Virtual Ascension

In the real world, Venix slowly opened his eyes.

He had spent six hours in Numan World, and time in the real world moved at the same pace—six hours had passed. Among the many wonders of Numan World, its synchronization with real-world time was one of the most remarkable features.

Picking up his phone, Venix saw that the screen displayed 5 PM.

He got out of bed and quickly realized his two roommates had returned to the dorm. Ronan, as usual, was lounging casually with his phone in hand, a sly grin playing on his face. Meanwhile, Rael was engrossed in his laptop, focused on some serious task.

"Oh? You're awake?" Ronan smirked when he saw Venix standing. "Lately, you've been sleeping quite a bit. Doesn't your body ache from oversleeping?"

Venix chuckled lightly. Ronan's words weren't entirely untrue. He stretched a few times to confirm that he felt fine. To his surprise, his body felt refreshed, without any hint of fatigue or discomfort.

"I've been trying lucid dreaming. It's pretty fun," Venix replied with a small smile before asking, "By the way, have you two eaten?"

Ronan waved his hand dismissively. "I've got dinner plans with someone, so sorry, I can't join you."

"I'm busy," Rael replied without lifting his eyes from the laptop. "But I've prepared some instant noodles for later."

Hearing their responses, Venix sighed inwardly.

If the world really changed and chaos struck, he could imagine how devastated his friends would be when they realized all their plans were futile.

But no.

Venix steeled himself. He had to reach the Seedbound level before the chaos began. With Seedbound-level strength, he could help his friends face any danger that lay ahead.

Since his friends were preoccupied, Venix decided to eat on his own. He headed to the school cafeteria, which would only stay open until 7 PM.

As he stepped outside, Venix looked up at the sky, and his expression darkened.

The aurora waves that had previously been confined to the city's edge now blanketed the entire area where he lived.

This was bad.

The spread was too fast. At this rate, Venix estimated that within a few days, the mysterious aurora might engulf the entire world.

"There's not enough time. I need to grow stronger as fast as possible!" Venix thought, a sense of urgency gripping his heart.

After a 15-minute dinner, Venix checked the money in his pocket.

A quick mental calculation told him that if he was frugal, he could buy enough instant noodles, chocolate, and snack bars to last three weeks.

As an orphan, Venix depended on the government's monthly allowance, which he would receive until he turned 20. Rael was in the same situation, being an orphan as well. Only Ronan had a family—a mother and a younger sister.

With his remaining funds, Venix decided to stock up at a convenience store.

It took him half an hour to fill four plastic bags with instant food and snacks. He returned to the dorm with his hands full, looking like someone who had won a lifetime supply of food.

When he opened the dorm door, his two friends looked at him with puzzled expressions.

"Hey, man, what are you doing?" Ronan asked, his mouth half-open in surprise at the sight of Venix lugging so many shopping bags.

"Zombie apocalypse already started?" Rael quipped, pushing his glasses up.

Venix shrugged nonchalantly. "I just figured buying instant food in bulk would be more cost-effective. Simple, right?"

Ronan squinted, clearly unconvinced. "You've been acting a bit odd lately. Not like you to stay cooped up in the dorm. Since when did you turn into a homebody?"

"Haha, just felt like it," Venix laughed lightly, placing the shopping bags beside his bed.

He knew whatever excuse he came up with wouldn't sound logical. So, he opted for a casual response to deflect their curiosity.

Once assured that nothing seemed overly strange with Venix, Ronan and Rael decided to drop the matter and returned to their respective activities.

Indeed, Venix's behavior was unusual, but it wasn't something they couldn't overlook. After all, everyone had their way of living.

Although the three often offered advice to one another, they knew that, in the end, personal choices were up to the individual.

Unless the situation became truly dire and hopeless, they wouldn't interfere.

Venix lay back on his bed, ignoring his friends, and launched Numan World through the system.

In the virtual realm, Venix opened his eyes in his new room at Luna's house.

Once he was fully conscious, Venix immediately retrieved the metal box containing the knowledge of the Origin Meditation Technique and resumed his study.

At this stage, mastering the Origin Meditation Technique perfectly was his top priority before advancing to the next phase.

