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nHoward was instantly engulfed by an unimaginably vast torrent of data!

nIt was like a string of keys, filling in some deficiency deep within his consciousness, unfolding a new world before Howard’s eyes.

nInitially, Howard had thought the process of “transmission of power” would be more astonishing, but beyond the data stream, he saw nothing else.

nReceiving and assimilating the terrifyingly vast data took a considerable amount of time, with half of his duration in the soul space dedicated to this task.

nAlthough it wasn’t necessary to fully comprehend the significance behind each string of data, Howard had to ensure they wouldn’t be forgotten.

nOnce all the data had been received, Howard opened his eyes to see Two, now reverted to its orb form, hovering in midair, surrounded by a faint halo of light.

n“How does it feel?”

nHoward looked at his hands; his consciousness seemed unchanged, nor did he feel an incessant surge of power emanating from within.

nHe merely felt a bit more spirited, and somehow, his body seemed a bit brighter, as if evolving towards a luminous entity.

n“It doesn’t feel… particularly special?” Howard clenched his fists, “Does the change take time to manifest?”

n“Somewhat.” Two didn’t clarify directly but spoke evasively, shifting the topic, “For the time being, you probably can’t leave. You must complete some tasks that you’re supposed to do.”

n“Tasks? Training?” Howard was taken aback, “What do I need to do?”

n“You don’t need to do anything, just stand there. If you feel tired, sitting or lying down is also fine, but it’s best not to fall asleep, or you might have nightmares.”

nTwo’s voice became increasingly ethereal and vague, and Howard felt his consciousness slipping out of control, as if experiencing an out-of-body phenomenon.

nAn out-of-body experience within the soul space?

nBut he wasn’t given much time to ponder; soon, he completely lost control over his consciousness.

nLike a beast shedding its shackles, Howard’s consciousness began to expand and deform, its perception sinking towards the warm seabed.

nObserving the continuously changing, expanding, and alien-like consciousness before it, Two showed not a bit of surprise.

nEvery person is a beast; morality and reason are the shackles on this beast, and it had just removed all of Howard’s restraints.

nSome things are indeed not suitable for him to know now.

nThis method of secrecy might not be the safest, but it is certainly the most reliable.

nAn aberrated beast lacks reason; it can do as it pleases, and Howard will ultimately know nothing.

n“So…”

nThe orb spun, transforming into a humanoid form.

nA streamlined blade of light automatically condensed in Two’s hand, what Howard had struggled to achieve seemed as mundane as eating and drinking to it.

nBut even if asked to explain, all Two could say was that practice makes perfect.

nEverything that could be given to Howard had been given; how far he could go from here was up to Howard’s own capabilities.

nLifting the long blade in its hand, the tip pointed directly at Howard’s consciousness, now completely transformed into an alien form.

nThe battle erupted silently and concluded unnoticed.

n…

nWhen Howard finally awoke, he found himself staring at the age-worn ceiling of the inn.

nThe original texture of the wood was no longer discernible, speckled with mildew.

nThough still sturdy, it couldn’t help but make one worry if the person above might suddenly fall through.

nFortunately, during Howard’s stay, no one fell through, nor did he.

nAlways worrying about things that haven’t happened yet is one of the differences between humans and beasts. 𝑖.𝑐ℴ𝑚

nHoward’s mind rapidly regained clarity upon waking, marking the first noticeable change.

nThough he had always come to awareness before, it had required some time, but not this time.

nIf one were to make a comparison, it was like a computer that had always booted from a mechanical hard drive suddenly switching to a solid-state drive, significantly speeding up the boot time.

nHis brain seemed to respond faster, and his grasp on details became more acute.

nThough he only gave the ceiling a brief glance, Howard could accurately count how many cracks there were and even describe the location of each one.

nAll of this was determined in that brief moment.

nIf applied in combat, this meant he could anticipate all possible moves of an opponent at a glance.

