The next day arrived.
Bennett inhaled deeply, then exhaled, steadying himself before getting dressed. He prepared the pills he had bought and left swiftly, making his way to the specialized tower.
“Hello, I’m here for a room reservation in the VIP area specifically, room number 3,” Bennett said.
The receptionist nodded, checked his ID, and allowed him through.
Bennett entered the VIP room and set a timer to open the ventilation system once training began, leaving it open for seven hours. He then stretched and warmed up for a few minutes.
Okay… I’ve got one chance. I cannot screw this up, he thought as he settled into a meditative position.
He took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the timer counting down: 3… 2… 1… NOW!
Bennett swallowed a pill and began meditating. Instantly, the bloodlust and aura in the room surged the combined presence of a high-ranking instructor and a powerful beast pressing down on him.
He forced himself to stay calm, slowly pushing mana into his bones and organs. Unlike yesterday, he did it in brief bursts: a split second of overload, then a pause, repeated again and again.
Sweat poured from his body, and he panted heavily, unable to make a sound. Every fiber of him screamed in agony, as if his bones were cracking and his organs melting under pressure. And yet, he blocked it all.
Hours passed. Slowly, his body adapted. Every time he endured the painful stretches, he extended the duration slightly, overloading himself by just a split second more each time.
After six grueling hours, he was on his last pills, struggling to focus. Almost there… just a little more…
Bennett’s eyes were bloodshot, his body creaking with every movement. Then, suddenly, the oppressive aura the instructor’s bloodlust and the beast’s raw power lessened. The pressure didn’t vanish, but it became slightly easier to endure.
Finally, the timer ended. The vents shut. Bennett panted violently, the floor around him soaked in sweat. But beneath the exhaustion, he could feel it his body had grown stronger. He rose to stand, only to bang his head on the ceiling.
“Ow… damn it. Yep, that confirms it,” he muttered. “My Advanced Body Strengthening has broken through the peak. LET’S GOOO! AHAHAHA!”
He fell onto his back, laughing, and raised a hand, clenching it. The power thrumming through his fist was overwhelming.
This… this is incredible. My strength… it’s gone way higher. I need to try it… but first, a shower.
Realizing he was lying in a puddle of his own sweat, Bennett grimaced. He quickly headed to the VIP showers, cleaned up, and changed into fresh clothes.
Hehe… I can’t wait to see how much my Advancement has improved me, he thought.
After checking out, Bennett made his way to another training room, eager to test his full strength and speed on the machines.
First time here, but I should be able to test my limits without issue. Let’s do this!
He began methodically: first testing grip strength, then speed, punching power, and finally flexibility. Once he finished, the results appeared:
Grip Strength: 187.65 kg
Speed: 53.32 km/h
Punch Strength: 4,276 PSI
“Hehe… damn. But what does this even mean?” he muttered.
Bennett tossed the results into the trash. Instead, he decided to perform personal tests exercises that allowed him to truly feel his newfound power.
Hmm… my strength, speed, and grip should be around 20% stronger now. But… my staffs are lacking.
He looked at his quarterstaffs and noticed the damage his enhanced power was causing while wielding them. He grimaced.
Yeah… these definitely need an upgrade. Otherwise, I won’t be able to go all-out. Damn it.
As Bennett weighed his choices, he could only grimace.
Selling all three of my quarterstaffs for a single high-quality one… it’s risky.
Sure, I’ll be able to unleash my full strength… but the duration I can actually use the weapon will drop.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
He scratched his head and sighed.
“Ugh… it can’t be helped.”
Without wasting another second, Bennett headed for his car, slipped inside, and drove out of the academy grounds. The city greeted him with its usual bustle layers of noise, hawkers yelling, and crowds flowing like disorganized rivers. Eventually, he reached the bazaar.
He stepped out and scanned the sprawling market.
“Alright… if any place can help me sell my stuff, it’s here.”
Bennett stopped an elderly man passing by.
“Hey, sir? I’ve got a question.”
