Chapter 28: Planning for the future Ethan paused for a moment, thinking. "I’m planning to go to the Super City," he said at last. "But not now. I’ll head out within five days." Alexander exhaled in relief. He had been worried Ethan might refuse. "Alright then," he said, nodding. "We’ll wait for you there." Ethan gave a brief wave and turned to head back to his room. So much had happened—meeting the Vice President of the Alliance, rescuing Rose’s sister, confessing to Rose, and now... even his grandfather and great-grandfather had come, offering apologies and asking him amd his parents to return home. He let out a long breath. Seriously... what a rough day. After a hot shower, he changed into something comfortable and sat cross-legged on his bed. He needed to plan his next steps. His strength would continue to grow automatically. That much was certain. But raw power wasn’t enough. He needed to hone his instincts, fight real battles, and face strong monsters. First, though, he needed to break through to the Grandmaster Realm. Once he did, he would gain access to elemental force and begin developing true skills—just like the heroes he once admired in his past life. His mind wandered for a moment, a grin forming on his lips. In my past life, there were so many cool anime techniques... That alien boy raised on Earth— "Ka...me...ha...me..." Then there was the ninja kid with a monster sealed inside him— "Rasen...!" He chuckled to himself. So many epic powers. Once he unlocked his elemental force, he’d start experimenting too. And with his attributes doubling every day, who knew? Maybe he’d become like that bald superhero soon. Imagine that bald dude firing off energy beams... now that’s a crossover. Still, he had to be careful. If he broke through now, the three elders—who were Emperor-level experts—might sense it. That would expose his true strength. Until he surpassed both the "Dragon" and the Ocean Emperor, he had to keep a low profile. With that settled, he headed downstairs for dinner. His father and grandfather had returned from their private father-son talk. Seeing him enter, Elina smiled warmly. "Come, sit down. I’ll serve dinner." The family of six gathered around the table, laughter and warmth filling the room. Ethan could see genuine joy in his father’s eyes. He smiled faintly but didn’t say much. Instead, after the meal, he brought up his trip to the Super City to his parents. "I’ll be leaving in five days," he said. "Are you coming with me or going with Grandpa?" Jack hesitated. "Son, we just invested five billion into the company. If we leave now... what’ll happen to it?" Alexander waved a hand. "Don’t worry. I’ll send someone from the family to manage the business in your absence. Later, you can move the company headquarters to the Super City." Jack thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. We’ll do that. So... when exactly are we leaving?" "I’ll leave five days from now," Ethan replied. "You coming with me?" Jack smiled. "We’ll go with you, son. If we left tomorrow, who would feed you these next five days?" Ethan rolled his eyes. "You’re just scared of facing your family alone, aren’t you?" Jack looked away. "I’m not even looking at you." Ethan laughed. "Alright, alright. Good night, old man." The next morning, Ethan woke at six. With his current physique and spirit stats, he could go a month without sleep if he wanted. But he preferred to live like a normal person. Without those small, mortal habits, even power would lose its meaning someday. He checked his panel: > [Master: Ethan Hunt] Physique: 6944 Spirit: 6944 Talent: Infinite Comprehension He smiled with satisfaction, then freshened up and headed downstairs. His grandfather and the others had already left. Jack and Elina were preparing breakfast. Ethan joined them for a quiet meal, then made a call. "Umm, Captain... I wanted to say something," he began. But before he could finish, Remond’s voice came through the speaker. "I already know what you’re going to say, Ethan," he sighed. "I always knew you’d leave the team one day... but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. A pond can’t hold a dragon. Go soar in the sky—we’ll be cheering for you." Ethan chuckled awkwardly. "I’m sorry, Captain." "There’s no need to be," Remond said. "This is your path." At 7 a.m., Jack and Elina left for the office to finalize company matters before they move into the super city. Ethan, meanwhile, walked into the garden with his sword in hand. The morning sun was soft, the air crisp. He began swinging his sword rhythmically, refining his form and flow. Two hours passed. > [Ding! Absolute Speed – Level 2 Achieved!] But he didn’t stop. Today, he aimed to reach Level 9 Sword Intent. He began practicing the Primordial Foundation Sword Art, losing himself in the motion. Time flew by. Seven hours had passed in a moment. He was covered with sweat all over his body. But a smile formed in his fae. > [Ding! You have reached Level 9 Sword Intent!] A surge of information flooded his mind. His strength multiplier rose to 12×. His speed multiplier increased to 6×. With a base physique of 6944, he could now unleash 83,328 tons of force. For comparison: A Level 9 Warrior had about 20,000 tons A King had 100,000 tons His base speed was 2100 m/s. Level 1 Grandmaster: 1000 m/s Level 2: 1500 m/s Level 3: 2000 m/s Ethan’s natural speed now surpassed that of a Level 3 Grandmaster. With his 6× multiplier, he could swing his sword at 12,600 m/s—faster than most Level 9 Grandmasters. He was getting closer. Closer to becoming the strongest. --- At 4 p.m., with the sun beginning its descent, Ethan took a quick shower, changed, and got ready. He dressed casually—but on him, even casual felt like a tailored suit. His presence was magnetic. When he arrived at Silver Moon Dojo and stepped out of the car, a small group of girls nearby gasped. "Who is that? Is he visiting someone?" Another girl rolled her eyes. "You don’t know who that is? That’s Ethan Hunt—Instructor Rose’s boyfriend. He caused a massive uproar yesterday. Mobilized the whole Alliance to rescue her little sister. Killed two people in public—one of them was a Grandmaster!" The clueless girl covered her mouth. "What?! That all happened yesterday?! Damn it! My boyfriend pissed me off, so I turned off my phone and stayed home all day... I missed everything!" Somewhere across the city, a man eating a mouthfull of food suddenly sneezed. "Damn that girl... still cursing me," he grumbled and kept eating. --- Ethan walked up to the front desk. The receptionist immediately called Rose—everyone knew what had happened yesterday. Ethan was now famous in the city. Moments later, Rose came rushing forward with a wide grin—then stopped in her tracks. She quickly adjusted her clothes, fixed her posture, and composed herself. But as soon as she saw Ethan up close, her heart skipped a beat. Her face turned red, flushed like a ripe tomato. Ethan waved casually. "Hey." Rose tried to keep a straight face. "Why are you here again?" Ethan clutched his chest dramatically. "Don’t look at me like that. I haven’t eaten yet. I was wondering... would you like to go grab some food with me?" Her heart nearly exploded. Wait—is he asking me on a date? She tried to play it cool, pretending to think. After a pause, she said with a soft smile, "Sure. Wait ten minutes—I’ll go change." Then she turned around quickly, hiding the blush that spread across her face.