The notification echoed not in his ears, but in the silent, expansive space the Prajna state had carved within his mind. "Ding! Congratulations for being the first player to enter a Prajna State."
It was followed by another, more profound message that seemed to resonate with his very being: "The world's energy has purified the player's body."
When Tony's awareness finally returned to the confines of the cave, it was not a simple awakening. It was a rebirth. He looked at the now-inert Mysterious Box in his hand with a sense of awe that bordered on reverence. His heart thrummed with a new, steady rhythm, his mind—once a chaotic storm of ambition and combat calculations—was now a placid, deep lake, reflecting perfect clarity. The myriad questions and subtle blockages that had plagued his martial arts training for years, the elusive "something missing" from his Formless Style, had not just been answered; they had been dissolved. He understood now, not intellectually, but on a fundamental level.
He even felt his brain's processing capacity had expanded, the neural pathways between thought and action streamlined into a superhighway. Executing any technique would now be as natural as breathing.
"An item that induces true enlightenment... in a game..." he whispered, the concept defying all his previous understanding of virtual reality. In Buddhism, Prajna was the pinnacle of wisdom, a transcendent understanding of reality's true nature, something masters sought for a lifetime. He had been granted it in minutes.
"So this is what Master meant," Tony murmured, a wry smile touching his lips as he recalled his teacher's critiques. "My Formless Style wasn't just unrefined; its very foundation was built on a misunderstanding of flow. I was trying to be water, but I was only creating ripples." His master had praised the style's potential, seeing the raw genius behind the crudeness, but now Tony saw the countless dead ends and structural flaws he had been blindly walking toward. The path to refinement was now laid bare before him.
Sitting cross-legged on the cold stone, Tony entered a deep meditative state. For two hours, he did not move, internally reconstructing his martial foundation, integrating the boundless insights from the Prajna state. When he finally opened his eyes, the change was palpable.
Before, he had been a drawn sword—all sharp edges and blazing, intimidating aura. Now, he was the scabbard. His presence was withdrawn, calm, and deeply rooted, like an ancient, unshakable mountain. But within that stillness lay a terrifying potential, a sharpness so concentrated it could cut the world in half without a sound. The chaotic energy had been refined into focused intent. After years of striving, he had finally, truly, stepped into the realm of a Grandmaster.
He rose and began to move, testing his new understanding. His body swayed, his center of gravity shifting in erratic, unpredictable patterns. To an observer, it would be a disorienting, dizzying spectacle, a prelude to a strike from an impossible angle.
Ding! Congratulations! You have created a new skill!
He named it without hesitation, the perfect moniker springing to mind.
[Ghost Step] (Rank: SS) [Creator-Locked: Mad Demon]
An advanced footwork technique born from the Formless Style. Increase movement speed by 200% while moving in an unpredictable, disorienting pattern, confusing enemies and making attacks difficult to track.
Duration: 20 seconds.
Cooldown: 45 seconds.
The skill was a masterpiece of evasion and misdirection, a perfect expression of his evolving style. It was immediately followed by another, even more significant notification.
Ding! Congratulations for being the first player to create a skill that perfectly corresponds with your personal Unique Fighting Style! Rewards: Advanced Title [Martial Genius], +100 Fame, 100 Gold.
[Martial Genius] (Advanced Title)
Increases the chance of creating new skills by 25%.
Grants the ability to teach created skills to others.
"A business opportunity and a force multiplier," Tony mused, his strategist's mind instantly recognizing the title's value. He could now sell common skills or, more importantly, equip the future members of Hidden Edge with custom-tailored techniques, creating a unique and terrifying combat doctrine.
As he left the cave, the world itself felt different. It wasn't the environment that had changed; it was his connection to it. The lingering disconnect between his mind and his virtual avatar had vanished. Before, he had been a master piloting a sophisticated machine, always aware of the interface. Now, the machine was his body. The flow of strength, the flex of muscle, the transfer of weight—it was all one hundred percent natural. He felt a surging power within him, a confidence that he could now dismantle the Boar King in a handful of seconds, not through raw stats, but through flawless execution.
