Nile stood still for a moment, letting the murmurs die down as everyone processed the explanation he had just given. The supposed "artifact ability" he had inherited from Frost's book had left them all shocked. Some still had lingering doubts, but they dared not question him further. As long as the explanation made sense on the surface, it would serve its purpose—hiding his true ability forever.
Recalling Frost's words, "The best-kept secrets are those that are actually never kept secret," Nile felt a small sense of accomplishment. He had laid down the foundation for a long-term deception.
One by one, the group dispersed.
Arin and Lyra, seeing that the sun had already set, made their way to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Jennifer, standing at the reception desk, wore a rare, relaxed smile. She had secured a foothold in this place, and with Nile's potential, her future looked bright.
Nile, stretching his arms, turned toward the stairs, intending to retreat to his room to rest and process everything.
Just as he placed his foot on the first step, a voice called out.
"Nile, wait."
He stopped mid-step, turning to see Jessica walking toward him, her expression serious.
"I know you like taking risks, but don't get too reckless," she said in a low voice. "Even if you tell everyone that it's just an artifact ability, there will always be people who won't hesitate to take it from you."
Nile met her gaze and gave a small nod. "I know."
Jessica sighed and reached into her robe, pulling out a small stone with a glowing rune embedded in it. The rune flickered like blue fire, pulsing softly in the dim light of the reception hall.
"I was originally going to give this to you once you reached Stage 1 of Level 1, but you're already at Stage 3," she said, handing it to him. "Moving forward, you'll need this to cultivate properly."
Nile's fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the stone as he took it. He could feel a faint warmth from the rune, an energy that resonated slightly with his spirit sea.
"This is a Body Strengthening Rune. You need to assimilate it into your body within the next 5-7 days. Even those who lack dedication can do it in 10-15 days, so I expect you to finish quickly."
Nile already knew about rune assimilation from the knowledge bundle Jessica had given him earlier. The process was essential for progressing in cultivation, and without it, he would be stuck at Stage 3 indefinitely.
He nodded. "I'll do my best."
Jessica smirked. "You better. Otherwise, you'll just be a weakling with a fancy ability."
She turned and walked back toward the first floor, heading to where Veena waited for her.
Nile watched her go, then glanced down at the glowing rune stone in his hand.
Five to seven days, huh? He was confident he could do it faster—especially if he used his real ability to analyze the rune properly.
Jessica reached the training hall where Veena and James were waiting. After learning about Veena's true strength, Jessica felt a newfound sense of respect for her mentor.
Seeing her enthusiastic expression, Veena let out a soft chuckle. James, standing beside her, smiled knowingly.
"You're in a good mood," James remarked.
Jessica nodded. "I've realized that I still have a long way to go. So, let's begin."
Veena exchanged a glance with James before stepping forward. "Alright, let's not waste time."
As Jessica took her training stance, Nile made his way upstairs, gripping the rune stone tightly.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Arin and Lyra had begun preparing dinner.
The faint aroma of herbs filled the air as Lyra chopped vegetables, humming softly. Arin, stirring a pot of soup, glanced toward the door as if lost in thought.
"You've been quiet," Lyra said playfully, tossing a sliced carrot into the pot. "Still thinking about Nile's ability?"
Arin sighed. "It's just… too convenient. No ability like that exists—analyzing, manipulating, removing imprints. It feels too powerful to belong to an artifact."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "So what if he's hiding something? He saved our lives, Arin. He didn't have to take a Dao Oath for us, but he did."
Arin remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "You're right. I won't question him. But I'll still keep an eye on him."
Lyra smirked. "You're such a worrywart. Now, focus! We need to finish before dinner time."
Back in his room, Nile locked the door behind him and sat cross-legged on the bed.
He placed the rune stone in front of him, watching its glowing blue patterns swirl faintly.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out and touched the rune, allowing his spirit energy to flow toward it. The moment his energy made contact, the rune flared with light, sending a warm sensation through his palm.
Nile closed his eyes and focused.
But unlike others, who would struggle for days to understand the rune, Nile had an unfair advantage—his black and white spheres.
Without hesitation, he summoned his real ability.
His left palm, where the black sphere resided, emitted an almost invisible ripple, enveloping the rune.
Immediately, his soul imprint—the butterfly within his spirit sea—reacted.
A flood of detailed knowledge rushed into his mind.
The structure of the Body Strengthening Rune.
Its energy pathways and assimilation process.
The optimal method to integrate it without side effects.
A slow smile formed on Nile's lips.
Jessica expects me to take five to seven days to absorb this… But I might be able to do it in a single night.
He opened his eyes, the glow of the rune reflecting in his gaze.
Time to test the limits of his ability once more.
Nile took a deep breath, steadying his mind. His fingers tightened around the rune stone as he prepared to push his ability further than ever before.
He first expanded his black sphere, investing nearly all of his spirit energy into its growth. The sphere, which was usually a mere 1 cm in radius, rapidly enlarged, consuming his spirit reserves.
The moment it reached its 60 cm limit, Nile commanded it to engulf his own body.
For an instant, he felt the sphere press against his skin, its smooth and cold surface wrapping around him like an invisible cocoon. But then, as he tried to adjust within the confined space, something unexpected happened—
The sphere deformed.
Instead of maintaining its perfect spherical shape, it shifted and molded itself, closely outlining the exact shape of his body. His arms, legs, torso—even the fine contours of his fingers—were perfectly traced by the energy.
Nile froze.
This has never happened before.
A faint ripple in his spirit sea drew his attention.
Just as realization began to dawn on him, a soft, fluttering movement entered his vision.
A delicate, translucent butterfly floated in front of him, its wings shimmering faintly with ethereal light.
It had emerged directly from his forehead—from the very place where his soul imprint resided.
The butterfly circled around him playfully, its movements cute and affectionate.
Nile stared in disbelief.
Is it… acting spoiled?
A strange warmth filled his chest.
Looking at the tiny creature hovering before him, Nile suddenly understood—
The sphere deformation was not his doing.
It was the butterfly.
At some point, it had interfered, modifying his ability in a way he had never experienced before.
Despite its infant-like mentality, its powers were clearly beyond comprehension.
Nile observed as it continued circling him, as if waiting for acknowledgment.
It wanted praise.
It wanted credit for what it had done.
A small chuckle escaped Nile's lips.
So… you're like a newborn baby, huh?
Feeling lighthearted for the first time in a while, he raised a finger, gently tapping the butterfly's tiny head.
"Alright, alright. Good job," he murmured.
The butterfly flapped its wings excitedly, twirling in the air as if celebrating.
Nile smiled.
He had discovered yet another layer to his mysterious ability.
And with it, a new path of possibilities had just opened before him.