Virtual Ascension

Venix's face was pale, his eyes wide with panic, as if suffocating under an unbearable weight. Anxiety spread quickly, piling on the already heavy burden in his mind.

Even though he couldn't see it, it didn't mean others couldn't.

Moreover, Venix was acutely aware that he hadn't mastered any techniques related to Awakening—only Meditation Techniques.

If his location were discovered due to the massive amounts of Origin Source he was absorbing, it would spell big trouble.

"Stop! Stop absorbing the Origin Source!" Venix screamed in his mind, his heart pounding like a drum. Every second felt like a ticking time bomb, as if his world would collapse if the energy continued to flow unchecked.

Unexpectedly, the result was better than he had anticipated. The energy surging through his body began to subside, as though the crushing weight on his back had lifted entirely.

The pull of energy from his body weakened and eventually disappeared.

The swirling Origin Source in the sky also gradually dissipated.

Sensing the situation return to normal, Venix let out a long sigh, his previously tense shoulders feeling slightly less burdened. Although his heart remained on high alert, he felt marginally safer.

Elsewhere, several police officers clad in black, who were rushing toward the Origin Source vortex, were one by one astonished as the vortex vanished into thin air.

Jasper, standing atop a building, was equally stunned by its sudden disappearance.

"Impossible! How could the vortex just disappear?" Jasper growled, his anxious eyes scanning the sky. "Someone must be pulling the strings from behind the scenes!"

It wasn't possible for an ordinary human, ignorant of Origin Power, to do such a thing.

Narrowing his eyes, Jasper clenched his fists and spoke resolutely. "Pinpoint the exact location of the vortex! This Origin Blessing couldn't have disappeared for no reason."

"Inspect every affected area and double the patrols. If we fail, my superiors will never forgive us!"

"Understood, Captain."

A woman's voice echoed through the air, and moments later, a shadow swiftly departed from the rooftop.

Jasper's expression hardened as he murmured softly. "Stopping the Origin Blessing so quickly? This new Awaken must have a strong bond with their Seed Origin to halt the process."

"Who is this person? If they're just an ordinary individual, it's impossible for them to act so swiftly and erase their traces."

Jasper's face grew grim and complex.

"This is going to be troublesome. With such a strong connection to their Seed Origin, this person will become incredibly powerful if left unchecked."

"It'll be fine if we identify them and recruit them under our banner. But if their identity remains unknown, they'll become a threat."

"At this rate, the territory under my supervision will become a danger zone!" Jasper massaged his temples, feeling the weight of the situation grow heavier.

While measures were already being taken, Jasper could only hope his team could locate this person without further complications.

---

Meanwhile, Venix was meditating on his bed.

What shocked him was that during this meditation, his Astral Body had entirely vanished. It was gone without a trace.

This meant that the Astral Body he sacrificed in the Virtual World was the same true Astral Body tied to his real-world self.

Even without an Astral Body, Venix could still observe and communicate in a rudimentary way with his Seed Origin during meditation.

In his vision, the Vulture didn't look much different from how it appeared in the Virtual World.

However, now the Vulture seemed to have just entered its initial phase—similar to when Venix first became an Awaken—its form slightly transparent.

The main difference was that the Vulture in the real world was a complete version, no longer a fragment of a Seed Origin.

As such, the Vulture no longer had to struggle against other Seed Origins and only needed energy to begin anew smoothly, without many obstacles like in the Virtual World.

The transfer of power had merely created a perfect framework for Venix. To refine this framework, he needed a significant amount of energy to nourish the Vulture.

"If I had been even a moment slower, my position might have been exposed," Venix muttered, exhaling in relief.

Even so, Venix suspected that others might already know of his presence and would likely increase their personnel to monitor areas within the range of the Origin Source vortex.

"I need to learn the basic techniques of an Awaken in the Numan World, or I'll remain lost in this world without a clear direction," Venix resolved.

He exited his meditation and opened his eyes.

Checking his system, Venix accessed his Inventory, finding it completely empty.

Then, he opened the transfer feature, surprised to see that the transfer menu closely resembled the Inventory interface.

"Do I have to deposit items in the Virtual World before I can withdraw them here in the real world?" Venix mused quietly.

After inspecting the system for a while, Venix decided to enter the Virtual World once again.

Additionally, he consumed 100 Resource Points to create a Barrier that would protect his body.

And with that, Venix returned to the Numan World, opening his eyes once more.

Back in the Numan World, Venix sat upright, staring ahead.

There, Luna was seated with four individuals he had never seen before. They appeared to be engaged in a serious discussion, though their voices were muffled by the distance.

As soon as they noticed Venix was awake, the people in black clothing nodded slightly toward him in a simple greeting.

"You're finally awake!" Luna exclaimed, her face lighting up like a child receiving a cherished gift.

Venix offered a small smile, though his curiosity began to stir. "What is it this time? Good news?"

Luna approached, nearly bouncing with excitement. "More than that! Grandmaster Ardyn wants to meet us!"

"Grandmaster who?" Venix raised an eyebrow at her.

"Grandmaster Ardyn! Primecore! The bearer of the Mythic Seed Origin!" Luna spoke quickly, as if uttering the name of a living legend.

Venix froze for a moment, his eyes widening. "Wait... we're really going to meet someone like that? Why would he want to meet us?"

"Maybe it's luck. But whatever the reason, you need to prepare! This is a huge moment!" Luna grinned widely, her enthusiasm almost contagious.

From his title alone, Grandmaster Ardyn was clearly a significant and powerful figure in this world.

"Isn't it amazing? We've been waiting for you to wake up before heading out to meet him," Luna added with a radiant smile.

