Chapter333 – Talent materialization
His speed skyrocketed.
He surged forward like a blood-soaked meteor. Thanks to the explosive acceleration, the damage from the initial barrage was noticeably reduced.
More importantly—the distance closed by several dozen meters.
Just as Terrence was about to strike—
The second wave detonated.
Suicide drones exploded in rapid succession. Kenneth deployed armored plating and retreated at terrifying speed.
The rest of the machines adjusted seamlessly, moving with the coordination of a veteran army.
Kenneth no longer sought a quick kill.
Instead, he layered suppression upon suppression, building an inescapable cage of firepower. Every step Terrence took triggered another attack vector, another calculated denial of movement.
Kenneth flew backward like a kite on a string, keeping Terrence from even touching him for more than ten seconds.
The second fight ended in failure.
Axel stared at the frozen screen.
“…Brutal,” he murmured. “And efficient.”
“This Kenneth isn’t ordinary,” Axel said quietly, turning off the video. He exhaled. “But he’s more or less what I expected.”
He leaned back for a moment, then straightened.
“It’s time to test brute force.”
Axel took a deep breath and pulled out the Life Crystal. If I can step into the lower Fifth Rank… He had a way to deal with Kenneth. It wouldn’t be elegant—but it would work.
“Let’s begin.”
He slipped into inner vision. The Life Crystal taken from Dale’s teammate began dissolving into his body, its energy pouring into him in a steady stream.
The past three days had been conservative by design. He was already standing at the absolute limit of the Fourth Rank. One day was more than enough.
As if sensing the impending breakthrough, the aura of the towering ancient tree stirred. Within a dozen meters above Axel’s head, the withered trunks visibly regained vitality.
Time flowed past—sunrise, sunset.
Axel stood unmoving the entire time.
Riley had sensed the breakthrough beginning the night before and deliberately chose not to interfere.
Within his inner vision, Axel entered an almost dreamlike state. His consciousness drifted, light and detached, as though his soul itself were floating.
When the final strand of Force compressed into place, exhilaration flooded his body. His bones crackled like popping beans, and a faint, clean fragrance—like fresh wood after rain—spread through the air.
“He broke through,” Riley murmured.
It was dusk on the second day. She stood frozen mid-sweep, staring toward Axel’s room.
“…That was fast.”
Then her expression shifted.
“What… is this?”
The Force energy around her began to churn violently.
The entire villa turned into a vortex, greedily pulling in ambient Force from its surroundings.
Whoosh.
Riley felt her mental world shudder.
A colossal phantom of an ancient tree erupted above Axel’s room—vast, primordial, blotting out the sky as it rose higher and higher.
“A phantom… yet it carries an actual scent?” Riley whispered. “How strange.”
Gradually, the chaos settled. The swirling Force calmed, replaced by a completely new presence radiating from the room.
Feeling the pressure rolling outward, Riley dropped her broom and stepped inside.
“This level of Force… it’s not over five thousand, is it?”
At the same time, Butcher appeared in the courtyard, his round face slack with shock.
“This kid…” he muttered. “He’s a fucking monster.”
Having sensed the leaking aura, he immediately released his own Force, dispersing the excess energy before it spread too far.
“Something’s wrong,” Riley said sharply. “His innate manifestation is illusory—and yet it interferes with reality.”
Butcher froze. “That’s not supposed to happen.”
At that moment, the wooden door creaked open.
Axel stepped out, dressed in black, his presence calm and restrained.
He glanced at the setting sun and smiled faintly.
Level Five—at last.
“Axel,” Riley said, “release your Force again. Let me feel it.”
Butcher vanished after a brief glance, leaving Riley alone with him.
“…Over five thousand,” she confirmed softly. “When you advanced, did you sense the ancient tree phantom?”
Axel paused.
When he broke through, the compressed primal Force inside him had reorganized entirely. The constant tension he’d felt at the Fourth Rank was gone, replaced by a smooth, stable flow.
