Aurel sat at his desk, his watch casting a faint blue glow across the darkened room. The apartment was quiet, the echoes of the bustling city barely audible through the thin walls. His eyes were glued to the screen, scrolling through lists of beasts known to inhabit the Border Lands. He needed something specific—something that could push him to acquire Armour Penetration.
He had spent hours researching, searching for the right target. A beast that would force his body to adapt to offense. His focus narrowed as he scrolled past entry after entry—beasts with sharp fangs, lightning speed, monstrous strength. None of them were right. They were too focused on offense, too dangerous in a way that wouldn't benefit his specific needs.
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he read the name of a particular beast: Stone Tortoise.
Aurel tapped the screen, bringing up the description, his breath catching slightly as he read the information. The Stone Tortoise was a rare beast, difficult to find, but exactly what he needed.
Beast: Stone Tortoise
Attributes: Low attack, extreme defense.
Description: The Stone Tortoise has one of the most formidable natural defenses of any known Border Lands creature. Its shell is nearly impenetrable, even cultivators with three genetic locks actualized struggle to break through its armor. Slow-moving, with limited offensive capability, but incredibly resilient.
Aurel's eyes narrowed, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. This was it. The perfect target. The Stone Tortoise wasn't a threat in the same way as the rabid dog-beasts he had fought before. It wasn't fast, wasn't vicious. Its attack power was low—but its defense was nearly impossible to breach.
That was exactly what he needed. He needed to break through that armor. He needed to strike with enough force, enough precision, to bypass its defenses, to cause real damage. If he could do that—if he could force his body to adapt to such a challenge—he could develop Armour Penetration. He would have an offensive trait that would give him an edge against any opponent, regardless of how heavily defended they were.
But the more he read, the more he realized that finding one of these creatures was going to be a challenge in itself. The Stone Tortoise was rare, its habitat deep within the Border Lands, where the concentration of mana was thick, wild. It was a dangerous area, a place where even seasoned cultivators often met their end.
Aurel's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. He had no choice. If he wanted to be ready for the exams, he needed to take risks. And if he was going to the deeper parts of the Border Lands, he needed every advantage he could get. He couldn't afford to waste time searching blindly. He needed something that would give him an edge in locating the tortoise—a way to sense mana, to feel its presence.
He tapped the screen again, bringing up the trait database, scrolling through the list until he found what he was looking for.
Trait: Mana Sensitivity
Rank: Epic
Description: Increases the user's sensitivity to ambient mana, allowing for greater awareness of mana flows and sources. Grants enhanced mana control and improves mana absorption rate, leading to accelerated growth in Mana cultivation.
Mana Sensitivity. It was an Epic tier trait, although not flashy, this trait was invaluable. It would give him the ability to sense mana more clearly, to locate sources of mana—like the Stone Tortoise. It would also enhance his ability to grow his mana reserves, which was crucial. He needed 100 mana to actualize his next genetic lock, to unlock another ability. This trait would help him reach that goal faster.
But acquiring Mana Sensitivity wasn't easy. The method he devised to awaken it was dangerous, bordering on reckless. Aurel's gaze flicked to the small drawer beside his desk, his jaw tightening. He knew what he had to do—he had to eat mana stones.
Mana stones were crystallized mana, formed in dungeons or deep within mana-dense environments. They were potent, filled with raw, unstable energy. Consuming them was risky. The body wasn't meant to digest raw mana—it could cause severe internal damage, even death. But Aurel had his Adaptability ability, as well as Regeneration. If anyone could survive it, it was him. And the potential benefits were too great to ignore. The more mana he could absorb, the better his control and growth rate would become.
He reached into the drawer, pulling out a small mana stone. It was a dull blue, its edges sharp, its surface shimmering faintly in the light. Aurel held it between his fingers, staring at it, feeling the pulse of mana within. He had managed to buy a few of these stones from an underground market a while back in order to increase his chances of Pre-Awakening, but until now, he hadn't dared to try consuming them.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself. This was just another step, another risk that he had to take. He had pushed his body through pain, through exhaustion, through battle. He had forced it to adapt, to survive, to grow stronger. This was no different.
Slowly, deliberately, Aurel brought the mana stone to his lips. He hesitated for just a moment, his heart pounding in his chest, before he bit down, his teeth cracking the stone, the shards crumbling in his mouth. The taste was sharp, metallic, like electricity on his tongue. He swallowed, feeling the mana rush down his throat, a burning heat spreading through his chest, his stomach.
The pain was immediate. It was like swallowing fire, a searing agony that tore through his insides, his body convulsing, his vision blurring. He fell to his knees, his hand clutching his stomach, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The mana was wild, untamed, tearing at him from the inside, trying to break free.
But Aurel refused to let go. He clenched his jaw, his body trembling, his Regeneration working overtime, the pain slowly beginning to subside. He could feel the mana being absorbed, his body struggling to contain it, to assimilate it, to make it his own.
He stayed there, kneeling on the floor, his body a battleground between the raw mana and his own willpower. Slowly, the fire began to fade, replaced by a warmth, a thrum of energy that spread through his veins. The pain was still there, but it was manageable, a dull ache rather than a raging inferno.
Aurel opened his eyes, his vision clearing, the room coming back into focus. He took a deep breath, pushing himself to his feet, his legs unsteady. He had done it. He could feel the difference—the way his awareness had expanded, the way the mana in the air seemed more vivid, more present. He could sense it now, the faint pulses of energy, the flow of mana that moved through the world around him.
His watch beeped, the screen lighting up with a notification.
New Trait Unlocked: Mana Sensitivity (Rank: Common)
Description: Increases sensitivity to ambient mana. Grants enhanced mana control and improves mana absorption rate, accelerating cultivation growth.
Aurel let out a slow breath, a smile tugging at his lips. He had done it. He had taken the risk, faced the pain, and awakened the trait. He could feel the difference already—the increased awareness, the sense of mana flowing through his body, the way his reserves felt fuller, more potent.
But that wasn't all. The watch beeped again, and Aurel's eyes widened at the second notification.
New Trait Unlocked: Super Digestion (Rank: Legendary)
Description: Enhances the user's digestive system, allowing for the absorption of mana from consumed materials. Grants the ability to digest substances previously indigestible, converting them into usable energy.
Aurel stared at the display, his heart pounding. Super Digestion. He hadn't expected that, but it made sense. His body had adapted to handle the raw mana of the stone, evolving to not just survive it, but to make use of it. This meant that every time he consumed something with mana, his body would absorb it, turning it into power. It also meant that he could digest substances that would normally be dangerous or impossible to consume.
The implications were massive. It meant that the mana stones weren't just dangerous crystals used to enhance weapons to him—now, they were a resource. Something he could use to grow, to increase his power faster than anyone else. With Mana Sensitivity and Super Digestion, he could locate and utilize every bit of mana-rich material he could find.
Aurel pushed himself to his feet, his legs unsteady, but his resolve stronger than ever. He had what he needed: Mana Sensitivity to help him find the Stone Tortoise and Super Digestion to make every mana stone, every resource, a stepping stone to greater power. He was going to break through the Stone Tortoise's defense, force his body to adapt offensively, and acquire the Armour Penetration trait.
The next step was clear, the path laid out before him. Aurel grabbed his jacket, slipping it over his shoulders, his eyes narrowing with determination. He had come this far. He had pushed himself beyond his limits, and he wasn't going to stop now.
He stepped out of his apartment, the city lights glowing around him, the streets alive with the hum of mana, the distant murmur of voices. He moved with purpose, his senses sharp, his body ready for whatever lay ahead.