For twenty minutes, Venix focused on his learning until a knock suddenly came at the door. He stood up, opened it, and found a servant with a food trolley waiting outside.

Allowing the servant in, Venix was a bit taken aback but let them set the food down.

After they left, Venix sat at the small dining table in his room, staring at the array of delicious dishes before him.

"I just realized something. My body in this world has never eaten anything or felt hunger," he mused aloud.

He continued, "Back in the real world, I didn't feel hungry either. I only ate at the school cafeteria earlier as a precaution in case I lost track of time or got too busy here. But does this body in the virtual world feel hunger too? And why haven't I felt it so far? Could it be because I ate in the real world, so this body doesn't experience hunger?"

If this was true, it suggested a strong connection between his real-world body and his virtual self.

"If that's the case, does eating here prevent hunger in the real world? If so, then why did I spend all my money on instant food?!"

The more Venix thought about it, the more frustrated he felt.

Though still slightly irked, Venix decided to try the food brought in by the servant.

His stomach was already 80% full, so this time, Venix simply wanted to satisfy his curiosity by tasting the flavors of the virtual world.

One by one, he sampled the dishes, unable to stop himself from praising their taste.

"This is incredible… This food is amazing!" Venix thought in awe. It was arguably the most delicious meal he'd ever had in his life.

Unfortunately, his stomach couldn't handle any more. With some reluctance, Venix returned the remaining food to the trolley and placed it outside his door.

Feeling satiated, he refocused on studying the Origin Meditation Technique.

He knew that delaying his learning by even a single day could diminish his chances of survival in the real world once the grand changes began.

Without wasting another moment, Venix concentrated all his attention and abilities on mastering the technique. He studied intensely, to the point of losing track of everything around him.

A day and a half passed quickly.

In Numan World, the clock showed 3 AM.

Venix sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, fully immersed in his training.

Dark circles under his eyes were a clear sign of sleep deprivation.

Moments later, he slowly opened his eyes. A faint light reflected in his gaze.

"Success!"

Venix exclaimed, unable to contain his happiness.

The Origin Meditation Technique turned out to be far less complicated than he had imagined, especially for a beginner. The technique had been refined hundreds of times to make it easier for the new generation to grasp.

Under normal circumstances, a novice Awaken could master it in about a week. But Venix? He had conquered it in less than two days.

Wasting no time, he contacted Luna using the watch on his wrist.

A hologram appeared, and Luna's figure came into view on the screen.

She was still wearing her research attire, seemingly busy despite it being the early hours of the morning.

"What's up?" Luna asked, her tone calm and relaxed, showing no signs of fatigue.

"I've mastered everything! The Origin Meditation Technique, and even the supplementary technique you gave me before." Venix's face glowed with happiness that was hard to hide.

Luna raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "That fast? That's amazing! In that case, get some sleep first. We'll begin everything tomorrow."

"Why not now?" Venix interjected quickly, clearly unwilling to wait.

Luna let out a long sigh. "Look at yourself. Your eye bags are already dark. You need rest to ensure your body and mind are in their best condition."

"Is it dangerous if I try now?" Venix asked, refusing to back down.

Luna shook her head before replying, "No, it wouldn't be dangerous, not with me supervising. But—"

"In that case, let's do it now!" Venix interrupted again, his voice filled with determination.

Luna stared at Venix with a peculiar expression.

What was driving this young man to be so impatient? Shouldn't she be the one more eager, considering this was her own research? Yet now, the situation seemed reversed.

Luna thought for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, I'll come to your room and take you to the basement."

"Thank you!" Venix said, his face beaming.

Luna simply shook her head as she ended the video call.

---

Two minutes later, a knock sounded on his door. Venix jumped to his feet and opened it, welcoming Luna's arrival.

Without delay, they walked to the lift and arrived at the first basement level.

In the dimly lit room, Luna carried a box containing about 20 small glass vials. Each vial was filled with a shimmering blue liquid that looked extremely valuable.

"This is Awaken Elixir," Luna explained, handing one of the small vials to Venix. "It's an essential resource for Awaken. This liquid will provide you with the energy you need to train and strengthen your abilities."

