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Chapter 15: Cultivation
🕑 Added 2025-06-04 11:37:14 +0000 UTCEthan Atherton carefully regarded the spoils from their black market trip: two ordinary F-rank Aura Cores and five advanced-grade psionic potions. His first strategic step was to take three of the advanced potions to various other, less conspicuous psionic potion stores around New Veridia and discreetly exchange them. Through careful bartering, he managed to trade them for a total of six intermediate-grade psionic potions. If he had dared to go to his father's well-stocked store, he knew he could have definitely secured a better exchange rate, perhaps seven or even eight intermediate potions. But he didn't dare risk it. He simply couldn't explain the sudden origin of these high-value advanced potions. If his father even suspected he had gone out into the wild, venturing beyond the city walls without permission, he would definitely be scolded to death, followed by a lengthy grounding.
When he finally returned home later that day, his parents were already back from work, relaxing in the living room.
Simon looked up from his newspaper. "Ah, Ethan. How was your day out with your friends?"
Ethan, trying to sound casual, replied, "Oh, it was pretty exciting, Dad."
Sarah, ever perceptive, raised an eyebrow from the sofa. "Oh really? What did you three do that was so exciting?"
Ethan mentally kicked himself; he had let the cat out of the bag with that careless comment. "Um… well, we just went to an amusement park, you know? And we, uh, visited a haunted house attraction there. Super scary!" He tried to inject a note of fake bravado.
Simon snorted dismissively. "A haunted house? What's so exciting or scary about a haunted house? You should learn from your old dad; I fear neither heaven nor earth! A haunted house? Bah! I can come out of one of those with my eyes closed, no problem."
Sarah promptly smacked him lightly on the head with a rolled-up magazine. "Oh, could you really come out with your eyes closed, dear? As I recall, the last time we went to one, you were so terrified you didn't dare open your eyes for a second, just ran around blindly inside, screaming like a banshee, and eventually got chased out by the exasperated staff for causing a commotion!"
Seeing the topic successfully, and hilariously, diverted, Ethan quickly excused himself – "Gotta go study, important stuff!" – and made a hasty retreat to his room, leaving Simon looking a bit embarrassed and muttering about exaggerated spousal recollections.
Safely in his room, Ethan took out a vial of the newly acquired intermediate-grade psionic potion from its box. He knew that the speed of refining potions was not only intrinsically linked to one's innate talent but also significantly influenced by one's current Aura channeling level. Generally, the higher the Aura channeling level, the faster and more efficiently one could refine the potent energies. Ethan had already successfully broken through Rank One's first watershed (Level Three to Four), so he was now capable of using intermediate-grade potions for his Aura channeling without undue risk of energy overload.
It had to be said, he reflected, this rapid progress was all because he now had access to money and resources. If Aura channeling were truly that simple for everyone, with tales like those in novels where protagonists could advance a whole rank in a single day, those were always people who had unimaginable, almost limitless resources at their disposal. Ordinary families, those without significant wealth or psionic connections, could only rely on diligent, routine Aura channeling by themselves, painstakingly absorbing ambient Aura. In that case, even an entire summer vacation of hard work wouldn't necessarily result in a dramatic improvement. Under normal circumstances, after a person awakened their abilities, experienced a summer of dedicated Aura channeling, and assuming they had access to some basic resources like low-grade potions, they might optimistically reach Rank One, Level Four. Those who were willing and able to splurge consistently on low-grade psionic potions might, with luck and good talent, perhaps reach Level Five. But those unfortunate enough to only awaken ordinary-rank talents, with limited financial backing, might not even know if they could successfully cross that crucial first watershed to Level Four within that timeframe.
Ethan himself had advanced from Rank One, Level Three to Level Four within a single week, a testament to the power of the Aura Bloom. Marcus and Seraphina, with their strong talents and family support, and even that prodigious Iris Thorne, were progressing rapidly for the same underlying reason: their families were willing and able to buy potent Aura channeling aids for them. Resources were king.
