"Well, what about the cheat code?" Scott pondered, a flicker of desperate hope lighting up in his mind. If he had been pulled into the game, was it possible his greatest tool had come with him?
It didn't take long for him to become happy.
As if answering his very thought, a faint, translucent blue light shimmered into existence.
The light of the attribute panel that only he could see was flashing in front of him.
A wave of giddy relief washed over him, so strong it almost made him laugh out loud.
It was here. His cheat was here!
Eager to test it, he carefully turned his head, his tired muscles protesting. In the chamber across from him, one of the three old men lay still, cocooned in the same healing mycelium.
As he concentrated his gaze towards the old man in front of him, the panel expanded, showing the detail of the old man.
Words and numbers, familiar and comforting, appeared in the air.
[ Name: Alistair ]
[ Age: 62/144 (Remaining Lifespan: 6 years)]
[ Race: Sporeborn/human]
[ Level: First Order - Level 8 ( Critically Weakened)]
[ Life Energy: 183 points ]
[Status: Critically Weakened. Life essence was severely depleted, leaving the body frail and aged. Physical abilities are currently far below their peak potential.]
[ Mnemonic Gene Spores: [Trace: Cellular Integrity +4%] [Trace: Toxin Resistance +8%] [Trace: Synaptic Speed +3%] ]
[ Foundation-Genes:
[First Ordered Foundation Gene: Mycelial Heart]: The foundational gene integrated by Sporeborn, enabling the passive absorption of ambient Life Energy and the formation of a Spiritual Core.]
[First Ordered Foundation Gene: Bull's Frame]: Acquired from Grave Horn bulls gene core, this gene reinforces the user's skeletal and muscular structure, granting immense physical strength and resilience far beyond normal human limits.]
[Common-Genes:
[First Order Common Gene: Root Eruption]: Allows the user to command nearby roots and fungal mycelium, causing them to erupt from the ground to ensnare or strike at foes.]
[First Order Common Gene: Minor Mend]: A simple but vital ability that uses a small amount of Life Energy to close minor wounds and reduce pain.]
[Latent Genes:
[First Order Heartwood Whisper]: A dormant gene born from years of deep symbiosis with the Heartwood Tree. It has the potential to awaken a brief, intuitive understanding of the nearby Source Tree's immediate state or dangers.]
Scott stared at the panel, a wide grin spreading across his wrinkled face.
It worked. It actually worked! It was just like in the game.
He had a way to see the strengths and weaknesses of others, a way to understand the very building blocks of power in this world.
It wasn't just a cheat anymore; it was a complete system interface for reality.
His anger began to melt away, replaced by the familiar thrill of a player who had just found a legendary item.
With this, he might actually have a chance. Taking a deep, calming breath, he closed his eyes and turned his focus inward.
"Status," he thought, his mind buzzing with a mix of dread and anticipation.
Another faint blue screen shimmered into existence in front of his eyes, and the words began to form.
He held his breath, watching as his new reality that's laid out in cold, hard text.
[ Shelter Lord: Scott]
[ Source Tree Bound: None]
[ Age: 24/148 (Remaining Lifespan: 17 year, 3 months)]
[ Race: Sporeborn]
[ Level: First Order - Level 3 (Critically Weakened) ]
[ Life Energy: 37 points ]
[ Status: Critically Weakened. Life essence was severely depleted in a desperate act, causing rapid aging and systemic body failure. Physical abilities are adjusted to minimal. The body is currently sustained only by external life energy infusion from the Heartwood Tree.]
[ Mnemonic Gene Spores: [Trace: Toxin Resistance +3%] [Trace: Fungal Acuity +5%]
[ Foundation-Genes: [First Ordered Foundation Gene: Mycelial Heart] [First Ordered Foundation Gene: Bull's Frame] ]
[ Common-Genes: [First Order Common Gene: Spore Dart] [First Order Common Gene: Camouflage Spores] ]
[ ??? Gene: Shelter Core: An unknown innate genetic marker of immense potential. Its properties are unknown. Its activation requirements are unknown.
Shelter Core: Unbound.
Available functions: Reader, Upgrader]
The elation he felt moments ago vanished, replaced by an icy dread that settled deep in his gut. Seventeen years and three months.
