"In Cultivation World: I Can Level Up"
Prologue: Cracks in Reality
The narrator begins:
"In a world not so different from ours, something strange began to happen. Cracks started appearing — not in the ground, not on walls, but in the very fabric of space and time itself. These weren't normal cracks. They had no clear shape, no edges, and no sense of structure. It was as if the universe itself had been torn open."
Three days after the first crack appeared, something emerged. It was small, glowing red, and shaped like a perfect circle. Scientists, already studying the bizarre phenomenon, were astonished. The object was brought to a Level-3 secure research facility. Despite its size, they could tell this thing… wasn't from Earth.
They confirmed it came from another universe.
Soon, the object was sold for five billion dollars.
Then, exactly seven days after the cracks first appeared, true terror descended. Monsters began pouring out from the cracks. Gigantic, grotesque, unstoppable. No human weapon worked against them. Mankind was on the brink of collapse.
Chapter 1: The First Core Cultivator
Amidst this chaos, a boy sat reading ancient books, trying to understand what was happening. Food sources were destroyed, cities lay in ruins, but the boy survived. Then one day, he noticed small glowing crystals appearing near the cracks.
Curious, he ate one. Then another. He consumed twenty-five crystals.
As he absorbed the final one… something awakened within him.
A storm of energy erupted inside his body. His muscles expanded, his senses sharpened, and his soul ignited with a strange new force.
He became the first human Core Cultivator.
Chapter 2: 150 Years Later
One hundred and fifty years have passed.
The monsters that once plagued the Earth are now under control. Humanity survived. But the cracks never stopped opening. They keep appearing across the world — gateways to unknown dimensions.
What changed everything… was the power of the crystals. The energy inside them was named:
Core Energy
It could make a human stronger. Faster. Even immortal — if one could absorb enough.
Chapter 3: The Core Cultivation System
Humans began classifying the power they gained through crystals. This led to the development of Core Cultivation Ranks.
Each human starts with 2 Core Energy.
But by absorbing crystals, one can evolve through the following ranks:
F Rank — 200 Core Energy
E Rank — 20,000 Core Energy
D Rank — 70,000 Core Energy
C Rank — 250,000 Core Energy
B Rank — 2.5 million Core Energy
A Rank — 20 million Core Energy
S Rank — 250 million Core Energy
SS Rank — 4.2 billion Core Energy
SSS Rank — 18 billion Core Energy
Only eight people in the world have reached SSS Rank.
Core Energy doesn't activate immediately. One must absorb a specific number of crystals to ignite the energy. Only then can it be cultivated.
But the deeper question remains...
Where do the cracks truly lead?
In the heart of South Korea stood the world's most elite Core Cultivation Academy. Students from across the globe trained here, competing for honor, strength, and a future of survival in a world still haunted by the cracks.
Today, every new student was being sent to a special chamber—a place where their cultivation talent would be measured.
Among the crowd was a boy, quiet, average-looking, and often ignored. His name was:
Riku Han.
When it was Riku's turn to enter the chamber, the mood shifted. A group of students snickered. Among them was Nolan Cho, the academy's rising star, and Riku's relentless bully.
As Riku placed his hand on the glowing orb to measure his talent...
BOOM!
The device exploded violently.
Smoke filled the chamber. Sirens blared. Medical teams rushed in.
But it wasn't Riku's fault.
Nolan, in jealousy and pride, had tampered with the device, intending to sabotage Riku's test.
Tragically, Riku's body lay motionless… lifeless.
In the void of death, where time stood still, Riku suddenly saw a glowing blue screen floating before him:
[You have 3 seconds to accept the contract.]
[Accept and live… or reject and die forever.]
His heart, though shattered, still whispered: I don't want to die.
[Accepted.]
Suddenly, his body convulsed. Light surged through his veins. He didn't die…
But he didn't wake up either.
He slipped into unconsciousness.
Riku opened his eyes to a sterile hospital ceiling. Tubes in his arm. Bandages on his chest.
And then…
[System Activated]
[Welcome, Riku Han.]
[You are now bound to the CORE ASCENSION SYSTEM.]
The glowing screen floated in the air, visible only to him. It spoke with clarity:
"You now have the ability to level up and become the strongest Core Cultivator in existence. Your destiny has changed."
Riku's heart pounded. He clenched his fists.
"Show me my stats."
The screen shifted.
[Core Energy: 0.5 Units]
[All other stats locked until further progress.]
Nothing else. Just that one, single stat. The seed of everything.
And from this seed… a legend would rise.