You have critically struck Spirit Boar.

Spirit Boar is crippled!

Apprentice Iado is now at 92%!

Eric flashed a fierce smile as he switched saber for fists once more, getting ever closer to that sweet, sweet breakthrough, before pushing all such thoughts out of mind, all his focus on slipping past goaring tusks and evading snapping teeth, getting ever better at anticipating his opponent’s hooves and, increasingly, forcing his target off balance with quick, darting strikes that might not be crippling his foes, but was definitely bruising muscle and bones and getting them to flinch, thanks to his absurd stats, leaving them vulnerable for pounding overhand punches and a quick end to the fight.

When it came to kicking, Eric, with his none existent repertoire, was a firm believer in the 80/20 rule.

He didn’t.

Instead, he focused on what he could do, and ignored the rest.

His mentor was the first to admit that he didn’t know squat about kicking, and Eric wouldn’t dare sacrifice the vital maneuverability that he desperately needed against his chosen 4-legged prey trying to figure it out for himself.

Because he wasn’t fighting an eight and a half foot tall, 600 pound orc. He was fighting a four legged swine the size of a bison that weighed at least a ton. And the stupidest thing a two legged creature could do when facing off against four was to reduce it, however temporarily, to one.

He didn’t even bother wasting time back at the cave, trying to figure out crescent kicks, spinning heal strikes, or any of the other exotic techniques that sounded so great in wuxia novels, but was hard as hell to pull off without an instructor. He’d leave that to when he got back on earth and actually had the time and opportunity to learn from a skilled practitioner.

But when it came to mastering the jab, cross, and hook, along with a powerful overhand punch? There Eric thought he was making definite progress, and it seemed that his interface agreed.

Spirit Boar has been struck in left eye socket.

Spirit Boar has been stunned!

You have been critically struck by Spirit Boar.

You have successfully mitigated the blow!

Before Eric could even smile in triumph, or disgust as his fist burst his opponent’s eye in a big gloppy mess, the massive beast managed to gore a too close Eric, sending him cartwheeling through the grass. If there was one saving grace, it was that he wasn’t at risk of slamming into a spirit fruit tree. His experience with getting repeatedly gored had both inspired him to saturate his armaments with more essence infused durability than ever, and conditioned him to pivot and shift at just the right moment to mitigate a blow that would have otherwise sent him flying into the trees, just a handful of days ago.

But the agony flooding his ribs as he pled with his diaphragm to relax and let him breathe was as bad as it had ever been, despite his mitigation and regeneration, reminding him exactly why his combat skills was rising so rapidly, and that he’d be an absolute fool to ever take his chosen prey for granted. And a deviant gurgling squeal from his prey made it clear that the massive beast stumbling forward was eager to finish him off.

Before collapsing with a wheeze, its own shattered skull and partial blinding too much on top of the massive blood loss it had suffered from its earlier disembowelment, Eric spending long terrifying seconds just getting his breath back as he cried out with the sharp agony of his body fusing bones and ligaments back into place as he stumbled through the grass, gazing down at the stunned boar wheezing its last before putting it out of its mercy with a final killing strike.

Spirit boar has been slain. Experience earned!

Find Weakness is now Rank 14!

Unarmed Combat is now Rank 9!

Eric flashed a tired smile as he made his way back to camp, his experience bar full once more, intent to use every bit of that restoring himself once he burned through more blockages, more determined than ever to ascend another cultivation rank.

But he was savvy enough to recognize his own exhaustion, a fatigue that transcended whatever his character sheet said, allowing himself a good twelve hours of exhausted slumber as his mind and body processed days of furious fighting, allowing him to wake up rested and refreshed and ready for the next step in his cultivation journey.

“You ready for another breakthrough, good buddy?” he flashed a yawning Sam a bemused smile as the nodding boy quickly got into place, their party formed once more. And the only thing that was a sweeter rush when Eric visualized his once more fully restored channels blazing with fire searing cleanly through multiple blockages was Sam’s gasp of awe.

“Eric, I sense it! The flow of fire through your channels… I can see your Qi cycling. I finally see what I’m doing wrong!”

