After Blake returned to the dormitory, it was already close to four or five in the morning.
So much had happened in a single day—no, in a single night.
First, obtaining the superior-quality suit.
Then beating up that old man.
Then Ethan inviting him to join his… childish dream.
And finally, Blake exhausting himself trying to fake his lack of talent.
What a mess.
And on top of that—
Thanks a lot, System.
To think it could actually seal his talent.
But then… what is my real talent level?
After all, he could cultivate every Sutra the system gave him with absurd ease.
As Blake recalled the night's events, he finally questioned the system directly.
"All Sutras provided to the host can be cultivated at high speed due to the Semi-Divine Grade talent granted by the system."
"Semi-Divine Grade?" Blake frowned. "What kind of grade is that? Does it come after Top Grade?"
"Yes. Above Top Grade is Semi-Divine Grade. Above that is Divine Grade."
Blake's eyes narrowed.
"Semi-Divine… Divine. How big is the difference between them?"
"The host's cultivation rank is too low to access this information. Please reach at least the 7th Rank."
…
A black line appeared on Blake's face.
Damn you, system.
"Fine," he muttered. "Then just tell me my real talent."
"Host's innate talents:
Mage Talent — Low Grade
Warrior Talent — Mid Grade."
Blake blinked.
"General reminder: Innate talent of host will increase over time. However, if the host's cultivation rank exceeds the current talent limit, further cultivation will become impossible. It is recommended to continuously improve innate talent."
"…So that means I could get stuck at the 9th Rank or above?"
The thought startled him, but he quickly pushed it aside.
Reaching such a realm was already a distant problem. Worrying about it now was pointless.
By the time the sun rose, Blake was already back to work.
When he entered the inner area of the mansion, he noticed something strange—guards nodded at him respectfully, and even the maids bowed slightly when they passed.
The attention made him uncomfortable.
Only after stopping a service maid did he finally understand.
Everyone already knew he was Ethan's friend.
And Ethan was no longer just an ordinary child.
He was the sole disciple of the mansion's master.
Because of that, Blake's status had also risen overnight.
Though still a servant, he now stood above almost everyone else in the mansion—below only a select few.
Blake ignored it.
He spent his days working and his nights cultivating.
Just like that several uneventful days slipped by.
Blake claimed his accumulated rewards in one go—mostly consumables useful for cultivation, with only a small number of low- and mid-grade weapons mixed in, items that barely caught his interest.
It was the 75th day
Blake had just completed his cultivation when the status panel opened.
***
Host: Blake
Cultivation Rank:
- Mage: 1st Rank — Peak grade
Physique:
- Human Body — 2nd Rank Peak grade
Innate Talent:
- Heat Vision
Mana Affinity:
- Fire, Water, Wind, Earth
Cultivated Sutras:
- Silent Sutra — 5th Rank (100%)
- Fire Sutra — 1st Rank Peak (100%)
- Water Sutra — 1st Rank Peak (100%)
- Earth Sutra — 1st Rank Mid (100%)
- Berserker Sutra — Technique Grade: 3rd Rank Early
(Physique Enhancement: 2nd Rank Peak)
- Lightning Sutra — 1st Rank Mid (0%)
- …
Storage:
- Golden Shield Talisman
- Autograph of Sydney Sweeney
- 3rd Rank Sword (Excellent Quality)
- 2nd Rank Shield (Good Quality)
- 2nd Rank Bow (Excellent Quality)
- Mana-Dense Pills ×5 (2nd Rank Mid)
- …
(Additional items hidden due to quantity)
***
I've reached the peak in both paths," Blake muttered.
"It's time to break through."
He took a breath.
"I'll start with the easier one… Mage Rank."
To advance from the 1st to the 2nd Rank as a mage, one had to completely fill the Mana Core and then force it to expand—using both internal reserves and external mana.
Normally.
Blake frowned slightly.
Absorbing mana from the surroundings would cause too much disturbance. Even with the Silent Sutra concealing him, draining the ambient mana was asking to be discovered.
Fortunately, he had prepared.
"I don't need external mana anyway."
He sat down and began consuming the pills he had accumulated over the past few days.
As the dense mana dissolved within him, he carefully guided it toward his Mana Core, filling it to the brim while maintaining absolute control.
After consuming two 2nd Rank mid-grade pills, the Mana Core was completely saturated.
Only then did Blake begin the next step.
Expansion.
The condensed mana surged inward, and the Mana Core slowly began to grow.
Time passed.
Blake's brows lifted slightly.
"The core was the size of a tennis ball before… now it's about as big as a football."
He paused, carefully sensing it.
"No resistance."
That meant he hadn't reached his limit.
Blake consumed another pill and continued.
This time, the growth was far more dramatic.
Unbeknownst to him, the reason the Mana Core expanded so smoothly was due to his multiple elemental affinities. Each cultivated element reinforced the structure of the core, allowing it to endure far greater pressure than normal.
Minutes later—
Boom.
Inside Blake's body, the Mana Core stabilized at a size three times the diameter of a football—closer to a car tyre.
A powerful surge of mana rushed through his circulation paths, purer and far denser than before, flowing without a single obstruction.
"Huff…"
Blake exhaled slowly.
"This… much mana."
His mind felt clearer. His control sharper.
2nd Rank Mage — achieved.
He did not attempt the warrior breakthrough.
Rushing while unfamiliar with his new power was asking for disaster.
"I'll adapt first."
He stood up, then paused.
"Oh. Right."
"I almost forgot to sign in."
"System, sign in."
"Sign-in successful."
"Congratulations, host. You have received—"