Aric stood in the middle of his room, reading the panel before him that detailed his reward.
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**Martial God Technique**
An ancient and unparalleled cultivation technique passed down from the age of the gods, said to have been crafted by the first Martial God who transcended mortality. It is a technique that transcends ordinary martial cultivation, combining both martial and divine aspects to forge a path to godhood.
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It was powerful, perhaps the strongest cultivation technique in existence, but Aric knew that much. What he truly wanted to know was how he could actually practice it.
"Guide, what now?" Aric asked.
Previously observing from a distance, she slowly floated towards Aric, her hands gliding as she gestured to empty air, only for another panel to materialize there as well.
"The rewarded technique is built on the principle of balance between destruction and creation, chaos and order. It harmonizes the body's physical strength with the soul's spiritual power, creating a union that surpasses mortal limitations. To begin, you must learn to embrace both the raw, destructive power of the universe and the gentle, nurturing force of life, achieving a perfect equilibrium."
The panel that materialized now displayed an image of a figure sitting in a cross-legged position.
"Please follow my instructions from now on. Sit in the position shown," the guide requested.
Aric nodded, dropping to the floor and sitting cross-legged.
"The rewarded technique encompasses three necessary ingredients for its success: the Essence of the World, Bladed Rock from the Mountain of Kasuga, and the Venom of the Serpent Dragon."
Aric nodded, completely ignorant of the unparalleled level of items that had just been mentioned to him.
The Essence of the World was known as water scooped from a dried-up pond at the top of Kasuga Mountain, where it is rumored the Martial God had ascended from. It is said that the majority of the world's ki converges at the mountain and is absorbed by the pond. After many decades, barely a couple of drops could be found in it.
Meanwhile, from the very same mountain, in the Caves of Seclusion, where it is said the Martial God had cultivated for many years, the dripstone is said to be a more deadly weapon when sharpened than any other—bladed rock from the Kasuga Mountain was a lethal requirement.
And lastly, there was the venom of the Serpent Dragon, an ancient beast that roams the north.
"When the Essence of the World is ingested, ki begins to flow through the user's body in unparalleled amounts, so much that it forces open ki channels and is used as the basis for the technique."
The panel before Aric displayed the figure with ki flowing, carving channels through their body.
"This will cause pain beyond measure," the guide warned before quickly moving on.
"You will then be stabbed with the Kasuga Blade. Although this would normally eradicate the user's soul, having ingested the Essence of the World, you would offer resistance, and your soul will be rebuilt with the immense ki as the forging flame. You are likely to die at this step."
Aric turned to the guide, genuine worry beginning to show on his features the more she went on. He had definitely heard her say he was likely to die, but she had glossed over it so nonchalantly he began to doubt that's what she actually said.
"Finally, ingesting a very minimal amount of the Serpent Dragon venom will completely destroy your bones and nervous system, but while the Essence of the World is still active, physical damage cannot end your life, so your bones will be rebuilt and made stronger with the immense ki."
The guide gestured to the panel of the figure's bones completely shattering.
"I must warn you, this is extremely painful as well, and although you might not die from the pain, you could die from the trauma" the guide added.
Aric's face had gone from intrigue to shock to complete horror. With each listed process, learning the technique seemed more like suicide than anything else. Then, while still gripped by the terror of what he had just heard, in the most robotic, emotionless manner, the guide asked:
"Would you like to begin the process?"
Aric stared deadpan at the guide for a moment.
"You know what, I'm not so sure anymore."
The guide tilted her head before floating even closer to Aric's face, observing the sweat that began to run down his forehead.
"I sense the user is afraid. I would like to reassure you that the percentage of survival is a considerable 23.765%."
Aric sighed and fell back, lying down on the floor as he gazed at his cobweb-covered ceiling.
He had been so excited to become a martial artist with the greatest possible foundation, but now it looked more like a death sentence than a chance at power.
'If I'm alive, even though I'm weak, I can still exact my revenge… I can use my knowledge of the future to at least achieve something, at least even slightly frustrate their efforts. But if I die, I lose everything.'
Aric faced a dilemma. In that moment, he had to decide what truly mattered to him: a chance at revenge, no matter how watered down it might become, or a chance at unparalleled strength with a high likelihood he would die in the process.
'I can't do this. Maybe later on I'll find another way to open my ki channels, another less dangerous cultivation technique as well. Yes, I have the system, so there will always be another chance,' Aric's mind raced as he fought against his fear and was seemingly losing.
He slammed his clenched fist on the floor behind him.
"Excuses," he slammed his fist again.
"That's all I made last time. I kept deluding myself: my chance will come, I would be loved by my brothers, I would eventually be respected… I told myself these lies again and again because I was terrified of the truth, that as long as I was the weakest, I was damned to be a failure. Well, not again, not this time."
Aric sat up from the floor.
"This time, I won't make excuses. I won't depend on your respect; I'll demand it. So you all better pray to any and every god that I do not survive this!" Aric exclaimed before turning to the guide. "Let's begin."