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nAt the moment, Viktor has 142 spirit stones on hand. Therefore, it would be better for him to start strengthening his team. After all, there were only so many things that could be done with one pair of hands.

nFrom his past experience with Boris, the stones would need some time to come into effect, and this conjecture of his was confirmed by the Djinn. Hence, Viktor decided to give each of them three spirit stones and told them to eat one every one hour.

nThe others did it without complaint, but Viktor noticed that there was someone who seemed hesitant to consume it. It was his girlfriend, Eva.

nWith a worried look on her face, Eva held the spirit stone he gave to her and asked, “Dear, what kind of drug is this? Will it have any side effects on my skin? You do know some drugs could make people go bald! Dont you?”

n“…”

nThe back and forth session where Eva relentlessly fired off question after question continued for one hour until finally, she was convinced after Viktor ate one of the stones himself to show her the effects.

nOn one hand, she finally agreed to eat the stones. On the other hand, the antics still did not stop, instead it changed form. After eating one stone, she now started to act out and even stared at the mirror, checking her complexion almost literally every minute.

nThree hours passed, and with it, the three spirit stones were consumed. The night came, and it was time for the group to rest. As usual, the two bodyguards would take turns to guard the place, while the rest would sleep comfortably.

nWith this arrangement, Viktor could maintain their progress and hope there won’t be any side effects emerging in the morning. Side effects would not only mean an unneeded danger for them, but also a waste of precious spirit stones if they end up dead.

nViktor himself also took their stones before he took a rest himself. Today was such a tiring day after all, and a good night’s sleep would always be good for one’s health.

nClosing his eyes while contemplating his future, Viktor unknowingly fell into slumber.

nThe sun shared its brilliance as it rose on the horizon, and they passed through the night without any incidents. However, as he woke up, Viktor felt a distinct lack of someone sleeping next to him.-.

nHis question was answered as he heard a cheerful voice.

n“This is amazing! I never felt this great!”

nEva was talking cheerfully to herself as she once again checked every detail of her face in a full length mirror. Somehow, she was convinced that her skin had tightened and felt much more firm than yesterday.

nHer over excitement had actually made Viktor couldn’t help but believe that the spirit stones do have some kind of drug side effects.

nViktor, however, did not pay her gushing any mind. He started to analyze each of his team members’ progress.

nTorri Helsinki – Battle Power: 16 (18) – Mortal Realm – middle stage

nBoris Oslo – Battle Power: 18 (19) – Mortal Realm – middle stage

nEvangeline Amelia Bardott – Battle Power: 10 (13) – Mortal Realm – middle stage

nBarry Pennyworth – Battle Power: 11 (14) – Mortal Realm – initial stage

nSurprisingly, three of them just receive an upgrade in their realm to the middle stage. Even though Barry hasn’t received an upgrade, he and Eva still received a high increase in battle power. Boris who has consumed a total of 7 stones, on the other hand, this time only getting one battle power increase.

nIt was clear that Eva was the one who received the most benefits from three stones. As he looked over her drastic improvement, Viktor wondered about this and then the Djinn told him that the spirit stones do give different effects to different people.

nAll in all, the four of them felt much stronger than before. The most obvious change that both Viktor and the others noticed was the fact they didn’t feel the frigid air of winter as cold as before.

nViktor was certainly satisfied with the upgrades they received. Even though it still wasn’t enough to fight the monsters outside, it was certainly a good progress. He still has 127 spirit stones left, so improvements no matter how small it was would be a win in his book.

nInstead of worrying about his companions, the thing that concerned Viktor the most was himself. He also consumed three spirit stones last night, but he received no notifications or increase in his stats at all.

nViktor Romanov

nStrength – 19

nAgility – 49

nEndurance – 28

nBattle Power – 32

nSpirit Force – 30

nMortal realm – peak stage

nOn one hand, he was happy as he managed to reach such high numbers. However, he knew that these high numbers in his eyes were still not enough at all for the challenges he was about to face.

nHe walked outside and sat behind the hut, on a flat rock before he started talking to the Djinn.

n“Djinn, how many should I eat before I get another upgrade?”

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n“Darn it, I only have one of the yellow stones..” Viktor clicked his tongues. Eventually, he sighed and asked, “If I consume it now, how many would that give me?”

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n“What do you mean?”

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nA suspicious look appeared on Viktor’s face when he heard that.

n“What the hell does that mean?”

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nViktor’s expression twisted in annoyance as he remembered what Captain Andrei told him about.

nHe was planning to visit the alien construct, but he thought he needed to become a bit more powerful before he could attempt to check on it. However, the words the Djinn said have changed everything. He might be forced to completely revise his travel plan.

nHowever, the Djinn were not done talking.

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nEven though he was a bit annoyed that the Djinn kept him in suspense, the excitement that followed when he heard those words made him forget about his annoyance.

n“That is amazing! Now I need to upgrade, do it now!”

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n“….”

nViktor fell silent for a moment, before he shouted at the Djinn.

n“This is a daylight robbery!”

nEven though that was what he said, Viktor was not too concerned. Even before the apocalypse, he knew firsthand and well enough that nothing in this world is free. He recalled how those who took advantage of his family and tried to get away scot-free; Let’s just say the fate of those people is not beautiful.

nTherefore, he decided to agree with the requirement, and the Djinn told him to follow his instructions.

nHe took out the Persian bronze lamp, dragged the spirit stones close towards it. In an instant, the lamp started to pull the stones as if it was a vacuum.

n100 spirit stones absorbed

nProcessing the upgrade from Mortal Realm to Earth Realm.

nImmediately, Viktor could feel changes happening within his body, and as he discovered, the process was quite painful. He felt as if he was being pricked with hundreds of tiny needles on his entire body, and it was followed with surges of electrifying energy rushing through his veins.

nEven though the sensation felt excruciating, it also carried an extraordinary feeling. The waves of sensations eventually ceased, and the moment they completely disappeared, Viktor felt like he was born anew.

nRealm upgrade successful

nYou have reached a breakthrough into a new realm.

nEarth realm – initial stage

nYou have received 10 status points that can be freely distributed!

nViktor grinned at the messages, inwardly glad that the process was done. The extra 10 points stat itself was enough to give him a little consolation for the spirit stones he had sacrificed.

nBut then, to his surprise, as the messages disappeared, he received another surprising message.

nYou have the required aptitude to control your spirit force

nYou may now choose one of the 10 elements of spirits

nFire, Earth, Water, Wind, Metal, Plant, Ice, Lightning, Darkness, Light

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