At the inner perimeter of Echoing Deep's entrance, a squad of fifty players advanced steadily, clearing out the surrounding monsters in a precise, organized formation. This was none other than the Everhold Dominion main force—led by Gravemind, accompanied by Rhine, and the other two branch leaders stationed in other towns.
After the devastating defeat at the hands of Kaito, Zephyr, and Velena, Gravemind had finally acknowledged one harsh truth: taking down Kaito wouldn't be easy.
Still, he took some comfort in the fact that, so far, Kaito hadn't posted any footage of the battle. No announcement, no scandal. Not even the StormLife Guild or Crimson Rose had leaked anything. That silence convinced Gravemind that Kaito was afraid—afraid of truly offending Everhold Dominion. Smart boy, he thought smugly.
With that confidence swelling inside him, Gravemind entertained a bold idea: If I can pacify Silent Reign, his guild master, maybe I can bring Raen fully into the main branch… and once that happens, I'll be one step closer to the guild leadership again.
As he indulged in those fantasies, Rhine glanced sideways at him. He remembered all the arrogant jabs Gravemind had thrown at him, only to end up face-first in the dirt during the battle. Watching Gravemind grin foolishly to himself now, Rhine couldn't help but wonder—did I hit him too hard? Has he lost a few brain cells?
Just then—
[System Announcement – Regional Broadcast: South Glade Region]
Raen: "Thank you, Everhold Dominion, for your generous equipment drops.
For those interested, I'll be auctioning them off two days from now."
Attached were clear, humiliating photos of the dropped Bronze and Mysterious Iron gear—gear that had once belonged to Everhold Dominion's elite.
"WHAT? Bastard!" Gravemind roared, his eyes bloodshot.
With a furious scream, he unleashed all his high-tier spells on the nearby monsters, vaporizing them in a single breath.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The surrounding team froze mid-attack.
Their entire defeat—exposed.
The entire South Glade Town would see them now, not as elite warriors, but as humiliated losers. Their prestige?
Dragged through the mud.
And Gravemind's carefully stacked delusions?
Shattered in a single system broadcast.
....
As soon as Kaito posted the edited video of Everhold Dominion's annihilation on the Glory forums, chaos erupted.
Within minutes, the forum exploded.
PhoenixFang: "HOLY SH*T! Is this real? I thought that fight was just a rumor!"
ObsidianRoar: "Wait… wasn't Everhold Dominion dominating Echoing Deep just yesterday? How did this happen?!"
ArcaneJester: "Bro… they got WIPED. I replayed that thunder and fire burst from Raen like 5 times—the Blazing Thunder Clash is INSANE!"
CaffeineWarrior: " Crimson Rose? STORMLIFE?? All of them were there?? This is war-tier content!"
RiftedSoul: "I'm not even mad. Thanks to Genesis. They just made Everhold look like a clown guild."
Kaito's strategic decision to edit the video without glorifying himself too much, instead highlighting the coordination of Zephyr, Velena, and the Genesis core team, paid off. It made the victory feel like a movement—not just an individual flex.
Soon, the topic trended #1 on Glory's official forum.
The server's traffic surged so hard that:
[Game System Notification]
Due to increased activity, the Glory forum may load slower than usual. We are currently upgrading the backend server to ensure smooth access. Thank you for your patience.
Over a million views were recorded in under an hour.
The comment sections were flooded with memes, slow-motion replays, and even parody edits of Gravemind's last words.
…..
After scrolling through the exploding forum threads one last time, Kaito let out a satisfied breath. He quickly messaged the others, reminding them about tomorrow's trip and instructing his brothers and sisters to log out soon as well.
[LOG OUT]
....
The quiet hiss of the cabin lid echoed gently in Kaito's room as the Platinum Cabin disengaged. Morning sunlight spilled through the skylight, illuminating the sleek surfaces of the Genesis Dome's private quarters. Kaito stepped out, bare feet brushing the polished floor. A long yawn escaped his lips, followed by a deep stretch that rolled down his spine.
He felt refreshed—mentally, at least.
"Time for morning training," he muttered, rolling his shoulders as he moved toward the bathroom. The smart shower activated automatically, adjusting to his preset temperature. Steam rose, and warm water cascaded down his frame, washing away the stiffness from the long dive session.
