MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC54: The Day
Chapter 54: The Day
Richard still knew the way home because he only needed to follow the main road.
When he arrived at Lilith's house, he found the woman sitting alone on the terrace with a glass of wine beside her.
"Richard, so fast," she said when she saw him, thinking he would be gone longer.
"Outside is too full of trouble, I'd rather just sleep," Richard replied.
"Finally you understand, that's how life is in a big city. If you don't make trouble for others, others will make trouble for you," Lilith said with a chuckle.
Richard rolled his eyes at that.
"What are you doing here, Sister Lilith?" Richard asked.
"Relaxing, but actually my mind is training to increase my strength," the woman replied.
"So you can train this way?"
"I don't have to sit in a room and close my eyes, even like this it's not a problem for me."
"No wonder you're a genius, but it seems you're still below that woman they call Lady Rebecca."
"Who said I'm below her? She's just older. Give me time and we can't say who will be stronger in the future."
Although Lilith seemed to acknowledge Rebecca's talent, she clearly refused to be called inferior.
Richard wasn't so sure. He then asked permission to enter the house.
There were three rooms in the house, and Richard was given the smallest one, though it still had a large, very soft bed.
When he lay down on that extremely comfortable bed, he quickly fell asleep.
DING!
(Your Affinity with the Cloud Element has increased from 60% to 70%!)
(Cloud: 70%)
Richard received the notification when he woke up in the morning.
He wasn't too excited, since it was just elemental affinity that had increased.
Seeing that the sun was already faintly shining, he immediately sat up and stretched.
This city should have more Aether, so absorbing it would take less time, but he hadn't had time to train yet.
After stretching, he stood up, left his room, only to find Lilith sitting in the living room wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body, revealing her thighs and her long, fair legs.
She looked like she had just finished bathing, the fragrance of her body blending with the air, making it feel fresher.
She was drying her blonde hair, which looked even brighter when wet.
Richard didn't need to have had an adult's life in the past to be distracted by such a sight. After all, seven years old—especially in this world—even a boy of his age already knew what beauty was.
Lilith smiled when she noticed him staring.
"Anyway, you'd better take a bath if you want to watch the tournament finals. Lisa is already ready and she's out buying breakfast. After breakfast, you two have to leave immediately or you won't get seats," Lilith said.
"Yes..." Richard only nodded before heading to the bathroom.
It was a luxurious, spotless bathroom with a refreshing fragrance.
Soap at least already existed in this world, though only enjoyed by certain circles.
Naturally, Lilith had it.
The water was warm, making Richard feel not only refreshed but also deeply comfortable.
He didn't bathe for long and immediately put on his clothes in the bathroom.
When he came out, he didn't see Lilith anymore—probably in her room getting dressed.
Coincidentally, Sister Lisa entered from outside, carrying food that seemed to consist of toast and warm milk.
"Come, come, let's eat breakfast..." Lilith came out of her room at the same time, wearing a new dress similar to yesterday's.
"Lilith, are you going to watch too?" Lisa asked.
"No, I'm not interested in fights at this level, but of course, I have other activities," Lilith replied.
Lisa nodded, not trying to ask what she planned to do, since someone like Lilith practically always had many things going on.
They sat at the dining table and began breakfast.
"Richard, have you started practicing Mind Attack?" Lilith asked.
"Yeah, I've tried it," Richard answered.
"What do you think?"
"I can't really say yet because I don't even have enough accumulation in practicing that Arcane Art. But, I think if I become stronger, maybe there's hope..."
Richard deliberately said that so Lilith would help him become stronger.
The woman smiled, as if she understood his thoughts.
"Tell me, what could make you stronger in a short time?" she asked, seemingly not planning to waste words.
"I have one arm and one leg from an Aether Skeleton..." Richard answered, his voice a little low.
"Right or left?" Lilith asked again.
"Both right..."
"Alright, I'll find the left parts later. Give me time until night," Lilith said.
"Even better if there's a torso skeleton too," Richard added.
"Hmph, brat, you're sly too. But let's see the results with those two first. If it works, I'll find you a torso skeleton," Lilith replied.
Richard chuckled softly at being called sly.
He didn't say more, knowing he couldn't ask for too much.
That was only proper once he showed her results.
At that time, he could squeeze her if she wanted to experience the effect of Mind Attack.
After breakfast, Richard first helped Sister Lisa clean the table.
"Lilith, we're heading out now," Lisa said after they were done.
"Be careful!" Lilith reminded.
Lisa nodded, then patted Richard's shoulder.
"Come on, we'll just walk," she said.
Richard followed beside her.
When they arrived at the city street, he found many people walking in the same direction.
Some were still riding carriages, escorted by soldiers, so people gave way.
Until now, Richard didn't know the tournament's location. He also hadn't seen a colosseum or heard about tickets for viewing.
The road they took wasn't the same one he walked last night, so what he saw was quite unfamiliar.
Looking ahead wasn't easy either, for someone his size, with so many people blocking his view.
However, it wasn't too long before he saw a sloping road.
A massive crater appeared below, as large as ten football fields, with carved earthen stands encircling it.
This was, of course, a colosseum—but built within a crater.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC55: The Arena
Chapter 55: The Arena
"Who wants to bet, come in here..."
"Right here, we are more trustworthy and always fair to our players."
Richard suddenly heard shouts from beautiful women standing in front of the luxurious buildings near the colosseum.
When he looked closer, they turned out to be gambling houses, but they only accepted payment in Nature Spirits.
Richard was a little interested, but remembering the number of Nature Spirits he had, he gave up on the idea. Only ten— even if he won, it would just become twenty, not worth the trouble of registering.
Sister Lisa kept walking forward.
Even now, the colosseum stands were already half full.
There was no entrance ticket and no special passage to get inside, one only needed to descend into the stands from above.
The soldiers were only there to keep order, not to check anyone entering.
There was only one area forbidden to the public, and right now its seats were only partly occupied. That was probably the area for nobles.
As they started descending the stands, Richard and Sister Lisa had to push through the crowd. Sister Lisa held Richard's hand tightly, afraid he might get dragged away.
Several burly men didn't hesitate to shove others aside just to move forward.
Even Richard and Sister Lisa were pushed around several times.
It was far more chaotic than entering a football stadium during a final match.
Sometimes, an elbow accidentally struck Richard in the face.
Sister Lisa was beginning to look annoyed, since as a woman, being touched several times "by accident" by men was making her uncomfortable. But she had to endure it, unable to simply use her armor.
If she got angry, the aura from her armor could send people around them flying.
Fortunately, once they got closer to the front, things became easier.
"Let's sit here..." Sister Lisa quickly chose seats, still far from the battle area but clear enough to watch.
Richard didn't care where they sat. He immediately took a seat beside Sister Lisa.
Moving forward was impossible anyway. Even the seats in their row filled up quickly, leaving only the back rows for latecomers.
No sooner had they sat down than Richard heard many discussions from the sides, front, and back.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Hard to say. Wren seems to have some strange and dangerous power, but I've seen Gray fight several times. He has extraordinary Light power. I heard his affinity with the Light Element has already reached 85%, plus he has various incredible Arcane Arts. Just because Wren has a Tier 3 Aether, their strength is actually still balanced."
"I think Wren is more likely to win."
"Why do you think so?"
"Having a Tier 3 Aether shows that Wren is more talented, and he must have more tricks."
"Hmph, that's the foolish judgment of someone inexperienced in watching strong Magus battles."
"..."
Richard occasionally glanced left and right to see the people talking.
Some were just having light discussions, but others were outright arguing.
"Make way for participant Gray..." Suddenly Richard heard a loud shout from above, so loud it echoed across the colosseum.
When he looked back, the soldiers were pushing people aside and forcing them to open a path.
Richard then saw a white-haired youth appear, wearing his academy uniform.
He was, of course, the young man Richard had met last night.
Wren came with some of his academy friends, including Laura.
Since they weren't the hosts, they didn't look too excited, but in their group was one old man, hunched and walking with a cane.
An ordinary person might think he was just some frail old man, but as a Magus, Richard felt an overwhelming threat from him.
Richard doubted he was only at the Life Aether Realm—perhaps he was even above that realm.
Several captains of the guard, when the group passed them, gave short salutes to the old man, proving his strength.
They descended into the colosseum easily, since no one blocked their way, and there was indeed a special area at the edge of the battlefield for them to sit, similar to a bench for reserve players.
Since they came from the same direction as Richard, Wren should come from the opposite side. Richard was curious about this man, but there was still no sign of his arrival.
The number of spectators only grew, and soon the entire stands were full.
At the back, Richard saw many squeezed together, sitting shoulder to shoulder.
"Mm..."
On the path leading to the special area, Richard once again saw soldiers clearing the way.
That area was beginning to fill, but until now, no one had been escorted by soldiers.
