Next morning, the first warmth of morning slipped gently into Ariz's room. A thin sunray cut through the curtains, resting across his bare chest like a lazy, golden ribbon. Dust motes drifted in the beam, swirling slowly in the quiet air.
[It was a fun night, wasn't it, baby?] Ava's teasing voice echoed in his mind
Ariz stretched, joints popping, a long yawn escaping him.
"Mmhh… it sure was…"
He rubbed his eyes "We went on it for like hours... Before yesterday, I couldn't even run for 10 minutes without collapsing. I never expected things would change for me so fast"
[Well, of course it will... And it's going to change a lot more very soon]
"Alright, so now, what do I have to do to recover the system? I guess last night must have done something right?" Ariz asked as he got up from the bed and started walking towards the bathroom to get freshened up.
[Oho? Look at you getting thoughtful first thing in the morning. Cute.]
Ava's tone shifted slightly—still amused, but with an undercurrent of seriousness.
[And yes… last night gave the system a lot of Resonance Energy. More than even I anticipated.]
"Huh? What does that mean?" Ariz asked, genuinely confused.
[Before I explain anything, you should check your system. There are… many things you missed. You were a little too engrossed last night to notice the notifications.]
Ariz coughed, embarrassed.
"You can't blame a child for dropping his toy when mama is feeding him— wait. That sounded wrong. I meant— I was just trying to enjoy—"
[Please stop talking.]
"Aright, alright. I'm checking the system."
As he started brushing his teeth, a holographic screen shimmered into existence in front of him—row after row of bright red notifications.
"Woah, that's quite a lot of notifications" Ariz mumbled as he opened the first notification
[Quest Completed!]
Mission: "First Kiss"
Rewards:
+30 Drops Resonance Energy (RE)
• New Ability Unlocked — Abyssal Grip
• Store Function Unlocked
[Abyssal Grip: You can channel surrounding qi through your hands to create gravitational force.]
[Store Unlocked: The System Store has been activated. It contains Items, techniques, bloodline catalysts, treasures, materials and a lot more. You can use RE drops to purchase the items.]
Ariz stared at the glowing screen, blinking.
"…Abyssal Grip? And a System Store unlock?"
Ava answered with a pleased hum.
[Now that is a practical skill.]
"Is it like a Gravity control?" Ariz tilted his head. "Or like… telekinesis?"
[Not quite. Telekinesis manipulates matter directly. Abyssal Grip manipulates gravitational force around matter.]
Ava continued smoothly:
[You basically use the Qi in your surroundings and generate a gravitational field up to an area. You can increase gravity, decrease it, tilt it, and redirect it. Push, pull, crush, restrain, those kinds of things.]
Ariz grinned.
"So, I can just… slam someone into the ground without touching them?"
[If you have enough Qi, yes. But you must work hard to for these techniques, you first have to know how to even use them and practice a lot.] Ava replied
Ariz nodded slowly, excitement building.
"Yes, yes... but a gravity skill… damn. This is sick."
[Let's move on to the store if you are satisfied yet.]
"Good, and I could guess what the store reward is just by its name, I am not that dumb. I can purchase things with RE drops in the store, right? I was really wondering what the use of this RE drops was, now I know" Ariz said, satisfied
[Fine, fine, you are a smartass. But don't open the Store yet. Let's Finish the notifications first.]
Ariz nodded, scrolling down.
"Alright… let's see the other notifications."
He tapped the other notifications.
[NEW QUEST ISSUED!]
Mission: Claim Your First Woman
Objective: Have sex and lose your virginity
Rewards:
Celestial-Grade Dual Cultivation Technique — "Celestial Harmony Sutra"
[QUEST Completed!]
Mission: Claim Your First Woman
Objective: Have sex and lose your virginity
Rewards:
Celestial-Grade Dual Cultivation Technique — "Celestial Harmony Sutra"
Ariz's toothbrush almost fell out of his mouth.
"CELESTIAL GRADE?!"
The bathroom lights flickered as his energy spiked.
"Wait—WAIT—Ava, I got a celestial grade technique... and a dual cultivation one at that?? HAHAHAHA" Ariz laughed with excitement
Ava's voice curled into his mind, half-warning, half-playful.
[Exactly. But remember this, baby—anything at the Celestial level is enough to start a massacre. If anyone knew you possessed a celestial-grade technique… the entire world Earth belongs to might vanish within a day, Maybe even less.]
She let out a soft, dark chuckle, clearly enjoying his reaction.
Ariz's throat tightened.
"...Okay, noted. I seriously need to be careful from now on."
He was still buzzing with excitement when a sharp thought suddenly slapped him across the brain.
"Wait—hold on." His eyes narrowed. "Didn't you tell me I haven't even started my real cultivation yet? That all my current strength is just temporary power the system is feeding me? And I can only cultivate properly after the system recovers enough to upgrade for the first time."
He jabbed a finger at the floating screen.
"So doesn't that mean… I CAN'T EVEN USE THIS CELESTIAL TECHNIQUE AT ALL?!"
His frustration exploded like he'd been shown a heavenly treasure only to be told it was locked behind bulletproof glass.
Ava coughed delicately, her voice suddenly shy.
[…Ahem. Well… yes. It's kind of like that.]
Ariz dragged his hand down his face.
"So basically… I got nothing?"
[No, no! It's your foundation, baby.] Ava insisted quickly.
[Celestial techniques aren't meant to be rushed. This is preparing your path—your future. Once the system upgrades, you'll understand how big this really is.]
A small pause… then her tone softened, almost reassuring.
[Besides… you did get something. Check the next notifications.]
Ariz let out a slow breath, grounding himself.
"…Alright. Fine. I'll finish the rest."
[Good boy.] Ava whispered warmly.
SYSTEM NOTE!!!
[Eclipse Devouring Physique Activity Detected]
During last night's Activities, the Eclipse Devouring Physique stirred for the first time and it has been loosened granting a partial awakening. Yet even that tiny spark caused the physique to act on instinct, subtly strengthening the flow of resonance and amplifying the energy produced during the act.
WARNING!!!!
[ Excess Resonance Energy Detected ]
Because of the Eclipse Devouring physique's unexpected amplification, the Resonance Energy generated last night surged far beyond what the host's current body, meridians, and soul pathways can withstand. Absorbing even a portion of it would severely damage the host.
To prevent this, the system has taken full control of the excess energy and will absorb it directly. The redirected RE will accelerate the system's recovery, push it closer to its first upgrade, and help stabilize the physique for future awakening. No action is required from the host.
SYSTEM UPDATE
[System Recovery Progress]
The absorption of last night's excess Resonance Energy has significantly accelerated internal restoration. Core functions, damaged pathways, and sealed circuits have begun stabilizing, and the system has now recovered 20% till the first upgrade.