My boots crunched on the grass as I approached my father's hut, its weathered timbers bathed in the pale dawn light of the Beast Vein Continent. The ember coil's reformed core thrummed faintly in my chest, its red scales still prickling across my skin when I flexed my newfound power. The bonding ceremony had changed me.
My Beast Mode was proof of that—but it was the weight of my new title, ' 'cultivator' ', that drove my steps.
I was no longer bound to the Iron fang clan's bastion. The entire continent lay open before me, a wild expanse of danger and opportunity. It was commonly expected of all new cultivators to leave their clan upon bonding for exploration and private cultivation. The hut stood at the edge of the clan's territory, its roof sagging under years of neglect.
Inside, memories lingered: My father's laughter, the scent of smoked meat, the clink of my dagger being sharpened. I pushed the door open, dust motes swirling in the slanted light. I moved quickly, gathering what I'd need for the cultivation journey ahead. From a corner, I pulled a sturdy yew bow, I had its bow string separate, in my pouch, and a quiver of bone-tipped arrows. I slung a rolled sleeping canvas over my shoulder and grabbed a simple tent, its patched fabric a testament to my father's wanderings.
Finally, I sealed the hut, wedging a stone slab across the door.
This was no goodbye—just a pause. I'd return to the clan when I was stronger, a cultivator worthy of my father's name. Standing outside, I felt the ember coil's essence stir within me. Bonding had unlocked conscious access to my ' 'Qi. ' '
This was something that would take any non-bonded human decades to achieve. And even than their ability to touch their qi was not impressive as a bonded cultivator. Qi was a primal energy that coursed through all life forms veins, a spiritual fire.
A cultivator increased their qi by opening meridians. These meridians were not mere veins of energy but spiritual gates—doorways that drew qi directly from the spiritual plane. The expansion of those gates depended on the cultivator's growth in spiritual knowledge, for understanding deepened the channels through which qi could flow.
Qi itself was the fuel of the impossible—leaps across ravines, strikes that shattered stone, senses sharp enough to read the wind's whispers. Yet my beast crystal remained in its base form. To evolve it, to unlock the true foundation of my offensive power, I needed to open more gates and expand them. Only then could qi surge more freely through my spiritual pathways—what Master Korren called the chakras.
Cultivation, however, was more than simply prying open new gates. Just as muscles grew stronger through repeated use, qi itself could be trained. By practicing techniques, circulating energy, and—most importantly—gaining spiritual knowledge, a cultivator steadily strengthened both their meridians and their qi in tandem.
The most common path was through Martial Tomes. To read one was to absorb spiritual knowledge, which in turn refined the meridians, allowing more qi to flow. Thus, qi and meridian growth often advanced together. When enough threads of qi and knowledge had been gathered, a cultivator could begin the weaving: condensing qi into Animus. Animus was not merely energy but the higher flame of the spirit itself.
Yet power was not only a matter of qi and meridians. To guide that flow, a cultivator also needed intent—the sharp edge of mental energy. Without intent, qi was a flood without banks; with intent, it became a river that could carve mountains.
To begin strengthening my qi and intent I could seek rare plants such as mental fire berries, their violet flesh bursting with mind focus. Or bitter blood oranges, tart and potent; or sacred Ice apples, said to grow only in the continent's frozen peaks.
Each could strengthen my initial puddle of qi, pushing my beast crystal closer to its next stage.
Second, I could find rare locations where the earth's vital essence pulsed strongest—ancient battlegrounds where Sovereign beast lords, titans of the continent's past, had clashed. These sites, scarred by primal energy, could flood my core with raw power. Third, I could use rare cultivation resources—Martial tomes, elixirs, talismans, or Qi infused relics—but these came at a steep cost, requiring wealth I didn't have.
For now, the wilds were my best bet. I adjusted my pack, the bow slung across my back, and turned toward the horizon. The Beast Vein Continent stretched before me, wild and unclaimed. Jagged peaks, mist-shrouded valleys, and forests alive with the roars of genome beasts. My heightened senses caught the faint tang of sap and distant smoke, a reminder of my ember coil bond. I could explore anywhere, hunt any beast, chase any legend.
