Three days later, Ah You took the second Foundation Strengthening Pill.
He'd learned from the first one. This time he did it at the Arena, in one of the private meditation chambers Kenneth provided for sponsored fighters. The room was reinforced, warded against energy leakage, and had emergency medical equipment on standby.
Zara and Ivy waited outside, just in case.
"You sure about this?" Ivy had asked before he went in. "Your body just went through massive transformation. Stacking another pill this soon..."
"Melissa said three days between doses. It's been three days."
"Melissa also deals with harvesters who die regularly. Maybe her timeline is aggressive."
But Ah You couldn't afford to wait. The Shadow Tournament was in two and a half weeks. He needed every edge he could get.
The second pill hurt worse than the first.
Maybe because his body was still adapting to the changes from the previous one. Maybe because the pills got progressively harder to absorb. Either way, the pain was transcendent.
But this time, Ah You was prepared.
He'd spent the past three days studying Datuk Ismail's cultivation manual. The book was old – handwritten on yellowed paper, diagrams that looked like they were drawn centuries ago. But the techniques were solid.
Energy circulation patterns. Breathing methods to regulate internal power. Mental frameworks for directing cultivation energy into specific attributes or abilities.
As the pill's energy flooded his system, Ah You didn't fight it or just endure it. He guided it.
Into Perception. Sharpen my senses. Expand my awareness.
The energy responded, flowing along the pathways described in the cultivation manual. It hurt, but it was controlled hurt. Focused hurt.
[ADVANCED ENERGY CULTIVATION DETECTED]
[You are manually directing Foundation Energy]
[Efficiency increased by 40%]
[Additional benefits calculating...]
The levels came faster this time:
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 11!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 12!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 13!]
But Ah You didn't stop at just leveling. He pushed the energy specifically into his Nature Sense ability, forcing it to evolve, to expand, to become more than it was.
[NATURE SENSE LV3 experiencing energy saturation]
[Absorbing excess foundation energy...]
[UPGRADE AVAILABLE]
[Accept upgrade to Nature Sense LV4? This will consume remaining pill energy.]
[WARNING: Upgrading abilities with foundation energy is risky but potentially very rewarding]
Ah You selected yes without hesitation.
The pain tripled.
His Nature Sense exploded outward. Suddenly he could feel every plant in a fifty-meter radius. Not just sense them – understand them. Their age, their health, their genetic makeup, their evolutionary history.
He could sense the insects living in the plants. The bacteria in the soil. The fungal networks connecting root systems underground. The entire ecosystem laid bare to his perception.
[NATURE SENSE UPGRADED TO LV4]
[Range: 50 meters]
[Can now sense micro-organisms and fungal networks]
[Can communicate complex concepts to plants, not just simple commands]
[Can temporarily enhance plant properties (growth speed, toxin production, structural strength)]
[New Understanding Unlocked: Plant Symbiosis]
Ah You's consciousness expanded with his ability. For a moment, he wasn't just himself – he was connected to the vast network of life around him. Every plant, every tiny organism, all part of one massive living system.
Then it snapped back, and he was just Ah You again.
But changed.
Fundamentally, irrevocably changed.
[BLOODLINE AWAKENING PROGRESS: 25%]
[THRESHOLD REACHED]
[New Bloodline Ability Unlocked: Guardian's Territory]
[Description: Designate an area as your territory. Within this space, all plants are extensions of your will, your senses are amplified, and your abilities cost 50% less MP. Current maximum territory size: 10 square meters]
[Cooldown: 24 hours]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
Ah You opened his eyes.
Six hours had passed. His body was drenched in sweat. Every muscle ached.
But he was Level 13.
And he had a domain ability.
The door opened. Zara poked her head in. "You alive?"
"Barely."
"Good enough. Get out here. You need to see something."
Ah You staggered out of the meditation chamber. His legs were shaky but functional.
Ivy was standing in the training area, staring at something.
A plant. Growing from a crack in the concrete floor.
Except it hadn't been there when Ah You entered the meditation chamber six hours ago.
"You did this," Ivy said, pointing. "While you were cultivating. Your energy was leaking out, and plants started growing everywhere within fifty meters. The Arena had to deploy suppression wards to contain it."
Ah You looked around. Sure enough, there were glowing formations on the walls – temporary magical barriers Kenneth's people must have set up.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"Don't apologize. Do you understand what this means?" Ivy's eyes were wide with excitement. "Your ambient energy alone can stimulate plant growth. That's not normal, even for Nature-types. That's bloodline manifestation. Your Guardian lineage is waking up."
Kenneth appeared from his office. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got run over by a truck. But alive."
"Good. Because we need to talk." Kenneth gestured to his office. "All three of you. Now."
---
Kenneth's office had three other people waiting.
