Welcome to the Ash Expanse]
While Xue Mo and Lu Yao were looking at the notification in front of them through it, they had finally learned the name of the planet they were on.
Ding*
[You have gained a new skill]
[Appraisal: Level 1]
Xue Mo calmly read what was displayed on the status window. Seeing that he got a new skill and an active one at that instead of being happy like how ordinary Players would, he started analyzing everything he had done to be able to receive it.
'Other than looking at things intently, I kept staring at the rock in front of me while pondering over matters, is that how I got it?' Xue Mo thought instantly, finding the reason.
'Wait, how did I remember what I was looking at? Did my memory improve due to my new Race? Does that mean I still have more abilities that weren't sealed with my Soul?' Xue Mo's mind entered overdrive mode as he started examining himself while deducing reasons, answers, and even more questions.
Although Xue Mo wasn't sure where he got the memory boost from, he suspected it was due to his Race and the bloodlines it contained.
After several minutes of pondering, Xue Mo told Lu Yao what happened, but instead of getting a casual remark, he was surprised by what he heard.
"You got appraisal? Hmm, I shouldn't be surprised I mean, with your observation and constant thinking about things it would be more of a surprise if you don't get it." Lu Yao said in a marveled voice.
"Is it really this amazing to get the appraisal skill?" Xue Mo sounded doubtful. The way Lu Yao made it seemed like there is more to the skill than meets the eye.
"Well, many people do get it, but there is a strict requirement to get it. You have to have an amazing observation ability and a good memory, otherwise you wouldn't be able to get it." Lu Yao wasn't trying to make the skill look like something it isn't, but because of the strict requirement that the ability entails, it is rare to see someone with it.
Xue Mo finally understood why Lu Yao was astonished that he got the skill, but her words made him ponder, 'Does that mean there are also skills that need specific requirements to unlock and skills aren't available to all?'
Xue Mo seems to have gotten a good grasp of how skills are obtained. Although he understood how Xue Mo recalled the state, Lu Yao ended up in thanks to the system. So he decided to refrain from depending on it, but until his plans that he was making were done, he has no choice but to use it.
Xue Mo suddenly remembered something, "Why aren't you in your human form?" Xue Mo's question reminded Lu Yao of one of the reasons her mood was gloomy that day.
"If I could go back, I would. But I am stuck in this form for now." Lu Yao's reply got Xue Mo thinking, 'If she has that, then she might be more useful than I thought.' Although Xue Mo started treating Lu Yao as a Partner subconsciously, he was trying to limit her interaction with him. However, he found himself getting closer to her by the second, making him wonder what's happening to him.
'This might be a good idea to test her if she passes, then I might just do that.' He thought while looking at Lu Yao with an intense gaze, 'Lu Yao, don't disappoint me.'
For the first time in his life, Xue Mo was going to trust someone, and that is why he was more vigilant with Lu Yao than he had ever been. Still, it seems no matter his tries or fake slip-ups he makes, Lu Yao didn't do anything that would suggest she was plotting against him; instead, he started feeling a connection with her, although faint it was there.
"Let's go I want to try this 'system' and see just how good it is." Xue Mo said without looking back. He sauntered toward the cave's entrance, ready to leave.
"What?!! Did you already forget what happened to me, do you want the same thing to happen to you?!!!!" For the first time in a very long time, Lu Yao felt worried about someone that wasn't her, showing just how big of an impression Xue Mo had left on her in this month and a half.
'Hmm, first test passed.' Although he thought this as if it wasn't a big deal, but deep inside him, he sighed in relief unknowingly.
"Huh? But if we don't use the system to power up, how will we increase our strength? Did you forget that we promised to reach the apex?" Xue Mo sounded emotional, showing how good his acting is, but instead of the usual reaction that he would receive, Lu Yao acted as if she heard nothing and only looked at him.
"Do you think I'm dumb or something?" Lu Yao's question truly confused Xue Mo, although he never said it out loud, he really did think that she had a bright mind.
For her to say the opposite of what he felt made him instinctively ask: "Why? Did you hear me say that before?"
"No, but you were acting just now, and it's so obvious too. I have been with you for a month and a half. You think I wouldn't know your personality by now?" Lu Yao's reasoning and the question she asked left Xue Mo with no words to retort. He even started thinking that he was the dumb one. After all, she was right.
