Chapter 393: ...Incredible

Nura stayed with them for another hour. Once Zura was sure nothing was wrong and that Nura had absorbed the magic food, she gave her permission to head back.

"Get some rest, and remember to keep practicing your control," Zura instructed, her expression relaxed as she saw Nura off at the door. "Don’t forget to visit tomorrow too."

"I won’t! Thank you so much, Teacher. Thank you, Sister Lea," Nura said, bowing politely to both of them before leaving the villa.

Zura and Lea watched as Nura left the villa grounds, her stride full of fresh energy. When she was out of sight, Zura leaned back against the doorway and smirked. "You really are good at this. Already got her calling you Sister on day one."

’Well, she is my husband’s little sister, after all.’ Ethea thought to herself with genuine affection. Out loud, she gave a modest chuckle. "I just treated her the way I would want someone to treat my own little sister."

"Haha, that’s so like you," Zura laughed, wheeling her back inside.

Once the front door closed and they sat down, her playful demeanor gave way to a more focused one. "Still, she didn’t react at all when we mentioned his name earlier."

Ethea nodded thoughtfully, hugging the plushie tightly. "...Either she genuinely remembers nothing about him, and Valmeres kept her completely in the dark, or she is remarkably skilled at hiding her emotions."

"Right... Speaking of emotions," Zura said, narrowing her eyes as she leaned against the sofa, "I picked up a distinct trace of doubt from her when I brought up her memory recovery."

"Couldn’t that have been natural?" Ethea tilted her head slightly. "She has been struggling with this condition for so long. She might have just been unsure about whether she will ever get those memories back."

"Well, you are right about that, but do you remember what he said?"

Ethea fell silent and recalled Soren’s words. ’Hmm... Right, he told us Nura might already suspect her parents and perhaps the whole situation. However, he didn’t know why or how.’

"Should we investigate?"

"...I think we should wait till he comes out of seclusion," Zura answered, resting her chin on her hand. "However, if there is a chance, we can gently probe around without pushing too hard. We definitely shouldn’t do anything to make her suspect us."

"Right." Ethea nodded in agreement. "I also want to build a genuine bond with her, not drive a wedge between us or make her put her guard up."

"I guess you are lucky then," Zura’s lips curled up. "You have enough time to get close to her at a natural pace before everything comes out in the open. And once she finally recovers her memories, you won’t have to start from scratch to build that trust."

"...Let’s hope so."

"Come on, you should be more positive about it!" Zura said, clapping Ethea gently on the shoulder with a light grin. "You saw how quickly she warmed to you today. At this rate, she’ll be looking up to you in no time."

Ethea let out a small breath, her expression softening as she looked toward the door. "...I just want things to go smoothly for her sake. She has already carried enough burden on her own."

"She has," Zura agreed, stepping back toward the kitchen to clean up the remaining dishes. "Which is why today was a solid start. And... you should get some rest now. We will continue it tomorrow."

"...Alright." Ethea nodded and let Zura bring her into the bedroom and put her on the bed.

Zura put a light blanket on top of her and muttered with a smile. "Sleep well."

"Um..."

Ethea closed her eyes and entered her soul space.

Inside, the vast dark void stretched endlessly, illuminated by the radiant glow of countless shimmering stars. The brilliant points of starlight drifted around her, pulsing gently to the rhythm of her breathing. As she gazed at the boundless cosmic display around her, calm determination settled deep in her chest.

’...I should work hard too,’ she thought, watching the starlight weave through the void. She didn’t want to always sit back and watch helplessly while others carried the burden. ’Before he comes out of seclusion, I should try to break through to the next stage.’

With that single-minded thought, she closed her eyes within the stellar expanse and began to cultivate, drawing the ambient energy of the stars directly into her core.

───────

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The special glacial breakthrough spatial chamber was usually freezing; however, it was especially frigid today. The temperature inside had dropped to levels that would kill an ordinary person within seconds. A blizzard raged within the enclosed space, snow and ice swirling in violent currents.

At the center of the storm stood a massive block of translucent ice, towering like a solitary monolith. The raging snowstorm revolved around it, feeding its pristine surface with layer after layer of pure glacial essence.

As time passed, the howling wind gradually died down, leaving behind a stark, motionless silence.

"...Crackle."

A crisp snap broke the silence, and on the surface of the frozen monolith, a tiny hairline fracture appeared. Within seconds, spiderweb cracks branched out in every direction, spreading rapidly across the whole surface.

Crackle-!

Crackle-!

Crackle-!

The cracking sounds intensified until the monolith’s structural integrity failed completely, and the ice gave way in a blinding burst of motion.

BOOM!

The ice shattered, bursting outward in a shower of countless shimmering fragments that dissolved into fine mist before they even touched the floor.

