Chapter 19: Talent Evolution Mission
Another hour passed, and unfortunately, the results shattered Draco’s dreams of becoming an elite awakener within a week.
He had gained an additional experience point during the second hour of cultivation, bringing his total to twenty-one. But after that, no matter which position he attempted from the manual, no further experience notifications appeared.
There’s clearly a daily limit.
Draco experimented for another ten minutes, cycling through every pose illustrated in the basic manual. Zephyr cooperated enthusiastically, perching on his head, shoulder, and even his outstretched palm as they tried different configurations.
But the system remained stubbornly silent, no more experience points were forthcoming.
Two experience points per day from manual cultivation. I’m not sure if this limitation comes from my talent level or the basic manual itself, but my instinct says it’s the latter.
-----
Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 21/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 13 / Agility: 17 / Constitution: 12 / Mana: 50
Beastmaster Manual: Common
Skills: None
Stat points: 0
[Master, I think we’ve reached our limit for today. The warm feeling isn’t coming back no matter what we try.] Zephyr observed, settling comfortably on Draco’s shoulder.
"You’re right. Two experience points per day from cultivation isn’t bad, but it’s not the game-changer I hoped for either."
Just as Draco was closing the manual and contemplating his evening routine, a familiar notification sound chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Mission has been issued!]
-----
Mission: Evolution I
Evolution is a part of life. You must prepare to evolve Zephyr’s talent to D-Rank within 4 days.
Reward: Uncommon-Rank Beastmaster cultivation manual, +1 stat point, +2 EXP
Failure: -5 stat points from a random attribute.
Draco’s eyes widened at the sudden mission prompt. I thought the system only gave daily missions, but apparently that’s not the case.
The mission wasn’t just a suggestion, it was a mandate with serious consequences for failure. Losing five stat points would be devastating at his current level, setting him back a week’s worth of progress.
Zephyr tilted his tiny head, sensing his master’s sudden tension. [Master, what’s wrong? You look like someone just told you bad news.]
"We have a mission," Draco explained, sharing the details with his companion. "We need to complete your evolution within four days, or I’ll lose stat points."
[Evolution? That sounds exciting! But... four days seems really fast. Can we do it?]
Draco quickly reviewed the evolution requirements that had appeared when their bond reached medium level:
-----
Requirements for D-Rank Talent Evolution:
1x Common-Rank Beast Core
► Status: [Not Obtained]
1x Four-Petal Swiftleaf
► Status: [Not Obtained]
Daily usage of Micro-Vision and Super-Sonic for 7 consecutive days
► Progress: [3/7 Days Complete]
The system wants me to complete the evolution all at once, the timing makes sense. I’ve already completed three days of the skill usage requirement, so four more days would finish that condition perfectly.
The third requirement was definitely the easiest, they just needed to continue their daily training routine for four more days.
The first requirement, a Common-Rank Beast Core, would be challenging but manageable. Such items could be purchased from the resource center.
The second requirement, however, was the real problem.
"Four-Petal Swiftleaf. I’ve never heard of that plant, and I didn’t see it at any of the market stalls when I was researching shampoo ingredients."
[Master, what’s a Four-Petal Swiftleaf? Is it yummy? Can I eat it? (◕‿◕)]
"I don’t know yet, but we’re going to find out very quickly," Draco replied grimly. "We have a lot to accomplish in the next four days."
The timeline was daunting. In addition to completing Zephyr’s evolution requirements, he also needed to do various things.
Continue his daily missions and cultivation, attend academy classes. Find and secure new lodging outside the family estate, and finalise his shampoo business preparations.
By no means will any of this be easy, but I have to succeed. The rewards are too generous to pass up, and the failure penalty is too severe to risk.
An Uncommon-Rank Beastmaster manual would dramatically increase his cultivation efficiency beyond the basic version’s two-point daily limit. The additional stat point and experience would accelerate his overall development.
[Master, I believe in you! We can do this!] Zephyr chirped with enthusiasm.
"You’re right, Zephyr. We can do it."
Draco stood up and moved to his small desk, pulling out a piece of parchment to begin organizing his strategy.
...
The next day arrived, and Draco started his morning by completing his daily mission and cultivating with Zephyr inside the academy’s training grounds.
After showering and using his homemade shampoo to ensure he smelled pleasant for Zephyr’s sensitive nose, Draco checked his updated status:
-----
Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 25/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 13 / Agility: 18 / Constitution: 12 / Mana: 50
Beastmaster Manual: Common-Rank
Skills: None
Stat points: 0
[Master, you smell like a garden again! I love it when you use the good-smell water!] Zephyr chirped happily from his perch on Draco’s shoulder as they walked through the academy corridors toward his next class.
Draco smiled at his companion’s reaction. "I’m glad you approve. We have a busy day ahead of us today."
"Draco."
