His plan worked as he'd suspected. Even though there was no direct boon to energy cultivation from his skill, the serene state it granted to his mind and body allowed him an unparalleled degree of focus.

Using that, he did his best to twist and mold the energy of the shard between his desires and its own urge to ravage his body. He had felt that his heart was the source of mana, so that was where he focused his efforts.

Halfway through, there was a worrying moment where he felt a sharp pain in his heart. In that instant, Ronan had feared heart failure—or worse. It passed a breath later and he had continued with far more caution.

In the end, his efforts were a success and the chime of the system rewarded him once more.

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the first realm of Mystic Energy Cultivation!

Mystic Energy Cultivation has advanced from [None] to [Sparkling ★]!

All forms of energy regenerate 10% faster

Energy costs are reduced by 3%

Efficacy of endurance and regeneration +5%

Sparkling… First it was the flower crown and now this. Am I the Chronos Clan's Fated Princess or something? Ronan joked to himself. If the system named it such, there had to be a reason.

He checked the marketplace, but unfortunately no one had put another body aspected shard up for sale. With a sigh, he dismissed it and wiped the sweat from his brow.

For an activity that he did while meditating, it was draining as hell. With another realm of cultivation reached, Ronan felt more prepared for the threats looming ahead—both those he knew of, and those he didn't.

The next day, Ronan received another pleasant surprise during one of their expeditions to map the surroundings. After defeating a four-tailed fox, he hit level 50.

You have killed [Four-Tailed Fox Lv.46]!

Experience has been split among your party members!

Party Experience Bonus has been applied!

+397 Copper Credits

+4 [Pain] Mastery

+7 [Pugilist I] Mastery

+5 [Stamina I] Mastery

+2 [Mana I] Mastery

+4 [Perception] Mastery

+2 [Anti-Magic] Mastery

+Fox Fur (Uncommon)

You have leveled up to Lv.50!

You have been restored!

+1 Vitality

+1 Endurance

+2 Strength

+2 Agility

+2 Dexterity

+1 Acuity

+2 Free Stat Points

The level up wasn't the surprise, but rather the notification that followed when he reached that milestone. Perhaps the day I defeat that fake aristocrat isn't so far off…

Congratulations for reaching Lv. 50!

You have reached the first threshold for your class! Class will evolve…

You have not unlocked any special evolutions due to your achievements

You have not unlocked any special evolutions due to your heritage

You have unlocked 1 special evolution due to your race

You have not unlocked any special evolutions due to alternative methods

Please select a class evolution from the following:

Experienced Martial Artist (Uncommon)

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Some use martial arts as a foundation for new paths of growth and conquest. You chose to hone that which comes naturally to you, strengthening the union between your mind and body. Sometimes, a thought is too slow. Your body acts as soon as it perceives a threat.

Cultivation talent for Crystalline Mind and Tempered Body is increased by 15%.

Benefits of Crystalline Mind and Tempered Body cultivation are 15% more effective.

Gain mastery over pugilism and stamina moderately faster.

+2 Strength, +3 Agility, +3 Dexterity, +2 Acuity, +1 Free Stat Points on level up

Class Skill [Martial Meditation (Uncommon)] will become [Deep Martial Contemplation (Uncommon)] upon selection of this evolution

Receive Class Skill [Martial Reflex (Uncommon)] upon selection of this evolution

Unlock requirements:

Challenger is level 50 or above Challenger possesses the class [Martial Artist (Uncommon)]

Adaptive Martial Artist (Rare)

Martial arts are not unique to your home planet, but Earth's cultures have a rich history of combat spanning thousands of years. When this knowledge is combined with humanity's unique talent for adaptation, a new breed of warrior is born. Your mind and body aren't simply in tune, but evolving as one.

Cultivation talent for Crystalline Mind and Tempered Body is increased by 25%.

Benefits of Crystalline Mind and Tempered Body cultivation are 20% more effective.

Gain mastery over pugilism, stamina, and pain moderately faster.

