Approag the fruit, she detected an irresistible aroma.

  Tara k would be impossible t back to the cave.

  The fruit carried a lure that showed its value, and she knew magical beasts must feel the urge to e it.

  Likely, it was worthless to a magical beast on the level of a {Steel Dracrocodile}.

  However, plenty of magical beasts like the Earthray were strong enough to pose a signifit threat.

  She felt it was best to have the fruit now.

  The territory seemed marked by the Qi Gathering five Earthray.

  It was a good deterrent since she knew magical beasts usually attacked her due to her weak cultivation.

  Therefore, hiding and using the former Earthray presence as a safety would be best.

  She approached the tree and used her cwed-webbed limbs to clutch a fruit aach it.

  The fruit seemed even more appetising up close, and she did everything she could to show restraint.

  the tree, she found four more strange fruits on its branches.

  Deg to take them all, she retrieved each piece of fruit, leaving it in a bundle on the floor.

  Taking the fruit in her cws, she did not uand how you usually e a natural treasure.

  Despite the he fruits were strangely pear-shaped and transparent, with a silver-grey-like glow.

  They looked mystical, and she was eager to taste them.

  Deg her best option would be to e them individually, she grasped one of the fruit and brought it towards her mouth.

  Swallowing it in one big gulp, she felt the energy of the fruit raging through her instantly.

  However, she instinctively khat one fruit was insuffit t about the ge she wanted, so she started gulping down eae until none was left.

  That was when she felt the ge , as the energy started to wash throughout her body. Tara began to feel its nourishing effects, and a newfound strength filled her.

  The ge the fruit brought was evident even before the notification.

  [Iron Fruit ed. Attributes and traits enhanced.

  Trait: Iron Borait level forcibly increased {2} > {3} *NEW* Your bones have advanced once again, enhang them further. Your teeth and cws are sharper and more durable as a result. Bodily attributes are naturally improved to support yrowth. You are oep further ting the trait to its natural limit and f an evolution beyond your species.]

  The system's notification surprised Tara. It made her realise that the levels of her traits may serve another purpose, as if to indicate that, simir to games in her previous world, a trait be improved to a brand new and improved trait when it reaches its limit.

  It made her clude that perhaps a mutation is not the only way to improve upoing traits.

  She was ied to see {Iron Bones} 's limit and what would bee of it when she could for evolution.

  However, surprisingly, this was not the only notification she received.

  [*rait geed* Your skin and tendons were siderably toughened and strengthened from the nourishment brought by the Iron Fruits. It has brought about a natural ge in your body.

  Iron Skin and Tendons {1} > {2}: Your flesh and tendons have the durability of iron. Your skin is more resistant to sshing, pierg and blunt trauma. Stroendons allow you to gee more force through your limbs, being mile and explosive. Your movements will be more effit.]

  The rait was good and paired well with {Iron Bones}. It seemed probable both beed from something sidered a body-refining treasure.

  Though {Iron Skin and Tendons} was different to the {Iron Scales} mutation offered, seeming to be more focused on toughening her skin against physical attacks, whereas the {Iron Scales} seemed to protect against elemental damage, something she has yet to see so she had no idea its usefulness.

  It also didn't offer an all-around body enha like this one, fog solely on improving her resistance.

  Stroendons have obvious bes, as they enhahe whole body.

  Satisfied with the improved trait and new one, she thought that was all until another notification sounded.

  [Excess vitality from fruit transformed into EXP. Calg: You have received 25 EXP.

  You are now 107/100 EXP intressing to Level 3.]

  Now, that was not something she expected. Though she figured the EXP must be ing from somewhere.

  And with that as a hint, she thought it must have to do with maybe the Qi or vitality in the magical beast or, in this case, the fruit she ed.

  Most of the Qi tained in the fruit seemed to be naturally absorbed by her body to enhance her trait and form a new one, yet there was still excess that she could not fully absorb, and the system seemed to suggest it verted this to EXP.

  Curiously, she decided to ask the system, and surprisingly, it expined.

  [EXP is formed from the absorption of soul, bloodline and vital energy. The immortal has graciously provided a more effit means to improve yourself.]

  Although she received only that brief description, it was enough to show Tara that she was on the right tra her thinking.

  She assumed this nned by the immortal since he iionally left it to them to plough their way along.

  The system provided little information, leavio make most of her decisions without mentorship.

  The immortal did not want anything to influeheir decisions, so they removed any pre-set paths, giving them little guidance.

  She predicted most magical beasts cked the foundation of humans formed from having a society that shared information, meaning they must rely on themselves.

