Chapter 2: The Host is Truly a Hero

"System, talk to me!"

Staring at the "Undying Cockroach" on the floor, which couldn’t be any more dead, Qin Yang called out to the system in his mind.

He needed a reasonable explanation.

The system seemed a bit shocked. It was silent for a moment before finally speaking up.

[Host, you are truly a hero!]

[As expected of the host chosen by this system! You killed a Beast King with a single stomp!]

[Host has been detected killing a Beast King of a higher level. Reward multiplied by ten. You have obtained the Divine Talent: Undying Body, and Sixty Years of Cultivation!]

The system’s tone was filled with awe, as if Qin Yang had just done something utterly incredible.

"?"

A huge question mark appeared over Qin Yang’s head.

"Are you for real?"

He wanted a reasonable explanation.

Not this crazy nonsense from the system.

But before he could complain further, he felt a vast surge of energy pour into his body.

Qin Yang’s expression changed, his face twisting in pain.

"Wait... Brother Tongzi, you’re serious?"

Remembering the Sixty Years of Cultivation the system had rewarded him with, Qin Yang realized what was happening, his eyes widening.

As he felt the energy surging inside him, Qin Yang gritted his teeth through the pain, a sense of anticipation growing in his heart.

’Undying Body?’

’Sixty Years of Cultivation?’

’How strong will this make me?’

A few moments later, the energy inside Qin Yang finally calmed down.

No longer feeling any pain, Qin Yang let out a sigh of relief.

He clenched his fists and instantly felt a surge of power coursing through him.

"This is... True Essence?"

An excited expression appeared on Qin Yang’s face.

Star Martial Artists absorb the Power of Stars and condense it into True Essence in their bodies.

Now that he had True Essence, didn’t that mean he had become a Star Martial Artist?

The thought made Qin Yang incredibly excited.

This was a dangerous Fantasy World where the strong were respected.

Only by becoming a Star Martial Artist could one have the power to protect themselves.

And now, he had become a Star Martial Artist just by squashing a cockroach.

How could he not be thrilled?

"But, what’s my Cultivation level now?"

Just as the thought appeared in his mind, a screen of light materialized in his consciousness.

Name: Qin Yang

Age: 19

Aptitude: Low Level

Cultivation: Half-step Innate

Divine Talent: Undying Body

Cultivation Technique and Martial Arts: None

Qin Yang’s gaze was fixed on the two words "Half-step Innate," his heart filled with shock.

’Half-step Innate?’

’System, are you sure you’re not joking?’

The first Realm for a Star Martial Artist is the Postnatal Realm, which is divided into nine layers.

And Half-step Innate, as the name implies, was just half a step away from the Innate Realm.

"I can’t believe I’m this strong already..."

Clenching his fists, Qin Yang glanced at the corpse of the "Undying Cockroach" on the floor, still finding it hard to believe.

’I reached the Half-step Innate Realm just by squashing a cockroach?’

’Ridiculous!’

’This is completely ridiculous!’

However... ’I love it!’

Before this, Qin Yang had felt nothing but disdain for this unreliable system.

But now? He was a total convert.

’Brother Tongzi is invincible!’

"Oh right, there was also a Divine Technique reward..."

Just then, Qin Yang remembered that the system had also rewarded him with the "Undying Body" Divine Talent.

"This must be the Undying Cockroach’s ability, right?"

Connecting it to the "Undying Cockroach" moniker, Qin Yang fell into thought.

"System, what does this Undying Body do?"

Thinking of the Undying Cockroach he’d killed with a single stomp, Qin Yang didn’t have high hopes.

’What’s so "undying" about it? I still killed it with one stomp.’

As if sensing Qin Yang’s doubt, the system quickly replied.

[Undying Body: Allows for rapid recovery from injuries. When your Cultivation is powerful enough, you can achieve limb regeneration and even Blood Rebirth.]

"Limb regeneration and Blood Rebirth?"

"Seriously? For real?"

"It’s that amazing?"

Qin Yang was clearly stunned. He hadn’t expected the Undying Body ability to be so ridiculously powerful.

To test the effects of this Undying Body, Qin Yang found a small knife and immediately cut his own finger.

HISS!

Qin Yang grimaced in pain as a line of blood appeared on his finger.

But soon, something miraculous happened.

Qin Yang felt a slight warmth in his finger as his True Essence surged. The wound then began to heal rapidly, the process visible to the naked eye.

In the end, not even a scar was left.

"This effect... is so cool, right?"

Qin Yang blinked, his expression one of disbelief.

With such a terrifying recovery speed, it could indeed be called an Undying Body.

Moreover, according to the system’s explanation, the power of this Undying Body would become even more pronounced as his Cultivation increased.

Once he reached a certain level of Cultivation, he would be able to achieve limb regeneration and even Blood Rebirth.

That would be a true Undying Body!

At this thought, a look of anticipation appeared in Qin Yang’s eyes.

’Just by squashing a single cockroach, my Cultivation reached the Half-step Innate Realm.’ ’And I even got this Undying Body ability.’ ’If I were to stomp on some random cat or dog, or even kill a real Star Beast...’ ’Wouldn’t I become invincible?’

Although the system seemed a bit crazy, the rewards were huge!

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, eager to try it out.

He then started searching his home for other small bugs, mice, and the like.

After reaching the Half-step Innate Realm, Qin Yang’s senses were much sharper than an ordinary person’s.

Soon, all the mosquitoes, bugs, and mice in the entire room, even the ants in the corners, were found by Qin Yang and then mercilessly crushed to death.

Achievement unlocked: Ten-Kill Streak on small animals!

However, looking at the corpses of the bugs and mice laid out on the floor, Qin Yang’s face showed confusion.

"System, get out here!"

"Don’t play dead!"

"Where are my rewards?"

Qin Yang looked frustrated.

’What’s with this system?’

It hadn’t made a single sound while he was killing all those bugs and mice.

’Is it not planning to give me any rewards?’

He called out for a long time, but the system remained silent.

Qin Yang could only sit helplessly on the edge of his bed, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

’Where did I go wrong?’

Clearly, his wonderful idea had fallen through.

The plan to become an invincible powerhouse by hunting small animals was, without a doubt, shattered.

After thinking for a long time, Qin Yang finally came to two conclusions.

First, the cockroach he’d stomped on earlier was indeed special. Perhaps, just as the system had said, it contained the bloodline of an Ancient Demon Insect, which was why it triggered the system’s reward.

Second, the system was just plain crazy. The reward he got earlier was a complete fluke, a result of the system going haywire and him getting ridiculously lucky.

"Sigh, I’ll just have to figure it out slowly later."

Sighing, Qin Yang felt a little helpless.

Stuck with such an unreliable system, he didn’t know if he was lucky or unlucky.

"Still, even if it was just the system going nuts, I still came out ahead."

Feeling the vigorous True Essence surging within him, a smile appeared on Qin Yang’s face.

At least he now had the Cultivation of a Half-step Innate.

In this Fantasy World where the strong were revered and Star Beasts roamed, he finally had some ability to protect himself.

A 19-year-old at the Half-step Innate Realm... even in all of Jianghai City, that had to be as rare as a phoenix feather, right?

From this day on, he was no longer useless.

At the Jianghai Martial Arts Library, he would even be considered a minor expert.