At the epicenter of the burst sat a solitary human figure. He opened his eyes, and a brilliant flash of pure white light burst from his gaze as the surging glacial aura settled around him.

"Huff..."

He let out a long breath that instantly crystallized into a plume of white mist before dispersing into the air. He drew in a deep intake of the freezing atmosphere, letting his lungs adapt to the newly heightened baseline of his core.

Straightening his posture, he slowly looked down at himself.

His upper body was completely bare, exposing his chiseled chest and tightly defined abs, both glistening faintly under the remaining glacial shimmer. A satisfied smile touched his lips as he stretched his shoulders, feeling the raw power flowing through his veins.

He paused, looking around the vast space as the storm around him began to calm.

’...How long has it been?’

He narrowed his eyes, and with a light flick of his fingers, a translucent barrier expanded around him, instantly walling off the extreme cold and absolute zero environment of the chamber. Inside the small perimeter, the temperature stabilized.

He then reached into his inventory space, pulled out his phone, and lit up the screen.

’...Eleven days, huh.’ He checked the clock and noted the time.

[02:13]

’...Looks like it’s early morning.’

He slipped the phone back into his mental inventory, closed his eyes, and mentally called out to bring up his status.

════════════════

[PERSONAL INFORMATION]

Name: Soren Everly

Age: 23

Circle Rank: Fifth Circle (Early Stage)

Mental Cultivation: Sovereign Soul-Refining Scripture — Stage 2: Soul Tempered Core Stage

Potential: ???

Hunter Rank: C

[CORE STATUS]

[Mana Capacity: 1,034,074 / 2,500,000]

Mental Power Capacity: 197740 / 200000

Core Stability: Stable

Pathway Integrity: Excellent

Affinity: Ice (Grade 7 - S Rank) | Wind (Grade 5 - B Rank) | Life Force (Grade 5 - B Rank) Darkness (Sealed) | ??? | ???

[INNATE ABILITIES]

• Hyper Regeneration (S-Rank)

• Glacial Emperor Constitution (S-Rank)

• Sovereign’s Fortitude (S-Rank)

• Limit Break (S-Rank)

• Indomitable Soul (S-Rank)

• Overlord’s Aura (A-Rank)

• Fire Resistance (B-Rank)

• Vital Harmony (A-Rank)

• Nature’s Eyes (B-Rank)

• Core Refinement (S-Rank)

• Curse Resistance (S-Rank)

....

....

[SPECIAL ABILITIES]

• Eternal Bond

• Guardian’s Devotion

• Civic Sight

• Beacon of Hope

[UNIQUE ABILITIES]

• Amplification

• Pathfinder

[TECHNIQUES & SKILLS]

• Glacial Emperor Scripture (Foundation Stage)

- First Star: Frost Palm Strike (100% Mastery)

- Second Star: Winter’s Barrier (100% Mastery)

- Third Star: Winter’s Reign (100% Mastery)

- Fourth Star: Frost Armor (100% Mastery)

- Fifth Star: Frost Wings (0% Mastery)

• Glacial Edge Spear Arts

- First Form: Frost Piercing Thrust (100% Mastery)

- Second Form: Glacial Sweep (100% Mastery)

- Third Form: Glacial Descent (100% Mastery)

• Ice Serpent Spear Arts

- First Form: Coiling Strike (83% Mastery)

- Second Form: Venom of Winter (43% Mastery)

- Third Form: Serpent’s Embrace (13% Mastery)

- ...

- ...

• Heaven-Treading Flash

- Quick Step (100% Mastery)

- Phantom Step (100% Mastery)

- Tread Step (100% Mastery)

• Dual Eclipse Arts (100% Mastery)

• Glacial Fang (100% Mastery)

• Pebble Among the Stars (92% Mastery)

• Binding Threads (B-Rank)

• Cooking Mastery (Expert Lv. 8)

[EQUIPMENT]

• Tether Bond (Bound to: Ethea Everly)

• Hunter’s License (Standard - Grade C)

• Ring Of Boundless Void

• Nightfrost

• Aeternum (Bound to: Soren & Ethea Everly)

• ...

....

[Affliction Detected:]

[Curse: Fortune’s Frown — Grade: Fourth Circle]

[Details: Small misfortunes occur more frequently, and major conveniences are less likely to happen...]

[Origin: ???]

[Estimated Duration: Permanent unless dispelled or transferred]

....

[INVENTORY]

[CREDITS]

[INVESTMENT TARGETS]

[ONGOING INVESTMENTS]

════════════════

’Hmm...’ His eyes scrolled through the translucent window and stopped at the particular line that drew his immediate attention.

[Mana Capacity: 1,034,074 / 2,500,000]

All he could utter was a single word.

’...Incredible.’