Chapter 57: Transformation!

Time soon passed, and days had gone by. Unlike the Smith family shelter, which operated calmly, the rest of the world was in chaos.

Overnight, governments toppled, monsters roamed the land, and Awakeners began making a name for themselves, creating all kinds of organizations and societies.

Some banded together, striving to protect the common people of the world, while others became villains, plundering everything in sight for their own benefit.

However, all this had nothing to do with Ethan, as he was on the verge of making his breakthrough.

It had been one week since the apocalypse began. Right now, Ethan was about to take another leap in strength.

’Finally! Just a little bit more and the tips can touch!’

’Finally!’

Talking to himself, beads of sweat ran down Ethan’s head as the constant strain of extracting mana from the surrounding atmosphere and compressing it was taking its toll on him.

Sitting cross-legged, during this week, not only had he not eaten, but he hadn’t even moved an inch.

Had he not given instructions beforehand, perhaps someone would have broken in to check if he was alive.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen, as that would have disrupted his concentration, causing him to fail or even get injured in the process.

’Luckily, it’s almost there. My understanding of the density of mana has reached its current peak.’

’Even the mana in my previous circle has been filled with this principle, reducing its size but increasing its quality.’

’Judging from this increase, my spells are at least fifty percent stronger than before.’

Feeling this change, he focused more on his second circle, slowly wrapping around his heart, parallel to the other circle.

After days and days of trying, he finally succeeded.

Boom!

In an instant, his body underwent a rapid change.

The wind blew and the bed beside him overturned. If someone else at the shelter had Mana Sight, they would notice a huge vortex of mana over where Ethan had just broken through.

However, the changes didn’t stop yet.

His height began to increase, reaching a staggering 6’2", taller than Elena.

His skin became fairer than the finest jade, and his eyes seemed to pierce through the stars.

His muscles, which looked weak from lack of training before, had become extremely chiseled, making one wonder if he was a male model.

In a span of a few seconds, he seemed to have been transformed from a mortal into a fairy, highlighting the gap that was the breakthrough to the second circle.

"Not only that, but this too!"

Controlling his mana, Ethan created a golden, visible long blade made out of it.

"I see~, because my mana now has the property of density, it is now dense enough to show its physical form in the outside world."

"Doesn’t this seem like an aura blade in those novels? Nah, it can’t be. That’s something sword masters usually have, the peak of their class."

"According to my calculations, the mage circle system can go to the twelfth class, with each circle adding property and principle to the mana one possesses."

"In that case, doesn’t that mean that their peak is my starting point?"

"Interesting! Haha!"

Opening his eyes, Ethan couldn’t help but be satisfied. He had finally done it.

After being reborn, awakening abilities, and recruiting a future S-class, he finally had some strength that made him feel secure.

In fact, with his current strength, some opportunities he recalled, he could daringly try to snatch them.

"Plus, thanks to me being able to release my mana..."

"I can also do this!"

Controlling his mana in his palm, he drew the symbol he had witnessed in Victoria’s core while also imagining the picture of a long sword.

Swoosh!

In an instant, accompanied by a long trail of frost and ice, a katana similar to the one Victoria had used appeared in his hand.

"Haha, this ability is awesome!"

"I was a fool to look down on it before! Ten-thousand-fold increase, Max Level Comprehension!"

"With these abilities, what’s yours is mine! And what’s mine is still mine!" He laughed.

Although he had been able to copy abilities before and transform them into spells, this time, however, was an S-class ability. How could he not be shocked?

After a few minutes of admiring the sword, he then put it away, a look of complexity flashing across his face.

"With this, that means even common elemental abilities, perhaps even Terry’s summoning, might be possible," he thought.

"However, the consumption is huge. Just this ice katana and aura blade I used in these few seconds have depleted a tenth of my mana reserves."

"Considering that most future mages definitely won’t have as much mana as me, density doesn’t seem like a good option for their second principle."

"Perhaps after guiding them to first class with the energy principles, I can teach others what principles are and how to understand them."

"That way, everyone can follow their own path, and since I taught them how, any principle they understand would be fed back to me ten thousand times!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Thinking of this, Ethan was ecstatic. He hadn’t even fully digested his breakthrough, yet the path to getting stronger had opened its arms towards him.

Just imagining it, he couldn’t wait to hold a teaching lesson for the whole shelter.

"Just imagine it! A scene where everyone has comprehended a principle, all stacked a thousand times onto me."

"With such strength, what monster would I fear or hide from?"

"Perhaps at that time, it would be possible to take down a black tower by myself."

As Ethan spoke, his mind imagined a bright future where he had enough strength to face all enemies.

A future where everyone was a mage and all monsters were destroyed and the sky was once again blue.

A future where the Smiths weren’t just a rich family, but rather recognized overlords of the world.

For such a future, Ethan vowed to use both his abilities to the maximum.

’In this life, not only will I reach a class like those in my past, but I, along with many others, will become twelfth-circle mages!’