OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 323: One Year

Chapter 323: One Year

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Emir was cultivating with the white Aether Core nestled between his crossed legs.

Gradually, the condensed Aether within the core seeped out and was absorbed into his own.

It was a slow process, as he had to absorb the Aether, convert it into his favorite aspect, the Weaver's Veil, and then let it flow out, returning to the atmosphere.

He was 'breathing,' as Sofia said during his class.

Several hours had passed since he began, yet the Aether core remained unchanged, a common occurrence for those who practiced the method in this way.

And yes, there are two ways to absorb an Aether Core.

One can either do it patiently and precisely, like Emir, or do it at once, stuffing their own core full to the brim and beyond, forcing it to digest, absorb, and grow.

Obviously, the first way would gain the Celestial better results. That was not only due to the leeway given to their Aether Core but also due to the Embodiment method.

When one gains Aether while embodying their path, it helps them achieve the unachievable as Aether aligns more with their being.

If one were to go with the second way, do as Arthur would've done, they would experience a meteoric rise, a sudden uncontrolled boost, yet they would lose much of the Aether within the core, unable to absorb most of it.

In that scenario, nearly all would die, unable to contain the power within, yet those lucky would not only survive but also have their core strengthened, its' walls thickened.

Emir wasn't about to gamble; he knew his luck, so he went with the safer and usually better route.

However, one might say that he lucked out; commonly, monsters had elements, and rarely were they pure.

He would shrug his shoulders at those people; he deserved this core. Not a single monster of the thousands he killed would've given him a core that he could use, so this was only due.

Besides, it wasn't him that lucked out with the Core; it was Arthur; he only stole it.

Anyhow, Lyra estimated that he would reach the second sub-rank of Class Four, Seraphim, Exarch, in around four years, but now it wouldn't even take one.

While they didn't know exactly what rank the monster's core originated from, they knew it to be a medium-level Tyrant, one that had six or seven cores, either stronger than the Zerathar they faced or similar to it in strength.

But that wouldn't matter much, it could be either and the result would remain the same. The Aether Core and Embodiment combo was killer already, alongside his expanded reserves, which allowed for much more efficient cultivation, had it guaranteed.

Even then, it wasn't just that; she had also accounted for his upgrade to iron.

All these factors, along with minor others, resulted in her estimation, which would stun most of those who heard it to death.

On average, Celestials would take six years to reach that rank, and that was for the extremely talented. She didn't know of the statistics for those who knew of the Embodiment Method, but based on what she saw with Emir, she assumed that five years would be accurate.

This changed much of their plans.

Arthur was a boon they underestimated, and Emir could only thank the past him for not trying to go kill the kid in a fit of rage.

Truly, life-

Ring~ Ring~

With a chuckle, he opened his eyes and looked at Lyra, who had her terminal in her hands. "Something happen?"

"Nathan's guys want our help; they can't crack the kid's brain without destroying what remained."

Emir nodded.

"Sure, I could get a stretch in; by the way, what day is it?"

She stood up and threw his terminal back at him.

"It's Sunday; you've been cultivating for more than two days now."

"I see..."

He grabbed the terminal while standing up and led the way, exiting the office, his intention to head home.

"You've got my stats while I cultivated right? Show them, I'll busy myself with that. I wanna see what's new."

Lyra, who followed behind him, nodded and lightly snapped her fingers, causing a screen of text to show itself before his irises.