The old man blinked at him. “Hmm? What do you want, young man?”
“Where’s the auction house?”
“Ah. Just go straight to the center of the bazaar. You can’t miss it. Anyway, good luck.”
The man waved him off and continued on his way.
“Right. Thanks.”
Bennett headed in the direction he was told, taking the chance to browse the stalls he passed.
“Hm. Nothing interesting so far,” he muttered as vendors shouted out deals around him.
Soon, the large structure of the auction house came into view. He walked in and approached the receptionist desk.
“Hello, miss. I’d like to auction some items.”
The receptionist beamed at him sweetly. “Oh my~ And what would you like to auction today, dear customer?”
“These three quarterstaffs. They’ve been enhanced with Rank 2 beast materials.”
She raised a brow. “Is that so? And which beast was used?”
“The Weaver.”
“Ah. A low-grade Rank 2 beast.”
She took the staffs and examined them with a practiced eye.
“Hm. We take a 10% commission fee. The starting price for each staff will be around 200 credits.”
“Understood.”
“Now then,” she continued, “would you like to simply stay for the auction, or would you like to participate as well?”
“I’d like to join the auction, miss. Thank you.”
“In that case, please place a drop of blood on this to register.”
She handed him a pitch-black card.
“Thank you.”
Bennett bit his finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the card. The nanites within absorbed it instantly, pulsing with faint light.
REGISTRATION COMPLETED
The receptionist smiled. “Welcome, sir. Please head inside and find a seat.”
Bennett nodded and slipped the card into his pocket before walking in.
(These special nanite-based cards use blood signatures to confirm identity and register guests. It’s how the auction house prevents criminals from slipping inside.)
He found a seat in the hall and leaned back. More people poured in students, traders, nobles, and mercenaries until the room was nearly full. It took around fifteen minutes before the lights dimmed and the auction finally began.
A man stepped onto the stage, his aura alone quieting the hall.
“Welcome, everyone, to today’s auction. We have quite the selection prepared.”
The crowd settled in as he raised a hand.
“Let us begin. Our first item pelts from a RhyHound. Starting bid at 50 credits.”
For a few seconds, silence.
Then a voice rang out, “I’ll start it!”
“Fifty credits to the young man in the back. Anyone else?”
A pause.
“Going once!
Going twice!
Sold!”
Item after item was brought forth, but Bennett quickly tuned them out. Most weren’t relevant to him anyway.
Eventually, the moment he was waiting for arrived.
“Now then,” the auctioneer said, “we have an interesting set of weapons up next. Three quarterstaffs, each with their first enhancement done using low Rank 2 Weaver parts.”
Murmurs rose in the crowd.
“Each staff starts at 200 credits, or 600 for the full set if someone wishes to buy them all at once.”
“Two hundred ten!” someone shouted.
The bids began flying back and forth. Prices climbed, then slowed, finally stopping at 350 credits per staff.
“Sold! To the gentleman over there.”
Bennett exhaled as his card reflected the completed sale.
Alright… that’s 945 credits total after commission.
The next few items passed with little interest from him until the auctioneer’s voice boomed:
“Now this, everyone, is a real treat! A component from a Rank 3 middle-tier beast the stinger of the venomous scorpion known as Life’s Bane! Starting bid: 400 credits. And I’ll warn you the rest of its parts are being auctioned next.”
The hall erupted. Rank 3 beast materials were rare in a market like this.
The bidding surged, climbing rapidly.
“Seven hundred!”
“Seven twenty!”
“Seven thirty!”
Then the pace slowed.
“Seven hundred thirty credits-going once-”
Bennett clenched his jaw.
“Seven hundred fifty!”
A man across the room snorted. “Eight hundred. Hmph. This item is mine.”
Bennett’s eye twitched. His pulse quickened.
“…Nine hundred credits!”
The man glared viciously at him.
Bennett stared right back and grinned.
The auctioneer slammed the gavel.
“SOLD!”
