Chapter 472 Capsule

Michael pulled on that subtle thread.

A beat later, his eyes opened.

Michael was inside a capsule. Through the translucent glass, he could see the familiar interior of his room in Aurora.

This part wasn’t surprising.

Whenever he returned from the Land of Origin, this was always the result—his mind leaving one body, entering the other. A switch, one consciousness at a time.

But this time...

This time was different.

Michael froze, breath catching.

Because layered

over

the familiar Aurora view—like a reflection on water—was a second scene.

He recognized it immediately.

The Land of Origin.

His study room in his Manor in Thornvale.

Michael blinked.

Both visions stayed.

One part of him sat in Aurora, sealed inside a capsule.

The other part in Aurora standing still.

This was real-time.

He was seeing both.

And he could feel both.

His hand in Aurora flexed against the capsule’s cushioned interior.

At the same time, in the Land of Origin, his body shifted slightly, reacting to his moment of awareness.

Michael exhaled slowly.

"...So this is why Rank 2 matters."

There was no longer a matter of being in one place

or

the other.

He was in

both

.

Simultaneously.

No longer just transferring consciousness.

He was

anchored

in two worlds.

"This... changes everything."

The tactical advantages alone were mind-boggling. He could monitor his forces in the Land of Origin while operating freely in Aurora. He could train, fight, research—without losing oversight of anyting. And vice versa.

Michael leaned back in the capsule, pulse steady despite the storm of thoughts in his mind.

So this was the true benefit of Rank 2.

Not just power.

Presence.

He closed his eyes again, testing the connection, switching focus between worlds like blinking between eyes. It was dizzying at first, but already his mind began to adapt.

His high intelligence stat must have had a hand to play in this.

A slight grin touched his lips.

Michael sat there for a while, half-lost in thought, half-basking in the quiet hum of the capsule around him.

This was the chamber he had specifically requested when he began planning his Rank 2 advancement. A high-grade isolation capsule. Not just any capsule, either, but a specialized high-containment model designed for those on the verge of breakthroughs.

He had acquired it through the Brightgate City branch of the Supers Association, the same place he and his family currently resided. It hadn’t been easy. But it had been worth it.

He understood why this level of preparation was necessary.

If he had been lying on a normal bed, he would’ve wrecked the room. Maybe even killed someone nearby.

The capsule had absorbed everything. Sound. Mana. Physical vibrations.

"...Smartest purchase I’ve made all year," Michael muttered, chuckling to himself.

He tapped his fingers lightly against the interior shell, the soft

thunk

echoing faintly. The mana insulation field gently pulsed in response, confirming the capsule was still sealed and functioning.

But only barely.

Cracks spiderwebbed along the glass near the base. The internal cushioning was singed in several places, and one of the mana diffusers at the side had outright melted, likely overloaded when his rank advanced.

Michael let out a low whistle.

The fact it didn’t explode was probably a testament to the Supers Association’s engineers.

He winced at the thought.

This thing cost him a fortune—five million dollars, to be exact.

If this had been on lease, he would’ve owed a small mountain of debt right now.

But now?

It was his. Broken, yes. But his

.

"Unfortunately," he sighed, "I’m broke again."

Between this capsule, the undead evolution materials, some materials for his undead, and the ridiculous amount of high-tier spirit liquid he’d consumed...

His finances were in ruins. Again.

He leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling, expression unreadable.

"I guess I’ll have to go... express my gratitude in some dimensional cracks."

He didn’t even mean that sarcastically. It was, at this point, practically a ritual. Whenever he needed fast cash—or monster materials—he’d go on a spree. Crack hunting.

He’d go share his "love" with some very unlucky monsters.

"I kill them. They give me their bodies. Then I sell the bodies. Fair trade," he said dryly.

He glanced around the inside of the capsule again.

It was scorched. Barely intact. The mana circuits would need to be rebuilt from scratch—assuming they hadn’t been completely fried.

Which was a shame.

Because the capsule had other features, too.

Aside from high-level isolation, it was equipped with integrated VR compatibility. Aurora’s tech was generations ahead of Earth’s.

Michael had bought the capsule not just for himself—but for his sister.

She would use it to practice her spearsmanship every evening, exploring simulations and honing techniques against A.I. opponents

Michael frowned slightly.

Next year would be her first Awakening Ceremony. Her chance to see if she was one of the lucky few to be chosen by fate.

Not everyone awakened.

Most didn’t.

And while Michael tried not to get his hopes up, he still wanted to be ready

.

Giving her the opportunity to awaken a dual class was his purpose and even if she didn’t awaken—he hoped she’d already lit her life-seed and become an official knight.

The VR functions had been a gift. A way for her to train safely and build muscle memory, even if she ended up never awakening.

After all, the cultivation academy existed.

Now... it were gone.

Michael ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.

"Well... I’ll get her a new one," he muttered. "Eventually."

After he sold enough monster parts to cover the debt he didn’t yet owe.

His lips twitched in the ghost of a smile.

"Being powerful is expensive."

Michael stepped out of the capsule at last .

He turned back toward the battered pod, eyes narrowing as he studied the damage from the outside.

Shaking his head, Michael raised a hand and reached out to his personal storage space.

With a flick of his fingers, a spatial ripple shimmered around the capsule. A second later, the entire structure—glass, scorched plating, and all—vanished into his personal storage, sealed away for future repairs... or maybe just as a memento.