Marcus and Aisha from the Independent Fighters Coalition.
And someone new – a woman in her sixties, Chinese, wearing traditional changshan dress. Her presence was overwhelming, even sitting still.
[WARNING: EXTREME THREAT DETECTED]
[Level ??? - Beyond current assessment capability]
[Recommend: Maximum respect and caution]
"This is Madam Feng," Kenneth introduced. "You saw her at the board meeting. She's asked to meet you personally."
Madam Feng studied Ah You with eyes that seemed to see through him.
"Sit, boy," she said. Not unkindly, but with absolute authority.
Ah You sat.
"You've reached Level 13 in less than three weeks. Remarkable. Reckless. But remarkable." She poured tea with practiced movements. "You're also walking into the Shadow Tournament, which suggests either great courage or great stupidity. I'm here to determine which."
"I'm here to win," Ah You said.
"Confident. I like that." Madam Feng sipped her tea. "But confidence without knowledge is just arrogance. What do you know about the tournament?"
"Almost nothing. Just that it's invitation-only, high stakes, and has prizes that can push people to Level 15."
"Accurate but incomplete. Let me educate you." She set down her cup. "The Shadow Tournament is organized by a coalition of underground esper organizations across Southeast Asia. Triad connections, black market dealers, wealthy collectors, politicians who can't be seen publicly supporting esper activities. It's where the real power brokers test new talent."
Marcus added, "Winners get recruited. Offered positions in organizations that operate outside normal legal frameworks. High pay, dangerous work, serious consequences for failure."
"Sounds like what I've already signed up for," Ah You muttered.
Madam Feng's lips twitched. "You've made a deal with Melissa Chen. I know. Nothing happens in Kuching's esper community without my knowledge."
She pulled out a tablet and showed him footage from previous Shadow Tournaments.
Brutal fights. No safety measures. Abilities used at full lethal potential. Ah You watched someone get their arm torn off by what looked like a giant wolf made of shadows. Watched a fire esper burn their opponent so badly the medics couldn't save them.
"Last year's tournament," Madam Feng said. "Forty-three participants. Seven deaths. Nineteen serious injuries. Twelve made it through to the finals. Three won prizes significant enough to change their trajectories."
"And you're telling me this to scare me into withdrawing?"
"I'm telling you this so you understand what you're walking into. The Arena has rules. The tournament doesn't. Killing is discouraged but not prohibited. Permanent injury is common. Cheating is expected as long as you don't get caught."
Ivy spoke up. "Then why let it continue? Why don't the authorities shut it down?"
"Because the authorities are often sponsors," Madam Feng said bluntly. "Politicians, wealthy families, even some government officials use the tournament to identify and recruit talented espers for their own purposes. It's a meat market dressed up as competition."
Aisha leaned forward. "We're not telling you to quit. We're telling you to prepare properly. You're Level 13 now, which is respectable. But you'll be facing fighters from across the region. Some Level 15, some with abilities specifically designed for killing. You need advantages."
"What kind of advantages?"
Kenneth pulled out a metal case and opened it. Inside were three items:
A pair of leather gloves with strange inscriptions.
A small jade pendant.
A vial of silver liquid.
"Arena sponsorship comes with benefits," Kenneth said. "These are on loan for the tournament. First item – combat gloves inscribed with minor enhancement formations. They'll boost your physical strikes by 30% and protect your hands from most standard attacks."
"Second item," Marcus said, pointing to the pendant. "Protective talisman. One-time use. If you're hit with a potentially lethal attack, it automatically activates a shield. Might save your life."
"Third," Aisha finished, "is a battle stimulant. Increases reaction speed and pain tolerance for thirty minutes. Side effects include exhaustion and nausea afterward, but better than dead."
Ah You looked at the items. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because you're one of ours," Marcus said simply. "Arena sponsored. Coalition backed. You do well, we all benefit. You die stupidly, it reflects badly on us. Enlightened self-interest."
Madam Feng stood. "I have one more gift. Come."
She led them out of Kenneth's office, down to a restricted section of the Arena Ah You had never seen before.
A vault. Temperature controlled. Humidity regulated. Shelves lined with items that radiated power.
"This is the Arena's treasury," Madam Feng explained. "Accumulated over forty years of operation. Confiscated items, donated equipment, prizes never claimed. Most of it is for sale or long-term loan to high-ranking members."
She walked to a specific shelf and pulled out a wooden box.
"This, however, is for you. A gift, not a loan."
Inside the box was a seed. Just one seed, about the size of a marble, with swirling green and gold patterns on its surface.
Ah You's Nature Sense immediately recognized it as something extraordinary.
[SPIRIT SEED DETECTED]
[Type: Unknown]
[Energy Signature: Extremely High]
[Recommendation: Plant in high-energy environment for optimal growth]
"What is it?" Ah You breathed.
