Han Ye: "System, I need to complete my mission and get that Drake Essence before this aura kills me. How do I get out of this mountain range?"
[ Recommendation: Harvest the corpse of the Demonic Wolf. It contains a low-grade 'Beast Core' which can be consumed for a minor temporary boost to Stamina, and its fur can be used for warmth. ]
[ Pathfinding: The nearest exit of the Wànyāo Shānmǎi is three days' travel North, toward the Sun Empire border. ]
Han Ye didn't hesitate. He was a survivor, not a hero. He picked up the dagger and knelt beside the carcass, ready to harvest his first resource.
He stuffed the beast core into his torn tunic pocket and quickly began stripping the wolf fur, wrapping it roughly around his chest for temporary warmth. The ground vibrated more intensely now. The sound of heavy footsteps was getting closer.
[ Warning: Source detected. Tier 3 Shadow Bear approaching from the North-West. ]
[ Threat Level: Extreme (to Host). This beast is the equivalent of a Peak Body Tempering cultivator. ]
[ Recommendation: Use stealth and Mind stat (5) to evade. Avoid confrontation. ]
Han Ye didn't need the system to tell him a strength of a Peak Body Tempering cultivator was a death sentence. He was still a weak mortal.
The rumbling footsteps of the Tier 3 Shadow Bear were closer now, a rhythmic vibration in the black earth. Staying put meant certain death. Running with an Agility of 1 was futile.
Han Ye pulled the pulsing Tier 1 Demonic Wolf Core from his tunic pocket. He didn't hesitate.
[ Command accepted. Warning: Core is corrupted by Demonic Aura. Consumption by a mortal entity has a 95% chance of physical corruption and a 50% chance of soul corruption. ]
[ Does Host wish to proceed? YES / NO ]
Han Ye: "I've been corrupted by the Han Clan for seventeen years. What's a little demonic aura?" (His voice was cold steel.) "Proceed."
He swallowed the core whole. It felt like swallowing a burning coal. A fiery pain exploded in his stomach, rapidly spreading throughout his limbs. This wasn't the clean, grinding pain of the 'Heart of Taichu' residue; this was a toxic, searing agony that threatened to tear his body apart.
He had gone through hell in the Han Clan, through betrayal and near-death, but this was a new level of torment. He gritted his teeth until blood ran from his lips, his average mind focused purely on enduring the pain.
[ Demonic Core Absorption: 10%... 40%... Host's will stabilizing the process... 80%... ]
[ Demonic Aura neutralized by residual Sovereign Will. Corruption averted. ]
[ Absorption Complete. ]
The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of raw, physical power. His weak, mortal muscles tightened and bulged, veins on his arms briefly turning black before settling back to normal.
[ Tier 1 Demonic Wolf Core successfully refined into Essence. ]
[ Rewards: 30 Stat Points temporary ]
[ Recommendation: Distribute Stat Points now. ]
Han Ye: "System, put 10 points into Strength and 10 points into Agility. Evenly distribute among my stats." (He remembered his earlier request, prioritizing survival.)
[ Distribution Complete. Opening Status Window... ]
STATUS ]
Name: Han Ye
Age: 17
Cultivation: Mortal Realm: Level 1 (Body Tempering)
[ STATS ]
Strength: 12 (Up from original 2)
Stamina: 13 (Up from original 3)
Agility: 11 (Up from original 1)
Mind: 5
Han Ye jumped to his feet. He felt light and fast. The ground vibrated violently nearby. The bear was almost here.
He spun on his heel and ran. He didn't follow a path; he ran for the northern border of the mountains, a blur in the purple mist. He didn't look back at the place that nearly killed him.
"Wànyāo Shānmǎi," he thought, his eyes burning crimson with a promise. "I will leave this hell, but I will return. When I am strong enough, I will bathe these mountains in blood."