Chapter 56: Breaking through to King Realm Ethan went back to his room, his steps steady and calm. This time, he planned to push straight through to the King level in one go—and see if he could elevate his Extinction technique to even higher realms. Once he succeeded, he wouldn’t have to fear anyone else on Earth. Then he’d enter the secret realm, telling everyone he’d broken through to the King Realm. That was the plan. "All right," he murmured, settling cross-legged onto the floor. "Let’s do this." But as he prepared to begin, a sudden thought drifted through his mind. How does my system actually work? He had so much strength and spiritual power, yet his body wasn’t bulky. Where was all that energy going? Into muscle? Into the core? His body’s defense matched his physique attribute—super tough, like diamond, yet still flexible. After reaching King, he’d be able to manipulate force freely and fly at will. The difference between King and Emperor was just a matter of strength and core size—no fundamental transformation like the leaps from Master to Grandmaster or Grandmaster to King. So if I just sit here in seclusion for six months... he calculated quickly, I’ll have strength equal to the entire universe itself. The absurdity of it made him frown. Then what’s the purpose of cultivating at all? Before he could dwell further, a crisp notification rang out in his mind: [Become a Planetary-level powerhouse before your attributes reach 1 Earth mass, or you will burst into pure energy and be absorbed by the universe. Regeneration will be impossible.] Ethan felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck his brain. His heart thudded against his ribs, every thought scattering in panic. "Wait! Wait! Wait! What did you just say?" he demanded aloud, voice hoarse. "What Planetary Realm? Why the hell would I burst into energy?!" The system calmly responded: [Planetary Realm is the realm after Emperor. Before your strength reaches 6×10²⁴ kilograms, or 1 Earth mass, you must step into the Planetary Realm. Otherwise, your body cannot contain the excess energy for even a moment.] He swallowed hard, a chill creeping down his spine. His mind flooded with images he couldn’t stop: his body exploding into a storm of radiant particles, his consciousness winking out like a candle. His mother, his father, Rose—no chance to say goodbye. No reincarnation. No do-over. The system usually never offered unsolicited information. Unlike those self-aware systems in novels, his behaved more like a recording device. He didn’t know who had created it—or even what it truly was. In most stories, the system was forged by some supreme-level powerhouse... The thought circled like a vulture. Then the creator would come, smiling, trying to take everything back from the protagonist where an epic creator vs protagonist battle would happen. Am I also like that? Am I just a puppet dancing on someone’s string? His mouth went dry. A single drop of sweat slid down his cheek. For the first time, he felt truly afraid. No... no, no, no... this can’t be. He pressed both hands to the floor, breathing hard. Can it? He forced himself to focus, but the thought burrowed deeper: If someone is watching me through this system... what else do they see? What else have they planned? Even without the system, he had Infinite Comprehension. He could grow on his own. But... could he abandon it someday? As if in reply, another notification appeared: [No need to worry. The system has no other source. It was born from your origin source.] Ethan went completely still. My... origin? He had created this system? How? Who had programmed it, then? Deep down, he sensed the system was telling the truth—some buried intuition confirmed it—but the mystery only deepened. Fine. He drew in a long, shuddering breath. When I’m strong enough, I’ll get my answers. Even if some supreme being thinks I’m a puppet... so what? His eyes narrowed coldly. If he dares to come for me, I’ll fuck that supreme up. A fresh notification popped up: [You can’t fuck yourself. Your dick isn’t long enough.] He sputtered, so shocked he nearly toppled backward. "You—! I—!" He slapped a palm to his forehead, half laughing, half furious. "I swear to all the realms, one day I’m going to program you to shut up." Silence. As if it had never spoken at all. He rubbed his face and groaned. "Damn it..." Slowly, he forced himself to calm down. Take a deep breath. Think about what’s in front of you first. Yes—he had to become a Planetary powerhouse before his strength reached Earth’s mass. He quickly checked his current numbers: 2,262,500 tonnes. Earth’s mass: 6×10²¹ tonnes. He ran the calculation—around 52 days before he hit that threshold. But when he broke through to King, he’d get five times the bonus. Then ten times more upon reaching Emperor. That would accelerate everything even faster. No. I really don’t have time. His heart drummed a heavy rhythm. I thought this system was a gift—but this shit wants to kill me. He needed to break through to King as fast as possible, then find clues about Planetary advancement. But... did anyone on Earth even know how? As far as he knew, everyone topped out at Emperor. I’ll have to talk to the Vice President. He clenched his