Chapter 66: Going Back (Buy Privilege Please)

[That’s an interesting question, but the answer is actually quite simple. Earth doesn’t have mana in the usual sense.]

The System’s answer left Kyle even more confused rather than enlightening him.

"Huh? What do you mean? I just absorbed mana from the atmosphere while practicing the skills I bought."

Kyle quickly followed up with another question, hoping to clear up his confusion, because the System’s previous answer had only raised more questions.

[Well, Earth—or any planet or world—doesn’t naturally have mana, qi, or any other type of energy that a person can directly absorb, refine, and use.

Every world contains the same fundamental energy. It has existed since the very beginning of creation and is present throughout the universe.

What changes isn’t the energy itself, but the way a person interacts with it.

The method used to absorb, refine, and store that energy determines its final form.

If someone uses a cultivation method designed to refine the energy into qi, then the energy within their body becomes qi.

If they use a method designed to refine it into mana, then it becomes mana.

The same applies to any other form of energy that exists in different worlds.

In other words, there aren’t actually countless different energies scattered throughout the universe. There is only one fundamental energy.

It is the method of refinement that changes its structure and properties inside a person’s body—and that is what ultimately determines what kind of energy they possess.]

Kyle listened carefully to the System’s explanation.

"So basically, mana and qi aren’t actually different energies?"

[Correct.]

"They’re just different forms of the same fundamental energy?"

[Correct.]

"I see. That’s interesting."

Kyle rubbed his chin as he thought about it.

"So does that mean I can also learn qi here on Earth?"

[Well, no one is stopping you from doing that, but I wouldn’t suggest it right now. You already have a source of refined energy within your body. If you attempt to introduce another form of refined energy and the two systems conflict with one another, the result could be horrifying, to say the least.

Also, you currently don’t possess a cultivation method capable of refining the fundamental energy into qi.]

Kyle nodded slowly.

"I see."

He scratched his chin and leaned back.

"Well, I’m not planning to learn it right now anyway, so I guess I’ll worry about that later."

There was no point in complicating things when he had only just begun learning magic.

He already had enough to work on.

....

The next morning arrived.

Kyle was ready to leave the forest.

He had accomplished what he originally came here to accomplish: learning the three skills he had purchased through the Marketplace.

And surprisingly, he had managed to do it much faster than he had expected.

He packed up whatever belongings he had brought with him and took one final look around the forest.

"Damn, I really don’t want to abandon this shed."

Kyle looked toward the small wooden structure.

"I wish I could take it back with me. It’s much better than my apartment."

The shed had everything he needed.

A comfortable place to sleep, a bathroom, a kitchen, food, electricity, and even a solar roof.

Compared to his actual apartment, the shed was practically a luxury residence.

It hadn’t even been a full week since he arrived, yet Kyle had somehow grown attached to the place.

Perhaps it was because of how peaceful the forest was.

There were no traffic noises, no annoying crowds, pollution or anything that could ruin his peace.

Just trees, fresh air, wildlife, and enough space for him to practice magic without anyone bothering him.

Honestly, it was hard to leave.

"Alright, let’s fix this place up a bit and go back to my home... to Babygirl Lira!"

Kyle grinned.

He turned his attention toward the mess he had created during his training.

Over the past few days, he had raised countless Earth Shields, flooded portions of the forest with Water Prison, destroyed trees, disturbed the soil, and generally left evidence of his magical training everywhere.

He couldn’t leave it looking like that.

So Kyle began cleaning up his training area.

He dismantled the remaining Earth Shields, allowing the earth to collapse back down. He removed the pools of water left behind by Water Prison and used his control over Earth Shield to level out the ground he had disturbed.

He didn’t manage to restore everything perfectly, but he did his best to make the damage as minimal and natural-looking as possible.

Once he was satisfied, Kyle looked back toward the shed.

"I’ll leave this here just in case I need to come back."

He shrugged.

"Even though I can always buy another one from the Marketplace, why bother?"

The shed was already here.

There was no reason to waste another 50 SP when he had no immediate need for another one.

Kyle turned his back toward the shed and began walking away from the forest.

The trees behind him rustled as a cool breeze swept through them, and the fresh air brushed against his body.

He took one final breath of the peaceful forest atmosphere.

Then he continued walking.

....

[Available Balance: 562 SP]

"It’s just not enough... not at all."

Kyle sighed as he stared at the System window.

He was sitting inside the bus on his way back home, enduring the same hundred-kilometer journey he had taken several days earlier.

The road was still as bumpy as ever.

Bump.

Kyle’s body bounced slightly in his seat.

But this time, his attention wasn’t on the road but instead It was on his System Points.

His balance had more than doubled since the previous night, yet he wasn’t impressed by it at all.

Not because 562 SP was worthless.

The problem was that it was nowhere near enough for what he wanted to buy from the Marketplace.

The video he had uploaded had already crossed over one million views, and the amount of System Points it generated was increasing rapidly.

But even that wasn’t enough to satisfy his current needs.

The Marketplace contained countless items, and even seemingly basic beginner-level items could easily cost several thousand System Points.

The three magic skills he had just obtained were already an unusually good deal because of the contract but most other useful items wouldn’t be nearly as cheap.

Kyle leaned back into his seat.

"I need money."

He sighed.

"And a lot of it too. I’m broke right now!"

He needed System Points if he wanted to continue progressing.

At the moment, the System’s main functions available to him were the Marketplace and quests, along with whatever rewards those systems provided.

If he wanted better skills, better items, or anything else capable of helping him grow stronger, he needed SP.

[What are you gonna do to earn that?]

The System casually asked.

Kyle didn’t even hesitate.

"What else?"

A mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Gonna fuck Stacy and make bank like I did before!"

The System fell silent.

Kyle leaned back into his seat, already thinking about how much SP he could earn from another successful video.

After all, if one video could cross a million views, there was no reason he couldn’t do it again.