His gaze locked onto both [First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Mycelial Heart] (Exp: 977/100) and [First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Bull's Frame] (Exp: 910/100)]. He had enough experience to upgrade them both.
He concentrated further on those foundational genes, wanting to know exactly what he was working with.
As if responding to his will, his Reader function activated, and two more panels with clear details about the genes appeared in his mind's eye.
[ First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Mycelial Heart]
[ Description: The core of Sporeborn evolution, this gene integrates a symbiotic mycelial network throughout the user's cardiovascular system. It modifies the hosts heart, allowing the direct absorption and processing of ambient Life Energy.]
[ Status: Passively absorbs ambient Life Energy to sustain the body. Efficiency is low, providing just enough for basic survival and slow regeneration of minor wounds.]
[ Effect (Lvl 0): Improves Hosts cultivation of Life energy by 0.05 per day. Life energy storage and recovery rate +20%. One fixed point of upgrade experience is gained daily, with additional, random experience points earned through continuous exercise.]
[ Hosts upgrade Path: Each level will significantly increase the efficiency and speed of Life Energy absorption by an additional 50% by expanding the body's capacity for storing Life Energy, directly improving recovery rate and stamina.]
[ First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Bull's Frame]
[ Description: A powerful transformative gene acquired from the spores of a Grave Horn Bull. Successful inhaling the gene will fundamentally rebuilds the user's musculoskeletal system for incredible strength and resilience.]
[ Status: Reinforces bone structure and increases the density of muscle fibers. Provides a physical foundation far superior to a normal sporeborn, though it is currently suffering from systemic failure due to Life Essence depletion.]
[ Effect (Lvl 0): Physical body forging effect +100%, One fixed point of upgrade experience is gained daily, with additional, random experience points earned through continuous exercise. ]
[ Upgrade Path: Each level will directly repair and enhance the user's physical body by an additional 50% each level by restoring bone density, rebuild atrophied muscle, and increase overall physical strength, durability, and resilience.]
As Scott read through the descriptions, the path forward became crystal clear.
Those two genes were like two sides of the same coin.
The Bull's Frame was the body, the machine. The Mycelial Heart was the engine that powered it.
A powerful machine was useless without a good engine, and a strong engine was wasted on a broken frame.
His current problem was that both were failing.
However, the Bull's Frame upgrade Path can directly repair his damaged body.
While the Mycelial Heart can improve the efficiency of Life energy inside his body to maintain the upgraded Bull's Frame.
The synergy was obvious. He needed to upgrade the Mycelial Heart first.
A more efficient heart would pull in more Life Energy, which would not only stabilize his condition but also provide the fuel needed for the Bull's Frame to repair itself when he upgrades it next.
Together with the continuous life energy provided by the Heartwood Tree, it was a one-two punch for full recovery.
He had 977 experience points for the heart and 910 for the Bull's frame.
With enough experience he could at least upgrade them more than twice.
Just thinking about upgrading made him feel relaxed and a feeling of control, the first he'd truly felt since waking up in this world, washed over him.
"Upgrade Mycelial Heart." he commanded inwardly, his focus sharp as a razor's edge.
A new rule flowed into his mind, simple and logical: For Foundation genes Lvl 0 to 1 requires 100 points of exp, 1 to 2 requires 200 points of exp, 2 to 3 requires 300 points of exp, and so on.
[ Upgrading First Ordered Foundation Gene: Mycelial Heart from Lvl 0 to Lvl 1... ]
[ 100 Experience Points deducted. Remaining Exp: 877. ]
The moment the command was given, a gentle warmth bloomed in the center of his chest.
It started as a faint flicker, like a pilot light catching flame.
He could feel the fine, white mycelium threads wrapped around his body pulse with a soft green light, and the flow of life energy from the Heartwood Tree quickened, drawn into him more easily.
The constant, draining weakness that had plagued him seemed to lessen by a tiny, but noticeable, fraction.
It wasn't enough. Not even close.
"Again," he thought, not even pausing to savor the small victory.
[ Upgrading First Ordered Foundation Gene: Mycelial Heart from Lvl 1 to Lvl 2... ]
[ 200 Experience Points deducted. Remaining Exp: 677. ]
"More," he commanded, a surge of adrenaline sharpening his senses. "Upgrade it again."