"I don't know," Madam Feng admitted. "It was recovered from a ruins in Sabah fifteen years ago. Every plant specialist we've consulted says it's valuable but can't identify the species. It won't germinate under normal conditions – we've tried. But you're a Nature-type with Guardian bloodline. Perhaps it will respond to you."
She placed the box in his hands.
"Plant it when you're ready. If it grows into something useful, good. If not, at least we finally get an answer about what it is."
Ah You held the box carefully. The seed inside pulsed with energy he could feel even through the wood.
"Thank you. I... I don't know what to say."
"Say nothing. Just win the tournament and don't die stupidly. That's thanks enough." Madam Feng smiled, the first genuine warmth she'd shown. "Now get out. You have training to do."
---
The next ten days were hell.
Zara designed a training program that pushed Ah You to his absolute limits and then kept pushing.
Morning: Combat drills. Sparring against multiple opponents simultaneously. Learning to maintain Nature Sense while under physical assault. Dodging, blocking, counter-attacking, all while managing MP consumption.
Afternoon: Ability training with Ivy. Learning to combine their Nature abilities, developing combo attacks, building the trust required for synchronized combat. They discovered that with resonance, they could share MP pools temporarily – a massive advantage if used correctly.
Evening: Study. Memorizing the two hundred plant species for Melissa's harvesting work. Reviewing tournament footage from previous years. Analyzing fighting styles, looking for patterns, finding weaknesses to exploit.
Night: Cultivation. Using Datuk Ismail's manual to refine his energy circulation, strengthen his foundation, prepare his body for the third and final pill.
Ah You barely slept. His body was running on adrenaline, determination, and whatever supernatural resilience his enhanced stats provided.
On day seven, he took the third Foundation Strengthening Pill.
This time, there was no pain.
Just... transformation.
His body had adapted. The first two pills had restructured him enough that the third one flowed smoothly, almost naturally, like water following an established channel.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 14!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 15!]
[MAJOR THRESHOLD REACHED]
[You have entered the Mid-Tier Esper realm]
[New features unlocking...]
[BLOODLINE AWAKENING PROGRESS: 35%]
[All abilities strengthened significantly]
[New Shop Items Available]
[Esper Point rewards increased for future achievements]
Level 15. The level Melissa said was minimum for actual harvesting work. The level most tournament participants would be at or above.
He'd made it.
Ah You opened his full status screen:
[SARAWAK ESPER SYSTEM]
[HOST: Li Ah You]
[LEVEL: 15 (782/4000 EXP to Level 16)]
[BLOODLINE: Rainforest Guardian (108th Generation) - Awakening Progress: 35%]
[HP: 280/280]
[MP: 180/180]
[ATTRIBUTES:]
- Strength: 25 (+7 from Level 13)
- Agility: 23 (+7)
- Intelligence: 35 (+10)
- Perception: 42 (+12)
[ABILITIES:]
- Nature Sense LV4
- Basic Combat Awareness LV2 UPGRADED
- Nature's Resilience (Passive)
- Energy Cultivation LV2 UPGRADED
- Guardian's Territory (Bloodline Ability)
[TITLES:]
- Natural Merchant
- Discerning Eye
- Arena Survivor
- Giant Slayer
- Underdog King
- Foundation Builder
- Mid-Tier Warrior NEW
[ESPER POINTS: 860]
Perception at 42. That was probably exceptional even for Level 15. His other stats had grown proportionally, making him well-rounded rather than specialized.
The shop had new items:
[SHOP - AVAILABLE ITEMS]
[Nature's Wrath (Active Skill) - 500 Esper Points]
[Root Network (Passive Skill) - 300 Esper Points]
[Forest Guardian Form (Transformation Ability) - 1200 Esper Points]
[Description: Temporarily merge with plant life, becoming a hybrid plant-human entity. Massive stat boost, regeneration, photosynthesis-based energy recovery. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours.]
[Seed Vault (Storage Ability) - 400 Esper Points]
[Description: Create dimensional storage space for seeds and plant materials. Keeps them in stasis, perfect for field harvesting.]
Forest Guardian Form was tempting but expensive. He'd need 340 more Esper Points.
Root Network at 300 was affordable now.
Seed Vault was practical for the harvesting work.
Nature's Wrath would give him actual offensive abilities.
Ah You bought Nature's Wrath and Root Network.
