Not that Gaia minded her inability to perfectly predict the future. On the contrary, uncertainty was one of the few things that still genuinely excited her after becoming the planet's consciousness. If tomorrow could already be seen with complete certainty, then life would quickly become dull and meaningless. Besides, relying too heavily on divination was dangerous, as even the most sophisticated predictions were ultimately nothing more than carefully calculated possibilities.
There were simply too many variables that lay beyond her control.
Her simulations could only account for events occurring on Earth and the countless interactions between its inhabitants. They could never accurately include unknown external influences or factors that had yet to reveal themselves. Even a perfect model of humanity could not predict something that originated completely outside the planet. That limitation reminded Gaia that no matter how powerful she became, there would always be mysteries waiting beyond her reach.
A small smile crossed her face.
"Three days left until he breaks through," she murmured to herself. "I suppose it's time to truly lock in."
With that quiet declaration, Gaia withdrew much of her attention from the outside world.
Although she would continue observing humanity through countless passive senses, the majority of her focus shifted toward the project she had been refining for weeks. Every remaining detail needed to be perfect before the breakthrough occurred. If she wanted her plan to unfold exactly as intended, there was no room left for careless mistakes.
Meanwhile, far away from Saint Martin, Arin continued his own daily routine.
He sat cross-legged beside the Nature Heart sapling, calmly practicing his breathing technique as gentle streams of nature mana gathered around his body. The forest surrounding him remained completely still, disturbed only by the faint rustling of leaves dancing in the breeze. Everything about the scene radiated peace, making it difficult to believe that this same young man had recently survived one of the most dangerous expeditions in Europe.
His attention, however, rested entirely upon the small tree before him.
Despite everything they had learned during the previous three years, the Nature Heart remained one of the greatest mysteries possessed by their family. It had been purchased for an amount of money that now seemed almost laughably cheap considering its true value. The more Arin studied it, the more convinced he became that someone had unknowingly sold them one of the greatest bargains in modern history.
The reason for that conclusion was surprisingly straightforward.
Three full years had passed since the sapling had been planted, yet it had not grown even the slightest amount. Its appearance remained exactly the same as the day it had entered the ground. Neither spring nor summer, autumn nor winter, had left the smallest mark upon it, almost as though the passage of time simply held no authority over the tiny tree.
It stood roughly one meter tall.
Its trunk remained thin and elegant, supporting only five slender branches. Each branch carried exactly three leaves, and those leaves appeared as healthy and vibrant as ever despite the complete absence of visible growth. Anyone unfamiliar with its significance would probably dismiss it as an ordinary young tree, but Arin knew appearances could be incredibly deceptive.
Whatever the Nature Heart truly was, it certainly did not behave like a normal plant.
That mystery fascinated him every time he sat down to cultivate beside it. The tree neither withered nor flourished, neither grew nor declined. Instead, it simply existed, perfectly unchanged, as though patiently waiting for something that had yet to occur. Until that day arrived, all Arin could do was continue observing it while allowing their family's unique magic formation to nurture it.
His own cultivation had likewise entered an unusual stage.
Unlike many other cultivators, Arin had already raised both his Class and Profession to their current limits. Under normal circumstances, reaching that point would have left very little room for additional progress until advancing to the next stage of cultivation. Yet despite standing at the peak of his current level, he continued meditating every single day without fail.
The reason lay within his extraordinary Physique.
His body functioned fundamentally differently from that of ordinary people. In fact, his unusual constitution explained why he still had not attempted to break through to the next stage despite possessing more than enough qualifications to do so. While others focused entirely on preparing their Classes, Arin had also perfected his Profession, giving himself a far stronger foundation than most cultivators ever managed to achieve.
Fortunately, financial concerns never pressured him to advance early.
His handcrafted bows sold exceptionally well throughout the region, providing more than enough income to support both himself and his continued research. The expedition into the Black Forest had also supplied him with abundant materials that ordinary craftsmen could only dream of obtaining. Without worrying about money, he could devote his attention entirely to strengthening himself instead of chasing immediate gains.
His cultivation method also differed greatly from conventional practice.
Most people attempted to force mana deeper into their bones every day, gradually increasing the amount they could store through constant repetition. It was an effective approach and one accepted by nearly every cultivation manual currently available. Progress came slowly, but eventually their skeletal structure adapted to contain larger quantities of mana.
Arin followed a completely different path.
Rather than compressing mana ever deeper into his bones, he allowed his entire body to become immersed in nature energy from the very beginning. His Physique enabled every part of his body to absorb the surrounding nature mana almost effortlessly, as though he himself had become another living part of the forest. Instead of increasing depth, he focused on increasing density.
That distinction made all the difference.
His bones were already saturated with nature mana, allowing him to gradually refine and compress the energy already present instead of constantly forcing in additional amounts. The process demanded extraordinary patience, but it also created a much stronger and more stable foundation. Without his unique Physique, such a cultivation method would have been nearly impossible to sustain safely.
Naturally, the rest of his family had not ignored this possibility.
Everyone possessing an affinity for nature mana had experimented with similar methods after witnessing Arin's remarkable progress. Nature mana possessed an exceptionally gentle temperament compared to many elemental energies. Rather than tearing the body apart during cultivation, it continuously healed minor damage while simultaneously strengthening muscles, bones, and internal organs.
That remarkable characteristic came with its own disadvantages.
Nature mana excelled at restoration, endurance, and steady growth, but it lacked the overwhelming destructive power associated with elements such as fire or lightning. In direct combat, cultivators specializing in offensive elements often possessed greater explosive strength. Even so, Arin and his family considered that trade-off more than acceptable given the long-term benefits they enjoyed.
Ever since returning from the Black Forest, Arin had devoted considerable time to helping the surrounding woodland flourish.
His Physique naturally encouraged harmony between nearby plants, allowing flowers, shrubs, and trees to grow in remarkable balance whenever he cultivated nearby. The Nature Heart benefited from that peaceful environment, while Arin himself steadily became more attuned to both nature mana and the subtle workings of his own body. It was a relationship in which both sides quietly strengthened one another.
His remarkable progress over the previous year had surprised many people.
Some assumed he had advanced so quickly because he spent nearly an entire year outside civilization exploring dangerous wilderness. In reality, that explanation captured only part of the truth. Before leaving, his cultivation had already reached the limits of his current stage, allowing him to dedicate most of the expedition toward refining his Profession instead.
During quieter moments throughout the expedition, he refused to waste valuable time.
Near the edge of the Black Forest, he had established a modest workshop where he continued crafting bows whenever circumstances allowed. The arrangement ensured he never fell behind in developing his craftsmanship despite spending months away from home. Looking back on that decision now, Arin could not help feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction.
It had required considerable effort to balance exploration, cultivation, and craftsmanship simultaneously.
Yet somehow, he had managed to accomplish exactly that.
Eventually, Arin opened his eyes and slowly released a long breath.
"That's enough for today," he muttered quietly.
His breathing technique came to a gentle stop after exactly two hours, just as it always did. Although the limit seemed strangely arbitrary, the current leading theory suggested that the human body could only produce a fixed amount of cultural energy for any single activity each day. Since no convincing evidence had yet disproven that hypothesis, most factions accepted it as the most reasonable explanation and structured their daily training accordingly.