Pach
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“Um, big sis, do we really o sit cross-legged right now?” Asked my sister Ruby as she sat cross-legged on the floor of the living room.
“I suppose it’s part of eling the meridian thing?” My mother asked.
“Yes, sitting in that precise position will help the two of you el your Internal Ki much more easily and spread it through the Meridians within your body.” I nodded.
It was currently ten in the m of the day, and my sister and mother were about to begin the f of their Elemental Ki Cores, meaning that they were soon going to asd into Rank 2! This was the moment when every Cultivator would finally decide their fate from now on.
Rank 1 was just getting used to the Ki Energy flowing through their Meridians, but the Core was when they would amass all their Internal Ki and use special materials to create a crystallization of such essehis crystallization is pced right in front of the heart, and it usually ges color depending on the element they choose. Anybody choose any element, as long as they have the materials.
Back then, I was forced to choose the Element of Light as it was one of the most on and cheaper Elemental Materials I could acquire. The Evening Sunlight Flower, a Rank 1 Spirit Treasure that still e eighty pert of the savings I accumuted through four years.
“So we gather this energy into our chest?” My mother wondered. She was actually quite eager to grow stronger. “It is a bit difficult, though."
“Y-Yeah, it keeps esg my grasp,” Ruby pined.
“Usually you would need roughly five years at minimum to grasp how to properly manipute Internal Ki Energy at Rank 1 before you even dare reach Rank 2,” I answered. “Even back then, when I finally became a Cultivator, although I was no longer looked down on by the mortals, I still struggled against other Cultivators, even of my same Rank. It took me six years to get to Rank 2 after being Rank 1.”
“S-So much time?” My little sister looked at me with disbelief. “Big sis…”
“Hahaha, well, it wasn’t that long anyway.” I smiled. “pared to the other Ranks, it was very quiow, I know I ’t just tell you to practiany years, so let me do this for you instead. I will manipute your Internal Ki Energies and form the Ki Cores all for you. I might hurt a bit, but I will be healing you stantly as well, so bear with it for a bit.”
“Okay.” My mom said, nodding. “This world… It is too dangerous; every day, even as a D-Rank Hunter, I don’t know when I’ll die and end up leaving Ruby alone. If it’s really possible, I want to bee stronger, Katherine.”
“I know, mother. I know that feeling way too well.” I nodded. “Now, I hope you don’t feel upset about this, but I o touch your chests and stay quiet.”
I pced my hands over their chests, right above their breasts, where I could hear their heartbeat. It was much easier with my mother, whose breasts were much lower, but my sister’s always got in the way. heless, I mao ect to their Internal Ki Energy quite quickly by using my own lowest-grade Internal Ki Energy, f it into golden threads.
After that was done, I simply willed it, and slowly, all their energies gathered into their chests, right in front of their beatis. The Meridians were also sed of all impurities with my energies rushing through their bodies, making it easier for a Physique to form iure.
“Now, calmly… Stay still; this is the tough part.” I said as I saw my mother and my sister groaning, gritting their teeth. “There, breathe in and out slowly."
I gathered their internal Ki into their chests, and then, as I har more and more, it swiftly began to crystalize. As it did, the materials I had pced around them beforehand activated, flying towards them and being masses of energy. Thanks to my special abilities and the materials I had, it ossible to give them Dual Element Cores.
After I offered them the stro elements avaible, they decided on their binations. The materials merged into their bodies, being part of their Cores. Elemental power flows through them. This was something that the System would never be able to grant to someohe power of Cultivation and the absorption of the Essence of Heaven ah.
“It’s done.” I smiled, notig my mother and my sister had slightly ged.
Their eyes were shining with bright colors, and their hair had bee colorful as well. Ohe Core is created, we usually take into at the appearance of the element we choose. My hair turned blonde when I first fed my Light Ki Core, and my eyes were pletely white.
As for my mother and my sister, it was quite different. My sister’s short and messy hair became bck, with sharp red stripes. Her eyes remained almost the same blue color but gained a slightly darker hue. She had a slightly demonic aura.
My mother’s hair, iher case, gained a metallic silver crowing longer and reag her hips. Her eyes turned a bright gold. My mother was already a geous woman, but after this, she looked like an immortal goddess of Murim.
[You have helped two people attain unpreted new powers through otherworldly teiques and means, awakening their ialents and helping them break through their limits.]
[You received the title: [Talent Seeking Guider]!]
[You have tinuously maniputed and harnessed a strange energy and power. The System has mao analyze its properties and has assimited part of its powers into itself.]
[You have unlocked the [Martial Power] Stat!]
[You have gained +500 Martial Power as a bonus for unlog a Hidden Stat not many have awakened before.]
