Virtual Ascension

Although Venix had learned some things about the Origin Era, his knowledge was incomplete, and there were still many questions he wanted answers to.

The train began to move, its wheels clattering slowly, carrying them away from the station with the sound of the wind gradually fading.

Venix gazed out the window, watching the cityscape recede into the distance.

As the train traveled, Venix turned to Luna and asked, "Can you tell me more about the Origin Era?"

Luna turned her head, her eyes meeting Venix's. She rested her chin on her right palm, her smile faint yet enough to momentarily stun Venix. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

Luna's posture was elegant, her allure amplified by the way she carried herself.

However, despite Luna's captivating presence, Venix averted his gaze. His expression hardened, and his lips pressed into a firm line, as though bracing himself for the weighty question on his mind.

"What is the biggest difference between the Origin Era now and the Origin Era in ancient times? More specifically, is there any distinction in how the Origin Era began?" Venix asked, his tone serious.

In the real world, his body had achieved the status of a true Awaken, and the moment he became a true Awaken, the Origin Source seemed eager to flood him with immense energy.

This didn't happen in the Virtual World, which had also entered the Origin Era before Earth.

Venix suspected that one or two factors had caused this phenomenon in the real world.

"Of course, there's a significant difference between the current Origin Era and its early stages," Luna replied, gazing out the window. "Historical records indicate that in the early stages of the Origin Era, all Awaken of that era were much stronger than the Awaken of our time."

"Much stronger? How could that be?" Venix's face darkened, his instincts telling him that the issues in the real world wouldn't be easily resolved.

"Surprised? I was too when I first learned about this," Luna said with a sigh before continuing. "How could the Origin Era of the past have produced Awaken far stronger than those of today? In this era, we have Origin Meditation Techniques, abundant Origin resources, and countless other powerful Techniques. In the past, during the early days of the Origin Era, they had no such advanced Techniques, and Origin resources were extremely scarce. They even had to kill one another for the meager Origin resources available."

"So, to this day, I only trust about 50% of this information. History might have been exaggerated by its authors," Luna said, her tone dismissive, as if not easily swayed by historical accounts.

Yet, an unsettling feeling stirred within Venix, as though a heavy weight pressed on his chest. His heartbeat quickened, his mind filling with doubts that refused to dissipate.

This was because Venix had experienced the differences in the real world firsthand and suspected that some aspects of the history Luna recounted might hold a kernel of truth.

"Do the historical records explain why Awaken of the past were stronger than those of today?" Venix asked, a strange nervousness creeping into his voice.

Luna was silent for a moment before answering, "The records state that when Awaken were naturally born in that era, they received an Origin Blessing that instantly elevated their strength to the Seedbound level, bypassing the Awaken stage effortlessly."

Hearing Luna's reply, Venix's heart churned with chaos.

"That sounds absurd, doesn't it?" Luna said, glancing at Venix with a wry smile. "They skipped the Awaken stage and became Seedbound directly. And due to the Origin Blessing, the average quality of their Seed Origin was Sky, with Mythic quality appearing more frequently during that time."

Venix's heart pounded violently, a chill creeping through his entire body as though a shadowy presence loomed over his thoughts.

The historical accounts indeed seemed wildly implausible.

If the real world hadn't changed, Venix too would have doubted their veracity.

However, Venix had personally sensed the Origin Blessing during his transformation into a true Awaken in the real world.

Had Venix not restrained his Seed Origin Vulture from absorbing Origin energy, he might have experienced the Origin Blessing more fully.

Unlike Luna, who remained skeptical of the history, Venix, having felt a fleeting moment of that Blessing, believed there was an 80% chance it was true.

"If a newly Awaken individual could instantly reach the Seedbound level, what value does my current strength as an Awaken hold?" Venix thought, frustration bubbling within him, as though his efforts so far had been rendered meaningless.

"What do you think? Do you believe those historical accounts?" Luna asked Venix, her smile enigmatic.

Venix wanted to nod but, after a moment's thought, he shook his head slightly instead.

