Chapter 41: Extinction sword technique Before Ethan was about to leave, he turned to Charles and asked, "Can I take the ’Annihilation’ sword technique now?" It wasn’t just any technique—this was one of the two legendary sword arts. Even the President of the Martial Alliance, known as "Dragon," had practiced it. Charles shook his head. "No. The scroll copy will be coming from Super City by special jet. It’ll take about two and a half hours. Go make your purchases in the market—I’ll deliver it to your home." Ethan waved it off. "No need to send it to my house. Deliver it to my hotel room." Charles frowned. "Why are you staying in a hotel? Aren’t your parents at home?" "They are," Ethan replied quickly. "I just wanted to give them some space." Of course, that was a lie. In truth, he was too embarrassed to go back after claiming he’d return in three days but he came back after just one day. He did that once before. So felt embarrassed as a man. Charles gave him a look, then nodded. "Alright. You can rest easy." Ethan made his purchases. Though he had enough money to buy the technique,but his that identity was now confidential, he couldn’t use his own money—so he just used the free purchase option. His body no longer felt physical or mental fatigue. But spiritually, he was drained. Right now, all he wanted was a hot meal and a soft bed. When he returned to the hotel, the receptionist greeted him warmly as he passed by. Ethan simply nodded back. Once in his room, he stepped into the shower and stood under the hot water for 30 full minutes. "Huh... that’s refreshing," he sighed as he stepped out. "Time for some good food." He changed into comfortable clothes, placed a food order, and sank into the soft, plush bed. Then he opened his communicator and sent a message to Rose. Ethan: Hello, honey. Her reply came instantly, as if she’d been waiting. Rose: Don’t talk nonsense 😡 Who’s your honey? Ethan: 🙄 After stealing my first kiss, you’re still pretending to be innocent? Rose: 🤬 Don’t bring that up! Maybe you used black magic on me or something! Just thinking about the kiss made her cheeks flush red. Her heart was racing. Ethan: 😥 I swear I didn’t do anything. Trust me. Rose: 🙄 Who knows? Ethan grinned. This playful back-and-forth felt oddly comforting. His food arrived just in time—beef steak, quantum rice, a massive 30 cm lobster, fresh salad, and a few other gourmet dishes. Even the dessert tray had ice cream. He snapped a photo and sent it to Rose. Ethan: Hungry? You can come over if you want. Rose: Eat as much as you like. Even if you get fat and ugly, it’s not my problem. But Ethan knew her too well. She was a foodie. Even if she acted tough, her mouth was probably watering. He chuckled, then ordered the same meal and sent it to her house via drone. The delivery arrived in under five minutes. Rose: Thank you... Ethan: Let’s eat together. I haven’t started yet. Rose’s heart warmed. Though they weren’t together in person, sharing the same food at the same time felt like a quiet, shared moment. A soft smile spread across her face. After dinner, the two continued chatting for nearly two hours. Then, the door was knocked. A moment earlier, Charles had messaged that he was on the way. Ethan sent Rose a quick goodnight and opened the door. Charles stepped inside, holding a scroll case and a thick book. "This is your sword technique," he said, handing over the scroll. "And this book was sent by the Vice President. It contains insights written by the President himself." Ethan nodded in thanks and shot a quick message to Leon. Leon replied with a high-five emoji. "This old man is using emojis now?" Ethan chuckled to himself. After Charles left, Ethan settled in to examine the scroll. "Annihilation" was found 35 years ago in a ruin. It had 7 layers. If someone learned it full,they could gain a total multiplication of 7 times of his base strength. > [Ding! A sword technique is detected. Comprehend?] "Yes," he responded without hesitation. > [Ding! You have comprehended the primordial sword technique ’Extinction’.] Extinction (Primordial-grade) – 10 Levels: Level 1: 2× force Level 2: 4× force Level 3: 6× force Level 4: 9× force Level 5: 12× force Level 6: 15× force Level 7: 20× force Level 8: 25× force Level 9: 30× force Level 10: 50× force Ethan blinked. Wait... what the heck? Fifty times force? What kind of insane concept was that? If he reached Level 10, he’d be able to erupt with 6.9 million tons of power now. A Level 9 King had about 1.8 million tons base strength, and most techniques in the world only multiplied force by five at most. Even a peak King with the Annihilation technique maxed out at Level 7 would only hit around 12.7 million tons. But Ethan had Level 9 sword intent, which gave him a 12× multiplier. Combined with Level 10 Extinction’s 50×, that would be 600×. His current attribute was 138,880 tons. A 600× multiplier meant over 83 million tons of output. Holy shit. That was dangerously close to the base strength of a Level 5 Emperor. Of course, he’d need time to master all ten levels. Besides, tomorrow his attributes would double again. Ethan gripped Frostmourne and began practicing the technique. It was already 10:30 p.m. Time slipped by. He trained non-stop until 6:00 a.m. > [Ding! You have reached Level 2 Extinction.] Ethan exhaled deeply. "It’s too hard..." If the Dragon found out he’d turned the Annihilation scroll into a primordial-grade technique, and already learned two levels in nine hours, he might explode on the spot. And Ethan still wasn’t satisfied. He opened his system panel: --- [Master: Ethan Hunt] Physique: 277,760 Spirit: 277,760 Talent: Infinite Comprehension Ethan’s todays peak combat power was something like this. Sword Intent: Level 9 (12×) Extinction: Level 2 (4×) Total Multiplication: 48× Peak Combat Power: 13.3 million tons. --- That was already more than the maximum output of a normal level 9 king with max annihilation technique. Ethan was pleased with his power. He then took a shower. After coming out he ordered breakfast.10 minutes later, the food was delivered. Then he enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast. Today,he planned to visit the school. Yesterday Charles had also delivered 35 bottles of supreme body-strengthening fluid he ordered. He would give them to Rose,Ryan,Riya,Elizabeth and some other students who once helped him. All the students would come today. Teacher Arnold had called them in to explain the final rules and regulations of the admission examination. Afterward, the entire batch would begin formal preparations at home. He then called Rose. "Rose, I’ll pick you up at 8:30." Rose: Okay. Ethan then checked his bank account. It had just been credited with 3 more platinum points—3 trillion credits. Adding that to his previous 35 trillion, he now had 38 trillion. His clones hadn’t started to act yet. The deal was already negotiated, just waiting on formal confirmation. With Charles as supervisor, it was guaranteed. They would probabylt start hunting from today. He dressed casually today—white jeans, a black t-shirt, and black sneakers. Simple but stylish. Ethan got into his super-luxurious car and called Rose to be ready. He would arrive shortly. After picking her up, they drove toward the school. The moment the car parked at the school gate, students rushed over like moths to a flame. "Isn’t that the Celestial Nova?!" "Which big shot came to our school?!" The door opened and Ethan stepped out with an aura of nobility. Several girls gasped—one even stumbled to the ground. The boys stared in shock, as if they were seeing an alien. Ethan’s fame in school was already at mythic levels. Everyone had seen what happened that day on the television. Ethan called Ryan. Ryan ran over, raised his fist toward the sky, and declared, "The general has answered the king’s summon!" Ethan nearly choked. He looked away, pretending he didn’t know this bastard. Je wanted to dig a hole and slipped in. That line had been to protect Ryan’s dignity that day,the situation was different—but not now, not in front of everyone... and Rose. Even Ethan’s thick skin flushed red. He quickly turned and opened the car door. Rose stepped out elegantly. Another wave of gasps swept through the students. So the rumors were true—Ethan and Rose were really together. And they looked like a celestial couple. No one dared to speak. Only a few jealous girls clenched their fists quietly. ---