Virtual Ascension

[50 Awaken Elixir has been transferred to the System Inventory]

[50 Resource Points have been used]

Venix stared at the system interface, his fingers frozen in midair. Although he had spent several Resource Points, the number hadn't decreased at all. He stared at the screen longer, hoping the numbers might change, but they remained unaltered and stable.

Afterward, Venix attempted to use the system's Inventory to retrieve and store the Awaken Elixir.

The process was much easier compared to using a Spatial Ring, and from an external perspective, its usage appeared quite similar.

Luna observed Venix engrossed in playing with the Spatial Ring and smiled faintly.

"You haven't opened your eyes yet, have you?" Luna asked suddenly.

"Hm?" Venix raised an eyebrow, surprised, and paused for a moment. "Opened my eyes? What do you mean?"

Venix touched his face to confirm his eyes were open and not closed.

Luna laughed at his reaction and explained, "That's not what I meant. It's more like a minor enhancement to your vision, allowing you to see more things.

"You can currently only see the sky full of Auroras, but you can't yet see the Origin Energy around you."

"Do I need to learn a special Technique for that?" Venix asked curiously.

"No, it's a simple trick, nothing that can be called a Technique. Here, let me teach you how," Luna said enthusiastically.

She began explaining the steps to Venix.

Her explanation was patient, her words flowing gently and systematically.

Venix sat upright, his eyes locked on Luna's face, each word she spoke feeling like a critical instruction. Like a student learning a new lesson, he paid close attention, trying to absorb every detail.

For ten minutes, Luna guided Venix through the process, after which Venix took a moment to reflect before trying it himself.

In truth, it wasn't difficult.

Venix simply had to channel energy to his eyes and gradually concentrate it there.

Under Luna's guidance and supervision, Venix felt at ease as he tried it out. If anything went wrong, Luna was ready to intervene and save him.

Venix focused his attention on his eyes, carefully channeling energy. Every small cluster of energy flowed into his eyes, merging seamlessly with them. His eyes absorbed the energy slowly, leaving no trace behind, like sand sinking into water.

The process lasted for several minutes.

Finally, Venix heard a faint cracking sound from his eyes, but it caused no pain or discomfort.

When he opened his eyes, a thin, almost invisible fragment fell from them.

This thin fragment had been blocking Venix's ability to see more of the hidden elements in the world.

As his eyes opened, Venix saw faint, transparent waves moving around him.

These thin waves were only faintly visible and didn't obstruct his vision at all.

Venix looked at Luna, his gaze now sharper after the change in his eyes.

Her appearance hadn't changed, but something new was clearly visible. A thin yellow wave, like a soft morning mist, enveloped her body, signaling that she wasn't just an ordinary human.

"Eh? Your body is glowing with a yellow aura," Venix said spontaneously.

"That's because of my Seed Origin. Every Awaken who has obtained their Seed Origin and completed the first stage will have an aura visible to others, indicating that they're not ordinary humans," Luna replied casually.

"Hm?" Hearing this, Venix immediately grew concerned. "Can that Aura be hidden?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, giving Venix a strange look. "The 'Mortal Cloak' Technique I mentioned earlier can hide your Seed Origin Aura. But are you sure you want to hide it?"

At that time, Venix often talked about concealing his power, as if he planned to hide among the crowd like a fugitive.

While the Technique could conceal the Seed Origin Aura, it was futile in Numan World because trained Awaken and Seedbound could easily see through such disguises.

Venix didn't care whether Luna thought him strange. This Technique was crucial for him to use in the real world, to hide from prying eyes.

Of course, Venix possessed powerful Techniques like Abyssal Embrace, a Mythic Technique far superior and more effective.

However, that Technique was incredibly difficult and required significant time to master, whereas Venix needed a quick solution.

If he failed and his true identity as an Awaken was revealed in the real world, Venix would have no choice but to accept the consequences.

At the very least, he would have tried, leaving no regrets even if it didn't work out.

