Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem

Zain and Liang Yuntian sat down on a flat rock near the edge of the battlefield.

The sky above slowly darkened as the strange light of the Inner Zone faded.

The girls and the other cultivators sat a bit farther back, giving space for the two to talk.

Zain looked at Liang Yuntian with curiosity in his eyes.

"Mr. Liang Yuntian," Zain said calmly, "earlier you mentioned your abilities are related to cultivation… like those cultivators in old martial arts novels."

He paused.

"You mean the ones who use qi to grow stronger, train in martial arts, fly with swords, and all that?"

Liang Yuntian gave a gentle smile and nodded. "Indeed, Sir Zain. That's exactly what I mean."

He adjusted his robe slightly as he spoke.

"Many people think those stories are just fiction. But to tell you the truth... Those 'novels' are based on real history."

"I would say at least eighty percent of them reflect actual cultivation knowledge from a long-forgotten era."

Zain's eyes narrowed slightly. "So the stories… were true?"

Liang nodded again. "Yes. The techniques, the stages, the way of life. It was all real once."

Zain leaned forward a little. "Then I have to ask. How can you still cultivate now?"

"From what I know," Zain continued, "you needed qi to cultivate. But in this world, people don't use qi anymore."

"Everyone awakens a class, and those classes are powered by ether in the air. But ether and qi are different, aren't they?"

Liang Yuntian raised his hand and pointed at the mist in the air.

"You are correct. Ether and qi are not the same," he said.

"They are two different energies. But... we found a way to use ether to cultivate."

Zain blinked. "You can really cultivate using ether?"

Liang Yuntian nodded. "Yes. It's not easy, but it's possible."

Zain sat back for a moment, clearly surprised.

"But if it's possible, then why don't more people do it?" he asked. "Why don't people train like you?"

Liang let out a small laugh. "Ah, young sir. I knew you would ask that."

Zain looked at him directly. "Is it a secret cultivation method that you don't want to share?"

Liang shook his head and smiled kindly. "No. Not at all."

"In fact, our cultivation technique is not a secret. We've shared it with others. It's recorded, written down, even passed around openly."

Zain raised an eyebrow. "Then why can't people learn it?"

Liang Yuntian looked at him and held up one finger. "Because of one important thing... [Class]."

Zain paused, then slowly nodded. "I see. So it's because your class… is different."

Liang smiled. "Exactly."

"Our class," he said proudly, "is [Cultivator]. It's a special type of class that lets us train like the ancient cultivators did."

He continued, "Our ancestors discovered a method to awaken this class long ago."

"They used rare herbs, special breathing techniques, and mental training to shift the body and soul."

Zain's eyes lit up with interest.

"So that's the key. Your class is the reason you can use ether as a replacement for qi."

"Correct," Liang replied. "Once awakened as a cultivator, the body starts using ether as if it were qi."

"It becomes natural. You can form dantian, open meridians, and train like the old ways again."

Zain nodded slowly. "And because of that, not everyone can cultivate. Even if they study your techniques, if they don't have the class… it won't work."

Liang smiled. "You understand quickly, Sir Zain."

Zain didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked down at his hand.

His fingers curled slightly, and faint red ether glowed around his skin.

'A Cultivator class...'

He had hacked and modified many things, but this was something he never expected to exist in this world.

At least, not in this pure form.

But then the thought hit him.

Hadn't he already done something similar?

He had created his own path.

His class, [Heavenly Demon], wasn't part of the natural world system.

It wasn't something gifted to him by fate. He had forced it into existence.

He had fused his old-world qi knowledge with the ether of this new world.

He used that to create his own energy, [Heavenly Demon Ether].

Through it, he cultivated. He grew stronger. He refined his body, soul, and mind.

He didn't realize it until now, but… he had already built something like a Cultivator class.

He was a cultivator, but a hacked one.

So this talk… this wasn't to ask something he needed.

It was just to satisfy his curiosity.

Zain raised his head again, his voice calm. "Then… if I may ask, why are you and your group here?"

Liang Yuntian chuckled softly, as if he expected that question.

"We're here to train," he answered simply.

Zain blinked. "Train?"

Liang nodded. "Yes. This Inner Zone is filled with corrosive ether, dangerous terrain, and devils that pressure both body and spirit."

He waved a hand gently, motioning to the red mist around them.

"This place is deadly, yes… but also perfect."

Zain raised an eyebrow. "Perfect for what?"

Liang looked into the mist and smiled.

"To train the mind."

Zain tilted his head. "The mind?"

Liang nodded again. "You've read those cultivation novels, haven't you?"

"You know how important the mind is to cultivators. Mental clarity, spiritual focus, the power of will…"

"All those things are needed to reach the higher realms."

Zain thought back to when he was a cultivator in his past world.

A cultivator could have a powerful body and strong energy, but they couldn't break through bottlenecks if their mind wasn't stable.

A shaky heart meant slow progress. Fear, doubt, and weakness could crush someone trying to ascend.

Liang Yuntian continued, "The more pressure we place on our minds, the stronger our spiritual core becomes."

"And this mist… this pressure… it attacks the mind from every angle. That's why we train here."

Zain glanced at the red mist swirling in the air.

He felt fine. He had [Heavenly Demon God] and his system's barrier protecting the girls.

But he could imagine how hard it would be for normal people.

Even trained cultivators would find it like walking through mental fire.

"So this place…" Zain said slowly, "You're using it as a test."

"Exactly," Liang said with a proud nod.

"If we can keep calm during this madness, then our minds become sharper."

"If we can keep our energy stable while surrounded by corrupted ether, then our control becomes stronger."

He paused, then looked at Zain.

"It is not just the sword that grows sharper, Sir Zain. The heart must sharpen, too."

Zain looked thoughtful.

He had focused so much on strength, domination, and evolution…

But even he had to admit that a strong mind could be the key to the next level.