Eric said nothing, as happy as he was for his friend. All his focus was on blazing away as much of the mortal waste from his gateways as he could, sensing the point where he risked true strain with exquisite precision, immediately switching to gentle restorative cultivation once more.

Before saturating those gentle currents with so much spiritual energy that strained channels healed almost as fast as his experience pool crashed back down to zero, Eric this time pulling out of his trance with a solid month torn from his life.

A trade he accepted with a bitter smile, refusing to regret his folly, instead choosing to revel in the newfound strength of yet another cultivation rank achieved, eager for a fresh hunt, and whatever benefits were to be had with pushing both Iado and Unarmed Combat to Journeyman Ranks.

And when he finally achieved the feat after a full four day’s spirit boar hunting, not to mention several far more cautious early morning cultivation sessions, he was the farthest thing from disappointed.

Spirit Boar stunned with right hook!

Congratulations! Unarmed Combat has now achieved Journeyman Status! You enjoy +1 to Strength, Vitality, and Finesse! Your sense of timing has improved! Your fists are now more resilient to damage, and capable of hitting harder than ever before!

The three point gain pleased him to no end, even if he had nearly had his arm torn off when he was cocky enough to think he could finish off the beast with his fists alone.

Turned out he couldn’t.

But the final fight of that evening did end with a single perfect cut, delivered in the blink of an eye.

You have successfully decapitated Spirit Boar with a single saber strike!

Congratulations! Iado has reached Journeyman Status!

Having gained access to a hidden art, you have done your utmost to master it, and it shows! +3 to Finesse and +6 to Quickness allows you to master the art of striking your foes from all angles with absolute precision and control in flurries so devastating that there can be no counter!

Note! This is a LESSER version of the Sword Saint’s Death-Draw skill! This lesser variation requires no meridian Nodes to anchor!

Congratulations! The Elite Sword Saint prestige class is now open to you!

Eric couldn’t help flashing a pleased smile as he dragged his exhausted body back to camp that evening, taking a final look at his character sheet before crashing for another 12 hours exhausted slumber as his body incorporated the gains of two titles. And how sweet it was that Journeyman Elite Skill growth was a whopping nine points, just as much as Adept status with other skills earned him.

Eric flashed a pleased smile, happy to accept System boons as well as forge his own path, taking advantage of every opportunity before him, all too painfully aware that if he was going to survive the perils awaiting him back on Earth in the very near future, he’d need every edge he could get.

But it was only when he was lying down, after regaling his friend with only slightly exaggerated battles of the day while gratefully devouring the massive meat spread Sam had made them, that Eric finally focused on the final element of his skill evolutions, choosing the feats that would truly make them his own.

Congratulations! You have achieved Journeyman status in Unarmed Combat!

You may now choose 1 weapon related perk as the way of the fist becomes your own!

Warrior’s Grace (Standard) – This Perk taps into the living memory of countless warriors who have written legends in the stars with their passing long before you were ever born. Expect an improvement in all aspects of unarmed combat, from feints to counters to mastering the secrets of timing and leverage to better counter your opponents, tear free their weapons, and allow the delivery of devastating blows as you commune with countless masters who have come before you!

Warrior’s Grace (Advanced) – This perk taps into the living memory of countless warriors who have written legends in the stars with their passing long before you were ever born. Expect an even greater improvement over the standard version of this perk in all aspects of unarmed combat, thanks to inborn Node and System affinities, along with multiple trainers and sparring partners who have feted you with insights and training far beyond what the average Conscript could hope to expect! All of which will allow you to commune ever deeper with countless masters who have come before you!

Empty Fist (Adept) - You have dared to walk a martial path that relies on nothing but your own physical prowess in a cultivator’s realm. This perk emphasizes the enhanced communion between mind, spirit, and body. This choice will forgo infusion with the echoes and memories of those who have come before you, and will instead enhance your own foundation. Concrete Benefits: Undefined.

