{Argus's POV}
If anyone could see Argus's stats as a Beginner Realm, they would be shocked. His stats were far beyond what one would expect from someone at his level. Despite this, Argus remained calm and composed.
'Only my Intelligence stat did not reach 400. That is fine.'(Argus)
He had allocated all his free stats to Strength, aiming for it to be his primary attribute. However, he noticed that his Vitality had the highest points.
'Well, after I form my core, my Strength stat will surely surpass it.'(Argus)
Argus began to calm his mind, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.
'Let's start.'(Argus)
Argus was already floating deep inside his Soul Sea, in a place further than where the worm-like creature had once devoured his Soul.
There, he discovered an old, floating book deep within his Soul. He reached out, grasped the book, and opened it. Argus knew that every Cultivation Art an Awakener awakened would be imprinted into their Soul.
Argus began reading the introduction of the cultivation art he had awakened, intrigued by its unknown aspects.
Asura Hegemon Battle Art
•A mysterious cultivation art of unknown origin, shrouded in secrecy and enigma.
•The art is divided into several stages, though the exact number is obscured by mystery.
Stage 1:
Utilize the energy of ??? to form the core. This initial stage focuses on harnessing specific energy to create a foundational core that will support further advancement.
Next stage to be unlocked...
'What? That's it? It did not even include information on how to form my core? And where do I get that energy—ugh!'(Argus)
The book began to glow with a purple light, which quickly enveloped Argus. Suddenly, Argus started to croucc. A flood of information hit his mind. It explained how to form his core and where to find the energy he needed. The rush of details was intense and confusing at first. Argus felt overwhelmed by the sudden influx of knowledge.
Argus struggled to make sense of it all, but he quickly regained his composure. After all, he had endured the soul devouring, the most painful experience he could imagine. This was nothing compared to that.
Argus then began to calm his mind and focus deeply on digesting the information that had flooded into his consciousness. He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, and let himself become fully immersed in understanding the details.
Sovereign's Apathy
Unbeknownst to him, his innate skill activated once again, helping him process the information with ease. Over the next two whole days, Argus dedicated himself to meticulously analyzing every piece of data he had received. The process was thorough and exhaustive, but necessary for mastering the Asura Hegemon Battle Art and forming his core.
Argus opened his eyes after fully understanding every detail of the information he had received. He felt mental exhaustion as he was in a hyperfocus for a long time. He rest for a while and let his mind relax.
"This... This is too complicated. I can't even imagine how complex other cultivation arts might be compared to mine. Sigh" (Argus)
He had learned what steps he needed to take. The first task was to create a formation that would extract energy from an unknown source. The formation was extremely intricate—potentially 100 to 1,000 times more complex than the one used by the bald man in the dungeon. And he needed to set up not just one, but two such formations.
Fortunately, Argus didn't have to create these formations from scratch. According to the information he received, a two-page scroll containing the required formations was hidden within the book. He only needed an energy source to activate the two formations. Argus marveled at how such complex formations could be detailed on such a small page of the book.
Each scroll needed to be activated by a specific type of energy—Death and Life Attribute energy.
'So that's why I need to clear those dungeons. The energy required is so immense that each scroll needs a minimum of five dungeon cores to activate? Is the system punishment just an excuse to ensure the activation of the scrolls wouldn't fail?' (Argus)
As Argus considered this, the pieces started to fit together. The idea made more sense to him, leading him to speculate that the system's demands were designed to ensure the success of the activation process.
'Forget it.' (Argus)
The next step, however, was more straightforward. He needed to absorb the two types of unknown energy into his body. Once he had gathered these energies, he would use them to form his own core. The process of absorbing and utilizing the unknown energy seemed simpler compared to setting up the complex formations. Despite the intricate preparation, this final step was clear and direct.
