Chapter 80: A Different Path (II)

What if the corruption suddenly became active while he was still too weak to do anything about it?

The thought alone made Jackson’s heart tighten.

If something happened to Aella because he had been too careless or too slow, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself.

That was why Jackson had already set a deadline.

One year.

He would undergo the First Life Transformation within one year.

That was his goal.

Just one year.

If anyone else heard those thoughts, they would probably think he had gone insane.

Even the highest-ranked student in Golden Radiance Academy had spent four years accumulating strength and still didn’t possess enough confidence to attempt the transformation.

Yet Jackson intended to accomplish it within a single year.

What gave him the confidence to make such a bold claim?

Jackson had no intention of explaining it to anyone.

His secrets were his greatest advantage.

There was no need to tell others what he could accomplish.

Time would eventually provide the answer.

Even Jonathan, who was walking beside him, didn’t notice the thoughts running through Jackson’s mind.

However, he did notice something else.

There was a look in Jackson’s eyes that he had seen before.

It was pure ambition.

Not the shallow ambition of someone chasing fame or wealth, but something far more intense.

It was the gaze of someone who had already decided on a destination and intended to crush everything standing in his path until nothing remained between him and his goal.

Jonathan couldn’t help glancing at him again.

What exactly is this guy planning?

Before he could think any further, Jackson’s footsteps came to a stop.

He had arrived.

The Grand Library stood before them.

It was an enormous four-story building with an imposing exterior that made it look more like a treasure vault than a traditional library.

Rows of enormous windows reflected the surrounding light, while intricate patterns covered the walls and pillars.

Usually, access to the various floors was restricted according to a student’s ranking.

The higher a student’s ranking, the greater the level of resources they could access.

Today, however, was different.

Every newly admitted student had been granted temporary access to all four floors.

They could freely browse the academy’s collection and select a single Rank Three technique.

For the first time, even students ranked near the bottom had the opportunity to enter areas normally reserved for the academy’s strongest geniuses.

Jackson’s eyes flickered with anticipation.

This was a rare opportunity.

He and Jonathan entered the Grand Library together.

Once inside, they eventually separated.

"Let’s meet outside after we’re finished," Jonathan said.

Jackson nodded.

"Sure."

The two went in different directions.

Jackson quickly noticed that the library was far more crowded than he had expected.

Hundreds of students were moving between the shelves, carefully examining the descriptions of various techniques.

Yet the students weren’t the only people present.

Several figures stood throughout the different floors, quietly observing the newcomers.

Powerful auras radiated from their bodies.

Jackson’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Teachers.

They were clearly academy instructors assigned to supervise the students and maintain order.

Jackson didn’t pay them much attention.

His focus was elsewhere.

He began browsing through the skill descriptions one by one.

Infernal Sword.

Meteor Climbing Stance.

Jackson’s eyes paused.

Meteor Climbing Stance was a Peak Rank Three skill that allowed an Awakened to use magical power to control a weapon from a distance.

Once mastered, the weapon could travel hundreds of meters away from the user and attack enemies remotely.

Jackson’s eyes gradually brightened.

This was an extremely useful skill.

In fact, he immediately thought of several ways it could complement his Golden Brush.

If he could attack a monster from hundreds of meters away, he wouldn’t need to engage it directly.

He could continuously harass the monster from a safe distance, forcing it to expend magical power while simultaneously wearing down its spiritual force.

Once the monster’s defenses weakened enough...

He could finish it with the Golden Brush.

A faint trace of excitement appeared in Jackson’s eyes.

This skill is almost perfect for me.

For a moment, he seriously considered choosing it.

Then he suppressed the temptation.

There was no need to rush.

He had been given access to the entire Grand Library for a reason.

There had to be something even more suitable for him.

Jackson continued forward.

He ignored the countless impressive combat techniques surrounding him and moved deeper into the library.

His objective wasn’t simply to obtain a powerful attack.

His greatest priority was advancement.

He needed to strengthen his spiritual space.

He needed to prepare for the First Life Transformation.

His gaze finally landed on a particular section.

Spiritual Space Development Techniques.

Jackson’s expression became serious.

Without another glance at the other skills, he walked directly toward the section containing techniques designed to nurture and strengthen the spiritual space toward its limits.

This was what he had been searching for.

Among the entire Grand Library, this particular section was by far the least crowded.

That was hardly surprising.

Most of the newly admitted students were only at the peak of the First Sequence. At their current level, techniques designed to nurture the spiritual space toward its absolute limits were practically useless.

Their spiritual spaces still had plenty of room to grow naturally.

There was no reason for them to waste a precious Rank Three skill on something they wouldn’t need for a long time.

Jackson, however, was different.

He had already reached the Third Sequence.

For him, strengthening the spiritual-space boundary was no longer some distant concern.

It was one of his most urgent priorities.

Jackson stood before the shelves and carefully examined the nurturing skills one after another.

[Twin Essence Nurturing Skill]

Allows the user to carve one hundred foundation runes, increasing the sturdiness of the spiritual-space boundary by one hundred percent.

Jackson’s eyes moved to the next technique.

[Five Elements Nurturing Skill]

Allows the user to carve one hundred and fifty-four foundation runes, increasing the sturdiness of the spiritual-space boundary by one hundred and fifty-four percent.

He continued reading.

There were dozens of similar techniques.

Each had its own method of carving foundation runes, and each offered a different degree of improvement to the spiritual-space boundary.

However, Jackson knew that simply increasing the strength of the boundary wasn’t enough.

Once an Awakened reached the Third Sequence, nurturing the spiritual space through ordinary resources alone was no longer sufficient.

To successfully undergo the First Life Transformation, the spiritual space needed to experience an enormous refinement.