Chapter 142: The Bottleneck

he following morning, Jet left the concealed base shortly after breakfast, carrying a small bag containing the Mana Crystals he had accumulated over the past several weeks.

The weather was pleasant, with sunlight filtering through the trees surrounding the wooded hills, and for once, he had no intention of spending his morning worrying about assassins or investigating suspicious organizations.

He had something considerably more straightforward in mind. His Star Saturation was approaching its limit, and he intended to spend the day absorbing enough Mana to reach the threshold for his second Star.

He had informed Adesewa of his plans before leaving, and she had simply reminded him not to waste his crystals by attempting to force an advancement before meeting the necessary conditions.

Jet appreciated the advice, although he already understood the principle.

Jet eventually reached an abandoned storage building situated farther into the wooded hills. Marcus had identified the location the previous day, and its isolation made it suitable for uninterrupted training.

The building itself was nothing remarkable, consisting of a large empty interior, several broken windows, and a concrete floor covered in dust.

However, it offered sufficient privacy, and that was all Jet required.

He entered through the unlocked doors, selected a relatively clean section of the floor, and placed his bag beside him before sitting cross-legged.

"All right, let’s see how far I can get today," Jet muttered, removing several Mana Crystals from their container.

He opened his status window and examined the information displayed before him.

His attributes had improved considerably since awakening the Eight-Armed Asura, particularly his Strength and Vitality, but his Star Rank remained unchanged.

The saturation indicator, however, showed that he was approaching the upper limit of 1-Star. He needed only a relatively small amount of additional Mana before reaching the threshold, although achieving that threshold and successfully advancing were two different matters.

Jet selected a crystal and began absorbing its Mana.

The familiar energy entered his body, circulating through him before gradually contributing to his Star Saturation.

Unlike ordinary physical training, which strengthened his body through repeated exertion, absorbing Mana Crystals allowed him to accumulate the energy necessary for advancement.

The process was familiar to every Awakener, although the speed at which individuals absorbed and assimilated Mana varied considerably depending on their talent, Star Rank, and other factors.

Several minutes passed before the first crystal lost its glow and crumbled into pale fragments.

Jet immediately picked up another.

He continued absorbing Mana at a steady pace, occasionally checking his status window to monitor his progress. The crystals disappeared one after another, and his saturation increased accordingly.

By the time he had consumed the fifth crystal, he could already feel the difference. The Mana circulating through his body had become noticeably denser, and the familiar sensation of approaching an advancement threshold began spreading through his limbs.

"Almost there," Jet remarked, examining the remaining crystals.

He selected another and resumed absorbing.

This time, however, the process felt different.

The Mana entered his body normally, but the sensation of growth had slowed considerably. When he checked his status window, the saturation indicator had barely moved despite the energy he’d absorbed.

Jet frowned. He tried another crystal.

The result was similar. His body continued accepting Mana, yet his Star Saturation refused to increase beyond a certain point.

He had encountered his bottleneck.

---

Jet placed the depleted crystal aside and leaned against a nearby pillar, considering the situation.

Every Awakener eventually encountered bottlenecks during advancement, although their severity varied considerably. Some individuals passed through the early Stars with relatively little difficulty, while others remained stuck for weeks or months despite possessing sufficient resources.

Higher-Star advancements were especially demanding, which was one reason powerful Awakeners remained comparatively rare even after fifty years of humanity adapting to the Awakening Era.

Reaching the necessary saturation was only part of the process. An Awakener also needed to successfully complete the transition into the next Star, and simply absorbing more Mana wasn’t always enough to accomplish that.

He opened his status window again. The saturation indicator remained at its current limit.

"Looks like I’ve reached the wall," Jet murmured.

Rather than immediately consuming another crystal, he closed his eyes and examined the Mana circulating through his body.

His recent training with Alessandro had improved his control considerably, allowing him to maintain a steadier flow without constantly increasing his expenditure.

Although those lessons had primarily focused on combat efficiency, Jet suspected the same control would prove useful here.

He began circulating his accumulated Mana, allowing it to move naturally through his body. The process was considerably easier than it would have been several weeks earlier, and he could feel the energy responding smoothly to his control.

However, when he attempted to push beyond the saturation threshold, he encountered the same resistance.

Jet opened his eyes. "Still not enough."

He wasn’t particularly surprised. Bottlenecks weren’t something Awakeners could overcome merely by wanting to advance. If determination alone were sufficient, Zenith would have considerably more 5-Star Awakeners walking around.

Jet stood and stretched his arms before retrieving his wooden practice axe from the bag. Since absorbing additional Mana had temporarily stopped producing results, he decided to spend some time training instead.

He began moving through the exercises Alessandro had taught him, concentrating on his footwork, weapon control, and maintaining consistent Mana circulation throughout each movement.

The training was familiar, but Jet approached it with greater attention than usual. He could feel the accumulated Mana circulating through his body, and every movement provided another opportunity to become accustomed to its increased density.

He practiced controlled swings, adjusted his stance, and repeated several combinations without attempting to use the full strength of his Asura Physique.

After nearly an hour, he stopped to rest.

His saturation hadn’t changed.

