Chapter 21: Insight and Academies

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Insight and Academies

Waking with the early morning sun, Eric immediately set out to test the practical capabilities of his newly upgraded Rank-D Appraisal.

Stepping downstairs into the sunlit living room, his gaze drifted toward the worn fabric sofa where Emily’s feline companion was curled into a lazy green coil, basking in a square of morning light.

Eric focused his intent.

*Appraisal.*

│ Race: Leafjade Cat

│ Rank: E

│ Stage: Mortal

│ Level: 7

*Numerical levels are unlocked,* Eric noted, his eyes lighting up. *The foggy estimates are gone.*

He studied the sleeping cat with a faint, dry smirk. *Jade really is a slacker. Six whole years since Emily awakened, and he’s still sitting at Level 7 Mortal Stage. Though, to be fair, Emily isn’t a combat tamer, and an F-rank talent doesn’t offer much cultivation acceleration.*

Curious to see how the enhanced skill interacted with human biology, Eric shifted his focus toward the kitchen alcove where Emily stood packing lunches into small tin containers.

*Appraisal.*

│ Race: Human

│ Talent: Rank F

│ Stage: Mortal

│ Level: 5

*It reveals human talent ranks and exact cultivation stages as well.* Eric nodded in quiet satisfaction. *The tactical value just skyrocketed. Now, whether I’m dealing with mercenaries in the market or rivals inside a dimensional rift, I won’t have to guess who’s an easy mark and who’s an undercover veteran.*

Emily looked over her shoulder, wiping a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she noticed him standing near the doorway. "Morning, Eric. Are you heading back out to the dungeon outpost today?"

"Actually, no," Eric replied, walking over to the kettle to pour himself a cup of boiled water. "Coal is still in the middle of refining an E-rank mana stone. It’ll take him some time to fully break down the energy, so I’m taking it easy today. I’ll stay home, keep watch, and focus on cultivation."

Emily let out a soft, audible breath of relief. "That’s good to hear. Rest and steady foundation matter just as much as fighting, Eric. Please don’t push yourself past your limits."

"Don’t worry, Sis, I know my pace."

"Alright. I’m heading out for the morning shift at the diner. Look after the house and the kids for me."

"Have a good shift, Sister Emily!" the children chorused from around the breakfast table as the front latch clicked shut behind her.

Eric finished his water, grabbed an apple, and headed back up the wooden staircase to his attic room.

While his immediate short-term objective was carved in stone, amassing six hundred thousand credits within the next twenty-seven days to wipe out Scarface Vane’s syndicate debt, he hadn’t given much thought to his long-term roadmap beyond the slums of Riverdale.

Pulling out his new smartphone, Eric logged into the municipal explorer forums and tamer network boards to research macro-level career trajectories.

Within an hour of cross-referencing threads and guild archives, a clear path stood out: **Beast Taming Academies**.

Across the Seven Great Continents, elite academies served as the true gatekeepers for the upper echelons of power. These prestigious institutions held exclusive monopolies over private high-level dimensional rifts, Heaven-tier cultivation manuals, and ancient beast-evolution methods completely barred from the public market. Graduates were fast-tracked into high-ranking imperial military commissions, sovereign research institutes, or premier mercenary conglomerates.

*An advanced academy is the cleanest path forward,* Eric mused, leaning back against the wooden headboard and tapping his chin. *Step one: clear the syndicate debt and secure the orphanage. Step two: qualify for the regional academy entrance trials. With dual talents, system insight, and unrestricted beast potential, securing a top-tier seat should be well within reach.*

*FLAP. FLAP.*

A sudden rustle broke his train of thought.

Over on the pine desk, Coal stretched his glossy black wings wide, shook out his feathers with a crisp snap, and let out a bright, energetic trill.

"Morning, Coal. How did the digestion settle?"

*Caww!*

Eric checked the crow’s status directly across their shared mental bond.

│ CONTRACTED BEAST STATUS

│

│ Level: 4 (26%) ➔ Level 4 (48%)

*A twenty-two percent gain from a single E-rank core,* Eric calculated, reaching over to give the bird an appreciative scratch beneath the beak. *Almost halfway to Level 5. Solid efficiency, buddy.*

*Caww!* Coal puffed out his chest feathers proudly, nudging his bone-white beak against Eric’s knuckles.

Eric reached into his jacket pocket, withdrew the two cloudy F-rank mana stones harvested from the Riftspawns the previous day, and set them onto the desk.

"Take a short breather, then break these down," Eric said. "Once your cultivation stage climbs higher, low-grade crystals like these will yield diminishing returns. We might as well squeeze out their remaining value while the ratio is still favorable."

*Caw!*

Coal wasted no time, eagerly snatching the first crystal with his beak and swallowing it down before curling back onto his wool blanket to resume his refinement cycle.

With no active combat contracts for the day, Eric kicked off his boots, climbed onto his straw mattress, and assumed the lotus posture.

He closed his eyes, synchronized his breathing, and sank into the familiar rhythm of the Low-tier Mortal Grade Cultivation Manual.

The rest of the day drifted by in peaceful, unbroken focus. Ambient mana swirled into his pores, coursing through his cleared spiritual pathways and condensing steadily into his Mana Heart, a quiet, methodical rhythm of cultivating and reinforcing his foundation for the trials ahead.