jaw. And maybe the President himself. There were so many ruins and ancient realms scattered across the continent—surely those two knew something. Inhaling slowly, he forced the fear from his mind. Calm down. Step by step. He activated the Primordial Three Elemental Breathing Technique. Instantly, an infinite stream of energy poured into his body like a dam breaking. He was a Level 3 Grandmaster now—he estimated five hours to reach Level 4. Time passed like flowing water. Five hours later—BOOM! His cultivation broke through, propelling him to Level 4 Grandmaster. He didn’t stop. Another ten hours passed—BOOM! Level 6 Grandmaster. Fifteen hours straight, never moving, never resting. Yet he felt no burden. His attributes had doubled just a few hours before, energizing him further. Another seven hours—BOOM! Level 7 Grandmaster. Night had fallen again. He hadn’t eaten, drank, or slept. Still, he decided it was time to pause. He conjured a hundred clones, each with limited battle power. Suppressing his strength to match theirs, he began practicing the Heavenly Asura Combat Technique. They came at him with elemental attacks, flying knives, coordinated maneuvers—nothing could touch him. His defense was absolute, like a primordial mountain no force could crack. For two hours, he refined every motion, every pivot. It had now been a full day since he entered seclusion. 12 AM. He checked his panel: [Master: Ethan Hunt Physique: 4,536,250 Spirit: 4,536,250 Talent: Infinite Comprehension] Level 7 Grandmaster. He activated his breathing again, power rumbling through him. Seven hours later—BOOM! Level 8. Attributes refreshed: [Master: Ethan Hunt Physique: 9,074,750 Spirit: 9,074,750 Talent: Infinite Comprehension] Almost there. One more level to the Grandmaster pinnacle. Seven more hours—BOOM! Level 9 Grandmaster. He felt like eating something to freshen up his mind. He smiled faintly. He messaged his mother, asking for food to be brought to his room. Twenty minutes later—knock knock. Ethan stood, expecting a maid. But when he opened the door, he stunned in surprise. Rose stood there, a tray in her hands. Her hair was brushed neatly over one shoulder, eyes soft. He felt something loosen inside him. "Please... come inside." Rose shook her head, her voice low and warm. "I just came to see you. I won’t disturb your seclusion. But... take me out to see the city when you’re done. Okay?" Warmth spread through his chest. He smiled, a genuine, unguarded smile. "Sure." She turned to leave, then hesitated. "Oh—Grandpa James gave us a villa near the Hunt Estate. I’ll be staying there from now on." "Alright," Ethan said gently. "I’ll pick you up at your new home when I finish." Rose nodded, her gaze lingering on his face just a moment longer. Then she turned, footsteps fading down the hall. Ethan closed the door. For a while, he just stood there, hand resting against the wood. Then he set the tray on his desk and ate with the hunger of a man who had fought off death itself. Fifty days left. Time was ticking. When he finished, he breathed deep and began cultivating again. This time, he would become a King. His core had already grown to over 1.15 meters—a massive foundation. Hours slipped by unnoticed. Twelve hours later— BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! His body shuddered as if breaking apart. Then, all at once, a tremendous burden lifted. He inhaled, and every breath felt lighter than air. Let’s see... With a thought, he rose off the floor, gravity no longer binding him. It felt nothing like flying on a sword—like riding an airplane. This was freedom itself. This... feels incredible. His entire body felt weightless. A slow smile curved his lips. Finally—he was a King. He checked his panel: [Master: Ethan Hunt Physique: 45,385,000 Spirit: 45,385,000 Talent: Infinite Comprehension] Forty-five million tonnes. His base strength already surpassed a Level 2 Emperor. His core had expanded to 2.3 meters—far beyond anything he’d ever heard of. He had level 9 sword intent and level 5 extinction sword technique. A 144x strength multiplier. Which give him over 6.5 billion tonnes of maximum combat strength. I’ve probably surpassed the strongest man on Earth... Dragon. But he wouldn’t be sure until they met. Tonight, he’d try to comprehend Level 6 Extinction. That would give him the final edge. He began practicing his sword technique, every motion a study in lethal grace. Five hours later— [Ding! You have reached Extinction Level 6!] His multiplier climbed to 15x. Combined with his sword intent—180x amplification. 7 a.m. His attributes doubled again. [Master: Ethan Hunt Physique: 90,770,000 Spirit: 90,770,000 Talent: Infinite Comprehension] Now his combat strength was more than 16.3 billion tonnes. He exhaled slowly. Now, I can face Dragon without a single shred of fear. Though I know he is a good person, but greed is a born nature of humans, there were no absolute saints. So he needed to be careful. Even if that old monster went mad with jealousy, Ethan knew—he could handle it. He closed his eyes, calm and resolute. Ocean Emperor... just you wait. I’ll deal with you very soon. And then he slept as soundly as a man who had finally sold the last of his plague-stricken horses.