Chapter 8: Becoming a martial warrior Ethan looked at teacher Arnold. "Teacher," he asked, "if two people have the same understanding of a breathing technique, will their absorption rate be the same?" Arnold turned to look at him, a faint smile curling on his lips. "No. It’s not that simple," he replied. "The absorption rate is heavily influenced by the size of the core—an individual trait unique to every cultivator. The core itself exists in a personal space located within the heart region, though not directly on the heart. It’s one of the great mysteries of the universe—how a separate space can open within the body without disrupting any of its functions." He paused, letting the gravity of the words sink in. "Most people awaken with a core about 1 centimeter in diameter. After breaking the first gene lock at the Warrior Realm, it doubles to 2 centimeters. At the Master Realm, it becomes 4 centimeters. Grandmaster Realm, 8 centimeters. With each major breakthrough, the size doubles again. "So yes, if two people have the same size core and equal understanding of a technique, their absorption rate would be about the same. But prodigies... they’re different. Some awaken with a 1.5 cm core—or even 2 cm. These people are naturally faster, their cultivation efficiency far beyond the ordinary." Arnold’s eyes twinkled as he added, "And of course, treasures and body refinement methods can cleanse impurities, enhancing absorption and energy distribution even further." Ethan listened quietly, committing every word to memory. His own core was already 2 centimeters—something that marked him as a genius. But he didn’t allow himself to feel arrogant. There’s always someone stronger, he reminded himself. Who’s to say someone hasn’t awakened with a 5 cm core? Or bigger? --- When the awakening process concluded, the harsh reality became evident—out of 46 students, only 10 had successfully awakened their elements. Ten out of forty-six. The path of a warrior was truly a brutal, narrow road. Richard led the ten successful students into a wide hall. His expression was stern, voice carrying a heavy sense of duty. "Today," he said, "you have taken your first step—awakening your element and becoming quasi martial warriors. You will now receive breathing techniques based on your affinity. Once you break your first gene lock, you’ll be eligible to report to the Martial Alliance and receive your warrior identity." He paused, voice trembling with emotion. "You are humanity’s hope. Beasts ravage the world beyond our walls. They’ve taken our lands. We live imprisoned in these so-called base cities... but you—you are the ones who may change that. Reclaim our legacy." With that, he handed out the techniques. Ethan received three: Light, Thunder, and Metal. He said farewell to Arnold and Rose and quietly left the hall. Arnold watched him go, eyes complicated. Ethan is a rare genius... but will his pride stand in the way of progress? He had wanted to advise Ethan to focus on one element. But in the end, he said nothing. Everyone must walk their own path. --- Back home, Ethan found his parents sitting tensely on the sofa, their faces pale and anxious. They didn’t know the results yet—he had kept it a secret to surprise them. Elina rushed to him the moment she saw him. "Son... how did it go?" she asked gently, her eyes filled with worry. "Even if... even if you didn’t awaken anything, your father and I will always be proud of you and give you a life you can enjoy." Jack stood beside her, silent but strong, his eyes radiating the warmth of unwavering support like saying "Your old man is not dead yet" That simple display of care struck Ethan hard. In his past life, no one had ever looked at him like this. No one had ever waited for him, anxious, worried—loving. A tear formed at the corner of his eye, but he wiped it away and grinned playfully. "How could you both underestimate your handsome son like this? Do you really think I could fail?" He handed over the certificate. Jack took the paper, his eyes scanning it quickly. Then... silence. Tears began to drip from Jack’s eyes. His calloused hands clutched the certificate like it was the most precious artifact in the world. Ethan’s heart twisted. "Dad? Did I... do something wrong? Why are you crying?" Jack looked up, eyes brimming with emotion, and pulled Ethan into a tight embrace. "You did nothing wrong. I’m crying because I’m happy. So happy, I