Noah quietly sat inside the whiteness of his cultivation room, while rivers of seemingly liquid essence of a deep yellow shade floated around him.
Something about that energy felt different as its quality seemed to have taken a significant hike, standing in a realm of its own.
Noah, who's body remained cloth-less, saw his chest rise and fall in a series of rythmic patterns, allowing for his the cultivation of his essence core.
A few hours passed and his whole body experienced a violent tremor, forcing him to stop that training session.
"This one too," Noah muttered, lifting his eyelids to gaze at the spot his spherical core lay, peacefully rotating
However, different from the usual black core it had, Noah's core had clearly experienced a change. His core looked far darker than before, and the essence within it resembled liquid, and exuded a level of power and purity far higher than he should have.
The essence surrounding his body eventually died down, and surprisingly, Noah's body gave off a yellow glow of its own.
Every inch of his body looked to have undergone a change even if slightly. Noah had lost a bit of his bodily fat, his figure featuring more compact and clearly defined muscles.
His facial features seemed to have also been high-lighted, since Noah looked far beautiful than before.
Performing a series of light stretches, Noah got used to the new level of strength he had, and the confidence he exuded spoke of something. Something that he had only hoped to achieve but had actually accomplished.
"I've really acquired rank 2 speed essence," Noah announced, and the space surrounding his figure seemed to tremble at his ever growing excitement.
Having cultivated like a mad-man for multiple days, at the mark of his second week, Noah found that his core wouldn't improve, half-way into that day's session. His first bottleneck.
A series of tries which ended in failure confirmed that reality, and for the next few hours which he had utilized in cultivating his soul core, his mind remained filled with worries.
However, at the end of that training session, an idea sprung up within him, and he didn't hesitate to question the system.
Apparently he had reached the limit of rank 1 speed essence. The extra pages in his cultivation manual specifically explaining the process for the breakthrough, confirmed that.
The process for the breakthrough, had been more excruciating than the last, but he had scaled through. Barely.
From that point, his mind also experienced a bottleneck, but unlike his core, its next breakthrough would have to be into tier 4. Which only levelling up could accomplish.
Then his body stopped improving too, now being filled with rank 2 essence, it too needed to level up to improve.
Finally, his core didn't accept more of the essence around it. And it had sent a violent wave of energy through his body to inform him of that.
Truth be told, Noah currently felt filled. His muscles, speed core and even mind felt loaded with too much energy. And he felt the need to release that un-hurtful stress, which only levelling up could achieve.
Noah's icy blue eyes; which seemed to posses an increased level in intensity, swept his surroundings, still filled with thoughts.
Two days earlier, the black ring had informed him of the nearing departure.
He had four days to left before he would be required to return to the guild branch, and he felt the need to take care of a few important matters first.
Even with those needs in mind, Noah decided to check out his stats first, and they left him greatly satisfied.
[Name: Noah]
[Race: Speedling Hybrid>Incomplete<[evolution criteria yet to be met]]
[Class: Heir of the god of speed(???)]
