『Gene Evolution complete.』
『Congrats Master! Master's gene potential has been optimised to the maximum mortal degree.』
The System's voice was crisp, pleasant… but Li Wei barely heard it.
Something far deeper gripped him.
It felt like a door inside his mind had opened. Behind it lay a domain untouched by time or matter—his Spiritual Space.
Silent. Boundless.
Only Spirit Masters possessed such a place. Warriors could train their bodies into weapons, but they would never touch this hidden ocean of consciousness.
His Spiritual Body—his soul—floated in the void. No up or down. No air. No sound. Yet he felt everything. Every faint ripple of thought, every subtle current in this mental realm resonated through him.
A glow appeared in the distance. It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, swelling into a golden star. Heatless, yet overwhelming.
The light condensed, folding in on itself until it became a miniature star the size of his fist. It hovered at the center of his Spiritual Space, turning slowly. Warmth radiated from it.
His. His core. His anchor. His weapon.
He didn't know how long he had drifted there. When he returned to his body, the first thing he felt was weight—strength. Muscles humming with power. Breath deeper. Heartbeat steady and forceful. His physique had grown stronger.
And more than that—he understood what this meant.
In the Origin Universe, there were two cultivation paths.
Warrior—tempering the body. Through gene optimization and brutal training, they pushed strength, speed, and endurance far beyond normal limits.
From Beginner Warrior to War God, each step was a leap in physical might. Warriors fought on the front lines, clashing with monsters where a single strike decided life or death.
Spirit Master—tempering the mind. They cultivated Spiritual Force, able to control weapons with pure thought.
Their attacks came unseen and from afar—knives, spears, or storms of blades cutting through enemies before they could react. Rare. Lethal.
One could walk both paths, but few had the talent. Those who did stood at the very peak.
Li Wei had just stepped onto that second path.
The mini-star in his Spiritual Space pulsed faintly. From it, invisible threads of force extended, ready to bind to any object he willed.
A cup, a pebble… a finely forged throwing knife. With them, he could kill before the enemy knew he had acted.
It was instinctive knowledge, carved into the rules of this world.
But power like this was fragile. Neglect it, and the star would dim. His Spiritual Space was vast but empty. It needed to be filled, tempered, hardened through constant training and real battle.
He smiled faintly.
The old Li Wei—the one doomed to be an early stepping stone—had neither vision nor skill for this path. But Aris wasn't bound by the script.
He had read the story, seen the outcome. He knew who would rise and who would fall—though not every detail.
That didn't matter.
Now, he carried the strength of a Warrior and the mind of a Spirit Master. That was enough. Albeit just barely, afterall, his Isekai wasn't for any 'great' purpose but for entertainment of a certain drama craver.
He opened his eyes. The air felt sharper, every sound distinct. The hum of the air filter. The steady beat of his heart. Dust drifting in the light. The world seemed slower… or maybe he was simply faster.
『Life Gene Level: 100』
『Physique Cultivation (Warrior): Apprentice Realm – 6th Stage』
『Mental Cultivation (Spirit Master): Apprentice Realm – 6th Stage』
The update flashed in his vision. His gene potential was maxed for a mortal. The seed of his Spiritual Path had been planted.
Dual cultivator.
As he considered the words, a warm, gentle voice called from the dining room.
"Sweetie, dinner's ready."
"Coming," Li Wei called, dragging himself from the training chamber.
The dining room glowed like something out of a tech-giant brochure—white marble table, glossy black fixtures, soft purple light strips tracing along the walls. Futuristic, elegant… and completely wasted on what was sitting on the plates.
Takeout. Still in the branded containers.
Venina's lips curled in a sheepish smile. She reached up, brushing her hair back as if that would soften the confession.
"Sorry, sweetie. Your momma doesn't cook. It's always your dad who handles the kitchen."
Her voice dipped, guilty in a way that would've made any other man cave instantly.
Li Wei shook his head, offering her a small smile.
"No worries, mom. Let's eat."
The change was instant. Her entire face lit up like he'd just declared she was the best chef in the Origin Universe. She practically sparkled, nudging the takeout toward him as if she'd cooked it herself.
They dug in. Nutritious beast meat, stewed herbs, flavors rich enough that even the packaging couldn't diminish them. Li Wei picked up his spoon—
*CRACK*
The utensil snapped in his grip like it had been forged from sugar glass.
Li Wei froze. He hadn't even used strength. At least, not what he thought counted as strength. His mind went blank for a beat before the realization hit: abnormality.
Venina reacted instantly, faster than he could mask the moment. She was at his side, fingers curling around his arm. Concern bled through her sharp eyes.
"Sweety, are you al—"
She stopped. Her pupils shrank. She could feel it. The sheer power humming through his muscles.
Her voice trembled, not with tension, but with a strange joy.
"How did you… how did you upgrade so suddenly?"
Li Wei coughed into his hand.
"W-well… things happen, I guess."
It sounded lame even to his own ears.
Venina narrowed her eyes at him, clearly unconvinced. But then she laughed, low and delighted.
"My baby boy… already outpacing the scripts. You really do make mommy proud."
No greed. No envy. Just pure satisfaction.
She pressed a fresh set of cutlery into his hands.
"Let's Eat."
Li Wei accepted, cheeks warm.
"Yeah. Let's eat."
This time, he didn't break the spoon—though he nearly shoved his face into the plate just to hide the embarrassment.