Chapter 100: Gene Tier 2: Fierce

Pale Continent, Colorful Mist Coast.

Three kilometers east of the teleportation array.

Under the night sky, two players sat chatting on the white sand beach.

The salty, fragrant sea breeze blew, the sound of waves lapping the shore mixed with distant seabird cries; such an environment made them feel infinitely at ease.

Before them, a bonfire had just been lit; the wood crackled under the flames.

One of them was breaking branches, constantly adding wood to the bonfire to stoke the fire.

On an iron rod propped up ahead, freshly caught crabs were skewered; under the roasting flames, their shells gradually turned red, emitting an enticing aroma mixed with the smoky scent of burning wood, making one's mouth water.

This was a monster named "Golden Claw Crab".

Its hunting level was 0, but the taste was incredibly delicious; after eating it, one could gain about 0.5 points of Body Tempering experience, with the specific effect depending on the crab's size.

After capture, they could be sold on the Trading Hall for a price of over 3 Shou Shou Jili, and they were often in short supply, with prices showing a clear upward trend.

Since the Colorful Mist Coast was opened, these Golden Claw Crabs were harvested in swaths, becoming a rare delicacy in the eyes of players.

Roasting crabs on the beach had become a popular leisure activity.

Now, many players fought violently against the Demon Tomb Mountains, the Insect Tide, and the Black Tide during the day, then came to the Colorful Mist Coast to relax at night, aiming for a balance of tension and ease.

"It's so unbearable; I shouldn't have logged in today. Do you know how unbearable it was when I heard that news..."

Jiang Cheng turned the iron rod he had forged from weapon fragments in his hand, flipping the roasting crab, complaining nonstop, and occasionally looking at the player beside him with resentment in his eyes.

"It's just a Spirit Field; when I die, you'll inherit this field anyway, so what's the rush?" The man speaking was about 20 years old, with short hair; at this moment, he couldn't hide a smile in his eyes, then continued:

"But honestly, the battle to purify the Cloud Fields was absolutely explosive; the president of the Divine Hall Guild really has some skills, forcing us to turn the tide from our final disadvantage."

"Explosive my foot; hearing that news, I'm about to collapse. How did you get into the top 1,000 of the Contribution List?"

Jiang Cheng, who was speaking, couldn't hide the bitterness in his eyes, then added another sentence:

"This is more unbearable than killing me."

Facing his good brother's complaints, Xia Sheng, sitting beside him, wore a satisfied expression:

"It's all fate. The Divine Hall Guild originally wanted to invite us to participate in the purification campaign, but you had something come up and logged off; who can blame that?"

Hearing his good brother's reply, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but bare his teeth, saying viciously:

"Nauseous, dizzy, want to vomit. Honestly, if you had earned a few hundred points of Shou Shou Jili, I might have been happier than you; we could have bought some Spirit Fish Meat, got a few Spirit Plants, sat by the sea, and had a big meal with the crabs, and I would have sincerely blessed your good luck. But you damn well earned a 25-square-meter Spirit Field in one go; this is a treasure that can continuously produce Shou Shou Jili. Now I can't eat, I don't want to sleep, and just thinking about it makes me hate... you really deserve to die."

Hearing his good brother's nonstop complaints, Xia Sheng reached out to grab the iron rod:

"Can't eat, huh? If you can't eat, you still have to eat for me. I've been starving after slaying evil spirits all day; it's time to replenish my nutrition."

"Don't even think about it. Even if I have no appetite, I have to eat... I'll eat three, you eat two."

After some playful banter, the two starving men began to attack the crabs.

Peeling open the hard crab shell revealed crab meat that was white as jade and full of flesh; by the flickering firelight, one could see the fibrous texture of the meat.

The seawater roasted dry turned into granules, seeping into the meat through the pre-drilled holes in the shell; taking a bite, the delicious taste mixed with the salty fragrance of the seawater made the two men's appetites surge.

Before long, a skewer of crabs was eaten.

Feeling unsatisfied, the two got up and ran toward the sea, beginning to search the beach for the presence of Golden Claw Crabs.

Half an hour later, the two players returned to the bonfire holding four Golden Claw Crabs washed with seawater, skewered them on the iron rod, and continued to roast them over the fire.

Only after finishing the four Golden Claw Crabs did they feel satisfied and decided to start the real business.

Throwing away the crab shells in their hands, Jiang Cheng and Xia Sheng exchanged a glance, then each took out a dark red seed from their respective spatial bags.

Before they even started, pain was already visible on their faces.