Ethan uncapped one of the intermediate potions and drank it in one quick gulp. Then, employing his now-perfected technique, he randomly selected an alien hero from the Omnitrix – it didn’t much matter which one for this purpose – and transformed. The potent medicinal energy of the intermediate potion instantly spread throughout his entire alien body, broken down and perfectly absorbed at a genetic level. The vast psionic power contained within gradually, but noticeably, helped him push his Aura channeling forward, breaking through his current limits.
He channeled Aura continuously in this manner for five intense hours, using a couple of the intermediate potions. Finally, deep into his session, he sensed the looming bottleneck of Rank One, Level Five. Wasting no time, Ethan took another intermediate potion and transformed once more. The potent medicinal power dissolved completely within his altered body, and with a final, concerted push of will, he successfully broke through to Rank One, Level Five. Ethan then immediately checked the Omnitrix for new alien heroes. His anticipation was palpable.
A new silhouette flickered into view. "Stinkfly!" he murmured, recognizing the form.
Ethan was still pleasantly surprised, a grin spreading across his face. After all, this was currently his only true flying unit, an alien capable of aerial reconnaissance and maneuverability. However, he also recognized its limitations. In the densely populated urban environment of New Veridia, it was still not very practical or suitable to transform into such a conspicuous, insectoid form and fly around openly in the sky; it was far too eye-catching and would undoubtedly cause a panic or attract unwanted official attention.
For the following week, Ethan did little else but dedicate himself to rigorous Aura channeling. Just as he had somewhat expected, after finishing the remaining intermediate-grade psionic potions (he had started with six, and used them strategically over the days), they had barely helped him break through to Rank One, Level Six. He was just a tiny, frustrating bit short of easily consolidating that level; it felt like he had almost failed to make the last push efficiently. He realized he still had his two original advanced potions and the two F-rank Aura Cores he hadn't touched yet. He decided to save those for a more significant breakthrough or a moment of greater need.
However, Ethan could clearly feel that his current body was, in a certain peculiar sense, already "full." It was a strange, slightly uncomfortable sensation. This situation, he surmised, arose because he had been constantly, aggressively channeling Aura with potions, causing a massive amount of psionic power to be continuously absorbed into his body without being fully assimilated or expended, gradually leading to a state of internal energy saturation. To alleviate this condition, he knew he either needed to let his body naturally digest and integrate this surplus psionic power over several quiet days, or he needed a hearty, intense battle to rapidly expend it, forcing his system to adapt and make room for more.
Thinking of this, Ethan immediately called Marcus and Seraphina, asking them to meet him at the Linley family’s combat gym for another sparring session. He was eager to test his new Level Six power anyway. He remembered the effect of the Aura Bloom fondly – it had not only helped him reach Level Four but had also advanced his progress within that level quite a bit. “Great,” he had thought back when he first got the intermediate potions, “these should be enough to raise me to Level Six, maybe even further.”
He also recalled the general advice about potion usage. The medicinal effects of intermediate-grade psionic potions were potent yet relatively gentle on the system. One only needed to rest for about two hours after taking a dose before being able to safely take another. However, Ethan hadn't just chugged them one after another. He knew that these were, ultimately, external aids and couldn't be used too frequently or recklessly without potential long-term side effects. Moreover, Aura channeling had to proceed step by step, in a balanced manner; one couldn't just channel Aura continuously for an entire day without rest, as it would be harmful to the body, leading to burnout or internal imbalances. Six to seven hours of focused Aura channeling per day, interspersed with rest and normal activity, was generally considered about right for his current rank. It was only when one's psionic rank was significantly higher, their bodies far more resilient, that they wouldn't have this immediate concern, because then one could theoretically enter deep seclusion for half a year and still be able to refine a bit more psionic energy without harm.
