The next morning.
Just like always, Ron got up early and headed to the courtyard for his morning training.
As he moved through a series of strange and difficult poses, a radiant "Qi" filled with light energy began to circulate through his body, giving him a powerful boost.
Compared to a few days ago, the Qi he could draw out now had become noticeably denser and stronger. However, he was still a bit short of the threshold required to form a Battle Aura Vortex.
But he wasn't in a rush.
Compared to the average person, his progress was already incredible.
Ordinary people would need at least six months of intense training to reach his current level, and over a year of solid effort before they could even think of forming a Battle Aura Vortex.
Ron, on the other hand, was on track to attempt it within a month.
It could only be said that the "Light Sword Codex" really was a top-tier combat technique, tailor-made for those of André's bloodline.
That said, even faster than his combat cultivation was the rapid, even frightening, growth of his magic power.
Thanks to the top-tier "Natural Meditation Technique", combined with daily meditation near the Nether Orchids, and regular use of the Nether Orchid fruit, his progress was like riding a rocket.
Just a few days ago, he'd already advanced to a 1st-tier Mage, and when he condensed his Mana Seed, he had even triggered a whirlpool in the elemental ocean!
That alone spoke volumes about his talent.
After becoming a 1st-tier Mage, he could clearly feel his foundation growing more stable by the day. If things continued at this pace, he'd likely be ready to attempt Tier 2 within a month.
That would make any normal mage ecstatic.
But Ron? He didn't feel all that impressed.
After all, back in his gaming days, leveling up could be done in half a minute. Compared to that, this world's cultivation speed felt like a turtle crawling.
To be fair, up until a few days ago, Ron hadn't had much desire for power.
Despite being called Chaos City, the area was actually pretty well-governed.
And as the Empire's Seventh Prince, even if he had no real authority, his status alone meant few dared to mess with him.
But the three thugs who barged into his yard yesterday had given him a rude awakening.
In this world, your own strength was your first and most reliable weapon.
He couldn't depend on others for protection forever.
Sure, those three were weaklings—not even proper Tier 1 warriors. Ron didn't even need to form a Battle Aura Vortex to beat them.
But what if someone stronger came for his shop?
He couldn't count on every enemy being an idiot, sending just the right level of minion for him to defeat, right when he was ready for a breakthrough… and only revealing the big bad boss after Ron was strong enough to win.
"This isn't some cookie-cutter power-fantasy novel," Ron silently complained.
So, even though his daily life seemed relaxed and carefree, he never slacked off on meditation and training.
By 9 a.m., Ron finished his morning session and entered the dimensional pocket, where he began his usual production line routine in the one-square-meter grow space.
By around 11 a.m., another twenty-plus Nether Orchids had sprouted.
This brought his total harvest to over 100 flowers—a solid milestone.
Back at the shop, he made a quick lunch upstairs. With time to spare before the shop's usual 1 p.m. opening, he wandered next door to the barbecue restaurant, where he joined Lyle and two employees for a few rounds of Dou Dizhu.
The restaurant had barely any customers during lunch hours, and one employee was enough to handle everything.
So, Ron and Lyle were the regulars at the card table, while the two workers took turns—play a hand, then go flip some skewers.
They weren't gambling for money, either—loser drinks a mug of ale. The atmosphere was light and cheerful.
Compared to the days when he played against Harper, and the mages with literal magic flying around, playing cards with normal folks was much easier. Ron dominated the table, winning most of the games with ease.
Around 1 p.m., he returned to his own shop to open for business.
The elemental cards were left at the barbecue shop—since there wasn't much to do in the afternoons aside from prepping skewers, Lyle and his team could use them to pass the time.
Ron strolled back to his store empty-handed, lifted the shutter door, and—still a little tipsy—flopped onto his lounge chair, cracked open a book, and began to read.
Everything was just right.
His main quest was still at 26/100—74 Nether Orchids left to go.
But the flower's reputation was already spreading through the Magic Academy, so finishing the quest wasn't a question of if, but when.
Judging by the 18 flowers he sold just yesterday afternoon, he could probably finish the quest in four to five more days.
Not bad at all.
Currently, he has 421 Wealth Points. Once he finished the main quest, he'd gain 1,901 points, enough to buy the remaining 9 square meters of grow space in the shop system.
Even after that, he'd still have 1,000 points left over.
1,000 Wealth Points…
Wait a second.
Crap.
Ron cursed inwardly.
Weren't there two beginner spells in the store, each costing exactly 500 points?
And the system still had the nerve to say prices were "calculated independently"? Yeah, right.
You can't tell me this wasn't premeditated. Who would believe that?!
In an instant, Ron felt like he'd seen through some hidden conspiracy cooked up by the system.
Stinking pay-to-win game!
No way I'm falling for it.
Even if the Seed Acceleration Spell rotted in his inventory, he wasn't buying the overpriced prerequisite spells.
What, like I can't just learn them myself?
Two measly Tier-1 spells, and the system wants 500 points each? Get lost.
I'd rather save those points for something better. Like, I don't know… lifting girls' skirts with wind magic—isn't that a more noble use?
Ron grumbled to himself, feeling the system was full of malicious intent, doing everything it could to empty his wallet.
Could it be that Wealth Points held some kind of special meaning?
Maybe the system benefited from them somehow…
Or perhaps the points were energy used by some unknown higher power?
His thoughts ran wild as he theorized all sorts of ridiculous scenarios.
In the end, he sighed and gave up on the overthinking.
Life was going well right now, and he might as well just take things one step at a time.
I mean, getting sent to another world was already ridiculous enough.
Instead of worrying about things beyond understanding, it's better to enjoy the present.
Sell some flowers, eat some barbecue, play cards.
That's the shut-in dream life.
The only thing missing was the internet. Otherwise, it'd be perfect.
Well, except for the shameless system.
Ron rolled his eyes one last time and couldn't help silently roasting it again.