"Anyway, I was really going to hunt some beasts and see how this system truly works. Are you coming or not?" Since he wasn't lying this time, Lu Yao decided to believe him and tag along.
Although the system isn't safe from her point of view, after having used it for a long time, she knew that if he just wanted to try it, there is no harm in doing so.
Following Xue Mo, Lu Yao went into the forest so she could help if something happened to him. Though she knew that he could handle anything coming his way, Lu Yao had no idea of this world's grade, thus worried that the creatures here might be more than he could handle alone, she followed.
While walking, Xue Mo suddenly stopped in his path before looking at Lu Yao with a serious expression: "I think we should stay here for a few months."
Lu Yao didn't know what sprung this up for now, but she nodded her head anyway. She was at the moment weak, which made her a liability, and although she would prefer not to use the system, Lu Yao had no other choice but to do it.
After finishing their small chat Xue Mo and Lu Yao continued on their way through the forest, looking for a monster to hunt. Luckily they didn't have to search for long as a black colored dear that Xue Mo wasn't unfamiliar with appeared in front of them.
At the time Xue Mo didn't know much about the 'system' so when he killed it using his Shadow Soul Pressure needle, he didn't think it was a big deal. Yet now that he knows more, he decided to see what happens when he kills beasts. Would he get a new skill, some stats? Xue Mo didn't know, so this deer came at an excellent time to help him experiment.
Xue Mo as always didn't waste time with talks, even more, when the beast in front of him acts on instincts only. He prepped a few more Shadow needles as he opted to call them and threw them at each of the deer's forelimbs.
The deer was already planning to run away and had released his alert snort when it felt Xue Mo's killing intent, but by the time it acted, it was too late. Xue Mo's needles had pierced through the flesh and skewered the deer's legs, making him fall with his face planted in the ground.
"Haighhh" The deer's sound was distorted as it screamed from the pain that it was experiencing. The needles weren't only piercing its flesh and bones; they were also slowly eating and melting it away. Not long after, the deer's only remains were the hole it made in the ground while trying to fight back the pain. Everything else had been melted and devoured into nothingness.
Lu Yao, who was standing on the side, looked like she was having fun. Her small furred face was filled with different emotions while looking at the place the deer died. But instead of feeling sadness, pity, and other disturbing sentiments, her face showed a different expression. It was pure delight and happiness.
Xue Mo had also seen this, but he chose to ignore it and instead asked Lu Yao: "Now that we are here, can you continue with your previous clarification regarding the stats?"
Knowing what he wanted to know based on his expression Lu Yao explained: "The last two stats that I didn't talk about were the HP (Health Points) and the Experience points.
The HP is how much vitality/life force you currently have, and when it hits zero, it means that you died. The reason I didn't mention this stat before was that it wasn't necessary. This stat is the fault most of the time, and this is why Players ignore this stat as if it didn't exist. And before you ask, no, this stat doesn't change, and if it did, it would be due to something extraordinary.
As for the Experience Point stat, it's the stat that displays how much you will need/remaining exp to reach the next level. This shouldn't even be called a stat." After saying this, Lu Yao had just realized something and asked: "Didn't you just receive experience for killing the deer?"
Checking his status window for any changes and finding none, Xue Mo shook his head.
Lu Yao went silent for a while before her eyes shined with understanding while a gloomy look appeared in them before disappearing.
"The first time I had unlocked my energy, I also killed Players with it, but instead of receiving experience points, I received nothing. At the time, I didn't know anything and was naive, so I paid this no heed and forgot about it, but now thanks to you, I just remembered." Lu Yao's voice was as cold as the first time she talked to Xue Mo while a dark and menacing aura surfaced around her, giving her a terrifying look.
Although he felt guilty for some reason, Xue Mo didn't say anything and waited for Lu Yao to continue after calming down. Fortunately, this didn't take much time,
"I am sorry for what happened earlier. Anyway, I meant that we probably wouldn't get any experience points through killing with our special energies." Although he already figured this out, Xue Mo let Lu Yao explain it. That way, she would have let everything out with it.
"Let's find more beasts and experiment on them." Xue Mo suddenly said, making Lu Yao follow him in tow, but this time a little distance had been created again.
******
"Mo, hit them already." In a forest of a world called the Ash Expanse, a little white fox was yelling at a purple-haired man. She was standing in a ready to jump position on top of a tree.
It had been half a year since Xue Mo, and Lu Yao arrived at the Ash Expanse, and since then, they had been living in the cave that Xue Mo found, making it a temporary home.