[Purchase Complete: Nature's Wrath - 500 EP]
[Purchase Complete: Root Network - 300 EP]
[Remaining Esper Points: 60]
[NATURE'S WRATH (ACTIVE SKILL) ACQUIRED]
[Channel plant life energy into offensive attacks]
[Available Attacks: Thorn Projectiles, Acidic Sap Spray, Explosive Seed Pods, Strangling Vines]
[MP Cost: Varies by attack (20-50 MP per use)]
[ROOT NETWORK (PASSIVE SKILL) ACQUIRED]
[Establish mental connection to plants in 100-meter radius]
[Sense disturbances, threats, and changes through root systems]
[Functions as early warning system and area surveillance]
Now he had real offensive capabilities. And a way to sense danger before it arrived.
Zara tested his new abilities immediately.
"Show me Nature's Wrath," she demanded.
They went to the outdoor training area. Ah You focused on a practice dummy thirty feet away.
Thorn Projectiles.
He extended his hand toward a nearby bush. Thorns grew rapidly, hardened, then launched like bullets. They struck the dummy with enough force to penetrate the reinforced padding.
[MP: 160/180]
"Good. Again. Different attack."
Explosive Seed Pods.
Ah You grew seed pods on a vine, supercharged them with energy, and launched them. They stuck to the dummy and exploded three seconds later with enough force to knock it over.
[MP: 135/180]
"Excellent. You're actually dangerous now," Zara said with satisfaction. "Before, you were creative but limited. Now you've got real firepower."
Ivy had been watching. "Try the acid spray on that wooden post."
Ah You focused on a pitcher plant growing nearby, encouraged it to produce its digestive enzymes, then concentrated and projected the acidic sap.
A stream of caustic liquid shot from his palm, hitting the wooden post. The wood began smoking, dissolving where the acid touched.
[MP: 115/180]
"Okay, that's terrifying," Ivy said. "Remind me never to make you angry."
They spent the next three days drilling combination attacks.
Ivy would create wooden barriers while Ah You launched projectiles over them. Or Ah You would grow entangling vines while Ivy hardened them into spikes. Or both would channel energy into a single plant simultaneously, creating attacks neither could do alone.
By day ten, they were fighting like they'd been partners for years.
Kenneth watched one of their sparring sessions and nodded approvingly. "You two are ready. Maybe even favored to reach the tournament finals."
"What about the other participants?" Ah You asked. "Any intel?"
"Some. The tournament organizers released a partial roster this morning." Kenneth pulled it up on his tablet.
Forty-two confirmed participants. Names, levels, ability types listed.
Most were Level 14-17. A few were Level 18+.
One name stood out: Victor Chen - Level 19 - Shadow Manipulation
"Victor Chen is the favorite to win," Kenneth explained. "He's won two previous regional tournaments. Known for brutal efficiency and zero mercy. If you face him, forfeit. Don't try to be a hero."
Ah You scanned the rest of the list.
Sarah Tan - Level 16 - Metal Control
Razak bin Abdullah - Level 17 - Beast Tamer
Liu Mei - Level 15 - Illusion
And near the bottom: Li Ah You - Level 15 - Nature
His level was accurate. They must have checked recently.
"Tournament starts tomorrow night," Marcus said. "Location will be sent to participants six hours before. Bring only what you can carry – no support teams, no outside equipment beyond what you're wearing. It's you alone out there."
"What's the format?"
"Bracket-style elimination. Random pairings for first round. Forty-two participants means twenty-one first-round matches. Winners advance, losers go home. Continue until there's a final champion."
"So I need to win..." Ah You calculated, "six matches to take the championship?"
"If you make it that far. Most participants are eliminated in the first two rounds." Aisha handed him a folder. "These are the profiles we've built on likely opponents. Study them. Know their abilities, their weaknesses, their fighting styles."
That night, Ah You barely slept again.
He studied the profiles. Memorized attack patterns. Visualized scenarios.
His phone buzzed at 3 AM. Linda:
Good luck tomorrow. The consortium is betting on you. Literally. Don't disappoint.
Another text from Ivy:
Can't sleep either? Want to do midnight practice?
They ended up training until dawn. Nothing intense, just flowing through combinations, building muscle memory, reinforcing their resonance.
As the sun rose over Kuching, Ah You stood on the Arena roof, looking out at the city.
Somewhere out there, forty-one other fighters were preparing for the same tournament.
Some stronger, some more experienced, some with abilities specifically designed to kill.
But none of them had what he had: desperation turned into determination, three weeks of hell training, a Guardian bloodline starting to awaken, and allies who actually gave a damn whether he lived or died.
His phone chimed.
The message he'd been waiting for:
[SHADOW TOURNAMENT - LOCATION REVEALED]
[Abandoned warehouse complex, Jalan Pending]
[Registration: 6 PM]
[First matches: 8 PM]
[Bring your courage. Leave your mercy. Only the strong will survive.]
Twelve hours.
Ah You took a deep breath of the morning air and headed down to grab breakfast.
He had a tournament to win.
---
[To Be Continued]