"Hell... I thought I was going to die just now."
Elias gritted his teeth, pressing his fingers against his forehead as if checking for any damage from the sudden influx of information. The sensation had been overwhelming, like his brain had been force-fed knowledge it wasn't prepared to handle.
After confirming he was fine, he attempted to call out to the system again. The mechanical interface appeared, but the voice from before, the one who had spoken to him, was gone, leaving only a simple dispy in its wake.
The interface was barebones, almost disappointingly so. A translucent blue panel floated before him, dispying a character status window, a dungeon creation icon, and current items.
[Host]
Name: Elias Adhart
Lifespan: 70/150
Aptitude: horrible
Realm: Qi refining realm Sixth yer.(Mid stage)
Items: None
Cultivation technique: Cloud gathering art(ungraded, too trash), rain gathering technique, ground moving technique.
[Dungeon creation system]
[Current points]: 0
Tier 1: 10000 poins
Tier 2: 100000 points
Tier 3: 1000000 points.
Tier 4: 10000000 points
Tier 5: 100000000 points
[The tiers follows the same realms division of the human race. Qi refining realm, Foundation building realm, Golden Core realm, Nascent soul realm, and finally Venerable realm.]
[For further realms, requirements would be announced by then]
From the information he'd just received, the system operated on a point exchange basis—energy or resources could be converted into points, which in turn could be spent on dungeon-reted features. Currently, however, Elias had nothing to work with.
He needed to earn points.
The best way, at least for now, was to inject his spiritual power into the system.
"All forms of energy can be converted into points... but it has to be a transferable energy?" he muttered, pondering the idea.
On a whim, he tried channeling a wisp of his own spiritual energy into the system. A faint glow rippled across the interface, and the number on the point counter ticked up.
+10 Points
"...Are you kidding me?" Elias's expression darkened. The amount of spiritual energy he'd sacrificed was akin to throwing a drop of water into an ocean, utterly insignificant. He needed a better source of energy.
His gaze slowly shifted toward the spiritual pnts growing in the field nearby.
It became a battle of conscience.
One second, he was convincing himself it was a terrible idea. The next, he was justifying it as an investment.
"Once everything is set up, I'll get ten times—no, a thousand times—the return from this," he rationalized, clenching his fists.
With that final push, he stepped forward. A wave of spiritual energy surged from his fingertips, wrapping around the pnts before crushing them into ash.
The raw energy released from their destruction was swiftly absorbed into the system through him.
The number on the point counter skyrocketed.
+1,700 Points
Elias's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Now that's more like it."
This should be enough to open a Tier 1 Dungeon, but…
He hesitated.
Would it be better to wait and collect more?
The process of dungeon creation itself wasn't particurly difficult—he just needed to decide on a location, and consider some external factors. The system would handle the rest, including things like loot distribution, respawning monsters, and enforcing dungeon ws or concepts.
That much, he could leave to the system’s control.
But what did he gain by creating a dungeon?
First off, he could bind and synchronize his strength with the monsters inside.
Boss-level creatures, elite-ranked beasts—each one of them was ten times stronger than a normal cultivator of the same level.
Additionally, whenever a cultivator entered the dungeon, whether they survived, died, or even just lingered inside, they would contribute source energy to the system. This source energy would then be converted into points for him.
In other words, instead of manually gathering artifacts or resources to exchange for points, the dungeon would generate a continuous flow of income.
As for what source energy was exactly…
The system had been vague.
All Elias knew was that it was a concept-level energy, something that everything in this world, even space itself—contained.
It replenished over time, simir to how a person’s injuries would naturally heal, restoring them back to full capacity.
"Not sure I fully get it, but whatever," Elias muttered, rolling his shoulders. "I'll make do with what I know."
The important part was the cycle:
1. Cultivators enter the dungeon.
2. They grow stronger through battles and loot.
3. He gains their source energy, which turns into points.
4. He reinvests those points into upgrading the dungeon, making it stronger.
5. Rinse and repeat.
A self-sustaining loop.
Elias's lips curled into a slow grin. "It's a win-win situation. I’m actually doing people a favor! They should be thanking me!"
Of course, he wasn't an idiot—he wouldn’t reveal the secret of the system to anyone.
A fool with gold and a fool with copper met different fates. One would be killed and robbed, while the other would be mocked and ignored.
Elias had no intention of being either.
For now, he needed more capital.
With that in mind, he hurried to his bedroom, pushing his bed aside to reveal a hidden compartment. Inside, nestled within the dug-out hole, y a green leather bag.
His secret savings over the years.
"A spatial bag," he murmured, gripping it tightly. "A total of **53,000 low-level spiritual stones… I wonder how many points I can get from this?"
Yes, spiritual stones—the primary currency of cultivators. Cliché? Maybe. But Elias didn’t care.
He only cared about turning them into points.
Repeating the process, he wrapped the stones in his energy, crushed them into dust, and funneled the resulting power into the system.
A moment ter, the number on the panel updated.
+78,000 Points
"Just a little more… just a little more… and I can create a Tier 2 Dungeon! S foundation building realm dungeon!"
"And then I can directly become a foundation building monk!"
Determined, Elias grabbed whatever valuables he had left, stuffed them into his bag, and rushed out.
His destination?
The Blue Cloud Mist Pavilion.
It was the rgest trading establishment in the region, controlled by one of the more reputable cultivation sects.
While many forces ran their own shops, Blue Cloud Mist had an ironcd reputation—independent cultivators trusted it over smaller factions.
Elias knew this would be the best pce to pawn his belongings.
"...A necessary sacrifice," he told himself, wearing a self-deprecating smile.
"I’ll get back a thousand times the return from this."
Determined not to hesitate, he tightened his grip on his bag and paced toward the massive pavilion.
The building was imposing.
A towering gate, monolithic in scale, loomed ahead, leading into a structure so vast it felt suffocating. Just standing before it, Elias could feel the pressure it exuded over the bustling market square.
He barely spared it a gnce.
Striding inside, he approached the counter and immediately stated his intent.
The receptionist, a young man cd in fine robes, was momentarily startled. His gaze flickered toward the pile of items Elias had unceremoniously dumped on the counter.
Then, regaining his composure, he smiled politely.
"But of course, Mr. Elias," he said smoothly. "A high-tier first-grade spiritual pnter like yourself—your relics will be most appreciated."
"Just give me the total. I need spiritual stones now," Elias cut in.
After some haggling, he finally walked away with 24,000 low-level spiritual stones.
As he stepped out of the pavilion, back onto the bustling market streets, he paused.
His gaze swept across the crowded square.
Now came the most important decision.
Where should he pce the first dungeon entrance?
It needed to be grand, eye-catching, and most importantly, irresistible to the masses.
His lips curved into a confident smirk.
He already had the perfect location in mind.
The very center of the marketpce itself!
