A vast, gentle forest stretched as far as his eyes could see. Tall trees with thick trunks stood proudly, their branches heavy with fruits he had never seen in his life. Everything looked so perfect that Alex was mesmerized by its beauty.
As he looked around, tears of happiness welled up in his eyes. The forest, spreading far and wide like protective wings, gave him a strange sense of reassurance.
For a long moment, he just stood there.
'So… this is Predora…' he thought.
"It's… beautiful."
It was the first time he had spoken aloud in a while. His voice sounded exactly like it did on Earth, which made him curious about his appearance. What kind of face did he have now?
He looked at his clothe that he was wearing. Simple shirt and pant.
He didn't think too much of it.
Ding!
In the middle of his thoughts, a ringing sound echoed in his mind, followed by a single message.
Alex became alert, wondering what might have changed.
"Status," he whispered.
A blue light appeared in front of him.
---[Status]---
[Name: Alex Morgan]
[Race: Undying]
[Body: Human Body]
[Physique: Primal Origin Physique]
[Bloodline: Eternal Genesis Bloodline]
[Total Energy: 92]
[Undying Energy: 72]
[Qi Energy: 20]
His gaze lingered on the screen, especially on the three new categories—Body, Physique, and Bloodline. He contemplated these terms, recalling the novels he had read in his previous life.
From what he remembered, physiques and bloodlines were innate things one was born with and could never discard. Each carried unique powers or abilities that only their possessor could use.
And since every bloodline and physique held unique power.
And if that was true…
Then what exactly were his?
"System," he asked quietly, "what exactly can my bloodline and physique do?"
The response appeared immediately.
The tone was calm and emotionless.
Alex frowned slightly.
Purest human bloodline?
Pure human physique?
He had never heard such terms on Earth.
Why "pure" human?
Why not simply human?
Did that mean the system did not consider other humans to be truly human?
The thought lingered in his mind.
Then he remembered something common in many cultivation stories. With each passing generation, when bloodlines mixed with other races, their power weakened. Unique abilities that once defined a lineage gradually became diluted. Over time, the original strength faded.
It was a theory he had formed after years of reading novels.
And now, knowing that those novels were not entirely fictional, ignoring that knowledge would be foolish.
He began to recall everything he could.
If bloodlines could dilute, then perhaps most humans in this world were not purely human anymore. Maybe they carried traces of other races within them. Maybe their physiques had changed over countless generations.
If that was true, then the system's choice of words began to make sense.
A quiet curiosity stirred inside him.
If his bloodline and physique were truly the purest forms… then what kind of potential did that suggest?
In most fictional worlds he had read about, when humans interbred with other races, their descendants were never entirely one race or the other. They inherited mixed traits. Mixed bloodlines. Mixed physiques.
If that logic applied here, then perhaps most so-called humans were not purely human anymore. Perhaps their lineage had long since blended with other races.
And if that were the case, maybe the system's definition of human was stricter than common understanding.
Maybe to the system, only those with completely undiluted bloodline and physique deserved that title.
If so…
Then what were the rest?
The idea was complicated, but his theory was simple.
When humanity first came into existence in this world, they might have intermingled with other beings. Over countless generations, their original traits weakened, thinning little by little until purity no longer existed.
Except for him.
Ding!
He was startled as another notification rang in his mind.
He calmed his thoughts and looked around. Deciding to explore, he began walking through the area.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Every five minutes or so, another message appeared, informing him that he had gained energy.
How am I gaining energy so fast? he wondered.
Before gaining this body, he had waited at least a month for energy. Now he was gaining it every five minutes without doing anything.
"System, how am I gaining energy so quickly?" he asked.
"I see…" he nodded.
He had already suspected this. He just wanted confirmation.
As he continued walking, he found a clear pathway leading somewhere and decided to follow it.
But the notifications did not stop.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Every five minutes, another alert appeared.
This is irritating.
"System… can you stop showing this every time I gain energy? It's getting annoying."
Silence returned, and Alex continued walking.
After a while, he stepped out of the forest and froze.
About ten minutes away stood a massive wall stretching across the land, enclosing a vast area. A towering gate stood at its centre.
He walked toward it. After some time, he reached the entrance.
The gate was enormous—large enough for hundreds of people to pass through at once. However, it was mostly closed, with only smaller sections open.
There were ten openings in total, and at each one, two armored guards stood watch.
Five entrances allowed people to exit, while the other five permitted entry.
Small lines of people and carriages waited at each opening. Alex joined one of the lines and noticed that everyone paid money before entering.
'Do I need money too?' he wondered.
Before he could ask anyone, a big-bellied man wearing yellow clothes approached him.
"Hello, brother. New around here?" the man asked with a friendly smile.
"Yes. I arrived today… and I don't know how to get inside. I don't have any money either," Alex admitted honestly.
"Ahh…" The man nodded, as if this was completely normal.
"You can hunt weaker monsters or gather herbs in the forest. Sell them to the merchants near the gate. Five silver coins are enough to enter."
"Mm." Alex nodded gratefully. "Thank you, brother."
He waved farewell and headed back toward the forest.
However, he was not foolish enough to throw himself into danger immediately. Instead, he found a quiet clearing outside the forest where no one would disturb him and sat on a large rock.
"System… how do I cultivate?" he asked.
"How much do I have right now?"
"Eh!?"
Alex nearly stumbled. That number was enormous. For a moment, he wondered if the system had malfunctioned.
Comparing this rate to before he gained his body…
Sigh.
The difference was astronomical.
He steadied his breathing.
"Okay… then how much do I need to break through?"
"That means I can break through right now?"
"Yes!" he answered instantly, excitement flooding his voice as his heart pounded.