Iing, a Talent Seeking Guider Skill and… the Martial Power Stat? It doesn’t say the first time, so there are people out there who have unlocked it! How amazing. I would love to meet them one day. Perhaps I am not the only one who came from Murim.
“So this is… Wait a sed, my hair! It ged so much color?!” My mother panicked slightly. “I did choose the Metal and Light Elements because they were both useful for defense and recovery, but this is too muo?”
“I chose darkness and fire because they are deadly.” Said Ruby. “I look almost the same as before, so it’s fine.” She shrugged. “You’re rog that yle, though, Mom. You look like some X-men girl.”
“What? Ugh…” My mother seemed slightly uneasy with that new form. “W-Well, at least… I do feel strohan before. Despite being a D Rank Hunter, I only could ever learn three Skills. Spear Wielding, Steady Fighter, and Mana Shield. So I am usually a frontline fighter.” My mother expined.
“With the Metal Element, you should be able to learal Attribute Martial Teiques and Strengthening Auras. It’ll make you tougher than ever before!” I cpped. “And the Light Element is good for healing, so you keep yourself moving even after taking a lot of damage. It also has ge, damage, and utility, and if you properly learn some of my teiques, Photon Energy Manipution will help you easily paralyze most foes.”
“I-I don’t think I could ever go as far as you, honey. But thanks for helping me grow stronger.” My mged me and kissed me on the cheek. “So how do we do this? How do we progress?”
“Well, the normal way would be to meditate for years,” I said. “While abs patible materials you find… But that won’t do here. I will simply tinuously feed you every day with Divine Dishes imbued with your selected elements. You should be able to reach Rank 5 by the end of the month based on my calcutions.”
“Wait, that fast?!” Ruby asked.
“But… that’s a bit. I feel bad now.” My mhed. “If you help us so much like this, doesn’t it feel a bit unfair? I don’t want to take advantage of my daughter, who has been gone for eleven years!”
“Mother, this is a way for me to show my gratitude for having raised me, for having accepted me back quickly, and also for the money you’ve lent me,” I answered with a smile. “I always repay kindness with a thousand times more kindness.”
“Geez, if yoing to do it like this, I suppose I show you around the pces. You said something about wanting to earn money as a hunter, right? If you want to go to the tower, you o first hit your level cap; it's more effit, so you Rank Up right away once you’re doh the Tutorial.” She said. “What’s your level cap right now, Katherine? Mine was twenty.”
“Fifty,” I said nontly. “Is that bad? Was it supposed to be lower?”
“Wait, fifty?!” Ruby gasped. “I’ve heard that based on the level cap people start with, their Ranks vary a lot! Most weaklings have a level cap of five, actually. That would be like Juan who was F Rank. Then there is level ten, which is sidered an E-rank Rank talents, and then mom, whose cap is level twenty, D-rank.”
“So fifty would be… A Rank?”
“No! S Ranks are fifty!” Ruby said. “I guess it was to be expected…”
“Well, whatever you say, dear.” I gave her a head pat. “Now that you two are doh your Ki Core formation, it is time to train! So yeah, mother. If you would like to do so, you lead us to these “Wild Lands,” or whatever the mortals around here call them? Those areas are full of wild creatures.”
“Ah, yeah, outside of the city walls, there are a few of them.” My mother nodded. “They’re Wild Lands formed from various Dungeon Breaks that appear every now and then. Because they ot be dealt with easily, monsters escape the Gates and then breed very quickly, f enormous groups or even tribes if they’re more intelligent.”
“So at this point, monsters have bee onpce, almost like animals." I sighed. "I wish it could just go back to how simple it used to be.”
“You don’t know how much we wish for the same thing.” My mother said. “Anyways, if you truly have the World Css Hunter lise, then they should let you enter anywhere you want with ease.”
“Nice, but what about me?” Asked my sister. “I haven’t gotten the system yet, even now. It seems I have no talent with Mana at all! Isn’t that unfair?”
“It certainly is unfair.” I nodded. “But well, y sister here also became stronger without relying on such a trifling thing as a System. So let us go. I shall hide you from the mortal’s pin sight with ease. Trust in y sister, Ruby.”
“A-Ah, well, I bet you got some crazy teique for it, huh? Alright! I’m ready for some monster beatings. I got a lot of stress accumuted. W as an apprentiurse is really not nice.” She groaned.
“Very well, then. Once we finish our breakfast, we shall depart, my dearests.” I smiled happily. “For today’s breakfast, Divine Dishes it is!” I decided to quickly feed them with more patible dishes.
[You have cooked a rge quantity of delicious dishes using otherworldly gourmet ingredients.]
