I tossed aside the pigeon I had retrieved from the Bright Ascension Chart.
In the original work, the protagonist eats the pigeon and raves about its deliciousness. This is because the pigeon's flesh is superior to that of ordinary pigeons, having been nurtured within the Bright Ascension Chart.
Eating pigeons will make you sick.
No matter how delicious they claim it is, a pigeon is still a pigeon. I had no desire to eat it. If it were chicken, maybe, but not this.
Now that I've obtained the Bright Ascension Chart, I should test it out. What should I put in first...?
I pondered.
The Bright Ascension Chart can store anything you can hold in your hand. Even a tree larger than my body could fit inside this small painting, provided I could lift it.
...I'm thirsty.
I was already somewhat exhausted from running around and fighting Ha Sok's subordinates. I desperately craved cool water.
I pulled a water bottle from my Inventory. Just as I was about to bring it to my lips, I noticed the Bright Ascension Chart.
Water should enhance quickly, I thought.
I held the water bottle up to the center of the Bright Ascension Chart, where a beam of light descended from the sky, and gently rubbed it against the surface. The bottle and my hand were immediately drawn inward. Once the bottle was completely inside, I withdrew my hand.
An image of the water bottle now appeared at the center of the Bright Ascension Chart. The chart's light began to swirl, enveloping the bottle.
I can't retrieve items while they're being enhanced.
I would have to wait until the enhancement process was complete. The light would vanish when it was finished.
How long will this take? The plastic might add another ten minutes or more.
The Bright Ascension Chart can only hold one item at a time. You can place something inside a container and then insert the container into the chart, but doing so reduces the efficiency of the Enhancement. The process takes longer, and the resulting item is often subpar.
Furthermore, each item can only be Enhanced once. Once an item has been Enhanced, it cannot be placed back into the Bright Ascension Chart for further Enhancement.
The longer the Enhancement process takes, the better the result.
Even when using the same item, the duration isn't consistent. Sometimes it takes longer. A longer duration is a good sign, indicating that the item is undergoing a more significant transformation.
The Bright Ascension Chart can Enhance anything you can fit inside it water, fire, anything.
Except living things, of course.
To be precise, it's more accurate to say that souls can't be inserted. In the case of the pigeon, it was already dead, which allowed it to enter.
The reason the pigeon was inside... either the guy who used the Bright Ascension Chart before put it in there to make it taste better, or the pigeon accidentally flew into the chart, died from the impact, and its corpse happened to fall inside. It must be one of those two.
I wanted to believe it was the latter.
Such a tremendous treasure couldn't be allowed to become known.
The latter must be true. Even in the original work, no one knew about the Bright Ascension Chart except for the protagonist who obtained it.
I gazed at the Bright Ascension Chart, lost in thought.
My original plan had been to take the Bright Ascension Chart back to the real world.
When you bring items with special powers into the real world, their effects diminish. The Bright Ascension Chart would be no different.
Therefore, to fully utilize the power of the Bright Ascension Chart, it must be used within this world. The process involves bringing real-world objects into this realm and enhancing them here.
Some items require days, months, or even years to enhance... Enhancing them here is the only practical option.
In this world, lifespan increases with one's Cultivation Realm. There are also items that can extend lifespan.
Most importantly, items that would take months to enhance in the real world can be completed instantly here, thanks to my Automatic Progression.
Considering all factors, using the Bright Ascension Chart within this world is the optimal approach.
"Oh."
The light enveloping the water bottle within the painting vanished. The enhancement was complete, taking roughly ten minutes.
I reached into the Bright Ascension Chart and retrieved the water bottle. Visually, it appeared identical to its pre-enhancement state, showing no apparent changes.
I opened the water bottle and began gulping down the water.
"Ahhhhh!"
The water tasted incredible. It felt like pure spring water seeping into every cell of my body.
This water would be perfect for ramen or making energy drinks. It would be a huge hit.
The bottle emptied quickly. I squeezed the plastic bottle hard, crushing it with a satisfying crunch.
The bottle's durability has definitely improved.
This was expected, so I wasn't surprised.
In the Original Work, the protagonist uses this early on to enhance medicinal herbs.
