Sitting in the cab hauling him to the headquarters of the Bright Moon sect, Michael reviewed his earnings so far.
Leaving aside the possible new ventures with the merchandise, sponsored events, etc., The Battlefield of Heroes alone sold 1,120,000 copies, officially breaking through the small goal he had set for himself.
This was primarily due to the success of the tournament and the people's request to have this Secret Realm listed on their sect's online platforms.
[ Host: Michael Lewis
Age: 19
Lifespan: 120.9 years (92.3 original lifespan + 28.6 added lifespan through cultivation)
Qi Cultivation: 5th Level of Qi Gathering (72%)
Body Refinement: 7th Level of Mortal Flesh (4%)
Spiritual Roots: Normal
Innate Skills: Wyrm's Wrath (1st Level) - Body Calibration 15%
Assets: 1 Spiritual Pouch (1 cubic meter), 767,627 spirit stones, 6 sets of Body Refinement Medicine, 12 sets of Qi Gathering pills, and 2 bottles of Qi Recovery Powder. ]
With the game's sales so far, he had close to one million in savings, and this was before the Battle Pass goes live tomorrow.
Furthermore, his cultivation advanced three more levels for Body Refinement, and he needed two more months for Qi Refinement to reach the 6th level.
The biggest gain, however, was the newly added 'Innate Skills.'
Just as the sales for his project reached the benchmark of one million, his shitty system was awoken from its eternal slumber and decided to reward him.
[ Congratulations, user!
It has been detected that the game you developed reached one million sold copies.
Generating reward...
Please choose between the following two options:
1. One randomly selected active ability from the skill pool of your game (Ultimate skills not available)
2. One randomly selected passive ability from the skill pool of your game (Ultimate skills not available)
3. +5 Qi and Body Refinement cultivation levels.
Please be advised that no further rewards will be provided based on sales units. ]
It was a really tough choice to make.
From Michael's understanding, if he selected the first or second option, he would receive either an active or a passive skill from one of the 124 heroes in his game.
The problem was that he couldn't decide on the skill himself; instead, it was picked at random.
Some hero abilities were exceptional, but if he got Bristleback's Viscous Nazal Goo, for example... he shivered just imagining the possibility.
There was also the problem of explaining HOW he got these abilities. Most skills and spells in this world can be learned through hard work.
If he suddenly began spitting poisonous attacks, threw spider webs, or used short/medium/long-range teleportation, he would undoubtedly incur the scrutiny of not only his sect but the World Cultivators Alliance.
The third reward was an even bigger trap since it would grant him five levels in Qi Refinement and another five in body cultivation.
There was no way he could explain that sudden leap in cultivation, as it was impossible to do so without using demonic means. And getting labeled as a demonic cultivator was a death sentence.
After agonizing over his options for over two hours, he decided on passive skills. Active skills might be good if he could pick one, but it was a random reward.
Therefore, it was best to go for passive abilities since they improve something without too many demerits.
Entering his virtual workspace, he carefully reviewed the abilities of each hero - after asking Mildred to make a list of every passive skill - and realized it was indeed the best choice.
As a cultivation maniac, he had no fighting skills he had learned. However, if he somehow got Rubick's Arcane Supremacy, any skill or spell learned in the future would undoubtedly be able to exhibit more power.
Unfortunately, his wish wasn't granted, and instead, he was rewarded with Dragon Knight's Wyrm's Wrath.
[ Ability name: Wyrm's Wrath
Description: The lifeblood of the Dragon improves Dragon Knight's attacks. When in Dragon form, these attack effects are stronger.
