Level 1

"Then what do I need to do?" David asked again.

(Although this place is very dangerous, it's a great place for your training. You can kill zombies here to gain experience which will definitely help you. When you reach level 1, you officially become a cultivator. Plus, you'll get every technique and talent possessed by the zombies you've killed).

"But how do I kill the zombies here?" David smiled wryly, looking at the giant human again.

That creature should be one of the zombies in question.

Kill the creature? David was worried that even a nuclear bomb would be useless.

(Don't worry, Master, there are many cultivators who are still weak. You can start gradually.) The System replied.

"Even the weakest must be stronger than me," David replied.

(That's right!) The system didn't argue. (However, this is the world of cultivation, a place full of spiritual energy. You can start cultivating first, connecting with heaven and earth. Actually, meditating will also increase your EXP. That included consuming Magic Plants or Cultivation Pills. This is the advantage of having the System as it guarantees your cultivation gets results. Other people may not necessarily get results when they cultivate.)

"I see!" David finally nodded, quite happy with the information.

He looked around again, wondering where he was going.

Only, there was one thing he was curious about.

"System, why do people in this world become zombies?"

(I can't answer because I don't know either. My knowledge is still limited because so far I have only been watching this world, not exploring it. I can only explore it with you. My movements will be limited without a host to help me.) System replied.

"So you've never had a host so far?"

(Yes, you're the first, and you're the first to come since I appeared!)

"I basically came because of this ring, does it have any connection with you?" asked David while staring at the ring in his hand.

(It has no connection with me. It should be a remnant of this world that was probably thrown into your world, and obtained by you, a random luck that is common in life among countless living beings.)

"Actually, my little sister got it, I stole it from her," David replied with a quiet laugh.

(There is no ban on stealing in my life, so you don't have to worry, master!) The System suddenly replied with words that David found strange.

David didn't want to discuss that anymore right now, so he sat down.

"Do I just need to meditate to start cultivation?" he asked.

On earth, this could be practiced by everyone as it was said to make one connect with heaven and earth although very few succeeded.

(Yes, here it will definitely work for anyone.)

David then sat cross-legged, closing his eyes without thinking about the danger as there was a System that could tell him.

When he practiced the meditation method he knew, he was so surprised that his eyes opened again.

"I felt it," he said.

Connecting with heaven and earth is the first step where one can feel the presence of spiritual energy clearly and then absorb it into the body, making it merge completely with the body so that the body can generate spiritual energy repeatedly.

The theory seems simple, but for people on earth, this is something very, very difficult. Even for those who succeed, they sometimes still struggle. Some people can absorb spiritual energy quickly, but some are slow, depending on the uniqueness of their body.

However, in this world, it was too easy so David succeeded right away.

(Keep doing it until your EXP increases, Master!) the system said.

David nodded and continued the meditation, more focused than before.

He enjoyed the sensation because here the process was really fast. On earth, he thought that even if he succeeded, he wouldn't be able to absorb spiritual energy as quickly as here due to the lack of spiritual energy there.

As he was immersed in meditation, David didn't even realize how much time had passed.

After a while, he heard the System's voice again.

(Master, your EXP has increased!)

David instantly opened his eyes and looked at his stats on the virtual screen.

Level: 0

EXP: 1%

(Physical: Mortal)

(Soul: Mortal)

(Heart: Mortal)

(Technique: None)

"What, just one percent, how long did I meditate?" said David, dumbfounded by the results.

And System's answer made his expression freeze.

(About 5 hours!)

"5 hours? That's a long time and only one percent."

David almost threw up because he was too shocked.

Of course, now he could feel the spiritual energy inside his body, but it was so thin, he didn't feel any difference in strength at all.

According to his estimation, he had to reach level 1 just to keep up with the current Isabella because the latter was already in the first stage.

(Your talent is not good enough!) System replied.

"Do you have another plan?" asked David.

He didn't mind fighting, but he needed to think about his own strength. If the result was his death, all this would be nonsense.

(Master, to minimize the risk, you only have one way, keep meditating. If you can reach 1% with one hour, that means you need 500 hours, about 20 days.) System replied.

"20 days of meditation? Doesn't that mean I have to do it non-stop?" David really wanted to cry now.

(Don't worry Master, with the spiritual energy here, you will never go hungry while absorbing the spiritual energy. It will also keep you from falling asleep at all as long as it flows into your body. All you need is the determination to endure.)

"Determination?" David looked up at the sky while wondering if he was the type of man who was full of determination.

However, after wondering, he immediately closed his eyes again.

Why doubt his own determination? He sure had a determination as wide as the sky.

He cultivated again, trying to submerge his mind completely.

Fortunately it was true that he didn't feel hungry as he continued to absorb the spiritual energy in this world. He didn't even feel thirsty. It made him feel easier.

The only thing he needed to fight was boredom.

When he thought it was hard, he found that it wasn't that hard because he was used to living with boredom.

Over time, he began to not realize how much time had passed. The system also didn't say anything anymore.

Even whether it was night or day was something he couldn't tell.

To his surprise, the longer he cultivated, he actually started to enjoy it.

He didn't know why he enjoyed it. Perhaps it was because it gave him the sensation of being separated from the complexities of life.

DING!

(Congratulations, your EXP has reached 100%. You are level 1)

Level: 1

EXP: 0%

(Physical: Mortal)

(Soul: Mortal)

(Heart: Mortal)

(Technique: None)

David of course immediately opened his eyes when he heard the notification from the System.

Seeing the changes to his stats, he finally became excited.

Indeed, his EXP returned to 0%, but now he was at level 1.

He could feel a different sensation from his body.

It was the sensation of having power.

According to his estimates, he can now run up to three times faster, jump up to three times higher, and perform various complicated movements such as somersaults.

"I don't think it's bad if I keep practicing like this," David said.

Different experiences, different thoughts.

David's thinking changed after that long cultivation because he didn't feel it was as bad as he thought before he did it.

Compared to people on earth, he probably progressed faster just by closing his eyes here.

(That's a good choice, Master. However, you need to remember that at higher levels, cultivation will be slower. You need 20 days to reach level 1. To reach level 2 from level 1, you might need 100 days while you can reach level 2 within a day if you kill enough zombies.) The system answers David's words.