The crowd murmured while the man clicked his tongue and looked away.
The auction continued in a frenzy, but nothing else caught Bennett’s eye. When everything wrapped up, buyers were guided into private rooms to finalize their purchases.
Bennett entered one and found the same receptionist from earlier waiting.
“Hello again, sir. Here is the stinger and your remaining 45 credits.”
She handed him the item and the slim stack of credit slips.
“Thank you,” Bennett said, storing both away before leaving.
He headed straight to his car and drove back toward the academy, massaging his temples.
“Forty-five credits… ugh.”
Back on campus, he made his way to the blacksmith’s workshop.
“Hello, sir.”
The blacksmith looked up and squinted. “Oh, kid, you’re here. What do you need?”
Bennett unslung his bag. “I bought this stinger. Can you turn it into a quarterstaff? With shrinking tech added?”
The man’s brows lifted. “Oh? A middle Rank beast stinger. Hah… I can do it, kid. But it’ll cost you.”
“How much?” Bennett already felt fear creeping into his wallet.
“Well… considering you brought the main material, I’d normally say 200 credits. But I’ll cut you a deal.”
“…What kind of deal?” Bennett asked, eye twitching.
“Simple. You give me the leftover stinger material, and I’ll make the staff for 50 credits.”
Bennett sighed, rubbing his forehead. He needed the weapon more than the scraps.
“Alright… fine. I accept. How long will it take?”
“Hm. With this? A week.”
Bennett nodded. “Do I pay now or later?”
“Haha! Later. Now get out I’ve got materials to prep.”
Bennett rolled his eyes and left.
Back in his room, he opened the academy’s job board on his tablet. After scrolling for a bit, one particular listing caught his attention.
> “Looking for a victi- I mean sparring partner to test hand-to-hand techniques for one week. Payment: 1,000 credits upon completion.”
Minimum Rank: Apprentice 3
Requester: Aiko
Posted: 4 days ago
Bennett just stared.
“…I have no words. 1,000 credits? 1,000 CREDITS?! Seriously?”
He slumped back in his chair.
“I struggle just to scrape together anything… and my classmates can casually throw around 1,000 credits…”
He groaned.
“Whatever. I’ll take it. This solves my problem.”
He pressed the Accept button.
“I swear… I’ve never felt so poor…”
He sighed again and dropped onto his bed.
Bennett collapsed onto his bed and exhaled deeply. His body still ached from the day, so he activated his body-enhancement skill. A faint ripple passed through his muscles, and suddenly he felt lighter. Faster.
“Huh…?” He flexed his fingers, then sat up slightly. “Feels like… the enhancement shifted toward speed.”
A small grin tugged at his lips.
“Alright… I’ll call this one Whirlwind Gale Body Enhancement.
Or… Whirlwind for short.”
He laid back down, staring at the ceiling, but his mind refused to rest.
I’ve got an armor-piercing skill… a shockwave skill… a vibration skill… and the damage enhancement skill.
What if… I combine them? Could I create a completely new technique?
The thought jolted him upright.
He got out of bed, grabbed a chair, and pulled out sheets of paper and a pen. He began scribbling immediately, brow furrowed in intense concentration.
“If I combine vibration with a piercing strike,” he muttered, “the hit could tear through defenses maybe even rip into the core directly. Internal damage… that’s huge.”
He wrote more, crossing out lines, rewriting them.
“But… maybe mixing it with the shockwave is better. A piercing vibration strike carried by a shockwave? No… the mana cost would be insane. Unless I time it perfectly…”
Page after page filled with diagrams, mana flow patterns, and rough technique names.
Even as his eyes grew heavy and his hand slowed, Bennett refused to stop. His mind buzzed with possibilities, each idea sparking another.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up to him.
He didn’t even realize when his pen slipped from his fingers.
His head slowly dropped onto the pile of papers, and within seconds, Bennett was asleep at his desk surrounded by half-formed ideas and the early blueprint of a skill that might one day define him.
Chapter End
