Chapter 1: stagnation and discovery
In a secluded valley, a gentle brook babbled and churned, its crystal-clear waters reflecting the vibrant hues of the surrounding landscape. Amidst this serene backdrop, a young man clad in black attire crouched beside the brook, his eyes fixed intently on a midnight crawler. The creature's metallic sheen glistened in the sunlight, its body a fascinating amalgam of crab and Hercules beetle features.
With a dagger grasped firmly in one hand, the young man swiftly severed the midnight crawler's struggling claws, revealing tender, white meat beneath. Without hesitation, he sucked the meat from the claws, devouring it with a relish reminiscent of savoring a succulent crab. The tougher, larger pieces of meat followed, swallowed with a practiced ease.
[System Notification: Midnight Crawler Killed. No Monster Core Gained. Eat the flesh of the midnight crawler to gain zero to ten evolution credits randomly]
[System Notification: Midnight Crawler Flesh Eaten. Zero Evolution Credits Gained]
A strange, ethereal voice echoed within Shen Wei's mind, accompanied by a flurry of data that materialized before his mental gaze.
[Shen Wei: Unmodified Status: None
Life Span: 200 years
Required for Evolution: 100 evolution credits
Evolution Credits Gained: 79
Monster Cores Gained: None]
Shen Wei's frustration was palpable as he contemplated his situation. "I've received zero evolution credits from over thirty midnight crawlers in a row," he thought to himself. "I must have eaten too much midnight crawler flesh to evolve from it further. When will I ever finish the first modification and gain status?"
The world had changed dramatically over a century ago, when human innovation had reached unprecedented heights, culminating in the mastery of space teleportation technology. However, when the first brave pioneers attempted to utilize this technology, they discovered that it defied all logical explanations. Instead of being transported through time or space, they found themselves in a realm beyond their wildest imagination.
This uncharted world was inhabited by an astonishing array of creatures that defied human comprehension. The rules of science and technology, once the cornerstone of human civilization, no longer applied. Machines, guns, and even nuclear weapons lay dormant, reduced to mere scrap metal.
The hierarchy of the food chain had been turned upside down, with humans plummeting to the very bottom. In this mystical realm known as the Heavenly Domain, humanity discovered an astonishing phenomenon. When individuals slaughtered specific, relatively weak creatures and consumed their flesh, they experienced profound, unexplainable bodily modifications.
These transformations not only altered their physical appearance but also granted them an extraordinary gift: an increased lifespan. The news of this phenomenon spread like wildfire, captivating the imagination of people worldwide.
Over the next century, an influx of brave adventurers entered the Heavenly Domain, eager to unlock its secrets and harness its power. As they delved deeper into this mysterious world, they became increasingly adept at navigating its rules and harnessing the benefits of physical modification.
The Heavenly Domain was a realm where the degree of physical modification directly correlated with one's lifespan. Theoretically, if an individual could continue modifying their body, they could achieve immortality. However, this world defied the conventions of science and technology, rendering them obsolete.
In this unforgiving world, the only tools that could aid humanity were the most primitive fighting skills. Ancient martial arts, once relegated to the dusty annals of history, experienced a resurgence in popularity. These forgotten disciplines, refined over centuries, proved surprisingly effective in the Heavenly Domain.
As a result, new martial arts schools emerged, and their practitioners became formidable forces in this realm. In addition to martial arts, the Heavenly Domain offered another enigmatic tool to enhance humanity: the monster core.
When an individual slaughtered a creature in this realm, they had a chance to obtain the monster core, a mysterious entity that embodied the creature's essence. Monster cores manifested in various forms and appearances, some of which could be summoned to fight alongside their wielders, while others transformed into formidable armor or weapons.
A select few monster cores even granted humans the ability to transform into terrifying creatures, magical birds soaring between heaven and earth, or insects burrowing through the underworld. However, neither martial arts nor monster cores were within Shen Wei's grasp.
Having completed only compulsory education, Shen Wei entered the Heavenly Domain at the age of 16, armed with nothing more than basic knowledge of new martial arts and a fierce determination to survive.
Without access to advanced martial arts, monster cores, or sophisticated amalgam weapons, Shen Wei was forced to rely on his wits and cunning to kill low-level creatures, consuming their flesh to gain evolution credits. His progress was slow and arduous, with the effects of modification dwindling with each passing day.
After three months in the Heavenly Domain, Shen Wei still struggled to complete his first physical modification, leaving him feeling frustrated and inadequate. He had attempted to hunt more formidable creatures, but even the weakest primitive beast, the bronze-toothed beast, had nearly claimed his life.
The encounter had left him bedridden for almost a month, forcing him to withdraw from the Heavenly Domain. By the time he returned, Shen Wei had exhausted the surrounding area's basic creatures, rendering their flesh ineffective for further modification.
The memories of his previous struggles still lingered, and Shen Wei knew he had to be cautious. To break this stagnation, he knew he had to take a risk and hunt more advanced creatures.
As Shen Wei prepared to face the bronze-toothed beast once more, his gaze fell upon a ripple in the creek. Something was emerging from the water. Initially, he thought it was a midnight crawler, but his eyes widened as he noticed something peculiar – the creature's shell glistened with a bright, golden hue. Shen Wei's curiosity was piqued as he beheld the midnight crawler, its body as large as a basketball, with an ethereal golden sheen that seemed almost otherworldly. Its eyes sparkled like polished gems, and its entire being seemed more like a delicate, golden sculpture than a living creature.
The golden midnight crawler's shell seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, casting a warm, golden glow across the surrounding rocks. Shen Wei's eyes were drawn to the intricate patterns etched into the shell, which seemed to dance in the light. He had never seen a midnight crawler like this before, and his mind was filled with questions. What made this creature so unique? Was it a mutation, or something more?
"Why does this midnight crawler look so unusual?" Shen Wei wondered, his eyes fixed intently on the golden creature. Having killed countless midnight crawlers, he was intimately familiar with their characteristics. Their vision was poor, but their hearing was incredibly sensitive. As long as he remained still, even in close proximity, a midnight crawler would not detect his presence.
Shen Wei's gaze never wavered from the golden midnight crawler as it climbed toward him. Without hesitation, he seized the opportunity, pinning the creature's golden shell with one hand while swiftly cutting into its fragile joints with his dagger. Six precise, clean cuts later, the midnight crawler's claws lay severed. As the creature struggled and flipped over, Shen Wei pierced his dagger into a white mark on its belly and twisted it sharply. The golden midnight crawler's movements ceased abruptly.
[Divine creature midnight crawler killed. Monster core of divine midnight crawler gained. Eat the flesh of divine midnight crawler to gain 0 to 10 evolution credits randomly]