Chapter 124: The Fruits of Fortune

Inside a spacious underground training chamber, Jet stood a few meters away watching Captain Adesewa demonstrate the difference between an ordinary Awakener and someone who had reached 5-Star.

A reinforced training dummy stood twenty meters away, its metallic surface covered with protective formations designed to withstand powerful attacks. Adesewa approached it without activating her Divine Rune, raised one hand, and casually flicked her middle finger against its chest.

BOOM!

The dummy flew backward and slammed into the chamber’s reinforced wall, leaving a deep indentation in the metal.

Jet stared at the destruction.

"Captain, was that really necessary?" he asked, glancing at the damaged equipment. "You could’ve just told me how strong you’ve become."

Adesewa examined the indentation before turning toward him. "And would you have believed me if I’d simply explained that the difference between Star Ranks becomes increasingly significant as you advance?"

Jet looked at the ruined dummy again.

"Point taken," he admitted, rubbing his chin. "Although I feel sorry for whoever has to repair that thing."

Adesewa allowed herself a faint smile before gesturing toward the exit.

"Come along, Jet. The others should be waiting for us."

They left the training chamber and proceeded through the concealed facility’s residential section.

Unlike the temporary refuge where the survivors had initially gathered, this base possessed enough space and supplies to accommodate everyone comfortably. Its security arrangements were considerably more sophisticated, with reinforced entrances, surveillance equipment, and several emergency escape routes.

Inez and Nadia occupied adjoining rooms near Jet’s quarters, while Mikhail had already discovered the dining hall and developed a remarkable talent for appearing whenever food was being served.

The D’Aubigné family occupied a separate residential wing. Laurent had arranged for additional medical supplies to be delivered through trusted contacts, allowing Frey to continue receiving treatment without returning to the ruined estate.

Despite the relative comfort, nobody had forgotten why they were hiding.

Their enemies remained somewhere in Zenith City.

And until the organization responsible for the attacks was identified, the survivors couldn’t afford to become careless.

When Jet entered the conference room, the remaining members of the expedition were already gathered around a large rectangular table.

Cassian sat beside Marcus, discussing something displayed on a tablet. Safiya occupied a chair near the opposite wall, while Bastian stood beside a cabinet containing emergency equipment.

Frey reclined in an adjustable medical chair, his injured arm secured against his chest.

"Finally," Frey announced when Jet entered. "I was beginning to think the Captain had dragged you into another training session and forgotten to bring you back."

Jet glanced toward the medical chair. "And I see you’ve successfully mastered the ancient art of sitting down."

Frey placed his uninjured hand against his chest. "Jealousy is an ugly thing, Jet. Not everyone can look this handsome while recovering from a punctured lung."

Cassian chuckled, while Safiya shook her head.

"Frey, if you keep laughing like that, you’ll aggravate your ribs again," Safiya warned, examining the medical monitor beside his chair. "Your recovery is progressing well, but the damaged tissue still needs time to heal."

Frey sighed dramatically. "Apparently, even breathing has become a restricted activity."

"Then perhaps you should try talking less," Marcus suggested without looking up from his tablet.

The remark earned another round of laughter.

Adesewa waited until everyone had settled before taking her seat at the head of the table.

"Before we begin," she announced, "I want everyone to understand that today’s discussion concerns our own capabilities. We have spent the past several days concentrating on survival, but we also need to understand the resources available to us."

Jet nodded.

He had been wondering about something ever since witnessing Adesewa slaughter the assassins pursuing him.

During their expedition into Beyond, she had been a formidable 3-Star Awakener. Cassian and the others had been 2-Star Awakeners, powerful compared to ordinary Raiders but nowhere near their current level.

Now Adesewa possessed the strength of a 5-Star Awakener, while the other four had reached 4-Star.

Such advancement was extraordinary.

Jet leaned forward, resting his elbows on the conference table.

"Captain, there’s something about your advancement that still doesn’t make sense to me," Jet said, looking toward Adesewa. "You already explained that the Palladium Fruits helped you reach 5-Star, but you also mentioned that they weren’t the only reason. What exactly did you mean?"

Adesewa studied him for a moment before answering.

"I was expecting you to bring that up again," Adesewa replied. "What I told you earlier was true. The Palladium Fruits contributed enormously to our advancement, but they weren’t responsible for everything that happened."

Cassian nodded in agreement.

"Even with treasures as valuable as those fruits, advancing two Star Ranks in such a short period shouldn’t have been nearly as straightforward as it was for us," Cassian explained. "Especially when you consider that all five of us experienced something unusual during our breakthroughs."

She folded her hands on the table.

"Palladium Fruits contain an extraordinary concentration of energy that an Awakener can absorb and refine. Unlike ordinary Mana Crystals, their energy is exceptionally pure and readily assimilated. That makes them valuable for increasing Mana accumulation, especially when an Awakener is approaching an advancement threshold."

Jet listened carefully.

"However," Adesewa continued, "absorbing energy and advancing a Star Rank are not the same thing. Your body must be capable of containing the increased Mana, and your existing foundation must be sufficiently developed to withstand the breakthrough."

Cassian leaned forward.

"Think of it this way, Jet," he explained. "Mana Crystals can gradually fill your reserves, but that doesn’t guarantee your body is prepared for the next Star Rank. If you try forcing a breakthrough before reaching the necessary condition, you’re more likely to injure yourself than succeed."