Richard saw luxurious carriages arriving.
Honorable-looking people stepped down from them.
Two men stood out more than the rest: one was in his fifties, with a thin white beard, and the other looked in his forties with neatly kept blonde hair, giving off a friendly impression even while wearing a luxurious red robe.
"Richard, the blonde one is the governor, Wilder Hall. Next to him is Victor Moonshadow, elder brother of Lady Rebecca, the current leader of the Moonshadow Clan. Even though Lady Rebecca is the strongest in that clan, she doesn't bother with managing it. Victor Moonshadow's strength is equal to Wilder Hall's, but just so you know, in the Moonshadow Clan, there are quite a few elders at their level..." Sister Lisa whispered to Richard as she explained.
Richard narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at them. Compared to the old man who accompanied Gray's group, these two felt far less threatening.
The two walked side by side, chatting as if they were close friends.
Others could only follow behind them, including some young men who stood out.
They had arrived late but were given front-row seats.
"Where's Wren, why hasn't he come yet? Even his father arrived earlier," someone said.
"Hmph, he's always late. Luckily his father is the governor. Otherwise, he would've already been disqualified," another person said.
"Yeah, I hope he runs into misfortune at least once."
Some people who disliked Wren began criticizing him for not showing up yet.
But not long after they spoke, soldiers were seen clearing a path on the opposite side of the arena.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC56: Surren
Chapter 56: Surren
When the path opened, Richard finally saw someone accompanied by quite a number of Royal Academy students— a blond-haired man in a black robe, carrying a massive sword.
His skin was very pale and his body somewhat thin, giving off the impression of a sickly person, yet he was clearly fine, for he could carry such a large sword on his back.
Unlike Gray, who always seemed relaxed and calm, this man was cold, his gaze sharp as though deeply focused.
He didn't glance left or right, only stared straight ahead.
His popularity in this city was obvious. Many noble girls screamed, calling his name.
But he clearly had no interest in responding to anyone.
He walked straight to his seat, sitting down with his companions, staring directly at Gray, who was across from him. Gray, however, looked busy chatting with his lover, Laura.
Yet after being stared at continuously, he finally turned and looked toward Wren with a faint smile.
It seemed Wren was speaking to Gray through his Sixth Sense.
"You two, step into the arena..." Suddenly a voice echoed from the center of the battlefield.
A bald middle-aged man appeared there, standing as though he had been present all along.
"Hahaha..." It's finally starting.
The audience immediately grew excited, some even standing up before being forced back into their seats by soldiers, as their bodies blocked the view of people behind them.
Gray and Wren both stepped into the battlefield.
But Richard noticed something odd after they communicated using the Sixth Sense.
Gray's expression suddenly looked filled with hesitation.
It only became more obvious as he drew closer to Wren, while the latter simply gave him an unfathomable smile.
When they stood about five meters apart, Gray suddenly turned toward the referee, the bald man.
"Referee, I surrender," he said after appearing to think long and hard.
"What?"
Nearly the entire audience stood up at once.
"What happened?"
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
"No one has ever surrendered in a final like this! Why is Gray giving up?"
"Gray, I came all this way, spent all my money supporting you, and you dare surrender?"
"At least fight first!"
There was no way the crowd could remain calm hearing a participant surrender.
The result was secondary; what they most wanted to see was a battle between geniuses in the world of magic— an epic clash that was always thrilling to watch.
But Gray had spoken.
The referee frowned at him.
"Are you certain?" the referee asked.
Of course, there was no rule forbidding a participant from surrendering. If one chose to yield, their opponent would be declared the winner.
"Yes..." Gray nodded, though his expression was still hesitant.
But his expression was of no consequence to the referee. If he surrendered, then Wren would be the victor.
Now, that man wore a satisfied smile.
Richard glanced toward the nobles' seating area, looking at Governor Wilder Hall and Victor Moonshadow.
Even they were surprised.
Victor looked at Wilder, as if asking what his son was relying on, but the latter shook his head.
"Very well. The winner is Wren Hall, who will represent the Eight-Star Province, the Nine-Star Province, and the Ten-Star Province in the capital..." the referee announced.
Gray immediately turned away, returning to his seat as disbelief showed on the faces around him— Laura included, her eyes trembling.
"Utterly ridiculous," muttered Sister Lisa beside Richard.
She had been very eager to witness the fight, but this outcome was more than just disappointing.
In the end, the entire audience left the colosseum with blank expressions. Some cursed Gray, especially those who had lost their bets on him.
Richard scratched his head a few times in confusion.
He was disappointed too, thinking he would finally get to compare his own strength against the top geniuses of three provinces.
When he and Sister Lisa returned to Lilith's house, Lilith had just been about to leave, looking surprised to see them back already.
"So soon? Is it over already?" she asked.
Lisa shook her head and replied, "one of the participants surrendered before the fight even began. It ended far too quickly."
"Ohhh..." Lilith showed a strange expression at hearing that.
"That's very rare. Perhaps one of them offered something too tempting to refuse," she said.
Lisa seemed to agree.
"There's nothing we can do about it, but if you're interested, Lisa, you and Richard can follow me to the capital when the true finals are held. That will be much more exciting," Lilith said.
"Really, you'd take us along?" Lisa looked very interested upon hearing that.
Traveling to the capital was no easy feat. Lisa couldn't afford it on her own, as the journey was quite expensive. But if Lilith brought them, that would be different.
"It's still a long way off. Just come see me later," Lilith replied.
"Alright, I'll be going now. My house isn't locked," she added.
As the woman stepped out, the crows on her roof suddenly followed her.
To Richard's shock, she vanished among them, and then they all soared rapidly into the sky.
"Those at higher levels truly are extraordinary," he thought.
"Richard, is there something you want to do?" Sister Lisa asked.
"I'll just train," Richard replied.
He wasn't in the mood to do anything else, so he just wanted to cultivate.
Sister Lisa nodded, letting him enter the house first.
"Sister, are you going somewhere?" Richard asked.
"Yes, I want to visit some places that might help me improve my strength. This is especially for a Sky Armor Knight," Lisa answered.
"Okay," Richard said.
He went inside Lilith's house, entered his room, and locked it before starting to absorb Aether.
As he expected, the amount of Aether in this city was much greater.
They were also much easier to absorb.
Compared to when he trained during the journey, Richard could now gather almost twice as much Aether.
This gave him a strong drive to train nonstop, at least until evening.
Back then on the road, he had gathered nearly twice as much thanks to the Black Heart Soul. Now, he was certain he could gather twice as much simply because of the city's environment.
By evening, he opened his eyes in delight.
[Aether: 360/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 2360
'I guess I need to stay in this city longer,' he thought.
"Ehh..."
Richard was startled to see a crow standing on his window.
What shocked him even more was that the crow had a ring in its beak.
"Richard, the left hand and foot of the Aether Skeleton you wanted are in this ring." Lilith's voice suddenly echoed from the crow.
The bird then dropped the ring onto Richard's bed before flying away.
"So fast? It's not even night yet," Richard muttered in surprise.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC57: Meet Wren
Chapter 57: Meet Wren
Richard examined the ring casually. It was a Storage Artifact, though the space inside was far smaller compared to the one he had taken from Damon.
He saw two objects—hand and left leg bones that glimmered like diamonds.
Without hesitation, he drew them out from within the ring, along with the right-side parts stored inside his own.
Although the amount of Aether he had absorbed was still little, there was no issue with obtaining an Aether Skeleton earlier.
He directly absorbed them into his body.
DING!
(Your hand and leg bones have been replaced with Aether Skeletons. You gain an additional 2000 Aether Accumulation originating from your Aether Hand and Leg Bones!)
[Aether Accumulation: 4360
"Compared to cultivating, this method is much easier. Unfortunately, raising the Realm still requires training for everyone," Richard said.
He felt so delighted that he wanted to laugh.
But then, his brows furrowed.
"Is something wrong?"
He wondered as he looked at his own hands.
He wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Nothing felt wrong or uncomfortable, yet his instincts seemed to be searching for a hidden problem inside his body.
---
Meanwhile, in the Royal Academy, inside a dark chamber that served as Wren's training room, the young man who was cultivating suddenly opened his eyes, narrowing them coldly.
"So the one who killed Damon is here in this city," he muttered with a cruel gaze.
The right hand and leg bones Damon once possessed had been his gifts—a reward for carrying out his dirty work.
From the very start, he hadn't believed Damon would live long enough to use them, so he had sought the help of an expert to leave behind a tracking seal. It was in anticipation of Damon being slain and his belongings plundered.
As long as those bones fused with someone, the mark would activate, allowing him to trace the person.
To him, killing his dog was no different from slapping his face. How could he possibly let this go peacefully?
"If Damon hadn't died, I would've gathered plenty of souls, enough to defeat Gray in an actual fight. But since Damon was killed, my plan failed, and I was forced to pay Gray heavily to make him surrender in the tournament."