Ability Type: Passive
CORROSIVE BREATH DAMAGE: 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 (increases with each level)
CORROSIVE BREATH DURATION: 3 seconds
CORROSIVE BREATH ARMOR REDUCTION: 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 (increases with each level)
CLEAVE STARTING WIDTH: 1.5 meters
CLEAVE ENDING WIDTH: 2.6 meters
CLEAVE DISTANCE: 4.5 meters
CLEAVE DAMAGE: 30% / 40% / 50% / 60% (increases with each level)
FROST BREATH MOVEMENT SPEED SLOW: -14% / -21% / -28% / -35% (increases with each level)
FROST BREATH ATTACK SPEED SLOW: -14 / -21 / -28 / -35 (increases with each level)
FROST BREATH DURATION: 3 seconds
FROST BREATH HEALING REDUCTION: 14% / 21% / 28% / 35% (increases with each level) ]
Simply put, it was a dud! This passive skill was good - not even great - in-game due to the possibility of using it in combination with Dragon Knight's ultimate.
Which he doesn't have!
His only hope was the 'Calibrating' process shown on the status page. He could only place his hopes on the shitty system and pray that it would somehow turn into a useful skill.
Paying the cab fare, Michael got out and took in his surroundings. Unlike the urban jungle of concrete he came from, this part of Riverside City had houses barely reaching three stories tall and was filled with tall trees and beautiful gardens instead.
It felt like a large disconnect, considering he had spent less than 20 minutes getting here from the 3rd branch, a building over 80 stories tall.
Shaking his head inwardly, he used his smartwatch to contact the sect master once he was in front of her house. After instructing him to enter, she remotely opened the wooden gates.
Michael was a bit surprised seeing the modest house and the small walls surrounding it. It felt a bit beneath Helena's status as a sect master.
However, when he passed through the open gate, he felt more than six different arrays scanning him from head to toe.
There were also signs of a protection-type array inscribed on the walls.
'Surely enough, it wasn't that simple. Furthermore, this area should be directly above the spirit vein, as not even a Tier 3 Gathering Array can increase the Qi density to this stage.'
He couldn't see any traces of a Qi Gathering array of a higher level placed in the courtyard, as it would serve no purpose other than bragging about the owner's wealth.
Scratching his head, he tried hard not to act like a child seeing the world for the first time in his life and calmly walked towards the open door.
"Excuse me for intruding."
Stepping inside the hallway, he took off his shoes and put on the house slippers left for him.
Then, he slowly moved toward the living room, where two beautiful women were enjoying their afternoon tea.
Michael's complexion immediately changed, noticing the mood was rather heavy for some reason.
However, it wasn't his place to worry about those ridiculously more powerful than he was, so he instead bowed and greeted the sect master and the younger beauty sitting beside her.
"Greetings, sect master. Greetings, senior."
[Mhm. Welcome. Come, take a seat. Right... this is Livia, my younger sister.](Helena)
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, senior Livia."
[Just Livia is fine. I am not an official Elder of the sect, and calling me a 'senior' makes me feel old.](Livia)
"..."
Hearing her words, Michael couldn't help but cuss her dumb ass in his mind. It would be fine and all if she was anyone else, but calling the younger sister of the sect master by her name? Wouldn't it mess up the seniority?
Probably noticing the dilemma the young man was in, Helena sighed and waved her hand.
[If she said so, just use her name and don't overthink.](Helena)
"*Sigh* Understood, sect master. Miss Livia."
[Mhm.](Livia)
Taking a seat opposing the two beauties, Michael tried hard to stay calm, but he was having difficulty breathing properly.
For some reason, these two's emotions appeared unstable, and their aura control was affected.
Feeling the pressure of a late-stage Golden Core and an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator bearing down on him, Michael began quickly recounting what he had done lately to possibly piss off these two influential ladies.
Noticing his discomfort, Helena frowned and took notice of her surroundings. Realizing their states of mind had been shaken by the virtual meeting they had just attended, she barely held back from smacking her forehead.
Signaling to the similarly oblivious Livia with a subtle gesture, the younger sister quickly realized the faux-pass and widened her eyes in surprise.
She wanted to apologize to their guest but realized it would be a bad idea, given her sister's seniority within the sect.
