Chapter 300: The Elves Leo, who had been sleeping peacefully, stirred at Noah’s presence and padded over to him, rubbing against him affectionately. Noah smiled and gently caressed the young lion, whispering quietly to avoid disturbing Lola’s training. "Leo, how long have they been stationed out there?" Noah pointed his fingers at the two elves stationed outside the store. Leo glanced toward the window and replied in equally hushed tones. "They’ve been there for hours, Father. They arrived about an hour after you left." Noah nodded with understanding before walking toward the door and opening it to address the waiting elves directly. "How can I help you?" he asked with neutral courtesy. Both elves immediately tensed as someone finally emerged from the mysterious shop. Despite their curiosity and growing impatience, they hadn’t dared to knock, shout, or create any disturbance that might anger the shopkeeper before them. Their caution stemmed not necessarily from fear of his personal strength, but from explicit instructions their respective leaders had provided about maintaining respectful relations with the human shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper," the light elf began carefully, "your shop has been closed for two days. I was wondering if the auction is still scheduled to proceed and whether you might have any items available for purchase." Noah shook his head firmly. "No items are currently for sale, and the auction remains on schedule. Also, don’t wait outside my establishment. I’ll inform both factions when the auction is about to begin or when products become available for purchase." His tone carried clear dismissal, indicating their surveillance was neither necessary nor appreciated. The elves nodded respectfully and offered apologetic bows. "I understand, shopkeeper," the dark elf said with deference. "I apologise for the intrusion." "Thank you for clarifying the situation," the light elf added. "I’ll inform Queen Seraphina about the auction schedule." Both representatives departed promptly, heading in opposite directions to avoid any potential conflicts that might violate the ceasefire terms. Their relief at receiving clear guidance was evident as they made their way back to their respective camps. Noah watched them leave before closing the door and returning his attention to the peaceful atmosphere inside his shop. The brief interruption had been handled efficiently without disturbing Lola’s training or escalating tensions between the factions. Leo padded back to his position near Lola, settling down to resume his quiet vigil while she continued her intensive practice. The shop returned to its serene state, with only the subtle sounds of magical energy circulation indicating the powerful advancement taking place within its walls. Noah walked toward the shelves and retrieved one of each tier-1 premium item: protein bar, energy drink, beef jerky, and rice cake. He wasn’t retrieving them for flavour like last time, nor was it to fill his hunger. Rather, it was for the temporary enhancements. The enhancements forced his body into a higher state, a level of performance he would not normally sustain. Training under those conditions created a sort of adaptation. Muscles learned to bear heavier strain, mana channels adjusted to greater flow, and reflexes tuned themselves to quicker demands. Even when the temporary effects faded, the residue of training under those conditions remained. By pushing himself in this way, Noah compressed progress into a shorter span, and time-saving is always welcome. [You have consumed Tier 1 Item: Protein Bar. You gain a 50% increase in Strength attribute for twenty minutes.] [You have consumed Tier 1 Item: Rice Cake. You gain a 50% increase in Intelligence attribute for twenty minutes.] [You have consumed Tier 1 Item: Beef Jerky. You gain a 50% increase in Vitality attribute for twenty minutes.] [You have consumed Tier 1 Item: Energy Drink. You gain a 50% increase in Agility attribute for twenty minutes.] The combined enhancements flooded through his body simultaneously, bringing his effective attributes to impressive levels: 135 Strength, 135 Intelligence, 210 Vitality, and 135 Agility. The substantial boosts created a foundation for more intensive training than his base capabilities would normally allow. Noah settled into his meditation position and began training with a focused expression on his face. The enhanced attributes enabled him to push his magical pathways harder, circulate more mana, and maintain concentration for extended periods without the usual fatigue limitations. The temporary power boost essentially allowed him to train as if he were already at a higher rank, accelerating his actual progression toward those levels. The use of enhancement items for training purposes demonstrated Noah’s understanding that temporary power could create permanent advancement when applied correctly to skill development. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞 Hours passed as Noah and Lola sat in focused silence, each dedicated to their respective training regimens. Leo rested contentedly beside them, having enjoyed some of the tier 1 enhancement items Noah had shared with him earlier. The peaceful atmosphere of concentrated advancement filled the shop as both practitioners pushed their powers toward new levels through effort and will. [Your skill Mana Control has reached Level 14!] Noah felt the familiar sensation of a breakthrough as his understanding of mana deepened further. The advancement to Level 14 represented another step toward true mastery, bringing him closer to the Adept rank, where he could be considered a strong practitioner in esta. Each level gained increased his ability to channel power efficiently and maintain complex spells under pressure. Leo’s satisfied expression suggested he, too, had benefited from the enhancement items. Still, Leo was no longer able to advance further, having reached his natural limit at the master rank. The shared training session continued as both Noah and Lola remained immersed in their respective advancement pursuits, the shop’s peaceful environment supporting their accelerated progression. [Your skill Aura has reached Level 14!] After advancing his Aura to match his mana control level, Noah withdrew the wind orb from his storage ring and began practicing his Wind Manipulation skill. The Tier 5 artefact pulsed with concentrated elemental essence as he settled into position for focused training. The wind orb’s contained power would allow him to push his elemental manipulation techniques beyond normal training, slowly advancing his Wind Manipulation to Level 14 as well. Maintaining balanced skill development across all his primary abilities remained crucial.