At the moment, Xue Mo was fighting two giant lions with horns on their head. From time to time, a fire was released from their mouths, showing what affinity they possess.
While Xue Mo was holding them back, Lu Yao wasn't idling by. She was also looking for the best timing to attack. 'Now.'
Seeing one of the lions getting thwarted by a black fire, she instantly jumped on it and with a wave of her claw. This attack wasn't just an ordinary swipe. Xue Mo could see that at the tip of the claw's nails, dark-colored energy that was different from what she used in their fight landed on the lion's back.
Once the claws penetrated the lion's back, it started flailing around with a desperate and afraid look in its eyes. After several minutes of struggle, Lu Yao stabbed the lion again and did it in.
Ding*
[You have killed a raging lion level 20]
[You have gained 300 Experience Points]
[You have leveled up]
[You have created a skill, Dark Claw]
[Dark Claw: Level 1]
Killing the lion resulted in a series of notifications that Lu Yao ignored.
Seeing that one lion was already down, Xue Mo stopped playing around. With a swipe of his hand, a fireball not unlike the one Lu Yao used before appeared.
However, the fire in Xue Mo's hand wasn't only several degrees higher than Lu Yao's, but dark and ominous energy also seemed to be leaking out of it.
Seeing that its brother had died on the hands of its opponents, the lion wanted to escape. However, before it could even try, a fireball was already in front of it, making the lion's expression pale in fright.
Too late to dodge, the black fire hit the lion, making it light up in flames, but instead of the fire spreading across the lion's mane, it concentrated on a specific part where it slowly consumed the fire as if devouring a prey.
Also, getting a series of notifications that he ignored, Xue Mo looked to the side only to see Lu Yao was standing next to him with a weird expression on her face.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still can't get used to it." Lu Yao's comment elicited a chuckle from Xue Mo.
"What's weird?" Xue Mo feigned ignorance, but the faint smile on his face gave him away.
"You know this year of being with you has allowed me to get a read on all of your stiff and expressionless faces. Although there doesn't seem to be a difference, I could see it." Lu Yao's point was that, 'If I could read your expressionless face, why are you lying while smiling.'
In half a year, many changes happened to both Xue Mo and Lu Yao. Other than getting stronger and closer to each other, they also started letting each other in. Although Xue Mo didn't know how Lu Yao did it, he could see that she had somehow penetrated his heart and took place in it.
A year ago, in the pretense of training Xue Mo set a rule that they wouldn't use their unique energies and only the system for now. It was also at that time that he learned that Lu Yao had no idea how to use her energy. She said, 'Didn't I tell you before that was my second time using it. It just appears when it wants to appear.' Hearing what she said, Xue Mo put some ideas and made a plan.
At first, Xue Mo did nothing but find places filled with monsters and magical beasts to test Lu Yao's strength, loyalty, and evaluate her. Although he did it in the guise of practice, Lu Yao wasn't dumb and had already found his plan out after the second time, but made herself seem as if she hadn't noticed.
In no time Xue Mo and Lu Yao went from beast to beast and either killed them or escaped. Surviving various life and death battles while living together caused them to become closer and even start depending on each other. Not only had Lu Yao earned Xue Mo's trust, but he had unknowingly received hers, which is why she had no problem talking with him in a familiar manner.
'I think it's time.' Although Xue Mo started trusting Lu Yao and even wasted its entire year testing her, instead of getting some bad vibes or some dark motive from her, he ended up slowly feeling more emotions.
"Let's go back." Xue Mo said after some thinking. Seeing the serious expression on his face, Lu Yao jumped on his shoulder, where she got used to sitting in this year and let him walk while she rested.
The forest they were in was basically their training ground this year. At the end of it, was a city that they had found but decided not to enter.
Entering the cave that by now had become a semi home of theirs, Xue Mo sat down while Lu Yao jumped from his shoulder so she could face him. From Xue Mo's expression, she knew that he was about to say something important to her.
Silence ensued in the cave. After gathering his thoughts, Xue Mo looked at Lu Yao and began to talk,
"This year, as you have probably already found out, I was trying to see if you are worthy enough to get my trust. Although you were somehow able not just to do that but even go beyond that, I have decided to divulge something very important to you." Xue Mo started with a stern voice, but he had a smile on his face at the end of it. 'He really had changed.' Lu Yao thought out of nowhere.
