Chapter 38: Experience Bar

It failed.

There was no doubt about it; it was an absolute failure. The Stone of Genesis had rejected his attempt to alter it. As a living being who had already utilized the Stone of Genesis, Kana could grasp its essence far better than someone who had never touched it, and he was better positioned to make subtle adjustments to its function. Yet, when he introduced the concept of an "experience bar," he felt a clear sense of rejection emanating from the stone. Or perhaps, it was not the stone’s rejection, but the world’s.

The world refused to allow the existence of something like an experience bar.

Kana reflected on his design for the experience bar: "defeat monsters" to gain "experience," "grow stronger," and then "level up." Upon deeper contemplation, if applied to reality, this was undeniably a rather "evil" manifestation. At its core, it was essentially the "plundering" of other living beings. Kana pondered this and decided to blur the parameters of the setting.

The Stone of Genesis is capable of automatically refining changes into beneficial outcomes, provided the user supplies a general direction. This was how most people typically used it. He blurred the experience bar concept into a simpler framework: "defeat monsters" to gain "growth." The condition held true, but the manifestation felt strange. "Defeating monsters" became a form of training, and the "experience bar" became an accelerator that could rapidly convert that training into tangible strength. This was not the effect Kana desired. His current digitized body could already achieve that much.

After reflecting for some time, Kana had to admit that the "experience bar" he envisioned—and the one displayed in the game—was, in essence, "plundering." It was the "plundering" of other life forms. Yet, he also had to acknowledge that this was the foundation of his vision.

What was he to do? Should he abandon this path entirely and shift his focus to digitization? Kana racked his brains. He looked at the pile of loot on his table and spotted the "Experience Stone." It was precisely because he had obtained this item in reality that he believed the "experience bar" was feasible. But reality had slapped him hard in the face.

He picked it up.

[Inscription Stone]
[Material — Crystal — Legendary]
[Evaluation: A remnant left behind when an invader from outside the world was eliminated. Condensed by the world as a reward.]

In the game, this was a consumable, not a material. Consuming it granted experience, and it was widely used for leveling up alternate characters. Looking at the evaluation, Kana suddenly froze.

"Hiss... wait, perhaps it’s like this?"

Previously, the object from which Kana’s "experience" was to be derived had not been clearly defined. Since the Stone of Genesis belonged to this world, any change he made would default to the world’s rules. The source of "experience" would, without a doubt, be all things within this world. If truly applied to reality, what exactly would turn into "experience"? Life? Honestly, it wasn't worthy. Using it to strengthen the body might work, but the growth of power was not merely about the physical form. Souls? That felt much more appropriate. The normal functioning of souls was the foundation of the world; Kana’s "experience" setting was like disrupting the world’s most basic operation. To use the world’s own components to disrupt it, and then expect the world to utilize that system? It sounded absurd.

Kana adjusted his settings. He redefined the target for "experience" acquisition: "invaders."

Wait, was he not an invader himself? Kana was startled. He had transmigrated here, even if it was a soul-transmigration. But then he reconsidered and realized he was scaring himself; he had already used the Stone of Genesis. This object could only be used by beings native to this world. Even if he hadn't been one before, using it had made him one. He calmed down.

As soon as this setting was established, the Stone of Genesis provided feedback. It was feasible—highly feasible. He didn't even need to use the Stone of Genesis fragments; any other minor changes or leftover scraps were enough to fulfill his new parameters.

Hmm... he couldn't tell if it was an illusion, but it felt as if the world was quite happy to see it happen. Regardless, it was a good thing. Since "experience" could only be generated this way, he prioritized his skills. However, since he only held a fragment of the Stone of Genesis, he couldn't truly manifest the effects seen in the game. He continued to exploit loopholes, utilizing his previous methods of digitizing weapons and his own body. He performed a deep digitization, effectively digitizing his own "skills."

By combining this with his new "invader" experience-gain setting, he had arranged the energy of the Stone of Genesis fragment perfectly. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, held the fragment firmly in his palm, and pressed his hands together. He held his clasped hands above his head, cleared his mind of distractions, and cycled the intended settings repeatedly in his thoughts.

A glow began to emanate from between his fingers. The stone dissipated like liquid, merging into his body. Having used a Stone of Genesis fragment once before during a desperate situation, his perception this time was incredibly clear. He opened his eyes shortly after. He could feel that the stone had been consumed and the desired changes had taken root.

He took a deep breath.

Attributes.
[Character: Kana Savro Sart]
[Level: 2]
[Experience: 51/600]
[Status: Normal]
[HP: 16/16]
[Mana: 6/12]
[Constitution: 8]
[Agility: 6]
[Spirit: 6]
[Evaluation: You can now call yourself a knight.]

The attributes were unchanged, but a new entry had appeared: [Experience]. Perhaps due to his subconscious, the amount of experience gained was the same as when he played the game. But why 51 points?

As the thought crossed his mind, he understood. It was simple: the [Experience] shown on the attribute bar could be analogized as a progress bar for growth. Defeating "invaders" provided "experience" for the bar, but surely normal training couldn't fail to contribute to it? Thus, regular training would also increase this progress bar—meaning training could also grant "experience." It was reasonable and fit perfectly with reality.

Kana nodded with satisfaction. He looked at the [Inscription Stone] on the table.

[Level 3 Inscription Stone]
[Consumable — Common Crystal — Legendary]
[Effect: Grants 500 experience upon use.]
[Evaluation: A remnant left behind when an invader from outside the world was eliminated. Condensed by the world as a reward.]

It had changed, becoming just like it was in the game. And it could grant 500 experience at once. Of course, based on his game experience, that was because he was currently level 2, while the Inscription Stone was level 3. A low-level character using a high-level experience stone received a bonus, and conversely, a high-level character using a low-level stone received a penalty. It was just like gaining experience from monsters in the game—leveling up by fighting stronger foes yielded bonuses, while fighting weaker ones yielded penalties.

Without hesitation, he used it. The Inscription Stone dissipated, turning into something like quicksand that flowed into his body. The infusion of energy was distinct; Kana could clearly feel his constitution changing.

[Experience: 551/600]

Excellent. He was about to level up. This feeling—it was exhilarating! Kana recovered a bit of that "gaming" sensation, and his mood brightened significantly.

He checked his personal attribute panel. A new tab had appeared. Next to [Attributes], there was now [Skills]. He clicked it.

Sure enough, the changes he wanted had appeared.