Five days passed quickly.
During that time, Soren threw himself into training, Gate clearing, and caring for Ethea with relentless focus. He returned to the Azure Slime Forest Gate twice for solo runs, clearing it more efficiently each time as he grew familiar with the terrain and enemy patterns.
He also rejoined Darren's party for another First Circle Gate raid. The team welcomed him warmly, their coordination noticeably sharper. Lira healed with more confidence, Torin's arrows found their marks with precision, Darren remained a reliable anchor, and Nina's swordsmanship was as deadly as ever. The raids went smoothly, ending in another equal split of the profits.
Yet, most of Soren's time and energy went into two things: mastering the Glacial Edge Spear Arts and preparing rare healing meals for Ethea while researching her condition online.
The Glacial Edge Spear Arts proved brutally difficult.
The first three days were filled with failure. Despite attending his scheduled sessions and practicing for hours each day in the courtyard, the technique still eluded him. He failed again and again, which prompted him to pay for two additional sessions at the Bureau, bringing his total expenditure to 27,000 Credits. Fortunately, that extra guidance made the difference.
On the fifth day, after his final session, Soren finally grasped the First Form: the Frost Piercing Thrust.
Although he understood and memorized the remaining forms, there was still a long way to go before he could use them in battle. Nevertheless, it was progress. Beyond his combat training, Soren also dedicated himself to preparing the remaining rare healing meals from his Recipe Collection.
Over the course of five days, he prepared three more specialized dishes from his collection.
First was the Frost-Touched Herb Congee, a delicate rice porridge infused with frost-aspected herbs designed to soothe ice-damaged pathways. Because it was gentle on digestion, it proved ideal for Ethea, whose body had been ravaged by an ice-related curse.
He also brewed the Nerve-Mending Fish Soup, a clear broth made from rare medicinal fish and spirit herbs that aided nerve regeneration and reduced inflammation, directly targeting the severed pathways in her body.
Finally, he cooked the Vitality Root Porridge, a thick, nourishing blend of rare root vegetables and mana-infused grains formulated to boost energy and support core stability, which helped anchor Ethea's broken cultivation foundation, however minutely.
Soren prepared each meal with meticulous care, and each time, Ethea ate without complaint. Her appetite had visibly improved, and though she remained quiet, Soren caught the subtle signs of recovery. Her complexion looked healthier, her breathing grew steadier, and the constant tension in her shoulders had finally begun to ease.
And each time, the Investment Authority responded.
───────
[Investment Complete - Ethea Valmere]
Grade: MODERATE-HIGH
Returns Received:
1. Cold Resistance
2. Mana Circulation Efficiency +15%
3. Cooking Mastery +1
───────
[Investment Complete - Ethea Valmere]
Grade: MODERATE-HIGH
Returns Received:
1. Memory Enhancement
2. Minor Regeneration Boost
3. Cooking Mastery +1
───────
[Investment Complete - Ethea Valmere]
Grade: MODERATE-HIGH
Returns Received:
1. Core Stability Enhancement (Passive)
2. Stamina Recovery +20%
3. Cooking Mastery +1
───────
Soren was stunned by the sheer volume of returns. According to his analysis, each healing meal had granted him abilities directly related to its specific effect on Ethea: cold resistance from the frost-touched congee, memory enhancement from the fish soup, and core stability from the vitality porridge.
His cooking mastery had skyrocketed alongside those rewards, reaching the peak of the intermediate level. He felt confident he could now match the skills of a chef at a three-star restaurant.
But more importantly, he discovered something crucial.
Over the past few days, regular meals had stopped yielding any returns. Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner no longer triggered the Investment Authority, regardless of how carefully he prepared them or how nutritious they were.
Only the rare healing meals triggered returns.
Soren didn't know the exact reason, but his guess was simple: the Investment Authority responded to meaningful actions, not routine ones. Once something became ordinary or expected, it lost its value as an "investment."
'So I need to keep pushing forward. Keep doing things that truly help her, not just maintain the status quo.'
Honestly, it made sense.
And it also meant he couldn't rely on easy, repetitive returns anymore.
But if he could, wouldn't his mysterious ability be broken?
Well, it was already broken, so he didn't have a comment on that.
───────
Beyond his technique training and cooking, Soren's cultivation had not stagnated. Each night, he dedicated hours to the Glacial Emperor Scripture. The Frost Essence Crystal he had absorbed days ago continued to bolster his mana capacity, making his core denser and more refined.
Today, he felt the shift. His mana capacity had reached 9,847 out of 10,000, placing him at the peak stage of the First Circle. He was on the very verge of breaking through to the Second Circle. Just a little more, and he would reach the next major milestone, taking another step closer to his goal.
Furthermore, his luck with party applications had finally turned. After days of rejections, another party had accepted him.
───────
[Application Accepted: Ironclad Gorge Raid - First Circle Gate]
[Schedule: Today, 2:00 PM]
[Party Leader: Moro Vil]
[Meeting Point: West Gate Checkpoint]
───────
Soren stared at the notification on his phone, a faint sense of relief washing over him.
'Finally.'
He glanced at the time.
9:30 AM.
Plenty of time to prepare.
But just as he was about to open his phone and start searching, his hand froze.
'...What if...'
'What if this acceptance was also connected to them?'
'What if it was a trap?'
'...Hmm.'
Soren stared at the notification a moment longer, then shook his head.
'Nah, it seems like I'm being influenced by those TV shows Ethea watches too.'
He opened the party listing and tapped on Moro Vil's profile. Moro was a Second Circle Awakened with a clean raid record and a decent completion rate. Nothing looked suspicious.
Soren then switched over to look up the Ironclad Gorge instead. It was a rocky, canyon-type Gate of mid-range difficulty for the First Circle, though it remained accessible to Second Circle Hunters acting as support leaders. The primary enemies were Stone Golems and Fissure Hounds. The tight terrain favored controlled, precise combat over wide, sweeping strikes.
'Sounds good. I can try out the new technique there.'
He closed the app, stood up, rolled his shoulders, and headed to the kitchen.
'...I hope I'm really overthinking it.'
But...
'Extra caution won't hurt...'