As for the ancient tree—it had appeared, briefly. That was new. He hadn’t experienced anything like this during earlier breakthroughs.
“I sensed it,” Axel replied. “But it was only a few meters tall. What exactly is it?”
Riley sat down, brow furrowed.
“Talent materialization. At this stage, it doesn’t directly enhance your combat strength. But once you reach Level Six, things change.”
She continued,
“For Awakeners at that level, strength isn’t just about Awakening Skills or Original Instruments. There’s something more fundamental.”
“The materialized object,” Axel said.
Riley nodded. “It’s directly tied to one’s Awakened Talent. The forms vary wildly—some people manifest a bicycle, others a cloud, a weapon, even abstract concepts.”
Axel absorbed this quietly. He understood the gap between Level Four and Five, but Level Six was still largely unknown territory.
Then something clicked.
“Wait. I know someone who had a natal object at Level Five.”
“You mean Rosaline,” Riley said. “People whose talents are exceptionally compatible with their bodies can manifest early. But compared to a true Level Six natal artifact, the difference is enormous.”
Axel frowned slightly.
“Then what about mine?”
Riley thought carefully. “The more solid the manifestation, the greater its influence once it becomes a natal artifact. Yours is… a phantom. Even more ethereal than most.”
That wasn’t the answer Axel expected.
He had no idea what the Ancient Tree of Heaven truly was, but it allowed him to absorb Life Crystals—and even Awakened abilities. To him, it had always been unfathomably mysterious.
“There are only two explanations,” Riley continued.
“Either your talent and manifestation aren’t fully compatible—limiting its effectiveness. Or…”
She hesitated.
“Or the natal artifact was once severely damaged and hasn’t recovered.”
Axel’s heart skipped.
Damaged?
The Ancient Tree of Heaven had once been nearly withered—on the verge of death.
The resemblance was uncanny.
“But you’re not Level Six yet,” Riley finished. “So you can’t have a true natal artifact. That rules out the second possibility.”
Does it? Axel wondered.
Could he have been born with one?
If so… where did it come from?
His curiosity about the Ancient Tree of Heaven deepened into something close to obsession.
“Don’t be discouraged,” Riley added gently. “Your manifestation may be ethereal, but its presence is unmistakable. That scent of trees—it’s rare. Your case might be… unique.”
“I understand,” Axel said. “Thank you.”
He returned to his room, already planning to inform Sergio.
Riley watched him go and shook her head.
“He’s too restrained,” she murmured. His politeness made him impossible to read.
But she knew better.
Axel was the kind of man who planned ten steps ahead—and never stopped until he reached the end.
“Butcher,” she said quietly to the empty air, “keep watching him.”
A lazy voice replied at once.“I know, I know. I’m already on it.”
.....
“Axel, you can wait a bit. There’s no rush,” Sergio said. He wasn’t surprised that Axel had reached Level Five—but the timing was too tight. Fighting Kenneth now wasn’t exactly smart.
“No need,” Axel replied calmly. “Tomorrow. If we drag this out, something might go wrong.”
Sergio paused, then nodded. “Alright. Havoc Division training grounds in Everton. Tomorrow morning, ten sharp.”
“See you then.”
After ending the call, Axel reopened the combat footage and replayed both fights, frame by frame, his eyes tracking every movement, every timing gap. Only when he’d memorized it all did he close his eyes.
“This breakthrough didn’t change my awakened skills,” he muttered. “But it’s enough.”
Later that night, just as Axel was about to rest, his phone buzzed again.
“Axel, I’ll be in Everton tomorrow afternoon,” Zane said, sounding unusually excited. “Big shipment.”
“Shipment?” Axel frowned. “What shipment?”
“You told me to expand my business in Everton, remember? I’m moving edible mutated beast meat from Northern Spiritual Town to Dune. That’s my main line now.”
“Oh. Right.”