Nova left the library, caught the bus home, and quickly ate his dinner. His mind was racing as he entered his room and locked the door, eager to finally perform the Black Hole Breathing Technique.

  As soon as he began the specific breathing rhythm, the atmosphere in the room shifted. All the aura within a two-meter radius was violently sucked into his body, as if he were a vacuum. Nova started to smile widely with pure happiness at the sheer speed of it, but the joy was short-lived. Seconds later, a searing pain erupted across his skin and deep within his muscles. It felt like thousands of ants were crawling under his skin, biting at his nerves.

  Gasping, Nova cut off the technique immediately.

  He sat on the floor, sweat dripping from his forehead as he realized the problem. Because of the inhuman absorption speed, his current body and meridians simply couldn't handle such a massive influx of aura at once. It was a terrifying realization: without a strong enough body to act as a container, he would become a cripple—or worse—if he kept using it. If he pushed his limits even a fraction too far, his body would literally explode from the pressure. He wouldn't just be injured; he would die.

  Now he understood why no one else used this technique. In the Awakened Realm, the goal is to refine the body and build a sturdy foundation for future martial arts. But the Warrior Realm is where the actual cultivation starts. In the Warrior Realm and beyond, cultivation is about storing aura in the Dantian. It has very little to do with strengthening the physical body compared to the Awakened Realm.

  Essentially, if Nova wanted to keep using the Black Hole Breathing Technique, he would have to cultivate both his body and his aura simultaneously, or his physical form would eventually collapse under the pressure. He was walking a thin line between rapid growth and a violent death.

  Nova hesitated, weighing his options. The technique technically had two massive advantages, but the first one was almost useless to him. Normally, the Black Hole technique was prized for its cultivation speed, but because of Nova's trash talent, that advantage was non-existent. Even if he meditated and practiced the technique all day long, his cultivation level wouldn't increase by a single inch. His body simply couldn't retain the energy.

  However, the second advantage was where things went crazy: Recovery Speed.

  He imagined a battle where both fighters were completely exhausted and out of aura; if one party could suddenly refill their entire aura storage in a matter of seconds, the fight would be over instantly. As Nova’s thoughts reached this point, he got excited; he could simply exhaust any enemy to death.

  I’ll do it, he decided. I have the System, so I won't have the same bottlenecks as others. I can just click the upgrade button.

  However, that brought up a new problem: insufficient points. To upgrade, he needed to earn points quickly, but he was trapped by his schedule. School had started, and as a student, his days were packed. From morning to afternoon, he had regular classes like any other Liberal Arts student. After

  He was stuck in special martial arts classes until late at night. Aside from Sundays, he had no free time to hunt.

  From Nova’s point of view, this was a massive waste of time. He didn't need the regular classes since he had the memories of the previous owner, and the special classes offered very little for someone with his "low comprehension" and "trash talent"—though he did pick up a few useful tricks here and there.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Hunting only once a week is too slow, he thought bitterly. If I can't hunt every day, I can't get points. If I don't get points, I can't get stronger.

  The pressure was mounting. The top colleges had strict cultivation requirements. To apply for any of the top ten colleges, a student had to be at least a Rank 7 Awakened. But for the number one school in humanity—Star Rise Academy—the bare minimum was Rank 9 Awakened. Even then, that was just to apply. To actually guarantee admission, one usually had to be as strong as the Warrior Realm.

  Nova looked at his screen. He had a long way to go, and the clock was ticking.Next day he woke up to his usual routine and walked to school. After he entered the class and sat down, he said hi to Albert and gave a mocking smile to Jack. He felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart, especially seeing Jack’s angry and slightly crazy face. He intended to enjoy it while he could because Nova knows Jack wants to strike back but can’t because of public security.

  No matter how strong you are, you can’t break the law—unless, of course, you are powerful enough to challenge the human race powerhouses alone and defeat them. After all, in this era, personal strength is everything.

  As for Jack, his family is just the wealthiest, not the strongest in the city. The Brooks family situation is actually grim, despite looking good from the outside. Nova only knew this after Albert told him; because Albert's father owns a medium-sized spiritual material shop, he has connections in high society. In those circles, it is no secret that the Brooks family is on the brink of ruin.

  Nova started to remember what Albert said: the Brooks family cannot become the 3rd strongest like the Miller and Walker families, the current titans of the city. The thing that stops them from reaching that level is that they don’t have any Warriors of their own. The warriors they have are all hired help; that’s why they need their own family members to rise up, or else as time passes, the entire fortune will be drained by the outsiders who hold the real power.

  They can’t kick them out—if they do, who will protect them? With such a vast fortune, they would be eaten alive by the world without protection, regardless of how "peaceful" this era seems. Nova felt a bit of pity for the guy. Jack’s father had high hopes that his son would have excellent talent for cultivation to save the family. Those hopes were crushed when he found out that Jack's talents were trash.

  Now Jack’s father has to focus entirely on saving the family; he has no time to pay attention to his useless son. Because of this, Jack has become even more unstable and does whatever he wants. Nova feels pity that this guy is so oblivious; no one stops him anymore simply because they no longer care. Born with a golden spoon in his mouth, he gets whatever he wants because he never considers the consequences. In his mind, his father will handle everything, just like he always did whenever Jack caused trouble.

  The door creaked on its rusty hinges as Mr. Parker stepped into the room. He wore his usual strict, tired expression, and the faint, sour smell of old coffee and cheap chalk trailed behind him. The chatter of the students died down instantly, leaving only the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock and the low hum of the overhead lights.

  Mr. Parker stood behind his desk, the morning sunlight hitting his glasses and making it hard to see his eyes. After a moment of heavy silence, he spoke in a dry, raspy voice, as if he had spent all morning arguing with the administration. He announced that he had officially submitted the forms to the principal.

  "The other 3rd-year classes have also submitted theirs," he said, his fingers tapping an impatient beat against the worn wooden podium. "It's not just our section anymore; the competition across the entire 3rd-year level is shifting."

  "So, from today," Mr. Parker continued, gesturing with a hand that was stained with blue ink, "special class students can stay after regular school hours to attend Martial Arts class. You are also eligible to request aura-rich food at the canteen’s last counter—you’ll recognize it by the thick, pungent smell of boiled herbs that usually stays behind locked doors. Finally, the training rooms will now be open 24/7. You’ll find the air there a bit heavier than usual; train whenever you want."

  He leaned forward, and the old floorboards squeaked under his weight. "Of course, if anyone else manages to unlock their cultivation, you can still apply before the college entrance exams. But remember," he warned in a low, blunt tone, "the later you apply, the more you will lose precious cultivation time and resources."

  Donate button below to tip me via PayPal.

  Please leave a comment if you can! Knowing that real people are reading and enjoying my work is my biggest motivation. It makes all the time spent writing feel truly worth it. Thank you for reading!