Chapter 78: Golden Radiance Academy Generosity

The ten-meter-wide spiritual space was enveloped by an enormous boundary wall.

Almost the entire surface of the wall had already turned gray.

For ordinary Awakened, this transformation represented an extremely difficult stage of cultivation.

But Jackson’s progress had already reached the final stretch.

The magical power within his spiritual space surged violently, repeatedly crashing against the boundary.

Yet unlike before, the boundary didn’t ripple.

It didn’t tremble.

It didn’t even show the slightest sign of instability.

It was as though an invisible ocean were repeatedly crashing against an ancient mountain.

The waves could roar as loudly as they wanted.

The mountain remained unmoved.

Jackson’s eyes flashed with satisfaction.

The boundary had become incredibly firm.

He slowly guided the nourishment released by the pill toward it.

Rather than allowing the energy to spread randomly throughout his body, he carefully controlled every trace of it, directing it toward the gray boundary wall.

The nourishment seeped into the wall little by little.

Then the transformation began.

His Spiritual Force and Mana/Physique started rising at an astonishing rate.

The two attributes that had previously required enormous effort to increase were now climbing steadily toward their absolute limits.

Jackson remained completely focused.

He had no distractions.

No thoughts of the academy.

No thoughts of Veronica.

No thoughts of the ranking.

At this moment, there was only cultivation.

Time passed silently.

One hour later, the gray boundary wall had undergone a remarkable transformation.

The final trace of gray disappeared.

The entire boundary had become a solid, metallic surface resembling pure steel.

It shone brilliantly within the darkness of the spiritual space, firm and imposing.

Jackson slowly opened his eyes.

He had reached the peak of the Second Sequence.

Yet there was no excitement on his face.

To Jackson, this wasn’t the end.

It was merely the final step before the next realm.

He didn’t stop.

Instead, he took out another pill and swallowed it.

Then another.

The nourishment continued flowing into his spiritual space.

Under Jackson’s deliberate guidance, the energy repeatedly struck the boundary wall.

Again And again.

The process was slow and painstaking.

Every impact was like a hammer striking a piece of metal, gradually tempering it and eliminating the final imperfections hidden within its structure.

Jackson remained motionless.

His breathing became increasingly steady as his consciousness sank deeper into cultivation.

The surroundings gradually grew brighter.

Before he realized it, afternoon had arrived.

Then, without warning...

Crack.

A faint sound echoed through his spiritual space.

Jackson’s eyes snapped open.

His attention immediately focused on the boundary wall.

Something had changed.

At one particular corner of the enormous metallic wall, a faint trace of silver had appeared.

It was incredibly subtle.

If Jackson hadn’t been watching the boundary so carefully, he might not even have noticed it.

Yet that tiny strand of silver carried an extraordinary meaning.

Jackson’s eyes widened slightly.

Then a smile slowly spread across his face.

"The first sign of the boundary wall transforming into silver..."

His voice was quiet, but unmistakable excitement could be heard within it.

"I’ve succeeded."

The silver continued spreading outward from that tiny point.

It was the first sign that his spiritual space had begun transforming toward the next stage.

Jackson clenched his fists.

"From today onward, I am a genuine Third Sequence Awakened."

A powerful sensation suddenly surged through his body.

It wasn’t merely an increase in numbers on a status screen.

Jackson could feel the difference directly.

Every muscle seemed to contain far greater strength than before.

His bones felt denser.

His senses had become sharper.

Even the magical power circulating through his spiritual space felt fundamentally different.

He slowly clenched and unclenched his fists.

A surge of strength coursed through his body.

The increase was so obvious that Jackson couldn’t help but feel slightly excited.

His strength had nearly doubled.

If he went to the Hunter Association now, he would officially qualify to become a Silver-Rank hunter.

Jackson’s gaze became sharp.

He remembered the strength-measuring machine from his admission test.

Back then, he had produced an astonishing five thousand kilograms of force.

That result had shocked everyone present.

But now...

Jackson looked down at his fist.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

I wonder what number I’ll produce if I punch that machine again.

....

Suddenly, the figure of the Desolate Troop leader’s elder brother surfaced in Jackson’s mind.

The Silver-Rank hunter.

Before this moment, that man’s existence had felt like a heavy stone pressing against his heart. No matter how much his strength increased, Jackson had always been aware that there was still a powerful enemy somewhere in the shadows who could potentially threaten his family.

But now, after successfully breaking through to the Third Sequence, that pressure had noticeably weakened.

Jackson was about to allow himself to enjoy the feeling when he suddenly shook his head.

"No."

His expression quickly returned to calm.

"This is only the beginning. I can’t become proud just because of such a small achievement."

His gaze became serious.

"Before experiencing the First Life Transformation, life is as fragile as paper."

The thought immediately extinguished the excitement that had begun to rise within him.

A Third Sequence Awakened might already be a Silver-Rank hunter, but in front of a Fourth Sequence expert who had undergone the First Life Transformation, that strength was still far from enough.

Jackson understood this better than most.

He had personally experienced the terrifying pressure of Dean Maxwell.

Even standing beneath that man’s presence had made Jackson feel as though the entire sky were pressing down on him.

The gap between the Third and Fourth Sequence wasn’t something that could be casually overcome.

There was still a long road ahead.

With that thought, Jackson stopped thinking about the Desolate Troop leader’s brother.

He closed his eyes and began consolidating his newly acquired strength.

Breaking through was only the first step.

He needed to make sure every increase in strength became completely his own.

Jackson carefully circulated his magical power through his spiritual space, becoming familiar with the changes brought about by the breakthrough.

The boundary wall had already begun its transformation.

He didn’t attempt to refine it any further.

The Rank Two pills he still possessed were practically useless to him now.

If he wanted to continue strengthening the boundary and push deeper into the Third Sequence, he would need Rank Three pills.

Unfortunately, those weren’t resources he could casually consume in large quantities.

Jackson slowly exhaled and continued meditating.

Time passed quietly.

The light outside his window gradually faded as evening descended upon Golden Radiance Academy.

Jackson would have continued cultivating if not for a familiar voice suddenly echoing from downstairs.

"Jackson!"

His eyes snapped open.

A trace of confusion appeared on his face.

"What does this guy want now?"

Before he could get up, Jonathan’s voice came again, louder this time.

"Jackson, come out quickly, or you’ll miss the reward!"

Reward?

Jackson’s expression changed.

Then his eyes suddenly lit up.

Right.

He had almost forgotten.

He immediately remembered what Professor Niom had mentioned earlier.

Every newly admitted student was entitled to receive an important reward from the academy.

A free Rank Three skill.

"Hmm, now I remember."

Jackson stood up, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"We have to go to the Grand Library and receive one Rank Three skill from the academy for free!"

The moment he remembered the reward, his interest in cultivation was replaced by anticipation.

A Rank Three skill.

Even outside Golden Radiance Academy, such a skill would be extremely valuable.

And now, the academy was simply giving one to every first-year student for free.

Jackson quickly left his room and headed downstairs.