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Eshmund stood in front of his newly built base, a plain but solid ten-meter square cube with a flat roof. Stone stairs ran along one side, leading to the top. The design wasnt impressive, but it was practical. More importantly, it was his.

Stepping inside, he took in the empty space. The only built-in features were a shower and a toilet in one corner. Five magic crystal stones had been embedded into the walls for lighting – one on each wall and another inside the toilet. Their glow provided steady illumination, supplemented by natural light filtering through a thick glass panel in the ceiling.

Ventilation had been set up with two Wind Gathering Arrays. The one on the north wall pulled fresh air inside, while the one on the south wall expelled stale air. Each had its own controller, allowing him to adjust the airflow as needed. He also had two sliding windows – one on the west wall and one on the east – that could be opened, closed, and locked from the inside. This way, he wouldnt have to rely on the Wind Gathering Arrays all the time.

Eshmund inspected the setup with a frown. Every system – the lighting, the ventilation – required its own spirit stone slot. He quickly did the math. Two Wind Gathering Arrays, five magic crystal lights – that meant seven spirit stones in total. At standard rates, that would cost him 7,000 contribution points just to keep them running. That was more than half of what he had spent on the entire building itself.

If left running on default settings, it would be able to operate continuously for three months. Each device currently has been supplied with spirit stones, but these are used stones with only a small amount of energy left. It would be fortunate if they were enough to keep the devices running for a whole week.

The Construction Department provides these used stones to customers for free, simply to demonstrate that everything they have supplied is functioning correctly. If they were to supply new spirit stones, it wouldnt be long before someone exploited the system, leading to significant losses.

Of course, he had expected this. That was just how things were done in this world – everything relied on elemental energy. But the inefficiency of it all still annoyed him. Having to replace multiple spirit stones for separate devices was a waste of resources.

That was why he had already planned ahead. Hidden within the walls, copper wiring had been installed in advance. Eventually, he intended to switch the ventilation and lighting over to electricity. The Thunder Gathering Formation was essentially an energy source, and with the right setup, he could convert it into a functional electrical system. Free energy, self-sustaining – something impossible on Earth.

For now, though, this was what he had. It was a start.

Eshmund returned to the Construction Department to settle the account for his base.

“Young Eshmund, hows your new workshop? We followed your drawings exactly,” the shopkeeper greeted him with a smile.

“Its great. Just the way I needed it,” Eshmund replied. “Ill still need some materials and tools for touch-ups, but Ill handle it bit by bit.”

He then listed his request. “Ill take a shovel, cement, mesh iron wire, iron rebar, and some extra copper wires. I want to dig out a pond to cultivate water lilies and lotus plants.”

“Got it. We have several options – take a look at the displayed samples and write down the item codes along with the quantity and any specific requirements. Well pack everything up for you,” the shopkeeper instructed.

Eshmund nodded and browsed the materials. Since he already knew exactly what he needed, it didn’t take long to make his selections.

When he returned to the counter, the clerk tallied up the costs. “So, the total for your building, plus these new materials, comes to 11,035 contribution points – 9,800 for the construction, and the rest for these supplies. Lets round it down to 11,000.”

As the clerk processed the payment, he glanced at Eshmund curiously. “Thats quite a lot of material for just a pond. Need any help with the work?”

Sensing the curiosity behind the question, Eshmund quickly clarified. “Oh, this isnt just for the pond. Im also planning to make furniture and decorations for the place. I enjoy crafting things myself, so hiring help would take the fun out of it.” He chuckled.

The clerks eyes lit up in understanding. “Ah, that explains the iron rebar and wire mesh! Thats actually a clever way to go about it. Id love to see your work when its done.”

“Sure, why not?” Eshmund said with a grin. “But dont expect it to be finished anytime soon.”

“No rush,” the clerk laughed. “I get it. I enjoy making things slowly too.” He returned Eshmund’s token after completing the payment.

