The next day, Ethan woke up early and freshened up. After getting ready, he opened his status panel:
[Master: Ethan Hunt
Physique: 61.6
Spirit: 61.8
Talent: Infinite Comprehension]
His stats had doubled again.
Without even breaking through, Ethan had already stepped into the realm of a Martial Master. It was an absurd and almost impossible feat.
In this world, a Level 9 Martial Warrior possessed roughly 10,000 kg of strength. Upon breaking through the next major gene lock and stepping into the Martial Master Realm, their strength increased fivefold.
That meant a Level 1 Martial Master had 50,000 kg of base punching force. Each subsequent sub-lock breakthrough added another 50,000 kg.
Level 2: 100,000 kg
Level 3: 150,000 kg
…
Level 9: 450,000 kg
And once a Martial Master advanced to Grandmaster, the power would surge again by another five times. But that was a discussion for another day.
Right now, Ethan had 61,600 kg of raw force, already surpassing the first threshold of Martial Master.
More importantly, with his Level 4 Sword Intent, he could release devastating blows equivalent to 245 tonnes, comparable to the peak of a Level 4 Martial Master.
Actually, there was no true concept of a "peak level" in terms of raw force at each stage. A Level 1 Martial Master had 50 tonnes of force. Unless one unlocked the next sub-gene lock, that base could not be increased. No one had 60 or 70 tons of base strength unless they used a treasure or technique that multiplied force.
That meant a Level 1 could never truly match a Level 2 unless they possessed some special artifact or skill that amplified their might.
Ethan headed downstairs. His parents were already seated in the drawing room. They had breakfast together in silence.
Today, neither of them went to work. His father's expression was solemn. His mother looked equally serious.
Ethan remained quiet, patiently waiting.
Finally, Jack looked at him and began to speak.
"Ethan, there is a secret about our family I have never told you. We are not originally from this base city."
Ethan's eyes flickered, but he did not interrupt.
Jack continued, his voice calm but heavy. "You have asked about your grandparents many times. I always avoided answering because I did not want to burden you with sadness. But now, now that you have become a Martial Warrior in just one day, perhaps the only one in this planet's history to do so, I think you are more than capable of hearing the truth."
He paused, then said, "Our ancestral home is in Super City 1. Your great-grandfather, Alexander Hunt, was one of the first generation of awakened martial artists. He is now a late-stage Martial Emperor. He has fought in countless battles, even side by side with the Dragon and others."
Ethan's heart pounded.
Jack went on, "My father and uncle awakened seven years after the first generation, at around age fifteen or sixteen. They are both now Martial Emperors, albeit early-stage. That makes three Martial Emperors in our Hunt family, out of the fifty or so that exist in the entire world."
His voice dropped as he added, "Even my older brother and cousin are powerful Martial Kings."
Ethan sat still, stunned.
Jack smiled bitterly. "As a child of the Hunt family, great expectations were placed on me. But I never awakened an elemental talent. I could not do anything about it. I was like a carp born into a house of dragons."
His voice softened. "But my father still loved and supported me. I turned to research, and there I truly shined."
"I invented many potions for humanity. My work earned me the status of a 3-Star Citizen."
He paused, lost in memory. Ethan listened quietly, his heart brimming with admiration.
Jack spoke again, "The Supreme-grade Body Strengthening Fluid, the one you used, was actually one of my inventions, although I never completed the final process."
Ethan was stunned.
His father was this incredible?
Then why were they living so modestly? Why did their family only have a net worth of 100 million coins? They should have been billionaires.
But Ethan held his tongue.
Jack continued, "I went to Base City 7 for a research project. That is where I met your mother. She was an orphan, but the moment I saw her, I fell in love."
He smiled faintly. "Eventually, we fell in love together after I pursued her for some time. I went back to my family to inform them of our relationship."
Elina smiled a little when she heard this.
Jack's expression darkened. "But my father had already arranged my marriage to the daughter of a business family. She had awakened a rare healing-type soul talent, something every powerful family desired."