"What a sin; the technological progress of this thing is too slow. Why can't it release new versions as often as arms dealers?"

Hearing Jiang Cheng's complaint, Xia Sheng couldn't help but roll his eyes:

"Stop talking nonsense. Are you eating or not?"

"Eating, must eat."

"I'll count down: 3, 2, 1, swallow together."

"Okay."

Three seconds later, the two figures began to roll in pain on the sand.

Even with 90% pain reduction, the intense agony was still unbearable for them.

What was more painful was that they needed to observe their physical condition while enduring the intense pain, drinking healing potions from time to time during the process to ensure they wouldn't reach zero health and die while enduring the suffering.

Only after 20 minutes did the constantly rising pain gradually subside, and they could finally get up and move.

But the effects of the gene enhancement had not yet completely vanished.

The expressions of both men still appeared abnormally painful, yet they simultaneously took out a second gene seed from their spatial bags.

This was not their first attempt, but the torment brought by the gene seeds still made them tremble.

At this moment, Xia Sheng took a deep breath, then was the first to stuff the second gene seed into his mouth and swallow it:

"Damn, this is truly deadly!"

Veins bulging all over his body, Xia Sheng's body trembled uncontrollably again.

He hurriedly took a bottle of recovery potion from his spatial bag and gulped it down.

The healing liquid slid down his throat, carrying a slight warmth that circulated through his body, quickly repairing the internal injuries caused by the gene seed.

During this time, the pain constantly intensified, but Xia Sheng still gritted his teeth and persisted.

Because he clearly knew this was the only way for a solo player like him, who had neither skills nor wealth, to rise quickly.

As solo players, their methods of earning Shou Shou Jili were limited.

To save Shou Shou Jili, he and his brother chose the most painful method: obtaining Body Tempering experience by consuming gene seeds.

They had also thought about obtaining Body Tempering experience through other channels.

But the mainstream methods for obtaining Body Tempering experience were all extremely expensive.

For instance, acquiring Body Tempering experience through dietary supplements like spiritual plants and spiritual fish meat is indeed an enjoyable process, yet it is also the most expensive option.

The Body Tempering experience gain from spiritual materials and spiritual fish meat yields negative returns, costing more than directly converting Shou Shou Jili into Body Tempering experience.

After improvements across multiple versions, each Gene Seed now provides Body Tempering experience equivalent to the cost price plus about 15%, making it the method with the highest return on investment for gaining Body Tempering experience.

Precisely because of this, a very small number of players choose the Body Tempering path of swallowing Gene Seeds.

He and his good brother are two of that very small number.

In the eyes of other players, this type of player is mockingly called Gene Muscles or Gene Superman on the forums.

In the eyes of other players, they are a group of fools who resort to any means necessary to save Shou Shou Jili.

They believe that enduring intense pain just to save a few cents of Shou Shou Jili is pointless; it would be better to go out and kill a few more evil spirits, as the Shou Shou Jili earned would completely cover the cost of the Gene Seeds.

Regarding such thoughts, Xia Sheng holds a different view.

Swallowing one Gene Seed indeed yields only a 15% Body Tempering experience bonus, but what about two? Three? Ten?

If the gain isn't enough, make up for it with quantity.

Killing evil spirits earns only a few coins; the Body Tempering experience gain I get from devouring a handful of Gene Seeds is more than what you earn by killing evil spirits all day.

This is just a game; nothing can kill you. Since you cannot die, why fear the pain of Gene Seeds?

Except for purchasing new Painful Painful Minghun or upgrading Star Pulse levels, any excess Shou Shou Jili on your person should be used entirely to devour Gene Seeds.

A 15% Body Tempering experience bonus is enough to let them stay ahead of the vast majority of players.

This is also the reason they can appear on the Body Tempering Level Rankings, and the reason the Shen Tang Guild management issued an invitation for a Purification Campaign to them.

The painful torment continues.

One is just the beginning; followed by the second, the third...

Under the stimulation of intense pain, the two ignored the looks of passersby thinking they were fools, rolling in agony on the beach.

When their health is about to hit bottom, they pull out a bottle of recovery potion from their spatial bag and drink it to counteract the damage the Gene Seed enhancement process inflicts on the body.

Two hours later, the two nearly exhausted individuals sat before the bonfire, curled up, looking weak.

Their pale complexions looked as if they had just suffered a severe illness.

"It's too hard. Let's save more Shou Shou Jili next time before buying and eating them. Maybe a new version of Gene Seeds will be listed that causes less pain."

