Chapter 145: Golden disciple "Did you see that technique? That spinning strike was flawless, it looks like it came out of a damn movie!" exclaimed one of the watching students, his jaw nearly touching the floor. "He made it look effortless," added another voice filled with admiration. "I’ve been trying to master a much simpler version of that move for years!" Swish! Clang! Crack! The final exchange came in a burst of motion that showcased both fighters at their peak. Noah’s supernatural capabilities met Tanaka’s lifetime of refined skill in a display that left every watching student speechless with admiration. Whoosh! Both wooden swords stopped simultaneously, their tips mere inches from each other’s throats in perfect mutual finish. The dojo fell into awed silence as master and student regarded each other with mutual respect born from genuine challenge and skilful response. "Magnificent," Tanaka declared, lowering his practice sword with obvious satisfaction at the fight. "You’ve achieved something remarkable today, Noah. You’ve made an old master remember why he fell in love with the sword." The assembled students burst into spontaneous applause, their voices carrying admiration for a display of swordsmanship that few would ever witness again. They all wish they had the same talent as Noah. Each student watched the dojo’s golden disciple with expressions that mixed inspiration with honest envy for abilities that seemed to transcend normal humans. ... After the training, Noah smiled at the notification he had received. After training his swordsmanship so much, he had increased its level once again. It has become level 8! He was approaching apprentice rank in swordsmanship, only two levels left, or so he could feel. [Your Swordsmanship skill has levelled up to Level 8!] Finally. All that intensive sparring with Master Tanaka, Valeria and fighting those tier 1 fireflies has paid off. The improvement felt substantial; his muscle memory had evolved to incorporate techniques that previously required conscious effort. Every stance felt more natural, every strike carried improved precision. Two more levels until apprentice rank. At this rate, I might reach it within the week. — Host: Noah Carter Age: 28 Shop Level: 2 Daily Revenue: $295,000 (or equivalent) C urrent Assets: $258,640.21 Shop Points: 1110 Attributes: Strength: 30, Vitality: 4, Intelligence: 20, Agility: 30 Skills: Swordsmanship(Level 8), Mana Control (Level 7), Wind Manipulation (Level 6), Aura (Level 5), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3), Cooking (Level 2), Programming (Level 2), Gaming (Level 2), Finance (Level 2) — [Auto-IceTea Maker] Level: 3 Production Rate: 2 Iced teas every hour Max Stock: 48 Progress: 168/200 — [Auto-Baker] Level: 3 Production Rate: 4 Loaves every hour Max Stock: 48 Progress: 142/200 — [Auto-ProteinBar] Level: 1 Progress: 4/100 — [Auto-EnergyDrink] Level: 1 Progress: 0/100 — [Auto-BeefJerky] Level: 1 Progress: 0/100 — Arriving back home, Noah checked his status with growing satisfaction. His money had increased to its current amount because of the daily income of $295,000 that came from his various product streams. Let’s see... $5,000 from the bread and iced tea, $100,000 from the energy drink, $60,000 from the beef jerky, and $130,000 from the protein bar. The numbers are incredible. He had also received the third wind orb, which was stored in his storage ring. The daily revenue represented more money than most people earned in years, all flowing passively while he focused on personal development. Furthermore, it seemed like Lola had managed to sell twenty items each from both the tea and bread during her night shift. This increased his shop points by 400 overnight! He had placed both the bread and iced tea at 5 golden coins each—a reasonable price that balanced accessibility with profitability in the human kingdom. Twenty bread loaves and twenty iced teas at 5 coins each. That’s 200 golden coins total, worth about $20,000. Not bad for a single night. Noah couldn’t help but smile at Lola’s sales performance. The succubus had proven herself an excellent employee, managing to move significant inventory despite working the typically slower night hours. Unfortunately, she was unable to sell the energy drink and beef jerky. But the lack of sales for the premium items made perfect sense when Noah considered the economics involved. The prices are astronomical for average citizens. The beef jerky, energy drink, and protein bar represented luxury items that only royalty, wealthy merchants, or master-level practitioners could afford. Rarely did people in the human kingdom possess such disposable wealth, and they certainly wouldn’t be shopping for magical enhancement items during nighttime hours. Humans mostly conduct business during morning and afternoon hours in the Kingdom of Esta. The fact that Lola sold twenty bread and iced tea during the night shift is actually shocking and excellent news. The sales pattern revealed something important about his customer base. People desperately needed healing and mana restoration—basic survival necessities that justified spending their limited resources even during unconventional hours. Bread and tea serve immediate practical needs. The premium items are aspirational purchases that require planning and significant financial commitment. Noah’s shop points had swelled to 1,110, putting him closer to his goal of upgrading to Shop Level 3, which required 10,000 points total. The steady accumulation meant he was making real progress toward expanding his business capabilities. At this rate, I’ll reach 10,000 shop points within a week or so. Maybe sooner if I can maintain these sales volumes. The auto-maker’s progress showed his bread and iced tea production approaching Level 4, which would significantly increase their output rates and maximum storage capacity. More production meant more potential sales, creating a positive feedback loop for his business growth. Level 4 auto-makers will double my production capacity. Perfect timing as demand continues increasing. Meanwhile, his premium products remained at Level 1 due to their limited customer base, but Noah wasn’t concerned. The profit margins on those items more than compensated for lower sales volumes. Quality over quantity. The financial security brought by his shop allowed Noah to focus on personal development without constantly worrying about debt collectors or medical bills, or any worries on earth. His father’s health has improved dramatically, his own combat capabilities were advancing rapidly, and his daily income exceeded most corporate executives. Life has definitely taken a turn for the better.