"My father was ecstatic. He said this was our chance. The other family also agreed, even though I had not awakened. They wanted our backing, the backing of the Hunt family."
Jack clenched his fists. "When I told him I would not marry her, that I loved someone else, both my father and grandfather were furious. They saw me as betraying the family's interests."
"They wanted to bring the girl into our family so our children might inherit both her talent and our Hunt bloodline."
"But I was firm in my decision."
"So they banished me."
"They stripped me of my status. Even though I was a 3-Star Citizen, a Martial Emperor had the authority to do so. They threatened to kill me and your mother if I ever touched research again."
"So we fled. We came here. I started a small business and never touched research again."
Jack finally stopped talking.
Ethan was speechless. His father was like the tragic protagonist of a novel. No cheat, no golden finger, but he still chose love and sacrifice. And now, the son bore the power to rewrite that fate.
He thought silently, So I come from such a powerful background. The Hunt family has three Martial Emperors out of only fifty in the world. And Martial Kings too.
No wonder his father had that look when he saw the fluid. It was his creation.
"Dad," Ethan finally said, his voice low but resolute, "Do not worry. If you ever want to return to your family, I will help you. If you want revenge, I will help you with that too. Just give me a little more time."
Jack smiled. He did not answer. Did he hold resentment? Yes. But it was not deep hatred. It was just fate.
Later that morning, Ethan left the house. He had decided he would withdraw from school and focus entirely on his cultivation path.
He drove himself to school.
After parking his car, he noticed a familiar figure ahead.
Mark.
Ethan had almost forgotten about him.
Mark saw him too and sneered. "Look who finally decided to show up. Our genius Ethan, the one who awakened three elements and decided to cultivate all of them. Bravo! Everyone, give him a round of applause!"
Students nearby looked over, puzzled. Mark did not care. He was itching to show off.
He said loudly, "Now that we are both quasi-Martial Warriors, do you dare fight me in the official arena?"
He was feeling smug. He had grasped the outline of his breathing technique and was confident he would open his first gene lock within two months, or even sooner.
Meanwhile, Ethan had chosen the foolish path of cultivating three elements. Even if he was a genius, it would take three times the effort. The gap between them would only grow.
Mark grinned.
But Ethan did not even look at him.
He walked right past Mark as if he did not exist.
Mark's expression twisted. Being ignored was more painful than being insulted.
He roared, "Ethan! If you are a man, accept my challenge! Or wear earrings and dance at a bar!"
Some students chuckled. Laughter spread.
Ethan stopped walking.
He had tried to ignore that bug, but the bug insisted on being crushed.
He turned around and walked toward Mark. His eyes were cold and indifferent, like he was looking at an insect.
Mark instinctively took a step back. For a second, fear crept into his heart. But then he regained himself. Afraid? Of Ethan? What a joke.
He shouted, "What are you staring at? Scared? I will not bully you!"
He was confident. After all, he had also used a vial of Supreme-grade Body Strengthening Fluid, a gift from his grandfather.
But before he could finish his thoughts, Ethan pulled out a black card.
Mark's smile froze.
Was that not the Martial Warrior identity token?
But he did not have time to think.
Suddenly, a deadly aura enveloped him.
BOOM!
Ethan's punch landed straight on Mark's chest.
Mark flew out like a cannonball, bounced off the ground several times, and finally crashed into a parked car with a sickening thud.
The silence was deafening.
No one knew whether Mark was alive or dead.
Ethan did not say a word. He hated talking nonsense. He simply acted.
The surrounding students were frozen in shock. They looked at Mark, then at Ethan, then at the black card.
He had sent a quasi-warrior flying like a rag doll.
What was Ethan?
Some recognized the black card but refused to believe it belonged to him. He had just awakened two days ago. How could that possibly be his card?
But Ethan did not care what they thought.
He turned and walked straight toward the principal's office.