However, his Mana circulation felt more comfortable, and the resistance he’d experienced earlier seemed slightly less pronounced.

Jet smiled faintly. "Maybe I’m getting somewhere."

---

Around midday, Jet received a message from Frey asking whether he’d already advanced.

Jet laughed when he saw it and decided to call him.

"You’re impatient," Jet remarked when Frey answered. "I’ve barely started."

Frey chuckled. "Can you blame me? You’ve been talking about reaching 2-Star for days. I figured you’d either succeed immediately or spend the entire morning complaining about your bottleneck."

"The second one is closer," Jet admitted. "I’ve reached the saturation limit, but the breakthrough isn’t happening yet."

Frey sounded unsurprised. "That’s normal. I remember how annoying my last bottleneck was. I had enough Mana Crystals to fill a storage room, but none of them made a difference until I finally crossed the threshold."

Jet leaned against the pillar. "How long did it take you?"

"Long enough that my father started asking whether I was secretly selling the crystals instead of absorbing them," Frey replied with a laugh. "Seriously, though, don’t rush. You’ve got the resources, and your Divine Rune is ridiculous. You’ll get there."

Jet smiled. "Thanks for the encouragement."

"You’re welcome," Frey answered. "And when you advance, remember that I’m still ahead of you. Don’t start acting like you’ve suddenly become the strongest Awakener in Zenith."

Jet laughed. "With that broken arm of yours, I might already be stronger than you."

Frey immediately protested. "That’s a cheap shot! Wait until I’m fully recovered, and we’ll settle that properly."

Their conversation continued for several minutes before Jet ended the call and returned his attention to the remaining crystals.

Frey’s lighthearted attitude had improved his mood, although Jet hadn’t been particularly discouraged to begin with.

He understood that advancement required patience, and he was prepared to spend another day or two working toward the breakthrough if necessary.

He selected another crystal and resumed absorbing Mana.

This time, the energy circulated more smoothly, and the resistance at his saturation limit felt noticeably weaker. Jet continued until the crystal was depleted, then checked his status window.

The indicator had moved.

Only slightly, but enough to confirm that he was making progress.

Jet grinned. "Now we’re talking."

---

The afternoon passed as Jet alternated between absorbing Mana Crystals and practicing his circulation.

He didn’t consume them continuously, preferring to give himself time to adjust whenever the resistance became noticeable.

The approach gradually produced results, and by late afternoon, the sensation of pressure associated with his bottleneck had become increasingly distinct.

His accumulated Mana felt unusually concentrated, as though his body had reached the limit of what his current Star could comfortably accommodate. Jet recognized the sensation immediately.

He had experienced something similar during his previous advancements, although the process had never felt quite this pronounced.

He opened his status window once more. The saturation indicator had finally reached its maximum.

Jet stared at the display for several seconds before allowing himself a satisfied smile. He had fulfilled the primary requirement for advancing. However, the breakthrough itself had yet to occur.

"Well, that’s the first part finished," Jet remarked, setting aside the empty crystal.

He still had several crystals remaining, but consuming them immediately would accomplish little. His saturation was already full, and the next step required him to overcome the bottleneck separating his current Star from the next.

Jet remained seated for some time, circulating his Mana and becoming accustomed to the pressure building within his body.

The sensation wasn’t painful, but it was impossible to ignore. His Mana had reached the limit of his current advancement, and he could feel that another stage existed just beyond it.

Unfortunately, recognizing that stage and entering it were different matters.

He attempted to guide his Mana through the transition, but the resistance remained.

Jet tried again.

The result was unchanged.

He sighed and opened his eyes.

"So close."

Despite the frustration, he wasn’t disappointed. He had made substantial progress in a single day, reaching the saturation threshold and beginning to loosen the bottleneck.

He gathered the remaining Mana Crystals and returned them to his bag. There was no reason to exhaust himself attempting to force the breakthrough when he could continue tomorrow.

---

By the time Jet returned to the concealed base, evening had begun settling over the wooded hills. The building’s windows glowed warmly against the darkening surroundings, and he could hear familiar voices coming from the dining area as he entered.

Adesewa was speaking with Cassian near the staircase, reviewing information recovered from Corvin’s interrogation. She looked up when Jet approached.

"How did it go?" she asked.

Jet smiled. "I’ve reached maximum Star Saturation. The bottleneck is still there, but I’m getting closer."

Adesewa nodded approvingly. "That’s good progress for one day. Don’t waste your remaining crystals trying to force it. Give yourself time to adjust."

"That’s the plan," Jet replied. "I’ll try again tomorrow."

Cassian chuckled. "Enjoy being 1-Star while it lasts. Once you advance, Frey will probably challenge you to another competition."

Jet laughed. "He’s already started talking about it."

After exchanging a few more words, Jet headed upstairs to put away his equipment. He was tired from spending most of the day training and absorbing Mana, but the exhaustion was satisfying.

His preparations had brought him to the threshold, and the remaining obstacle was no longer a shortage of resources.

He simply needed to complete the breakthrough.

Jet placed his bag beside the desk and opened his status window one final time. His Star Saturation remained at its maximum.

The second Star was within reach.

And tomorrow, he intended to cross that final threshold.