A Blessing in Disguise

A Blessing in Disguise

West Camp, ground level.

The Class 23 students who had successfully evolved gathered in one of the Cultivation Rooms in the Evolution Building, attempting to connect their consciousness to the Moon Web under their instructor's guidance.

"Focus your thoughts."

"Concentrate!"

"Draw out the power of an evolutionist!"

The scene was a complete mess.

Some students strained until their faces were red and their necks bulged. Some concentrated so hard they were nearly falling asleep. Others lay on the floor with vacant eyes.

Only a handful of students successfully connected to the Moon Web.

"Teacher, why do I feel dizzy and unable to focus not long after entering the Moon Web?" Yu Haitao rubbed his temples and asked in confusion.

"That's normal. You'll get used to it gradually," the instructor replied. "Gene Warriors have relatively weaker mental power. For newcomers, half an hour connected to the Moon Web is about the limit at first. Once you adapt, you can probably maintain it for one to two hours."

"That little?" Yu Haitao was somewhat unwilling to accept it. He wanted to learn the Armor Barbarian Evolution Method as soon as possible.

"Unless you're an esper, with strong and stable mental power." The instructor said, "One to two hours a day is normally enough. In the Moon Web, you're only comprehending cultivation techniques. All kinds of Advanced Evolution Methods must be practiced in reality to strengthen your physical attributes."

"The same goes for combat techniques. Being able to understand them is one thing; mastering them is another."

"Besides, now that you've become evolutionists, you'll have the responsibility of protecting your home and fighting monsters in the wilderness!"

"Yes, Teacher!" The students answered passionately.

"Continue cultivating. Prepare for the Rookie Trial."

"Yes!"

Medical Room.

A ray of sunlight fell through the window.

Crimson Sun Blade Art, beginner ↑

Light and shadows flashed before Wang Ye's eyes, and the memories in his mind became exceptionally clear.

The Crimson Sun Blade Art's three moves were clearly imprinted in his mind.

The opening move, Rising Sun, was swift and simple.

The second move, Dawn's First Light, carried fiery blade force, fierce and overwhelmingly powerful.

The third move, Radiant Hues of Myriad Paths, possessed astonishing blade speed and explosive force.

Combined with the Crimson Sun Evolution Method, it was like a fish in water.

He had grinded all night!

He had still been somewhat unaccustomed to connecting to the Moon Web at first. After comprehending the Crimson Sun Evolution Method, he had slept lightly for two hours, and his consciousness had recovered considerably.

Then, after reconnecting to the Moon Web, he had immediately begun grinding beginner blade techniques.

Among the eighteen beginner blade techniques, he had been most interested in Supreme Quick Blade, Crimson Sun Blade Art, and Thunder Blast Blade Technique.

His final choice of Crimson Sun Blade Art had been a rational one.

After all, among his six physical attributes, vitality stood head and shoulders above the rest.

At the same beginner level, he would master Crimson Sun Blade Art faster than the other two blade techniques.

And the stronger his vitality, the more powerful Crimson Sun Blade Art would become!

"Crimson Sun Blade Art for offense, Square Circle for defense. A perfect combination."

Wang Ye got out of bed.

His recovery was progressing well.

After becoming an evolutionist, his body had grown stronger, and his recovery ability had naturally improved greatly as well.

Combined with last night's cultivation of the Crimson Sun Evolution Method, his body was brimming with fiery vitality, and his constitution had improved enormously.

He felt like he could use a little hand action.

"Whether it's an Evolution Method or a blade technique, simply comprehending it in the Moon Web will cause efficiency to drop sharply after reaching the beginner stage. It still needs to be paired with practice. Only the two together can complement each other."

"But I don't need that."

For him, the most efficient approach was to comprehend a technique to the beginner level in the Moon Web, then rely on his own talent and use Potential Points to force his realm upward.

Simple and brutal. Time-saving and effortless.

The rest of his time could be spent cultivating the Crimson Sun Evolution Method.

"Whoosh~~" Wang Ye absorbed Cosmic Energy and integrated it into his body.

He carefully sensed the fusion of energy with his body's cells, comparing it with the Life Evolution Method.

They were two entirely different types.

"The Life Evolution Method evolves the whole being, including the body, mental power, genes, and so on."

"But the Crimson Sun Evolution Method focuses solely on physical attributes. In particular, its improvement of vitality is exceptionally rapid."

Wang Ye quickly reached his conclusion.

The Crimson Sun Evolution Method was superior.

This was an Advanced Evolution Method exclusive to Gene Warriors.

In terms of increasing physical strength, the beginner-level Crimson Sun Evolution Method was already comparable to the perfect-level Life Evolution Method.

At the proficient level, it would far surpass it.

"I need Potential Points."

Wang Ye knew exactly what he needed to do.

The Rookie Trial was in ten days.

Either he died, or Yu Haitao died. Neither of them would let the other go.

It would take 10 Potential Points to raise the Crimson Sun Evolution Method from proficient to mastery.

With his current strength, he only needed three days.

December 30.

"You want to leave the hospital? No! That's far too reckless!" Shu Mengou's pretty face changed, and her apple-peeling knife immediately stopped. "I've seen your medical records. You need to stay at least five more days!"

