The boys said all they had to and Michael communicated with them.
They stood, bowed awkwardly—half-formal, half-sincere—and exited without another word as he sent them out.
As the door clicked shut behind them, silence returned to the room.
Michael took a slow breath and finally stood.
He crossed to the corner where Wisdom was perched, the owl blinking lazily from atop a high shelf.
"Sorry," Michael murmured. "You’re not coming this ti again."
He reached into his storage space and pulled out a small platter of mana-infused fruits, placing them gently on the table near Wisdom’s perch.
The owl tilted its head, curious.
Michael scratched gently behind its ear feathers and whispered, "Stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll be back soon."
Wisdom gave a soft hoot of acknowledgnt but didn’t argue.
It wasn’t that Michael didn’t want to evolve the beast even as he had ti now and enough evolution points, he just didn’t want to bring attention to himself. Not now. It had just been a few hours since the last event.
There was a reason he hadn’t summoned any of his Rank 3 undead.
They were strong—frighteningly so. But if anyone caught even a whisper of their presence... it could leave a trail. One that wasn’t easily erased.
Michael wasn’t ready to risk that yet.
Just like he wasn’t ready to evolve Wisdom.
Of course, this was also because he needed a genuine space-type catalyst.
He wanted Wisdom to beco more than a companion beast.
He wanted it to beco a true space beast.
Who knew how strong it would beco at rank 3.
Though he still had no idea of the wonders of laws, he knew that a law related to space should not be simple
And to do that, he’d need the right materials.
No need to rush.
Michael slipped on a black coat.
With one last glance at Wisdom, who was already tearing into a mana fruit with clear contentnt, he stepped toward the window instead of the door.
The late morning sun frad him as he pushed the shutters open.
A breeze swept through the room, stirring the loose parchnts on his desk.
Michael leapt down silently from the second floor, landing on soft grass.
It was day ti but with Michael speed, he might as well not exist.
Half an hour later,
Michael stood in a secluded clearing deep within the Everlong Forest.
He had already scanned the surroundings with his senses—within a 5,000-ter radius, there were only weak monsters.
No strong signatures.
Satisfied that no one was watching, he reached into his storage space and pulled sothing out.
A lump of flesh.
It was the remains of the mind-controlling taboo monster—the one he had encountered in the ruins he first appeared in when he first arrived in the Land of Origin.
Michael stared at the flesh for a mont, the mories bubbling up uninvited.
A near-death experience.
The monster that had almost made him kill himself.
Now just... a husk.
He turned the chunk of at over in his hand.
Maybe, when all that was going on was over, he’d make ti to revisit those ruins.
To see if there was anything he missed.
Last ti, he hadn’t exactly been subtle. He’d dismantled most of the structure just to harvest materials he could sell in Aurora for cash.
Still... there might be sothing left.
Either way, it was worth checking.
*
A/N: This took place in Chapter 313. I realize now that during the ti skip, I didn’t provide enough clarity or hints to remind you that this event had already occurred. A few of you also ask when and how certain things happen—many of those actions took place during Michael’s off-screen returns to Aurora. I always ntion that he often retired there, but since his ti isn’t always described in detail, so monts might’ve felt skipped. I hope this note clears up the confusion, and I apologize for dropping it here mid-Chapter.
*
Michael used [Detect] on the lump of flesh in his hand.
[Corrupted Ball of Dead Organ]
[Rank: Extraordinary ★★★]
He stared at the panel.
Back then, before his advancent—when he was still dancing on the edge of Rank 1—he had believed he wouldn’t be able to do anything with this corpse until much, much later.
After all, before its death, the monster had been Level 43.
Three levels above his current self.
And close to twenty levels higher than he had been back then.
Not to ntion the rank.
It had been a solid Extraordinary-rank monster
It had a bizarre ability to override minds from a distance—whether its target was alive or dead.
This alone made it invaluable.
But the truly terrifying part was its second ability.
The ability to kill an Awakener.
Permanently.
Even in the Land of Origin.
Michael still rembered the ssage his system flashed back then, urging him to self-terminate to preserve continuity. That alone had scared him more than anything since transmigrating.
That was why, at the ti, he had made the decision to keep the corpse preserved and hold off until he reached an Awakener Academy.
There, he’d learn proper rituals.
He didn’t want to risk reviving the creature with instinctive thods, not when the cost of failure could be permanent degradation.
He had thought his advancent would maybe push him to Level 30 if he got lucky.
Not Level 40.
Now?
Michael lifted the flesh to eye level, mana lightly coiling around his fingers.
Now, the monster was... weak.
Still dangerous..
But compared to his current self, its powers could be said to be a bit insignificant.
"I don’t need to wait anymore," he muttered, mana glowing faintly around his fingertips.
Of course, he wasn’t reckless.
If he failed once, he’d try again.
If he failed twice, he’d stop.
Any more than that, then it would beco truly useless.
But this... this was one of the few monsters he had to have.
The potential of a creature that could override minds from kiloters away—and kill Awakeners in a place where death was ant to be temporary?
Michael’s expression lit up with anticipation.
He knew there were only so many weapons in the world that could match that kind of ability.
And he was about to turn one into his own.
***
A/N: Yesterday’s mass release is unrelated to the upcoming one for last month’s Golden Ticket Top Ten. That special mass release drops tomorrow. Thank you for reading!
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