Wren's eyes grew even colder as he thought of the truth behind the matter.
Some believed him to be brilliant for making Gray concede. Even his father and the Moonshadow Clan leader had praised him.
But reality was far less glorious. He had been forced to do it, and even now it left a bitter taste in his heart.
He stood, lifted his greatsword, and strapped it across his back.
Of course, he would now seek that person out.
---
Richard still hadn't realized what was truly happening, though he knew something was amiss.
He trusted his instincts—there was no way they were wrong without reason.
For now, he could only wait until Lilith returned.
Surely, there was no way that woman wouldn't know what the problem was.
He then stood, feeling the urge to walk around again.
His confidence had risen drastically after his increase in power.
He even felt he might not be far from Gray and Wren's strength.
Even if their Aether was three times greater than his, he could make up for the difference with his elemental affinity that reached 90%, coupled with his Mind Attack that would effectively weaken them.
"Ehh..."
Just as he stepped out of Lilith's house, he was stunned to see a blond man with cold eyes and a massive sword suddenly appear, standing in the courtyard.
"Wren?"
How could he not recognize the man who had just forced Gray to surrender?
Why was he here? And why was his gaze so sharp upon him?
Before Richard could even think, the man suddenly charged at him.
"I didn't expect you to be just a child," Wren said coldly.
As he lunged, he didn't release any kind of aura, as though he were just an ordinary man—but his speed was enough to make Richard wary.
However—
BANG!
A faint light suddenly appeared at the front porch of the house, forcefully rebounding Wren back until he staggered when he landed.
Shock flashed across his face as his eyes narrowed sharply.
Richard, who had initially been worried, was stunned and then overjoyed.
"This is Princess Lilith's house. You'd better not act recklessly here, or your entire clan will be annihilated," Richard said.
With that, he retreated back inside, leaning against the door.
Fortunately, Lilith had arranged protective formations around her house, or else he would have been in serious trouble, forced to face Wren directly.
Even though he wasn't afraid, he knew it would be troublesome.
He was beginning to understand what was going on.
It had to be because of Damon's death—and Wren had a way to track him.
Naturally, he quickly concluded it was related to those bones and the strange sensation he had felt.
Would Wren dare oppose me, knowing I'm backed by Lilith? Richard wondered as he peeked out the window, seeing Wren hesitate.
He's only the governor's son. Lilith should be stronger than that governor. She's also a Princess of the Holy Star Kingdom—what are they compared to her? They should be afraid, Richard thought.
Although Lilith had once been a discarded princess, Richard knew her identity had since been restored.
The kingdom could never let go of such an extraordinary genius. Yet it was Lilith herself who had chosen not to return, preferring to roam freely.
"Ohhh, he's finally leaving..."
Not long after showing hesitation, Wren turned away with a gloomy expression.
Richard almost laughed when he saw his face.
After that, he sat down.
From late afternoon, the sky gradually darkened.
Richard waited for Sister Lisa and Lilith to return.
"Mm..." He suddenly heard the cry of a crow outside not long after nightfall.
Click!
The door opened, revealing Lilith's figure.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Richard.
"Did something happen?" she asked.
It seemed she was aware someone had come with ill intentions.
"Sister Lilith, it was like this..." Richard recounted what had happened.
Lilith looked slightly surprised but only smiled.
"There shouldn't be any problem. That governor—I already beat him up when I first returned to this city," Lilith said casually, before pointing her finger toward Richard.
Shua!
Suddenly, a beam of light filled with many symbols emerged from Richard's body, landing in Lilith's hand before shattering into tiny fragments and vanishing.
"There's no need to be afraid of roaming around. That boy, Wren, is the type who bullies the weak but fears the strong. He won't dare touch you. Perhaps he even thinks you're my disciple," Lilith continued.
"Hehehe, Sister Lilith, I'm really grateful you support me," Richard chuckled.
"Naturally, I'll support you. Besides... I still want to see your adult self someday. You might just be a good match to stand beside me," Lilith replied with a wink, making Richard roll his eyes.
His face flushed slightly, something he couldn't control.
So this is what it feels like to be teased by a beautiful woman? he wondered.
If only he had an adult body, he felt he would've pounced on her already.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC58: Star Wheel Part 1
Chapter 58: Star Wheel Part 1
Richard received Lilith's assurance that Wren would not be able to do anything to him.
Even if he tried, according to Lilith, as long as Richard was inside the city, she could practically reach him in an instant.
If Richard faced danger, Lilith would be able to help him immediately.
Previously, she had been outside the city, which was why she couldn't arrive right away.
But because of Wren's appearance, Richard lost his mood to go out, deciding instead to train in his room, absorbing Aether until he could no longer stay awake.
In the end, he trained until he had gathered 100 Aether.
This was also because nighttime made absorbing Aether slightly more difficult compared to daytime, as many people were doing the same.
[Aether: 460/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 4460
Richard fell asleep afterward, and in his sleep, he received a notification.
(Your mastery of 100 Shadow Monster has increased from 14% to 19%!)
(Your mastery of Lighting of Darkness has increased from 14% to 19%!)
[Arcane Art:
100 Shadow Monster (19%)
Lighting of Darkness (19%)]
This increase brought Richard immense satisfaction, and because he was too drowsy, he continued sleeping until noon.
He only woke up at midday, quite late, but only then did he feel refreshed.
His eyes scanned his statistics.
"Aether I've absorbed in this Realm is only 460, still far from ten thousand," he muttered.
Even though he had a complete Aether Skeleton, he was still far from real progress, leaving him dissatisfied.
Living in this city made him thirstier for strength because he realized there were many stronger people, especially the older generation such as the governor or the Moonshadow Clan leader.
Unfortunately, this was something he still had to go through step by step.
Though dissatisfied, there was nothing he could do.
He stretched his body and stood, stepping out of his room, only to be surprised by the sight of the black-haired young girl with her maid, sitting in the living room, listening to Lilith explain magic.
Apparently, her purpose in coming to Lilith's house was to study, or perhaps to receive some kind of personal guidance.
And it seemed that it was about to finish.
The girl looked at Richard, and her gaze at him somehow became different, not as cold as yesterday.
"Sister Lilith, I'll be taking my leave. I'll come again tomorrow morning," she said as she stood up.
Lilith waved her hand, letting her go.
Soon after, she left with her maid.
"Sister Lilith, who is that girl?" Richard asked curiously.
Of course, he had long wanted to ask about the girl's identity.
However, he hesitated because he feared Lilith might tease him for having a crush on her.
Now, seeing her directly in front of Lilith, he thought it wouldn't be a problem.
"Lady Rebecca's adopted daughter, Grace..." Lilith casually replied, turning her head back to look at Richard.
He couldn't be more shocked. He finally realized why he had felt a certain connection between him and that girl.
Indeed, they didn't share blood, but there was something that made their relationship not so distant.
"Why so surprised?" Lilith chuckled, giving Richard a strange look.
"Yesterday, I saw her massacre an entire slum," Richard replied.
His surprise seemed a little too much, so he could only say that.
Lilith wasn't too surprised to hear it.
"That girl has an incredible talent, but Lady Rebecca pressures her too harshly. Her personality is indeed somewhat problematic. But that's not something I need to take care of, since I'm only paid to teach her magic. Most likely, those she slaughtered were a community that had committed serious crimes, such as being nobles' lackeys in distributing illegal drugs. In essence, she was only helping the kingdom eradicate crime."
Lilith was still looking at Richard as she said that.
Before she could say anything else, Richard quickly said, "Sister, I'll go bathe first!"
He then went to the bathroom.
Since he had slept until noon, he bathed longer to make his body truly refreshed and fragrant.
Lilith was still sitting in the living room when he came out, reading an ancient book.
However, he didn't see Sister Lisa.
"Sister Lilith, where's Sister Lisa?" Richard asked.
"I don't know, she hasn't returned since yesterday," Lilith replied.
"She hasn't returned?" Richard was immediately worried upon hearing that.
He thought she had come back and then gone out again, but it turned out she hadn't returned at all.
Where could she be?
"Don't think too much about Lisa, she'll be fine," Lilith said again.
"Anyway, there's a good opportunity for you," she added.
"What is it?" Richard couldn't help but feel curious when he heard about a good opportunity.
"Go to the governor's residence, you'll find out for yourself."
"The governor's residence?" Richard frowned upon hearing that.
He felt the governor's residence wasn't the right place for him to go, considering his enmity with Wren.
But since Lilith said it was a good opportunity, it would be a shame to miss it.
Richard nodded before leaving, walking toward the city center, which was quite far from Lilith's house.
The city center was a vast open area in a circular shape, where in the middle stood a majestic castle.
There were no walls blocking it. It was surrounded by a river about ten meters wide, though many bridges crossed over it.
