Chapter 328: Investment Detected... [3]

Soren and Ethea returned to the hotel, and after helping Ethea bathe and change clothes, he laid her down on the bed. Ethea, as usual, went into her soul space to cultivate. As for Soren, he had received an investment notification earlier but saved it for later since he was outside touring with Ethea before dinner.

And now, it was finally time to check it.

After entering the bathroom and getting into the bathtub, he quickly summoned his status and accessed the latest message.

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[Investment detected.]

[Target: Bagdad City]

[Analyzing Investment...]

[Investment: You helped expose the Outcasts’ plot and prevented a political crisis between the Empire and the elves. You played a decisive role in neutralizing their forces, protecting key figures including Princess Roya and Chef Nuelia, and ensuring the festival could end without further bloodshed. You also won the championship while representing the city.]

[Analyzing target response...]

[As a result of your actions, the city of Bagdad has been spared from catastrophe. The city’s leadership, including Lord Asad, holds you in the highest regard and considers you the savior of Bagdad. The people may not know your name, but the city’s collective gratitude has taken root. Thanks to your actions, the city’s reputation and future remained intact.]

[Evaluating investment significance...]

[Evaluation complete.]

[Investment Grade: MYTHIC]

[Calculating returns...]

[Calculation complete.]

[Applying Authority Modifier: Amplification (Passive) — Baseline bonus applied. Reward tier scaling upgraded.]

[Returns granted:]

[1. Constitution Evolution: Everfrost Tyrant Body (A-Rank) → Glacial Emperor Constitution (S-Rank)]

[2. Ability Evolution: Core Purge (A-Rank) → Core Refinement (S-Rank)]

[3. Ability Unlocked: Civic Insight]

[4. Ability Unlocked: Beacon of Hope]

[5. Cooking Mastery +2]

[6. Memory Crystal x10]

[7. Gate Key Fragment]

[8. +50,000 Mana/Mana Capacity]

[9. +10,000 Mental Power/Mental Power Capacity]

[Integration initiated...]

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Soren closed his eyes as the integration began.

The temperature dropped to a biting cold in an instant. Frost crept along the rim of the bathtub, spreading outward in thin, spiderweb patterns. A layer of ice coated the porcelain beneath him, thickening as the cold radiated from his body.

His muscles grew denser, fibers reinforcing themselves as his physique underwent a fundamental shift. His bones also evolved, becoming more resilient. The mana pathways improved greatly as well, enabling energy to flow more easily and quickly. His skin paled, taking on a faint, translucent quality like polished marble touched by winter. The veins beneath became faintly visible, carrying a soft blue glow that pulsed with his heartbeat.

Then the change reached his core.

The liquid mana he already possessed grew denser, each drop becoming more potent than before. At the same time, the remaining mana began to condense, joining the liquid pool at a faster rate than his normal cultivation would allow. The core itself expanded slightly, making room for more energy as its capacity increased. The protective barrier surrounding it thickened and reinforced itself, strengthening its defense against external interference.

His thoughts grew clearer and sharper, as if a fog he hadn’t even noticed had lifted. His mental defenses strengthened, and his perception of the world around him deepened. It was as if his mind and body were finally aligning, each reinforcing the other.

And finally, new knowledge flooded in.

Recipes, insights, and understanding poured into his consciousness. He saw the Glacial Emperor Constitution in his mind’s eye, its structure, its potential, and its limits. He understood Core Refinement, how it worked, and how to use it. The concepts of Civic Insight and Beacon of Hope settled into his thoughts.

Time passed with minutes feeling like hours.

[Integration Complete!]

’...’

Soren slowly opened his eyes.

The world came into focus with startling clarity, every detail sharper than before, from the faintest crack in the ceiling to the half-frozen dust particles floating in the air. His senses stretched outward without effort, encompassing the entire hotel room, then the hotel itself, then the street outside, until he could feel the presence of every person and every living thing within a wide radius.

’...Not bad.’ He thought to himself and recalled how far his senses used to reach before. This was at least twice as wide, maybe more.

He then blinked and looked around.

The whole bathroom was covered in ice. It coated the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and even his own body. A thick layer had formed around him, encasing his arms and legs like frozen armor.

’Let’s see...’

He stared at it for a moment, then the ice on his body began to crack. Thin lines spread across the surface, and then the whole layer shattered into countless tiny fragments. They hung in the air for a heartbeat before dissolving into snow that drifted downward without a sound.

Smiling, Soren raised his hand.

The ice coating the bathroom responded immediately. It receded like a tide, pulling back from the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, gathering into a single point above his palm. The sphere of frost spun slowly, condensing and compacting until it was nothing more than a small bead of water. He flicked his wrist, and the bead vanished into vapor, leaving the bathroom almost exactly as it had been before.

"...Amazing." He stared at his palm for a moment, flexing his fingers. Manipulating ice had always taken focus and effort before, yet now it responded as easily as breathing.

’Master,’ Malakor’s voice echoed in his mind immediately. ’Did you break through?’

Soren let out a short laugh. ’Something like that. My constitution advanced a little.’

’Congratulations then, Master.’ Malakor replied, a hint of genuine respect in his tone. After all, he witnessed everything with his own eyes. There’s no way this was just a ’little advancement’.

’Thank you.’

Soren stepped out of the bathtub and started filling it with water to wash away the snow and the impurities that had been expelled from his body during the integration. He watched as the magic bathtub did its work, the enchanted surface repelling dirt and grime on its own. Within moments, it looked as clean as it had been before he ever stepped inside.

’By the way, how is Ethea?’

’She is still sleeping,’ Malakor answered. ’You don’t have to worry. I sealed the whole room, so nothing from in here leaked outside.’

’You’re reliable as always,’ Soren chuckled, reassured. ’...You can rest now. I’ll take a shower and cultivate today.’

’...Understood.’