The familiar quiet of the Whisperwood welcomed Rhys like an old friend. The month spent in the bustling, noisy streets of Greenleaf had been productive, even essential, but this was where he felt truly at ease.
The city was a place of rules, hierarchies, and watchful eyes. The forest, however, had only one rule: survive.
And for the first time, Rhys felt more than equipped to do just that.
He spent the first week reacquainting himself with the rhythms of the wilderness, moving through the Outer Ring of the forest like a silent predator.
His new skills were immediately put to the test. With his perfected Navigation, he could map the entire area in his mind, never losing his way.
Navigation was a skill under the Utility and Survival tree, but to turn it into a true profession, he needed a profession core.
Profession cores were only available from monsters possessing that profession, and obtaining one from a slain creature was rare.
So rare, in fact, that even low-level profession cores were considered heirlooms by major families.
[That’s because they aren’t strong enough. The higher the bloodline of a monster, the higher the chances of it having a profession core will be.]
The System chimed in his mind. Strangely, Rhys felt it was mimicking his own voice.
"How did you know?"
[I have analysed.]
"Huh? You can analyse for free now?"
[".."]
"Don’t tell me..."
[System is undergoing an update. Can’t speak until completion...]
"Haha," Rhys laughed, bending his body to pluck a dried root from the ground.
[Ginger of Dew]
[Use: Cleans the smell of blood from monster meat]
[Cost: Ten copper]
While working in the Alchemy Guild, his knowledge of Herbology, a skill in the Alchemical and Mystical Arts tree, had been perfected to mastery for the mortal world.
It allowed him to spot every valuable herb from hundreds of meters away. His cave was already filled with valuable materials.
Because he had created various formations hiding not only the cave but also the waterfall, he didn’t have to worry about someone finding it.
Unless an Apprentice Formation Master stumbled upon it, his cache was safe. And in the Azure Province, aside from the Royal Formationist, no one had reached an apprenticeship in formations.
’I have to get profession cores ASAP.’
For that, he needed the strength to hunt Feral monsters. Rhys gazed toward the inner core of the forest, a place even mighty Core Formation cultivators dared not step into.
He sighed, shaking his head. That was still an unattainable height for him. His primary focus had to be on hunting and increasing his strength.
His targets were the Stage 1 spiritual beasts that roamed the woods. A week ago, fighting a Shadowcat had been a novel experience.
Now, it was routine.
His Viper’s Kiss dagger technique, combined with his perfected stealth, was a terrifyingly efficient combination.
He stalked his prey like a ghost in the trees and struck with lethal precision. The fights were often over before the beast even knew it was under attack.
After each kill, he performed his new ritual.
With the flawless skill of a master, he butchered the carcass, his high-grade dagger moving with an artist’s grace.
He separated the valuable pelt, the tendons, and the usable meat, and stored them neatly in his spacious spatial pouch.
But the most important part came last: the beast core.
Days passed like this.
"Ugh, are you guys partying somewhere without me?" Rhys cursed as his dagger perfectly pierced the brain of a Shadowcat, killing it instantly.
In the last week, he had killed nearly a hundred of them. Their materials weren’t relevant to him anymore.
A few low-grade spirit stones mattered little now, since he had hundreds of thousands of them stored in his pouch.
His time in town wasn’t just for learning; he had also obtained a fair share of wealth over the month by stealing.
But the beast cores of the slain monsters were important to him. He could absorb them to increase his cultivation.
Rhys returned to his cave and sat cross-legged on the ground, taking out a mountain of beast cores he had hunted in the last week.
Hundreds of glowing crystals instantly brightened the dimly lit cave.
He closed his eyes, drawing on his void affinity. A gentle, irresistible suction came from his body, pulling the pure Qi from these cores.
The energy moved through his veins and filled his dantian. The feeling of his dantian becoming full was exhilarating.
Because he hadn’t formed a Core yet, all this energy was absorbed into his constitution.
If he wanted to reach the next tier, Energy Gathering, he had to fill his constitution with essence and open at least one meridian to gather spiritual energy from his surroundings.
That was when he would finally start to form elemental affinity rings inside his dantian, so he could use elements as he liked without the help of skill scrolls.
One by one, the beast cores turned to dust as all the energy inside them was absorbed by him.
There was no need for slow refinement, as Rhys didn’t have to fear impurities; his body automatically filtered out all filth.
Even if his absorption rate was slower than everyone else’s, the foundation and purity of his cultivation were miles ahead in quality.
And after four hours of concentrated absorption, the system message he had waited for sounded in his mind.
[Host has accumulated sufficient Qi. Cultivation has advanced.]
[Current Stage: Body Tempering (Peak of Mid-Grade)]
Rhys slowly opened his eyes and exhaled. Then he retched.
"System, is there a way for this filth to automatically disappear before I can smell it?" he asked, looking down at the viscous dark liquid all over his body.
[Yes. If you don’t absorb a raw beast core.]
"Opinion found unsatisfactory. Rejecting."
[".."]
Rhys curled his lips, clenching his fists. The surge of power almost made him want to rush into the inner core of the forest.
[I would suggest against it, Host. There are monsters in there that can kick you into oblivion just by breathing.]
"Do you think I don’t know that? Don’t act like you’re smarter than me just because someone planted knowledge in your brain. Also, don’t forget you only know things because you’re using my lifespan for free..."
[".."]
"You really are a coward. Not speaking when you can’t object."
[((:]