Virtual Ascension

"Good heavens! What's with this speed? The Origin Fragment Realm is absorbing all the energy in mere seconds!" Luna gasped, her eyes wide as she watched Venix's body transform into an uncontrollable vortex of energy.

Every Awaken's Seed Origin typically absorbs energy automatically, but the process is usually slow. Meditation techniques were developed to accelerate it.

However, Venix's Seed Origin was devouring energy at an extraordinary rate. Even an entire bottle of Awaken Elixir vanished without a trace in moments.

While this might seem like an advantage, Luna, with her extensive experience and knowledge, knew that something uncontrollable often spelled disaster.

"Venix, are you certain the Tentacle Monster is the right choice as your main Seed Origin?" Luna asked sharply, her tone filled with unease, and her eyes reflecting deep concern.

After all, Venix had previously mentioned that, if given options, he'd consider them first.

"I... I haven't decided yet. But why do you sound so worried?" Venix shifted slightly, groaning as a searing heat coursed through his body.

Luna wasted no time. Without a word, she hurried into the glass chamber where Venix was.

Standing behind him, she said curtly, "Hold still. This might hurt a little."

Venix turned his head, puzzled. "What do you mea—"

Before he could finish, Luna's palm lit up with a blazing crimson glow, like a roaring flame.

Without hesitation, Luna raised her glowing hand high and slammed it against Venix's back with full force.

Bang!

"ARGHHH!!! What are you doing?!" Venix screamed, his body arching forward in agony.

Instantly, the crimson light spread, resembling a fiery net that burned away the excess energy inside him.

Within seconds, his pores opened wide, and streams of blue energy surged out like tidal waves, incinerating into vapor almost instantly.

In less than a minute, all the energy in Venix's body had been completely drained. His soul was now incapable of absorbing any more energy—at least temporarily.

"What did you just do to me?!" Venix yelled, turning to glare at Luna with a mixture of anger and confusion.

Luna met his gaze with a guilty expression.

"The reason you could consume more than one bottle of Awaken Elixir is because your soul was absorbing that energy," Luna explained softly.

"My soul?" Venix frowned, confusion evident on his face.

"Yes," Luna continued. "The Seed Origin and the Origin Fragment Realm reside within a person's soul. Your Seed Origin was actively absorbing energy at an incredible speed—even I was shocked to see it."

"Since you haven't chosen your main Seed Origin yet, I had no choice but to force all the energy out of your body."

Venix grimaced as he tried to process Luna's explanation.

Luna paused for a moment before continuing in a serious tone. "And there's another reason I did this. Anything an Awaken cannot control usually leads to disaster."

Venix's face tightened, stunned by Luna's words. So her actions earlier were to save him?

"What would've happened if you hadn't stopped me?" Venix asked curiously.

"The main Seed Origin, the Tentacle Monster, is on the verge of its first evolution. Once that evolution is complete, its power will skyrocket," Luna explained firmly.

"And if you choose another Seed Origin afterward, trust me—its chances of keeping up with the Tentacle Monster are almost nonexistent. All your energy and time would go to waste.

"The purpose of the Origin Meditation Technique is to control and focus energy, directing it to the Origin Fragment Realm.

"This energy accelerates time within the Origin Fragment Realm, allowing the process of survival of the fittest to occur more quickly there.

"Think of it like this: the Tentacle Monster has already reached Level 2. Even if you choose a new Seed Origin and it reaches Level 2, the Tentacle Monster will have advanced to Level 3 by then. Ultimately, the Tentacle Monster will remain your main Seed Origin because you won't be able to match its level."

Luna concluded her explanation with a grave tone, ensuring Venix understood the gravity of the situation.

Hearing this, Venix slowly nodded, a mix of relief and gratitude crossing his face.

"Thank you," Venix said sincerely.

He knew Luna was right. Anything he couldn't control would never yield good results.

If it were an external issue, Venix might have let it slide. But this was different. The problem was internal—something deeply tied to him.

If he couldn't control his own power, he'd become a slave to it.

"It seems we'll need to make some modifications to suit your needs," Luna said, her expression a blend of emotions.

She hadn't anticipated facing such a situation. From the moment she met Venix, he had been just a random individual she'd encountered by chance.

Yet this random individual had achieved things that defied belief. How could Luna not be astounded?

Luna began removing the equipment Venix was wearing, preparing to adjust it to better fit his requirements.

"Will these modifications take long?" Venix asked, curious.

"I've already thought of a solution, and it's fairly simple," Luna replied while continuing her work. "I just need to add an infusion method to deliver Awaken Elixir directly into your body. This way, I can also control the amount of elixir entering your system.

"This means you won't have to worry about excess energy triggering an evolution too soon."

Luna picked up a piece of metal, contemplating something in her mind.

