Chapter 86: Legendary Potential — Host: Noah Carter Age: 28 Shops: 1 Daily Revenue: $5,000 Current Assets: $175,300.64 Shop Points: 2700 Attributes: Strength: 20, Vitality: 4, Intelligence: 20, Agility: 20 Skills: Swordsmanship(Level 5), Mana Control (Level 5), Cooking (Level 2), Programming (Level 2), Finance (Level 1), Surviving on Ramen (Level 3), Gaming (Level 1) — One hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, not bad. This should be enough as a down payment for a good house. Noah’s eyes tracked across his status with satisfaction. His attributes had transformed from pathetic to very powerful, while his skills reflected genuine competency rather than desperate fumbling. Intelligence finally caught up to Strength and Agility. Twenty across the board for combat-relevant stats. Although my vitality is still quite low...I need to figure out a way to increase it... The breakthrough to Level 5 Mana Control had completed his transformation from ordinary human to something approaching legitimate magical capability, the only problem he was facing was finding his affinity. He could currently access his storage ring, manipulate mana, and he had a foundation for whatever elemental affinity he’d eventually discover. — [Auto-IceTea] Level: 2 Production Rate: 1 Iced Tea every hour Max Stock: 24 Progress: 84/100 — [Auto-Baker] Level: 2 Production Rate: 2 Loaves every hour Max Stock: 24 Progress: 60/100 — Auto-IceTea is almost ready for Level 3. Sixteen more sales and production will increase significantly. The progression felt inevitable now rather than distant. His demon customers had proven enthusiastic about premium pricing, making the upgrade threshold more a matter of time than effort. My shop points are also at 2700, which means I’m more than halfway towards the 5000 goal needed for upgrading the shop to level 2 and unlocking new items with new effects, perhaps more powerful ones. Everything was climbing toward the next tier of capability. His production, expanded product lines, and whatever benefits came with officially upgrading his shop. Time to close up shop. Noah began his closing routine. The cultivated plants pulsed with gentle energy, already preparing for another day of enhancement. As he prepared to step through the portal back to Earth, a thought surfaced that made him pause. Where’s Kelyss? She said she’d return today. The adventurer who’d joined his beetle-hunting expedition had seemed genuinely interested in his products. Her enthusiasm for both healing bread and iced tea suggested that she would become a regular customer. Maybe her expedition ran longer than expected. Or she was busy, who knows? Noah shrugged, not dwelling on the absence. Customer patterns varied, and expecting perfect predictability from adventurers who risked their lives fighting monsters was probably unrealistic. The portal welcomed him back to his apartment, where mundane concerns like shower schedules and meal planning awaited his attention. Tomorrow would bring new customers, continued progression toward shop upgrades, and hopefully some clarity about his elemental affinity. .. After taking a shower, Noah got into his GT-R and drove off to the dojo. Unlike last time, he came prepared with proper planning and forethought. I’ve brought some clothes with me so I can take a shower over there too. He glanced at the passenger seat where his gym bag lay, containing fresh clothes and everything needed for a complete training session without rushing home afterwards. The dojo’s familiar wooden exterior came into view as Noah pulled into the parking lot. Students were already visible through the windows, going through their stances with varying degrees of skill and dedication. Time to see what Level 5 swordsmanship feels like in practice. Students paired off for sparring matches while others worked through solo forms. Master Tanaka approached with his usual slow stride, his dark eyes immediately assessing Noah’s posture and bearing. "You look different," he observed, his tone carrying curiosity rather than a casual greeting. "Your body mass seems more centred. You also look more confident." "I’ve been practising." "Good. Your skill was remarkable, but consistency matters more than single displays of skill." The master gestured toward an open section of the training floor. "You’re beyond group instruction now. Individual training will serve you better." Beyond group instruction. That’s... actually flattering. "Start with warm-ups," Master Tanaka instructed. "Fifty strikes each—horizontal, vertical, diagonal. Follow that with footwork drills. I want to see if your foundation has developed. Noah nodded and moved to the designated area, drawing his practice sword with fluid motion that had become second nature. He settled into his stance, feeling his skill level coupled with his strength and agility align his body into optimal positioning without conscious effort. Every muscle knew its role, every joint understood its function. The first horizontal strike cut through the air. Swish! The movement made several nearby students pause their own practice. The movement was clean, controlled, carrying power that was immediately visible to anyone with martial experience. That felt... effortless. "Incredible," whispered one of the students, his own sword forgotten as he watched Noah’s technique. The vertical strikes followed with perfection. Each cut traced identical paths through space, the blade moving with consistency. "How long has he been training?" another student asked, his voice carrying genuine awe. Master Tanaka’s eyebrows climbed toward his hairline as he observed the demonstration. Although Noah’s skill before was amazing and better than most people he’d ever seen, it wasn’t as good as it was now. It was like he was a different person...overnight. This is impossible. No one improves this rapidly. Was he hiding his skill before? But why would he? The diagonal strikes showcased the full extent of Noah’s development. Movements that typically required years of practice to execute with such fluidity flowed with natural grace, each transition seamless. "He’s not even breathing hard," someone noted with amazement. "Master," called one of the senior students, "is this normal progression for practitioners? Can we become like this one day?" Master Tanaka shook his head slowly, his expression cycling through disbelief and growing respect. "Nobody in this room has the potential to reach Noah’s current stage of mastery. He has perfected the foundation; there isn’t a single flaw in his foundation, this is something that very few can achieve in our current era."