"I'm almost fully recovered." Wang Ye let out a light breath after completing a cycle of Crimson Sun Evolution Method cultivation.

He had recovered even faster than expected.

The Crimson Sun Evolution Method provided special boosts to constitution enhancement and recovery.

"You can't be this willful. What if you aggravate your injuries?" Seeing that persuasion was useless, Shu Mengou pouted her red lips, raised the apple-peeling knife, and said angrily, "If you insist on being reckless, I'll, I'll..."

"You'll perform surgery on me? I'm afraid you won't even be able to cut through me." Wang Ye teased.

Shu Mengou gave a soft snort, turned her head away, and pretended to be angry.

"Here, take this." Wang Ye took out a card.

"What? No!" Shu Mengou secretly glanced at it.

"The key card to my Evolutionist Apartment." Wang Ye placed it into Shu Mengou's soft hand. "If you're worried, come over anytime and help me examine my body. If you find anything wrong, send me straight back to the hospital."

"That's more like it." Shu Mengou's expression softened considerably. "Then I'll come over every night."

Wang Ye patted her pert backside. "I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it."

"Wang Ye!"

After completing the discharge procedures, Wang Ye headed to the second floor of the West Camp hall.

Lead Instructor's office.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

Wang Ye sat down across from Li Shoudao.

"Discharged?" Li Shoudao placed both hands on the desk.

"Mm."

Wang Ye looked at Li Shoudao. "I want to know what happened that day, as well as all my physical data."

Li Shoudao nodded, opened a video on his laptop, and turned it toward Wang Ye. "Your evolution was a special case. The Data Research Center has studied it repeatedly. Take a look yourself."

"All right." Wang Ye stared intently at the screen.

He watched as the red warning lights came on and his various data changed drastically.

Then the red lights turned green. He had escaped danger and was wheeled out for surgery with his head held high.

"I understand."

Wang Ye finished watching the entire video.

All the doubts from the past two days were resolved at once.

First, his evolution had indeed failed. The Blood Crystal residue left in his body had still triggered an abnormal reaction.

Second, although he had awakened as an esper, it was not a normal awakening. His brain-domain response had not reached the threshold, so his Personal Panel displayed esper awakening rather than First Order Esper. He could not open the Moon Web Esper Gate.

Third, his talent, the Jade Sculpture Light Sphere, had saved him.

"The good news is that your condition is healthy and stable. Your genome testing showed no damage, and it won't affect your future cultivation in any way." Li Shoudao clasped his hands and looked at Wang Ye. "The bad news is that the mutated Blood Crystal interfered, resulting in an exceptionally poor evolution effect."

"Your body's evolution rate is only 47%, far below the average of 9% for Gene Warriors."

"Thank you." Wang Ye nodded.

He stood, gave Li Shoudao a slight bow, and then left.

After leaving the Lead Instructor's office,

Wang Ye felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

His steps were light, and a smile hung on his face.

A body evolution rate of 47%?

No.

Li Shoudao had calculated it wrong.

It was actually even lower.

His physical attribute score had been 103 during the Graduation Exam and 151 after evolution.

That gave a body evolution rate of 47%.

But ever since the comprehensive physical examination during the Graduation Exam, he had been cultivating the perfect-level Life Evolution Method.

By the time he received the Evolutionary Serum, his physical attribute score had been around 125 to 130.

The final score of 151 was the result of his life level evolving and his genes naturally improving.

His actual body evolution rate might not even have reached 20%.

But so what?

This time, he had instead turned disaster into fortune!

If he had evolved normally, he would only have reached the threshold of a First Order Gene Warrior.

But now, aside from being a Gene Warrior, he had also opened an entirely new path of cultivation as an esper!

With his original talent, he definitely could not have accomplished this in such a short time.

Because when espers awakened normally, they were already First Order Espers. They could open the Moon Web Esper Gate and choose one branch of esper abilities to cultivate.

But he had only barely awakened through the activation of his talent.

He was roughly equivalent to a Reserve Gene Warrior.

But just like with all cultivation techniques, the hardest thing for him was not how to raise his realm, but—

Getting started!

Once the five words "esper awakening" appeared on his Personal Panel,

becoming a true esper was only a matter of time.

As for the losses...

"Negligible."

Fifteen minutes later, Wang Ye walked out of the Data Research Center.

He had completed a comprehensive physical examination.

He was extremely healthy!

Not only did his body have no lingering aftereffects, it was full of vigor and blazing growth!

Strength 216, flexibility 188, speed 231, agility 245, toughness 197, vitality 303!

Physical attribute score: 230!

He was only one step away from the First Order Gene Warrior threshold of 250!

It was all thanks to the Crimson Sun Evolution Method.

He had risen two levels in a row!

His physical attributes had improved across the board, especially his vitality, which had increased by an astonishing amount.

"Yu Haitao must be very happy right now." Wang Ye stretched his limbs.

He headed to the equipment depot, preparing to set off for the wilderness.

"I'll let him keep jumping around for two more days."

"At the Rookie Trial, I'll give him a surprise."