Chapter 17: The Karma Exchange System

[Opening Beginner’s Gift Package...]

[You have received:

1. Failure Compensation: Every failure grants compensation, with larger failures yielding better rewards.

2. Skill: Appraisal (Active): Can appraise any item, artifact, and even living beings, irrespective of their strength, and provide detailed information.

3. Inventory: An unlimited storage space. Any item stored inside will not be affected by time or environmental factors. (Note: Living things are restricted from being stored inside the Inventory.)

4. Basic Cultivation Scripture: This scripture contains a fundamental cultivation technique that allows you to absorb mana from the environment, strengthening your body and mind.]

...

After looking at the rewards, Neo felt a rush of pure awe. He got what he wanted the most. A guaranteed way to grow stronger, irrespective of his actual innate talent. Now he felt like he could actually reach the absurd heights of those broken, talented people like Kael and Nora.

"Thanks to the heavens! I finally got a system. Tchh, I should have gotten it at the very beginning, but I am definitely not complaining now."

He reviewed the rewards one by one. The first reward was easily the most broken one. It compensated for whatever failure he experienced. Even though he didn’t ever want to face a failure, life was never perfect. There would always come a time when even the strongest villain falls or a legendary bloodline gets wiped out. Having a safety net made this the most useful reward of them all.

The second reward was the Appraisal skill. It could help him appraise any item on the spot. Sure, a normal status window without a system also had a basic function for that, but it was complicated and didn’t apply to every single artifact. Here, not only could he appraise items and hidden artifacts, but he could literally appraise other people regardless of their strength.

"So I can also see the status windows of my father and mother? I should really try it on them later; it will be fun!"

He shook his head, suppressing his rising excitement, and checked the third reward: the Inventory. This meant he didn’t have to carry heavy bags or weapons around, and he didn’t even need a fancy storage ring. Though he could easily afford one with his immense wealth, having a private, invisible space was much better. Normal storage rings were always inspected at royal banquets and while traveling through teleportation gates. This inventory was unsearchable.

Just as his eyes fell on the last screen, a massive amount of information flooded directly into his brain. It merged with his memories instantly. He felt a strong wave of dizziness, as if someone was trying to force an entire book of information into his mind at once.

After a few minutes passed, he opened his eyes and blinked, looking around his quiet room. He felt somehow different than before. Even his natural breathing felt strange. The ambient mana in the air naturally absorbed into his body with every single breath he took.

’So even just by obtaining a basic cultivation technique, the cultivation of the mana circle becomes this easy? Then what happens if I actually get some legendary cultivation technique later? It would be way too overpowered.’

After checking over everything, he dismissed the window. He wanted to figure out the core mechanics.

"So tell me, what can this system actually do? What do I have to do to grow stronger?"

He spoke to the empty air, hoping the system would answer his question. Right on cue, the chimes rang through his mind again.

[Ding!]

-----

[KARMA EXCHANGE SYSTEM]

[Both good and evil deeds will be calculated. Their values will determine the suitable reward in exchange for your Karma. Your actions will shape your karma.]

[The greater the impact of the host’s action, the greater the value of the Karma.]

[After completing an action, the system will calculate the Karma gained and offer several suitable rewards based on its value.]

-----

After reading through the new notifications, Neo realized exactly what he had to do to grow stronger. The more good or bad deeds he performed, the more impact he caused on other people, which resulted in Karma. The more Karma he gathered, the better the rewards he would receive.

It was a great system. Well, maybe not as broken as the male lead’s system, which handed out rewards based on affection points and conquering heroines. Neo, on the other hand, earned rewards based on his actual actions and deeds.

"This system suits me much better. At least it keeps me far away from clingy female characters."

Neo dismissed the window, stood up, and walked over to his desk. He climbed up onto the large chair and pulled out a small notebook from his bottom drawer. This was where he wrote all his secret notes.

He picked up a pen from the table and began to write. He poured out every bit of knowledge regarding the cultivation method now stored in his memory. Even though he could already practice the cultivation seamlessly, he was writing it down so he could later compare the technique with the other basic cultivation manuals present inside the grand library of the Draven Mansion.

"Hmm... It seems the cultivation process is comparatively easy. I just have to go inside my inner sanctum, concentrate on the breathing art from the scripture to absorb mana into my body and core, and then learn to temper my physical body. I’ll do this by circulating the mana into different parts and refining the mana core again and again through absorbing and releasing energy."

Neo jumped out of the chair and sat down cross-legged right on the floor. He felt thrilled to finally try out the breathing art properly. He closed his eyes and inhaled, concentrating on the void where his consciousness and senses separated from the physical world. It took him only a few seconds to find himself inside the inner sanctum. He could see his spiritual figure sitting in the center of the dark void, floating in the exact same cross-legged position.

Without waiting another second, he focused on his breathing and started to cultivate using the scripture’s technique. The ambient mana surrounding him began to absorb rapidly into his body, flowing straight into his core. He circulated the mana from the core to each and every part of his body, beginning to temper his muscles and bones. As the initial effects slowed down, he absorbed more mana and circulated it around his body once again. With the continuous process, his core began to refine and strengthen itself.

Neo immersed himself in the cultivation. Sitting alone on the floor of his quiet room, he focused entirely on his training, happily leaving the outside world in the background.