The task was done.
Michael stood at the edge of the shallow forest clearing, arms crossed as he looked over the small group of undead creatures before him.
The once-living beasts—low-level forest scavengers, twisted hounds, and a horned tusk-hog—now stood in silence, swaying gently in the wind.
He’d barely broken a sweat.
The mission had been listed as “High Iron,” but in truth, the beasts were weak.
Dangerous only to beginners or those without real power.
To Michael, it had been little more than a formality—a stepping stone.
And now, looking at the obedient undead before him, he had his answer.
“It’s just as I thought,” he said aloud, voice quiet in the breeze. “As long as I’m strong enough, the process is clean. Smooth.”
This group of monsters were just summoned from the Netherworld.
Michael stepped forward and circled the undead horned hog. Its body still bore the signs of its short battle with him—for example, a broken leg—but it didn’t matter anymore.
The moment death claimed them, such wounds became irrelevant. They were no longer beasts. They were puppets. Tools.
Of course, with his talent, they also had the chance to become something much more.
“With this, I should be able to level up my hunter rank soon,” he muttered. “And I’ll hit Level 21, too. Maybe a quick round trip through a few cracks back in my world will do the trick.”
His contract slots were full now. Even if he leveled up again, at most five days from now, his undead setup would be complete. Then he could shift his focus back to Lucky, Prince, and the others.
The day was still early, but Michael already had a good idea of what the next few days would look like.
“Still, I should hold off on taking any new tasks for now. Tomorrow I’ll be heading to Lily’s school, and things might get busy.”
Fortunately, the task from Mage Lian should be completed early. It wouldn’t conflict with his entry into an academy either.
The Land of Origin was a fascinating place, but Aurora—his real world—still meant a great deal to him.
At least for now.
After ordering Spartan to burn the corpses of the monsters he didn’t claim, Michael climbed onto his griffin and headed back toward the capital.
Upon arrival, he submitted the completion report for his mission. The receptionist gave him an odd look—understandable, considering the ridiculous speed at which he’d finished it. Still, she said nothing, only asking him to return in three days. That was when the guild would confirm the task’s completion officially.
No one mentioned anything about advancing his hunter level, but Michael wasn’t bothered.
What was meant for him would come to him. Of that, he had no doubt.
Michael returned home with little fanfare.
The sun still bathed the world in warm gold, its rays seeping lazily through the windows of the quiet district. He stepped inside, eyes flicking around as he noted the absence of movement.
Ace and Lia were still gone.
Not that he cared.
He’d kept them around more for convenience than sentiment. He could speak now. Read and write, too. Not fluently, but enough. Enough to make them optional.
He made his way to his room, shut the door behind him, and dropped onto the bed.
After a moment, he reached into his storage space and pulled out the items Mage Lian had given him.
The ‘gifts.’
Two books sat in his hands now—one thick, one thin.
He looked at them in silence.
The thicker tome—the History of the Lionheart Kingdom and Its Ties to the Empire it served and so on.
The second book was smaller.
The meditation technique it offered wasn’t unique—Lian had said as much—but for someone like Michael didn’t even have a good meditation technique, this was almost the valuable thing among the two ‘gifts’
Michael had used Detect on it and it was rated a two stars rare rank treasure.
Mage Lian’s words still echoed faintly in his memory.
“This is the least of what I can provide, Sir Mic. I assure you.”
Michael smiled faintly to himself.
He hadn’t asked for much. Not yet.
But soon, he would.
Michael set the thicker book aside first, then flipped open the tome, scanning the pages.
Michael focused on the meditation technique, following the breathing pattern outlined in the book. He inhaled slowly, feeling the air fill his lungs, and then exhaled steadily, allowing his mind to calm.
As he repeated the process, he began to feel a strange sensation, like his consciousness was drifting into a deeper state.
At first, there was nothing but darkness, but as he continued, a subtle pull emerged from deep within him. His sea of consciousness began to take shape, a vast, dark space stretching out before him like an endless ocean.
Michael’s awareness sank into it.
As he cultivated, mana from the outside world began to flow toward him, seeping into his sea of consciousness like a gentle stream.
The sensation was refreshing, like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Michael’s absorption rate was far faster than he expected, and he wondered if it was due to his strength as a High Human or the rank of the mediation technique
As he continued to cultivate, Michael felt his sea of consciousness growing more stable, his mana pool expanding ever so slightly.
He lost track of time, immersed in the peaceful rhythm of his breathing and the gentle influx of mana.
It wasn’t until the sun rose the next morning, casting its warm light into the room, that Michael finally emerged from his cultivation state.
A notification panel floated before his eyes, indicating that his Intelligence had increased by 0.5 points.
Michael’s eyes widened.
Though it was just half a point, Michael understood the significance immediately.
He exhaled slowly and leaned back against the bedframe.
“Small to others… but huge for me,” he muttered, almost in disbelief.
It was easy to forget how far he’d come in such a short time. Even with all the chaos, the danger, the adjustments, he’d never slowed down. And now that he was officially a High Human, the quality of every bit of progress would be a huge quantity for a human.
Michael stretched his arms above his head, letting the slight soreness in his joints fade away with a pulse of his energy.
“Let’s not waste the morning,” he said to himself, turning to the window.It was a new day, and the school visit was scheduled for today.
Dawn had just broken in the Land of Origin—which meant it was already well into the morning back in his world.
“Lily should’ve left for school by now. Not that it matters—I only planned to escort her initially,” Michael muttered.
He adjusted his thoughts quickly.
After confirming he was alone in the house once more, he summoned Spartan to stand guard. Then, without hesitation, he reconnected his consciousness with his body in Aurora.
Michael opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling of his room in Aurora.
The soft morning light streamed through the windows, brushing against his face like a gentle wake-up call.
For a moment, he simply lay there, staring up in silence, allowing the lingering effects of his cultivation to fade naturally. The real world always felt a little heavier—less saturated with power—but it was still home.
Eventually, he sat up and stretched. His body was light, refreshed.
He stepped into the small attached bathroom and turned on the tap, letting cool water fill the basin.
As the steam from the hot shower began to fog the mirror, Michael took his time scrubbing himself down.
The sensation of water and warmth was grounding, mundane. A small luxury he hadn’t appreciated before his life split between two worlds.
Once dried off, he pulled on a crisp, dark shirt and a pair of clean pants—nothing too formal, but presentable enough for a school visit.
The scent of frying oil and garlic wafted through the apartment by the time he stepped into the kitchen. His aunt stood at the stove, sleeves rolled up, flipping something golden-brown in a pan.
“You’re up early,” she said without turning.
Michael calmly replied. “Had a few things to do.”
“I figured. Sit. I’m almost done.” She gestured to the table with her spatula.
Michael obeyed, sitting down while she plated up a dish—a mix of fried rice with chopped greens, egg, and what looked like diced sausages. She placed it in front of him with a satisfied nod.
“Eat before you go,” she said. “You always skip meals when you get busy.”
Michael picked up the spoon. “Thanks. I was going to swing by Lily’s school today. Just to check in.”
As he rose to his feet, his aunt moved toward the door with him. “Be careful out there, alright? l”
“I’ll be careful,” Michael said with a reassuring nod.
She smiled and ruffled his hair like she used to when he was younger. Though it was far longer now. “Still feels weird seeing you like this. Taller. Quieter. Stronger.”
Michael chuckled under his breath. “Yeah. It feels weird being like this too.”