Manhattan Elite Base City, the Velmire Clan.
A young man was lying on his bed with a restless condition as if were having a nightmare.
Suddenly his eyes opened. But they were confused.
"What is going on? I have been reincarnated here? Or that was just a dream? Or this world is just a dream?" the young man thought.
He was Ethan Velmir.
Then 30 minutes later, the pieces fell together and he understood what happened. He was really a transmigrator.
He sat up slowly, pressing his palms against his temples. A different sky, a different life, an ordinary world without cosmic energy or martial warriors. That world was supposed to be his past. This world, the one with mutated beasts and base cities, was supposed to be his present. But for a long moment, he could not tell which was real and which was fiction.
His gaze drifted across his bedroom. The familiar walls, the clan insignia carved above the doorway, the faint hum of the city's energy shield outside his window. Everything looked the same as it had yesterday. Yet everything felt different.
He stood and walked to the mirror.
His reflection showed a sixteen-year-old boy with dark hair and grey eyes. Nothing special. Nothing that hinted at the two lives now tangled inside his skull.
Then a grin tugged at his lips.
The world outside his window was no longer just a high-tech fortress. It was a brutal martial landscape. Fifty years ago, a sudden surge of cosmic energy had mutated the wildlife, driving humanity behind massive walls. Then, the discovery of an ancient alien spaceship buried deep underground had unlocked the secrets of cultivation, launching a post-apocalyptic martial era.
Ethan sat up, his heart hammering against his ribs. This was exactly the kind of thrilling, dangerous world he used to read about.
Better yet, he wasn't starting from the gutter. He was the heir to one of Manhattan's apex families. His grandfather was a legendary 9-star Supreme Martial Warrior, a man whose raw power could rival a nuclear warhead.
"I can actually become a martial warrior," Ethan whispered, his fingers curling tightly into a fist. "I can actually fly."
Then, the heavy weight of reality crashed back down.
But the grin faltered.
The truth was uglier.
In this world, adolescents began practicing the Global Genetic Art at age fifteen. Most of his peers had already pushed the foundational technique to the Major Completion Stage, earning the title of senior martial students.
His own sister, Nova Velmir was an once in a generation prodigy. At seventeen, she had already become a Peak 1-star Martial Warrior. The Federation's elite training camp had recruited her a year ago.
"Nova is returning to the family today", Ethan thought.
"The clan should be throwing a grand feast today to celebrate her return on vacation. Every powerful family in Manhattan would be there.", he thought with frustration.
And Ethan, after a full year of trying, could not even enter the junior martial student realm.
His father had given up on him six months ago. The pocket money had been cut. The tutors had been dismissed. He was simply left to enjoy his life as a useless heir.
He slumped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"System," he muttered. A bitter laugh followed. "Are you there?"
Silence.
Of course not. That was fiction for people who could not face reality.
[Ding! The Infinite Shop system is activated as host has 100% merged with this new world.]
Ethan's body jolted upright.
A translucent blue panel hovered in front of his eyes. He blinked. It stayed. He rubbed his eyes. Still there.
"Really?" His voice cracked. "This is real?"
"O my god! O my god! I really have a system.", Ethan almost cried out loudly. His chest was aching with over excitement.
Then he took some deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
" What can you do system?", he asked with as gentlemanly tone as possible lest his system became angry.
[Ding! Anything host can imagine, he can buy from the System if he has money to pay.]
His heart hammered against his ribs. He forced himself to breathe.
But a smirk appeared on his face. He couldn't help but try to tease this cocky system a little.
"Anything? Then sell me the Primordial Axe of Pangu. Ultra Instinct of Goku. Shadow Monarch talent. Give me the Instant Death ability of Yogiri Takatou."
He laughed at his own ridiculousness. He didn't know if the system would get the joke or become offended.
[Ding! Everything can be brought. Please check the price list.]
The panel expanded. A list appeared.
1. Ultra Instinct: 3000 UC
2. Shadow Monarch: 10000 UC
3. Pangu's Axe: 1M UC
4. Instant Death: 1 Trillion DC
(Note: UC- Universal Currency, DC- Dimensional Currency)
Ethan's laughter died in his throat. He swallowed hard, his eyes scanning the glowing text over and over again. "Holy..."
He forced himself to take a few slow, steady breaths, trying to stop his hands from shaking. "System, pull up my status panel."
[Host: Ethan Velmir
Martial Realm: None
Genetic Potential: Low
Comprehension: Abysmal]
The harsh words on the screen stung, confirming his worst fears. "Can I just buy unparalleled comprehension talent?"
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension Talent requires 1 Billion Dimensional Coins.]
"Unbelievable," Ethan cursed under his breath. "How do those web novel bastards get this stuff for free?"
He shook his head and refocused. "Sell me the completion stage of the Global Genetic Art."
[Minor Completion: 15000 credits
Major Completion: 50000 credits
Perfect Completion: 100000 credits
Ultimate Completion: 500000 Credits (Shop special)]
He pulled his sleek smartphone from the nightstand and opened his secure banking app. The digital screen reflected in his eyes.
[Available Balance: 101,000 credits]
He let out a long sigh of relief. It was a good thing he hadn't wasted his savings on luxury cars or expensive parties like other spoiled heirs.
"System, purchase the Perfect Completion Stage of the Global Genetic Art."
[Ding! Deduction successful. Integrating data now.]
A sharp ping sounded from his phone, followed by a banking alert confirming his account had been cleared out.
Suddenly, a violent wave of information slammed into his brain. It felt as if a tidal wave of martial insights, muscle memory, and breathing patterns was being forced through a funnel into his skull.
Ethan groaned, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edges of the mattress.
By the time the first system notification chimed, his shirt was already drenched in sweat.
[Ding! Minor Completion Stage has been integrated.]
An hour crawled by. The heat in his veins grew more intense, reshaping the neural pathways of his body.
[Ding! Major Completion Stage has been integrated.]
Two hours later, Ethan's teeth were grinding together so hard his jaw ached. Every muscle in his body trembled under the strain of the forced comprehension.
[Ding! Perfect Completion Stage has been successfully integrated.]
With a heavy thud, Ethan collapsed backward onto the soaked mattress, gasping for air.
He had done it. The complete, flawless understanding of the world's core martial art was now wired into his brain.
But as he looked at his trembling hands, he didn't dare activate the technique yet.
The Genetic Art utilized the energy stored within the body to strengthen it, laying the foundation for becoming a true martial warrior.
The Minor Completion stage granted an additional 100 kilograms of strength.
The Major Completion stage increased that to 400 kilograms.
Finally, the Perfect Completion stage provided 500 kilograms of strength, allowing a pre-martial warrior to possess a staggering 900 kilograms of raw power before even beginning the Energy Absorption Art.
However, such strength did not appear out of thin air. It was fueled by the vast amounts of energy martial students absorbed from food, monster meat, and nutrition fluids.
If Ethan wanted to cultivate the Global Genetic Art now, he would need an enormous supply of energy.
At the very least, he estimated that ten bottles of top-grade nutrition fluid would be required.
Ethan rose from his bed and headed off in search of his father.