Argus then began to think deeply about the Cultivation Art. It felt as though it had been specially prepared for whoever would inherit it. The first step, which was the hardest part, was already set up and ready to use. This left only the task of finding a source of energy to activate the art. Argus realized that this design made things much easier for him. It was almost as if the creator of the Asura Hegemon Battle Art was made with its inheritor in mind, simplifying the process so they wouldn't have to struggle with the most difficult part.
Argus didn't mind this situation, thinking of himself as the "lucky inheritor" of the Cultivation Art. He then began searching carefully through the book for the hidden scroll. After he found it, he felt a surge of curiosity about the next stage of the art and tried to turn to the next page to see more. However, no matter how hard he tried, the book wouldn't move. It was as if some invisible force was holding the pages in place, keeping him from seeing what came next.
'I guess I need to reach level 50 to unlock it.'(Argus)
Argus then opened his eyes and looked around. He didn't see anyone nearby.
'They are out, huh.'(Argus)
He stood up to stretch. This was his first time sitting in silence for so long. As he stretched, he felt his stomach rumble.
"I haven't eaten for... Two days already? That long, huh. I also feel thirsty."(Argus)
He hadn't had a concept of time while being that hyperfocused.
Suddenly, Argus heard something. When he focused his senses, he picked up footsteps approaching.
'They are back.'(Argus)
"You are too reckless, Ying Zhu! You shouldn't have faced an F Rank Beast with your current level, even if it's a beast with a red orb."(Astrea)
Argus recognized Astrea's voice. It sounded like she was scolding Ying Zhu. He looked in their direction and saw Ying Zhu tilting its head, as if questioning what Astrea was saying.
Astrea was about to repeat herself when she felt Argus's gaze. Her mood instantly shifted.
"Master, you're awake!"(Astrea)
"Yeah, you're back. Did anything happen?"(Argus)
"Nothing major happened. After you meditated yesterday, we immediately decided to go out and let Ying Zhu level up..."(Astrea)
Astrea began to tell Argus about what they did while he was meditating.
{Flashback: Astrea's POV}
Astrea allowed Ying Zhu to level up on his own. When she noticed that Ying Zhu could handle himself, she left him alone to continue. She wandered the area, carrying Sylvan, patrolling to see if there were any other people nearby or if any lost F Rank beasts were lurking around. Ying Zhu was still too weak to face them on his own, so she kept her distance but stayed vigilant.
When night fell, Astrea returned to where she had left Ying Zhu to check on him. She asked him if he wanted to return to the cave, but he shook his head, indicating he still wanted to continue leveling up.
"Okay, be careful then. I'm heading back to the cave to eat and check on Master. Don't go near or enter that part of the forest—there are beasts there you can't handle with your current power."(Astrea)
Ying Zhu tilted his head at first, but after a moment, he nodded in understanding. Despite his apparent agreement, Astrea was still worried, so she stayed back and observed him from a distance for a while longer. Once she was sure he was following her instructions, she finally returned to the cave.
Upon arrival, she checked on Argus, but seeing him still in a meditative state, she chose not to disturb him. Astrea then started preparing her food and, after finishing her meal, checked on Argus once more. Seeing no change, she went back to the surface to patrol again and keep an eye on Ying Zhu.
At midnight, despite his protests, Astrea forced Ying Zhu to return to the cave. He had wanted to continue leveling up, but the moment Astrea's anger flared, even Ying Zhu, an undead, felt a deep sense of fear. Sylvan, too, despite being a plant monster without typical emotions, seemed to share in that fear. Both Ying Zhu and Sylvan silently vowed never to anger Astrea.
The first day passed without anything particularly interesting. But it was on the second day when things started to happen.
The second day started much like the first. During the day, nothing particularly noteworthy happened. Ying Zhu continued to level up while Astrea patrolled the area. She kept a close eye on him, making sure he didn't stray too far or face any beasts he couldn't handle. Sylvan was quiet as usual, rooted to Astrea's side, as she kept watch for any signs of danger.
They went about their tasks much like they had on the first day—Ying Zhu battling smaller beasts, gaining experience, and Astrea ensuring he stayed safe.