With his space pouch, Eshmund easily stored the materials. His contribution points had dropped below 2,000, but since he had everything he needed for now, he felt content.

In truth, the clerk wasn’t wrong – these materials were more than what a small pond required. Eshmund genuinely planned to make furniture and decorations, but that wasn’t the real reason he bought so many construction supplies.

His real goal was the basement.

He had already planned for it from the start, intentionally leaving a section of the workshops floor without tiles. From there, he would dig toward the hilly side, carving out an underground space little by little. That would be his true workshop, hidden away from prying eyes.

For now, though, he kept that to himself.

He thanked the clerk and headed home.

By the time Eshmund arrived home, the sun was already dipping low, casting long shadows across the garden. Without wasting time, he headed straight to the kitchen, lit the firewood stove, and set a pot of water to boil. The steady crackle of burning wood filled the small space as he stepped outside to the porch, letting the warm evening air wash over him.

Pulling out some wire mesh, he carefully crafted a simple crayfish trap, bending and twisting the material into shape with practiced hands. For bait, he sliced a raw sweet potato into chunks and wrapped a handful of dried anchovies in a cloth, tying them securely inside the trap. The mix of starch and fishy aroma would attract the Gold Thief Crayfish, an aggressive little species he had caught before by hand at the creek.

Once the trap was ready, he walked over to the creek, where the gentle flow of water reflected the fading sunlight. He lowered the trap into the water, securing it between some rocks to keep it in place. With that done, he dusted off his hands and made his way back to the kitchen.

By now, the water had come to a rolling boil. He scooped some into a cup, added tea leaves, and sat back on the porch, sipping slowly as he watched the evening settle in. The quiet moments of rest felt nice, but he had work to do.

Finishing his tea, he stood up and headed to the workshop. The newly built shower and toilet were already functional, which meant he no longer had to wash up at the creek. The thought of a proper bath made him feel a little more at home.

By the time he was done washing, night had fully fallen, and the air had cooled. On his way back to the house, he stopped by the creek to check on the trap. As soon as he lifted it, he heard the frantic rustling of crayfish jumping and thrashing inside, their hard shells clinking against the mesh. A quick glance told him there were at least fifteen of them, their dark bodies gleaming under the moonlight.

He smirked, satisfied with the easy catch.

Not long after, his kitchen was filled with the sizzling sound of crayfish frying in a pan, mingling with the rich aroma of green and yellow bell peppers. The mouthwatering smell made his stomach growl in anticipation. He took his time eating, cacking open the tender shells and savoring the fresh, slightly sweet meat with a bowl of rice. The meal was simple, but it was good.

After dinner, he cleaned up and returned to the porch, cradling a warm cup of tea in his hands. Leaning back against the wooden railing, he let his gaze drift upward, taking in the night sky. The stars stretched endlessly across the heavens, twinkling like scattered diamonds.

The porch had quickly become his favorite place to unwind. It was peaceful, comfortable, and gave him the perfect view of the world above.

He took occasional sips as he processed the data on the floating interface before him.

“It should have been more than twelve hours,” he thought, activating his storage pouch. Instantly, dust-like particles drifted out – his spy bots, which he had sent to scan the interior of the storage pouch to understand how it worked.

“Sage, status,” he said, breaking the silence.

“The data collected from the storage space scans is being uploaded to the system. We will analyze it soon,” Sage responded.

“We have completed the simulation for the new body enhancement. Several models were generated based on available data. This is the best option.” Sage continued.

A new interface materialized in front of Eshmund, listing the details:

Eshmund skimmed through the details, nodding in understanding. “So if my body adapts to this, I’ll have a spiritual root like a normal cultivator?”

“Yes,” Sage confirmed. “Theoretically, once your energy core fully develops, it will be no different from theirs. However, compared to them, you’ll be far behind in cultivation. But I assume that doesn’t concern you much.”

“Obviously. I had already accepted that I couldn’t cultivate. Suddenly being told that I actually can, I don’t know what to say.”

