Chapter 7 Strength Increased & Ethereum
Next Morning…
Vector completed the Hellish Refinement and training.
Vector emerged from the Simulation Space, his breath calm but deliberate.
As he opened his eyes, the morning sun poured in through the narrow slats of the window, scattering golden light across the floor. Yet his attention was turned completely inward.
The familiar chime of the system echoed softly in his ears, and the glowing interface shimmered into view.
---
>[System Notification]
[Void Body Refinement – Flesh Foundation Complete]
[Advancement to Stage 2 unlocked – Diamond Bone Strengthening]
[Body Refining simulation locked until physical recovery completes and required materials collected].
---
Vector stretched his limbs, rolling his shoulders as his body responded with startling smoothness and power. Every movement felt effortless—like a blade honed to perfection.
His fingers curled into a fist, and a quiet hum of force pulsed beneath his skin.
He flexed his fingers, rolled his shoulders, and immediately felt the immense change and strength overflowing within him.
" I feel power overflowing within me... Looks like this Refinement has enhanced his power exponentially." he muttered in awe.
He called out to the system to check his stats. A cool blue interface shimmered into view.
---
[System Status Panel]
[Basic Stats]
Strength: 316
Agility: 310
Dexterity: 304
Vitality: 1030
[Soul & Mind Attributes]
Soul Strength: 108
Intelligence: 1250
[Body Refinement– 1st Stage, Flesh & Foundation Stage]
---
There was no change in his soul and mind attributes. The Chaos Energy has evolved his soul, and is already abnormally high. Vector nodded slightly, he had expected this.
Soul and intelligence growth were not influenced by body refinement or Blood Energy awakening. They didn't change as theirs growth is not a physical type. Body Refining are only capable to increase physical stats.
"Sixfold enhancement... This is insane," he muttered, eyes narrowing.
His physical stats had increased six times from their original levels. The stats were doubled in Blood Energy Awakening, a one-time boost... but five times the growth had come from the Stage 1 Void Body Refinement, the Flesh Foundation stage.
"Means Blood Energy first doubled the stats and then a fivefold increase from the Body Refinement practice."
"So this is what the Path of the Mortal God looks like..."
In the world of Ethereum, even the best-known Body Refinement Manuals could only enhance the body only up to 3 times, and only legendary-tier techniques could push the Three fold limits.
Even someone with a Legendary-grade Body Refinement Manual would, at best, see a Four times increase in physical stats, one time from awakening Blood Energy and three times from the body refinement process.
At most, their all stats would hover in the 60 or 70, which is already considered impressive, when in 1st stage of Body Refining.
But Vector had exceeded even that, he has average of 300 at 1st stage.
Chaos Energy had initially tripled his stats—pushing his base from a normal human level (10) to 30.
Then, awakening Blood Energy granted another natural doubling—raising his base to around 60.
Now, with the completion of Stage 1 body refinement, he had skyrocketed to over 300in physical stats.
A progression like that was beyond abnormal. It was absurd—borderline impossible by normal cultivation standards.
"I should now be stronger than someone who has reached the 2nd Stage of Body Refinement, Bone Strengthening," he thought.
"Even those who practice legendary techniques typically cap around 240 stats at 2nd stage... and I've already surpassed that."
He sat in silence, staring at the stats, watching the numbers shimmer across the interface.
"This manual from the 'Will of the Void'... it's not legendary. It's divine. A cheat code for the mortal path."
His predecessor—though a genius in his own right—had only started training in martial arts six months ago, after joining the resistance at the age of twenty. Despite his late start, it had taken him just four months of focused cultivation to awaken his Blood Energy, a feat so rare it earned him the title of a once-in-a-millennium talent.
"A genius born once every thousand years," some had called him.
In contrast, most people on Ethereum—no matter how determined—require anywhere from several months to multiple years to awaken their Blood Energy. And even then, many never awakened it at all, failing simply because they lacked the necessary affinity or physique.
As the warm haze of recovery faded from his body, Vector finally had time to reflect. The past 24 hours had been a storm. The death of the traitor, his rebirth, the system…. Everything had happened so fast.
As he rose to his feet and let the strength pulse through his limbs, Vector reflected on the world he now inhabited.
Ethereum…
A world of mysticism and martial might, where Blood Energy and Body Refinement governed the potential of mortals. Yet, for all its spiritual growth, the world lagged behind in other areas. The technological level here matched 18th-century Earth—muskets, cannons, swords, and limited steam-powered engineering.
But here, warriors could leap rooftops, crush stone with bare hands, and extend their lives through cultivation.
The Body Refinement Path—the physical cultivation system—was broken into five major realms, each offering new strengths and longer life. These stages are-
1. Flesh Foundation – Strengthens skin, tendons, muscles.
Lifespan: 120–150 years
2. Bone Strengthening – Hardens bones and internal structure.
Lifespan: 180–200 years
3. Marrow Purification – Refining bone marrow, enhancing blood production.
Lifespan: 220–250 years
4. Viscera Reinforcement – Strengthening internal organs (lungs, heart, liver, etc.) Lifespan: 300–400 years
5. Blood Resonance – A mysterious and near-mythical stage, veiled in secrecy.
Lifespan: Unknown
"Blood resonance stage is in a fog of mystery… no one has ever reached that stage... at least in records."
His predecessor had barely scratched the surface, awakening the Blood Energy after four months of brutal training. That feat alone had labeled him a genius—one that appeared perhaps once in a millennium.
But even that was now eclipsed.
Vector's body had been reshaped by Chaos, refined by the Void, and awakened through Blood Energy and after Body Refinement strengthened exponentially again.
"And that's just Stage One," he muttered.
The system's earlier explanation played again in his mind.
Manuals, whether for Body Refinement and Martial Arts Manual, were ranked similarly:
Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary.
Each stage brought increasing mastery—but without the right technique, even the strongest cultivator could waste their potential. It was like giving a god's body to a child with no knowledge of war.
"A Legendary Martial Arts manual lets you use 95% of your body's true potential. Epic ones hit around 85%."
The Void Body Refinement Manual?
It wasn't even measurable by current rankings.
It was a divine design.
A gift from a force that existed outside this world—outside all worlds.
As he stood near the window, the sunlight brushed across his skin. It felt... different.
[To be continued...]