nWith sufficient experience, Howard could potentially dodge all attacks perfectly and launch the most cunning counterattacks because his predictions would be as accurate as prophecies.

nIs this the power that Two granted me?

nTo claim there was no excitement would be a lie, yet Howard didn’t feel as thrilled as he had anticipated.

nThis newfound strength was indeed formidable, but it wasn’t quite what he had expected.

nHe had imagined it would be something more direct, like the ability to control energy.

nTwo isn’t the type to bluff about non-existent matters, just as it wouldn’t leave you alive if it decided to kill you.

nSince it mentioned a cost, there must indeed be a price to pay.

nHowever, Howard wasn’t worried.

nControlling his body, Howard sat up, feeling an indescribable sense of peculiarity.

nHe couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, but something certainly felt off.

nPacing around the room, he couldn’t locate the source of this feeling until he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.

nIt was a face he recognized yet imbued with unfamiliarity.

nThe reflection clearly showed a young man in his early twenties!

nWith a “boom,” Howard’s mind went blank.

nCould it be that the price Two mentioned was his lifespan?

nHoward quickly averted his gaze from the mirror, thoroughly inspecting his body.

nHe was in good health, his limbs strong and muscular, and his senses were all functioning normally, but there was a significant change in his physical and apparent age.

nThis was the source of the initial odd sensation.

nAs his body aged, it also underwent corresponding growth.

nAlthough the physical changes were substantial, there wasn’t much change in terms of mana.

nHe remained at the level 3 magus standard, but the mana core seemed a bit more solidified, even emanating a faint glow when he looked inward.

nIs it starting to glow?

nDoes this mean everything about me is converging towards becoming a luminous entity?

nSuddenly, as Howard was deeply immersed in thought, he sharply looked towards the door at the faint sound of footsteps that had just stopped outside.

nAlthough he hadn’t listened carefully, Howard could judge that the footsteps definitely weren’t Nula’s.

nLiving with Nula these days, Howard had become very familiar with the sound of her footsteps.

nYet, this set of footsteps also felt familiar to him, as if he had heard them somewhere before.

nWhere had he heard them?

nHoward eyed the door coldly, his right hand loosely clenched, ready to activate the Space Ring at any moment, with every muscle in his body tensed for immediate action.

nThe moment he confirmed that the person outside came with ill intentions, Howard was confident he could subdue them as they entered the room.

nHowever, the familiar feeling of the footsteps made Howard hesitate. .

nAnd in that moment of hesitation, the door was opened.

nThe room door was silently pushed open, revealing a girl, appearing to be about seventeen, standing at the doorway with a basket in hand.

nHer gaze naturally swept through the room, landing squarely on Howard in the center.

nSimultaneously, Howard’s gaze also fell on the girl who had opened the door.

n“Why is it you!”

n“Who are you!”

nBoth exclaimed in unison, but then immediately caught themselves and fell silent.

nVivia!

nWhy was Vivia here?

nAlthough he didn’t voice it, Howard’s thoughts didn’t pause, desperately seeking a way out.

nThe moment he saw Vivia and spoke out, he regretted his words instantly.

nNow that Howard’s physical age had changed by several years, Vivia couldn’t recognize him at a glance, presenting the perfect opportunity for escape!

nBut his earlier exclamation had essentially given Vivia a clue, which she might use to deduce the truth.

nTo run away directly? But wouldn’t that also implicitly admit that he was indeed Howard? Although he was Howard, he couldn’t let Vivia think so.

nAs Howard rapidly pondered his escape options, Vivia’s expression gradually shifted from initial surprise and confusion to an incredulous look.

nHer voice trembled as she asked, “Howard? Are you Howard?”

nHoward didn’t respond, but his wary expression provided the answer.

nAfter all, he hadn’t transformed into another person; many remnants of his past self lingered on him, with changes in his appearance merely adding maturity.

n“How… how could this be! You’ve aged so much just by waking up!”

nVivia advanced, taking several steps to stand right in front of Howard.

n𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

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