Consuming the 10,000-Year-Old Lighting Fruit

After moving a couple of kilometers away from the danger zone, Karsha stopped and opened his domain in the safe zone.

< The host can now compress the size of the domain to make it sturdier against outside attacks. >

The domain was originally 3 kilometers in radius, covering a wide area whenever he activated it. However, having a large domain meant reduced sturdiness. Now that the domain was Tier 8 with an S rating, Karsha could reduce its radius, thereby increasing the sturdiness of the outer layers. Using this newfound ability, Karsha reduced the domain to a 100-meter radius.

"System, how strong is the outer layer of the domain?" After reducing the radius, Karsha felt the domain grow significantly stronger.

< It can handle multiple Tier 7 attacks for an hour. >

"Well then, I guess I don't always have to come back to the safe zone in the future," Karsha said as he sat in a lotus posture and retrieved the Lightning Fruit.

<10,000 Lightning Fruit>

The fruit of legends. It is said to contain pure lightning energy drawn from the heart of the storm. Those who manage to consume it are blessed with immense lightning power and speed.

[Effects]

-- Elemental Awakening: Upon consumption, the user will awaken the lightning element, granting them the power to channel the storm at will.

-- Enhanced Agility: The consumer will experience a significant boost in their speed permanently.

-- Thunder Blood: Those blessed by the heavens will gain white lightning, while those cursed by hell will gain dark lightning.

"Well, this is right up my alley." With determination, Karsha tossed the 10,000-year-old Lightning Fruit into his mouth and began to chew.

"Argh!" Karsha screamed as he felt an intense surge of electricity coursing through his body when he swallowed the fruit. His entire body turned red as lightning started to course through his blood vessels and meridians.

"Damn it, why is this so painful?" Karsha cursed through gritted teeth, enduring the agony pulsating through his body.

< Host, absorb the energy, and circulate it through your body. >

The system directed Karsha, who was in great pain, to immediately start absorbing the energy. As soon as he did, he felt the pain gradually lessening.

"Damn it, system, why didn't you say something five minutes ago?" Karsha cursed again. If the system had spoken up earlier, he wouldn't have suffered as much.

"What is this feeling?" Karsha wondered inwardly as he continued to absorb and circulate the energy through his body. "Why are there two energies inside my body, and why are they fighting each other?"

< Ding! Congratulations, you have received both white and dark lightning. >

< Ding! New Quest >< Combine the two energies to form the ancient lightning called Yin-Yang. >< Reward >-- Lightning Scroll (Manual containing ways of the storm)

"Way ahead of you, system. I come from Earth, where the legend of Yin-Yang is widely known. All I need to do is find the state of attunement where light and darkness can coexist without conflict," Karsha declared. With calm resolve, he began to slow his breathing.

If a monk were present, they would instantly recognize the technique Karsha was employing. It was a powerful method called 'Panda Inner Peace' that allowed the user to enter a state of profound inner calm, enabling them to understand everything clearly without being distracted by external influences.

Unlike enlightenment, the 'Panda Inner Peace' technique is more akin to a deep breathing method, but it goes much deeper. It taps into the core of the human body, slowing down its interaction with the surroundings. In this state, everything within the subconscious becomes as clear as the sky and as plain as white cloth.

Karsha had spent a year in a monastery in China after returning from his first tour in Afghanistan. Having lost many friends, he sought to clear his mind and find inner peace. He was in a dark place then, but thanks to the teachings of the monks, he managed to overcome his turmoil. He learned many valuable things during his time there, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would need those teachings in a real cultivation world.

'Monk Huan was right, knowledge is indeed power,' Karsha said inwardly as he began playing with the dark and white lightning. Despite the yin and yang lightning clashing like titans, He made it appear effortless, and within ten minutes, system notifications started popping up.

< Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully combined the energies to form Yin-Yang Lightning. >

< Ding! Quest Completed >< Reward: Lightning Scroll (Manual containing ways of the storm) >

< Ding! +200 has been added to strength and agility, All lighting base skills have received a tier upgrade. >

< Name: Karsha Damon >

< Age: 19 >

< Sex: Male >

< Race: Human >

< Class: Berserker Swordsman >

< Title: None >

< Bloodline: Berserker Mutant Tiger >

< Realm: Grandmaster-Lvl 1 >

< STR: 1,410 / DEF: 1,310 / AGL: 1,280 / HEA: 1,160 / STA: 1,160 / INT: 2,670 >

< Attack Power: 1800 ~ 2380 >

< Mana: 200,000 >

< Charm: 100 >

< Fame: 0 >

< Exp: 20,000/1,900,000 >

SP: 4,700

KP: 806,000

ST: 39,000

Exp: 10,500,000

< Elementals >

[ Yin-yang Lightning: Low]

< Technique >

[ Tiger strike ]

< Skills >

< Passive >

[Imitate]/ [Thrust]/ [Berserker Fury]/ [ Sword intent]/ [ Rapid Regenerate ]

< Active >

[Red Eye Tiger: SSE] (Tier 11) / [ Berserker Fury: A ] (Tier 5) / [ Rage Swordsman: A ] (Tier 5) / [ Death Move: S ] (Tier 5) ]

"I like the new interface," Karsha joked as a mix of white and black lightning danced around his arm. "I feel more powerful."

Standing up, he unsheathed his swords. Instantly, the blades were enveloped in Yin-Yang lightning.

"That feeling again. Damn it, when is it going to manifest itself?" The same tingling sensation he had felt in his sword reappeared. However, this time he didn't pay it any attention, focusing instead on the Yin-Yang lightning.

"Let's see how powerful you are," he said, swinging the sword with terrifying strength. A surge of black and white lightning shot out in the form of a razor-sharp arc and slammed into the wall of the domain.

Boom! A huge explosion occurred upon impact, creating a massive hole in the domain. But as if that wasn't enough, the entire domain started shaking and, in an instant, crumbled.

"Kwark," Karsha coughed out blood as the domain collapsed. "Damn it, that was dangerous," he muttered.

"Thud." Karsha felt a thump, prompting him to look down. "Damn it," he cursed again, seeing his Dragon Fury sword melted down to the hilt.

The attack was too powerful for the sword, causing it to melt. The Yin-Yang lightning is a formidable element that only a few have access to. Its terrifying power comes from the direct sources of lightning, known as the heart of the storm.

While many possess lightning-based elements, only a select few draw their lightning from the source itself. Others merely tap into it through secondary channels. This distinction makes the lightning from the heart of the storm particularly terrifying.

It contains pure lightning energy, devoid of impurities. Karsha, however, has not only merged the Yin (dark lightning) and Yang (white lightning), but he has achieved perfect synchronization between the two.

Because of this, he has the potential to channel large amounts of energy from the source without any drawbacks. The higher his understanding of the element, the more terrifying the force he can wield.

"System, you better keep your promise. Where is the manual you promised?" Karsha demanded with an evil grin, having activated the domain once again.

< Congratulations, you have received a Divine grade scroll, "Heart of the Storm" >

"That's more like it." Karsha retrieved the book almost immediately after receiving the message. A blue-covered scroll appeared in his hands, its cover depicting a lone figure bathed in lightning, wielding two raised swords.

He opened it, revealing a single paragraph on the first page.

"Hmm, after thousands of years of trying, I finally managed to create this technique. But alas, it's too late for me to use it. Time sure has a way of playing with us. I will be leaving this scroll behind, and whoever gets hold of it should know this - the heart of the storm is not for the weak-hearted. Fare thee well, I hope we meet again someday."

<Ding! Does the host wish to learn this technique?>

"Yes, I want to learn it," Karsha responded, expecting another wave of information to flood his mind. To his surprise, only a complex diagram imprinted itself in his mind without any discomfort.

It felt as though his mind had ample space for storing vast amounts of information. Karsha's mental state was indeed monstrous. This might be due to the teachings he obtained from the monks back on Earth, or perhaps he was naturally gifted with a powerful mind and photographic memory.

That might be the case, but it wasn't the whole story. While Karsha was naturally gifted in mental strength, his comprehension ability—essentially his IQ—was truly monstrous.

Even back on Earth, his intelligence in leading soldiers was on an entirely different level. Now that he could enhance his intelligence, it had grown exponentially, enabling him to understand almost anything with ease.

He was able to learn the entire technique instantly; the only thing left was practice and deeper understanding. With his exceptional talent, he might even surpass the creator of the lightning comprehension technique sooner than expected.

Karsha then opened the message for the quest he had completed while securing the aligning fruit. He ignored the rest and went straight to the hidden reward he had won after killing the monsters in close combat.

< Ding! Congratulations, you have unlocked a new system feature; Soul Sub Space >