Vex currently possessed 18 essence crystals. While this amount would be laughable for any Adept, to an unranked awakened, even a single crystal was a treasure.
Vex prided himself on being one of the wealthiest unranked awakened without support from a Rank 1 or higher. Each essence crystal was worth as much as a house, and today, he had fed a dozen to his System.
[ Energy Stored: 14 ]
Counting the 2 energy he'd started with, the total now stood at 15.
"So, one essence crystal equals one energy," Vex calculated, his face twisting in pain. He didn't want to feed it more—he really didn't—but he had no choice.
Taking one more, with a trembling hand, Vex almost shed a tear. As the crystal magically disappeared from his hand, a pleasant notification could be heard.
[ Energy Stored: 15 ]
[ Update: The Unnamed System can now analyze and improve advancement methods and awakening techniques. ]
Swallowing the pain of sacrificing nearly all his wealth, Vex asked, "Can you improve the methods in the book?"
The book in question, Ways of Cultivation, was one Vex had thoroughly read before feeding it to the System. Yes, the book vanished from his hand the moment he asked the System.
The book contained seven advancement methods, each more powerful than the last. Five were even of Legendary quality, the highest quality an advancement method could achieve in the Abandoned World.
From what Vex understood, advancement methods were categorized into four tiers: Inferior, Standard, Epic, and Legendary.
High-quality methods were prized for their versatility, increased power, and fewer side effects. Starting at the Epic tier, they allowed practitioners to nurture multiple paths simultaneously under the condition that the flaws didn't conflict and both paths were cultivated with manuals of the same rank.
Realizing the immense value of the book, Vex concluded that the City Lord of Dam City hadn't purchased the manual but likely uncovered it in an ancient legacy.
Legacies left by fallen awakened were rare but not unheard of in the Abandoned World. Stories claimed that when foreign gods enslaved the world, many of the most powerful legacies were destroyed, leaving only weaker remnants behind.
[ Analyzing... ]
[ Answer: The Unnamed System can enhance the methods. ]
Hearing the notification, Vex smiled. It truly was possible. But then, an unexpected noise echoed in his ears.
[ Suggestion: The Unnamed System can create an advancement cultivation method tailored specifically for the host. ]
Vex's mind went blank for a moment as he processed the new information. "You can create methods? Why? What's wrong with these?"
No answer.
Staring at the dark, cracked wall, Vex waited a few moments before relenting. "Alright, do it."
[ Analyzing... ]
[ Advancement method successfully created. ]
That notification was only the beginning.
[ Supreme Paragon's Order ]
[ Rank: Myth ]
[ Path: Cultivation ]
[ Description: Mortals defy the Heavens! Seize fate, steal fortune, and claim dominion. The Divine is your enemy—this is the Supreme Paragon's Order. ]
"MYTH?!" Vex blurted out, stunned. He hadn't even known that Myth quality existed. Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, he continued reading.
"The description is... strange," Vex thought, frowning at the text. After a moment, he dismissed the thought. Since his System was self-created, it could only use the information he'd provided. "It's probably just a mash-up of descriptions from the manual."
As he continued reading, a bittersweet smile spread across Vex's face. He chuckled dryly. "Looks like I'm destined to stay broke."
[ Note: Cultivation can be accelerated through external resources. ]
[ Flaw: Amplified greed. ]
Mere moments ago, Vex had felt wealthy with his eighteen essence crystals. Now, he felt utterly broke.
With a sad, almost tearful expression, he took one essence crystal and started chanting the cultivation method in his mind. Well, he thought he'd feel sad, but the excitement of getting a Myth quality method was prevailing.
Not long after, once he relaxed, the energy inside the crystal started getting sucked up... at incredible speed.
Vex had never seen such fast speed of nurturing power. There were cultivators in the academy, but not even one could match his current speed.
To ascend to the rank of Adept, one had to progress along their chosen path.
Certain paths, like cultivation, had defined stages even before reaching Adept, while others could only be nurtured after achieving Rank 1. Those who hadn't reached Adept but had embarked on a path of awakening were collectively known as unranked.
The magic path was unique, as it required only one stage before reaching Adept: mastering a Tier 0 spell. Once achieved, one became an awakened, with the next step being a significant leap to Rank 1.
Cultivation, by contrast, had nine stages before reaching Adept. For Vex, it took just one minute to reach the first stage.
Just one minute was enough for his cultivation path progress to rival his magic path.
A single minute using a Myth-quality method matched the results of a year spent with an Inferior-quality one.
But it came at the cost of a small fortune...
"This is incredible..." Vex whispered, awe-struck. Hopes for the future surged in his mind. Perhaps he wouldn't just reach Adept. Perhaps he could even ascend to Exalted.
Grabbing another crystal in haste, Vex began absorbing its energy. Within a minute, the crystal's radiant white glow faded, drained of its essence.
And yet... Vex didn't reach second stage.
"Dammit," he muttered, gritting his teeth as realization dawned. Two essence crystals were needed to reach the second stage. His hand trembled as he picked up another crystal, diving into another round of cultivation. When he finally advanced, despair sank in.
"I can feel it. I need 4 crystals for the third stage," Vex thought. Elation over his progress clashed with the bitter reality that he might never even reach Adept.
By his calculations, he'd need over 500 essence crystals just to approach Adept. How many more it would take to break through to the Adept Realm was beyond his imagination.
Not even the wealthy and influential City Lord he had borrowed from could boast owning 500 essence crystals. Normally, Vex would have approached the problem methodically, crafting careful plans to advance over time. But today, an insatiable greed stirred within him.
Vex was about to examine the book Ast had given him when a knock echoed against his stone door.
"Kid, let's go on a mission. Time to show you the ropes," Ast called out.
"Can we do it later? I am studying." Vex replied.
"Sure, I'll just go rob an enemy Church by myself then," Ast's cheeky voice could be heard.
Vex's eyes lit up as a wave of greed surged through him.