The system suddenly spoke again, its tone carrying a hint of curiosity that it rarely displayed, as if something about Du Shentian's actions had genuinely caught its attention.
[Host… what is inside that bottle?]
Du Shentian was about to answer, but before he could even open his mouth, a faint scanning fluctuation passed through the bottle in his hand, as if the system had already analyzed its contents.
A brief pause followed.
Then—
[Host… that is an aphrodisiac.]
The system's voice turned slightly sharper than usual, clearly surprised by what it had discovered.
[Why do you have an aphrodisiac? And more importantly… what are you planning to use it for?]
Du Shentian did not panic at the sudden questioning. Instead, he replied almost immediately, his tone calm and confident, as if everything was already part of a well-thought-out plan.
"Master, calm down. I am using this for a great purpose," he said. His eyes still fixed on the group of demonic rabbits in the distance, observing their movements carefully as if calculating the perfect moment.
Without waiting for further questioning, he opened the bottle with a quick motion and immediately threw the liquid toward the horde of first-tier demonic rabbits, his arm moving with precision and intent.
The liquid scattered through the air, breaking into droplets before dispersing across the area where the rabbits were gathered, the scent spreading rapidly as it mixed with the surrounding wind.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
Within seconds, the behavior of the demonic rabbits changed drastically.
Their bodies trembled, their movements became erratic, and their instincts seemed to spiral out of control as the aphrodisiac took effect far faster than expected.
The calm grazing and wandering of the rabbits turned into chaotic motion as they began to lose all sense of awareness, driven purely by instinct.
One by one, they fell into heat.
And then—
They began mating uncontrollably.
The once-alert demonic beasts, capable of sensing danger and reacting instantly, were now completely distracted, their focus shattered, and their defensive awareness reduced to almost nothing.
The system fell completely silent for a brief moment, as if it was trying to process what it was witnessing.
Then it finally spoke.
[Host… are you telling me that you are planning to eliminate them while they are… occupied?]
Du Shentian did not hesitate even for a second.
"Yes," he replied calmly, his grip tightening around his sword as his gaze sharpened.
"It's the best possible way."
There was no hesitation in his voice, no shame, no doubt—only cold practicality and efficiency.
The system fell into a brief state of disarray, clearly not expecting such a method from its host.
[My host… is truly someone special.]
There was a strange mix of disbelief and reluctant acknowledgment in its tone.
After a moment, the system asked another question, still trying to understand the situation more deeply.
[Did you create this aphrodisiac yourself, or did you acquire it from somewhere?]
Du Shentian answered casually, as if it was nothing extraordinary.
"I made it. Brother Blind taught me how to create it when He was living in the Bloodstone Heavens," he said, recalling those memories without any hesitation.
For a moment, the system remained silent again.
Inside its internal processing, a single thought surfaced.
Why would someone teach such… unconventional skills?
But then, another realization followed.
Although strange… it was undeniably effective.
Without wasting any more time, Du Shentian drew his sword. The blade glinting faintly under the light as he moved forward with swift and decisive steps.
The rabbits were completely vulnerable.
Their senses dulled, their awareness gone.
And that was all the opportunity he needed.
He struck.
His sword moved in clean, precise arcs, cutting through the distracted beasts one after another, each strike efficient and without unnecessary movement, as if he had already calculated the optimal way to eliminate them all within the given time.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing an Awakened demonic beast.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for killing a First-Tier demonic beast.]
The notifications began ringing continuously, echoing inside his mind as each kill was registered by the system, stacking one after another without pause.
The battlefield—if it could even be called that—was completely one-sided.
There was no resistance.
No struggle.
Only execution.
Minutes passed as Du Shentian moved through the group, his breathing steady and his movements increasingly confident as he adapted to the flow of combat, even if the enemies were in no condition to fight back.
Eventually, the sounds of notifications slowed.
Then—
They stopped completely.
The area fell silent once more, the only signs of what had just occurred being the fallen bodies scattered across the ground.
Du Shentian exhaled slowly before speaking.
"Master, how many Source Points did I obtain?" he asked, wiping his blade lightly as he looked over the results of his actions.
A panel appeared instantly before him.
Source Points: 50
Du Shentian frowned slightly as he looked at the number.
"I didn't properly pay attention to the notifications. How many points did I gain from each beast?" he asked, wanting to understand the system mechanics more clearly.
The system replied without delay.
[You obtained 1 Source Point for each Awakened demonic rabbit and 2 Source Points for each First-Tier demonic rabbit.]
Du Shentian's expression turned slightly dissatisfied.
"Isn't that too little?" he said, clearly expecting a higher reward for his effort.
The system responded calmly, its tone returning to its usual composed state.
[Even within the same rank, species differ in value.]
[Demonic rabbits are among the weakest types of both Awakened and First-Tier beasts.]
[Your rewards reflect their low difficulty.]
Du Shentian clicked his tongue softly but did not argue further.
Then, suddenly, something came to his mind.
"My mission should be completed… so why didn't I receive any notification?" he asked, slightly confused.
The system paused.
A rare pause.
Then—
[Oh… I forgot to update it. Please wait a moment.]