But where to start? mental fire berries were rumored to grow in the Starlit Groves, a day's trek west. Whispers spoke of a sovereign beast lord's battleground deep in the Iron spike Canyons, its earth still crackling with rarefied battle essence. Or I could risk the markets of Dusk bane Outpost, where traders might sell cultivation resources—if I could scavenge enough to barter.
The continent was vast, its dangers endless, but so were its possibilities. I took a deep breath, my scales glinting faintly under my tunic.
' 'Strength comes from the journey, not the destination. ' ' I thought.
With qi coursing through me and the ember coil's fire in my soul, I stepped into the wilds, ready to carve a path as a cultivator. I stood at the edge of the clan's boarder, the Beast Vein Continent sprawling before me like a living, breathing challenge. My father's hut was sealed behind me, the yew bow slung across my back, sleeping canvas and tent strapped to my pack.
The ember coil's core thrummed in my chest, its red scales flickering faintly on my skin when I focused. The morning air carried a sharp tang of dew-soaked moss and distant smoke, my heightened sense of taste painting the world in vivid flavors. I closed my eyes, focusing on the ember coil's essence within me.
My qi felt like a river of molten light, coursing through my veins, eager to be shaped. I'd heard tales of Hunters leaping cliffs, shattering boulders, outrunning storms—all fueled by Qi. Eager to experiment with my new-found power I set out across the wilds.
I traveled west ward for a few hours, taking in all the familiar sights, smells and sounds of my homeland. I chose a nearby clearing, its ground scarred from some long-ago beast battle. A massive boulder, twice my height, loomed at its center—an ideal test.
I took a deep breath, summoning my qi. Heat flared in my core, and red ember coil scales spread across my arms, glinting like molten iron.
My senses sharpened; I tasted the mineral bite of the boulder's surface, the faint sweetness of crushed grass beneath my boots. I focused the qi into my legs, envisioning the speed of the Ember coil's whip-like strikes. With a burst of will, I sprinted toward the boulder and leapt.
My Qi surged, propelling me higher than I'd ever jumped before, I cleared the boulder's ten-foot peak with room to spare. I landed lightly, my scales absorbing the impact, but my heart raced with exhilaration. "That was incredible" I gasped. I tasted the air again, catching a faint, bitter note—some plant nearby, perhaps one of the rare ones Elder Korren had mentioned, like mental fire berries.
But I pushed the thought aside. I needed to test my new body's limits further. Next, I eyed a gnarled tree, its trunk thick as three men. If my offensive strength foundation was about speed and power, could my qi amplify my strikes? I drew my father's dagger, its runes glowing faintly as I channeled Qi into my arm. The scales on my hand thickened, and a tingling heat coursed through my muscles.
I slashed at the tree, aiming for precision. The blade bit deep, carving a gash that sent splinters flying. The cut was clean, deeper than any non-bonded strike I'd ever made, but the effort left my arm trembling. Too much Qi at once, I realized, panting. Control was as vital as power. My third test came by instinct.
A distant roar echoed through the rift, likely a lesser Genome Beast prowling nearby. My heightened taste caught a musky, acrid flavor on the wind—the beast was close. I focused my Qi into my senses, letting the Ember coil's predatory instincts guide me. The world sharpened: I tasted the beast's trail, a mix of charred earth and sour musk, leading west. I strung my yew bow and moved swiftly, tracking the creature to a narrow ravine. There, a fang tusk boar, its hide bristling with spines, rooted through the undergrowth.
I nocked an arrow, channeling qi into my arms for speed and power. The scales on my hands steadied my grip, and when I loosed the arrow, it flew faster than I'd ever shot, striking the boar's flank. The beast squealed, charging, but I was ready. I dodged with qi-fueled agility, my body moving like the ember coil's slithering strikes, and fired another arrow, this time piercing the boar's neck.
It collapsed, and I approached cautiously, tasting the coppery tang of its blood in the air. No core—this was no Genome Beast—but the kill proved that qi could make me lethal. As I cleaned the arrow, my mind turned to my beast crystal. To level it up, I'd need more qi power.
I shouldered the boar onto my back, the continent's wilds calling. My qi was a spark, but I would forge it into a blaze. One step at a time, I thought, tasting the wind's secrets as I chose the next path. The sun dipped below the jagged peaks of the Beast Vein Continent, casting long shadows across the Verdant Rift. I set-up camp, the air thick with the mineral tang of stone and the faint sweetness of crushed ferns, heightened by my ember coil bond.
