As I entered, I saw the familiar red sphere rotating in its usual place, along with a few stones scattered here and there. Nothing seemed significantly different. With a determined mindset, I set myself up for meditation as described in the supreme spiritual scripture. Sitting cross-legged, I focused and followed the instructions to expand the mind space using spiritual force.
As I pushed, I felt the usual sharp pain that accompanied this exercise, but today, it was more intense. A burning ache spread through me, and I gritted my teeth. My intuition told me that something big was happening—today might be the day I finally achieved a breakthrough.
I kept pressing, forcing my spiritual energy outward to stretch the boundaries of the mind space. It felt like poking a wound over and over again, but I held my position, refusing to stop. Time passed slowly. I endured the pain for two hours before my concentration finally broke.
Panting, I took a moment to assess my progress. I had only just started this meditation practice, so I wasn't expecting massive results, but as I glanced around, I noticed that the mind space had indeed expanded—just a little.
Encouraged, I repeated the process four more times. Each session was painful, but slowly, the space grew larger, bit by bit. By the fourth attempt, I could sense it—I was on the verge of a breakthrough. I could hardly contain my excitement. My heart pounded at the thought of what this new, expanded mind space might reveal.
I took a deep breath and started meditating again, determined to push through. This time, the pain increased fivefold. It was excruciating, but I didn't stop. My mind space was expanding rapidly, every minute bringing larger chunks of land into existence.
As the space grew, I began to notice new things—rocks of different sizes appeared in rows. Some were small, while others were larger, with the biggest standing at about five inches tall. I endured the agonizing process until, finally, it was over.
I opened my eyes and looked around. The mind space had expanded to an impressive size—nearly two kilometers. I marveled at the transformation, noticing how the once-empty expanse now had large stones, patches of grass, and, most intriguing of all, a floating rock off in the distance.
Curious, I started walking toward it. That's when I noticed movement in the corner of the mind space. Someone—or something—was there. I rushed toward the figure, my mind racing with questions.
As I approached, I was stunned by what I saw—a baby elephant, calmly chewing on grass.
I froze. I had never seen an elephant in real life, only in pictures, and yet here it was, right in front of me. As I pondered how a baby elephant could have appeared in my mind space, the red sphere suddenly began spinning faster, emitting a beam of light that struck me square in the chest.
The impact knocked me unconscious.
When I woke up, my head was throbbing. I groggily sat up, rubbing my temples, and blinked a few times to clear my vision. That's when I noticed the baby elephant lying next to me, snoring softly.
A strange warmth filled my chest as I looked at it. Somehow, I felt deeply connected to the little creature, though I didn't fully understand why. Before I could dwell on it, a flood of information surged through my mind.
The red sphere had sent me a message.
Bloodline Source.
That was its name—the Bloodline Source. It was the origin of all bloodlines in existence, at least until a certain higher level of land was reached. I was shocked. This wasn't just any ordinary power source—it was something far beyond my comprehension.
But the information stopped there. The Bloodline Source didn't explain why it was inside my mind space or what it wanted from me.
I glanced back at the baby elephant, feeling that same strange connection. That's when it clicked.
The elephant wasn't just any random creature—it was connected to me because its DNA had been integrated into my body.
The information from the Bloodline Source confirmed it. My strength and vitality were now represented by the elephant, and if I consumed the bloodline of any strength-based animal in the future, it would be added to my existing elephant DNA, making me even stronger. Over time, this could lead to hybridization, allowing me to enhance and modify my powers.
I reached out and gently stroked the baby elephant's head. It stirred and woke up, blinking at me with large, curious eyes.
Then, without warning, it wrapped its little tusks around me and gave me a playful shove. I laughed, caught off guard by its strength, and hugged it back.
For a while, we just played together. The baby elephant kept trying to wrap me up with its trunk, and I kept dodging, turning it into a game of chase. Its tiny trunk swung from side to side as it ran after me, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Eventually, we reached the floating rock. I turned to the baby elephant and gently patted its head.
"Wait here," I said, signaling for it to stay put. Surprisingly, it seemed to understand and obediently sat down, watching me with curious eyes.
I examined the floating rock more closely. I already knew what it was—a representation of my spiritual power. Its size indicated my spiritual rank, while its height above the ground showed how much energy I had. Right now, it was floating about five meters in the air.
One meter represented one hour of spiritual energy. This meant I could sustain my spiritual powers for up to five hours before needing to recharge.
As I observed the rock, I couldn't help but feel a surge of determination. This was just the beginning. My strength and vitality, represented by the baby elephant, would continue to grow as I absorbed more DNA and strengthened my spiritual power.
I walked over to the rocks on the ground and touched them. They felt solid—just ordinary stones—but I knew they represented my raw power and defense. As my rank increased, these rocks would grow larger, reflecting my increased strength and vitality.
Sitting down near the Bloodline Source, I began to contemplate everything I had learned. My stats—strength and vitality—were now tied to the elephant DNA. If I absorbed more strength-based bloodlines, I could enhance my body even further, eventually creating powerful hybrids.
My regeneration abilities were already improving. Right now, I could heal quickly from minor injuries, but I couldn't regenerate lost limbs. However, as I grew stronger, that, too, would change. One day, I would be able to regrow entire limbs if necessary.
I couldn't help but wonder—where did this regeneration ability come from? Normal elephants didn't have such powers. Could it be that my DNA had been enhanced by something more ancient, perhaps even mythical?
As I considered the possibilities, a thought crossed my mind.
What if I'm becoming something entirely new—a hybrid of human and ancient elephant? How strong could I become?
I clenched my fists, excitement bubbling inside me.
By tapping into the DNA with my spiritual power, I was steadily increasing my base strength. Soon, I would finally break free from the weak body I had been stuck with for so long.
I turned to face the Bloodline Source.
"Thank you," I said softly. "You've helped me so much. I don't know why you're inside me, but if there's ever a way I can repay you, I will. Just wait and see. I'll grow stronger—and together, we'll uncover the truth."