Michael was already sweating bullets. He had already finished his cup of tea while enduring the spiritual pressure and the deafening silence pressing down on him.
Then, the aura vanished as if it were a dream, allowing his stiff shoulders to relax somewhat.
But the silence persisted for another five minutes until Helena decided to break the awkwardness.
[You said the presentation video of the new Secret Realm you're planning to craft is ready?](Helena)
"Yes, sect master. It's only a short video, but it should be enough to roughly explain the Concept I have in mind for this new project. Furthermore, my two friends Nolan and Selina will help me develop it in a much shorter time."
[Huh? Three people for a Tier 1 Secret Realm? Isn't that a bit of a waste of time and resources?](Livia)
"Without their help, I am afraid finishing it by myself might take at least five years. And that's a conservative estimation given by the A.I."
The two beauties' eyes were full of surprise. They saw the magic this boy, who had learned how to be a Programmer for less than two years, pulled with The Battlefield of Heroes.
But now, his new project would take five years in a best-case scenario.
[Are you planning to design a Tier 2 Secret Realm? Aren't you rushing too much?](Helena)
"Well... we are not yet entirely certain of the Tier designation, but according to the calculations done by the A.I., the dimensions of this Secret Realm are borderlines Tier 3, the planned A.I.-controlled natives are somewhere between Tier 3 and Tier 4, and the resources needed to pull it off are probably in the Tier 5 range.
The difficulty of connecting the Concept smoothly will be the most challenging part, and ensuring the Intent-infusing stage proceeds without a hitch even more so, given that there will be three of us acting as the creators."
Watching the young man spew this sort of bullshit... if it was anyone else, both Helena and Livia might've already slapped them awake.
But the seriousness on his face while giving the 'report' rendered them speechless. This brat actually believed himself capable of creating a Secret Realm based on the standards he just described!
Taking a deep breath and gesturing to Livia not to say anything, Helena calmed down and looked at Michael.
[Let us see the video first.](Helena)
"Understood. I'll forward it to your email now, sect master."
Pressing a button on a remote, a home cinema system advanced enough to make even the wealthiest people on Earth cry appeared in the living room to their left.
The large screen covered the windows, blocking the sunlight and offering a better viewing environment.
Not letting Michael appreciate the beauty of technology, the video quickly started.
The first shot was in the sky, following a large object as it traversed the ocean of clouds at fast speeds.
Slightly zooming out, this object proved to be a large ship—the kind that usually is found at sea and has no business flying.
'Hehe! Look at your surprised faces! Did you think you could corrupt me with your bullshit flying islands and futuristic spaceships!? A cultivation world must have flying ships! SHIPS, you hear me!?'
Unaware of the audacious junior calmly sipping on his refilled cup, both women had a shaken expression.
They wore strange expressions while looking at the caravel and were further surprised seeing it attack a galleon flying peacefully.
The technology showcased was primitive when compared to today's standards. Cannons fired round metallic projectiles, and once the two flying ships got closer to each other, the crew of the caravel boarded the galleon and began fighting.
Fortunately, the familiar spells using Qi appeared in the melee, but seeing the galleon crew, which looked fair, slender, and had pointy ears, both women instantly stood up.
[Elves!?](Livia)
[What!? How... Michael!?](Helena)
It was at this moment Michael knew he fucked up!
Swallowing his saliva as the spiritual pressure returned and threatened to smack him on the head like a hammer does a nail, he immediately blanked out.
'Why are they reacting this strongly? Elves? What's the problem with... Elves?'
A look of realization appeared on his face. Whenever he scoured the internet for interesting novels, trying to acclimatize himself to this world's taste in fantasy, he had never seen races like the Elves, Titans, Dwarves, dragons, and the like.
He chalked it up to a lack of imagination. Maybe having to fight invasions for millennia affected the thought process of the natives of this world.
With the video paused, so did his body movements.
Unlike the previous time where the two exerted their auras unknowingly, they were now using it to fully lock Michael's body, barely allowing him to breathe.