Lone Cultivator In Another World

"Host, be advised."

"Genetic materials of World Tree middle branch detected."

Michael couldn't react to Glory's remark in time. Cheers and gasps distracted him from the strange message. It didn't take him long to marvel at the comet's beauty together with everyone.

It looked like an enormous ball of fire, so hot it surpassed red and yellow fire and turned white. It seemed huge, the size of two fists, as it entered the atmosphere. Judging from this, the comet's size was around that of a city. It had a long tail, stretched as far behind as the eye could see. The comet completely ignored the Earth's gravity and flew away at a mind-boggling speed.

"Host, be advised. Humans' genetic makeup is undergoing changes."

"Glory, what did you just say?"

"Earth's humans are evolving towards World Tree middle branch organisms."

"What… What the hell? This evolution – what is it exactly?"

"Earth's humans are growing energy fields."

"En… energy fields…" Michael was shell-shocked. He was right in the middle of his friends and classmates. He wanted to stop it, wanted to get everyone to run away, but he couldn't.

Right before his eyes, Anna fell into a trance. She turned to him instinctively, believing he could help, but her legs gave out. Unable to mutter a word of plea, silent begging in her eyes, she collapsed on the floor.

All around Michael, people were losing consciousness. Dimitri, the lucky bastard, rested his head on some beautiful mother's pillowy b.r.e.a.s.ts. Brothers Jack and Jerry grabbed one another's clothes and slowly slid off a wall. Carina was here too, she fell forward right on her face, and a small puddle of blood was pooling under her nose.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Michael's hands and legs convulsed. He fought his own woodening body and was able to get on one knee and achieve some stability.

"Glory! Help!"

"Host, be advised. Genetic interference detected."

"Interference diagnosed incompatible with successful cultivation."

"Defensive measures initiated. Defensive measures successful."

"Energy field rejected."

"Host, be advised. Genetic potential stimulation in effect."

"Emergency protocol terminated. Host's life is not in danger."

Michael breathed loudly through the mouth. He could faintly hear a medical siren w.h.i.n.e above the buzzing in his ears. His head spun, his limbs were numb, a warmth spread from his knees that he realized was blood.

With uncertain movements, he lifted himself up. Looking around, he touched his face to make sure it wasn't a dream.

He was surrounded by a couple dozen unmoving bodies. Heaps of unconscious men, women and youths. Their open eyes and mouths, facial expressions distorted by fear and confusion were unnerving. Some had scr.a.p.es and bruises, but none were bleeding so much that their life could be in danger. As Michael took his first step, he felt like a battle or a horror movie survivor.

Not a single human voice entered his ears. Between the trees creaking and the wind blowing, Michael's footsteps carried an ominous, eerie premonition.

He checked someone's pulse. It was strong and steady. Expecting them to wake up soon, but conscious of how he would look if anyone saw him talking to himself, Michael whispered, "Glory?"

Silence.

Louder, "Glory?"

"Host?"

"What just happened?"

"Access restricted. Host's cultivation is too low."

Momentarily, all Michael's ideas about being less reliant on Glory went out the window.

"Wh-what the f.u.c.k is wrong with you? Look at what happened to me, to my friends! How can you withhold information from me right now? I need to understand what happened so that I can help them. So that I can do something!"

Michael's body was hot. He unbuttoned his shirt a bit and fanned himself with his hand. Wow, that episode took a lot out of him.

"Host's cultivation is too low."

"All right, you despicable little…" Michael stopped. He didn't have the energy to argue with the program now. He sloppily took a seat on a nearby chair.

Inhale. Exhale. Just like those relaxation techniques. Breathe in and out.

"Glory. Were you only able to tell me about this comet because your emergency protocol had been in effect?"

"Host is correct."

"So, a safeguard in case my life is under threat. Great. How long are they going to remain like this?" he gestured at the pile of lifeless bodies.

"According to disparity in genetic potential, fifteen to thirty minutes."

"Great. Let me spend some glory points here. Give me four Analytical Thinking upgrades in a row."

After sitting comfortably for just over ten minutes, Michael mumbled for the third time, "Just. F.u.c.k.i.n.g. Great."

He recalled the notifications and read them all again. 'So,' he figured, 'Most, if not all, people or creatures who hail from the middle branches have energy fields. The comet contained their genetic materials. Then what, some sort of resonance? It made humans evolve…'

Glory's last message attracted his attention. "Genetic potential stimulation." Now that sounded bad. Michael had only three associations with genetics: Anna was the world's leading expert on them, his father's cancer was a genetic disease, and his own LZD1.

Someone in a pile of bodies m.o.a.n.e.d. Michael moved to help, but his legs didn't support his weight. He stumbled and landed on his side. Damn, he was spent!

"Glory, I feel so weak," he wheezed, "What is happening? Why is this happening to me?"

"Due to genetic potential stimulation, host's body is experiencing changes."

"Well, stop them!"

"Access denied. Host's cultivation is too low."

"Ah, got it! Glory, initiate self-scan!"

A string of messages flooded Michael's mind.

"Host's self-scan initiated… self-scan complete."

"Cultivation level: 1-stage, 7-star cultivator."

"Glory points: 2813."

"Warning, health abnormalities detected. Host, be advised, health abnormalities need to be addressed or they will get in the way of cultivation."

"Health abnormalities detected: spinal curvature, multiple allergies, imperfect eyesight, flat feet, chronic nose and throat problems, chronic shortness of breath."

"Genetic abnormalities detected: imperfect bone structure, imperfect muscle structure, D-grade genetic disease LZD1."

"Host's genetic potential stimulated. LZD1 severity enhanced 4000%."

"LZD1 diagnosed incompatible with successful cultivation."

"Treating LZD1… failed. Not enough energy."