Hearing Jiang Cheng's suggestion, Xia Sheng nodded weakly:

"Okay, save more next time... By the way, once we recover our stamina, let's go catch some crabs to eat. I'm so hungry."

"Me too, I'm so hungry." Jiang Cheng curled up, nodding with trembling lips.

Just as the two were chatting, a black shadow suddenly appeared beside the bonfire, bringing a gust of wind that made the fire flicker violently, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng looked up.

They saw an old man with white hair and a weathered face standing by the bonfire. He wore a tattered suit of armor, with a broken half-blade hanging at his left waist, covered in rust. His deep eyes carefully examined them, a slight smile on his face, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

At a single glance, they could tell the old man was absolutely not a player.

Although he had a humanoid appearance and the equipment he wore seemed scavenged from the Ancient Battlefield area, there was no player game name above the old man's head.

Even if the game name is hidden, a scarlet flame icon representing the faction is still visible above a player's head.

Focusing their gaze, the old man's analysis information floated into their minds:

【Ascetic】:

Hunting Level: 79 (Note: The target's physical functions are severely deteriorated, causing a significant drop in the Hunting Level assessment.)

Target Introduction: The last clan leader of the Great Yan Clan in the Colorful Mist Coast region, and the only surviving member of the Great Yan Clan. He has spent his life researching "Quasi-Rule" abilities. His overly aged body can no longer support the progress of the research project and is about to die of old age.

Seeing that the other party's Hunting Level had actually reached level 79, Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng were both startled.

"Hiss, Dog Sheng, this old man's strength is a bit strong."

"What I care more about is that the old man is dying. Can we find a chance to stab him? This is level 79; killing him would let us devour how many Gene Seeds?" Xia Sheng spoke with slight excitement in the voice channel.

Just then, the old man suddenly spoke, baring his broken and uneven teeth:

"The energy substance you just ate, can you give me one?"

The old man's question made Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng curse in the voice channel.

A fourth-generation Gene Seed sells for 350 points of Shou Shou Jili on the Trading Hall. In their eyes, the old man's behavior was simply asking them for sixty thousand yuan; it was too much.

Noticing they didn't speak, the old man seemed to think they didn't understand the common language of the Monster World. After a moment of thought, he switched to another language to continue asking.

But under the guidance of the analysis translation, the old man simply repeated his previous words.

"No, you really have the nerve to ask." Xia Sheng looked displeased.

Xia Sheng's answer made the old man's face bloom with a smile, and he understood the meaning Xia Sheng wanted to express.

He then raised his right hand, loosened his tightly clenched fist, and revealed a golden crystal on his palm.

Through analysis, they discovered this was actually a spiritual ore with a quality reaching "Level 7".

"Exchange with this, how about it?"

"No problem." Before Jiang Cheng could speak, Xia Sheng said without hesitation.

A spiritual ore with a quality reaching Level 7 is worth at least eight times the price of a Gene Seed; this transaction cannot be a loss no matter how it is exchanged.

Speaking, Xia Sheng turned his head to look at Jiang Cheng and spoke in the squad chat channel:

"How much Shou Shou Jili do you have on you?"

"221 points."

"Transfer it all to me."

"Okay."

Understanding this deal was a sure profit, Jiang Cheng decisively transferred his remaining Shou Shou Jili to Xia Sheng.

Having received the Shou Shou Jili, Xia Sheng summoned the Trading Hall panel, jumped via the history record on the left sidebar to the page for selling Gene Seeds, selected a seed, and placed the order directly.

【Challenger Notice: Purchased the custom item "Gene Seed" from the Trade Market. Deducted Shou Shou Jili balance: 350 points.】

As the notice sound rang out, the Gene Seed automatically entered the spatial satchel.

Taking out the Gene Seed, Xia Sheng handed it to the old man to exchange for the Golden Seal Stone in his hand.

The moment he got it, he tossed the Golden Seal Stone into the spatial satchel, fearing the old man would turn on him once he took the Gene Seed.

A hunting level of 79 was simply beyond their ability to resist.

Seeing the Golden Seal Stone vanish, the old man was stunned for a moment, a trace of curiosity floating in his eyes, but he asked nothing, instead looking down at the Gene Seed in his hand.

After gazing at it for several seconds, he picked up the Gene Seed and moved to put it in his mouth.

Seeing this, Xia Sheng decisively spoke up to stop him:

"Don't eat it; it hurts a lot."

Hearing this, a smile appeared in the old man's eyes:

"I have observed you for a long time; naturally, I understand this thing will bring intense pain to the body."

