Chapter 22: Before the Breakthrough: Ash's Silent Resolve
Next day,
In the morning,
Birds soar above Nexus City, their wings slicing through the crisp air. Animals graze on the grass and nibble at the leaves of young plants. The sun rises steadily in the sky, casting golden light across the Eldros world. A cool breeze brushes Ash's face, gentle and refreshing.
Evan and Robin still sleep soundly inside the house.
Meanwhile, Ram remains seated in deep concentration, refining mana-mist at the altar through the entire night. A level 3 human can extend their waking hours up to three days for crucial tasks like this. Since Evan plans to use the altar today, Ram dedicates the entire night to make the most of it.
In the Eldros world, night refining is common. Only in altar cities can humans truly refine mana efficiently. Land with natural, refined mana is rare and precious—called treasure land. Outside these areas, mana is impure and dangerous to absorb.
If someone tries to refine mana-mist or a mana core outside an altar city, the pure mana mingles with impure energy and gets corrupted. All their effort becomes worthless. Worse, if they forcefully refine this impure mana, it corrodes their mind. Over time, they begin to show signs of monster-like behaviour—losing clarity, aggression flaring. Eventually, if they continue, they lose themselves completely. The more impure mana consumed, the longer the bouts of madness last.
Cleansing this tainted mana takes a long, gruelling effort. And as long as it remains inside, level advancement becomes nearly impossible.
Altar refinement changes everything. Within the altar, mana is clear, dense, and abundant. Refining becomes smoother, safer, and more effective.
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Fifteen minutes later, Ash opens his eyes. Evan and Robin are still asleep, their breathing steady and peaceful. He doesn't disturb them. Silently, he steps outside the house, greeted by a gentle wind that caresses his face and lifts his hair. He gazes toward the horizon.
The sun is still climbing. It glows like a fiery orange fruit, small but fierce, growing larger with each passing moment. Watching it rise fills Ash's heart with a quiet joy—a rare moment of calm in this brutal world. For a fleeting instant, he believes in his future.
When the sun fully rises, Ash makes his way toward the altar to find Ram.
Moments later, he sees Ram still sitting in the altar room, immersed in mana-refining.
Then Ram looks up and spots Ash. He stands and walks over. The two exchange quiet words. Ash is mostly concerned about Ram's injuries.
Ram responds, "I'll be fully healed in two days."
Ash nods, a soft smile curving his lips.
Their talk shifts to Robin. Ash shares the details of Robin's background and how he joined them.
Then Ash tells Ram he'll need to stay in the city. He and Robin plan to go monster hunting. Evan's breakthrough pill demands more mana points than they currently have, and they need more information about this area—especially the location of other altar cities.
Ram agrees without hesitation. Afterward, they head back to the house and gently wake Evan and Robin.
The moment Evan and Robin open their eyes, guilt flickers in them. Ash had to wake them—they should've been up earlier. That shame settles in their expressions like a quiet shadow.
Ash and Ram notice it but say nothing. In Eldros, every moment is a battle for survival. Oversleeping isn't the worst sin. Not today.
Ash tells them to freshen up. Then, they'll cook breakfast together.
Thirty-five minutes later, they gather near the storage area where raw meat and ingredients are kept.
Ram and Robin begin preparing the meal. Ash turns to Evan and says, "Go to the altar and begin mana-refining. Prepare yourself for your level upgrade."
Evan nods instantly. Truth is, he already wanted to go. Being woken up by Ash and Ram stirred a fire in him—but he dares not speak out of turn. He simply follows Ash's order with silent determination.
Before Evan leaves, Ash checks Evan's status window.
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Name: Evan (altar subject)
Age: 18
Status: Healthy
Abilities: None
Level: 0 (90/100 mana mist level 0)
Loyalty: 90 (max 100)
Weapon: Low grade axe, low grade shield
.........
Ash studies the window. Just ten more mana points. If Evan focuses and refines well—and with Ash providing the red pill—the upgrade can happen today.
Ash turns back to practice, gripping his knife. While he trains, Ram and Robin finish preparing ingredients. They didn't have much, but during forest expeditions, Ash and Evan gathered a few herbs and wild spices that can improve the flavour of their meals. Ram and Robin blend them skilfully, excited to finally make something more than just edible.
Ash can't help but feel thrilled. In this harsh world, even a small comfort like good food brings real happiness.
After an hour of training, and once cooking is complete, Ash, Evan, and Ram sit together to eat. Then they plan to bring food to Evan at the altar.
Fifteen minutes later, Ash finishes his portion and tells Ram, "Bring this to Evan. Share your experience from your level upgrade—what worked, what didn't. Let him learn from your struggles."
Ram agrees instantly. He's eager to help. He sees Evan as a younger brother, and passing on hard-earned knowledge feels natural. He remembers the elders from his former city—how they guided him. Now it's his turn.
Helping Evan means strengthening the city. And Ram knows: Ash, Evan, Robin, and he are no longer just a team—they're a faction. Their power is tied together now. The stronger one becomes, the stronger they all are.
Ash had promised him a core role in the city's rise. Ram had sworn loyalty in return. Now, it's time to honour that.
Before Ram heads off, Ash checks his status window.
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Name: Ram (altar subject)
Age: 55
Status: Slightly injured
Abilities: ?
Level: 3 (?)
Loyalty: 60
Weapon: Low grade sword
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Ash notices the loyalty value has risen. That alone gives him comfort. No one likes a disloyal subordinate—especially one stronger than you. A weak traitor is manageable. A strong one? That's dangerous.
Then Ash wonders about Robin's loyalty. Better to check while it's on his mind.
A pop-up appears.
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Name: Robin (altar subject)
Age: 48
Status: Healthy
Abilities: None
Level: 2 (10/100 mana mist level 2)
Loyalty: 40
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Ash sees the number and feels satisfied. Robin is still new. Forty loyalty is more than enough for someone who's just joined.
After a moment of thought, Ash decides to check the city's overall status next—to plan for what resources they need before venturing out.
A new pop-up appears.
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City: Nexus City
Ability: Territory defense double
Description: During a city defense event, all attack and defense powers of people and buildings are doubled.
Altar level: 0
Upgrade requirement: (Wood × 1000, Stone × 250, Mana cores (level 0) × 50)
Production: Mana mist level 0 × 10 per day
Area: 625 square meters
Status: Very small village
Mana (money): 33
Tax (from market & city): 0 mana-mist level
Building: Guide mark × 1 (active), Market (5 free trades/day)
Blueprint: Low grade house (Stones × 100, Wood × 25)
Warehouse: Wood × 39, Rabbit monster hide level 0 × 11, Rabbit monster hide level 1 × 1, Stone × 10
Population: 4
Specialty: Mana tree (produces level 0 mana × 4/day)
Resource point: Stone Mountain level 1 (310 mined / 1000 mineable)
Attack power level: 0 (900 / 1000)
Description: City's attack strength against enemies
Defense power level: 0 (4000 / 10000)
Description: City's resistance to enemy attacks
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