[ Upgrading First Ordered Foundation Gene: Mycelial Heart from Lvl 2 to Lvl 3... ]
[ 300 Experience Points deducted. Remaining Exp: 377. ]
With two consecutive upgrades, the gentle warmth in his chest intensified, becoming a steady, warm heat.
This time, he could feel a distinct change.
His own heart, the physical organ, began to beat in a stronger, more stable rhythm, perfectly in sync with the flow of energy from his new, improved mycelial network.
The life energy infusion from the tree was no longer a passive drip; it felt like an open tap, flowing into him with a purpose.
He could feel the energy reaching the tips of his fingers and toes, a sensation he hadn't felt since waking up in this aged body.
He was still weak, but he was no longer just an empty container being filled.
He was now actively pulling that energy in, his body's engine sputtering back to life.
He took a deep breath, the first one that didn't feel shallow and strained.
The world seemed a little sharper, the air a little richer.
The next upgrade to Level 4 would cost 400 points, and he only had 277 left.
For now, this was as far as he could go.
But the difference was like night and day. He felt stable. The feeling of his body actively failing had stopped.
A light smile touched his lips. The engine was now running smoothly.
It was time to fix the frame. His eyes shifted on the status panel to the next target.
[First Ordered Foundation Gene: Lvl 0 Bull's Frame] (Exp: 910/100).]
"Continue, Upgrade Bull's Frame," he mentally commanded again.
[ Upgrading First Ordered Foundation Gene: Bull's Frame from Lvl 0 to Lvl 1... ]
[ 100 Experience Points deducted. Remaining Exp: 810. ]
The response was immediate and jarringly different from the last upgrades.
There was no gentle warmth, but a deep, resonant thrum that started in the marrow of his bones.
It felt like a giant tuning fork had been struck inside him.
A dull ache spread through his limbs as his skeletal structure, ravaged by the rapid aging, began the painstaking process of reinforcing or more like reforging itself.
It was the feeling of a dilapidated house having its very foundation secured, one microscopic strut at a time.
He gritted his teeth through the discomfort. This was the feeling of repair.
"Again."
[ Upgrading First Ordered Foundation Gene: Bull's Frame from Lvl 1 to Lvl 2... ]
[ 200 Experience Points deducted. Remaining Exp: 610. ]
The deep thrumming intensified, and the dull ache was joined by a new sensation: a powerful tightening in his muscles.
He could feel the atrophied fibers contracting, drinking in the life energy his Lvl 3 Mycelial Heart was now providing.
The feeling of having brittle, hollow bones began to slowly fade, replaced by a growing sense of density and solidness.
He instinctively clenched his fist, and while it was still weak, the motion felt connected and sure, not the shaky, frail gesture it had been moments ago.
The synergy was working perfectly.
The engine was feeding the machine, and the machine was rebuilding itself with every passing second.
"Do it again," he urged, a fierce determination in his thoughts.
[ Upgrading First Ordered Foundation Gene: Bull's Frame from Lvl 2 to Lvl 3... ]
[ 300 Experience Points deducted. Remaining Exp: 310. ]
This time, a wave of vitality surged through his physical body.
The aches subsided, replaced by a feeling of latent power returning to his limbs.
He pushed himself up slightly on the mossy bed, his arms holding his weight without the trembling weakness he'd expected.
He looked down at his hands.
The skin, while still pale and thin, was no longer stretched tight over bony fingers like a withered claw.
There was strong flesh there now, the faint outline of muscle and sinew returning.
He checked the cost. 400 points for the next level. He was out of experience for now.
Leaning back, he took stock.
His body was still far from its peak, but the Critically Weakened status felt like a gross exaggeration now.
The two foundational genes, now both at Level 3, worked in perfect harmony.
The Mycelial Heart drew in a powerful stream of life energy, and the Bull's Frame with its upgraded efficiency greedily used it to mend bone and weave new muscle.
His overall fitness and recovery rate suddenly improved many times.
He had pulled himself back from the brink. The immediate danger of his body simply giving out was over.
But as he looked at his status panel again, his eyes landed on the number that changed.
[ Remaining Lifespan: 23 years, 8 months ]
"Haha… yes, it increased by another six years," He laughed happily looking at the remaining lifespan, but the clock was still ticking.
However, he could feel that with a few more upgrades, and he could heal himself completely.