  The immortal desired them to create uhs, making it redundant if they interveoo much; at the same time, doing something like this meant many would suffer greatly.

  Yet the immortal seemed to care little about this, having ample ‘willing’ didates to send until one of them achieves something. Helping them too much would hiheir pns of creating new paths without their influence.

  Moving on, she decided to level up here since her surroundings seemed clear. After the levelling process, she k was unplicated and would not take too long.

  Tara khe more she progressed, the safer she would be out there, so it was best to take the opportunity to improve.

  Therefore, she brought up the notification she expected.

  [gratutions, you currently have enough experience points to level up. Would you like tress to level 3?]

  Decisively, she selected ‘Yes’.

  The menu again revealed a simir message.

  [Your cultivation level has increased Qi Gathering 2 > Qi Gathering 3. All essential attributes increased. Qi capacity enhanced. Select two existing traits to improve. The your mutation.]

  Tara agaihat familiar warmth brought about by the increase in her cultivation level. All aspects of her seemed to improve; it was as if the quality of her lifeform had improved as a whole.

  The itg of her flesh came abruptly, and she once agai a o slumber as her body wao undergo some ges and growth.

  Her earlier injuries were already rapidly healing from the influx of energy brought about by the fruits, but she felt even more charged with her improved cultivation level.

  She had no idea about using Qi capacity yet but realised it had some influen utilisiraits such as {Regeion}. She assumed she may discover its full use ter the more she develops.

  Moving on she decided to ignore her freshly enharait {Iron Bones} and newly formed trait {Iron Skin and Tendons} since from ing a body refining fruit, she realised there may be more of them around here and did not want to waste her valuable point on something she improve this way.

  The upgrade was simir to the general ones she previously received anyway.

  Additionally, si did not offer a limit that could force evolution, she decided to enhahe traits for which she had no idea if there was a natural treasure simir to an {Iron Fruit}.

  Therefore, she decided to enhanbsp;{Regeion} and her reliable {Poisoion} traits that had improved their usefulness repeatedly.

  [Regeion {2}: You regee plex limb structures...

  *NEW* Regeion improves further, being more effit and less energy-ing.

  You heal even faster and improve immunity to toxins.

  Trait level: {2} > {3}]

  sidering the amount of poison she's been utilising tely, the level seems ironic. Still, again, that highlights how necessary an upgrade is with the effect her poison has on far stronger creatures.

  Satisfied with upgrading her most utilised trait, she moved on to {Poisoion}.

  [Poisoion {1}]: An evolution of {Skiion}…

  *NEW* Your poison bees even deadlier and more toxic; it gains the additional effect of slightly abs an oppo's Qi tthen and propagate itself. This effect will grow more potent the further the trait improves.

  Trait level: {2} > {3}]

  The new effe the trait seemed ridiculous. Yet Tara noticed the impact mentioned was slight, which meant it must not be too overpowered. However, it was a good ge, and her poison was already strong, and now it would be even stronger.

  After finalising both upgrades, she moved on to the mutation.

  She found the mutation more tricky this time, with her pn of upgrading her defence ged sihe {Iron Fruit} brought about this naturally. However, she saw an iing trait that may have finally led her to utilise Qi.

  [Metal Manipution {1}: You gain a rudimentary trol of metal, developing uhways in your body. Rare among Qi-gatheris, you form a foundation of a bloodline ability that may evolve and grow with you as this trait levels and will tio go beyond your species' straints.]

  Tara found the mutatioremely iing. In the first mutation, it was not on offer, though maybe this was because of her limitatiarding Qi. However, the rudimentary description suggested it would not be too powerful, yet its potential seemed limitless.

  It seemed the very mutation allowed her to do what a usual {Iron Samander} would likely never be able to. However, based oraits, her species likely possessed a natural affinity with metal; only the mutation finally allowed her to harness it.

  Eager to imagine what she could do if she could manipute metal, Tara selected the mutation. Her mi bnk for a period before she once again underwent tremendous growth.

  When she awoke, the area was still clear, and the Earthray's carcass remained untouched.

  Instantly, she felt the differences brought upon by the enhas and mutation; she found she had a new instinctive uanding of metal and could now feel the Qi that roamed her body.

  The biggest ge, however, was that the Earthray carcass felt many times smaller than before—even the rge tree did. She khat meant once again she had undergone a growth spurt.

  A few Iron Fruits invigorated her thoughts of expl. She now has a new goal: to find as many of these treasures as possible while tinuously improving herself.

  Suddenly, everything did not seem so bleak; she would carve a pce for herself in this world aually find her way home.