Iron Fist (Epic!) – Congratulations! Forging yourself in the crucible of conflict within a Qi-saturated pocket realm has allowed you to infuse your understanding with the memories of countless System-enhanced Hybrid Cultivators who have come before you! Iron Fist will directly infuse your fists and forearms with the spiritual essence of Metal with minimal Spiritual Energy drain! Allowing you to counter your opponent’s blows and strike as if your limbs were made of steel!

Additional bonus! Choosing this perk will give you added affinity with, and insight into, the cultivation of Metal Qi! Choosing this Perk will additionally give you access to ALL KNOWN HYBRID CULTIVATION PATHS when you are finally ready to evolve your class!

Eric’s eyes widened, heart skipping a beat when he truly took in the choices before him. The first two were easy to rule out, for all that he’d gladly take either in a heartbeat, if that was all that was before him.

But the final Epic tier choice absolutely blew the others away.

Iron Fist was nothing short of awe inspiring, truly something out of a Cultivation Isekai, being instantly granted the power to infuse his limbs with Metal Qi. And unlike his other weapon perks, it would be far easier to channel and maintain the ability for extended periods of time. Perhaps for entire battles, especially as he continued to improve his skills.

And best of all, it would tap directly into his Spiritual Energy! A power that would finally let him to make use of all three of his Potency Pools!

It was all he could do not to choose that option with an excited whoop and holler, just knowing that Sam would be absolutely stunned by how devastating Eric’s punches would become, 62 Strength backed by a fist and forearm literally as hard as steel. Hell, all he had to do was cross his arms over his face and with his stats he was pretty sure even sniper rounds would be bouncing off!

Then his mental hand abruptly stopped, hovering right over the blinking red button as obvious truths finally trickled into his foolish brain.

Why was his Interface so eager to offer him such an epic tier perk? A perk that would, in fact, open not just a few, but all known Hybrid System-cultivation classes to him.

It hit him like a cold shower, Eric shivering as he slowly pulled his hand away.

Of course it was obvious. The System was offering what was effectively a class tier node, and a juicy one at that, for Eric to choose a hybrid path. And Eric couldn’t help but wonder what adverse effects it might have for his own Cultivation Base, his affinity being pure Fire, working on cleansing his meridians in a pocket realm highly attuned to the Essence of Flame, if he were to imprint a Metal Cultivation technique that would instantly be fused to his body, soul, and cultivation base.

He winced, his heart pounding with how close he had just come to playing the absolute idiot.

And he couldn’t even hate the System or his Interface. By all objective standards, it had offered a powerful ability with the promise of extremely potent hybrid classes that could be available to him at a moment’s notice. It was what every human adventurer dreamed of. Maybe it was even a path that elite scions of various Houses would find worthy of walking, should countless powerful hybrid paths truly be theirs to choose from.

But the fact remained that he would then fully be a creature of the System who just happened to be able to enhance his class with a bit of a cultivator’s strength.

He would no longer be one who dared both paths at once. And that was a path he was now determined to take.

Whatever the risks.

Whatever the cost.

Which made the perk he should take blindingly obvious, even to him.

Empty Fist (Adept) - You have chosen forgo any connection with the echoes and memories of countless brawlers who have come before you. You have turned your focus inward, to the insights your tribulations have brought to the interconnections between mind, spirit, and body.

Of course, he had no idea if that perk would prove to be a boon or completely pointless, but so long as it helped his cultivation growth or foundation in any way at all, he would consider it a winning choice. Not the least because it wasn’t Iron Fist, a trap he really should have seen coming.

He opened his eyes and took a deep relieved breath, feeling like he had just escaped certain doom like he had so many times, challenging spirit boar all by his lonesome.

“You okay good buddy?”

Eric smiled a concerned-looking Sam’s way, presently practicing his necromantic sigils in safe, essence free chalk, which Eric thought a smart idea and something he should probably be doing as well.

If he wasn’t already juggling so many other balls at the moment.

“I am indeed, Sam. Just had a close call is all.”

His friend, looking more fit and happier than ever, despite now being dressed in crudely treated beast hide, just snorted from his stone seat before going back to his drawing. “Closer than almost getting gored by an oversized pig… again?”