[The Level of the [Cooking (D): Lv3] Skill has increased!]
[The Level of the [Cooking (D): Lv4] Skill has increased!]
[The Level of the [Cooking (D): Lv5] Skill has increased!]
[You received the Title: [Apprentice Chef (Growth-type Title)]!]
I’ve beeing a lot of itles and Skills tely. I decided to check them oer another as Muided me towards the outskirts of the city across the skies. I carried both of them inside a bubble made using my Partial Spatial Manipution Skill.
Titles firsts are always quite iing; it feels like earning achievements, a tle thing to look forward to while rexing in this world.
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[Dungeon Gate Keeper]
Title Requirements: trol a Dungeon or Forcefully Close a Dungeon.
Effects: Grants the ability to absorb 20% of a Dungeon’s Internal Space when forcefully closing them aroying all life within them. Using the accumuted Dungeon Internal Space, you build your own Dungeon. Large quantities of Mana are required.
A Title is often grao Administrators who keep, manage, create, aroy Dungeons when required.
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[Ued]
Title Requirements: Defeat dozens of foes without breaking a sweat, and even S Rank and above threats with no effort.
Effects: Increases Damage Dealt against Boss-type foes by +30%, ignores 10% of their total defenses when attag them. You automatically gee an {Aura of the Ued}, that lowers the stats of those intimidated by your power by -20%.
A Title grao pletely unparalleled beings, often born from Apex Worlds.
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[Talent Seeking Guider]
Title Requirements: Awakealent of someone and accurately predict how powerful people bee.
Effects: Grants basic Appraisal Authorization, allowing you to easily see the Talents that people possess. Your charisma also increases by +100%.
A Title is given to true Talent Seekers who also guide their talents down the right path, awakening their powers.
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[Apprentice Chef (Growth-type Title)]
Title Requirements: Cook over fifty Dishes using the Cooking Skills, that are enjoyed by people.
Effects: Increases created Dishes fvor, texture, and Mana and Stamina recovery rate by +30%.
A Title that grow over time as you cook dishes ahem to people. Aim to bee a Master Chef!
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So, I ow absorb pieces of a dungeon’s internal structure ohey’re cleared?
Iing.
Very iing.
Oh yeah, the other Talents… They exist, I suppose.
But this one particur Dungeon Gate Keeper Title is what attracts my attention the most.
And about Skills, I had quite a bunch—almost twelve of them. My Cssless Skill Slots have been full now. So whenever I learn a new o'll apparently be “stored” until I desire to switch it around.
Cssless Skills:
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[Kig Strike (D): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [0/4.000]
A Cssless Skill grao those who have begun their journey as Martial Artists specializing in kig.
el Mana into ys and unleash powerful Kig Strikes at your foes, increasing Damage by +100% and Attack Speed by +50%
Level Bonus (4): Increases Damage Dealt by +40%, ignores -10% of a foe’s Physical Defenses when kig them.
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[First Aid (D): Lv5]
[Skill EXP]: [0/5.000]
A Cssless Skill grao those whood at giving First Aid to the wounded and attending to their wounds hastily and rapidly.
Increases the ability to analyze wounds, heal wounds, and craft medie using avaible materials by +100%. By using Mana, the potenedie increase by +50%.
Level Bonus (5): Increases Skill Healing Effects by +50%.
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[Mirage Veil (A): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [0/20.000]
A Cssless Skill given to incredibly stealthy people.
By spending Mana, enpass yourself or any ally on an invisible veil of stealth and camoufge. Increases the ces of being ued, to stealthily infiltrate pces, and to trick people by +100%.
Level Bonus (4): Increases invisibility when using the Skill by +160%.
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[Cooking (D): Lv6]
[Skill EXP]: [0/6.000]
A Cssless Skill grao masterful chefs capable of imbuing Mana into their dishes, granting them special effects.
Grants the ability to use Mana and Magical Ingredients in the preparation of powerful Magical Dishes, that restore Health, Stamina, Mana, and even grant special buffs based on Skill Level.
Level Bonus (6): Increases the Healing and Buffing Effects of created Dishes by +120%.
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[Basianship (C): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [0/6.000]
A Cssless Skill is given to those who have showcased basic talent with the Sword.
Grants the ability to unleash a few basic Magianship Teiques by utilizing Mana and eling it into the on.
Avaible Swordsmanship Teiques:
Level 1: [Rapid Ssh] [Pierg Attack]
Level 2: [Block Strike] [Parry]
Level 3: [secutive Ssh] [Bde Strike]
Level 4: [Sshing Mana Wave] [Armor Breaker]
Level Bonus (4): Increases Swordsmanship Teiques Damage by +80%, grants the ability to ignore 20% of a foe’s Physical Defenses.
