Long Tian's entire body hurt. He could feel his hands swelling due to the fractures.
He flew down and landed next to the body of the Dragon.
It was truly something majestic, both its size and the feeling he got from it.
He sat down with his back to one of its limbs, their thickness bigger than his height.
He then unsummoned his wings and removed the armor around his hands, ready to rest. He could already feel his hand start to heal and he was pretty tired. At least the armor had protected him well and he did not have any cuts on him that needed treatment.
He closed his eyes for a bit and when he opened them again, the sky was already darkening.
'Must've been an hour max.'
He thought while getting up. He had many things to do.
First he tested moving his hands, feeling slight pain but overall they felt okay. He then summoned the sword from the Dragon's head, the 100 meters long appeared in his hand, it would have looked almost ridiculous if not for the fact that it had just killed a Dragon.
Long Tian returned the sword to its minimum size and then jumped up and landed in the middle of the Dragon's back, between where its wings connected.
He then increased the size of the sword just a bit and started cutting pieces of the Dragon, like cutting meat with a knife.
Now that it was dead, its entire power had condensed into a Beast Essence that was in its heart, and that's what Long Tian was after. The meat was basically useless, it could still serve as food, but it would not grant Gene Points.
After digging through scales, muscles and bones for a while, Long Tian finally reached the heart of the Dragon.
The thing was almost as big as a house. Long Tian cut it open, and it was hollow inside, everything having condensed into a black sphere that was in the middle of the heart's 'ground'.
He jumped inside, landing next to the black sphere and observed its size.
It was one meter in height, perfectly spherical.
Touching it, Long Tian felt it was a little warm.
He then lowered his head and basically kissed the thing... tongue included.
He then felt a warm liquid enter his mouth and disappear before reaching his stomach.
He could feel himself getting stronger and his pain going away, primarily in his hands.
[Essence of Giant Black Dragon eaten. One Super Gene Point Gained.]
These messages constantly appeared in his vision.
He continued 'kissing' the sphere for almost a minute before he felt full, removing his mouth.
He had consumed about a third of it, its height diminishing by about 10 centimeters.
He had not finished it; he just had to wait for his body to recover before absorbing more.
This was the way of absorbing these things, one had to touch them with their tongue. Normally one just put it up against their mouth, but this one was too big, so he had to basically bow down and kiss it.
How much one could absorb at once was dependent on fitness. And absorbing one third at once was extremely good, normally, it takes more than ten times to completely absorb a Beast Essence, with at least an hour of rest in between.
This is true for all beast essences, independent of size. The smallest Beast Essence that is found in the first sanctuary, is a sphere 10cm in height.
But the number of points does not depend on size nor does the absorption limit.
The only relation that has been discovered is between size and the strength of the beast when they were alive.
One meter was pretty much the limit. He had been taught in the clan that in the first sanctuary, only Super Beasts about to ascend, when their powers are at their highest possible, can generate a 1-meter-tall essence.
Long Tian then sat down beside the Beast Essence inside the heart of the Dragon and opened the system.
'System.'
*Ding*
[Supreme Evolution System]
[Status](New!)
[Shop]
[Quests](New!)
'I should have completed that task.'
'Quests.'
[Quests]
Main Quests:
[Supreme Evolver] (Completed);
[Supreme Space Sword Path]
Side Quests:
(None)]
He then opened the completed quest.
[Supreme Evolver Quest:
The Supreme Evolution System has one objective, to make the user a Supreme Evolver.
To become one won't be easy even with the help of the system, but all journeys start with the first step.
[Kill your first Super Gene Beast] (1/1) (Completed)
[Rewards: 10 SEP] (Claim)]
'I didn't expect to complete it so fast. This was truly a unique opportunity.'
He mused, happy at the fact that just when he returned to the sanctuaries and decided to go deeper into the Ten Rings Mountains, Super Beasts conveniently appeared.
He then clicked to claim the quest.
But it did not disappear, it changed.
[Supreme Evolver Quest (2):
The Supreme Evolution System has one objective, to make the user a Supreme Evolver.
The first step has been taken, continue to improve your foundations. You must now make use of the advantages that the system gives you as much as you can.
[Surpass 50 of Fitness without Ascending.] (37.8/50)
[Rewards: 100 SEP]
'So it was a chain quest...'
'50 is supposed to be the fitness limit of the first sanctuary, but the system clearly does not care. I should be able to complete this quest naturally as I train in the Gene Arts I have.'
'But anyway, concerns for later. For now I am happy I won't have to eat ungodly amounts of meat for each SEP.'
'Shop.'
[Shop]
[First Sanctuary]
[Second Sanctuary (Locked)]
'First Sanctuary, open the Gene Arts section.'
[Gene Arts Shop]
[Minor]
[Low]
[Medium]
...
[Supreme]
'Supreme Grade, and show me the Supreme Refinement Art.'
[Supreme Grade Gene Arts Shop]
[Supreme Refinement Art (First Level) - 10 SEP]
'Buy it.'
At the moment that Long Tian ordered the system to buy the art, he felt information entering his head.
'Hmm, so it is actually a Martial Art, how interesting.'
Long Tian then touched the beast essence near him and tried to use the art.
Long Tian felt his body growing stronger very slowly, while the essence was decreasing in size at much slower rate than when he was absorbing it the conventional way.
'Looks like the first level can only go this fast. The second level is supposed to be twice as fast, but it costs 20 SEP... I will have to farm a lot in the coming days.'
With a sigh, Long Tian continued absorbing for almost an hour before the Beast Essence disappeared.