"The energy purification... it didn't just cleanse, it synchronized," he realized, his excitement growing. "This game is a key to something far greater. Master must know."
His descent from the mountain became a practical lesson. His eyes, now attuned to finer details, picked out herbs and plants he would have previously overlooked. The knowledge from the [Book of Nature] unfolded in his mind, identifying each specimen and its alchemical uses. He spent thirty minutes gathering, his [Herbalism] proficiency climbing to 38, though the journey to 1000 for the basic rank felt daunting. It was a peaceful, productive interlude.
The peace was broken when he entered the territory of a new guardian.
[Mountain Bear] (Special Elite)
Level: 9
HP: 2500
Skills: Mountain Smash, Bear Roar, Grizzly Slash
It was a hulking monument of fur and fury, the undisputed boss of this slope. It saw Tony not as a threat, but as an impertinent snack. With a ground-shaking roar, it covered ten yards in a blinding burst of speed, a massive paw swiping to crush him.
A day ago, Tony would have parried or used a skill. Now, he simply sidestepped. The movement was effortless, a minimal shift of weight that placed him just outside the attack's reach. The bear, enraged, unleashed a frenzied combination of swipes and slams, each powerful enough to shatter rock. Tony weaved through the onslaught like a ghost, his [Ghost Step] not even necessary. He was reading the beast's intentions in the twitch of its muscles, the shift of its shoulders.
"This control... it's like I've been unshackled," he thought, elation bubbling within him. He was not just dodging; he was dancing in the spaces between the attacks, his Grandmaster's perception making the bear's movements seem slow and telegraphed.
Then, in the heart of the storm, a flash of inspiration struck—a direct gift from the Prajna state. It was a concept for a sword strike that embodied the pinnacle of the Formless Style: an attack that existed only in the moment of impact.
He brandished the Humming Blade, his swings initially seeming bizarre and inefficient. But they quickly accelerated, the blade becoming a blur, then... nothing. It didn't vanish in a flash of light or a puff of smoke. It simply ceased to be perceived, its movement transcending visual tracking to become a concept—the concept of a strike.
BOOM!
A sound like a thunderclap echoed through the forest. A deep, clean scar appeared across the Mountain Bear's torso, as if the space itself had parted around it. A colossal -3000 flashed into the air, and the massive beast, its roar cut short, collapsed lifeless to the ground.
Tony stood frozen, staring at his own sword, then at the fallen elite. He had been testing a theory, a fragment of an idea. He hadn't expected... that.
Ding! Congratulations for being the first player to create an SSS-Rank Skill! Please name it.
His hands trembled slightly as he read the description of the monstrosity he had just birthed.
[Traceless Sword] (Rank: SSS) [Creator-Locked: Mad Demon]
An attack that embodies the principle of 'Unseen, Unknowable.' Delivers a single, unblockable strike that carries 200% of the user's strength.
Cooldown: 90 seconds.
"An unblockable strike..." he breathed. This was no mere skill; it was a duel-ender, a boss-killer, a trump card that could shatter any defense. It was the ultimate expression of his philosophy: why break a shield when you can simply ignore its existence?
"Do you wish for your name to be announced throughout the land?"
The system's query pulled him from his stupor. A world announcement for the first SSS-rank skill? Of course. This was a milestone that would redefine player power. But fame was a weapon he wasn't ready to wield yet.
"No. Hide my identity," he commanded.
A moment later, a golden, system-wide message blazed across the vision of every single player in Ancient Myth, from the lowliest level 1 in a starter village to the leaders of the mightiest guilds.
<< World Notification >> Congratulations to Player XXXX for being the first to create an SSS-Rank Skill! Rewards: 1 Gold Equipment, 1000 Gold, and 1 Special Gift. May their legend inspire others!
Across the globe, in thousands of villages and bustling beginner zones, a collective, stunned silence fell, followed by an explosion of chaotic noise. The hunt for the mysterious "XXXX" had just begun, and Tony, now the most wanted anonymous player in the world, felt the weight of countless eyes turning in his direction. He was no longer just a player; he was a phantom, a benchmark, and a target. The game had just gotten infinitely more dangerous