Venix couldn't help but feel a growing excitement within him. Establishing a connection with such a high-ranking figure could make all his goals much easier to achieve.

Luna then assisted Venix in removing his gear and urged him to change into more appropriate attire.

Given Venix's lifestyle, he wasn't particularly interested in dressing extravagantly. However, Luna insisted—after all, they were about to meet someone of immense importance.

With no other choice, Venix donned a black tuxedo, with Luna's attendants helping him get ready. The outfit made him appear remarkably refined.

Gazing at his reflection in the mirror, Venix was surprised by how dramatically his appearance improved simply by wearing the right clothes.

Once everything was in order, four individuals dressed in black escorted Venix and Luna to a limousine.

The lavish treatment was overwhelming, leaving both Venix and Luna slightly uneasy with the grandeur.

The two entered the vehicle, and their journey began.

Inside the limousine, Luna informed Venix that they were heading to Numan City—a place where all nations convened and collaborated to address global issues.

Essentially, Numan City was the center of power in this world.

Hearing Luna's description of Numan City filled Venix with admiration.

Along the way, Luna handed Venix a bottle of Awaken Elixir to drink.

As Venix's Seed Origin reached perfection, his powers as an Awaken would surpass those of ordinary humans. He could feel the extraordinary potential slowly awakening within him.

Luna explained that the Awaken Elixir served as a raw energy source, primarily to nourish one's body.

Because Venix had already become an Awaken, the elixir didn't significantly enhance his physical capabilities. He was only marginally stronger than the average human.

However, with the Seed Origin reaching its full maturity, the Awaken Elixir would be absorbed by it. The Seed Origin would then refine the raw energy and redistribute it into Venix's body, enabling him to strengthen himself further or unleash powerful techniques.

Luna mentioned that for Venix to progress to the second level of the Origin Fragment Realm, he could no longer rely on raw energy for training. He would have to harness his own energy instead.

This revelation made Venix understand why his physical strength and abilities hadn't improved much before.

Luna continued giving Venix bottles of Awaken Elixir, one by one, until he had consumed five in total.

After several gulps, Venix felt his stomach brimming with energy. His body had reached its limit, rejecting any additional intake.

Noticing this, Luna's eyes sparkled with excitement. Venix's capacity for energy far exceeded that of ordinary Awaken. Unbeknownst to him, he had already broken records held by others.

Venix, unaware of his exceptional feat, regarded the experience as normal, finding nothing unusual about it.

Their limousine eventually arrived at a private train station accessible only to a select few.

Upon arrival, they exited the vehicle, and the four attendants in black led them toward a luxurious, single-carriage train.

During the walk, Luna informed Venix that high-class transportation in this world primarily consisted of high-speed trains and private jets.

"Are there no large beasts we can ride through the skies? Like dragons or phoenixes?" Venix asked curiously.

"Dragons and phoenixes are mythical creatures. How could we possibly have them as mounts? According to records, during the early Origin Era, those sacred beasts appeared. But once humanity gained the power to defeat and kill them, it took less than a century for both species to go extinct," Luna replied calmly.

Venix's gaze grew complicated. That explanation made sense—sacred beasts would naturally face extinction once humans had the means to hunt them down.

After all, every part of such creatures would undoubtedly be invaluable and could grant significant power to those who possessed them.

Even in the real world, Venix was well aware of humanity's greed when it came to exploiting essential resources.

Although people often protested and condemned such actions, the greedy always found ways to bypass scrutiny and claim valuable resources for themselves.

Reflecting on this, Venix began to sense potential issues in the real world as well.

"When Awaken begin appearing across the globe, chaos will ensue. But once the chaos subsides and the survivors shift their focus to Origin resources, even greater turmoil may arise," Venix thought to himself.

Luna, oblivious to Venix's thoughts, continued, "Of course, there are plenty of Origin Beasts that can serve as mounts. But riding them isn't very comfortable. For long journeys, most people prefer trains for the sake of convenience."

Venix opened his mouth, ready to argue, but found himself unable to refute Luna's reasoning.

To someone like Venix, who had lived in the modern world, riding a giant bird as transportation would seem incredibly cool.

However, for Luna and others who lived in this world, riding beasts was an everyday experience, something far less novel.

"What about teleportation? That should be more practical, right?" Venix tilted his head, his curiosity genuine.

Luna paused, her brows furrowing slightly. "Teleportation? How do you know about that?"

"Of course, I do. I mean, it sounds faster than a train," Venix replied confidently.

Luna knew Venix as 'The Lost Sheep,' meaning he came from an isolated place, detached from the modern world. How could someone with such a background be familiar with teleportation? While the knowledge wasn't exactly rare, it felt strange for Venix to know about it.

Luna sighed and regarded Venix with a mixture of wonder and confusion. "Teleportation does exist, but it's ridiculously expensive. You might need energy the size of a volleyball to do it, but for me? I'd require resources as large as a small mountain just for one trip."

"That much?" Venix's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes. Unless it's an emergency, almost no one uses it," Luna added, her tone matter-of-fact. "It's not as practical as you think."

Venix nodded, finally understanding her explanation.

The two boarded the exclusive train carriage, guarded by a dozen individuals.

Inside, Luna and Venix enjoyed the luxurious amenities provided solely for them.

The guards remained outside the carriage, ensuring their privacy.

"This journey will be quite long. It will take at least 12 hours to reach Numan City," Luna remarked, gazing out the window.

Venix rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

Twelve hours felt like an eternity. Since time in the Virtual World and the Real World flowed at the same rate, it meant Venix had little to do for the next 12 hours.

Looking at Luna, Venix decided this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Origin Era or delve into other topics.