Venix immediately remembered the name of the 'Mortal Cloak' Technique to purchase it as soon as he reached Numan City.

The wristwatch he wore carried identification and payment methods Venix could use for shopping.

Even though he didn't have money at the moment, he could borrow from Luna to buy the Technique.

Additionally, Venix resolved to stay confined to his room for several days.

If an Awaken or perhaps a Seedbound encountered him in the real world, his true identity would be exposed with just one glance.

Until he mastered the Mortal Cloak Technique, he wouldn't leave his room!

"How many hours until we arrive?" Venix asked Luna.

"About nine hours. If you want to sleep or rest, go ahead. The journey is safe, and the chances of a sneak attack are very slim," Luna replied casually.

"Then I'll sleep first," Venix said succinctly.

He found a reclining chair and adjusted it into a sleeping position.

Lying down, Venix exited the Virtual world and returned to reality.

Opening his eyes in the real world, Venix saw the familiar ceiling of his dorm room.

Sitting up in bed, he glanced around his dorm and noticed his two friends were absent.

"Rael probably won't return to the dorm for the next few days. And Ronan… did he rent a hotel room or something tonight?" Venix muttered under his breath as he climbed out of bed.

It was already dark, and night had fallen.

Venix opened his dorm room window, gazing at the sky filled with Auroras, as if eternal and unchanging.

"I hope both of them are okay," Venix said, sighing.

After realizing that Awaken individuals emerging during the early stages of the Origin Era might soon reach the Seedbound level, Venix became more cautious and fearful of the outside world.

He was only at the Awaken level—how could he face the threats posed by a Seedbound?

"Should I accept the Origin Blessing or not?" Venix frowned in thought.

If he accepted the Origin Blessing and became a Seedbound, how would those who had already accessed Origin power on Earth react?

Although this was merely his speculation, based on developments across the globe reported in various news outlets, Venix was 90% certain that certain groups—or even the leaders of humanity—had already created a powerful army wielding Origin power.

There were approximately 5 billion humans on Earth, and according to Luna, at least 60% of them could awaken their powers naturally during the early stages of the Origin Era.

That meant there would be at least three billion Seedbound individuals!

This was an overwhelming number, and Venix would hardly stand out in the eyes of humanity's elite or other factions.

Moreover, factions might emerge across the world, and as a low-ranking member, Venix would likely be deployed as a front-line soldier, facing high-risk situations.

On the other hand, if Venix refused the Origin Blessing, he would be unable to protect himself against threats at the Seedbound level.

Both choices seemed to lead to unfavorable outcomes, leaving Venix with no room for maneuvering.

"The Origin Era has only just begun. The number of Awaken individuals isn't too high yet, and chaos hasn't broken out." Venix gazed blankly at the aurora-filled sky. "I'll decide when the situation starts to turn worse."

Returning to his bed, Venix decided to meditate.

Although Meditation Techniques wouldn't offer much help, Venix could observe his Seed Origin Vulture and calm his mind for now.

Venix lay down to meditate.

No specific posture was required for meditation. What mattered was finding a comfortable position and relaxing the body to enter a meditative state.

After about 10 minutes, Venix successfully entered a meditative state while lying down.

He observed his Seed Origin Vulture, which was still quite translucent, indicating that it needed more energy to complete the first stage of Awaken.

He then remembered that he had forgotten to consume an Awaken Elixir in the real world and transfer the item through the system.

However, Venix chose to postpone this, as he currently needed peace of mind to figure out a solution to his dilemma.

After 30 minutes of meditation, many ideas began to surface in Venix's mind.

"There's nothing I can do in the real world," Venix thought. "But I do have the Virtual Ascension system that grants me access to the Virtual World.

"Now that I can transfer items from the Virtual World to the real world, I have numerous options if I find useful items in the Virtual World.

"When I reach Numan City, I can search for items that might be beneficial in the real world." Venix opened his eyes, his thoughts clearer.