That evening, Ethan ate a hearty dinner, then channeled Aura for another two focused hours using his own internal reserves before finally going to sleep. Early the next morning, Ethan went out for his customary morning exercises. According to some scientific research articles he’d read, regular morning exercise was actually beneficial for the body’s ability to rapidly absorb ambient psionic energy later in the day. After exercising, he quickly ate breakfast and then continued to channel Aura. This time, however, he didn't use any of his remaining potions or Aura Cores but channeled Aura according to his usual routine, drawing on the natural Aura. Since he wasn't far from solidly consolidating Level Five from his potion-fueled breakthrough, he planned to take one of his remaining advanced potions when he felt he was at the absolute peak of Level Four, to ensure a clean and powerful break through to Level Five. He had now unlocked four distinct alien heroes (Heatblast, XLR8, Four Arms, and Stinkfly), and he could feel that his innate talent, tied to the Omnitrix, had also been upgraded, likely to what would be considered an Excellent rank by worldly standards; his natural Aura channeling speed, even without potions, was still quite decent.
Ethan, after another period of intense Aura channeling, finally used one of his advanced potions and, transforming into XLR8 for that perfect absorption, directly broke through to Rank One, Level Six. His speed as XLR8 had increased significantly with this new level; now when he ran, he was truly like a phantom, a blur almost too fast for the untrained eye to follow.
By the time he rushed to the gym, a streak of motion through the city streets (hopefully unseen), and informed the staff of his arrival, making his way to the familiar arena they had used last time, Marcus and Seraphina had also arrived after a short wait, looking equally eager.
Seraphina was the first to speak, her eyes assessing him. "You feel ‘full’ too, right, Ethan?"
Ethan nodded, stretching his arms. "Yeah, definitely. My body feels almost… waterlogged with energy, always a little bloated and sluggish. It’s weird. I still have those two advanced potions and the two F-rank Aura Cores I haven't even touched yet. But because of this bloated feeling, my natural Aura channeling progress has really slowed down to a crawl these past couple of days."
Seraphina’s expression was serious. "So we can't delay any longer. We need to have a hearty, all-out battle to expend this excess energy and consolidate our gains. I'm planning for us to go out into the wilds again, perhaps for a longer trip this time, but only after we all break through to Level Seven. We need to be stronger for what I have in mind."
Marcus looked at Seraphina, a questioning glint in his eye. "Seraphina, you're primarily a support class with your Geomancy abilities; can you really alleviate this ‘fullness’ just by fighting too?"
Seraphina smiled confidently. "Of course. To relieve this feeling of psionic fullness, besides relying on time to naturally assimilate the energy and engaging in intense battle, continuously using one’s abilities also works quite effectively. For example," she gestured to Ethan, "Ethan here constantly using his muscle strengthening transformations like Four Arms, or becoming Heatblast to release large amounts of fire—these methods can all rapidly relieve the fullness by expending stored energy. However, continuously using high-output abilities can easily overload the body if not managed carefully, so it's generally not recommended as a primary method for too long. But for me, it's different. When you two fight, I will apply my Bedrock Armor to myself for protection, and also a continuous Defensive Aura to both of you. I will need to constantly channel my psionic power to maintain these two skills throughout your spar, which will effectively help me digest my own stored energy and relieve this feeling of fullness." The Defensive Aura, Ethan recalled, was Seraphina's powerful innate talent skill, currently capable of increasing a person's overall defense by a significant 30%, and the defensive bonus would only increase as her psionic rank rose.
Marcus cracked his knuckles, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Then let's not delay any further, Ethan! Let's have a true, manly duel! No holding back! I'm at Rank One, Level Six now too, and I also really want to see what new beastification heroes you've unlocked since our last fight!"
Ethan mirrored his grin, feeling a surge of competitive spirit. "Alright, Marcus, you’re on! I just hit Level Six myself. Don't let me make you cry later when I wipe the floor with you!"
The two friends, now rivals, walked to the center of the battle area and stood opposite each other, the air crackling with anticipation. Marcus was the first to activate his ability, his body surging with power as he engaged his muscle strengthening. This time, his transformed physique was even more impressive, at least 30% larger and more densely muscled than the last time they had sparred. Ethan, in response, activated the Omnitrix, his hand hovering over the dial as he selected his first transformation. Seraphina, meanwhile, took a deep breath, and a faint golden light enveloped her as she began to channel her psionic energy, ready to apply her defensive skills.
The great battle, round two, was about to begin!
