"Okay, now clear out a few more things," Klaus requested, his mind sifting through the layers of information, trying to reconcile it with the System's own directives.
"Do you have to be SSS-rank to ascend to the EX-rank using this method, the cultivation?"
"Yes," William confirmed, his voice firm.
"SSS-rank is the absolute prerequisite. It means your body, your mana channels, and your mental fortitude are strong enough to begin the arduous process of core formation.
Without SSS-rank, the human body would simply disintegrate under the immense pressure of the forming core, unable to contain the raw, alien mana."
"Then" Klaus pressed, a new question forming, "were you SSS-rank when you started this cultivation process, Grandpa?"
William chuckled, a dry, knowing sound.
"No, I was just SS-rank when I began the core formation process. But there is a workaround for that."
He paused causing silence to hang in the air