As soon as it did, he felt a lot of information entering his brain once more, it was the fifth level of the Supreme Space Sword Gene Art. But differently from the one he just bought from the system, that he simply mastered instantly, he would have to continue training to reach that level.
'Finally! Status.'
*Ding*
[Status]
Name: Long Tian (Victor Smith)
Rank: Non-Evolver (First Sanctuary)
Age: 16(20)
Fitness: 44.5
Gene Points -
Ordinary: 100/100
Primitive: 100/100
Mutant: 100/100
Sacred Blood: 100/100
Super: 100/100
Beast Souls: [Supreme Giant Black Dragon - Transformation];
[Supreme White Lion - Weapon: Sword];
[Super Giant Tree Tiger - Weapon: Naginata];
[Super Mountain Goat - Armor] x2;
[Super Flying Squirrel – Flying: Wings];
…
Gene Arts: [Supreme Space Sword Gene Art – Supreme Grade (1/5 Levels)];
[Supreme Refinement Art - Supreme Grade (1/1 Levels)];
[Dragon Foundation Cultivation Art - S Grade Basic Rank (9/20 Levels)];
[Martial Arts Essentials Martial Art - S Grade Low Rank (3/3 Levels)];
[Draconic Sword Martial Art - S Grade Intermediate Rank (0/7 Levels)]
Supreme Evolution Points: 3.2]
Now, Long Tian has reached an important crossroad in the path of all non-evolvers. Ascending right now meant becoming a Super Evolver, an elite among the alliance, someone that would attract attention from all forces.
But this was not the limit, above Super Evolvers, there were Maxed Evolvers. They are those that ascend with the maximum fitness possible in the sanctuary.
To know the difference, one must first understand the complex system of fitness that has been discovered and developed by humanity for the last 500 years.
When one has not yet entered the sanctuaries and consumed their first Gene Point, they are limited to a 5.0 fitness index.
Fitness Index is actually something that has changed meaning a lot during human history in the sanctuary, and the true way to measure it was found only in the fifth sanctuary, from the library of a powerful shelter spirit there.
A Fitness Index of 1.0 is considered peak normal human state, the maximum that ancient humans could achieve and modern humans can achieve without special elixirs and other technologies.
However, 2.0 does not necessarily mean that one is twice as strong as someone with 1.0, for fitness does not directly correlate to power or strength. It is a measure of the body's functions and, in certain ways, the life level, something that is incredibly mysterious even to the alliance of today.
The fitness limit of the first sanctuary is 50.0, which can be achieved even with only 1 ordinary gene point, as one is already considered by the sanctuary to be a non-evolver, refreshing the limit of 5.0 to 50.
The full points, from ordinary to super, grant 25.0 of fitness, half of the 50 that can be achieved.
In a perfect scenario, one starts with 5, gains the 25, and ends up with 30. If someone ascends at that moment, they will be able to continue their journey in the next sanctuary without many problems.
But once they reach higher sanctuaries, they might not even be able to injure ordinary beasts, as their fitness, which is the capacity of their body to generate force, to support and heal damage and even to react to threats, will be too low.
Their life level will be lower than even an ordinary beast.
Fitness is not everything in a fight, but it is the deciding factor to decide if two beings are at the same level. Someone with double your fitness will not be just twice as strong as you, they will kill you before you can understand who they are.
To compensate for that, humanity, more specifically his ancestor, created a marvelous thing. Gene Arts.
The amazing aspects of Gene Arts can only be observed in higher sanctuaries, but in the first one, they serve for one thing only: Build a Foundation.
Martial Gene Arts is application of force, using your everything in battle. To use your power in the most effective way.
These are very important, but in the first sanctuary, where one is only fighting with one's weapons and body, it is not essential.
No, the game changer in the lowest sanctuary are Cultivation Gene Arts.
Both were invented by his ancestor, a genius in anything battle-related. But his true masterpieces were Cultivation arts.
They are capable of increasing fitness, training one's body to promote an increase in Life Level, in cellular activity, to extract as much as possible from those Gene Points.
It was with these cultivation arts that Maxed Evolvers were created.
Right now, Long Tian, if he wanted, did not have to hunt any more beasts. He could just return to the shelter and train his Gene Arts until he reached the limit.
However, he was not a common person. No, he had the system, more importantly, he had the system shop. Where there were almost infinite things for him to buy, things that would help him on this journey.
So he had to continue hunting while at the same time improving the levels of his Gene Arts.
Long Tian left the dragon's body and summoned his wings.
He had unsummoned his armor long ago, so their orange majesty could be seen in their full splendor.
He flew towards the bodies of the Gorilla and the White Lion, so that he could consume their beast essence and accumulate points.
However, just as he passed the treetops, he felt something behind him.
"Who's there."
He said calmly while turning around, his armor instantly appearing around him and the sword once more in his hands.
After a few moments, there was no answer, and Long Tian could feel the presence start to disappear, so he elongated the sword and attacked where he felt it from.
*Clang! *
Came a sound of metal meeting metal from the air.
Suddenly, where there was nothing before, Long Tian could see a winged figure appear. At first he did not recognize them and stayed on guard.
But after the figure in all black removed the mask on their face, Long Tian saw the long hair falling down and the red eyes.
"Overseer, so it was you."
Long Tian said, relieved that it was not an enemy that he could barely perceive.
The woman had a slightly shocked look on her face.
"How did you notice me?"
She asked, looking deeply into his eyes.
But just as he was about to respond, an explosion came from the direction of the mountain in the center of the first ring.
They both turned to look and could see a massive spider coming towards their direction, pursuing something flying in the air.
"HELP US, PLEASE!!"