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[Family Bond (D): Lv3]
[Skill EXP]: [0/3.000]
A Cssless Skill is only given to those who have a strong and deep bond with their families.
Innately ects your internal Mana Flow with all those you deem as Family Members, granting you the ability to immediately learn their current status ah. Additionally allows for the ability to speak to them through telepathy.
Level Bonus (3): Increases the Stats of your bonded Family Members by +15%.
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The Cssless Skills are a huge variety of abilities, and they be almost anything! Most of them are quite useful, I would admit. The Family bond, in particur, es in handy. I could do the same with my other teiques, but this sure facilitates everything.
And moving on, Magic Skills:
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[Partial Spatial Manipution (B): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [0/8.000]
A Magic Skill is only given to those who have been able to tamper with the Pilrs of Space themselves through the use of Mana.
Grants the ability to more easily manipute Space around you. By spending Mana, you shift your own position within space, fold space itself into barriers or bubbles, or even distort or delete space to deal damage to foes. Everything costs a progressively rger amount of Mana depending on he the range of such a Spell is.
Level Bonus (4): Increases Space Attribute Magic Proficy by +160%, decreases Mana Cost by -20%.
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[Mana Manipution (C): Lv6]
[Skill EXP]: [0/8.000]
A Magic Skill granted by a Skill Book.
Allows for the ability to more easily manipute, trol, and transform the Mana within your body or even the enviro, with rising levels of difficulty based on the plexity of the task.
Level Bonus (6): Increases Mana Manipution Speed, Focus, and Proficy by +120%. Each time you deal Magic Damage to a foe, you absorb 0.06% of the damage dealt as Mana.
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[Healing Golden Light (B): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [0/8.000]
A Magic Skill learned after utilizing Mana to heal allies with bright golden light.
Summons bright golden light which heal upon tact with a wound. heal almost any wound as long as enough Mana is given.
Level Bonus (4): Increases Healing Speed, Tissue Recovery, Limb Reattat, Internal an Regeion, and more by +80%. Decreases Mana Cost by -20%.
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[Photon Essence Manipution (A): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [0/20.000]
A Magic Skill learned by disc a new source of energy and power derived from the Element of Light.
By abs Sunlight and utilizing Mana, Photon Essence be created, maniputed, shaped, and transformed into a myriad of powerful, both protective and deadly, shapes. It paralyze, deal internal damage, bypass physical objects, destroy magical circuits, and more.
Level Bonus (4): Increases Photon Essence Manipution Proficy, Geion Speed, Power, and Effects by +120%.
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[Cursed Fmes (B): Lv3]
[Skill EXP]: [0/8.000]
A Magic Skill acquired by abs and copying the Abyssal Bck Fmes of a deadly Dragon.
el Mana to summon bck fmes that use deadly curses. Such curses not only deal damage over time to a foe but rapidly burn their Mana reserves and decrease their stats, based on Skill Level and the Mana used to jure the fmes.
Level Bonus (3): Increases Cursed Fmes Damage and Curse Duration by +90%. Decreases Mana Cost by -9%.
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They all seem quite useful, without a doubt. I am stantly using them to facilitate things. Although most Skills say “Mana” as a requirement, I easily repce such requirements using my other internal energies.
“It’s over there, Katherine!”
My mother poi the distance, as we had already bypassed the feeble little magic barrier surrounding New York and arrived at a huge forest that spread through hundreds of kilometers surrounding the city.
“So this is the pce?” I wondered, smiling.
“Yeah, this is where most newbies e to hunt monsters all the time.” My mother said. “I spent two years here before I hit max level and could do the tutorial oower… But I am sure you won’t even need half a day to get things done.”
“Certainly,” I said. “Alright, let us desd.”
The moment we desded into the lush green forest, we were immediately surrounded by monsters. A pack of Giant Blue Horned Wolves, E Rank Monsters, were just wandering by, and ohey felt our st, they came rushing rabidly.
“Roar!”
The creatures roared, leaping towards me. Because it was too fast and surprising for my family, I decided to quickly take care of them on my own.
“Please, we just arrived, and this is how yoing to greet us?”
I waved my hand as I imbued it with Photon Essence.
“{Photon Wave}”
A wave ht golden light was unleashed, cutting through all the wolves and tearing them down into pieces, their blood and guts spttering over the forest floor.
Ding!
[You have sin [Giant Blue Horned Wolves (E+ Rank)] x18!]
[Level Up!]
[Your Level has increased from Level 37 to Level 38!]
[All your Stats have increased. You gained Bonus Stat Points and Skill Points.]
“Well, twelve more levels to go.”
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Pach
