Time passed swiftly over the last three days. It felt as though it was only yesterday that he had begun training, yet now he had already achieved quite a bit.
In the training room, Venix held a one-handed sword, his eyes locked onto a mannequin that collapsed with a loud thud, hitting the floor as its residual energy faded away.
Venix took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the training room briefly before he agilely stepped back, walking toward the control machine. His right hand was already poised to summon a new mannequin.
In front of the control screen, Venix studied the numbers that displayed his progress.
"I’ve nearly perfected my energy control," Venix thought, feeling satisfaction coursing through him. "With this, I have stamina far more enduring than most people in the real world."
After delving deeply into the knowledge of Awaken combat, one fact was repeatedly emphasized: an Awaken's energy was extremely limited.
Thus, even if a Seedbound faced dozens of Awaken, if they could only kill 19 of them before running out of energy, that Seedbound could still be defeated by a single remaining Awaken.
While the physical strength of a Seedbound was superior, it didn’t mean their bodies could withstand an Awaken’s attacks without any energy left.
A Seedbound's body was far stronger because energy flowed through it. If their energy was depleted, their physical durability would drastically diminish.
By controlling his energy consumption during every attack and technique, Venix would hold a significant advantage over others.
"The third Origin Fragment Realm emerged four days ago. Now, it’s just a matter of time before the third Seed Origin appears." Venix sighed heavily.
Unlike before, when Venix could meticulously control the progression of his Seed Origin.
After the emergence of the Seed of Chaos as his second Seed Origin, his authority over the energy within his body was sometimes forcibly seized by the Seed of Chaos.
Venix had reported this, and Ardyn had only told him that when the time came, they would be ready to assist him.
Venix was informed they could temporarily manifest his Astral Body and perform an Astral Bond. How this would be done, Venix didn’t know. Ardyn had merely stated that everything had been arranged.
With a light touch, Venix clicked on the control screen, summoning the weakest mannequin available for testing.
With steady steps, Venix advanced. His sword swept through the air, leaving a trail of violet aura that slashed forward and struck the mannequin, leaving behind a shimmering wound that resembled poison.
Buzz\~
The slash left a poisonous-like mark on the mannequin’s body, and Venix stepped back to observe the results.
The mannequin remained standing, though its body began to tremble. Despite Venix's cut leaving a mark that slowly corroded it, the mannequin continued its assault, its movements slow but relentless.
With his current level of experience, Venix effortlessly maneuvered around the mannequin without difficulty.
Ten seconds later, the mannequin's movements began to stiffen, like a robot running out of power.
The next moment, it collapsed and lay motionless on the floor.
Venix smiled in satisfaction, feeling a brief warmth of victory within him.
"I'm stronger than I thought," Venix murmured, sensing a significant shift in his power.
With that, Venix sheathed his sword and exited the training room, heading to his quarters.
Inside Venix's room, there were piles of books and metallic boxes containing various techniques.
Grabbing one of the metal boxes, Venix began studying its techniques calmly.
After analyzing numerous techniques, Venix had realized one thing.
Any technique created by someone else was merely a foundation to provide an understanding of how the technique functioned.
To maximize results or further improve, individuals needed to refine the technique themselves.
For example, an Awaken with a water-type Seed Origin might create a water-arrow technique.
That technique could be quite powerful, but if someone else with the same water-type Seed Origin learned it, the results would never be as strong as its creator's.
This was because every Seed Origin was unique. Even if both were water types, the essence of their Seed Origin differed.
Thus, the other user would need to refine the technique to align with their own Seed Origin.
After memorizing the contents of the technique for a few minutes, Venix opened his eyes, slightly surprised by how easily he could recall every detail.
Without hesitation, he moved on to the next technique, memorizing it at a pace that was almost imperceptible.
Venix felt that the Heavenly Scholar Technique was extraordinary—far surpassing his expectations.
Deep within his soul, where a dark purple tree resided, there were countless smaller trees surrounding the large purple one.