Luna seemed satisfied with Venix's response, as if she'd found someone who shared her skepticism toward such historical claims.

"Even though it sounds improbable, there are elements of history that make me question whether it's true or not," Luna said seriously. She continued, "You must understand that at the Awaken stage, one's strength is only slightly superior to that of ordinary humans. It's only after completing the first stage and obtaining a perfect Seed Origin that their power truly surpasses that of ordinary humans."

Venix mulled over this, finding it reasonable. When he became Awaken, he only felt his strength slightly outmatched that of regular humans, comparable to a professional athlete's level.

Luna continued, "That's why I believe an Origin Blessing existed in the past, but it wasn't as exaggerated as the historical records suggest. During the early stages of the Origin Era, chaos erupted across various regions of the world."

"If Awaken emerged the same way as they do today, with limited Origin resources, could they have caused such widespread chaos? Their strength, only marginally above that of ordinary humans, would have been easily subdued by the authorities if it weren't extraordinarily powerful."

Luna explained her perspective, which she deemed more plausible than the historical accounts.

Venix touched his chin, his eyes fixed on Luna as he processed her words. A faint sense of conviction began to take root, even as lingering doubts clouded his thoughts.

"It seems I need to accept the Origin Blessing and directly reach the Seedbound level in the real world," Venix thought.

This decision seemed logical, considering the future threats he might face could be at the Seedbound level. With his current strength as an Awaken, Venix couldn't protect himself, let alone his friends.

Additionally, Venix urgently needed stronger Techniques.

"Do you have any recommendations for Techniques I should learn?" Venix asked Luna.

"That's right, you haven't learned any Techniques aside from the Meditation Technique," Luna said with a nod, then continued, "Is there a particular type of Technique you're interested in?"

Venix thought for a moment.

In essence, he didn't need a powerful or overly complex Technique. What Venix required at this moment was a simple Technique he could learn quickly—something that could at least protect him in the real world if something were to happen.

"No need for something overly powerful, just a Technique that doesn't take long to master. Besides..." Just as Venix was about to continue, an idea suddenly struck him. "Umm... We talked about the Origin Era in its early stages earlier. If you lived in that time, what kind of Technique would help you survive?"

With this request, the Techniques Luna recommended could be more suitable for Venix's needs in the real world.

"What kind of Technique would I use in such an era? Hmm, that's quite interesting; I've never thought about it before," Luna said with growing interest. "First of all, it would need to be versatile, adaptable to various conditions, and able to avoid battles when necessary."

Venix felt a wave of satisfaction internally. With Luna now intrigued, the two began discussing the various dangers that might occur during that time period.

Luna suggested a Movement Technique. With this, if something happened, they could escape and avoid combat as much as possible.

She also commented that evasion and running were more energy-efficient than using offensive Techniques.

Additionally, in that era, it was difficult to distinguish between friends and foes. With the likelihood of facing multiple enemies, conserving energy and avoiding combat were essential survival strategies.

One by one, Techniques were mentioned by Luna, while Venix could only give a rough idea of each. Luna searched her holographic wrist display for a list of available Techniques.

Luna's citizenship status was higher than Venix's, allowing her access to far more resources.

"We'll make plenty of money later, and you'll get your share—it won't be a small amount," Luna said with a smile. "If you want to buy these Techniques, that's fine because you'll have enough money for them. Just make sure to invest in the best Techniques you can get."

Venix nodded in agreement with Luna's advice.

Eventually, Luna carefully curated a list of Techniques for Venix, dividing them into three categories: Earth, Sky, and Mythic.

The Earth category was relatively easy to learn and didn't take much time. The Sky category required extra effort and a little longer to master.

As for the Mythic category, these were the best Techniques tailored to Venix's requests, demanding significantly more time and effort to learn.

In total, Venix received hundreds of Techniques recommended by Luna:

179 — Earth Techniques

67 — Sky Techniques

4 — Mythic Techniques

The two of them spent two hours compiling this list, which Luna had written and sent to Venix.

