Chapter 139: The Industry Titan

Shani didn’t notice the starlike pattern in Tesha’s eyes herself. Having been sick yesterday, she hadn’t had the chance to inspect her baby beast properly.

Meanwhile, Aster seemed to have already noticed the starlike flecks, though he was unaware of their true significance.

"Instructor Elias will be coming here at the end of this month. I’ll ask him to bring a more advanced beast gene testing device from Nova City," Rowena said at last.

After everything concluded, Aster headed back to the apartment with Tesha, while Shani waited until afternoon to attend her class and complete her quiz.

Once she finished, she went back to meet Rowena, who was already waiting for her in the Training Hall.

"You are a member of the Shooting Club now, and earning a spot as one of its representatives means defeating every single member, including the upperclassmen who have trained for years."

"I’ll teach you firearm combat tricks, techniques that will remain useful long after you no longer rely on guns."

With Rowena’s guidance, Shani began practicing the first technique: leveraging agility. Of course, Shani had to actually become agile first.

She could already sense that her upcoming training sessions would be far more physically demanding.

"I toned down today’s training because you’re recovering. Once you’re fully healthy, we’ll start the real training," Rowena said, bringing a look of absolute despair to Shani’s face.

...

The next day, fully recovered thanks to the System’s medicine, Shani commenced her intensive training.

She maintained her one-hour morning workouts and resumed training after dinner until nine in the evening.

Shani was utterly exhausted every day, far more drained than last week, as her physical endurance was now being pushed just as hard as her mental stamina.

In the middle of this grueling routine, a System notification suddenly popped up.

[Host, Target Aster Myrazel has found the courage to pursue his dreams due to your influence. Unlocked New Path: The Continental Industry Titan.]

[First Milestone: Open a Shop. Status: Incomplete. Reward: Beast Essence gained during resonance increased by 10%.]

"Industry Titan? Continental?" Shani blurted out before hastily clapping her hand over her mouth.

Fortunately, Rowena had stepped out of the academy for a meeting, leaving Shani’s training unsupervised for the moment.

Had Rowena caught her getting distracted during practice, she would have tacked on extra training sets.

Personally, Rowena was a gentle, motherly figure, but during training, she was ruthlessly strict. Shani suddenly found herself missing Elias’s training drills.

Just like Jeryon’s Path, Shani had no idea how a boy from a border town could ever become a continental industry titan.

’Though, the first milestone shouldn’t be too hard to clear,’ Shani thought, recalling that Aster had yet to update her on the storefront at Paw Plaza.

However, Shani didn’t have to wait long. The following day, Aster broke the news that the owner of the vacant unit in Paw Plaza was willing to sell the property.

Tied up with her own hectic schedule, Shani immediately wired the funds, leaving Aster to handle the rest.

Given her packed schedule, Shani had assumed she wouldn’t see Tesha until their next resonance session. Fortunately, Rowena was kind enough to give her Saturday off.

That Saturday, Shani rushed over to the apartment to see Tesha, after which she and Aster went to inspect their new shop on the fourth floor of Paw Plaza, a level specifically designated for food and treats.

Paw Plaza was as bustling as ever, fully deserving of its reputation as the second-largest hub for baby beast products after the First Layer.

Shani’s storefront was tucked into the furthest corner, but even from inside the unlit, empty shop, Shani noticed plenty of shoppers browsing all the way to their front door.

She had zero worries about a lack of customers.

After reviewing the renovation progress, the two left the shop to go shopping for Tesha’s supplies.

"I just got paid for my project commission, so I’m paying for all of Tesha’s supplies, Shan," Aster said with a resolute gaze, stopping Shani before she could step up to the cash register.

Shani paused to consider it before giving a nod.

Just then, Shani’s eyes caught sight of the food and treat store across from them. She spotted a familiar girl inside.

’Oh, a Grand Academy student,’ Shani thought, recognizing the girl from one of her elective classes.

In truth, this was Shani’s first time running into a Grand Academy student outside campus grounds. The experience felt a bit strange, but the thought was soon pushed to the back of her mind.

Before heading back to the apartment, Shani ordered takeout from the highest-end restaurant in the plaza that offered delivery.

She served the feast to Aster to test whether treating him to food would count toward the System’s gift requirement.

Fortunately, it worked, so her money hadn’t gone to waste on an expensive meal after all.

...

On Sunday, another sparring session took place.

Not a single first-year student looked at Shani with sneers or condescension anymore. Instead, they stared at her in a mixture of awe and fear.

In a corner, Hazel sat quietly with her friend, no longer speaking up or flaunting her status as one of the top first-year shooters.

’At least Hazel doesn’t blame me for her loss. She seems fairly rational..’. Shani mused, just as a sudden memory flashed through her mind.

’Hmm... why do I feel like I had an interaction with Hazel before the entrance test? It feels as though she made a strong impression on me back then.’

Shani was snapped out of her daydream when Luca challenged her to a spar.

With Rowena’s intensive training and her increasing mastery over her B-Rank body, taking down Luca took virtually no time at all.

’Still, I shouldn’t get arrogant. My real opponents are the upperclassmen.’

While waiting for the others to finish their matches, Shani ordered takeout from the same restaurant as yesterday. This time, she planned to give it to Jeryon.

’Look at what a genius I am,’ Shani congratulated herself, though in truth, she had simply run out of ideas for what gifts to buy!

...