When you place medicinal herbs into the Bright Ascension Chart, there's a small chance they'll transform into Spirit Medicines, herbs imbued with Spirit Energy. Even then, they'll only be low-grade Spirit Medicines.
If you put in rotten or withered herbs, they'll come out as high-quality herbs. If you put in low-grade Spirit Medicines, they'll be upgraded to better Spirit Medicines.
"The Protagonist starts by grinding for medicinal herbs."
Every day, he gathers herbs from the mountains and enhances them using the Bright Ascension Chart. He consumes the herbs that become Spirit Medicine and sells the rest to accumulate wealth.
"I have to do this tedious work every day? Bullshit."
Stealing herbs and Spirit Medicine would be far easier and more efficient.
"First, let's enhance the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger. It's my most frequently used and cherished weapon."
I placed the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger into the Bright Ascension Chart. The dagger appeared within the painting, and a halo of light began to envelop it.
This process would take some time. The Hwaryeon Flying Dagger was no ordinary weapon.
"A few days? No, it might take months."
I rolled up the Bright Ascension Chart and tucked it into my robes, deciding against storing it in my Inventory. Time was frozen within the Inventory, so the Enhancement process wouldn't progress.
"Just in case, I'll test it later. Maybe I should check Ha Sok's hut for anything useful."
Being trapped by the Formation for two hours was getting boring.
When I reached the hut, I couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"Typical of a beggar mostly just trash."
Still, I spotted a few items radiating a faint malevolent Qi, likely tools used in sorcery.
"Might as well take them. They'll fetch at least a little money if I sell them."
Having more money never hurt.
After gathering what I could, I left the cabin. I spent the remaining time reading a novel before returning to the Meteor Sword Sect.
Back at the Meteor Sword Sect, I resumed my ordinary routine.
During the day, I practiced the Silver Star Sword with Seong Jigun. In the afternoons, I spent my time in bed with servant women who slipped into my room of their own accord. I longed to visit Hunan City outside the sect for some wild fun, but my confinement hadn't been lifted yet.
When will the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger's Enhancement finish?
Five days had passed. Thanks to Automatic Progression, it had only been about five hours in real time, but I was growing impatient without my usual weapon.
I glanced at the Bright Ascension Chart. The luminous aura enveloping the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger showed no signs of dissipating.
"...Is it really going to take months?"
I shook my head and turned to leave when a notification window popped up before my eyes, like something out of a computer game.
Special Mission Created!
You are currently at Rank 5 of the Entry Stage. To save the heavens, you must grow stronger quickly, yet you show no intention of doing so. Therefore, we propose the following:
Advance to Rank 6 of the Entry Stage within 100 days.
Success Reward: 3 Body Strengthening Pills
Body Strengthening Pill
Strengthens the body. Increases physical abilities upon consumption.
My eyes widened as I read the notification.
Body Strengthening Pills!
I'd never heard of them before, but their effects clearly marked them as Spirit Medicine.
"Reach the Sixth Rank of the Entry Stage in just 100 days? That's no easy feat."
In this world, each Cultivation Realm is further divided into ten Ranks, from First Rank to Tenth Rank.
First Rank marks the initial entry into a Cultivation Realm. Conversely, Tenth Rank signifies reaching the pinnacle of a Realm, preparing for the next stage.
"Dividing Cultivation Realms by Ranks is a bit ambiguous."
It's difficult to discern one's Rank from outward appearances. One might mistake First Rank for Second Rank, or Fifth Rank for Sixth Rank.
"That's why they sometimes use terms like First Rank, Middle Rank, and Upper Rank."
High-level masters can accurately determine an opponent's Rank by grasping their body and sensing the Qi within. After all, Rank is ultimately determined by the Qi circulating within one's body.
"The Entry Stage is the realm of accumulating Qi within the body. The Will Manifestation Stage is the realm of projecting Qi outward. The Five Qi Stage is said to be the realm of forming an Inner Core within the body and mastering the five fundamental Qi energies."
While there are various ways to classify these stages, one can instinctively sense their cultivation realm. I'm a prime example of this.
"To reach the 6th Rank of the Entry Stage... I need to accumulate more Qi."