She still remembered how they were a year ago and how they are now. She from knowing Xue Mo knew that he wasn't someone to trust people easily, so for her to earn his trust is a significant matter. 'He's not the only one, though.' Xue Mo wasn't the only one who grew.
Over the course of this year, Lu Yao slowly transformed from an introvert to a bright and talkative person, with Xue Mo at least. They had also noticed that their similarities were too blaring while they had some differences, but what they had in common was more.
With other people, they were cold, detached, and unsociable, yet, when they talked with each other, instead of the annoyance and the disgust they usually feel Xue Mo and Lu Yao felt delighted and happy.
Clearing her mind with useless thoughts, Lu Yao waited for Xue Mo to continue,
"I have two secrets that you don't know about. One of them will be left for later, but for now, this is more important.
In this Universe, the power-system is the 'system,' but in my old world, there is another power-system. Unlike the 'system,' our power-system depends on talent, hard work, luck, and opportunities.
This power-system is called Cultivation. What we do isn't just getting stronger. We cultivate to go against heaven, fate, and even change our destinies. With cultivation, the power that we get is ours. It's something that cannot be taken whenever someone wants, as, unlike this Universe, where Players utilize borrowed-power, we use real power." Xue Mo stopped there to check Lu Yao's expression, and as he expected, she was shocked, but unlike the incredulous expression that he thought she would have, her face returned to normal as if she already knew this info. 'As expected, she had guessed of something like this or similar.'
Seeing that Lu Yao had already digested the information, Xue Mo decided to continue talking,
"There are three different types of cultivation. They are, respectively: Body, Energy, and Soul Cultivation.
Body Cultivation, as the name indicates, means to Refine the body. When you saw me train before, I was developing my body using a cultivation technique. Although I was only utilizing the basics where anyone could use it, it was still training for the body." Xue Mo decided to go one by one and slowly so Lu Yao could understand what he was talking about.
"The second training method is Energy Cultivation. Unlike Players (Mages), who create spells to utilize energy, Cultivators use Cultivation Techniques/Methods to refine the energy of the elements that they possess and absorb it into the Dantian.
The Dantian is an organ that bipedal races either have or don't. If they don't, then they cannot Cultivate, but if they do, their future becomes in their hands.
Energy Cultivation isn't only for bipedal creatures but also for magical beasts or how my people called them Arch Beasts.
Unlike humans, elves, and other two legged beings, Arch Beasts are beasts who have developed intelligence due to an internal organ that goes in their brains that is called Beast Cores." Xue Mo stopped talking after seeing Lu Yao want to say something, "What is it?"
Hearing the question, Lu Yao answered, "About the Beast Core as you have called it this Universe has it too. It's called a Magical Core. I linked the two other than the similar names because the Magical Creatures in here also have it in their brains."
Hearing what Lu Yao said, Xue Mo nodded his head as he thought of that possibility before continuing,
"Anyway other than them getting intelligent and can Cultivate, Arch Beasts could use other Cultivation Techniques and train in them. This would allow them to advance their Cultivation rank and, at some point, gain a humanoid form of their own." Xue Mo finished his explanation and saw Lu Yao's eyes sparkle so before she could ask he answered her,
"Yes, if you have a Beast Core in you, you could cultivate and maybe regain your human form one day,"
"As for Soul Cultivation, this is the rarest of the three types. Soul Cultivation requires you to temper your Soul using the Universe's natural laws, which would also help in upgrading many aspects such as thinking, memory, and more mental faculties. The Soul is what houses your being." Xue Mo suddenly realized something while talking about the Soul.
'Ah, am I an idiot?' He was previously wondering how his memory got so much better, and he forgot that he had fused with Primordial Origin's shards making his Soul mutate and become something else. One of the benefits that he got from the fusion was that his Soul was purified and more potent. This would mean that although his Soul Cultivation was erased the enhancement, the fusion gave as compensation was worth it.
After finding the answer that he didn't even think about for a whole year, Xue Mo realized, 'Although with age come wisdom, knowledge, and experience, but this doesn't mean that people cannot make blunders and mistakes.' After finally finding an answer that had bothered him for some time, Xue Mo was in a good mood.
Since he finished his explanation to Lu Yao, he looked at her and said with a happy smile,
"So, do you want to start Cultivation?"
Lu Yao said nothing more after hearing that and waited for Xue Mo to announce his plan.