Lucas was running for his life. He knew he couldn't defend himself with a mere dagger. Without powers, surviving in this forest was close to impossible. His stamina was wearing thin, and the lion was closing in fast.
Am I going to die? Is there really no hope of surviving? Lucas thought, panic flooding his mind.
The massive beast leapt forward, closing the gap between them. With terrifying speed, the lion struck out with its razor-sharp claws. Lucas felt a burning pain across his back as blood began pouring from the deep gash. Gritting his teeth, he refused to stop. The pain only pushed his adrenaline further.
The lion's roar shook the trees as it leaped at him again. Just as it was about to land the final blow, Lucas's survival instincts kicked in. With lightning-fast reflexes, he reached into his body center and pulled out his dagger. In midair, he thrust it into the lion's right eye.
The beast howled in pain, its momentum halted. Lucas didn't stop. He yanked the dagger out and plunged it into the lion's left eye repeatedly—again and again, more than ten times. The lion flailed, blinded and in agony.
Seeing an opening, Lucas dodged a desperate swipe from the lion's claws and landed his final strike—right at the creature's forehead. The dagger pierced through, and the great beast collapsed.
"I... I killed this lion… with just a dagger!" he gasped, trembling. But the victory was bittersweet. "Ahh! My back! It hurts so bad!"
Blood was still flowing from his injury. Lucas opened his body center and pulled out some bandages. He wrapped them around his wound, gritting his teeth. "These will stop the bleeding, but they won't heal me. Only a cultivator can do that quickly."
He sat on the ground, breathing heavily. "So that was my first real beast encounter... Definitely not what I expected."
Just as he was about to leave, the lion's corpse began to glow.
Lucas flinched. "Wait… it's still alive?!"
Panicking, he pulled out his dagger and stabbed the lion again, but nothing happened. The glowing intensified before fading away, leaving behind a floating golden rock.
Lucas stared in disbelief. "Oh… this must be the lion's life force. It transformed into a cultivating material."
He reached out and grabbed the rock, storing it inside his body center. "I wonder what it does…"
Two hours passed. Lucas hadn't encountered any more beasts. According to the map, the Ancient Aurora Village was only 5 kilometers away.
"I can see the lights from here," he said. "The forest is thinning out. That's a good sign. There are still beasts here, but they're not dangerous."
He pulled a book out from his body center and flipped through it. "Hmm... so that beast was called a 'Golden Scar Lion.' And this rock it left behind is a Rank 1 cultivating material called the 'Golden Scar Rock.' It's good for enhancing offensive powers, but since I don't have any elements... it's useless to me. I should sell it in the village."
He continued reading. "In this world, the currency system goes like this: 100 bronze coins equals 1 silver coin, and 1,000 silver coins equals 1 gold coin."
As Lucas approached the village gates, he saw the tall, polished stone walls glowing faintly with elemental enchantments. Two guards stood at the entrance, each radiating the aura of Rank 2 cultivators.
One of them raised a hand. "Halt. Outsiders must pay a tax of 10 silver coins to enter."
Lucas nodded and retrieved 10 silver coins from his body center. The guards inspected them, nodded in approval, and stepped aside.
"You may enter."
Lucas stepped into the village, his eyes scanning the lively scene. "Only 30 silver coins left. I've got to sell that rock soon."
Despite the late hour, the streets were bustling with life. Colorful stalls lined the roads, selling everything from sizzling street food to exotic clothing. Children played and laughed, their joy illuminating the night.
"This place feels alive… like morning in the middle of the night," Lucas thought. "But I can't relax. First, I need to sell that rock."
He navigated through the crowd, searching for a material shop. "That rock enhances offensive elemental power. It's useless for me, but it could be valuable to someone else."
As he walked, Lucas recalled more details from the book: "Cultivating materials vary. Some boost cultivation speed, others enhance specific elemental powers. Elemental abilities themselves aren't just for attack—they can be used for defense, healing, sensing, and much more. It all depends on the user's creativity."
After some searching, Lucas found a modest-looking building with a wooden sign that read: Ancient Aurora Cultivation Material Shop. He entered.
An elderly man with a long white beard stood behind the counter. Despite his age, he emanated a calm but powerful aura—clearly a peak Rank 1 cultivator.
"Welcome to the Ancient Aurora Cultivation Material Shop," the old man said, leaning slightly on a wooden cane.
"I'm here to sell a Rank 1 cultivating material," Lucas said. "It's a Golden Scar Rock."
The old man raised an eyebrow and examined the glowing rock. "Indeed, it is. Not very rare, but still useful. I can offer you 600 silver coins."
Lucas's eyes lit up. I was expecting maybe 300 silver… but 600?!
"I'll take it," Lucas said without hesitation.
The transaction was quick. With the sale completed, Lucas now had 630 silver coins.
"With this, I can stock up on food, get a change of clothes, and maybe even tend to my injuries," he said, touching his wounded back.
As he turned to leave, Lucas mentally planned his next steps. "First, food and medical supplies. Then I'll find a place to stay. I need to gather information about the River of Eternals..."
But before he could take another step, a sudden blur rushed past him.
"Get out of my way!!" a boy yelled as he charged toward Lucas.
Lucas barely managed to sidestep the impact. The boy's body radiated a mid-Rank 2 aura. Two guards followed closely behind.
"What the…?" Lucas muttered, eyes wide. "What's going on?!"
The boy vanished into the crowd. The guards, red-faced and panting, ran past Lucas, ignoring him.
Lucas stood frozen. "Who was that boy? Why was he being chased? A mid-Rank 2 cultivator at such a young age... That's rare."
His curiosity flared. "Should I follow?
Chapter End.