Richard saw many people gathered there, from the young to the old.
Children around his age were also quite numerous.
"Boss, what are they doing here?" Richard asked an old snack vendor by the roadside.
Seeing that the one asking was just a small boy, the old man was slightly surprised.
"You don't know?" he asked.
"No..." Richard shook his head because Lilith hadn't told him. He was forced to ask someone else.
"The governor will lower the Star Wheel here," replied the old man.
"And what is the Star Wheel?"
This was the first time Richard had heard of it.
"Ohh, it seems you are not from the City of Night Valley, but from a village or small town," said the old man, because Richard did not know.
"The Star Wheel is an artefact left behind by the kingdom's founder. It exists in every province and has the power to absorb starlight from the sky. You may not know this, but starlight contains Aether, from Tier 1 to Tier 3. When the Star Wheel releases its light, it releases the Aether it has collected. Magicians can absorb it at this time.
"Of course, since there are many people, it will be contested. How much Aether you can get depends on your ability to absorb it, but practically, you can absorb far more than during normal training.
"Aether Tier 1 has the most competition, but it also has the greatest quantity of Aether. The most fortunate, naturally, is Wren, since he possesses Tier 3 Aether. Aside from him, there's no one else, because the condition to participate in this event is that you must not exceed the Realm of Aether Will."
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC59: Star Wheel Part 2
Chapter 59: Star Wheel Part 2
"Old man, don't forget that Lady Rebecca's daughter also has Aether Tier 3. Wren isn't the only one." The merchant beside the old man suddenly interjected.
"Miss Grace? Hmm, even so, she hasn't reached the Aether Will Realm yet. There's no way she can compete with Wren..." the old man replied.
Richard listened quietly, occasionally nodding as he finally understood the situation.
Not long after Grace's name was mentioned, he suddenly saw her step down from her carriage with her maid, instantly drawing the attention of many.
As she walked into the governor's castle courtyard, everyone unconsciously stepped back, opening a path for her to pass.
Richard, who had been standing at the roadside from the start, didn't need to move.
Grace initially gazed straight ahead indifferently, her eyes rarely blinking.
But when she drew close to Richard, she still cast her eyes in his direction.
She didn't stop, but it looked as though she wanted to approach him.
Richard felt as if she already knew more about him through Lilith.
"Little sister, little sister..."
Suddenly, a plump young man with black hair, wearing luxurious red robes, ran toward Grace, causing her to furrow her brows.
The fat youth was followed by more than ten guards, all clad in Sky Armor.
"Little sister, let's go together," the fat youth said with a wide grin.
Grace looked far too lazy to respond, continuing forward while the fat youth insisted on trailing beside her.
"Who is he?" Richard asked.
"Jack, son of the Moonshadow Clan leader. He's rather dim-witted, only capable of indulging himself and bullying others. That clan has been declining, and their younger generation has grown worse. Fortunately, they still have Lady Rebecca," the old man explained with a scornful tone, clearly disliking the fat youth.
'It doesn't seem so bad living in an orphanage,' Richard thought.
After that, he saw Gray and Laura together with the students from the Royal Academy of the Nine Star Province.
It turned out they had also come.
Of course, there was no prohibition against their presence, since they too were citizens of the Holy Star Kingdom.
However, people looked at them oddly because of Gray's choice to surrender.
The man appeared calm. On the other hand, Laura, beside him, repeatedly pouted, as though harboring a deep grievance.
Though from another province, they were still welcomed by the governor's servants and given a special place.
Richard, of course, would not miss this opportunity.
Grace was not worth mentioning, as she had not yet reached the Aether Will Realm. This meant his only true rival for the Aether Tier 3 was Wren.
He didn't believe he would lose to him in this matter.
It was no secret that Wren's Aether Tier 3 was not very stable. This was clearly due to his lack of capability—unlike Richard, who relied on two Codices and mastered both well.
He crossed one of the bridges, moving closer toward the governor's residence.
There, he saw Wren chatting with several young nobles around his age.
His instincts were sharp. The moment Richard laid eyes on him, Wren looked back, slightly surprised to see it was him.
Instantly, Wren's eyes sharpened.
Richard grinned at him before walking to a chair and sitting down casually, occasionally glancing at Wren, who didn't bother approaching.
Surely, he already knew who Richard was, but perhaps he was too lazy to reveal his identity—it would only draw unwanted attention.
Richard quickly turned his gaze toward the governor's castle entrance.
The governor had stepped out of the castle with his subordinates.
"Everyone..." He greeted the crowd gathered before his castle.
At that moment, something suddenly descended from the sky, like a blinding lump of light.
Richard squinted, realizing it was a wheel in shape, but made of something like crystal.
The more Richard observed it, the more he felt the Aether draw near.
That Star Wheel clearly stored an immense amount of Aether.
Its function was likely similar to an Aether Bottle, though each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
An Aether Bottle had a limit of up to 100 Aether, but it could be drunk directly, fusing with the body at once.
The Aether within the Star Wheel did not seem to be the kind that could be swallowed directly. It had to be absorbed like Aether from nature—yet it appeared far easier to absorb, making it highly coveted.
Even the tiers of each Aether are separated from one another, so competition is only with those of the same tier.
The kingdom's founder seemed to have created the Star Wheel to aid his people in cultivation.
"As you all know, the Star Wheel is only passed down once every five years," the governor said.
"This is because, in five years, we must wait for the Star Wheel to fully gather Aether. The amount it holds consists of 300,000 Tier 1 Aether, 30,000 Tier 2 Aether, and 3,000 Tier 3 Aether."
Richard and those listening to the governor's words could not help but be astonished.
Richard's focus was solely on Tier 3 Aether. Though its quantity was the smallest, three thousand was still an enormous number.
After all, he only had two rivals, whereas for Tier 1 Aether, the competition was overwhelming. The number of Magi in the Aether Will Realm alone was countless, not to mention those who had yet to reach it—almost all of them relied on Tier 1 Aether.
"Perhaps many of you have already experienced Aether from the Star Wheel yourselves. According to the founder's decree, anyone may partake in absorbing Aether from the Star Wheel, so long as they are in the Aether Will Realm or below," the governor continued amidst the crowd's excitement.
They waited, anticipating the governor to release the Aether from the Star Wheel.
The governor looked over the people lined up before him, knowing they had no interest in hearing more empty words.
They only wanted the Aether from the Star Wheel.
"Very well, we shall begin now. Prepare yourselves and sit calmly. Anyone who dares cause trouble will be punished severely," he declared before tossing something into the air, a kind of star-shaped symbol.
That and the Star Wheel were like iron and magnet, pulling toward each other before locking together.
Click!
A soft clicking sound echoed from the Star Wheel.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC60: Attack
Chapter 60: Attack
Hearing that clicking sound, Richard didn't even dare to blink.
Buzz!
Starlight burst out from the Star Wheel, shining so brightly that it outshone the sun, turning day into what looked like a radiant night.
The starlight only covered the area around the governor's castle.
As it touched him, Richard could feel the overwhelming presence of Aether surrounding him.
He didn't even need to close his eyes to connect with it. Even while moving, he could absorb it.
Of course, for him, the only Aether worth focusing on was Tier 3. He had no need to care about the rest.
At this moment, everyone began absorbing the Aether they could sense. Richard focused on Tier 3 Aether, and indeed, it was far easier. Though it still required a process, it didn't take long. Richard could absorb one unit of Aether in less than a minute.
He glanced at Wren as he did so, because he could truly absorb Aether without even closing his eyes—the results would be the same.
But unlike him, Wren had shut his eyes, looking utterly focused and serious.
'Grace's influence shouldn't be that significant—it's only Wren who affects me. If he weren't here, I should be able to absorb Tier 3 Aether even faster,' he thought.
This was already common knowledge: in one area—or even in an entire city—the fewer people absorbing Aether, the faster one could draw it in, like during the daytime.
On the other hand, the more people absorbing Aether at the same time, the slower one's absorption would be, as the Aether was being contested and pulled in different directions.
No one complained about this; it was simply a law of nature.
Still, Richard couldn't deny his dissatisfaction. His true competition for Aether was essentially only one person—Wren.
If the man were just anyone else, unrelated to him, Richard might have kept silent. But this was his clear enemy.
Richard felt he would be ashamed of himself if he couldn't eliminate Wren from the competition.
"Hmm..."
He didn't think long before making a decision—he launched a Mind Attack at him.
Their distance wasn't too close, but neither was it too far.
In less than an instant, the Mind Attack struck Wren's mind.
His eyes suddenly snapped open, shock and fear flashing within them.
"What is this?" He staggered to his feet, clutching his head with both hands, as if struck by a sudden, searing headache.
Chaotic, explosive energy burst from his body, scattering much of the Aether within him.
Though his voice was faint, how could others fail to sense the chaos in his aura?