With those words, he put the Gene Seed into his mouth without hesitation, swallowing it down with a gulp.

Seeing this, Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng couldn't help but bare their teeth, already foreseeing the old man's coming reaction.

But to their surprise, the old man's expression didn't change in the slightest; after a brief silence, he grinned, revealing broken teeth:

"Not bad, very not bad."

"Doesn't it hurt?" Xia Sheng asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It's alright, but ultimately it lacks a bit of meaning." Feeling the power of the Gene Seed release within his body, the old man looked at the two again and couldn't help but nod:

"You two are very good; do you have interest in following me to learn the Supreme Divine Art?"

"Wait, we aren't even close; you're asking to take disciples the moment you open your mouth. Isn't this progress a bit too fast?" Xia Sheng asked with a puzzled expression.

Hearing this, the old man laughed heartily:

"I have no heirs; my legacy must be inherited by someone. I see you two as very suitable; whether you are willing is up to you."

As the old man spoke, just as Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng were about to answer, a Challenger Notice suddenly rang in their minds:

【Challenger Notice: Triggered Hidden Quest: Mi Fa Cultivation.】

Quest Reward: Unknown.

……

At this moment, Qi Sheng, located behind the scenes, was also observing the old man contacting the two players.

By analyzing the information, he discovered the old man might possess a Rule-like ability, which sparked his curiosity about the old man.

So-called Rule-like abilities, simply explained, are inferior to Rules but approach the category of Rules as special abilities.

Although they are close, truly becoming a Rule-level ability requires crossing a chasm that is nearly impossible to traverse.

The characteristic of Rule-like abilities is surpassing mortal power, but that is the limit; they fall far short of Rule-level effects.

And every Rule-level ability possesses the powerful trait of altering the laws of the world.

For example, the Flesh and Blood Weight trait of Emperor Tomb Village, the Pheromone Evolution trait of the Insect Swarm, the Endless Devouring trait of the Black Tide, the Divine Metal trait of the Mechanical Legion, and so on.

Every world-class Rule ability has a clear difference in strength, but even the weakest Rule-level ability is incomparable to a Rule-like one.

This is also the reason he issued the quest, wanting to obtain the truth.

He already understood the old man's thoughts.

Clearly, he held Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng, these two players, in high regard; with his life nearly extinguished, he wanted to pass his research on to them.

……

Hearing the Hidden Quest notice, joy was barely concealed in the eyes of Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng.

Facing the old man's invitation, they agreed without hesitation, then looked at the old man and asked curiously:

"Why choose us?"

Facing the question, the old man sat down before the bonfire, a glint appearing in his yellowed eyes:

"Because you are native lifeforms of this world, not an external force; this can be distinguished from the aura on your bodies. And your willpower reminds me of my former self; back then, like you, I endured endless pain for the sake of growth."

As he spoke, Xia Sheng and Jiang Cheng gradually learned the old man's background story.

The old man's name was Ku Xing, the last clan leader of the Great Flame Clan.

The time of his birth coincided with the initial stage where the Colorful Mist Coast was plunged into the ravages of the Black Tide.

To resist the Black Tide's invasion, the Great Flame Clan shook hands with several rival factions that had been fighting each other for generations, joining forces to fight the Black Tide.

But under the terrifying sweep of the Black Tide, their resistance appeared utterly powerless, completely unable to stop the Black Tide's continuous advance.

During this period, clan members died continuously, and all things withered on the Colorful Mist Coast under the corrosion of the Black Tide's energy.

Ku Xing rose to become clan leader precisely during that stage.

He knew deeply that the power of mortal beings alone could not resist the Black Tide; only Rule-level power was the key to fighting the Black Tide.

For this, he launched a long research project, attempting to create a powerful ability comparable to Rule-level power.

Facts proved he simply could not do it.

But the deep research over long years also allowed him to find an ability characteristic approaching a Rule.

That was pain, a powerful force brought by extreme emotion.

Speaking to this point, Ku Xing looked at Jiang Zhou and Xia Sheng sitting beside him:

"Now, the life force in my body is withered, my life hangs by a thread, and my days are numbered. I wish to pass my life's research on to you... and I have only one request: if there is an opportunity in the future, contribute a strength to fight the Black Tide."

"No problem." Hearing this request, Xia Sheng nodded and agreed without hesitation.

As a member of the player faction, their world-class main quest was precisely the confrontation with the terrifying Black Tide.

This was simply their duty.

"Come with me." The old man stood up at this moment.

"Where to?"

"Great Flame Clan lands."

(End of this chapter)