11 Natural Essence (I)
''----''
''After receiving his next mission
Apollo didn''t dawdle. In his usual worn clothing
Apollo walked unhurriedly toward the family library. To get there
he passed through the training area. As such
he caught a glimpse of the other kids'' training. Compared to him
their training didn''t seem so systematic.''
''He also noticed a few of the kids popping their Foundation Strengthening pills like candy. For a moment
Apollo was skeptical and left with questions. Their actions didn''t seem to conform with what Azridan stated. ''Azridan
I thought you said these aren''t the type of pills which can be ingested continuously.''''
''[That''s only the case for your current physique
even though the pill is of poor quality
the energy it holds is slightly too tyrannical to be ingested concurrently. You must remember
until recently
your meridians could be counted as broken.]''
''"Tch
this difference between us suck
" Apollo grumbled
forming a self-deprecating smile as he continued toward the library. At this point
he was starting to hate whatever or whoever causes his body''s condition. To him
broken meridians didn''t sound like a naturally occurring issue.''
''Several moments later
Apollo reached the library. For a moment
he paused and gazed at the exterior.''
''It was a simple stone building
with a few luxurious windows as well as rustic decor. While it wasn''t overly large
it was equivalent in size to a chapel. He pushed the doors
entering inside to examine the scenery.''
''To his surprise
there weren''t many bookshelves
instead
there was a rather large staircase located in the middle of the building that led upstairs. However
the entrance to the staircase was barred by a thin barrier.''
''In the corner
Danyul opened his eyes glancing at the newcomer. "Oh
it''s you
Apollo. What have you come for?"''
''"Hello Uncle
I''ve come to read."''
''Silently
Danyul pondered
rubbing his cheek
"I see
well just a reminder
this level holds no techniques or training stances. Those are located on the next floor
but as you know
the next floor and beyond are off-limits unless your body is tested to have reached the 5th rank of the Mortal Realm. Other than that
you are free to browse."''
''"Ah thank you
Uncle. I have a question
which section is background information on Cultivation?" Apollo inquired
glancing around on his own as well..''
''"Hmm
if I recall properly
then I believe it was located in the third row
" Danyul answered after some thought. However
not long after
he once again closed his eyes.''
''It didn''t take long for Apollo to scour the right section. He continued to browse
searching for books that fulfilled the criteria of his mission. After several minutes
he found what he was looking for.''
''There were a few; [Records of World Changing History: Part One]
[Body Cultivation: Initial Familiarity with Natural Essence] & [Evolution of Cultivation: Book I].''
''With the books now in possession
Apollo picked a corner and sat. After reading a single page
he found himself becoming engrossed. In a single sitting
he read their entire contents while oblivious to the passing time.''
''While doing so he learned many new things. For example
he learned exactly what Natural Essence was and did.''
''Before the arrival of the Terrors
Natural Essence wasn''t an obscure notion. It just wasn''t a forefront practice. While people understood that some type of energy existed in their world
they didn''t seek to actively harness it. However
when brought to dire straits
what they first ignored became a necessity. In light of this
the path of\xa0Body Cultivation was born in the extremely distant past.''
''Now
it was what they said to be the basis of all small life. Every sentient thing possesses it at some level. It was a naturally occurring energy that subtly shifted the advancement of the planet. Natural Essence was absorbed through the orifices to refine one''s body. It could also be used to prepare one for the even newer cultivation practice—Spirit Cultivation.''
''Of course
the concentration of this energy wasn''t homogenous throughout. Depending on where one was
the density could move across the spectrum
growing far denser or thinning to obscurity.''
''Be that as it may
its true benefits didn''t appear until one approached the Zul Warrior Realm and opened their Dantian. When that happened
the intimacy with this energy deepens.''
''Unknown to Apollo
he spent the better part of the day swallowed by books. Although young
he was more fascinated by this information than he let on.''
''"Ah
so that''s why Azridan said the only number that really matters is 1600 Zuls. It''s because it is the minimum requirement for your body to withstand the clearing of the Dantian as well as the opening of the Soul Temple."''
''Once he placed the books back on the shelves
Apollo digested the information as he pondered in deep thought.''
''''If I think about it
the real beginning of cultivation isn''t until we reach the Zul Warrior Realm. However
the first milestone would be reaching the 5th Rank of the Mortal Realm
one''s physique would unlock the function of absorbing Natural Essence in its base form. Pills and beast meat wouldn''t be the only way to "cultivate" then.''''
''Due to all the reading
a prominent wave of mental exhaustion was over Apollo
but luckily
the system message sounded as he yawned.''
''?System Alert! Mission COMPLETE!?''
''?You have been rewarded 120 Experience and .5 Intelligence Points.?''
''?Congratulations you have reached Level 3.?''
''?Experience: 70/300.?''
''?.1 to all Attributes and 2 Stat points have been rewarded.?''
''''Tomorrow''s training will only get harder
it''s time to allocate the points. Add 1 point to Strength and 1 point to Vitality.''''
''Following the command
Apollo opened his status panel to take a look.''
''----''
''(Demon Monarch System) Lvl.1''
''Name: Apollo Kaiser''
''Race: Human''
''Age: 10''
''Level: 3''
''Experience: 70/300.''
''Health: 18/18''
''Stamina: 22/22''
''Body Cultivation Realm: Rank 1 Mortal [3/10]''
''Physique: Mortal (Middle)''
''Zuls: 3''
''Strength: 1.7''
''Agility: 1.5''
''Intelligence: 9.2''
''Vitality: 1.4''
''Stat Points: 0''
''''My Intelligence grossly overshadows my other stats. I wonder
is that why I ask so many questions? I''m not sure. It could be a possibility.''''
''''Hey Azridan
I''m curious
can stat combine to create other ones?''''
''[Yes
but that will present itself at a later time. Focus on the base stats you were given
especially Intelligence. Never neglect it
lest you end up falling victim to hateful schemes.]''
''There was a tinge of hate laced in his voice as the system uttered these words in response causing Apollo to raise his eyebrow in bewilderment.''
''''I see.''''
''At that moment Apollo''s stomach began rumbling ferociously. Only then did it come to his attention that he had forgotten to eat all day.''
''''I''m so hungry
I could eat anything
'' Apollo groaned internally. Almost instinctively
he dashed out of the library
in search of something to eat.''
''Meanwhile
Danyul opened his eyes
glancing in Apollo''s general direction
"Unlike the other kids...he''s seeking knowledge for himself. Alright
I think I should give my plan a shot."''
''----''
''While en route to the Dining Hall
Apollo looked up at the dark sky
amazed by how much time he spent in the library. Furthermore
in his mind
he was comparing it to his old world. Although the day was unfamiliar
the nights looked exactly the same.''
''There was only one moon with numerous small stars gracing the skies. Mesmerized
Apollo uttered one word
"Beautiful."''
''However
amidst being lost in his daze
he didn''t look where he was going causing him to bump into the back of someone. Surprisingly
the following situation was quite comical—he was laid flat on his butt!''
''"Huh..?"''