The pages stopped turning once it reached the book's intended stopping point. It might not have been random to the book, but for the owner of it, who still lacked a lot knowledge about this tome, there was no way to know why words were listed on certain pages and how things were ordered.
There was also a sense of finality on this turn. Ji Yuan was filled with a strong sensation that if he were to ask for anything else from this book, it wouldn't turn anymore.
Words were being written at the top of both the left and right pages simultaneously.
On the left — Genesis.
On the right — Terminus.
Those words were in the name of this book, which showed just how special these pages were about to be.
"Just what is it going to show me?"
Nervousness and excitement. The two emotions were ultimately branches of anticipation.
As if emphasizing the importance of this final freebie in the book, the ink took on a different hue. The words themselves had power and symbolism, an authority that revealed itself through mere ink alone and seared itself into Ji Yuan's brain.
Below Genesis and Terminus were strange words that made the transmigrators brain stall as he tried to comprehend them.
"It looks like a class system."
Planter - a vegetative green, Apothecary - a deep crimson, Villain - an orange surrounded by black, Spectator - a pale, ghostly blue, Bard - a shining yellow, Sailor - a deep blue surrounded by a brighter shade of blue, Reader - a stark white, Secrets Supplicant - a pure black.
Those eight class-like titles were written below Genesis. To mirror the left, the right also had its own similar classes.
Assassin - a seductive violet, Hunter - a burning red, Sleepless - a mysterious blue bordered by the darkness of night, Corpse Collector - a ghastly green radiating eeriness, Warrior - the orange of the evening setting sun, Patient - a sick, pallid green.
Though there were only six on the right compared to the eight on the left, he felt more partial to the latter ones.
"Hunter and Warrior alone sound like great choices." They were straightforward and easy to comprehend.
It wasn't just a feeling partiality toward the names, but he felt a pull from both Hunter and Warrior. At the same time, he also felt himself being pulled toward Bard, Sailor, and Secrets Supplicant on the left.
What ultimately made him prefer the right side was the feeling he felt toward the word Terminus.
At the same time, both sides must be equally important given this book. He can't completely discredit the left side. If the right is more straightforward, then the left must have its own mysteries that need to be comprehended. There may be more strange abilities on the left.
"Though, how is this going to help me? Can I select one of these and..." Ji Yuan trailed off as he belatedly noticed the book didn't stop writing. He shut his mouth and waited patiently for it to finish.
This time the text on both pages perfectly mirrored each other with zero differences. His eyes decided to stay on the right page as he followed each letter being inscribed onto the paper.
"The power of Pathways. Choose a single Sequence and follow it. Let yourself be guided by your heart."
He sighed.
"It's really like picking a job or a class. What kind of benefits will it offer me? Based on the names, it should be pretty obvious."
Should he pick something that he feels will offer the most potential for future power or should he pick something that might help him this instant? The book says to follow his heart, but what exactly does that mean?
Ji Yuan thought back to his parents. They loved him and had high expectations for him. They wanted him to be a doctor, which is why he pushed himself so hard and stopped getting into scraps. He managed to get into med school, but he died before he could complete his full years.
There's no doctor amongst the fourteen choices.
His eyes stayed on Villain for an elongated period of time.
He feels it matches him. If a person like him were to fully follow his heart, then it's obvious he would only be a villain. But why is that under Genesis?
For what reason are these selections separated into Genesis and Terminus?
It's just a fancy way of saying beginning and end.
He shouldn't think of things that are likely to be complex right now because it's distracting him from the important things.
Like his current situation.
"The smartest choice is something that will help my immediate situation."
He finally remembered. He managed to pull some of his attention away from the book and directed it to the outside world. The moon is still high up in the sky and the dark sky is clear enough that he shouldn't have to worry about rain anytime soon.
However, the unknown situation of carnivorous animals or even more dangerous herbivores leaves him worried. He doesn't have any food, no means of hunting for any food, no water, and he doesn't see shelter anywhere close by. There's no way to know how far away he is from civilization and judging by the name of this forest, it will truly become dark once the moon is covered.
He needs to take this seriously.
Following his heart doesn't mean to not use his brain.
While he felt the strongest toward Warrior, his thoughts ultimately stopped at Hunter for an inexplicable reason.
"Will it give me a bow and some arrows? What about extra hunting equipment?"
After he made his choice, the other Pathways vanished, colored ink dissipating into the air. Only the red remained.
The red of rust, fire, and blood. The smell of the ink reached his brain and shrouded his senses.
It was a pleasurable scent.
Ji Yuan shook his head free from the illusion and stared at the glowing red word.
Then...there was nothing.
"...Anything else?" he asked, almost pleading as he resorted to the tried and true magic words.
The book was only delayed, not going to sleep.
"F-formula? Wait, you're not giving me the power?"
There were main ingredients and supplementary ingredients, like he is to mix them up and produce a concoction or an elixir. It fits the logic of a Xuanhuan world as this is basically alchemy, but...
"Can't it be more convenient?"
Like at least just give him the power of a Hunter. Or maybe give him the ingredients? The absolute least it can do is show him what the necessary materials look like!
This cheat doesn't give newcomer's benefit at all. What this book does is guide. Nothing more. It shows how to start on the path to power and leaves everything else in the holder of the book.
There was no need to memorize the formula as it would just stay written in the book and he'd be able to summon it at any time, but it was still important not to grow too dependent on this thing.
The two main ingredients that the concoction can't do without are a single Phoenix Eye Fruit (Altered) and the eyes of a personally killed canine (Altered). The supplementary ingredients that the concoction also can't do without unless he feels like facing an unknown risk are... This will be annoying.
80 milliliters of red wine. 1 Phoenix Eye Flower (Altered). 5 grams of powder from a Poplar Tree Leaf. 10 grams of basil.
On one hand, at least there are some things he recognizes here, but what is a phoenix eye fruit? On the other hand, how in the world is he going to be able to measure by gram and milliliters without proper measuring tools!?
Also, why were some ingredients listed as altered? Is that not the original material and it was substituted for some reason?
Either way, Ji Yuan was saved.
"Ingredients can be generated through terminated life."
Those were the final words written on the page.
Even after he waited for a whole minute, there was nothing else added. The young man looked at those words, spellbound by the implications.
"It doesn't have to be me killing them. As long as the book records the dead, then it will build up the necessary energy needed to generate the materials I need. Heh, maybe I should've picked Corpse Collector?"
He made a joke to distract himself from a possibility.
"Xiao Yuan's recorded death is capable of exchanging for three supplementary ingredients or a single main ingredient. Is it because a Nascent Soul Cultivator is inherently worth more than a regular person? How much is the life of a regular person? No, let's not go there yet. ...Yet?"
Ji Yuan's eyes widened slightly as he heard his own words.
"No, let's not go there at all." He quickly shook his head, like the speed would knock out those distracting thoughts faster.
He shut the book after committing the ingredients to memory without exchanging for them.
"Things aren't as bad as they seem," he said with hope in his eyes.
"I'm not completely powerless right now with my current realm and there's an additional path alongside the standard one of cultivation for this world that I can take while I train normally."
He needs to learn how to cultivate and he needs to start gathering the ingredients to make this potion to truly become a Hunter. But before that, he needs to get himself situated.
The closed book vanished and Ji Yuan started moving through the forest again, his steps more solid and determined than before.
Knowledge didn't give him strength. It gave him security.