Eric had the grace to chuckle. “Yeah, I am sort of playing the fool, aren’t I? All it takes is one grade A fuckup, and I’m as good as dead, no matter how much essence I’ve now infused into my armor.”

“An absolutely freekin’ absurd amount,” Sam agreed with a snort. “It almost hurts my eyes, sometimes, looking at scales that seem to twist and warp with the essence of Blood and Dominion.” He then shrugged. “Totally epic badassery, mind you, but yeah. Try not to get killed? I am sort of depending on you to get me out of here alive.”

“Noted,” Eric said with an apologetic smile. “Then I’ll get back to choosing my final skill evolution so I’m that much less likely to die on you.”

Sam turned around, eyes bulging with disbelief. “Are you serious, Eric? Multiple skill evolutions in a single day? Are you fucking kidding me? Most people consider Rank 8, twice what most mortals get with regular practice, a badass level skill. Journeyman Tier is a dream no one who’s not a training fiend expects to get this early in the game. And here you are, doubling up on those fuckers?”

Eric winked. “Took a handful of days, actually. It just so happens that they both peaked today.”

A smiling Eric closed his eyes at his friend’s snort before focusing on his Interface one more, spotting what he thought of as a very System standard selection of perks, including Warrior’s Grace and True Strike, which seemed to assure that he’d hit what he aimed at, even before he had caught more than a glimpse of whatever trouble inspired his fast-draw. Eric couldn’t help but snort at that, as even when his Finesse was within human norms, his slashes were pretty much dead on. And for all that the Perk would help assure his cut would naturally shift angle to meet a dodging foe’s attempt to counter, the whole point of the fast-draw was striking so fast that your opponent was effectively still, often caught flat-footed, while you delivered cleaving death.

Of course, most Iado strikes were draw cuts, less about powerful chops and more about sawing slashes, absolutely devastating against flesh, cloth, and rawhide, much less so against steel.

Then again, very few swords smaller than claymores were effective against fully armored knights in plate.

Which made the final perk offered all the more profound, as unspeakably deadly as the perk before it had been worthless.

An increasingly excited Eric read over its description twice more, just to make sure there were no Interface pitfalls he’d best be aware of, but as far as he could tell, it came with no strings, and was just as deadly as it looked.

Requirements met! You have dared to evolve your Iado skill outside the dojo, pressure-testing yourself in the crucible of combat, pitting yourself against enemies possessing far higher leveled than you! You have already gained familiarity with this weapon feat with the very blade you have used to master the fast-draw.

Congratulations! You have chosen Doom Slice (Adept Tier) Perk as the root of your skill evolution path! Now with a successful iado skill check (and potentially significant drain to focus and mental reserves) every strike you successfully execute within 1 second of drawing your blade will count as a Doom Slice!

You have learned the Epic Tier perk: DOOM FLURRY!

Eric would have hooted with excitement, eager to practice drawing and striking in a single beat, and unleashing an absolute flurry of cuts that Adept tier Saber and his ever-growing Quickness would allow, wondering just how many he could successfully unleash in a single second. And perhaps more importantly, just how drained he would feel afterwards. But right then he was hit a wave of exhaustion so profound that he could barely move.

He was more certain than ever that his constant evolution was taking a tole that went beyond any character sheet, and he’d be a fool not to give his body all the rest it cried out for, no matter how little sleep his Interface said he actually needed.

With a final glance for his blossoming physical stats, he collapsed into an exhausted slumber, determined to keep pushing himself just as hard as he had up to now, refusing any break greater than the relaxed pace with which he taught his friend. Because when all was said and done, despite his goal of mixing skill advancement with hyper-intense cultivation sessions, he still had six Ranks of Basic cultivation before him that he could only hope would leave his meridian gateways purified enough to at least claim a single peach, and ever increasing effort, experience, and risk was needed to achieve each milestone.

As much as he knew he needed to pace himself, he couldn’t escape the growing certainty that he was running out of time.

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Eric Silver Level 9 Conscript (You are 100% of the way to level 10!)

Rank 6 Basic Fire Cultivator

Physical Characteristics

Strength – 63 (91%)

Vitality – 43

Finesse – 71

Quickness – 56

Appearance – 17

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