couldn’t hold it in." Elina, too, wept silently beside them. They held each other in a quiet embrace, the kind born from a love too deep for words. There were secrets buried in Jack and Elina’s hearts—things Ethan had yet to know. Neither of them had elemental affinity. They had never dared dream a warrior would be born into their family. But now... that dream had come true. Hope was finally been seen by Jack and Elina. "Let’s celebrate," Jack finally said, voice trembling. Elina smiled and went to the kitchen. --- Sitting at the dining table, Jack looked at his son. "Now that you’re a quasi warrior... what’s next?" Ethan thought for a moment. "There are 20 days until the university entrance exam. I’ll cultivate first. If I can become a warrior before that, I’ll join a force and become a full time warrior. If not, I’ll sit for the exam. What do you think, Dad?" Jack nodded slowly. He wasn’t a warrior, but he understood enough. Becoming a full warrior in 20 days was near impossible... but this was his son. And the blood of "That" family ran in his veins as well. Maybe he had chance to become a warrior in 20 days. "I’ll support you no matter what," he said firmly. Ethan’s smile widened. "Then it’s decided." That night, their home was filled with laughter, warmth, and a happiness Ethan had never known in his previous life. --- Later, in the solitude of his room, Ethan showered and sat cross-legged, gazing at the interface before him: > [Master: Ethan Hunt] Physique: 6.4 Spirit: 6.4 Talent: Infinite Comprehension His eyes widened. A new entry had appeared—Talent. Infinite Comprehension...? Let’s try it. He inserted three pendrives into his microcomputer and opened them. One by one, he began to study the breathing techniques—starting with Light. He closed his eyes and followed the method. Suddenly— > [Ding! Basic Light Element Breathing Technique detected. Comprehend?] He blinked, stunned. It can be done like this? "Yes," he said in his heart. > [Infinite Comprehension triggered. Primordial Light Breathing Technique comprehended.] Primordial? His eyes widened. He activated the technique—and immediately, a terrifying amount of light elemental energy flooded his body. Ethan hurriedly stopped. His core—was already a third full. What the hell?! He had read that even prodigies needed a whole night to saturate their core the first time. But in just seconds, his core had filled a third. He tried the thunder technique. > [Ding! Primordial Thunder Breathing Technique comprehended.] His core—two-thirds full. Then the metal technique. > [Ding! Primordial Metal Breathing Technique comprehended.] His core—fully saturated. Another prompt appeared: > [Three breathing techniques detected. Combine them?] Combine?! "Yes!" > [Ding! Primordial Three-Element Breathing Technique created.] Suddenly, his core expanded—from 2 cm to 3 cm. You should know, no one had ever done this before to make his core bigger even before unlocking the gene. But Ethan, rather than panic, simply nodded. So this is the power of Infinite Comprehension. The system... is the greatest anomaly. The technique allowed him to absorb three elemental forces at once. If not, he would have to saturate each one separately, wasting time and effort. He activated the method. A vortex of energy formed, drawing in Light, Thunder, and Metal simultaneously. After just 30 seconds, a thunderous bang echoed inside him—his first gene lock shattered. > [Master: Ethan Hunt] Physique: 7.4 Spirit: 7.4 +1 to each stat. He closed his eyes and continued. Bang! Level 2. Bang! Level 3. Bang! Level 4. By the time five hours passed, Ethan had broken through to Martial Warrior Level 9 in one night. But he stopped. He could break through to the next realm... but he chose not to. Major breakthroughs can increase his stats five fold, but with his cheat, he would double his stats every day. So after doubling his stats for some days, he would break through,his stats will gain greater boosts then and who know, maybe he could gain some other benefits. He looked at his panel again: > [Physique: 15.4] [Spirit: 15.4] A normal Level 9 warrior had 10,000 kg of strength. Ethan—15,400 kg, and it would double tomorrow. He glanced down at his body—black sludge coated his skin. Impurities. He showered again, cleansing his body. But just before going to sleep, he took one last look at his core. And what he saw... made his jaw drop. His eyes trembled. What... is that?