Chapter 9, The Power Derived from Eating (Part 1)

Heide was listening intently to Magic's words, as he could often glean a great deal of accurate information from these somewhat distorted rumors. This information not only allowed him to validate his own conjectures, but more importantly, it could serve as a reference for the cultivation direction he had chosen.

For instance, if He De knows of a top-tier cultivation path, it begins with the consumption of low-level lizard-type magical beast cores, progresses to the consumption of various grades of sub-dragon cores in the mid-stages, and ultimately can develop into a "Dragon Vein Master" with strength surpassing that of a king-level dragon-type magical beast. However, the "Dragon Vein Master" is a closely guarded secret of the Degens family, one of the four great noble families in the imperial capital. What would happen if a commoner, with no ties to them, shows signs of becoming a "Dragon Vein Master" after several years? Ultimately, it can grow into a "Dragon Vein Master" with strength surpassing that of a king-level dragon-type magical beast, but the "Dragon Vein Master" is a closely guarded secret of the Degens family, one of the four great noble families in the imperial capital. What would happen if a commoner, with no ties to them, shows signs of becoming a "Dragon Vein Master" after several years?

In any world, the machinery of the state will employ various methods to restrict the development of individual power. A world where everyone is a superhuman is, in fact, the most dangerous and unstable. At least until the civilization of a world reaches a corresponding level of development, this situation is unlikely to change significantly

As for the alienated cultivation path... traversing back to the era of the black-headed indeed reveals a person with a broad affection for beast-eared characters, who greatly enjoys catgirls and foxgirls from various anime and games. However, liking beast-eared girls does not imply a desire to grow a pair of animal-like ears and a tail oneself

However, Heid wishes to understand this information in order to confirm whether the secrets he knows align with the fundamental conditions of this world, thus ensuring the practicality of his unique knowledge

After a few days of going through the pictures and books, Heid has generally become familiar with life in this world. After all, his lifestyle is quite simple; he wakes up every morning to work. Since he is engaged in short-term, casual jobs, he has a lot of free time to manage as he pleases after finishing work in the afternoon and receiving his daily wage

"That may be true, but I believe the cultivation methods used by the nobility, which have relatively mild side effects, are preferable" said He De, following his lead.

Thus, the cultivation methods that circulate among ordinary people are generally quite rudimentary. Moreover, ordinary citizens typically have limited financial resources and cannot acquire a substantial amount of mid- to high-level crystal cores for their consumption formulas. As a result, the strength of ordinary citizens is often confined to a certain stage. Even if a few exceptional talents manage to independently discover more effective crystal core consumption formulas and cultivation methods, achieving greater accomplishments, they will be recruited and absorbed by various noble systems to prevent the dissemination of this information.

"Well, uncle, do you have any suggestions? How about we discuss it?" Heide proposed

Heider rarely declines Magic's invitations, of course, not for the purpose of playing cards, drinking, or even chasing women. The tavern serves as a vast hub for intelligence gathering, where one often overhears and witnesses valuable information. Moreover, appropriate relaxation is beneficial for both body and mind, making the outing to the tavern with Magic a significant twofold activity for Heider

First, these top-tier crystal core formulas have not yet been verified, and He De does not dare to assert that these things, projected into his mind in an unknown manner, are truly effective in this world. In fact, this is merely a minor issue, as the low-level crystal core consumables required initially are unlikely to have significant side effects

For example, the enhancement routes suggested by Magic may either lead to a stocky physique or cause growth to halt or even shrink. Hede does not possess the awareness of becoming a dwarf like Snow White's little dwarfs. Moreover, there are very few enhancement training routes that do not affect changes in body shape

Majik is rather considerate; in his view, Black De, who has spent such a long time in the slave camp within the Elven Empire, probably does not have much insight in this regard

Although the Olympus Empire has only been established for a little over 200 years, this does not imply that the history of its noble families is shallow. Following the fall of the previous dynasty, some prominent families that aligned themselves with the new order have continued to thrive, thereby gaining even more power. While there are significant differences in the resources and military strength emphasized by the two eras, the ancient nobility, which originally possessed various foundations, clearly holds advantages in many aspects.

Thirdly, this is a relatively important point: Heide lacks a foundational training in martial arts and magical manipulation; to be precise, he does not have a solid grounding in these areas. The only experience he had in his previous life that could be considered somewhat relevant was in calisthenics.