Once she figured it out, she continued, "You'll only need to use a minimal amount of energy to perform meditation techniques. Through soul observation, I can monitor when the technique is active, and I'll support you by delivering just the right amount of elixir directly into your body.

"These modifications aren't overly complicated. I'll have everything ready within an hour," Luna said confidently.

Venix looked at her with admiration. In such a short time, she had devised such a practical solution.

"In that case, I'll take a quick nap. Wake me when it's done," Venix said, still feeling the lingering pain, as he stretched his body.

Luna nodded without objection.

Venix sat down in one of the chairs in the room, trying to sleep.

Before falling asleep, he recalled how he had recently delved deeper into his system, discovering new settings and features he hadn't noticed before.

One such feature caught his attention: a function that automatically returned his consciousness to the real world if his virtual body fell asleep or became unconscious.

After some thought, Venix decided to disable this feature. This would allow him to sleep peacefully in the virtual world without fear of his consciousness suddenly snapping back to reality.

Except in certain situations, Venix couldn't return to the real world and needed his consciousness to remain in the virtual world.

An hour later, Luna woke him. She had finished modifying the equipment for Venix.

Opening his eyes, Venix gazed at the glass chamber where he would meditate.

Inside the chamber was a one-meter-tall tube filled with Awaken Elixir. A small hose connected to the tube, ready to channel the elixir directly into his body.

As before, Luna assisted in attaching the equipment to Venix, ensuring every connection was secure.

Once everything was ready, Luna checked his condition on the monitor screen.

"Your vitals are stable. Nothing unusual so far," Luna said with a satisfied nod.

Turning to Venix, she added, "Now, begin meditating. Since this is your first time, it might take longer to enter a meditative state. With all this equipment on your body, you'll need to put in extra effort to relax."

Venix nodded, showing his understanding. Without delay, he began his meditation attempt.

As an Awaken, Venix possessed an Origin Fragment Realm. This realm naturally generated a small, continuous amount of energy, providing a basic supply to an Awaken's body.

Venix closed his eyes slowly, trying to feel the flow of origin energy within his body. Though faint at first, he gradually sensed it.

Five minutes passed, and Venix began to feel a subtle energy coursing through his body.

This energy felt like warm sparks, flowing gently yet full of potential. With sharpened focus, he attempted to control it, slowly directing it toward his head.

Each spark moved gradually, like glowing specks of dust being drawn toward the same point.

The process took quite some time—half an hour in total. Finally, the accumulated energy was substantial enough to form Venix's Astral Body.

Inside his body, a miniature version of himself emerged. This Astral Body was simple, devoid of facial features or details, resembling a small stickman.

Without hesitation, Venix proceeded to the next stage: accessing the Origin Fragment Realm located within his soul.

Minutes later, a glowing blue line appeared, connecting Venix's Astral Body to the Origin Fragment Realm at the core of his soul.

This line acted as a pathway, making it easier for Venix to locate and access the Origin Fragment Realm.

The next step was to guide his Astral Body along the line toward a place that felt like home—his soul.

The process felt natural; there were no obstacles, only a calmness enveloping his journey.

Quickly, Venix's Astral Body arrived at the Origin Fragment Realm.

The sight before him was magical.

The Origin Fragment Realm appeared as a sea of multicolored dust moving in unpredictable patterns, each hue radiating a mysterious aura. However, Venix could not fully comprehend or perceive the intricate details of this world. He merely stood still before the Origin Fragment Realm, a center of power that served as the core of an Awaken.

Meanwhile, Luna, monitoring Venix through a screen, noticed signs indicating that he had reached the Origin Fragment Realm.

Luna promptly injected several drops of Awaken Elixir into Venix's body.

The liquid flowed in, and without requiring any action from Venix, the energy from the elixir was immediately absorbed by his soul, as if this was a process long predestined.

The energy naturally moved toward the Origin Fragment Realm.

To Venix, everything felt instinctive, like a mechanism in his body that knew exactly what to do without his direct intervention.

Previously, the energy flowing through Venix's body was directly linked to the Origin Fragment Realm.

However, once his consciousness entered his soul, that energy began merging and connecting directly to his Astral Body.

As the energy connected to his Astral Body, changes occurred rapidly.

Hair began to grow, slowly framing the head of Venix's Astral Body. The previously featureless face started taking shape—eyes, a nose, and lips emerging with increasing detail.

Despite this, Venix's Astral Body remained entirely blue, devoid of other colors.

Finally, his Astral Body was complete. With his fully-formed Astral Body, Venix could see through its eyes for the first time.

"This view... it's extraordinary," Venix murmured softly, his voice a mix of awe and profound wonder.

Before him, the Origin Fragment Realm resembled a miniature galaxy.

The tiny specks of dust were filled with minuscule stars rotating in harmony, emitting a gentle yet mesmerizing light.