Each of those smaller trees stored Venix’s memory of a technique he had memorized!
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An hour passed, and Venix sensed someone approaching his room, halting his studies.
Moments later, Ardyn entered Venix's room and took in the sight of the piles of books and techniques scattered across it.
"Enjoying yourself with that old man’s techniques?" Ardyn said with a tone of envy.
"I'm loving it. Learning new things is surprisingly enjoyable," Venix replied with a smile.
Ardyn shook his head slightly and retrieved a small cloth bundle from within his clothing, tossing it to Venix.
"Here, as promised—five Teleportation Crystals," Ardyn said, grinning.
Venix extended his hand, catching the small cloth bundle.
Opening it, Venix retrieved a small black stone held between his fingers.
Holding it, Venix could feel a mysterious force emanating from it, almost as if it wanted to pull his body into the stone.
"Next, the one-handed sword you requested, along with the other items." Ardyn snapped his fingers, producing a black sword in his hand and handing it to Venix.
He also provided a few other cloth bundles Venix had requested.
"Strange, isn’t it? Why do you suddenly need these items?" Ardyn asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Even if I tried to escape with five Teleportation Crystals, I know I couldn’t outrun you, Grandmaster," Venix said honestly.
The items Venix had requested were suspiciously tailored toward a potential escape plan. However, Venix now understood better.
Since Ardyn had fulfilled his request without question, it meant everything was still within his control.
Ardyn had a straightforward and open personality. If they worked well together, even strange requests could be granted.
But Ardyn was also cautious. If Venix’s requests involved items that could endanger many people or couldn’t be controlled, Ardyn would undoubtedly reject them.
Venix carefully inspected each item one by one.
While Venix lacked knowledge about Awaken items, his system could identify the objects he held.
Venix did not recognize the items belonging to the Awaken, but he possessed a system capable of identifying the items in his hands.
\[Storing 'Teleportation Crystal' into the Inventory will consume 5,000 Resource Points.]
\[Storing 'Acceleration Pill' into the Inventory will consume 100 Resource Points.]
\[Storing 'Energy Recovery Pill' into the Inventory will consume 100 Resource Points.]
\[Storing 'Black Torment Sword' (Treebound Seal) into the Inventory will consume 20,000 Resource Points.]
"Hm? Treebound Seal?" Venix was startled internally, but he kept his composure outwardly.
In their agreement, Ardyn had promised him a weapon sealed at the Primecore level. However, what Venix received was a weapon sealed at the Treebound level.
Though slightly disappointed, Venix knew it was impossible for a newly Awakened individual like him to discern the true level of the weapon in his possession.
After a moment, Venix continued inspecting each item using his system, identifying them by name alone.
Aside from the discrepancy with the sealed weapon, all the other items he had requested were delivered as promised.
"You’re starting to remind me of Orion," Ardyn remarked suddenly, observing Venix.
Venix was slightly taken aback. He turned to his side, looking at Ardyn.
"Apologies," Venix said softly. "I don’t want the Seed of Chaos to take over my body, so I’ve been studying diligently to better prepare myself for when the time comes."
He exhaled deeply, feeling as though a heavy weight pressed against his chest. The limitations he felt became increasingly evident.
After mastering the first level of the Heavenly Scholar Technique, Venix felt as though he were drowning in a sea of knowledge. The people in the Numan World began to feel like shadows—mere tools to further his goals.
Unconsciously, this created a distance between him and Ardyn, making him more withdrawn recently.
"I understand. I was merely commenting," Ardyn replied calmly.
"If I manage to rid myself of the Seed of Chaos, treat me to a lavish meal, alright?" Venix said with a small smile.
"Of course," Ardyn replied with a faint smile of his own.
Ardyn then retrieved something from his clothes and tossed it to Venix.
The object was a rounded jade stone. Venix reached out and caught it.
"This is Orion’s response," Ardyn said calmly before turning to leave.