The cultivation paths accessible to us ordinary citizens are quite limited. To be honest, the options are not very broad. Although there are some side effects, they are not significant compared to the abilities one can gain. Magick vaguely sensed that Head had some reservations about the phenomenon of alienation.

"Hede, the usual routine." After dinner, the neighbor Magic would come to find Hede as usual. It is unclear why he and Hede get along so well, but he would basically visit Hede every couple of days to follow the old routine of going to the tavern for a drink and to check on his sister. The leisure and entertainment life in this world is quite monotonous; generally, most people, especially ordinary citizens, are accustomed to going to the tavern to have a few drinks, chat, play cards, engage in chess, and gamble a little.

This situation is very similar to the world before Hede's crossing, for example, in certain countries you can own a gun, but you cannot own a fighter jet, tank, or aircraft carrier

You have indeed asked the right person about this. Today, I will tell you about the eight prominent families currently guarding the borders of the Empire..." Magick enthusiastically shared his insights with Hede.

Regardless, the upper nobility of the Olympus Empire wields immense power, possessing not only vast financial and material resources but also the most formidable military strength. In fact, it is precisely this extraordinary military might that secures their power, wealth, and status. Therefore, in order to maintain this exceptional position and authority, the nobility will certainly impose strict controls over the dissemination of various cultivation methods.

Certainly, noble families like the West family of Roland City, which have only been passed down for three to four generations and possess a history of merely over two hundred years, mostly established their remarkable achievements during the early days of the Empire and naturally gained extraordinary power. However, they may be slightly inferior in certain aspects compared to those ancient aristocratic families with deep roots and extensive histories.

Secondly, those particularly elite cultivation inheritances are mostly monopolized by the noble families of the empires. Following the same path as these families, which possess immense power and wealth, would lead to numerous troubles

Furthermore, the limitations of the cultivation routes known to these citizens are too great, and their potential for development is minimal, which is why Heidegger has not given it much thought. What he is currently considering is how to select the most suitable one from the various advanced cultivation routes contained within his unique knowledge.

I am still contemplating. Indeed, Heide has not yet determined his cultivation path. However, based on his understanding over the past few days, the typical cultivation methods commonly adopted by ordinary citizens for enhancing their strength have significant issues.

Knowing how to use one's fists to strike and actually raising a fist to hit someone are two different matters. Most combat professions require practicing various techniques of magical martial arts from a young age. Heid does not have the luxury of time to slowly start from the beginning, so he must choose a training tradition that is relatively less focused on technique.

Haha, of course, but how can we ordinary citizens easily access those specialized cultivation secrets? As far as I know, even the most renowned adventurers and hunters can only reach around level 50 in their combat professions. In contrast, the elite offspring of wealthy families can achieve this level in their teens, thanks to the support of their families, which allows them to not worry about the massive consumption of crystal cores. Moreover, their unique high-level crystal core formulas combined with specialized cultivation legacies enable them to achieve results with half the effort. Naturally, we ordinary citizens cannot compare to them

Magic is quite talkative, and after all, he is over forty years old, with a broad range of experiences. Therefore, Head enjoys chatting with him, as these seemingly trivial conversations often yield a wealth of useful information

"Uncle, do you know what special types of cultivation those wealthy aristocrats have?" Heid asked with great interest.

Although he is aware of many advanced and even top-tier crystal core formulas that can enhance absorption effects by more than ten times, and he knows several theoretical techniques and training methods, there are several issues that prevent him from pursuing these paths at present

Magic is not very clear about Head's progress, although he knows that Head manages to set aside some money to purchase low-level magical beast cores in his spare time. However, ordinary people in this world often do the same. Even if they do not wish to live a bloody and violent life, most people generally consume low-level magical beast cores to enhance themselves. Not to mention anything else, at least being physically stronger and having greater strength provides some advantages in doing physical labor.

Alright, as I see it, I believe that the enhancement route is more suitable. Although Heid, you have already passed the crucial early developmental stage, the effects of strengthening the body are still quite good; at least it makes one less prone to illness. For instance, I know some basic enhancement core consumption recipes commonly used by us commoners.

"I said, Heid, have you considered your path of cultivation?" After chatting for a while, the small-statured uncle with a baby face, Magic, casually asked.