10 Mortal Realm

    ''----''

    ''A new day came as Apollo opened his eyes to the rays from the duals suns shining on his face. Blocking the light with his hand

    Apollo turned over.''

    ''After stretching

    he left his worn-out bed. It soon dawned on him that he was unaware of the appearance of the body. As such

    he ventured to the pond out back

    finally catching a glimpse of his face.''

    ''Although he wasn''t ugly

    currently

    there was nothing particularly capturing about him. His eyes were a dull grey color but compared to the initial state

    they seemed to possess more vitality. Furthermore

    depending on the angle of light

    his hair looked to be both black and extremely dark grey.''

    ''His cheeks were slightly concave due to a bit of malnutrition. Other than that

    the proportions of his features were rather natural including his tiny stature.''

    ''Once he examined his features thoroughly

    Apollo stood up and reached into his pocket. Inside his hands rested one of the pills he received before. Additionally

    the system expanded on its details.''

    ''Item Name: Foundation Strengthening Pill''

    ''Rank: Rank 1 Pill''

    ''Grade: Poor''

    ''Effect: When ingested

    the user gains Experience +10.''

    ''Sub-effect: Ingesting 10 results in All Attributes + .1.''

    ''Use: 1/1''

    ''"Azridan

    this pill gives me experience. Does this mean increasing my level is the only thing I need to do? Oh

    there are no instructions...can I ingest them all at once?"''

    ''[No

    that''s not how this works. Only the Mortal Realm is different. Also... don''t do that. For now...ingest 1 a day. It contains threads of Natural Essence and that could overload your currently fragile body.]''

    ''"Oh

    does the grade of these pills matter?"''

    ''[Yes. In your case

    an increase in grade results in an increase in the experience provided by these pills.]''

    ''"Oh...okay. So what do we do today?"''

    ''[Train. Add your stat points so I can formulate a quest accordingly.]''

    ''In addition to the Strength and Agility gained from his daily training quest

    he added 1 point to Strength and 1 to Vitality. As a result

    Apollo''s stats changed.''

    ''----''

    ''(Demon Monarch System) Lvl.1''

    ''Name: Apollo Kaiser''

    ''Race: Human''

    ''Age: 10''

    ''Level: 2''

    ''Experience: 125/200.''

    ''Health: 14/14''

    ''Stamina: 16/16''

    ''Body Cultivation Realm: Rank 1 Mortal''

    ''Physique: Mortal-Grade (Middle Tier)''

    ''Zuls: 2''

    ''Strength: 1.4''

    ''Agility: 1.3''

    ''Intelligence: 8.6''

    ''Vitality: 1.2''

    ''Stat Points: 0''

    ''?System Alert! Daily Mission?''

    ''Quest Name: Arduous Training (Beginner Level)''

    ''Quest Information: Although you have been blessed with the appearance of the system. Its presence means nothing with inaction. Hence

    it is time to begin your training. A sturdy foundation is the basis of everything.''

    ''Objectives-''

    ''-Execute 120 staff strikes. (0/120)''

    ''-Execute 60 squats. (0/60)''

    ''-Run 1.2km. (0/1.2km)''

    ''-36 minutes of stance training. (0/36)''

    ''Reward-''

    ''- 25 Experience''

    ''- .1 Strength''

    ''- .1 Agility''

    ''Time Limit- 3 hours.''

    ''?Note: Time Limit begins from the moment you perform your first repetition of an exercise.?''

    ''Apollo rubbed his chin

    noticing slight differences from yesterday''s mission

    "Azridan

    how comes the amount of training has increased compared to yesterday and there is a time limit?"''

    ''[The reason is simple; progressive overload. If we keep the training volume the same and allow the break to be too long then you won''t experience the needed growth. Not to mention

    the presence of the system now makes your body inherently different from others. So

    I will keep the challenge there to promote your growth.]''

    ''"Oh...okay

    " Apollo nodded somewhat ruing what Azridan told him.''

    ''Nevertheless

    if he sought strength

    then he''d have to come to terms with difficult training. Thus

    \xa0Apollo gathered his gear and headed to the training area bright and early. When he reached there

    it was near empty except for Aaron slashing away at a training post.''

