Yuan Dong woke up with his eyes blurry. His noes felt like it was on fire and he had a large, open gash running from the bottom of his chin all the way down to his navel. Bruises lined his body with purple and green scars visible to the eye. After wiping the crust from his eyes, Yuan Dong saw his surroundings. He was in a room with a marble floor and many hospital beds. Two military doctors were in the room...
"Captain, this one's awake!"
"Thanks, Bai Ming, I'll check up on him."
He scribbled some notes on his work pad.
Injury Level 4/5
Rank Private - Health Priority Class I
Special Note: Injured meritoriously, Class I --> Class III Treatment
Class III treatment...
"Yuan Dong, have a Mortal Rejuvenation Pill and a Qi Restoration Pill. They are worth 12 low-tier spirit currency. Use the Mortal Rejuvenation Pill when your dantian feels overwhelmed from the cultivation that you must do to heal your injuries, and the Qi Restoration Pill when you would like to advance realms."
After saying those words, the doctor left Yuan Dong to his thoughts.
Yuan Dong did not know how to cultivate or consume pills, so he asked the system for help. He knew what the idea of cultivation and pills was, as he had read many online novels during his time on Earth. However, it was better to be safe rather than sorry.
Host, consume pills by eating them. If you would like to know their effects, please tap them with three fingers. Cultivation is possible in many different states and poses, so you will need cultivation manuals. Luckily, the great and mighty Shameless System will not allow you to go into a world without a significant advantage, so the System has prepared manuals for you.
Ah, so it was that easy? Yuan Dong tried to begin cultivating now. His energy swirled around his dantian and acupoints, and he began cultivating for the first time.
The doctor noticed him, and his face went pale immediately.
"Holy sh*t! That is the fu*king First Grade Origin Spirit Energy!"
Spirit Energy could be grouped into 3 distinct groups in the Tianhai Military which were split into 3 grades each. The first grade was Acceptable, and this was the grade almost 90% of the population would have. Even having First Grade Acceptable Spirit Energy was considered talent in rural villages. The second grade was Profound, and 9% of the population would have this grade. Second Grade Profound Grade Spirit Energy was considered the borderline for being considered a genius. At the top was Origin Grade Spirit Energy. Only 1% of the population would have it, and to add onto that having First Grade Origin Grade Spirit Energy... that was a genius considered one in a million.
Yuan Dong asked the System about it, and the System replied:
Host, you have the System. How could the great and mighty Shameless System allow you to have inferior Spirit Energy! You will be considered as having top-grade talent and spirit energy wherever you go.
Yuan Dong ate the pills instantly.
Mortal Stage 2!
Mortal Stage 3!
Yuan Dong advanced 2 realms of cultivation at once with his talent in a day. At the end of it all, the doctor gave Yuan Dong a battle technique to practice and ran out of the room as fast as his legs could carry him to his superior officer to report a great talent being born.
1 Week Later
Yuan Dong sat inside his tent. He had been cultivating for the past week and practicing the doctor's battle technique. He had reached the realm of Major Success in the technique and had reached Mortal Stage 4 in his cultivation.
"Yuan Dong, you are called to the Major's Office for questioning!"
Yuan Dong ran over instantly, as even he knew that an officer of that stature in a cultivation world most probably had very high cultivation and could kill him at will.
"Yuan Dong reports to Major, sir!"
"I've heard from the Company Doctor that you have extreme talent. Considering you unlocked cultivation merely a week ago and received our army's top-grade technique, the Tianhai Stunning Fist, how have you been proceeding?
"Private Yuan Dong has reached Mortal Stage 4 realm and reached the state of Major Success in the technique Tianhai Stunning Fist! Is it possible that I have received an inferior technique? Top-grade techniques should not be easy to learn, right?"
The Major's face turned ugly.
Easy? Easy my ass! It took me two years of constant study to reach Major Success realm, and you're saying you reached in a week? While injured? You are insane! I see why my doctor ran out of the room...
Mortal Stage 4? That is a high enough cultivation realm to become a Lieutenant! Talents these days really are insane... and he had a Third Grade Origin Spirit Energy talent, and he was on the verge of being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. The thought that a low-ranked youngster had almost 100x his speed... truly insane.
"Could it be that Major doesn't believe me? Let me show you the Tianhai Stunning Fist battle technique I've been practicing on this Power Sustaining stone."
After a week of reading about this cultivation world from the system's explanation books, he had some more knowledge. A Power Sustaining stone was used to check the strengths of all Mortal realm, Qi Training Realm, and Foundation Establishment realm cultivators.
Yuan Dong punched the stone with all his might.
A Mortal Stage 1 cultivator had about 1 ton of strength, and this went up by 2 tons for every cultivation realm. So using common sense, Yuan Dong should have 9 tons of strength. But what happened defied all common sense. Yuan Dong had.. not 10... not 12.. but 15 tons of strength! Equal to a goddamn Qi Training Stage 3 cultivator! Are you sure you're not a General here to test me...
To be quite honest, even Yuan Dong was surprised by this. The System really was all-powerful...
The Major was bubbling up with excitement inside! With talent, this great, Yuan Dong could surely participate in the Division Tournament next month! He offered Yuan Dong a position in the tournament. However, defying expectations, Yuan Dong said no.
The Major got down on his knees and begged. This might determine his promotion chances...
Just then, the aide walked into the room.
"HAH?"
There are more than 10 promotion grades between you and that Private... Must you act so subservient to him...?
The Major spoke up. "Yuan Dong, there are cultivation resources for the winners.."
Yuan Dong: "Really! Wow! I will immediately sign up."
On the outside, the Major had just announced Yuan Dong's promotion to Lieutenant and his privileges and position in both the tournament and his platoon. But inside, the Major was thinking: "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you for being so shameless."
Inside Yuan Dong's head, the system praised: Wow! So shameless, just like me!
Yuan Dong didn't know whether to thank the System or to curse it.