"What's happening to him?" Richard heard someone nearby mutter.
Right after that question, something strange emerged from Wren's body—transparent, ghost-like figures one after another.
Some of them tried to attack Wren's body, but being incorporeal, they couldn't touch him.
Even so, Wren's condition grew increasingly unstable.
"Ahhhh..." He suddenly screamed, clutching his head as he fell to the ground, rolling in agony, as though the attacks of those figures were striking directly at his soul.
Boom! Boom!
Aether exploded from Wren's body one after another, leaving wounds across him.
"No—his Aether Will can't control the Aether inside his body..." someone cried out upon seeing the violent eruptions.
Without Aether Will, a person should normally be fine. But for Magi in the Aether Will Realm who had over a thousand Aether within their bodies, the loss of their Aether Will meant some of their Aether could explode uncontrollably.
Even Richard, the instigator, was stunned.
A Mind Attack shouldn't have had such an effect on Wren.
He should have been able to split his focus, resisting the Mind Attack while still cultivating, though of course it would have been difficult with his concentration divided.
And though he did resist the Mind Attack from overwhelming his mind, his power seemed to spiral into utter chaos.
"Hmph. Wren has been toying with human souls to create sinister tricks, using them to aid his cultivation and reach Tier 3 Aether. Rumor has it, there's a wicked artifact inside him, imprisoning countless souls. Now, it seems he's lost control of those souls, throwing everything into disorder," an old Magus not far from Richard remarked.
Richard turned his gaze toward him, listening intently to his words.
A young Magus beside the old one asked, "But hasn't he been fine all this time, even if people said his power wasn't fully stable? Why is his strength unraveling now?"
"I don't know—maybe something happened. There are always huge risks in taking extreme measures. We can't predict the exact cause," the old Magus replied.
Whoosh!
The governor suddenly appeared at Wren's side.
He didn't just appear—his power radiated outward, forming a cubic barrier that enveloped Wren.
The instant the governor appeared next to him, Richard withdrew his Mind Attack, fearing the man would detect it if it collided with his power.
But even though Richard stopped the Mind Attack, Wren's condition didn't stabilize. The chaos stemmed from his own power—Mind Attack was only the trigger.
The governor's power enveloped Wren completely, suppressing him until everything in his body froze.
Whoosh!
The governor carried Wren away, vanishing in an instant.
Perhaps Wren's problem was far more serious than it appeared, requiring immediate and dire assistance.
With Wren gone, Richard was stunned as he felt the Tier 3 Aether from the Star Wheel surging toward him—nearly tenfold—when he tried to absorb it.
His eyes shone brightly when he felt that, making him instantly stop thinking about Wren.
The man could only blame himself for relying on something bad to gain power that he shouldn't be able to get.
'I should absorb as much as possible,' he thought.
He was quite aware that in time, this Aether from the Star Wheel would eventually merge back into nature. That was why he could not waste time.
Now, it didn't just take him less than a minute to absorb one Aether.
In that time, his Aether increased by ten.
Of course, the Aether Bottle also filled up and in a short time, it became full.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC61: Confused
Chapter 61: Confused
[Aether: 560/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 4560
"Hahaha..." Richard could barely hold back his laughter.
In just about ten minutes, this was what he had gathered—and he hadn't even drunk from the Aether Bottle yet.
He glanced at Grace, and it seemed she hadn't gained much improvement since Wren's departure.
Perhaps she needed ten whole minutes just to absorb a single Tier 3 Aether.
Of course, that amount was still quite significant for her.
'I need to be faster,' Richard thought.
He feared Wren would recover quickly and return. After all, his father would not want his son to miss this opportunity, and he would pay any price to heal Wren as fast as possible.
This chance was the stepping stone to the next Realm.
If Wren failed to advance, it would be difficult for him to compete with the participants heading to the capital—since most of them would practically be in the Life Aether Realm by then.
Richard scanned the surroundings before settling on a corner filled with trees.
He would continue there, relying on the Aether Bottle as well.
Once he arrived, he immediately drank the Aether stored inside the bottle.
[Aether: 660/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 4660
In an instant, his Aether rose by another 100. This meant that every ten minutes, he could gather 200 Aether.
'In just over two hours, I should be able to absorb all the Tier 3 Aether,' he thought, growing more serious.
The only question now was—could Wren return within that time?
Richard was confident he would need longer to recover.
Despite the earlier uproar caused by Wren, the atmosphere was now calm as everyone focused on training.
[Aether: 3260/10,000
[Aether Accumulation: 7260
In just over two hours, Richard managed to gather 2600 Aether.
In total, he had obtained 2800 out of the 3000 Tier 3 Aether available.
But now, he realized that absorbing them wasn't as easy as before.
Not only had some been absorbed by Grace, but the remainder seemed to be merging with the natural world.
Absorbing them required extra effort.
Still, Richard was satisfied with his current results.
Others, of course, could never be as fast as him.
They were still calmly cultivating.
"Ohh..." His face showed sudden interest.
At this moment, Gray suddenly released a stronger pressure, making those nearby struggle to breathe.
'Did he advance?' Richard wondered.
Gray, who had kept his eyes shut, suddenly opened them.
He seemed to be suppressing his power to prevent it from bursting out—since that would disturb everyone else who was cultivating.
Whoosh!
He stood up and quickly ran out of the area, crossing the river that bordered it.
Laura and the others watched him in awe.
This advancement meant he was now a whole level above them.
Naturally, they were uncertain when they would ever catch up—even Laura, whose talent was second only to his.
"Gray is now stronger than Wren. We don't even know if Wren can advance today," someone remarked.
"He should be able to. All he needs is perhaps around 1500 more Aether. With no competition, it won't be hard for him to advance."
"But can he return and continue cultivating? It's already been over two hours. In another two, all the Aether will likely be gone."
"The governor will surely do everything possible. Ohh, look—he's already back."
Indeed, the governor reappeared, bringing Wren with him.
Though Wren looked pale as death, it was clear he could still cultivate again.
"Sigh, having a powerful father is truly a blessing," someone muttered upon seeing Wren.
Richard had hoped he wouldn't return—but he still had.
"Hurry!" The governor's expression was grim.
He ordered Wren to resume cultivating at once.
Of course, Wren's expression was far worse.
He sat down and closed his eyes.
This time, the governor stood right beside him, clearly unwilling to risk the same incident happening again.
He obviously suspected someone was behind it.
But Wren only shut his eyes for a moment before reopening them, his gaze filled with confusion and disbelief.
"What's wrong?" the governor asked.
Wren didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes again, as if trying to focus.
But like before, he soon opened them once more.
This time, his confusion had turned into shock.
"Father, there's almost no Tier 3 Aether left in the Star Wheel. Only a little remains, and it's already difficult to absorb," Wren said awkwardly.
The governor's face showed deep astonishment.
But he couldn't confirm it himself.
The Star Wheel was no simple artifact. It had the ability to detect anyone above the Aether Will Realm attempting to connect with the Aether it released.
If that happened, the Star Wheel would immediately withdraw all of its Aether.
The governor's gaze unconsciously shifted to Grace, who was watching calmly like everyone else.
Naturally, he assumed she was the one who had consumed the Tier 3 Aether—since, as far as he knew, Grace was the only one besides his son who possessed Tier 3 Aether.
But the truth was far from that.
Richard merely observed quietly, thinking, 'This Wren doesn't seem very bright.'
The man's confusion made Richard feel he wasn't suspected in the slightest.
Perhaps, like Damon, he believed Richard only possessed Tier 1 Aether.
Richard chose to continue pretending to cultivate.
He naturally preferred no trouble at all.
As for Wren—let him remain confused like a fool.
Soon, the governor approached Grace.
"Miss Grace, were you the one who absorbed all the Tier 3 Aether?" he asked politely.
He was filled with courtesy toward her.
But Grace suddenly stood.
"Can't you see I haven't even reached the Aether Will Realm?" she replied, completely disregarding his politeness.
With that, Grace turned and walked away.
She seemed uninterested in continuing cultivation, since with so little Tier 3 Aether left, it was much harder for her to absorb.
The governor was left frozen, watching Grace leave.
Grace hadn't concealed her aura when she spoke, so it became obvious that she hadn't yet reached the Aether Will Realm.
Those who understood what had happened exchanged strange looks.
Most dared not speak, fearful that the governor or Wren might vent their anger on them.
(There must be someone else with Tier 3 Aether, someone extremely talented. That person must have taken advantage of Wren's absence to absorb it all.)
Several who already had Aether Frameworks in their heads spoke through spiritual communication.
(That same person is likely the one who threw Wren's power into chaos.)
(Yeah, truly a terrifying figure. It seems Wren has no chance of advancing to the Life Aether Realm anytime soon. How will he even compete in the capital's tournament? He'll be the weakest one there.)
"..."
