Chapter 12: Seeds of Ambition, Seeds of Power
The sudden influx of nearly two hundred players transformed Beginner's Rest from a sleepy hamlet into a bustling hub of confused activity. These weren't clueless newbies stumbling in randomly; these were QL personnel and hand-picked assets – disciplined, analytical, and many with pre-existing knowledge of cultivation principles, even if only theoretical.
Among them was Liang Wei, a junior analyst in QL's Applied Synergetics department, but more importantly, an outer disciple of the Azure Sword Sect, a significant partner organization of QL. Liang possessed a modest Grade 4 Spiritual Root and had diligently practiced his sect's foundational Qi circulation techniques for years. He immediately sought out the NPC Hao after hearing whispers from the first wave of testers.
Hao, the stoic technique teacher, patiently demonstrated the 'Qi Circulation' method Ran had coded. Liang Wei tried it, more out of methodical thoroughness than expectation.
He froze mid-circulation.
Impossible! The flow path, the resonant frequency… it was fundamentally simpler, yet orders of magnitude more efficient than the Azure Sword Sect's basic method! It felt like upgrading from a creaky hand-pump to a pressurized aqueduct. He quickly learned the 'Spirit Palm' and 'Fleetfoot Step'. Both felt similarly refined, stripped of extraneous complexities, focusing on pure, efficient Qi application.
These aren't beginner techniques, Liang thought, his mind racing. They're masterfully optimized foundations! Where did the creators get these? Are they simplified versions of some legendary lost art? He immediately began systematic testing, comparing the game's techniques to his sect's methods, logging efficiency gains, meridian stress, and potential applications. He kept his findings quiet, sharing only basic observations through the official Quantum Core channels. This was potentially a personal goldmine.
Elsewhere, Roric Blackwood, a sharp-eyed economist from QL's Market Prediction division, ignored the combat and cultivation aspects entirely. He focused on Elder Rui's simple quest, the respawn rate of Sunpetal Herbs, the vendor prices for squirrel pelts, and the abysmal copper coin rewards. He started mapping resource nodes, calculating potential yields, and theorizing about economic choke points, already drafting reports on potential inflationary risks and optimal resource extraction strategies for Quantum Core. If this world has real value, its economy must be understood and controlled.
Anya Petrova, a researcher known for her fascination with elemental Qi (a rare affinity among cultivators), experimented near the Mirror Pond. While the basic system offered no overt elemental magic, she swore she felt a subtle affinity shift when practicing Qi Circulation near the water – a cooler, more fluid energy resonance. Was it just the hyper-realism, or did the game simulate environmental Qi factors? She meticulously documented her sensations, hoping to find an edge.
And then there was Kaelen Vance.
Vance wasn't just QL personnel; he was known internally for his ambition, his arrogance, and his potent Foundation Realm cultivation (a rarity even within QL's upper echelons). He viewed Project: Genesis Seed not merely as a corporate objective, but as a personal stepping stone. This game, this 'Ascension Heaven', radiated potential power, and Kaelen intended to be the one wielding it.
He didn't waste time on beginner quests or basic techniques. He immediately started probing the boundaries of the small world, testing mob strengths, analyzing NPC routines, and aggressively recruiting other QL players into his personal 'strike team' within Quantum Core. His goal was clear: reach the power cap first, claim any unique discoveries, and establish himself as the undisputed leader within QL's in-game efforts.
"Focus, people!" Vance snapped at his hastily assembled team as they efficiently cleared Dire Squirrels near the Whisperwood boundary. "Map the area, identify elite spawns, push the limits. Blackwood, give me resource projections! Wei, any combat applications from those pathetic techniques Hao teaches? Petrova, stop splashing in the pond and find something useful! We dominate this place now, before anyone else figures out what's really going on." His voice radiated impatience and authority, leaving no doubt about his intentions.
The members of Quantum Core, coordinated via secure QL comms overlayed on the game, began to operate like a well-oiled machine, rapidly mapping, analyzing, and exploiting the tiny digital world Ran had thrown together.
Oblivious to the specific ambitions and discoveries unfolding in his creation, Ran Sayfrid sat cross-legged in his room, eyes closed, a blissful expression on his face. The steady stream of Dividends from nearly 200 active, often high-potential players, was like a warm, energizing river flowing directly into his dantian.
His Grade 3 (Low) Root greedily absorbed the refined bio-energy. He could feel his cultivation base solidifying, growing, pushing relentlessly against the bottleneck of Qi Condensation Stage 1. The energy wasn't just filling him; it was refining him, smoothing out the rough edges left by his previously inadequate talent.
More… yes… keep playing, corporate drones… keep fighting those squirrels…
A particularly strong pulse of energy flowed in – perhaps from Kaelen Vance defeating a slightly tougher squirrel, or Liang Wei achieving a minor insight using the game's Qi Circulation. Ran didn't know or care about the specifics. He just felt the surge.
With a soft internal pop, the bottleneck shattered. Energy flooded through, consolidating at a higher level.
[Host Unit Cultivation Advancement Detected!]
[Current Realm: Qi Condensation - Stage 2 (Early)]
[Keep up the good work! Or, you know, let the players do it for you. Efficiency!]
Ran grinned. Stage 2. Already. It had taken him years to barely cling to Stage 1 before. Now, thanks to his unwitting digital workforce, he'd broken through in less than a day of them being active.
He let the System's snarky comment slide. Efficiency was exactly the point. Let them explore, let them fight, let them scheme within the confines of Beginner's Rest. As long as they kept generating those sweet, sweet Dividends, they could crown Kaelen Vance the King of Squirrel Pelts for all Ran cared. His own power was growing, and that was the only game he truly needed to win.