“Being behind in the race is different from not being allowed to run at all,” Eshmund mused. “So it doesn’t really matter. What I do want to know is how it works, and how long it’ll take.”

“Based on the samples and information we’ve gathered, humans in this world are sensitive to a certain X-mineral,” Sage explained. “Over time, this mineral accumulates in specific parts of the body – below the navel, inside the heart, or within the skull. There’s also a possibility it could accumulate elsewhere, but we lack sufficient data on that.”

“The accumulation process is very slow, and it naturally stops at a certain point. However, there is no set starting age for when accumulation begins, nor a fixed limit on when it stops. Data suggests it starts in the womb, but this isn’t proven. The duration and rate of accumulation also vary from person to person.”

“This process might seem random, but if the body manages to gather enough X-mineral before the process stops, it forms what we call a spiritual root – the foundation for a cultivator’s energy core. On the other hand, if the body fails to accumulate the required amount, the minerals disperse, leaving the person with the ability to sense elemental energy but no means to store it.”

“By deliberately absorbing elemental energy, the accumulation of the mineral continues, and the core grows in both size and quality over time. This is essentially what cultivators are doing.”

“Most people accumulate minerals with multiple elemental affinities, but some only accumulate one type. The first few X-minerals absorbed, determine a person’s elemental affinity – the body tends to keep accumulating minerals of the same elemental type while filtering out others.”

“These special X-minerals can be found naturally, such as within spirit stones, where they are mixed with other materials. We can extract them and use them.” Sage said

“By artificially placing a molecule of X-mineral in the appropriate location within the body, we can trigger the natural accumulation mentioned before,” Sage continued. “The process is comparable to artificially inducing an oyster to form a pearl. With optimal conditions, it will take several years to mature.”

“Is this considered cheating?” Eshmund wondered. “I’ve heard that the heavens despise these kinds of methods, and we might face a far worse tribulation lightning when leveling up. But we’re not actually harming anyone with this.” He added

“I don’t think this will be a problem,” Sage replied. “However, there is another method that is proven to trigger harsher tribulation lightning – or even cause people to become stuck at a certain cultivation stage forever. It’s an alternative way to accelerate the process of forming a core that i was going to mention”

“Let me guess,” Eshmund sighed. “Implanting an energy core?”

“Correct. Introducing an external energy core into the body – either from a beast or another human, would provide an immediate power boost. However, it carries significant risks.”

Eshmund leaned back, rubbing his chin. “Explain.”

“Foreign energy cores are not naturally compatible with the host’s body,” Sage explained. “Since they weren’t formed within the host, their compatibility was never accounted for. Over time, this can lead to rejection, instability, and even energy backlash. While it provides a faster solution, it ultimately comes with severe long-term consequences.”

“So, a shortcut with heavy consequences,” Eshmund muttered. “That’s not an option. I’ll go with the slow cultivation method.”

“A wise decision,” Sage said.

“I believe even tribulation lightning likely follows a scientific logic. If we can figure it out, it would give us a significant advantage.”

Eshmund exhaled, staring at the interface. “Still, I can’t afford to be powerless in the meantime. Can we use an artificial energy core as a temporary substitute?”

“Yes. While it won’t function like a true spiritual root, it can serve as an external power source to bridge the gap until your cultivation progresses,” Sage confirmed.

“We already have an energy extraction module prototype. We just need to produce enough Builder Bots to manufacture the device. Production can be accelerated if we gather the necessary materials, so the nanobots don’t have to search for them.”

“Great. We’ll work on that. But first, let’s get my body reconditioning up to 100%. It’s been stuck at 77% for too long. By the way, will I get another bad fever?” Eshmund asked, concerned.

“It won’t be as bad this time. The nanobots and protocols have been modified, and your body has already gone through the critical reconditioning. Hopefully, this time will be a breeze,” Sage reassured him.

“That doesn’t sound reassuring at all. Well, at least let me lock the door and lie down on the bed first,” Eshmund muttered.