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC62: Talking to Gray
Chapter 62: Talking to Gray
Wren still seemed caught between belief and disbelief. From time to time, he kept trying to absorb the Aether.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times he tried, the result remained the same.
Richard noticed that people had already begun leaving since the Tier 1 Aether was running out.
Even though it was the most abundant, there were simply too many absorbing it—unlike the Tier 2 Aether, where fewer people shared, so each one could gain more.
Richard took this chance to leave together with the others.
He felt much more at ease once he finally crossed the bridge.
After that, he ran further away from the city center, not wanting to get involved in any more trouble.
Although Wren didn't seem all that smart, it was possible he would later start speculating that Richard possessed Tier 3 Aether.
Once he was far enough from the city center, Richard finally felt at peace.
"Boy!"
Suddenly, he heard a voice he felt he had heard before.
Looking toward the sound, he found Gray, sitting at a café that served only drinks, sipping coffee.
Gray waved at him when he noticed him.
Richard hadn't expected him to be this far already after his advancement.
Curious why he was calling him, Richard approached with a cautious look.
"What is it?" Richard asked when he arrived at the table where Gray was sitting.
"Sit down, have a drink with me. I don't think just apologizing is enough for my mistake of abducting you—I should at least treat you as well," Gray replied in a tone that sounded as though he was in a very good mood.
"Boss, get the boy a cup of coffee," he said to the café owner before turning his gaze back to Richard.
"The coffee in this place isn't ordinary. It's imported from another continent and has the effect of refreshing the mind, making it easier for Magi to increase their mastery of Codex and Arcane Arts. One cup costs 15 Nature Spirits."
"Ohh..." Richard was a little surprised when he saw a cup placed before him.
But he was even more surprised by Gray's behavior.
For a genius who was nearly the champion of three provinces, he seemed far too kind, and Richard didn't sense any ulterior motive in his gaze.
'Like a protagonist with a hero's heart who always stands on the side of justice,' he thought.
'But clearly, he betrayed his own heart's will by submitting to Wren.'
"By the way, why were you running? Was someone chasing you?" Gray asked as Richard began sipping the coffee and feeling its effect, which indeed made his mind relax and settle.
Richard shook his head and replied, "It's nothing. But I'm still curious—what exactly did Wren give you that made you decide to yield to him?"
When asked this, Gray's expression twisted into two at once—smiling, yet disappointed.
He stirred his coffee with the spoon before finally chuckling.
"Something of great value, and it just happened to suit me very well. If I continued on to the capital, my chances of winning first place there were too slim, and I wasn't even confident of making the top five. So it was better for me to accept what Wren offered," he said.
"Even if that means angering your girlfriend?" Richard pressed further.
"Kid, let me tell you, in this world, strength matters far more. If I can become much stronger, I can stay with Laura without anyone daring to disturb us," Gray replied in a tone like he was teaching a child an important lesson about the world.
Richard laughed when he heard this.
"Don't think I'm uneducated. I've heard that line too many times already. But I thought you were a man of resolve, a man full of honor. And yet, huh, you sold your honor for something. Do you even know how many people suffered because of your decision? Those who supported you, those who bet on you—they all took losses without even seeing a shred of fight from you," he said with a mocking tone, instantly souring Gray's expression.
Though he was the type of man who appeared friendly, he still looked like he wanted to snap at those words.
However, he likely realized it wasn't appropriate to lash out at a boy who was still far too young.
Besides, he was somewhat shocked to hear a child say something like this to him.
Just as he was about to speak in reply, Richard cut him off. "Don't tell me I'm too young and don't understand how the world works, or that I don't realize things aren't so simple. To me, your decision wasn't exactly wrong, but you should stop acting like you're a man of honor."
At that, Gray's face twitched, turning very ugly.
It was as if he was enduring a shame he had never felt before.
"Do you think I was wrong?" he asked, suddenly wanting to hear more from Richard.
He looked uncomfortable, as though acting like a hypocrite bothered him greatly.
"You were wrong..." Richard nodded. "But every mistake can still be corrected."
He smiled faintly as he said that.
"By the way, you probably don't know—Wren doesn't seem likely to advance to the Life Aether Realm anytime soon. He's returned, but somehow the Tier 3 Aether from the Star Wheel is nearly gone," he added.
"How is that possible? Who consumed it all?" Gray was deeply shocked to hear this.
Richard shrugged and shook his head.
"People are already talking about how he could represent our three provinces with only Aether Will Realm strength. At this rate, he might lose to an opponent's mere glare, turning our provinces into a laughingstock."
"That is indeed terrible." Gray nodded with furrowed brows.
"That's why you shouldn't have given up. Look at the result of your mistake—it's worse than you even know."
Gray's expression was immediately filled with guilt upon hearing that.
What Richard didn't know was that if the representatives of the three provinces ended up at the bottom ranks, the kingdom would likely cut significant funding and resources from the provinces. This could cause a decline in the living standards of their citizens.
After brooding for quite some time, Gray suddenly stood up.
"Boss, here's the payment. I'm heading out," he said, leaving Nature Spirits on the table.
'What is he going to do?' Richard wondered, giving him a strange look as he suddenly left.
Not that he expected anything. He had simply spoken what he felt needed to be said.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC63: Request
Chapter 63: Request
Richard kept drinking his coffee and felt comfortable relaxing in the restaurant, occasionally sensing the power within his body that he felt had grown too vast, having already accumulated over 7,000 Aether.
'I think I need a battle,' he thought.
(Richard, come back!) Just as he was thinking that, he suddenly heard Lilith's voice directly in his head, making him instinctively glance around, though he couldn't find her.
But he quickly realized that the woman must have been calling him from her house.
Her Sixth Sense clearly reached a long distance.
Richard wasn't sure why she was calling him. Curiosity drove him to return quickly.
Entering Lilith's home, he immediately found the woman sitting in the living room, waving at him with a faint smile.
"Is there something, Sister Lilith?" Richard asked softly as he sat down across from her.
"Still pretending, are you? Do you know the governor came to me asking for help to heal his son? You attacked him with Mind Attack and then drained all the Tier 3 Aether from the Star Wheel," Lilith replied.
After saying that, she suddenly stood up, bent over in front of Richard to bring her face closer to his, her hand pinching his cheek and holding it firmly in place.
Her unblinking eyes stared straight into his face.
Richard was stunned, his face flushing red as he felt Lilith's fragrant breath.
Seeing her face from such a close distance, he could not deny her beauty.
No makeup or skincare, yet her skin was so pale and flawless, while the shape of her face was utterly enchanting.
Her slightly moist red lips were alluring, throwing his mind into disarray.
"I have to admit, I'm curious... what exactly are you? Are you really just a human boy?" Lilith asked.
Richard was left speechless.
Fortunately, Lilith returned to her seat after saying that.
It seemed she was simply confirming that he truly was human.
Richard let out a sigh of relief.
"Sister Lilith, I only just mastered it and tried it on Wren. Unexpectedly, he became that chaotic," he explained.
"Wren's weakness lies in his mind because he relies too much on human souls. That is the flaw of taking shortcuts in cultivation," Lilith replied.
"But don't think too much about it. With your talent, even training normally is easier for you than using those extreme methods. Now, use Mind Attack on me. I'm fairly confident I can master it once I experience it myself."
Her words made Richard glance at her and clear his throat, not immediately doing as she asked.
Lilith rolled her eyes at that.
"Boy, I know you have many demands. Tell me. Don't worry about the Aether Skeleton in the body parts, I will make sure you get it," she said.
Hearing that, Richard grinned widely.
"You are truly kind and generous, Sister Lilith," Richard replied softly.
For a moment, Lilith's face twitched, realizing Richard was about to exploit the opportunity.
"Remember, Richard, you have already benefited greatly by receiving such an extraordinary Arcane Art from me," Lilith reminded him.
"I know..." Richard still smiled.
"Sister, I want a Phantom Cloak, and it must be the kind that enlarges my body, not shrinks to fit me, so that when I wear it, I don't look like a little child," Richard said.
He knew Phantom Cloaks had two types, and the one he was asking for was the superior kind since it could alter the wearer's physique.
This was a much better disguise tool, usually called a Tier 2 Phantom Cloak.
Lilith nodded at his request, taking out a white cloak.
"This one is even better, it can change colors as you wish," she said.
If it could change colors, then it was a Tier 3 Phantom Cloak.
Richard quickly grabbed it and stored it away.
"Sister, I also want a strong weapon since I don't have one yet. I hope it's a Tier 3 weapon," he added.
Tiers were essentially determined by their creators. Tier 1 was forged by Magi in the Aether Will Realm, Tier 2 by Magi in the Life Aether Realm, and Tier 3 by those beyond.
Each tier naturally held significant differences in power.
However, even higher-tier weapons could still be used by weaker Magi. They simply couldn't maximize the weapon's strength, though the power released would still be extraordinary.
