Chapter 27: The First Step to Immortality

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The First Step to Immortality

The following morning arrived beneath the rumble of distant thunder and sheets of torrential rain lashing violently against the attic window.

"Well, look at that downpour," Eric remarked, pulling the thin linen blanket up to his chin as the wind rattled the weathered glass frame. "It’s coming down in buckets. Perfect excuse to take an indoor rest day."

*Caw.*

Coal let out a skeptical chirp from the edge of the pine desk, tilting his head with a look that clearly questioned his tamer’s sudden drop in work ethic.

"Now, now, Coal, don’t look at me like that. I’m not being lazy," Eric chuckled, sitting upright and rolling his shoulders until his joints popped. "We’ve hunted for ten days straight without a single hour off. We’ve earned a breather. Besides, you’re sitting right on the cusp of a breakthrough at seventy-one percent. We might as well use this downpour to push you across into Level 6. I’ll soak up the residual soul feedback toward my own Level 5. I’m curious to see what kind of physical refinement hits me once I cross that line."

After witnessing Coal’s dramatic physiological transformation upon reaching Level 5, Eric had researched the milestone on the municipal forums and discovered it was a universal threshold.

Level 5 of the Mortal Stage was widely regarded as an awakened being’s very first step onto the road of immortality. From that point onward, every subsequent major realm breakthrough fundamentally restructured the biological vessel, burning away mortal impurities and progressively expanding natural lifespan.

An ordinary Mortal Ranked human lived a modest eighty to ninety years.

A Soldier Rank cultivator easily reached 120 years.

A Captain Rank expert surpassed 150 years, a Commander Rank reached 200 years, and the sovereign realms beyond extended longevity by centuries.

*Immortality...* Eric mused, feeling a steady spark ignite deep in his chest. *Not a bad ultimate horizon to chase in this second life. With my cheats, reaching the peak isn’t some delusional fantasy. Immortality through beast taming, huh? Sounds like a hell of a ride.*

Eric reached into his system inventory and materialized the second walnut-sized *E-Rank High-Grade Mana Stone* harvested from the fallen Gorgefiend titan.

"Coal, heads up," Eric said, tossing the glowing crimson crystal across the room. "I was saving this one, but since we’re housebound by the storm, you can refine it today and break straight through to Level 6. With that extra firepower, our next hunting runs will be ten times smoother."

*Caww!*

Coal snatched the dense crystal mid-air with his ivory beak, swallowing it whole in one fluid motion.

The moment the stone settled in his gullet, rich, smoky Shadow mana pulsed beneath his black feathers. Letting out a drowsy, resonant coo, the crow tucked his head beneath his wing atop the folded wool blanket, sinking straight into a deep refinement slumber.

"My turn," Eric murmured, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "The sooner I reach Level 5, the better." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Settling cross-legged on his straw mattress, Eric closed his eyes, synchronized his breathing, and guided the ambient mana through his cleared spiritual pathways.

The stormy day passed in peaceful, rhythmic quiet, filled only with the steady drumming of rain against the roof shingles and the soft, cyclical hum of mana condensing into his Mana Heart.

By the next morning, the storm clouds had broken, leaving behind crisp, scrubbed air and golden sunlight streaming through the attic glass.

Coal stretched his broad wings wide with a sharp, resonant *CAW*, hopping across the desk with vigorous, energetic steps.

"Yawnnn..." Eric rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a low chuckle. "Awake already? Looks like your beast core is getting used to processing high-grade E-rank stones."

Refining the first titan core had taken Coal well over a full day of dormant rest, but this second stone had been completely broken down in under twenty hours. His internal beast core had visibly adapted to handling denser currents of refined mana.

*THUMP.*

Right on cue, a potent wave of shared soul energy flooded across the tether into Eric’s Mana Heart, replenishing his reserves and driving his own cultivation progress significantly closer to the Level 5 boundary.

Eric smiled and summoned Coal’s status window through their mental bond.

│ CONTRACTED BEAST STATUS

│

│ Name: Coal

│ Race: Bonepecker Crow

│ Cultivation Stage: Mortal

│ Level: 6 (3%)

│ Rank: D

│ Element: Shadow

│ Skills:

│ - Flight (Rank D)

│ - Shadow Talons (Rank E)

│ - Shadow Clone (Rank D)

"The more I look at this panel, the better it feels," Eric said, reaching out to gently stroke Coal’s sleek, dark crown feathers. "Steady progress really is the best feeling in the world. Fantastic work, buddy. We’re getting stronger by the day. Let’s head out and get back to the hunt."