{Name: Emir Oliver}

{Body age: 15}

{Profession: Professor}

{Celestial Rank: Seraphim Champion}

{Celestial Class: Ethereal Threader}

{Credit Balance: 450 Valora}

(Stats)

{Strength: 10,010 -> 11,320} (Avg B+)

{Agility: SS -> SS+} (Avg B)

{Endurance: 10200 -> 12900} (Avg B+)

{Mind: S--> S+} (Avg C+)

{Charm: A+} (Avg C+)

{Overall Augmented Strength Level: E10}

{Celestial Essence: Weaver's Grasp}

(Aspects)

{Weaver's Veil: The Weaver's Veil Aspect grants the user the ability to manipulate and infuse Aether with finesse, weaving patterns to create powerful effects.}

{Aerialis: Aerialis is an Aspect that focuses on harnessing Aether to elevate the user's physical

abilities to extraordinary levels, granting them immense strength, agility, and aerial

dominance.}

{Celestia's Hand: Celestia's Hand is an Aspect that enables the user to create Aether

constructs.}

(Embodiment Method)

{Puppeteer: Someone who tries to be in control. Someone who weaves people and events into

place with their threads. Someone with a Flaw. If one of their strings gets cut loose or if their puppets are positioned incorrectly, they experience backlash, severity depending on the

mistake.}

(Skills)

{Close Quarter Combat: Advanced, 99% Proficiency.}

{Marksmanship: Advanced, 99% Proficiency.}

(Abilities)

{Temporal Perception}

Slows down the user's perception of time, every second is slowed down to 0.1 seconds.

In absolute focus, the user could slow down time to a millisecond.

Current Total Use Limit: 5 Minutes 20 seconds.

Mental Energy Recharge Time: 6 Minutes 05 seconds.

Energy recharge rate: 73 seconds per minute of use.

{Sensory Enhancement}

The user's neural network was upgraded.

Allows the user to enhance their five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell) beyond

human limitations.

{Aetheric Blades: The ability to channel Aether into blades, creating blades coated with pure energy that can slice through nearly any material.} [

{Aether Blast: The ability to channel Aether into a single, devastating shot that deals massive

damage to a single target.}

{Aetheric Shield: The ability to channel Aether to create a shield that protects the user from

incoming attacks.} |

{Gates of Eternity: The ability to use Celestia's Hand Aspect to sculpt and shape Aether. The user can mold the raw essence of Aether into complex and detailed constructs, imbuing them

with power.}

{Flash Step: The ability to leap incredible distances in a single step.}

{Aether Overdrive: This ability temporarily pushes the user's Aether reserves beyond their limits, significantly increasing the user's power and speed for a short period of time.} [ {Death's Shadow: This ability causes the user's eyes to darken like an abyss, projecting a potent illusion of the opponent's unending demise. This chilling vision can paralyze the target in fear, rendering them vulnerable in combat, regardless of their willpower. Only truly effective against Celestials lower than the user's rank by two sub-ranks.}|

(Art)

(Art)

{Strength Cultivation}

The user cultivates strength by slowly reconstructing and compressing their body, allowing

further absorption and possession of Aether without harming the user's body, while also

increasing their strength.

Current Cultivation Rank: Copper

{Blade Of The Drowned}

While in a critical state in the heat of battle, the user will be able to comprehend their

enemies' Abilities, slowly absorbing them into their arsenal. The resulting Skills will differ from the original, matching the fluidity of forgotten seas and the lows of the deep.

(Equipment)

{Aetherstorm Launcher: Peak Maintenance}

{Maelstrom Minigun: Peak Maintenance}

{Vindicator Assault Rifle: Peak Maintenance}

{SS-Ranked Twin Swords: Peak Maintenance} {Terminal: Standard Issue}

{Information Gathering Device: SS-Rank Item}

(Vehicles)

{Bike, Blaze Runner: Functional} {Cruiser, Blade Runner: Functional} X8

{LAV, Cougar-AP: Functional} X3

{APC, TurtleL3: Functional}

{Mech, Royal Panzer-D: Functional} X6

(Inventory)

{Rank 6/7 Tyrant Aether Core: Pure}

{100 Million UC Old-world Medicine: Max capacity]

{Stim Energy Packs (Max Capacity): Functional.}

His eyes scrolled through the text over and over again, his mind diving into every intricacy,

and only when they reached their destination, did he stop and actually look at where he was

walking.

In that path stood a man who had his arms spread wide.

"Emir! Welcome, please come in!"