The familiar voice made Draco stop mid-stride. He turned to see Glade approaching from the direction of the academy’s main entrance, his expression unreadable.
Glade walked up to Draco without a preamble and dropped a large leather pouch into his hands.
The weight was substantial, definitely the promised twenty-five hundred gold coins.
"Remember your words," Glade said coldly, his steel-blue eyes fixed on Draco’s face. "I don’t want to see you at the estate from now on."
A slow smirk formed on Draco’s face as he looked up at his half-brother. "You won’t see me there. It was nice knowing you, Glade, the genius son of the Von Ashblade house."
Glade’s eyebrows rose slightly. The meaning behind Draco’s carefully chosen words didn’t escape him.
Draco was breaking all contact with the Von Ashblade family. He was no longer claiming to be an Ashblade.
The realization made Glade pause. In his mind, this negotiation had been about removing a threat to his inheritance while maintaining some semblance of family dignity. But Draco’s parting words went beyond simply leaving the estate.
To those around them, it was ironic. Draco, the man known as the bastard son... had disowned his family.
"You’re serious," Glade said slowly.
"Completely serious," Draco replied, securing the pouch inside his academy bag. "The Von Ashblade name never brought me anything. You can enjoy your father’s attention."
[Master, that man looks confused. Did we win the negotiation completely?] Zephyr whispered, though only Draco could hear him.
For a moment, neither brother spoke. Students passed around them in the corridor, some stealing curious glances at what appeared to be a tense conversation between two members of a prominent noble family.
Finally, Glade’s expression hardened back into its usual mask of superiority. "Good. Make sure you’re gone by tonight."
"I’ll be gone within the hour after classes end," Draco confirmed.
Draco had anticipated Glade’s move. Hence, he had packed up his little things and emptied the small room.
Glade nodded curtly and turned to leave, but paused after a few steps. Without looking back, he spoke quietly enough that only Draco could hear.
"You won’t succeed...you are nothing without the ashblade."
Then he walked away, leaving Draco standing in the corridor with Zephyr.
Draco’s lips curved into a cold smile as he watched his half-brother’s retreating figure.
Nothing without the Ashblade name? How laughable.
Draco turned and continued toward his classroom.
...
After finishing his Summoner’s class, Draco turned slightly toward Lyra as she packed up her notes and materials. Her Golden Retriever, Aurelius, was resting peacefully near her feet, his tail giving a lazy wag when he noticed Draco’s attention.
Being her deskmate made the conversation natural and unforced. Draco simply tilted his head in her direction and spoke casually.
"Hey, could I ask you a question?"
"Sure," Lyra replied casually, though she paused in organizing her textbooks to give him her full attention.
"Have you ever heard of something called Four-Petal Swiftleaf?"
Lyra’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she considered the question, her hands stopping their packing motion entirely. Aurelius lifted his head, sensing the shift in his master’s focus.
"Four-Petal Swiftleaf..." she repeated slowly, clearly searching her memory.
"I’ve heard about it before...If I’m not mistaken, it’s a plant that’s found in the Common-Rank gate down north. The gate is known for having agility-based monsters, I think it was called the Swift Gate."
"The Swift Gate is usually cleared by Awakened-rank adventurer groups," Lyra continued, her tone becoming more confident as details came back to her. "It’s not particularly dangerous for experienced teams, but it’s definitely not a place for students."
She paused, giving Draco a curious look. "Why are you asking about it?"
"Just curious, I heard someone speak about it. Does the plant grow anywhere special inside the gate? Is it guarded by beasts, or is it just scattered around normally?" Draco replied.
Lyra’s expression became thoughtful as she accessed her memories.
"I’m pretty sure it grows on the heads of the monsters inside that realm. Like a natural crown or something," she explained.
"Although it’s somewhat rare because most of the monsters only have three petals on their heads. The four-petal version is the unusual variant."
Aurelius suddenly perked up, his ears alert as he focused intently on Draco. The dog’s behavior seemed to relax slightly, and Lyra noticed the change.
"You could try your luck at the research center," she suggested helpfully.
"They sometimes have preserved specimens or rare materials for academic purposes. If they don’t have any in stock, then the Swift Gate is where you’d need to go hunting. Although, I don’t recommend heading there as a student. It’s dangerous.
Besides, I don’t remember reading anything special about the four-petal swiftleaf. It doesn’t have any beneficial effect once consumed. It’s more of a decoration than anything." She advised.
[Master, that sounds dangerous! But also exciting! Are we going to fight monsters?] Zephyr chirped quietly from his perch on Draco’s shoulder.
"The research centre is definitely worth checking first," Draco agreed, already planning his next steps. "Thank you, Lyra. You’ve been really helpful."
"No problem," she replied with a slight smile. "My parents always say that information is just as valuable as gold in the trading business."