novelbest Chapter 120: Breakthrough Returns
Chapter 120: Breakthrough Returns
Clara excused herself shortly after, claiming she needed to rest and let her newly stabilized core settle.
Soren then shared the details of his breakthrough process with Ethea, who congratulated him on the success.
They wound down by watching a single episode of a TV show before heading to the bedroom. Soren tucked her into bed, sat down on his mattress, and opened his status.
════════════════
[PERSONAL INFORMATION]
Name: Soren Everly
Age: 22
Circle Rank: Third Circle (Early Stage)
Hunter Rank: E
[CORE STATUS]
Mana Capacity: 57,860 / 150,000
Core Stability: Optimal
Pathway Integrity: Excellent
Affinity: Ice (Grade 7 — S Rank) | Wind (Grade 5 — B Rank)
....
════════════════
’...Amazing.’
Soren mumbled inwardly, staring at the translucent blue window.
His mana capacity had tripled this time, reaching a staggering 150,000. It was an absurd number, especially when he recalled the standard scale for conventional cultivators. A typical Second Circle cultivator usually possessed around 20,000 to 25,000 mana, yet he had held 50,000. Now, while the average Third Circle cultivator peaked at about 50,000, his foundation boasted triple that amount.
The gap between him and his peers was widening into a chasm, or more like he was chasing them at an alarming rate. To put it into perspective, a genuinely talented person like Sister Zoe had around 500,000 mana at the peak of the Fifth Circle. If he continued at this current rhythm, his capacity would easily eclipse hers by the time he reached that level.
Yet, as intoxicating as the numbers were, Soren forced himself to calm down, shaking away the rising pride.
The world was vast, and there were probably more hidden geniuses out there than he knew. His own wife, Ethea, must have been a once-in-a-generation monster before her accident.
’I wonder how much her capacity was back then?’ he wondered briefly, before shaking the thought away.
Regardless of others, this breakthrough meant he was officially qualified to enter Third Circle gates. However, he quickly decided to put that plan on hold. Entering those gates meant taking a hunter promotion exam. He had only just taken his last exam not long ago; pushing for another rank advancement so quickly would undoubtedly raise suspicion and draw unwanted attention to himself.
Come to think of it, ’they’ hadn’t taken any action since the first exam.
Could it be that they were just watching him for now, with no immediate intention of intervening? Because he had already met with an accident. Or... was his recent suspicion holding some truth to it?
’...I will have to talk with Ethea about it soon,’ he sighed, casting a brief glance toward the quiet bed where she lay resting.
Turning his attention back to the floating interface, Soren’s eyes landed on a familiar, glowing notification icon blinking in the upper corner.
’Good, it worked.’
A satisfied smile played on his lips. He opened the notification window, read the info, and tapped ’Yes’ without hesitation.
Instantly, a cascade of investment messages flooded his vision.
───────
[Investment detected.]
[Target: Clara]
[Analyzing investment...]
[Investment: You treated the target not as a mere employee, but as close family, welcoming her to your table to share a rare, highly valuable meal you personally prepared. By providing this resource and supporting her through the breakthrough, you directly enabled her to overcome a long-standing wall.]
[Analyzing target response...]
[As a result of your actions, the target successfully broke through her bottleneck, restoring her faded vitality and extending her lifespan by ten years. The breakthrough has profoundly elevated her mana purity. Furthermore, experiencing your respect and hospitality, the target’s perspective has shifted; she has dropped her strict professional distance and begun to genuinely view and treat you and your wife like close family.]
[Evaluating investment...]
[Evaluation complete.]
[Investment Grade: High]
[Calculating returns...]
[Calculation complete.]
[Returns granted:]
[Applying Authority Modifier: Amplification (Passive) — Baseline bonus applied. Reward tier scaling upgraded.]
[Returns granted:]
[1. Permanent Mana Capacity Expansion (+10,000)]
[2. Rare Recipe: Abyssal Tide Stew — A water-element oriented culinary blueprint designed to accelerate pathway conditioning and optimize mana circulation for water or ice affinity users.]
[3. Rare Recipe: Glacial Dew Mochi — A specialized dessert blueprint that temporarily stabilizes core fluctuations and provides a mild boost to mental clarity.]
[4. Life Force Resonance (C-Rank) — Passively enhances the user’s natural vitality and extends physical endurance.]
[5. Perceptive Eye (D-Rank) — Grants the ability to subtly sense the emotional baseline and sincerity of those nearby.]
[Integration initiated...]
───────
The integration initiated immediately, a warm wave of energy reshaping his core, evolving his vision, and etching the intricate culinary knowledge straight into his mind.
[Integration complete!]
As the message flashed and faded, Soren took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Looking over the listed returns, the haul was much better than he had anticipated, likely a combined result of his Amplification passive and the sheer quality of the investment itself.
He glanced back at his core status. Not only had his maximum limit risen, but his current mana pool had also instantly filled by an additional 10,000 points. A satisfied hum escaped his lips; he hadn’t expected the system to grant direct capacity expansions like this. But recalling how he got his Grade 7 Ice affinity, it made sense.
And the two new abilities were a welcome addition to his arsenal, providing utility he sorely lacked. As for the rare recipes, reading the detailed cooking instructions flashing in his mind gave him another amusing urge to abandon hunting entirely and just become a full-time chef. At the very least, it would make for a highly profitable side job.
The potential of these culinary blueprints made him lean back, his mind naturally wandering to his other ongoing commitments.
If the returns from Aunt Clara were this substantial, what kind of rewards would he get from his investment in Sister Zoe?
Though the thought filled him with genuine anticipation, Soren shook his head to clear it. Her safety and success came first above all else. Regardless of the investment returns, he truly wanted her to overcome her trials and succeed.
’Come to think of it, it usually takes anywhere from a week to several months to successfully break through to the Sixth Circle.’
Given the immense complexity of that threshold, Zoe would likely remain in seclusion for a while, meaning he would have to wait patiently for the final results of that investment.
’Until then, I just need to keep building my own strength step by step.’