In his view, this was something Lilith could provide, as long as he didn't ask for a Tier 4 weapon.
"I will give it to you along with the Aether Skeleton later," Lilith nodded.
"Also, the next request will be your last," she added firmly.
"But I need two more things," Richard replied without hesitation.
"You." Lilith's face instantly turned red.
"Sister, this is only fair for what you're receiving. I will truly use Mind Attack on you whenever you want me to. Once you master it, how much stronger will you become? Opponents who were once your equals will surely fall easily to you," Richard said.
"This is only my guess... I might still fail to master Mind Attack," Lilith replied.
"You definitely can. I believe in you," Richard said, giving her an encouraging smile, leaving Lilith no choice but to roll her eyes.
"Fine, but only two more things, no more," she said.
"Don't worry, I won't change my mind," Richard replied.
"What are they?" Lilith asked.
"Ten thousand Nature Spirits and something that can give me another 1,000 Aether," Richard said.
"Do you know the Star Wheel is the only thing in this province that can quickly increase Aether? There's nothing else," Lilith replied, frowning.
That last request clearly hit her nerves.
But Richard stayed silent. He said nothing, but his gaze made it clear that was the only thing he wanted.
"You..." Her annoyance grew at his silence.
If Richard were truly just a child, he might have reconsidered his demand.
But he was certain Lilith could obtain it.
She not only possessed talent and strength but also the most extraordinary background in the kingdom.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC64: Ignis Volt Core
Chapter 64: Ignis Volt Core
"Take this first!"
Lilith finally gave in when Richard stayed silent.
She directly transferred ten thousand Nature Spirits into Richard's ring.
That amount might not have been much in her eyes.
"Can you use Mind Attack on me first?" she asked.
"Not until I get my items," Richard replied.
This time, Lilith began panting softly.
Both her cheeks flushed red, yet the sight was enough to make any man lose his mind.
"Hmph!" Lilith snorted before standing up, clearly in a very foul mood.
She left in a hurry.
Even if she was angry, Richard didn't care.
To him, this was truly a fair trade, because once Lilith mastered Mind Attack—even if only at 1%—she would become tremendously powerful.
Who knew? Once she broke through the first threshold, she might advance even further.
Richard was left alone in the house, and he couldn't help but wonder again where Sister Lisa was, since she still hadn't returned.
Unfortunately, he had no information about her destination.
He rose from his seat and put on the Phantom Cloak Lilith had given him.
It was large, but astonishingly, it instantly altered his appearance.
His body hadn't actually changed, but the cloak created a false layer over him that felt completely real.
With just a thought, the cloak shifted from white to black.
Richard was satisfied with the result. He even discovered that his voice could be altered into that of an older man.
He quickly left Lilith's house.
There was one thing he wanted to do: sell the Cymora Soil—or more precisely, exchange it for something of equal value because he really didn't need that and had no interest in Magic Plant cultivation. He wanted it to be replaced with something useful for combat.
The Night Valley City naturally had entire districts filled with Magic Shops.
In fact, every Magic Shop in this city was quite large.
The most eye-catching one bore the emblem of a black moon—Moonshadow Magic Shop, a business owned by the Moonshadow Clan, said to have branches all across the kingdom.
Richard noticed most people chose that shop because it was widely known to trade honestly.
Despite his feelings toward the clan, Richard still decided to enter that shop.
Like most Magic Shops, the place was dominated by books and weapons.
The difference was, they sold far more Sky Armors in various designs.
Many items were so striking that Richard's eyes lit up. However, when it came to Tier 3 weapons, he only saw three of them.
He approached a large display case filled with mysterious-looking objects—various kinds of artifacts.
All were neatly arranged, with the best placed at the very top.
Naturally, Richard was drawn to the best item there: a single gold coin.
He had no idea what it was, but for some reason, his Fire and Lightning Elements seemed to resonate with it.
Richard waved over a shop attendant.
"What is this coin?" he asked.
"Sir, this is called the Ignis Volt Core, an artifact that can absorb fire and lightning, then release them as high-speed laser blasts capable of long-range attacks and piercing through anything..." the attendant explained.
"Really?" Richard was somewhat surprised.
"Then how much fire and lightning can this artifact hold?" Richard asked again.
He was deeply intrigued by the coin, but the most important detail was, of course, its capacity.
If it couldn't store a vast amount of fire and lightning, it would only be of limited use to him.
"It can hold an enormous amount, sir. This item was personally discovered by Lady Rebecca. Lady Rebecca said the Ignis Volt Core was very useful even for a Magus of her level. Unfortunately, she only has lightning power, not fire, so she couldn't maximize the artifact's potential. That's why she placed it here, hoping to exchange it for something else."
"Ohh..." Richard hadn't expected that his mother was the one who found it.
"So this item can only be exchanged for another?" he asked.
"Yes, something of equal value. Of course, we don't accept just anything—only what our shop deems desirable."
"What about Cymora Soil? Would you accept that?"
"Cymora Soil?" The attendant was shocked. "Yes, we would accept it. Please wait while I inform the manager," he said, hurrying upstairs.
Richard had only asked and hadn't even said he wanted to exchange yet, but the attendant was already calling for the manager.
Still, Richard decided to wait.
Not long after, he saw the attendant return with a neatly groomed blond middle-aged man who looked friendly.
The man briskly walked toward Richard.
He observed the cloaked figure for a moment before asking, "Do you truly wish to exchange Cymora Soil for the Ignis Volt Core?"
"Yes—if you add twenty thousand Nature Spirits," Richard replied.
Cymora Soil could enhance one's affinity with the Earth Element, even helping it reach 90%. But that wasn't its only use—it could also be cultivated with Magical Plants. Richard felt its value was still higher, not equal to just the Ignis Volt Core.
"This..." The manager hesitated upon hearing those words.
"Sir, that's too much," he said.
"If you agree, we can trade. If not, then there's no need," Richard answered firmly.
The other party clearly wanted the Cymora Soil—how could he not demand more?
The manager fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons.
Twenty thousand Nature Spirits was certainly no small amount. But even if they spent all their Nature Spirits, it was nearly impossible to buy Cymora Soil elsewhere.
The item was extremely useful for resource cultivation—something the clan would naturally keep for themselves.
It wasn't that the clan didn't already own some, but with an additional Cymora Soil, they could expand their Magical Plant cultivation significantly.
"You must decide quickly, or I'll leave," Richard said again, taking a step away.
"Alright, alright... very well," the manager quickly relented, afraid Richard would walk away.
"May I see the Cymora Soil?" the manager asked.
Casually, Richard brought out the object—a plate-like piece made of earth.
It immediately drew the attention of other customers.
But inside this shop, there was no way anyone would dare to rob him.
The manager's eyes lit up at the sight. He then retrieved the gold coin from the display and produced a large pouch.
"Sir, here are twenty thousand Nature Spirits," the manager said.
Richard took the pouch and the golden coin at once, then handed the Cymora Soil to the manager.
The latter promptly left after securing it.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC65: Laser
Chapter 65: Laser
Richard observed the coin known as the Ignis Volt Core.
When he held it, it felt as though it was trying to siphon his Aether, demanding that he convert it into fire and lightning.
'Time for a fight,' he thought.
Richard quickly left the shop, blending into the crowd, all of whom were also wearing Phantom Robes.
Others watching him would not find it easy to recognize him.
He even changed the robe's color to brown and shrank his body slightly.
In this city, there was a gate that connected directly to a vast forest.
Even the walls surrounding the gate were much taller.
The reason was obvious—the forest was filled with too many ferocious beasts. Many of them were even Primordial Beasts.
Even if they weren't of the King variety, they could still grow into higher Tiers.
The gate was heavily guarded by Sky Armor Knights, but they didn't forbid anyone from leaving through it.
Of course, only a few were brave enough.
Richard passed through the gate, entering the forest where the towering trees loomed above.
He immediately felt the forest's oppressive atmosphere, as though countless feral eyes were watching him with killing intent.
Most importantly, the forest was rather dark. The trees were so dense that sunlight barely filtered through.
Richard pressed forward, hoping something would appear soon, as he was eager to test how strong he had truly become.
"Mm..."
Before long, a beast appeared— a black wolf, even taller than a grown man.
It stood about 2.5 meters tall, with fur bristling like spikes.
Its red eyes locked onto Richard with bloodlust.
"This should be a Tier 5 Beast," he murmured.
Among Beasts, Tier 5 was the highest.
Only if they awakened their Primordial Bloodline to become a Primordial Beast could they advance further.
Whoosh!
The black wolf lunged at Richard without a sound.
Though the distance between them wasn't small, the wolf moved with incredible speed.
Richard didn't have enough time to use the Ignis Volt Core.
But he had another way.
Before him appeared a shadow wolf, even larger than the real one.