+1 Endurance, +4 Strength, +4 Agility, +3 Dexterity, +2 Acuity, +1 Tenacity, +2 Free Stat Points on level up

Class Skill [Martial Meditation (Uncommon)] will become [Adaptive Meditation (Rare)] upon selection of this evolution

Receive Class Skill [Learn through Suffering (Rare)] upon selection of this evolution

Unlock requirements:

Challenger possesses the class [Martial Artist (Uncommon)]

Challenger's race is [Human]

It didn't get past Ronan that the unlock requirements for adaptive martial artist didn't specify a level. However, that didn't mean he could get it at level 10 or something ridiculous, given that it still needed the predecessor class.

The choice was obvious.

No matter how good of an upgrade experienced martial artist would be, the rare evolution gave more stats, higher rarity skills, and vastly improved cultivation benefits. Ronan selected adaptive martial artist without hesitation.

You have selected [Adaptive Martial Artist (Rare)] as your class evolution!

Initiating class infusion…

Ronan grit his teeth in preparation for the pain. However, he felt himself becoming weightless. The pain he had expected never came.

The world shifted, the starlit sky around him vanishing as an empty, obsidian blue void devoured it and took its place. Ronan floated in the expanse, an instant of utter nothingness passing. An eerie whining noise cut through the empty silence.

A wave of… fuzziness, for lack of a better word, radiated outwards from his navel, ending in the tips of his toes and the crown of his head. When it passed, he was back under the stars of Planet 2.48e11E.

If this was possible the entire time, why the hell did I have to go through that damned infusion the first time!? Ronan inwardly cursed. After a few moments he thought it through, deciding it was possibly due to the second infusion being an evolution. Perhaps going from classless to having a class is more… intense?

It wasn't the most scientifically sound theory, but it was a start. Through the iterations, he would eventually solve all the system's intricacies. Until he could punch it in the damned face.

With the brief, painless evolution complete, Ronan pulled up his two new class skills to check out their descriptions. The first wasn't that surprising, while the second left him feeling bittersweet.

Adaptive Meditation (Rare): Most require stillness to reach tranquility—you are not most. For a truly adaptive warrior, reaching a meditative state is possible even in the fires of battle. Cultivating during mobile meditation becomes possible, with great limitations and somewhat reduced backlash depending on the user's state of mind. Negative effects from cultivation backlash are not immediately permanent. Mind and body aspected cultivation shards become 20% more potent when consumed in this state. Martial meditation is not immediately disrupted by mental fluctuations, but will not be sustained under extreme emotional or physical turmoil. (Cost: 13% Max stamina initial cost + 2 Stamina per minute)

Learn through Suffering (Rare): Some kick steel rods to develop tougher shins. Others punch bricks to build their knuckles. Through the talents of your race and class, you have elevated this to an art. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Adaptive meditation wasn't much more than a standard evolution of the original martial meditation skill. Despite the fancy language, it had basically just increased the percentage boosts and allowed him to meditate in situations other than sitting still.

That wasn't to knock the new skill—it was fantastic. Even the possibility of cultivating while on the move, no matter how inefficient, was incredible. If Ronan continued to evolve this skill it could become something exceptionally potent.

More than that, he would attempt to study the underlying mechanics. When he'd first sensed mana, he had worked hard to manipulate it outside the bounds of his skills and the system. He had seen moderate success.

If the same manipulation was possible with his skills, then keeping the benefits of class skills in iterations where he hadn't chosen the same class was a distant possibility. He couldn't wait.

As for the second skill, learn through suffering made him bittersweet because it sounded incredibly overpowered, yet he would lose it at the end of this iteration. He vowed to dedicate himself to understanding his skills on a deeper level, to prevent such losses in future. Maybe the Chronos Clan has a way to stop me from losing class skills? A future enhancement, perhaps? he mused.

Ronan and Keith hadn't encountered much on their fifth day of exploring the other side of the city. Foxes, the wreckage of pre-system London, and the new landscape were all that awaited them.

They had just defeated a two-tailed fox—a feat that was barely worth mentioning at Ronan's current level—and walked past a towering monstrosity of orange clay with the ruins of a tower block for a skeleton.

"I wonder if the terraforming was natural or guided. The twisted architecture of this place is… hauntingly beautiful," Ronan said in a moment of appreciation.

Keith was about to reply when a shrill, yet strangely familiar, voice cut him off. "Halt! Anyone who wishes to hunt in Lord Rockmore's territory must swear loyalty and pay their taxes!"

Ronan's jaw fell to the floor. You've got to be fucking kidding me…

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