[Titles: Monster killer. Killer]
[Level: 61/150] [Tier: 3[Lower]]
[Speed essence rank: 2]
[Speed force: Yellow]
[Affinities: Lightning, Air, Ice]
>Vessels of Power<
[Body>Glass stage<]
[HP: 48,000]
[Strength: 40,000(+10,000)]
[Stamina: 15,000(+3,750)]
[Defense: 29,500(+7,375)]
[Vitality: Tier 3[Lower]
[Mach: 80]
[Soul core]
[Intelligence: 18,900(+4,725)]
[Dexterity: 10,500(+2,625)]
[Energy core>Spherical<]
[Speed Essence: 65,000/65,000]
[Undistributed stat points: 2020]
>Skills<
>Lightning Affinity<
[Advanced Lightning Elemental mastery(Tier 3)]
[Lightning domain(Tier 3)]
[Lightning bolt(Tier 3)]
[Lightning Flakes[Active]
[Lightning chains[Active]
[Lightning Storm[Active]
>Air Affinity<
[Advanced Wind Elemental mastery(Tier3)
[Air Domain(Tier3)]
[Air Spears[Active
[Air Storm[Active]
[Zero air[Active]
[Upliftment[Active]
>Ice Affinity<
[Advanced Ice elemental mastery(Tier3)[Passive]
[Frozen prison(Tier 3)[Active]
[Frozen Golem's[Active]
[Frozen touch[Active]
[Icicle beam[Active]
[Frozen Movement[Active]
>Elemental<
[Elemental aura[Passive]
[Elemental charge[Active]
>Speed force<
[Advanced slow motion perception[Passive]
[Speedling Hybrid regeneration [Passive]
[Speed clones [Active]
[Energy bomb[Active]
[Speed force armour[Active]
>Unique<
[Unique Berserker(Active)[Tier 3]]
[MARTIAL ART: THE MONKEY KING]
[GRADE: HEAVEN]
[MASTERY:28.00]
[MOVE(S): RUSHING ROD: Execution percentage: 100/100
[DANCING MONKEY: Execution percentage:100/100]
[ SIDE STEP: Execution percentage:100/100]
[A THOUSAND PUNCHES: Execution percentage:100/100]
[MOUNTAIN STOMP: Execution percentage:100/100]
[WAVE: Execution percentage:100/100]
[SIX ARMS OF ASURA: Execution percentage:100/100]
[Soul bounds]: Cudgel, Muliix]
[Inventory:((Tap to display items))]
His stats had shot through the roof, and the extra boost of breaking into rank 2 essence made them even more outrageous.
However, thinking to the fact that these stats would be unchangeable for a period of time, didn't make the seem outrageous anymore, even if they were. For his level at least.
'Can i even be considered a lower-stage cultivator at this point," Noah giggled, 'The aspirants are in for a surprise,' a cheeky grin inevitably found it way to his face.
A bit more of marvelling at his stats was all Noah needed to experience a significant boost in confidence, he almost couldn't wait to fight powerful cultivators, especially middle-staged experts.
Willing the yellow glow his body radiated to die down, Noah nodded in satisfaction when exactly that happened.
He had gained an increased control over the speed essence, but wasn't sure if that translated to an Increase in comphrension.
With most of his time having being used for cultivation, Noah had virtually no time to practice his elements during the two weeks.
However, Ideas flowed into his mind whenever he thought of them. This was simply as a result of his now larger and sturdier soul core and island. Which brings us back to the need he planned to satisfy.
He had something else to do in relation to that vessel of power. Something that had proven to be an issue even during his cultivation.
'I want Aiden gone,' Noah announced to the system, and a panel almost immediately popped up.
[[Are you prepared to face the consequences? Going ahead would mean you won't be at your peak during the upcoming fights]]
'I understand. But keeping him would mean i could lose focus anytime. Suffering such during a battle could have me lose. I'd be stupid leaving it,' he explained, 'I can always work my way around the slight weakness i'll have to undergo,' he added with a resolute expression.
'Though, I'd still like to know how much of my power will be lost,' he said after a few seconds of silence.
[[The exact amount remains vague. But I believe it shouldn't be more than 7% or 10%. Do keep in mind that those figures could increase or decrease anytime]]
'Go ahead anyway,' Noah replied.
[Do you wish to undergo the termination of all miscellaneous memories of previously intergrated simulation, while keeping the knowledge-filled portions]
[Yes/No]
[Note: This will cost you a portion of your soul island]
Heaving a slight sigh, Noah chose the affirmative option, and waited for something to happen.
A few tens of seconds passed with his focus being in his soul realm, but nothing happened.
However, exactly after a minute of waiting, Noah experienced an intense pain that stemed from a place deep inside his head.
He lost and regained his consciousness multiple times in the span of an instant; when a significant portion of his soul island suddenly vanished.
[Termination of miscellaneous memories complete]
[You have successfully lost 30% of your soul stats]