My muscles ached from my earlier tests of qi—leaping over boulders, carving into trees, slaying and carrying the boar with me to my new location—but the spark of my offensive strength foundation burned bright within me. I pitched my simple tent, its patched canvas taut against the evening breeze, and spread my sleeping canvas near a small fire pit. The boar's carcass lay nearby, its spiny hide glinting in the firelight. I un-strung my bow once more, as I was done with the day's activities, and it wasn't good to leave your bow strung when not in use. I wound the bow string up and returned it to the pouch.
I set to work, with my simple dagger flashing as I skinned and gutted the beast with practiced precision. The coppery taste of blood lingered on my tongue, sharper now with my heightened senses, but I focused on the task. I roasted strips of boar meat over the fire on a splint, the savory aroma mingling with the woodsmoke, a welcome reprieve after the day's trials.
For safety, I hacked off the boar's head, its tusks still menacing, and impaled it on a sharpened pike. I carried the pike a hundred yards from camp, jamming it into the earth near a rocky outcrop. ''Let the scavengers have it,'' I thought, hoping to keep bigger predators at bay.
As I ate, I found the boar's meat rich and slightly gamey, I felt my qi stir, the ember coil's essence knitting my tired muscles. The red scales on my arms shimmered faintly, a reminder of my bond. Rest would replenish my qi, but to truly strengthen my Beast Crystal, I'd need rare plants—mental fire berries, bitter blood oranges, or sacred Ice apples—or the vital essence of ancient battlegrounds.
For now, the fire's warmth and the meat's sustenance were enough. I crawled into my tent, the canvas rustling softly, and let sleep claim me, my qi recovering under the continent's starlit sky. A deep rumble jolted me awake, the ground trembling beneath my sleeping canvas. My eyes snapped open, heart pounding, as the taste of charred earth and something ancient—leathery, and almost metallic—flooded my senses. The fire had died to embers, and the night was heavy with silence, broken only by a distant crunching sound.
"Something's got the boar's head" I realized, gripping my dagger.
Something massive was out there, a hundred yards away, devouring my decoy. The earth shook again, a low growl vibrating through the air. Vibrating deep in my chest, my ember coil beast crystal rattled in response. I stayed still, my Qi-fueled senses straining.
Whatever it was, it was no ordinary beast.
A certain thought sent a chill down my spine. Just then thunder broke and a storm came in, I waited things out, but the slow pelting of rain drops carried me off to sleep.
At dawn, I broke camp, folding my tent and canvas with quick, practiced movements. The air tasted cleaner now, the metallic tang gone, but my curiosity burned. I trekked to the outcrop, bow in hand, and what I found shocked me. The boar's head was totally gone, the pike splintered and busted off.
The ground bore massive tracks—three-clawed, reptilian, each print wider than my torso. I crouched, tracing the edges, my heightened taste catching a faint, sulfuric residue.
A Genome Dragon?
The tracks led toward the Iron spike Canyons, a place of ancient battles and vital essence. Tempting, but suicide for a new Hunter. I pushed the thought aside, my beast crystal needed qi, not reckless ambition. Instead, I focused on the immediate. My ember coil bond sharpened my sense of taste, and I let it guide me, sampling the air for traces of rare plants.
I wandered the clearing's edge, tasting a faint, violet sweetness—a hint of mental fire berries. Following the flavor, I pushed through dense ferns until I found a cluster of small, shimmering berries nestled among jagged stones. Their juice burst on my tongue, tart and electric, sending a rush of mental focus to my mental energy pond.
My scales flared briefly, and I felt my mental acuity grow just a little bit stronger. "Pay dirt!" I thought, pocketing more berries. Each one was a step toward leveling up my intent, growing my mental energy puddle. I glanced at the dragon tracks one last time, their path fading into the mist. The Starlit Groves, Iron spike Canyons, or Dusk bane Outpost all beckoned, each promising resources to fuel my growth. My scales glinted as I stood, the ember coil's spirit urging me forward.
I shouldered my pack, the continent's wilds calling me. My qi was a spark, but I would forge it into a blaze.
"One step at a time." I said, tasting the wind's secrets as I picked my next path.