Chapter 4: The Reason Women Dominate Men
The power system Leon had created for the game was a simple one because he wanted to focus more on other aspects of the game. He knew gamers wouldn’t care too much either, as long as it felt rewarding and fun to use.
There were two types of energy in this world: Essence and Mana.
Essence was the natural energy present in the atmosphere. It followed cultivation-like principles—one had to meditate, breathe in the Essence, circulate it through their body, and gradually strengthen their foundation over time.
Mana, on the other hand, came from Abyssal Creatures. Whenever someone killed one, Mana would be extracted in the form of EXP.
In short, the game’s system was a hybrid between a traditional cultivation system and a LitRPG levelling format.
Naturally, both paths had drawbacks, and not everyone could use them.
Essence cultivation had a slow and painful progression. One had to spend hours just sitting cross-legged, breathing in the ambient energy, trying not to doze off while also not exploding a meridian.
Meanwhile, Mana-based progression was more straightforward but far more dangerous. The Mana extracted from Abyssal Creatures was contaminated with the virus.
At lower levels, the contamination was minimal and usually manageable. But the higher one climbed in tiers, the stronger the exposure and the easier it was to lose control and fall to corruption.
Essence, on the other hand, was pure. Safe. Steady.
That was why men only used Essence to cultivate. They were far more vulnerable to the virus, and there hadn’t been a single recorded male who absorbed Mana and lived long.
Women, however, had much better adaptability to Mana. They could resist the virus more effectively and cleanse corruption through sheer control and mental strength.