"You can purchase them in Numan City. All the Techniques are available for you to buy there," Luna said with a cheerful smile.

Venix glanced at the extensive list of Techniques, his head starting to spin. His previously clear mind now felt overwhelmed, as if the sheer number of Techniques clouded his focus.

According to Luna, out of the 179 Earth Techniques, most were outdated and no longer effective in modern combat.

Only the Sky Techniques met the standards for contemporary battles.

Luna also recommended the 4 Mythic Techniques, each incredibly powerful yet challenging to learn:

1. Faceless Technique — A powerful disguise Technique capable of altering body shape and bone structure. This Technique came in various versions, from Awaken to Primecore!

2. Heavenly Flow Technique — A support Technique enabling smoother and more efficient energy control, allowing Techniques to be executed with greater effectiveness. Though it seemed weak at first glance, this Technique could significantly boost one's combat strength in high-level battles.

3. Abyssal Embrace — A unique Technique allowing the user to manipulate their aura to either strengthen or suppress it. Luna mentioned this Technique was renowned for saving countless lives.

It could intimidate opponents.

For instance, if Venix were at level 1, he could exude an aura so menacing it would feel as if his opponent were facing a level 10 enemy.

Alternatively, he could conceal his true strength, appearing harmless while hiding his true potential.

This Technique was simple but required mastery equivalent to Mythic-level Techniques. Luna explained that its creator was merely a Rootbound. Upon his death, he laughed joyfully, having successfully terrified tens of thousands of individuals stronger than him.

4. Celestial Origin Body Technique — A body Technique enhancing the user's physical aspects. Uniquely focused on harmonizing the user with their Seed Origin, it unlocked their Seed Origin's maximum potential.

These four Mythic Techniques were relatively weak in their initial stages but would reveal their true strength as the user's power grew.

After finalizing the Technique list for Venix, Luna snapped her fingers. A red ring suddenly materialized out of thin air and landed on her fingers.

Venix widened his eyes in surprise, having never seen such a capability before.

"Don't look so shocked," Luna said, glancing at Venix before continuing, "This is a Spatial Ring—a valuable item capable of storing numerous objects within it.

"Simply wear it on your finger, and you can access it using your power.

"The Spatial Ring is bound to the user's Seed Origin, so once it's bound to you, only you can access it.

"However, with certain advanced techniques, it's possible to break the bond and steal the items inside."

Luna handed the Spatial Ring to Venix, who accepted it cautiously.

After placing it on his finger and following Luna's instructions, Venix successfully bound the Spatial Ring to himself.

With a wave of her hand, Luna summoned twenty bottles of Awaken Elixir onto the table.

"I only brought fifty bottles. Keep these in your Spatial Ring. You can get more when we arrive in Numan City," Luna said calmly.

Venix nodded and carefully stored the twenty bottles of Awaken Elixir into his Spatial Ring.

After five minutes of practice, Venix smoothly mastered how to retrieve and store items within the Spatial Ring.

Luna handed him the remaining Awaken Elixir, and Venix stored all of them into the ring on his finger.

"So, this thing works like an inventory in a game?" Venix thought to himself.

The idea reminded Venix of the inventory system he had in his personal system.

With his thoughts, Venix accessed his system inventory.

To his surprise, he now saw two inventory screens.

One screen was empty, while the other contained bottles filled with a blue liquid.

They were the Awaken Elixirs he had stored in his Spatial Ring!

Curious, Venix clicked on one of the Awaken Elixirs in the alternate inventory screen to transfer it into his system inventory.

[Do you wish to transfer (Awaken Elixir) into the system inventory?]

A system notification appeared suddenly, making Venix's eyes light up. He immediately selected 'Yes.'

[Resource Points will be consumed to transfer items into the system inventory.]

Venix quickly checked the number of Resource Points he currently had displayed at the bottom of the system interface.

100,800 Resource Points.

He then noticed that transferring one bottle of Awaken Elixir required only 1 Resource Point.

"Am I... too rich?" Venix thought doubtfully.

For some reason, Venix felt like his situation shouldn't have been this easy...