Wasting no time, Venix extended both hands, placing his astral palms upon the Origin Fragment Realm.

Focusing intently, Venix channeled his energy, enveloping the Origin Fragment Realm entirely.

As his energy flowed, time within the Origin Fragment Realm began to accelerate.

The "Survival of the Fittest" process occurring inside was intensified, accelerating the natural selection within the Origin Fragment Realm.

However, Venix maintained control, ensuring the acceleration did not exceed the threshold or become too rapid.

With his eyes closed, Venix allowed his consciousness to delve deeper into the Origin Fragment Realm.

When he opened his eyes again, Venix found himself in another world.

A world filled with majestic scenery—towering mountains in the distance, dense forests stretching far and wide, and an atmosphere that felt fresh yet brimming with mysterious energy.

Venix had entered the Origin Fragment Realm.

Like a spectator, Venix could see everything clearly. His gaze locked onto a peculiar sight within this world.

"That…" Venix muttered, his tone tinged with surprise.

His eyes caught a massive, striking figure atop a mountain.

A Tentacle Monster, grotesque and enormous, was hunting a tiger. Its long, sinuous tentacles coiled tightly around the tiger's body.

In an instant, the tiger's life was completely drained, leaving its body an empty husk.

Venix's body tensed, his skin prickling. Every movement of the Tentacle Monster exuded an aura so oppressive it felt like merely witnessing it from afar was enough to paralyze anyone's courage.

Its bloodthirsty, ruthless, and merciless nature was evident in its every action. The monster appeared far more terrifying compared to when Venix had seen it through the mirror earlier.

"This is… truly horrifying," Venix thought, his chest pounding as he struggled to calm himself amidst the overwhelming dread.

Others, including Luna, who was currently monitoring Venix's soul, could only see a rough outline from the outside.

They could not access the true essence of Venix's Seed Origin. In fact, no one could clearly perceive the core of another person's Seed Origin—only the individual themselves could.

Within the Origin Fragment Realm, Venix began noticing something unusual at the center of the Tentacle Monster's body.

Previously, the Tentacle Monster had only nine tentacles connected to one another without any additional body structure.

But now, a new form was beginning to take shape at its center, indicating that its evolution was progressing.

Venix felt an urge to try connecting with the Tentacle Monster using the Meditation Technique he had learned.

Through this technique, he could establish a bond with the Seed Origins in the Origin Fragment Realm, guiding and empowering them.

When Venix attempted to connect with the Tentacle Monster, his power was effortlessly repelled, and he was unable to establish any connection.

"What!? How is it possible for it to reject my power!?" Venix was stunned, his Astral Body's expression clearly reflecting his confusion.

It was important to remember that Venix was akin to a god descending into this realm. Yet this Tentacle Monster, supposedly weaker, outright rejected his power.

Venix's emotions shifted as a newfound determination grew within him.

"No, this tentacle monster is too dangerous! No matter how strong it is, it will only become a ticking time bomb for me." Resolutely, Venix decided against making the Tentacle Monster his primary Seed Origin.

Venix knew that if no other options were available, he would have to choose a different Seed Origin.

Swiftly, he began examining each Seed Origin within the Origin Fragment Realm.

Each Seed Origin had a unique form—many resembled animals or even bizarre hybrids of animals and plants, their shapes strange and full of mystery.

Venix encountered a butterfly with a humanoid body.

He also saw a creature with the heads of a snake, tiger, and turtle. But the most striking was a figure that made Venix pause for a moment—a dragon!

The dragon had a body resembling a Komodo dragon, with two large wings on its back. When Venix saw the dragon, a sense of shock and awe overwhelmed him.

"This is it!" Venix could hardly contain his excitement.

This dragon—the king of mythical creatures—if any being could defeat the Tentacle Monster, it was undoubtedly this dragon!

Without hesitation, Venix immediately attempted to connect with the dragon. This time, the connection was established quickly!

Venix could feel the dragon's energy flowing into him, a seemingly limitless power ready to be harnessed.

However, despite being easier to control than the Tentacle Monster, Venix understood that this dragon was driven purely by animalistic instincts. It was no more intelligent than the other Seed Origins.

Like the Tentacle Monster, this dragon was a predator within its domain.

With high hopes, Venix directed the dragon toward the Tentacle Monster's territory, hoping it could vanquish his enemy.

Under Venix's guidance, the dragon flew confidently, following his lead.

As the dragon approached within fifty meters of the Tentacle Monster's territory, something unexpected happened.

The dragon suddenly let out a loud roar, resisting Venix's control as he attempted to guide it closer to the Tentacle Monster.

Venix was shocked, utterly baffled by the dragon's sudden rebellion.

Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, the dragon turned around and fled as far as it could from the Tentacle Monster's territory.

Venix was stunned.

He had never expected a creature as mighty as a dragon to flee in fear like this!