    ''Upon noticing his focused visage

    Apollo greeted him as he grabbed the staff

    "What time did you wake up Aaron? Isn''t it somewhat too early for you to be here?"''

    ''"Oh

    me? About 30 minutes ago. Actually

    because I wasn''t doing anything productive

    my mom made me. For some reason

    it seems the older family members urge us to train harder now."''

    ''For a moment

    Apollo brooded over this fact. It would be a lie to say he didn''t seek the care of his parents

    ''No one urges me to train...I wonder what Mom and Dad were like.''''

    ''Although Aaron noticed the change in expression

    he didn''t press the matters. However

    he did take note of Apollo''s movements once he swung his staff. Compared to yesterday

    they flowed much better. Not to mention

    his grip while not yet deft

    wasn''t as crude.''

    ''''I guess he got his hands on some Healing Ointment. Thank goodness

    '' Aaron thought after examining Apollo''s palms.''

    ''Fortunately

    that additional .1 Vitality and .3 Strength difference seemed to work wonders for Apollo''s training. ''Azridan

    I forgot to ask. What do the other stats do?''''

    ''[Ah

    for now

    Agility increases attack and movement speed. Intelligence increases the matters related to the mind. Strength increases Zuls. Vitality increases Health. However

    Strength and Vitality combine together to increase Stamina.]''

    ''''Oh

    so that''s how it works

    wait… for now? Does that imply the aspects affected can change?'' Apollo paused his actions.''

    ''[Well

    not the way you''re thinking. The thing susceptible to change is your conversion ratios. The system is only Level 1 right now. On top of that

    your body will also determine the rate

    so improve yourself.]''

    ''After he heard this

    Apollo returned to training with improved vigor. Muffled thuds were heard as Apollo continuously struck the training post. Once again

    his hands and bones began aching but he bore with it until the end without complaints this time.''

    ''Shortly after

    he began performing his daily squats. Once done

    he moved directly into the run. His legs burned but yesterday''s experience played in his mind.''

    ''The looks of ridicule from the elders and the condescending looks from the other children remained. Not only did these negative images drive him to seek strength

    but vengeance also started to bud in his heart.''

    ''Soon enough

    after stance training

    his daily mission was over.''

    ''?System Alert! Daily Mission COMPLETE!?''

    ''?You have been rewarded 25 Experience

    .1 Strength

    and .1 Agility.?''

    ''?Experience: 150/200.?''

    ''After finishing his daily training

    Apollo didn''t linger around the training but rather headed back to his living quarters. Once there

    he examined the Foundation Strengthening pill.''

    ''Its aroma was faint

    almost nonexistent leading Apollo to understand why the grading was poor.''

    ''?Item Note: Over 70% of the efficacy of the spiritual herbs used to concoct this was lost.?''

    ''"Azridan...I have a question."''

    ''[What is it?]''

    ''"I see that examining this pill gave me information

    but how come I can''t see when I will reach the next rank of the Mortal Realm?"''

    ''[Oh

    that. Well

    it is because this realm isn''t too special. It''s simply a body training realm if you will.]''

    ''"Hmm

    what does that mean? Will it change when my body is ready?"''

    ''[Yes and No. Each rank just needs you to acquire additional Zuls. The only number that truly matters is 1600 Zuls

    you will then possess the requirement to enter the Zul Warrior Realm. But I will help you

    here.]''

    ''?System Alert! Status Update: Body Cultivation: Rank 1 Mortal [2/10]?''

    ''"What do I do now Azridan?" asked Apollo.''

    ''[You need more knowledge. What you know now simply isn''t enough.]''

    ''''Ding!''''

    ''?System Alert! New Mission?''

    ''Quest Name: New Knowledge''

    ''Quest Information: As with any endeavor

    possessing background information is vital. In order to gain power

    you must understand the road you need to take. As such

    it is time you begin to seek the knowledge of cultivation. The body isn''t the only thing in need of strengthening''

    ''Objectives-''

    ''-Visit the family library. (0/1)''

    ''-Uncover more vital information about the entire history and process of cultivation. (0/1)''

    ''Reward-''

    ''- 120 Experience''

    ''- .5 Intelligence.''