And that was not all. As Alex's body absorbed the surrounding mana, sudden changes began to happen deep inside him.
The invisible energy in the bedroom didn't just wash over his skin; it rushed eagerly into his open pores.
It mixed perfectly with the cool, refreshing Yin energy produced by his bloodline.
Guided by his newly leveled Yin-Serpent Mana Circuit, the energy flowed through his veins like a calm, steady river, heading straight for the very center of his chest, his heart.
Normally, for an Apprentice Swordsman to condense their first professional seed, it was not an easy task.
Instructor Sylvia had already warned him about it on his first day.
You had to carefully force your physical vitality and your raw mana to crash into each other, compressing them until they merged.
But for Alex, there was absolutely no pain. The process was completely automatic.
Because his Iron Body Foundation Art had reached the Proficient level and his Flowing Spirit Sword Forms were already at the Minor Achievement level, he had completely over-satisfied the basic requirements.
His body simply knew exactly what to do.
Inside the core of his heart, the mist like cool Yin mana and his newly refined physical vitality began to swirl together in a tight, glowing spiral.
"Huh?" Alex gasped softly, his hands gripping the wet, sweat-soaked fabric of his white t-shirt.
He could feel a strange, hollow pulling sensation in his chest, followed immediately by a dense, comforting weight.
Right there, floating in the center of his heart chamber, a semi-ethereal seed began to take shape.
It wasn't a messy, chaotic lump of energy. It formed into a flawless, glowing crystal that looked like a tiny, sharp sword blade wrapped in delicate silver lotus petals.
Thump. Thump.
As the Sword Seed finally solidified, it pulsed in perfect rhythm with his heartbeat.
Instantly, a massive wave of pure, highly refined energy exploded outward from his heart.
It washed through his entire body, completely flushing away the lingering exhaustion and the muscle aches from his simulation feedback.
The thick, stubborn barrier that blocked kept him trapped at the bottom of the food chain as a useless F-Rank civilian shattered like cheap glass.
A bright, glowing blue screen automatically popped up in his vision, flashing with rapid alerts.
[ Ding! It is detected that the host has met the Professional Requirements: Sword Seed successfully condensed! ]
[ You have unlocked a new Combat Profession: Apprentice Swordsman. ]
[ You unlocked a new professional Talent and Professional skills related to Apprentice Swordsman. ]
[ Host's internal mana capacity and physical vitality have reached a new threshold. ]
[ Breakthrough Successful! Cultivation Level increased to: E-Rank! ]
"Ahhh..." Alex let out a long, breathy sigh of pure relief.
He fell backward onto his soft mattress, his limbs spread wide. The feeling of breaking through to E-Rank was incredible. Every single cell in his body felt like it was humming with fresh, vibrant life. The cool, refreshing energy from the Sword Seed constantly circulated through his veins, making his skin tingle warmly.
He lifted his pale, delicate hand and stared at it. Without even needing to grab a weapon, he could feel a sharp, dangerous intent hiding just beneath his smooth, flawless skin.
He was no longer a weak, unawakened boy struggling to survive in the slums. He was a genuine E-Rank Awakener, and an Apprentice Swordsman.
"I actually did it," he whispered to the empty room, a bright, beautiful smile spreading across his flushed face.
However, that system prompts and the changes to his body didn't stop there yet.
Just as Alex was catching his breath, letting the sharp, physical energy of his new Sword Seed settle into his heart, the floating blue screen in front of him flickered again and again.
A fresh wave of notifications cascaded down his vision, freezing him in place.
[ Ding! It is detected that the host has met the Professional Requirements: Path of Seduction! ]
[ You have unlocked a new Hidden Profession: Temptress. ]
[ You unlocked a new professional Talent and Professional skills related to Temptress. ]
Before his brain could even process that shocking text, another set of alerts immediately pushed it up.
[ Ding! It is detected that the host has met the Professional Requirements: Knowledge Requirement, Spirit Attribute & Spirit Affinity! ]
[ You have unlocked a new Production Class Profession: Apprentice Alchemist. ]
[ You unlocked a new professional Talent and Professional skills related to Alchemist. ]
"What...?" Alex whispered, his eyes going wide.
Suddenly, a completely different kind of energy flooded his system.
When he awakened as an Apprentice Swordsman, the energy was hot, sharp, and deeply physical, reinforcing his bones and muscles.
But this new power was entirely different. It bypassed his physical body and rushed straight into his mind.
A wave of ice-cold, intensely refreshing energy exploded behind his eyes.
It felt like a heavy, suffocating fog that he didn't even know was clouding his brain had suddenly been blown away.
His Spirit attribute was increased by another 10 points. The world around him instantly snapped into sharp focus.
"Oh my god," Alex gasped, sitting up straight. His hands gripped his messy hair, a wild, uncontrollable laugh escaping his lips. "An Alchemist... I actually unlocked the Apprentice Alchemist!"
He was practically vibrating with happiness.
In this world, Alchemists and Researchers were treated like royalty. They were the ones who made the expensive potions, and the genetic stabilizers that every Awakener desperately needed.
Even a basic Apprentice Alchemist could easily earn tens of thousands of credits in a single day.
He wouldn't have to be poor anymore. He could join the Gene Association without any problem.
He was so thrilled he wanted to jump out of bed and scream.
But as his wild, joyful laughter echoed in the quiet bedroom, his dark eyes scanned the floating blue panel one more time to review his new skills.
His gaze landed on the middle block of text.
[ You have unlocked a new Hidden Profession: Temptress. ]
Alex's laughter stopped dead in his throat. The bright, hopeful smile on his flushed face shattered instantly, replaced by a dark, ugly grimace.
"Temp… Temptress...?" he muttered, his soft voice trembling with a sudden mix of disgust and pure horror.
He looked at the requirement again: Path of Seduction.
His mind aggressively flashed back to the last few days, the incident with Elena. He remembered Lily losing her mind on the washroom floor, desperately swallowing his sweet nectar.
He remembered Mira's dilated pupils as she ordered him to strip in her lab.
He remembered Instructor Sylvia's hot breath on his neck just a few hours ago, her firm hands gripping his widening hips as she lost control.
He hadn't done any of that on purpose. He was just trying to survive his body's terrifying feminization.
But the system or the world consciousness didn't care about his intentions.
The system recognized his accidental, pheromone-fueled disasters and his mutating, ultra-sensitive female body as a fulfilling hidden requirement.
Now the System had officially weaponized his loss of manhood.
"No... no, no, no, you have got to be kidding me," Alex groaned, burying his face in his pale, delicate hands.
His soft chest heaved under his wet t-shirt, the tender buds of his developing breasts aching as they pressed against his knees.
The incredible high of becoming an E-Rank Swordsman and a wealthy Alchemist was instantly crushed.
He was a guy. Yet the world had just officially branded him as a Temptress.