His 100 Shadow Monster ability allowed him to shape shadow beasts of his choice.
Since the enemy was a wolf, he conjured a wolf. One was enough.
More importantly, it wasn't just a simple shadow beast.
Whoosh!
The shadow wolf leaped toward the black wolf, clashing as the two beasts bit and grappled, rolling across the ground.
Richard didn't see his shadow wolf losing, but he couldn't afford to wait.
Snap!
He flicked his fingers.
Boom!
Suddenly, the shadow wolf erupted, unleashing an explosion of lightning and darkness that formed a sphere of crackling shadow, swallowing the black wolf whole.
Boom!
From within the blast came another, even stronger detonation, scattering bloody chunks in every direction.
Richard had fused the shadow wolf with his Lighting of Darkness Arcane Art.
That Arcane Art could be applied in many ways, but the simplest was to merge it with a shadow beast and detonate it once the beast restrained the enemy.
"Tier 5 is no match for me," Richard said before moving on.
He didn't only watch ahead, but also above, anticipating beasts that lurked in trees, like monkeys.
But instead of monkeys, he spotted a green serpent blending seamlessly with the leaves.
It was massive, as thick as a human body and of unknown length.
Its scales bore dark green stripes that seemed to glow faintly.
"This one is clearly a Primordial Beast."
Richard didn't hesitate. He could feel the aura unique to Primordial Beasts radiating from it.
Though the distance between them was great, the serpent sensed his presence the moment he looked at it.
It stared back coldly, flicking its black tongue.
Richard didn't wait for it to move. He aimed the Ignis Volt Core, pinching the golden coin between two fingers.
From each finger, fire and lightning surged into the coin.
The glow was so blinding that anyone who looked would surely be struck with searing pain in their eyes.
Richard released massive streams of fire and lightning, but they didn't scatter. The Ignis Volt Core absorbed them too quickly.
Once he felt it was enough, he stopped.
At the front of the coin, a tiny flame coated in lightning formed.
Whiz!
It shot forth, becoming a laser beam that stretched with unimaginable speed—so fast that even Richard's eyes couldn't follow.
In the blink of an eye, the beam pierced the serpent's head and continued through multiple trees, disappearing far in the distance.
More astonishingly, the space along its path seemed torn apart, releasing trails of scalding smoke.
And yet, the Ignis Volt Core itself showed no signs of heat or smoke.
"This feels like a bow attack—firing at a single distant point, but far more terrifying, fueled by fire and lightning."
Richard was very satisfied with the result. The amount of fire and lightning he used wasn't much, yet the Ignis Volt Core wielded it flawlessly, wasting nothing.
BANG!
The green serpent suddenly fell, clearly dead as its vital head was cleanly pierced.
Even though it was a Primordial Beast and its corpse could be sold, Richard wasn't interested.
The price was far too low for his standards.
He preferred to push deeper into the forest.
"Paul, are you sure about what you saw?"
"Yes, young master, I truly saw the Dark Black Rose. But unfortunately, it was guarded by many giant bats. I ran before they could notice me..."
Richard suddenly heard the voices of two men beyond a large tree ahead.
He quickly hid and peeked at the source of the voices, spotting four figures—a chubby young man, a skinny young man, and two towering Sky Armor Knights.
The chubby one was Jack Moonshadow, son of the clan leader.
Richard hadn't expected to see him here, but what he said piqued his interest.
The Dark Black Rose. He had heard of it before—something said to aid in mastering Codexes and Arcane Arts.
At the very least, for Codexes and Arcane Arts already mastered to 1%, using the Dark Black Rose could raise mastery by several more percent.
Naturally, it was something of immense value.
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MY SYSTEM INCREASES MY POWER EVERY DAY WITHOUT MISSIONS AND LEVELLINGC66: Dark Black Rose
Chapter 66: Dark Black Rose
"Are those bats Ordinary Beasts or Primordial Beasts?" Jack asked.
"The smallest one I saw was about four meters long," Paul replied.
"Damn, then they must all be Primordial Beasts. How big was the largest?"
"About eight meters long, and there were quite a few of them."
"They're at Tier 8. We can't fight them."
"Young master, why don't we just report this to the clan?" Paul suggested.
"Idiot! If the clan finds out, will they still give it to us? Of course not—it'll be handed to that little slut, Grace," Jack snapped irritably.
Paul fell silent, scratching his head, as if wondering what solution remained.
But before Jack could say anything further, Richard, who had been watching the four of them, unleashed a Mind Attack on three of them—everyone except Paul.
With his mastery still only at 3%, he could only attack three targets.
In an instant, their eyes bulged before turning vacant.
Richard had expected this. The three of them, especially Jack, were far too weak to resist his Mind Attack. Jack seemed to have less than 2000 Aether Accumulation.
The two Sky Armor Knights might have been strong in terms of raw strength, but they had no way to defend against a strike aimed directly at their minds. Their armor could only release power outward, not channel it inward.
After the Mind Attack struck, Richard immediately knocked them unconscious, shocking Paul so much that he leapt backward.
But before he could process what was happening, the Mind Attack struck him too.
In truth, he was slightly stronger than Jack and managed to resist for a moment—but only for a moment—before Richard's attack took over his mind.
Richard did not knock Paul unconscious. Instead, he walked toward him.
"Tell me where the Dark Black Rose is," Richard demanded.
"At the three o'clock direction. Keep going until you find a river. It's right across from that river," Paul answered immediately, his mind controlled by the attack.
Richard gave a slight nod, then made him collapse as well before heading off on his own.
Even for him, the Dark Black Rose was something worth fighting for.
The trees in the three o'clock direction were thick and overgrown. Richard could only pass through narrow paths that were sometimes blocked by branches, forcing him to leap over them.
Fortunately, the forest Paul had mentioned wasn't too far. Soon, Richard saw a river about ten meters wide, filled with massive rocks and rushing with a violent current.
Across the river lay a grassy hill swarming with bats.
Just as Paul had described, they ranged from four to eight meters in size.
What made them truly terrifying was their overwhelming number.
The sky above the hill looked pitch-black, completely blanketed by the creatures.
On that hill, Richard spotted many rose stalks—but only one bore a black blossom. The rest were red.
That single black rose emitted a faint, endless stream of black smoke—a clear sign it was the Dark Black Rose, not just an ordinary black flower.
'It'll still be troublesome if I have to fight those bats,' Richard thought.
Even though he was confident in his strength, their sheer numbers made him worry that he might actually lose.
'But what if I roar?' he wondered, recalling his experience in the Forest of Darkness. His roar had not only killed beasts before but also driven them away in terror, leaving him completely unchallenged.
The moment the idea struck, he didn't hesitate.
ROAR!
He unleashed a thunderous roar, many times louder than the last time. The air itself trembled, and the river surged as the sound waves crashed across it.
Richard had no idea how far his roar carried, but he saw the bats trembling uncontrollably, several dropping dead on the spot.
The ones that survived frantically flapped their wings, desperate to escape.
Even more astonishing, countless beasts from around the area fled their hiding spots, running as fast as they could to get away from him.
Among them was a lion, nearly six meters tall, with a massive mane encircling its face. Despite its ferocious appearance, even it bolted in fear.
Richard could only stare with a strange expression.
The sky above the grassy hill, once darkened by countless bats, was now clear.
He couldn't understand how his roar could terrify beasts to this extent—unless dragons truly had the power to instill such primal fear.
Not dwelling on it, Richard leapt across the river, hopping from rock to rock until he reached the other side.
Luckily, it wasn't a very wide river. Once across, he sprinted toward the grassy hill.
He trampled over the red roses surrounding the Dark Black Rose until he stood directly before it.
Faintly, he caught a smell reminiscent of burnt charcoal wafting from the black smoke it emitted.
As far as he knew, the rose needed to be burned and its smoke inhaled to unleash its effects.
Richard cut it from its stalk and stored it inside his Storage Artifact.
After glancing around once more, he turned back toward the forest.
With the black rose in hand, all he wanted was to return home and cultivate. Besides, he doubted he'd encounter any other beasts after that roar.
In no time, he returned to where Jack and his companions still lay unconscious. Richard couldn't be bothered with them and moved on.
Soon after, he was back in the city. He slipped into a narrow alley to remove his Phantom Cloak, restoring his appearance as a seven-year-old boy.
Walking briskly through the streets, he suddenly caught snippets of conversation among the crowd.
"Did you hear? Gray demanded to represent our three provinces, saying Wren is unfit. He even challenged Wren to a fight, but Wren didn't dare show himself."
"Can a participant even be replaced after Gray openly admitted defeat? Besides, he already accepted compensation from Wren—did he return it?"
"Who knows? But apparently, he's seeking support from influential figures. They might back him since it's practically impossible for Wren to reach the Life Aether Realm before the tournament in the capital begins."
"..."
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