Qi, or Mana, is something I'm confident in manipulating. I simply need to store more of it within my body.
"The answer lies in Spirit Medicine."
Thanks to the Bright Ascension Chart, the burden isn't too great. However, I'm currently using the Bright Ascension Chart to enhance the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger.
"It's impossible to retrieve the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger before the enhancement is complete... Should I prepare for when the enhancement finishes?"
The Meteor Sword Sect had several territories that could only be accessed with the Sect Leader's permission.
One such place was the Medicinal Herb Garden.
The Medicinal Herb Garden was where medicinal herbs and Spirit Medicines were cultivated.
In this world, medicinal herbs and Spirit Medicines were essential for becoming stronger. Purely wielding and swinging a sword had clear limitations. Therefore, any Sect of significant size invariably maintained a dedicated area for cultivating these vital resources.
In the original work, the protagonist only stole a few Spirit Medicines from the Medicinal Herb Garden when the Meteor Sword Sect fell. I'm different. I'm going to steal every single herb in the garden.
I could do it.
Unlike the original protagonist, I had an Inventory.
Heh heh... Once I get the Spirit Medicines, I'll immediately enhance the Bright Ascension Chart. I can't wait for that day...
My confinement had ended.
I didn't immediately rush to the city to play. Reckless indulgence without a plan would only increase the chances of being dragged back for another confinement.
I need to pretend to be diligent.
I reduced my trips to the city. Five days a week, I would work diligently, reserving the remaining two days for leisure in the city. This arrangement should be acceptable to the Sect Leader and Elders of the Meteor Sword Sect.
To maintain the facade of diligence, I trained with Seong Jigun. He was universally acknowledged within the Sect as a model of diligence and sincerity. Simply being seen with him would improve my reputation.
The Sect elders have no idea this guy sneaks willing female servants into his room every day. He even has a hobby of asking the first woman who chooses to sleep with him for a clipped lock of hair and collecting it.
Lately, he's been joining me on trips to the city to sleep with willing women.
"Seong Jigun. That bastard's a pervert."
Seong Jigun had an unusual preference: he favored older, commoner women over young, beautiful courtesans. Of course, being a man, he still liked pretty women.
I once asked him, "Why do you hate courtesans? Aren't they beautiful?"
"I don't hate them. It's just... knowing that any man can have them for a price makes them less appealing, you know?"
"Yet you have no problem sneaking around with married women who already have husbands."
"That's different."
"Most of the women you prefer are old."
"I like mature women. Young girls don't turn me on. And virgins bleed, which gets blood all over my... ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick."
Seong Jigun liked pretty women, but he wasn't picky. If a woman matched his tastes, he'd fuck her even if she was ugly.
"A woman's pussy is more important than her looks," he'd say. "And a slightly loose one is better to fuck than a tight one, right?"
"You're weird."
"From where I'm standing, you're the weirder one, Yujin."
This worked out well for me. Since our tastes differed, we rarely fought over women. When an adult virgin showed more interest in me, Seong Jigun would step aside without hesitation.
And when a woman invited both of us, Seong Jigun would always let me go first.
"You want me to go first? I'm not complaining, but why?"
"You never fuck a woman after I've already fucked her, Yujin."
"Because she's not pretty enough to make me want to fuck her even after she's already had someone else's hands all over her."
"And when I watch you with a woman who's just as eager, Yujin, it... somehow gets me excited too."
I was 100% certain. This bastard was definitely a pervert.
And tonight...
Seong Jigun and I descended into the city. We secured a room at a modest inn and spent the day drinking and eating until nightfall. As darkness fell, we retreated to our room and donned masks.
Our drinking and eating at the inn served as a cover story. We discreetly discarded the alcohol and drank water instead. We couldn't afford to be drunk while sneaking off to meet women who preferred discretion; intoxication could lead to mistakes.
"Yujin-ah, where should we go tonight?"
"Where did we go last week?"
"We went to that farmhouse on the outskirts of the city."
"Ah, right. That farmer's grown daughter was delightfully eager. Tonight, let's see whether anyone at the Baneun Merchant Guild's chief manager's house is in the mood for discreet company."
I hadn't forgotten how the Baneun Merchant Guild had gotten me confined.