Du Shentian blinked.
"…You forgot?" he muttered under his breath, slightly stunned.
A new panel appeared immediately afterward.
Congratulations, Host!
Mission Completed: Kill a first tier demonic beast within 1 hour 30 minutes.
Reward: +25 Stat Points
Du Shentian smiled as he read the notification.
"Master, can you allocate the stat points for me in the best way?" he asked, trusting the system's judgment.
[Understood, Host.]
Almost instantly, his stats began to change.
Strength increased from 10 to 20.
Speed increased from 10 to 20.
Endurance increased from 5 to 10.
Combat Power increased from 25 to 50.
Du Shentian's eyes widened in disbelief as he felt the change within his body, a noticeable surge of power flowing through his muscles and veins.
"My combat power… it's already equivalent to an Awakener," he said, almost unable to believe it.
The system responded confidently.
[I have already told you, Host.]
[With my assistance, you will reach heights that no one has ever achieved.]
However, as Du Shentian continued observing his panel, he noticed something unusual.
His cultivation remained unchanged.
Still—
Unawakened.
"Master, why hasn't my cultivation rank improved? My stats are already at Awakener level," he asked, confused.
The system explained patiently.
[Stats are supplementary enhancements.]
[Even if your stats reach extremely high values, your cultivation realm will not change unless you actively upgrade it.]
Du Shentian's eyes suddenly lit up with realization.
"So I can become a wolf in sheep's clothing?" he said, a grin forming on his face.
The system questioned.
[Explain.]
"Everyone will think I'm just Unawakened," he said, his smile widening, "but my actual strength will match—or even surpass—an Awakener."
The system replied.
[Your reasoning is partially correct.]
[However, cultivation also enhances physique, endurance, and Source Energy capacity far beyond what raw stats alone can achieve.]
[That said… I suggest a more strategic approach.]
Du Shentian became interested.
"What is it?" he asked.
[Do not allocate all stat points immediately.]
[During battle, you can assign them suddenly.]
[This will create an unexpected surge in power and catch your opponent off guard.]
Du Shentian's grin widened.
"Master… that's the best advice you've given me so far," he said, clearly impressed.
Then—
Suddenly—
He began stabbing the fallen rabbits.
Directly.
In their butts.
The system immediately reacted.
[Host… what are you doing?]
Du Shentian replied casually, as if it was obvious.
"You told me I need to pierce 100 beings' butts to evolve my title," he said, continuing his actions without hesitation.
The system sighed.
[Host… the condition requires living targets.]
[These are already dead.]
Du Shentian froze mid-action.
"…You should have told me earlier, Master," he said slowly, his expression turning slightly stiff.
After a moment of silence, he moved on without further complaint.
He began cutting open the rabbits, extracting their cores one by one with practiced efficiency.
"Master, do you have storage? I want to store this meat," he asked.
[Yes. You currently possess five storage slots.]
[You may store up to five demonic rabbits.]
Du Shentian nodded and selected five of the better-preserved bodies, storing them while leaving the rest behind.
Without hesitation, he set the remaining corpses on fire, ensuring no traces were left behind.
The flames rose briefly before settling into smoldering remains.
Then he asked another question.
"Master which achievement am I closest to unlocking?" he said.
The system responded.
[Awakened Monster Killer.]
[Requirement: Eliminate 100 Awakened-ranked monsters.]
Du Shentian nodded firmly.
"I'll try to complete it before my fight with Luo Xinyan," he said with quiet determination.
After finishing everything, he turned and began heading back toward Dragon Century 007, his pace steady as the sun began to lower, casting long shadows across the land.
By the time he returned, it was around six in the evening.
The system spoke once more.
[Host, I will now log out.]
[However, listen carefully to the following instructions.]
Du Shentian focused immediately.
"I'm listening," he said.
[First, go to the Awakener's Association and obtain the Source Energy Absorption Art.]
[It is provided free to all Awakeners.]
[Next, purchase Basic Lightning Control for 5,000 Union Coins.]
[Sell your demonic cores. You should receive approximately 6,000 Union Coins.]
[Use the remaining amount for accommodation and complete your assigned training.]
Another panel appeared before him.
Mission: Courage of the Weak
Run 10 kilometers
Perform 100 push-ups
Perform 100 squats
Perform 100 sit-ups
Reward: +25 Stat Points
Weekly Mission
Du Shentian blinked as he read it.
"Master… this looks like Saitama's training. I won't go bald, right?" he asked jokingly.
The system's tone turned slightly annoyed.
[Read the details properly.]
[The reward is 25 stat points.]
[This is a weekly mission.]
[It can be completed once every week.]
Du Shentian nodded.
"I'll complete it within a week," he said.
The system responded firmly.
[Attempt to complete it today.]
[Starting tomorrow… your real training begins.]
The words lingered in his mind as the system's presence began to fade.
And for the first time—
Du Shentian truly felt it.
His journey… had only just begun.
End of Chapter 12
Author's Note
This is my first novel, so there may be mistakes along the way. Please feel free to point them out so I can improve.
Also, English is not my first language, so there might be some inconsistencies.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!