Chapter 58: Morning Walk
"Of course it wouldn’t be that simple..." after the high from the breakthrough finally settled, Novus decided to check how much his raw stats improved first before diving back right into meditation.
The moment he opened the system screen, a text that made his previous high fall even lower appeared as well.
[With the breakthrough to the E-Tier, Evolution Crystal of the lower tier will have less effect.]
[F-Tier Evolution Crystal’s effect is reduced by 90%.]
It was like the system slapped him right across his face, reminding him of how poor he is right now, the thousands of remaining F-Tier Evolution Crystals being reduced to around the same value as a few hundred of them back when he was still at the F-Tier.
’Positive thinking... positive thinking...’ as he felt like he was being scammed by the very thing that was supposed to help him grow, he forced his violent reactions back to himself, closing the notifications as he took a good look at his current strength right now.
[Novus Helion van Argenta]
[Combat Rating: E Tier Mage (Assessment Ongoing)]
[Talent: True Immortal Blood (EX-Rank Growth-type Innate Talent)]
[Current Evolution Domain Location: Verdant Expanse: Verdant Forest (1.5-star danger level)]
[Immortal Energy: 800/800]
[Strength: 400]
[Agility: 400]
[Vitality: 400]
[Arcane: 400]
[Harmony: 400]
[True Immortal Blood (EX-Rank Growth-type Innate Talent)]
[Growth Progress: 1.305% (98.695% before Talent Rank Up)]
[Mastery: Entry-level (64.27%)]
"Hahaha..." he couldn’t help but laugh; the slap of poverty no longer being a big matter to him as he stared at the screen right in front of him.
’Normally, a mage who just entered the E Tier will have around some hundred or so Arcane and the other stats falling far behind, at around fifty or so if I am right, but this...’
Recalling the standards, the average of what this world considers as an E- Tier Mage, Novus couldn’t help but think to himself as he closed the system’s screen, an excited smile on his face as he began to look forward to how much more he could grow within the limits of the E-Tier.
Hence why he wasted no further time lazing around, knowing that he no longer has anything more to do than to improve himself even more from now on, especially since the limit that was imposed on him by the F Tier is now completely broken free.
Opting to clean the lesser resources first, he then manifested a couple of hundred F-Tier Evolution Crystals as the smile on his face just widens even more, knowing full well that today’s explosive growth has yet to come to an end.
And so, the meditation and bodily refinement continue once again.
[You absorbed Evolution Energy. Refinement of the body will continue until the source of the energy runs out.]
[Your talent: True Immortal Blood is being refined. +0.00001% progress, +0.01 maximum Immortal Energy.]
Those notifications appear for every single F-Tier Evolution Crystal he absorbs, and whenever he reaches the hundred, another set of notifications reveals themselves as well.
[Your physique has grown. +1 strength, +1 agility, +1 vitality.]
[You sense all sorts of energy clearer than before. +1 arcane.]
[Your body and soul seem to grow closer. +1 harmony.]
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"Now that I think about it, I guess it only makes sense, the system doesn’t really impose bullshits without anything in exchange at all..." recalling the massive harvest despite the extremely dangerous Beast Wave, as well as how much he had grown due to how high the requirements for the promotion to the E Tier is, Novus thought to himself as he looks at his Storage Space.
[Storage Space]
[F Tier Evolution Crystal (3,683)]
[E Tier Evolution Crystal (1,233)]
[D Tier Evolution Crystal (21)]
[Slime Substrate (Amber Slime) (5,257)]
[Slime Substrate (Shadow Slime) (3,508)]
[Slime Substrate (Toxic Slime) (349)]
[Slime Substrate (Golden Slime) (25)]
[Malleable Amber (824)]
[Liquid Shadow (588)]
[Safe Poison (30)]
[Slimy Gold Dust (1)]
It was a little bit past midnight when he returned to meditation once again, causing him to assume that he would only expend at most a couple of hundred F-Tier Evolution Crystals before dawn finally hit the floating island.
However, during his meditation, he was interrupted time and time again as he noticed that the Evolution Crystal was disappearing far faster than he had expected, which even initially led him to believe that something or someone must be stealing them.
That notion is immediately dismissed, though, as he actively consumed a singular piece of F-Tier Evolution Crystal, a process of refining it that should’ve taken a couple of minutes falling down to some tens of seconds, meaning that despite the loss of efficacy, the speed of absorption increases in exchange.
Just like how the effect is cut into one-tenth of its previous effect when he is still in the F Tier, the speed of absorption of F Tier Evolution Crystal increases by ten times as well, meaning that using F Tier crystals will still give him the same speed of growth that it used to give him before, only, he would need ten times more of them for this to be sustainable.
’Maybe I’ll try going with the E Tier Evolution Crystal tonight...’ stretching his body as he intends to take a good look around the floating island again for today, Novus thought to himself before taking a look at himself in the mirror, prompting him to release a sigh of relief.
The reason being that despite the massive amount of Evolution Energy that he absorbed during his breakthrough, nothing too drastic of a change has taken place in his external appearance, as if this previous breakthrough focuses everything on improving every single aspect of his combat prowess instead.
Still, the confidence of reaching a level of power most, if not all, of his peers can only dream of brought about changes not in the external appearance, but in the air around him instead.
If it was before, there is this confidence in him that will make one wonder where this misplaced confidence is coming from, but right now, the air around him points only towards one thing.
That there is a reason why this person is as confident as he is.
Of course, this is an insight that can only be gleaned into by those with keener senses than normal people, and anyone else will still be completely clueless as to why this young man can act as he does.
Right now, however, there is one such keen individual who is rapidly approaching Novus’ direction.
Without warning, the young man instinctively bent his head to the right side as a thrust comes from behind, aiming for his left, the swift, precise, and effortless thrust pulling wind with it, causing his hair to move along with it for a moment before the wind stops.
"Lady Medea, isn’t it rude to greet another person with a thrust of the blade?" he asked as a sigh escaped from his lips at the same time, that same presence, that powerful blade, all of it pointing him to a single person without even using Sensory Expansion.
"A pleasant morning to you too, Junior Novus~~" that lady from last night, last night that already felt like some time ago to him, spoke right behind Novus’s ear, all while pulling and sheathing the blade back as she continued.
"You dodged it anyway, so it doesn’t really matter, right?"
Hearing her words and that same teasing smile on her face, Novus couldn’t help but wryly smile as he shook his head, going on his morning walk while just letting this senior student walk alongside him.
"By the way, I didn’t hear it wrong, right?"
"What?"
"How rude! But no matter, just now, you called me Lady Medea, right?"
"..."
"Fufu~~ You DID call me Lady Medea."
"Must’ve been your imagination."