Venix nodded slowly and took the small vial.

Without hesitation, he drank it all in one gulp.

In an instant, his body felt cool, as though doused with cold water on a sweltering day. He even heard a faint cracking sound from within, as if his bones were stretching and adjusting themselves.

Luna continued her explanation. "Awaken possess Origin Energy in their bodies. This energy is what sets them apart from regular humans.

"Origin Energy will automatically repair and strengthen your body—your bones, flesh, and muscles—without you needing to do anything.

"This Awaken Elixir is just raw energy. It's not yet Origin Energy that you can directly utilize. You'll only have that when you reach the Awaken Early-Stage."

Venix closed his eyes briefly, sensing subtle changes within his body. The energy felt like a gentle breeze cleansing every corner of his being.

When he opened his eyes again, he immediately asked, "Can I drink another one?"

Luna paused for a moment before answering. "No. If you drink too much, your body will overload with energy, and it could harm you."

Venix frowned slightly and said, "But... I feel like my body isn't full yet."

Luna gave him a sharp look and thought for a moment. Realizing something, she said, "Follow me. We'll check."

Without further ado, they headed to the lift and descended deeper to the second basement level.

The second level was a space designed specifically for Luna's research experiments, complete with advanced technology she had personally set up.

Here, every movement and change within Venix's body would be closely monitored.

Luna led him to a glass room surrounded by various futuristic machines, all crafted to support her research.

Without preamble, Luna began attaching various equipment to Venix's body. Wires, sensors, and tiny metal nodes were connected directly to the surrounding machines.

Five minutes later, Venix looked like a half-human, half-machine figure straight out of a legendary sci-fi story.

"I look like a cyborg now," Venix remarked, glancing at his reflection.

Luna stifled a laugh. "Yes, but don't get too comfortable. You can move, but don't overdo it."

Venix nodded, testing his movements. Despite feeling odd, he could still move fairly comfortably.

Then Luna brought over ten more vials of Awaken Elixir, placing them inside the glass room, right in front of Venix.

"Don't drink them all at once. I'll tell you when to drink," Luna instructed, her gaze sharp with warning.

"Yes, boss!" Venix replied, his tone relaxed but tinged with excitement.

His journey to becoming a powerful Awaken was only beginning!

Luna stepped out of the glass room and moved to the main control desk.

In front of her, a large monitor displayed Venix's physical condition in real-time.

As Venix had mentioned earlier, one vial of Awaken Elixir wasn't enough to fill the energy within his body.

Wearing a headset, Luna spoke through the microphone. "Try drinking one more vial."

Without hesitation, Venix grabbed another vial and drank it quickly.

Luna closely observed the monitor. Energy streams appeared as they entered Venix's body, but… once again, his body wasn't full!

"What? Two vials still aren't enough?" Luna muttered in disbelief.

With the microphone still off, Venix couldn't hear her remarks.

"Try another one," Luna instructed through the microphone.

Venix picked up the third vial and drank it. He waited a moment, then moved his body.

"It still feels the same," Venix said, confused.

Luna studied the monitor, her face growing more astonished. "This doesn't make sense! Three vials of elixir still can't fill him?"

Based on the data she had collected, only a handful of novice Awaken had such a vast energy capacity.

Venix was a rare anomaly with an energy capacity far beyond the norm!

Feeling a surge of excitement, Luna said, "Try one more!"

Venix drank the fourth vial. This time, he started to feel something. "Um... my body feels a little warm. Is that normal?"

Luna furrowed her brow as she heard that, quickly adjusting the monitor's settings.

The screen, which had previously displayed Venix's physical data, now switched to soul analysis mode.

On the new screen, indicators of blue energy began appearing, revealing activity within Venix's soul.

What Luna saw left her momentarily stunned.

"This is impossible..." she whispered, her eyes glued to the screen.

The energy entering Venix's body was being directly absorbed by his soul! Even more astonishingly, the rate of absorption far exceeded the passive absorption typical of an Awaken.

Venix's soul was absorbing the energy in a way she had never seen before!

"Venix, what kind of monster are you hiding within?" Luna murmured softly, a hint of worry creeping into her expression.