"If I fail, find another way to eliminate the Seed of Chaos," Venix said before Ardyn exited his room.
Ardyn nodded gently and left.
Holding the jade stone in his hand, Venix immediately channeled his energy into it.
The message contained within the jade echoed in Venix’s mind.
The transmission lasted for a full ten minutes before finally concluding.
Opening his eyes, Venix appeared deep in thought.
"It’s now or never," Venix murmured to himself.
He then entered a meditative state in his room, closing his eyes.
When his consciousness arrived at the body of the Seed of Vulture, Venix whispered softly.
"Exit the Virtual World," he said.
Instantly, Venix’s consciousness, which had been in the Virtual World, was forcibly pulled into the boundless skies!
\---
Earth, the real world.
The morning sun had just risen, illuminating the Earth’s surface.
More than a month had passed since the Origin Era had arrived on Earth.
The planet’s condition was now vastly different from what it had been a month prior.
The urban landscapes, once filled with towering buildings and wide, bustling streets, had transformed completely.
Skyscrapers were now ruins, severely damaged. Roads that had once been teeming with vehicles were now in disarray.
Most strikingly, forests and vegetation had sprouted throughout the cities, turning what was once a prosperous metropolis into a ghost city trapped within a dense jungle.
In a forested area amidst unrecognizable ruins, a charred, blackened mass of flesh quivered faintly under the debris.
The burnt flesh wriggled, slowly cracking open to reveal fresh tissue emerging beneath its surface.
Rapidly, the flesh began to regenerate. The new, pristine tissue, as soft as a baby’s skin, grew at an astonishing rate, forming nine small tentacles before finally evolving into a tiny fetus.
The process continued, and the fetus’s body matured to that of a toddler, then to a child, all in an incredibly short time.
This grotesque transformation occurred so swiftly that anyone who witnessed it would surely feel repulsed and horrified.
In less than five minutes, the small mass of flesh had morphed into the body of a healthy adolescent.
Suddenly, the teenager’s body opened its eyes and stood up, surveying its surroundings.
The young man was Venix, now returned to the real world!
"The process of regenerating a body from a lump of flesh is excruciatingly painful," Venix thought to himself.
Yet, his expression remained calm, his brow furrowed slightly.
His body was completely naked, not a single thread covering him. Every part of him was exposed.
Venix had anticipated this.
Opening his System Inventory, he transferred the clothing he had prepared in the Virtual World and moved it into the real world.
A spherical object appeared in Venix’s hand, and he pressed it against his body.
Instantly, the sphere melted and spread across his skin. The black liquid gave him an eerie, intimidating appearance.
As the liquid fully enveloped him, colors began to emerge, transforming it into a brown hunting outfit.
"This is highly efficient. I need to acquire more items like this," Venix said softly, satisfied with the garment’s practicality.
Scanning his surroundings, Venix frowned. The ruins felt eerily familiar.
"I... I was killed near the school grounds," he muttered under his breath.
Amidst the ruins, Venix also spotted fragments of blackened, charred flesh.
He stared at it silently for ten seconds before taking a deep breath and leaping away from the site.
The Origin Era had begun, and judging by the current situation, this city now resembled a ghost town.
Utilizing the techniques he had learned in the Numan World, Venix moved swiftly and nimbly across the challenging terrain.
Not far from where he had been reborn, Venix perched on a tree and spotted a group of people hiding in the bushes.
"They’re Seedbound..." Venix noted the distinct pressure emanating from their auras.
With the knowledge he had gained in combat, Venix knew it was possible for an Awaken to kill a Seedbound in a surprise attack.
However, the energy consumption required for such an ambush would be immense.
Not wanting to stir up trouble or waste time, Venix silently moved on, seeking a safer place.
There was a reason Venix had returned to the real world earlier than planned, altering his original strategy.
And Orion’s answer had given Venix a glimmer of hope for defeating the Seed of Chaos!