Looking through the data, he had already burned at least a hundred years of his lifespan with just ten minutes.
That's all he had left. Although seventeen years might be a long time to do something, with his current damaged body… What can he accomplish?
His body wasn't just old and frail; it actively started failing, kept alive by being plugged into this giant tree like a piece of medical equipment.
The reality of his situation was worse than he'd imagined. He had traded one death sentence for another, slightly slower one.
His eyes scanned the list again, a bitter laugh threatening to escape his lips.
Spore Dart, Camouflage Spores… Looking through the old Scott's abilities, they were based on stealth and ranged attacks, a stark contrast to the brute force of the Elders' Root Eruption.
Although his body was also transformed by [First Ordered Foundation Gene: Bull's Frame] spore gene, his body clearly wasn't built for a head-on fight.
It was built for survival, and right now, it was failing at its one job.
Then his gaze fell on the last entry.
[ ??? Gene: Shelter Core ]
The letters seemed to glow a little brighter than the rest. Undoubtedly this was his Cheat… that he could depend from now on.
Available functions: Reader, Upgrader.
The Reader function was what he was using now, the system that let him see these panels.
But the other one… Upgrader. That was it. That was the core of the cheat code he had spent writing, it was a tool to modify, to enhance, to change the rules of the game.
Although there were few other powerful functions that weren't open, just looking at the available functions, he was already satisfied.
A frantic, desperate hope surged through him, so powerful it almost made him dizzy.
It was a tool to grow stronger, to fix this broken body, and maybe, just maybe, to reclaim the years that Scott had burned away.
He ignored the aches in his body and the weakness that clung to him like a shroud.
"Upgrader, show me," he thought, all of his focus, all of his will, narrowed down to a single point.
As soon as he thought of using the upgrader, his own status panel began to change again.
The text shimmered and rearranged itself, displaying all the available upgrade options, with numbers and progress bars appearing at the end of each spore gene he had integrated so far.
As he looked at the new information, the rules of the system flowed into his mind, an innate understanding that came with the cheat code.
The Upgrader was the same as he'd first designed, it meticulously recorded usage data, converting repeated actions into raw upgrade potential.
By consistently using an ability, you can feed it with "experience," which he could then use the available experience to enhance its core function in powerful, measurable leaps.
The only way to make something stronger was to use it.
The more he relied on a specific gene, the faster it would accumulate experience.
For example, a blade only leveled up through battle, and a stealth gene only through successful hiding.
His new status panel laid it all out with beautiful, brutal clarity:
--- UPGRADEABLE GENES ---
[ Mnemonic Gene Spores:
[Trace: Lvl 0 Toxin Resistance +3%] (Exp: 171/50)
[Trace: Lvl 0 Fungal Acuity +5%] (Exp: 535/50 )
[ Foundation-Genes:
[First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Mycelial Heart] (Exp: 977/100)
[First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Bull's Frame] (Exp: 910/100)]
[ Common-Genes:
[First Order Common Gene: Lvl 0 Spore Dart] (Exp: 745/100)
[First Order Common Gene: Lvl 0 Camouflage Spores] (Exp: 950/100) ]
[ ??? Gene: Shelter Core ] Functions: Reader, Upgrader]
His eyes widened as he scanned the numbers. This was a record of the original Scott's life. He could see it clearly now.
The high experience in Camouflage Spores and Spore Dart showed he was a survivor who relied on stealth and staying hidden, striking from a distance.
The Mycelial Heart, the very engine of a Sporeborn, had high experience simply from the act of living and breathing in this world.
But more importantly, nearly every single gene was ready to be upgraded. The accumulated experience from Scott's entire life was now a resource he could spend.
The numbers (Exp: 171/50) and (Exp: 950/100) weren't just data; they were a lifeline.
The icy dread in his stomach began to thaw, replaced by the familiar, electric thrill of a gamer who's just found a way to level up.
He analyzed the options with a cold, practiced eye. What was the most critical need right now? Strength? Stealth? No. It was survival.
His status was Critically Weakened, and he was being kept alive by the Heartwood Tree. The first and most logical step was to improve his own ability to absorb life energy.