Chapter 6 - Getting Stronger

After the whole day of search and just before the sunset, Kyle found a cave that seemed to be uninhabited.

The main reason for that was most likely the holes in the floor and ceiling that leaked cold air at night, and water. That, on the other hand, didn't really bother Kyle, he had to learn how to use this system to survive, and he had to do it now. Also, the back of the cave had an arid* area where he could set everything up.

The first thing Kyle did was to start setting up traps and alarms. If anyone got into the cave from the front he would know straight away. He also stuffed leaves and branches that he found nearby into the holes as to better insolate the cave.

Next thing was fire. Kyle has never, even in his wildest dreams imagined that he needed the skill of making fire. He always lived in the city, and that skill was useless. Now though the wind was getting cooler and cooler and he would get ill if he didn't light up a bonfire. Also, he knew from novels that animals feared fire and that would help him protect himself.

After setting everything up and spending around 2 hours hitting rocks with each other next to the dry twig, he managed to produce the spark and lit the fire. His hands were bloodied and blue from the freezing air. As soon as he managed to lit the fire, he put all off the branches onto the top and went to sleep on the dry twigs that he put around the cave.

The night was scary, with many beasts coming out to hunt during the night. The howls and the noises of hunting were all around the forest. Kyle, on the other hand, slept like a baby. It seemed that the transformation really did take a toll on him.

Once Kyle woke up, he saw that the fire was still going strong and that his second pile of branches that he collected yesterday, to use for another day was burning as well.

'I thought the system said that I had increased luck! So is this the infamous negative stat bug?' Kyle got up and went closer to the first bonfire.

As soon as he got close a 3 notifications appeared:

[ Do you want to absorb? ]

'Those must be some insects and bugs that were cooked and killed together with the branches. That is good to know that I don't have to be the sole killer in order to be able to collect the energy.

Kyle clicked [Yes] 3 times not really understanding what he was absorbing.

The first and second grey energy was the same as the one from the bunny, although a little less; it streaked into his bone and was flying around in his dantian. All of the 3 energies combined into 1 small bud that started rotating faster.

Kyle already wanted to start meditating, just like he saw in the animes and novels about cultivation. But then suddenly red energy started flowing into his body, it was domineering, too domineering. Kyle got hot at first, and it felt nice, but after all of the energy went into his body, he couldn't bear the heating up process, and he dropped to the ground screaming in agony and clenching his head.

After what felt like an eternity to Kyle, the heating up stoped and in his dantian next to the 3 energy streaks, a red flame was dancing around. The flame felt very immature and even juvenile. It danced around his dantian while really enjoying himself.

Kyle was sweating, and his whole body was hurting, he also really wanted to drink water as he totally forgot about it the day before. Plus the consumption of that flame energy dehydrated him.

'I have to sort this out straight away, the world is too dangerous out there,' Kyle sat down and started to imitate cultivators from his memory when they meditated. He suddenly felt it. He felt like his mind was sinking on another consciousness level, and after around 30 minutes of constant mind absence, he was finally able to feel some higher presence inside of him.

Once Kyle touched onto this realm, everything suddenly changed. There was a sudden flash of light which caused him to open his eyes because of the radiance. He was now in the space that was only white. There was nothing else, white floor and unlimited space of nothingness.

Once he adjusted to the brightness, he was able to finally see an interface right in front of him.

[ Do you accept the inheritance of Live? ]

[ Yes ]

If this is the only lucky opportunity I get, I have to seek it!' Kyle, without the hesitation, hit the Yes.

The key appeared from the sky, and it was dropping very fast straight at Kyle, the key wasn't that big, and once he tried to grab it with his hand, it went through it, the key went into his body and into his dantian.

Kyle focused on what that key was doing, and he suddenly heard and felt the door opening noise. At the same time, his body felt extremely light, and his head emotions were like a clean lake, lacking any negatives.

Together with the key, a book dropped following it. As the book dropped and stopped right in front of Kyle, it started flipping the pages by itself, and some unknown energy started going into Kyle's head. He could feel that some ancient and unknown knowledge was being transferred to him. This caused a splitting pain, and he had to somehow endure it to not blank out.

After all of the book's information got transferred, the world disappeared, and Kyle found himself sitting at the same cave that he was in.

But, once he tried to feel his dantian, he couldn't believe himself, there was a large whirlpool swimming around that had grey and red energy swirling inside. That whirlpool flashed from time to time, still absorbing some energy that was left inside his body.

Kyle got the feeling of immediate danger from it. It was very tyrannical.

[You have to feed this whirlpool energy, or otherwise, it will start taking your life energy to power itself]

'What?! Okay, I have to do it fast! I don't want this lucky encounter to take my life!' Kyle knew that no good thing came without the challenges.

Kyle Started putting leaves up to hide the cave entrance so that when he comes later to sleep here, he won't find any beasts inside. Also, he set up even more traps.

One of the things that he worked for a bit yesterday was some wooden stick the size of an arm that he sharpened on both ends, it looked similar to a cave person mace. This was Kyle weapon, the sword that he wanted to get ever since he fought with that bunny.

He got everything in order and set to the lake that he saw in the long-distance inside the forest.

It was time to drink water and feed the whirlpool inside of him with energy.

The system that was a constant part of Kyle's struggles didn't respond to any of his probings. It only showed notifications and displayed interface if Kyle met special requirements it magically placed upon some of the things. In reality, there should have been a tutorial, but the specific circumstances at which Kyle got transported into this world made it so the system was different from others. Kyle was sure of it.

Arid* - Very dry