The heavy iron gates of the Astralis Academy training grounds creaked open. While the rest of the city celebrated or drowned their sorrows after the Awakening Ceremony, Kai slipped away unnoticed. He needed space, privacy, and above all, a quiet place to test the limits of his new reality.
The training field was deserted, illuminated only by the faint amber glow of the setting sun. Scattered across the dusty ground were various training dummies, heavy iron weights, and low-tier monster carcasses kept frozen in glass containnt units for student dissection.
Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing inward.
System, he thought.
Instantly, the sleek, translucent violet interface expanded in his field of vision.
INFINITE EVOLUTION SYSTEM
Host: Kai Raven
Level: 1 (0/100 EXP)
Talent: Eye of the Primordial Sovereign (SSS-Rank)
HP: 100/100
Mana: 10/10
Strength: 10
Agility: 11
Endurance: 9
Evolution Points (EP): 0
[Current Sub-skills Unlocked:]
Active - Sovereign's Eye: Scan any target within line of sight. Cost: 1 Mana per minute.
Passive - Flawless Adaptation: The host's mind automatically processes massive influxes of data without ntal fatigue.
Kai grinned. The lack of ntal fatigue was already proving itself; despite the massive rewrite his brain had just undergone, he felt sharper and more energized than ever before.
He walked over to a rack of standard-issue student weapons and picked up a basic steel shortsword. The mont his fingers wrapped around the leather hilt, his vision pulsed.
[Item: Standard Training Shortsword]
Grade: Common (F-Rank)
Durability: 34/50
Evolution Available: Requires 5 EP and 1 Iron Ore block to upgrade.
Kai put the sword down and turned toward the glass containnt units at the edge of the field. Inside one of them was the preserved corpse of a Gravel-Back Hound, a common F-Rank monster found in the lowest-level dungeons.
Kai approached the glass and activated Sovereign's Eye.
[Entity: Gravel-Back Hound (Deceased)]
Rank:F-Rank
System Extraction Available: Extract energy for Evolution Points?
YES/NO
Kai’s heart leaped. Extract? Can I gain Evolution Points from dead monsters?
Without hesitation, he focused on YES.
A faint violet thread of light shot out from Kai’s chest, passing effortlessly through the thick glass of the containnt unit. It pierced the chest of the dead hound, withdrawing a small, glowing gray orb of energy. The orb flew back into Kai, rging into his skin. A pleasant, cool sensation washed over his body.
[Extraction successful.]
[Acquired 1 Evolution Point (EP).]
[First Extraction Bonus: Acquired 5 EP.]
[Total EP: 6]
Kai clenched his fists as a wave of realization hit him. The biggest bottleneck for any Hunter in the world was resources and luck. To grow stronger, they had to buy expensive potions, hunt high-ranking beasts, or rely on pure talent to breakthrough. But Kai didn't need any of that. He could harvest what others threw away. He could evolve his gear, his skills, and himself just by interacting with the world.
"Hey! What are you doing out here?"
A sharp, arrogant voice cut through the silence of the training grounds.
Kai closed the interface and turned around. Walking toward him was Leo Vance—the boy whose na had been called right after Kai's during the ceremony. Leo was Headmaster Orion's nephew, a core mber of a wealthy elite family, and he had awakened a prestigious **A-Rank Talent: Fla Burst**.
Two other sycophantic students followed closely behind him, smirking.
"The F-Rank loser is hiding in the training fields," Leo mocked, crossing his arms as he stopped a few paces away. "What's the matter, Raven? Trying to see if your 'Analysis' talent can analyze why you're such a disappointnt? My uncle looked embarrassed just having to stand near you."
Through the old Kai's eyes, Leo would have looked terrifying. But as Kai looked at him now, his violet pupils faintly shimred. Leo's status and critical vulnerability laid themselves bare.
[Na: Leo Vance]
Talent:Fla Burst (A-Rank)
HP:150/150
Mana: 45/45
Strength:14
Agility:12
Endurance:13
Weakness:Right flank is completely defenseless against a low sweep when casting Fla Burst.
Kai looked at the arrogant smile on Leo's face, and then down at his feet. A small, calm smirk played on Kai's lips.
The playing field wasn't just leveled. It was completely inverted.
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