me. The stance. The way to hold my hand. The points where energy should gather.
The feeling of channeling power through my arm and releasing it in a strike.
I knew how to do Chaos Strike now. Not well. Not with any real skill. But I understood the basics. Could attempt it.
[INSTALLATION COMPLETE]
[CHAOS STRIKE: ADDED TO ACTIVE SKILLS]
[CURRENT MASTERY: 0% (UNTRAINED)]
[RECOMMENDATION: BEGIN PRACTICE AFTER REST PERIOD]
[HOST STATUS CHECK:]
- Core formation completed: 4 hours ago
- Last meal: 5 hours ago
- Last sleep: 16 hours ago
- Physical exhaustion: Moderate
- Mental exhaustion: High
- Spiritual exhaustion: Moderate
[RECOMMENDATION: 4-6 HOURS SLEEP, MEAL, HYGIENE]
[CULTIVATOR BODY REQUIRES LESS REST THAN MORTAL, BUT REST STILL NECESSARY]
I looked down at myself. Still wearing robes stiff with dried impurities and reeking faintly of death. Hair matted with sweat and black residue. Skin sticky despite my earlier attempt at cleaning.
"Yeah," I admitted. "I'm still disgusting. And exhausted. And starving now that I think about it."
My stomach growled on cue, as if agreeing with the System's assessment.
I needed food. Water. An actual bath. And sleep in a body that wasn't covered in toxin sludge.
I walked to the door, testing my new strength with each step. The movement felt incredible. Light. Effortless. Like I could run for miles without breaking a sweat. My endurance of 32 meant I probably could.
The door opened to a narrow hallway. Wooden walls with symbols carved into them that I still couldn't read. Simple construction. This place wasn't a mansion or temple. More like a hideout. A cabin in the middle of nowhere.
I explored carefully, my enhanced senses picking up every detail. Three rooms total. The bedroom where I'd woken. A small kitchen area with a cold fireplace and stone counters. A storage room with mostly empty shelves.
No bathroom. No running water. No modern conveniences whatsoever.
"Right," I muttered. "Cultivation world. Medieval technology level. I'm going to have to bathe in a river or stream like some kind of fantasy protagonist."
Which I guess I was now.
I found more supplies in the kitchen. Dried meat that looked like jerky. Hard bread that could probably double as a weapon. Some kind of grain in a clay pot. A few withered vegetables that had seen better days.
Enough for maybe a week if I was careful. After that, I'd need to find civilization or learn to hunt.
"Add that to the growing list," I said to myself. "Learn to hunt. Learn to forage. Learn to survive in the wilderness without Uber Eats or grocery stores."
I ate more of the dried meat and bread, chewing mechanically. My stomach accepted the food easily this time. The core formation had stabilized my digestive system, made it more efficient.
Through the kitchen window, I could see the sun beginning its descent toward the horizon. Orange light painted distant mountains in shades of amber and gold.
"Been awake for almost twenty hours," I realized. "No wonder I feel like death. Well, more death. I already died once this week."
I returned to the bedroom and collapsed onto the sleeping mat without even bothering to change out of the filthy robes. Too exhausted to care. Too drained to do anything but close my eyes.
Sleep took me instantly, dragging me down into dreamless black.