n

n

nI timed my return from the auction hall so that I wouldn't waste a single second.

nI patiently waited right until the last moment. The last call if I wanted to return with Lucius.

nIn theory, I could completely ditch the hunting part of the game. As long as I could provide my quotas, the sect at large wouldn't care.

nIn other words, I could simply ask Auction Hall to take care of this while focusing my attention elsewhere.

n'Right now, going back to the camp still serves a purpose,' I thought, abandoning the idea.

nGrowing stronger was my current priority. And no matter how much more convenient it was to be near the sect, I didn't dare to cultivate in the city.

nI was already on the verge of breaking through to the ninth level. Just a few points pumped more into my level gauges, and I could celebrate another breakthrough.

nBut I didn't want to draw too much attention to myself.

nNot now, not yet.

nI had to do absolutely the most out of my potential coming out.

nIf the sect were to learn about my presence and persona early on, they would always perceive me like an unruly upstart. The only way to make them treat me seriously and ignore my scuffle with the Logistical Center was to appear before them in might.

n'And breakthrough I will,' I thought, caressing the outline of the ring that I received a second before leaving.

n

"Here,

" the auction hall boss said, grinning through the drops of sweat covering her forehead.

"That's all that I managed to find,

" she said just a few moments earlier as she passed the ring.

n'It would be nice if I could break all the way to the tenth stage all at once,' I thought.

nI was aware of how the ninth and the tenth stages are tough to cultivate. But I just couldn't help myself but imagine an impossibly convenient scenario.

n

"Took you long enough,

" Lucius greeted me a few moments later.

nHe already waited by the doors of the Inn, looking around in an impatient manner.

n

"Had to finish some stuff,

" I replied ambiguously.

nThere was no point in talking with that man for now. That's why I just started moving.

nIt took us nearly an entire night and then several hours into the day to arrive back at the camp.

nApparently, the monsters would recede after the full moon, allowing for relatively safe night travel.

nAnd throughout the entire journey, I didn't share a word with Lucius.

n'He didn't bother to open his filthy mouth either,' I thought, slightly annoyed when we finally reached the camp.

nEven now, I still hoped that Lucius could snap himself out of it.

nWe didn't have a massive fight, nor some kind of relationship-changing event. He just pushed heavily on something that I knew was a scam. Yet, he acted as if his prideful stance about the topic was more important than trying to make up with me!

n'Stop it,' I lectured myself as I stood before the tent. It lured me in with the comforts inside, something that I desperately needed after the long and boring journey.

nBut I had no time for that.

nI turned around and left the center of the clearing.

nRather than wasting time resting, I could pick up the pace and finally do what I needed.

nOn my move to the forest, I swung by my usual training spot.

nEvery formation would increase its effectiveness overtime... But my current formation was still relatively new. And that's why I picked the formation stones right up before venturing deep into the forest.

nI didn't have any mental map of the forest. I didn't follow any given direction.

nI simply wandered around for a while before my instincts told me that my location was the right spot.

nIt was that simple.

nI reached to my balls and rubbed the crystal of my ring. A brush and a small glass of ink appeared in my hand.

n'Let's get this ** going,' I thought, pouring all the knowledge that I gained during the sect's visit into the pebbles I picked up directly from the ground.

nThe first set of stones went into creating a protective array.

nIt only had the passive ability to repel monsters and the alarm whenever something would pass it.

nThe second formation concealed my surroundings.

nI didn't understand the mechanism behind its illusions. I have yet to sit through the runes and discover all their secrets, but I couldn't help but get hyped about all the possibilities it would offer before me.

n'No, I don't have time for this yet,' I thought, disciplining myself.

nSoon, the last array landed on the ground, the amplification one.

n'Here we go,' I thought, using my other ring to pull out the cultivation resources I received from the auction hall.

nThere were only a few items inside the ring's space. But each of them made me shiver just by looking at it.

nThe mana within those containers was just that immense.

n

"Well then,

" I muttered, reaching out for the first of the treasures.

"Here goes nothing,

" I thought, clasping my fingers down on the shiny, blue orb.

nPower filled my body.

nIt was a feeling that I couldn't describe. As if every last atom of my existence burned away, restored itself to its perfect state...

nAnd then repeated the process a hundred times over.

nJust the initial surge of the energy from the treasure burned an agonizing trail throughout my mana pathways.

nAnd it was only the beginning.

nIn a desperate attempt to hold on to my consciousness, I called forth and glanced at my system.

nBefore starting, I needed a bit more than a thousand points combined to advance.

nMana Assimilation (8 937

/10 000)

nMana Assimilation (11 254

/10 000)

nMana Assimilation (32 018

/10 000)

nIn a single flash, the points exploded past the limits of my gauge. It appeared that my current growth exceeded the speed that my system could refresh at!

nThe content of my system changed.

nEverything about the core expansion collapsed and vanished, only to be replaced by words I had never seen before in this world.

nBut I couldn't really focus enough to scan through the changes.

nI ignored all my thoughts and started moving my body around.

nJust like all the times before, I started to move around.

nSoon, with a spear in my hand, I continued to poke around at the air, using my techniques to rein in the immense inflow of mana.

nAnd then it all ended when the orb in my hand crumbled.

nI finally had a second to look at my status window.

nPROGRESS STATUS WINDOW

n***

n- Body status: Half-enlighted

n- Growth status: Adolescent Enlightenment

n- Body status modifier:

n- Endurance: 1 270

/2 500

n- Willpower: 703

/2 500

n***

nAdolescent Enlightement (762 862

/1 500 000)

n{

nEnlightenment: 237 414

/500 000

nPotential: 413 097

/500 000

nDrive: 112 351

/500 000

n}

n***

n'Not bad,' I thought before taking a deep breath and holding it in my lungs.

nOnly when I calmed down a little did I raise my face.

nMy eyes involuntarily moved towards the other two items from the sect.

n'I might as well keep going,' I thought.

nThe massive advancement I just achieved shocked me beyond words. Never in my most daring dreams did I hope for success so great!

n'Wasn't the ninth stage supposed to be hard to break through?' I thought, baffled by my results.

nBut I was perfectly happy with the development.

n'It looks like my bet has paid off,' I thought, grinning when I reached for the second orb.

nIt appeared as if picking quality over quantity was the right choice!

nOnce again, my body exploded when foreign mana flooded it. And this time, I could keep track of my numbers rising.

nTic. Tic. Tic.

nThe torture of absorbing power in such a violent manner made me gasp for air.

nAnd then everything stopped as if the time itself gave way to a higher force.

nThe pain disappeared... and so did my focus.

nBefore my eyes, a selection window appeared.

nHost reached the adolescent enlightenment level!

nThe window announced. But it was the following message that made my soul tremble.

n

nPick your main class:

nBattlemage

nMilitary Mage

nCultivator

nMartial Artists

n

nThis wasn't what I expected to see.

nAnd for a moment, I felt as if my heart was about to jump out of my chest!

n