Jet nodded slowly.

That distinction made sense.

His own advancement preparations had already taught him that accumulating Mana wasn’t the only requirement for increasing his Star Rank.

"So the fruits helped you accumulate enough energy to advance?" he asked.

"They helped us reach the necessary thresholds," Adesewa corrected. "But there were other factors involved, including the foundations we had already established through years of training."

Marcus placed his tablet on the table.

"Before the expedition, I had already spent considerable time strengthening my Mana capacity," he explained. "I wasn’t a newly awakened 2-Star. I had been approaching the upper limits of that rank for some time."

"Same here," Bastian added, folding his muscular arms. "I’d spent years reinforcing my body and improving my control over Thirteen Burdens. The fruits didn’t suddenly give me all that experience."

Safiya nodded in agreement.

"Nor did they improve our mastery of our Divine Runes," she said. "The additional Mana increased what we could sustain, but controlling that power remained our responsibility."

Jet considered their explanations.

It was easy to look at their current strength and imagine that the Palladium Fruits had simply transformed them overnight. But the truth was more complicated.

They had possessed years of combat experience, established foundations, and considerable familiarity with their Divine Runes long before discovering the tree.

The fruits had accelerated their advancement rather than replacing the work required to reach it.

Still, something bothered him.

"That explains one breakthrough," Jet observed. "But all five of you advanced twice. Even with excellent foundations, isn’t that an enormous leap?"

Adesewa’s expression became more serious.

"Yes," she answered. "And that is precisely why I wanted this discussion."

She glanced toward Cassian. "Tell Jet what happened after your first advancement."

Cassian leaned back, his expression turning thoughtful.

"After reaching 3-Star, I expected to spend a considerable amount of time stabilizing my new strength," he explained. "That’s normally necessary after a major breakthrough. Your Mana capacity changes, your physical capabilities improve, and you need to adjust to those changes before attempting another advancement."

Jet nodded.

"But something unusual happened?" he asked.

Cassian exchanged a glance with Adesewa.

"Something unexpected," he admitted. "My Mana remained stable. There was no violent fluctuation, no unusual pressure, and none of the instability I would’ve expected after advancing so quickly."

Marcus nodded.

"I experienced the same thing," he confirmed. "My body adapted to the increased Mana far more smoothly than it should have."

Safiya considered her words before speaking.

"At first, we assumed it was another benefit of the Palladium Fruits," she explained. "Their energy was exceptionally pure, so it seemed reasonable that they might reduce the strain associated with advancement."

"Except that explanation wasn’t sufficient," Adesewa continued. "A treasure can provide energy, but it shouldn’t automatically eliminate every difficulty associated with adjusting to a higher Star Rank."

Jet frowned.

"Did you experience any side effects?" he asked.

"Exhaustion, certainly," Bastian replied. "And I needed time to recover after absorbing so much energy. But nothing resembling the instability we’d anticipated."

Frey, who had been listening quietly, shifted slightly in his chair.

"So you’re saying the fruits supplied the energy, but something helped your bodies accommodate the advancement?" he asked.

"That’s our current understanding," Adesewa answered. "However, we haven’t established exactly what happened or why."

Jet leaned back, processing the information.

He had initially assumed that the Palladium Fruits possessed some miraculous ability to grant enormous increases in strength. Instead, Adesewa was describing something considerably more interesting.

The fruits had provided the resources necessary for advancement.

But something else had apparently influenced the process itself.

"Could it have been another property of the fruits?" Jet suggested.

"Possibly," Adesewa acknowledged. "We haven’t ruled that out. But there are reasons to suspect the phenomenon wasn’t simply another form of energy absorption."

Cassian nodded slowly.

"The timing was different," he explained. "The unusual experience didn’t occur when we first consumed the fruits. It happened during the advancement process itself."

Jet’s attention sharpened. "What kind of experience?"

For several moments, nobody answered.

Adesewa looked toward the other Raid Team members, seemingly considering how much she could explain without creating a misleading impression.

Finally, she returned her attention to Jet.

"Before I answer, understand something," she began. "We don’t possess a complete explanation. We experienced the same general phenomenon, but none of us can confidently describe its underlying cause."

Jet nodded. "I’m listening, Captain."

Adesewa rested her hands on the table.

"When an Awakener advances, there comes a moment when the accumulated Mana reaches the necessary threshold and the body begins adapting to the next Star Rank," she explained. "Normally, that process depends on the Awakener’s preparation, physical condition, and ability to withstand the breakthrough."

She paused briefly. "But during our advancements, something happened at that exact moment. Something none of us had ever experienced before."

Jet leaned forward.

Adesewa met his gaze. "For a brief instant, it felt as though the advancement process itself had changed. The resistance we expected simply disappeared, and our bodies adapted to the higher Star Rank with an ease that shouldn’t have been possible."

Jet stared at her. "You’re saying something made the breakthrough easier?"

"Much easier," Adesewa confirmed. "And it happened to all five of us independently."

The room became quiet.

Adesewa continued watching Jet, her expression unusually solemn. "The Palladium Fruits gave us the energy to advance, Jet. But I believe something else helped us cross the thresholds."

She paused before delivering her final words. "And whatever that something was, it wasn’t contained in the fruits."