"Alleviating LZD1 symptoms… failed. Not enough energy."

"Suggested course of action: cultivation, Glory's energy gathering."

"Prognosis: LZD1 is expected to be cured completely upon reaching cultivation 2-stage, 9-star."

Michael's addled thoughts cleared up immediately, "LZD1 is what, 40 times stronger? Oh, no."

He lay on his side, listening to someone emit painful m.o.a.ns. Unable to move, he closed his eyes.

"Just let me die. Why would I even struggle at this point? Everything I did in this new world was for nothing. I haven't even met Alice, and the damn disease is already stronger than when I was an a.d.u.l.t. She can never love me like this. Leon will have a goddamn field day."

A hoarse voice whispered, "Help! Somebody, help! I can't get out…"

Michael looked in the direction of the voice and saw Carina struggle to wiggle out from under a large insentient man. He had to be someone's father. Michael moved to help, but his limbs didn't obey, only his shoulder twitched pathetically. And there he was, staring at the Italian girl with a broken nose as she was gasping for breath, pinned down by a body that weighed about three hundred pounds.

Michael's eyes widened as he watched the light begin to dim in Carina's eyes.

'No, no, no! Not like this! F.u.c.k.i.n.g take me, the sick loser, and let this girl live!'

Michael dragged his arms on the floor and felt his heart burn. His frail body didn't allow such exertions. A bit more, and his organs might give out. There were even registered cases of LZD1-related deaths due to overwhelming physical strain.

For the first time in ten years, his eyes watered. He hadn't cried when he jumped, he hadn't cried when LZD1 stayed in his body in the new world. He hadn't cried when he learned a comet would crash into the Earth.

Since that day when Leon sat in his small apartment across from him and depicted in the most explicit detail how he would enjoy Alice's body, how he would suppress her struggling, how he would break her and treat her like a toy, Michael hadn't cried since that day.

Powerless, belittled, impotent, weak. Wallowing in self-hatred and helplessness for ten years.

And then, breathing so deeply it filled his c.h.e.s.t. Moving his limbs without care. Laughing and joking around with his old friends. Seeing them again as children. Getting to know Anna, a girl worthy of befriending Alice. A girl he wouldn't be worthy of being friends with if he gave up now.

Just like Leon couldn't lay his hands on Alice in the end because she beat him. Even something so small, not being defiled by Leon, was one victory more than Michael achieved over the Frenchman.

This time, he will not give up.

Michael gnashed his teeth, "Glory! Shop. Disorders menu. LZD1 – Alleviate symptoms!"

"Host, how many glory points…"

"All of them. Now! Hurry!"

Carina's face turned blue. She hadn't yet lost consciousness and still tried to breathe under the obese man's body. Compared to Michael just a minute ago, her will to live was worthy of admiration.

As Michael felt mere bits of his strength return, he dragged his still resisting body across the floor like a man possessed. He crawled, moving limb by limb, openly crying not of self-pity, but of pain. His spine crackled, his muscles tore and the heat in his body was unbearable.

Michael imagined that was what a heart attack felt like, his c.h.e.s.t area numb, back and arms hurting like hell. His head spinning as he fought through the nausea. Every breath he took burned like needles inserted in his throat and lungs.

It took him well over a minute to reach Carina who barely recognized him anymore. Her eyelids were closing gently, and her facial muscles relaxed. His eyes were puffy from crying, countless blood vessels in them popped and colored his eye whites pink.

Michael got on his knees and positioned his arms under the unconscious man's armpit where his weight blocked Carina's breathing. Michael had long calculated the optimal way to apply strength to move the man. He took a deep breath.

"Host, be advised. High chance of multiple body system failure. Please, refrain from physical exertions."

Michael grit his teeth and pushed.

"Host! Host! Stop!"

He pushed through pain and sweat. Blinking to clear his eyes from tears, he straightened his body like an arrow and the man's carcass gave. It overturned and plopped on the floor. Michael couldn't stop himself from falling with it. He landed painfully on his back and coughed up blood.

Glory said something. Was it worried? Not likely, it's just an AI.

Carina emitted a sharp gasp and made vomiting-like sounds. That's good, she's alive.

Michael's breath had a whizzing note to it, a bubbly undertone. A punctured lung? He felt hotness on his lips. Ah, that's blood.

'Screw you, LZD. I did it. I did my best.'

There wasn't an ounce of strength left in his body. He didn't even feel himself breathe. His every cell underwent enormous pain, the kind Michael never thought was possible. But his mind – his mind was clear.

Another cough.

'Are people waking up? About time, sleepyheads.'

A silhouette moved. Crying. Wailing. Shouting. Someone checked his pulse.

'Ha!' Michael himself couldn't feel it. He had none. His heart was probably ruptured.

He wanted to look around, see his mother's face again, but his eyes were only able to differentiate some shapes. The world went blurry.

Unbeknownst to Michael, his lips formed a calm, happy smile.

"Host, you're dying."

'Yeah. Sorry about that, Glory. I guess you picked wrong. I'm not some chosen one.'

"Host is mistaken."

'Ha-ha, all right. Sorry I couldn't cultivate more. I really wanted to, you know. Maybe I got distracted, but I just wanted my parents to live without worries. Becoming stronger, obtaining power, traveling to other worlds… Maybe next time. What do you say?'

"Host, do you… enjoy cultivation?"

'Sure. Who wouldn't, right?'

"Even when it's painful? Unrewarding? Senseless?"

'What are its hardsh.i.p.s compared to its promises? Zilch.'

"Ding! Congratulations, host!.. Hidden ability… Overcharge… glory points…"

'Bla bla bla. Shut up already. Let me die in peace, you chatterbox.'

'Alice, I did it.'

'I fought as well as I could.'

'Like you taught me to.'

'Like I should've fought before.'