There was no need to rush any decisions. For now, everything was still under control.

Next, Venix accessed the Transfer feature through the system.

Instantly, the system's Inventory screen appeared before his eyes.

Selecting the Awaken Elixir item, Venix attempted to transfer it to the real world.

[1 Resource Point is required to extract this item to the real world.]

Venix accepted this without hesitation; after all, he currently had an ample supply of unused Resource Points.

The item transfer process to the real world was completed within seconds.

Now, the Inventory menu displayed an (R) symbol next to the Awaken Elixir, indicating that the item could be extracted to the real world.

Using his thoughts, Venix summoned one bottle of Awaken Elixir into his hand.

"This is real... If I transfer all available Origin resources from the Virtual World, wouldn't I become extremely wealthy by selling them in the real world?" Venix entertained the idea briefly.

But he soon dismissed it.

He realized that wealth without the power to protect it would only invite trouble.

If Venix could amass sufficient strength, perhaps he could consider this plan in the future.

Furthermore, Venix already had plenty of Resource Points for various needs.

For now, though, Resource Points could only be earned through Quests and Hidden Quests.

Reflecting on how he'd accidentally completed a Hidden Quest earlier, Venix understood that his Resource Points were just enough for his personal needs in the real world.

This realization prompted Venix to use his Resource Points wisely and avoid spending them on random or unnecessary items.

As he progressed to higher levels, the number of Resource Points required might increase significantly.

Venix transferred all his Awaken Elixirs to the real world, spending an additional 50 Resource Points.

In total, he used up 100 Resource Points to bring 50 Awaken Elixirs into the real world.

After consuming one bottle of Awaken Elixir, Venix immediately entered a meditative state to connect with the Vulture.

Entering the meditative state again, Venix was slightly surprised that the Vulture didn't absorb the energy flowing into his body and remained motionless, abiding by his previous request.

Conveying his thoughts, Venix instructed the Vulture to absorb the energy within his body but not from external sources.

The Seed of Vulture immediately grew lively, rapidly absorbing the energy within Venix's body like a sponge soaking up water.

As the Vulture absorbed more energy, it became clearer and stronger.

Several hours later, Venix emerged from his meditative state and began consuming the Awaken Elixirs one by one.

3 Awaken Elixirs.

7 Awaken Elixirs.

10 Awaken Elixirs.

The process continued, and Venix felt his body heating up rapidly.

The Vulture absorbed the energy at an incredible pace, resembling a parched creature eagerly drinking water.

This process lasted for six full hours, leaving Venix drenched in sweat from the rising temperature of his body.

After consuming 43 bottles of Awaken Elixir, the Seed Origin Vulture let out a cry within his soul, finally reaching the Early-Stage Awaken perfectly! This matched the power level Venix had achieved in the Virtual World!

Feeling the changes in his body, Venix was thrilled.

His strength had increased rapidly, and with a single punch, he felt he could easily shatter a wall.

Resisting the urge to test his strength immediately, Venix instead drank five more bottles of Awaken Elixir, allowing the energy to circulate through his body and replenish his own reserves.

Energy spread to every cell in his body, revitalizing it.

Then, Venix attempted to break the barrier in his vision, following the same steps he had learned in the Virtual World under Luna's guidance.

Carefully and methodically, he absorbed clusters of energy into his eyes until a cracking sound echoed in his mind.

Opening his eyes, thin fragments fell from them.

"I did it!"

Venix smiled in delight. Despite having prior experience in the Virtual World, the process still carried risks, and a single misstep could have been disastrous.

Stretching his body, Venix climbed out of bed to test his enhanced abilities by looking out the window.

But as he moved, Venix noticed something unusual.

He raised his hand, its movements graceful yet appearing to ripple through the air.

Waving his hand before his eyes, the world around him seemed to shift, as though a stream of energy flowed through the space.

A new sight unfolded before him, leaving Venix stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief at the extraordinary view before him!