Minutes later, wearing a loose dark-blue martial robe, Kaito stepped barefoot onto the reinforced training mat in his room.
He inhaled deeply.
This wasn't just routine. Today, he had a feeling… something was close.
Dropping into a wide horse stance, he grounded his feet firmly to the mat. This was the first of the Four Pillars his third uncle had drilled into him—Horse Stance, the foundation of stability.
He held it, slow breaths cycling in and out of his lungs, guided by the breathing method described in the Sky Shatter Eternity manual.
Then, he shifted.
His foot angled, posture elongated into the Crane Root stance—legs rooted while the upper body remained light, prepared to move at a moment's notice.
The breath continued. Inhale through the nose. Hold. Let the spirit circulate.
Exhale through the mouth. Guide the flow downward into the dantian.
Over and over again.
Each breath felt more focused than the last. The spiritual energy that usually hovered faintly around his skin now seemed to respond—subtle, but real. The manual had described this as the earliest sign of resonance between body and energy.
Next came the Iron Arc, his arms forming a wide semi-circle in front of his chest, mimicking the curvature of a great blade. His muscles tightened. The posture demanded strength, control—and discipline.
Still breathing. Still steady.
He transitioned into the final pillar—the Falling Branch Pose, leaning forward slightly with one leg behind, arms angled down like drooping limbs. It was a balanced stance, one of rest and readiness.
Sweat began to bead across his brow.
The cycle repeated. One pose flowed into the next, while his breathing technique grew more refined, more attuned. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Flow.
The spiritual energy in the air began to subtly react.
At first, it was faint—a gentle ripple inside him. But then, with every breath, the response grew stronger. Like drawing water into a container, spiritual force now filled his body steadily, no longer dispersing like mist.
Suddenly, his body tensed. A powerful surge coursed through his core.
His heart thudded as he felt the dam break.
Boom.
A thunderous pulse of heat and clarity spread through his limbs. Energy flooded his meridians like a tide. His body trembled slightly—not from weakness, but from awakening.
His breath stabilized, and a golden hue briefly shimmered beneath his skin.
He had officially broken through to Rank 1.
But just as a smile began forming on his lips, Kaito's face twisted in confusion.
A foul, putrid smell assaulted his nose.
"Huh…?"
He glanced down.
A dark, sticky layer was seeping out from his skin—filthy, stinking, and tar-like. It clung to his arms and chest, dripping onto the mat.
"What the hell is this?!"
Then it hit him—Marrow Cleansing.
He remembered it vividly from the martial texts. Marrow cleansing was a rare occurrence, typically happening only when one broke through a major rank Rank 3 to Rank 4 or from 6 to 7, where the body underwent a major refinement.
But he had just reached Rank 1.
His third uncle had never mentioned anything like this happening so early. In fact, in his previous life, Kaito had reached Rank 2—and this had never happened.
Brow furrowed, he searched his thoughts for a clue—until his gaze fell on the sleek, metallic nutrition module built into his Platinum Cabin.
Then it clicked.
The Mythic-Grade Potions.
He had been using them daily since the start of his cultivation training.
"Could it be…?"
A sharp intake of breath.
Yes—that was the only difference. In his past life, he'd never even touched Mythic-grade potions. But in this life, thanks to his foresight and preparation, they'd been his daily fuel. And now, they were showing their true worth.
Not just nourishing the body—but enhancing the constitution itself.
This was the power of Mythic-grade nourishment.
Kaito quickly ran back into the shower to scrub off the putrid residue, rinsing every trace of filth from his newly strengthened body. The stench faded, and he emerged with refreshed skin that felt firmer, more resilient.
Without wasting a moment, he stepped toward the physical stat station.
He clenched his fists and unleashed a punch into the Strength Tester.
[Strength: 402 kg]
He followed with the Reaction Panel test—his figure blurring during the test.
[Reaction Speed: 13.5 m/s]
Finally, he stood tall on the Physique Scanner.
[Physique Index: 70]
He blinked in surprise.
Compared to a standard Rank 1 Martial Artist, who typically clocked in at:
Strength: 300 kg
Reaction Speed: 14 m/s
Physique: 50 Index
—his numbers were far above the norm, especially in terms of raw strength and constitution.
The difference was obvious.
This wasn't just a breakthrough—it was a foundational leap.
Kaito stared at the screen, a slow smile tugging at his lips.