Ethan paused for a moment, thinking.
"Iām planning to go to the Super City," he said at last. "But not now. Iāll head out within five days."
Alexander exhaled in relief. He had been worried Ethan might refuse.
"Alright then," he said, nodding. "Weāll wait for you there."
Ethan gave a brief wave and turned to head back to his room.
So much had happenedāmeeting the Vice President of the Alliance, rescuing Roseās sister, confessing to Rose, and now... even his grandfather and great-grandfather had come, offering apologies and asking him amd his parents to return home.
He let out a long breath.
Seriously... what a rough day.
After a hot shower, he changed into something comfortable and sat cross-legged on his bed. He needed to plan his next steps.
His strength would continue to grow automatically. That much was certain.
But raw power wasnāt enough.
He needed to hone his instincts, fight real battles, and face strong monsters.
First, though, he needed to break through to the Grandmaster Realm.
Once he did, he would gain access to elemental force and begin developing true skillsājust like the heroes he once admired in his past life.
His mind wandered for a moment, a grin forming on his lips.
In my past life, there were so many cool anime techniques...
That alien boy raised on Earthā
"Ka...me...ha...me..."
Then there was the ninja kid with a monster sealed inside himā
"Rasen...!"
He chuckled to himself.
So many epic powers. Once he unlocked his elemental force, heād start experimenting too.
And with his attributes doubling every day, who knew? Maybe heād become like that bald superhero soon.
Imagine that bald dude firing off energy beams... now thatās a crossover.
Still, he had to be careful. If he broke through now, the three eldersāwho were Emperor-level expertsāmight sense it. That would expose his true strength.
Until he surpassed both the "Dragon" and the Ocean Emperor, he had to keep a low profile.
With that settled, he headed downstairs for dinner. His father and grandfather had returned from their private father-son talk.
Seeing him enter, Elina smiled warmly. "Come, sit down. Iāll serve dinner."
The family of six gathered around the table, laughter and warmth filling the room. Ethan could see genuine joy in his fatherās eyes.
He smiled faintly but didnāt say much. Instead, after the meal, he brought up his trip to the Super City to his parents.
"Iāll be leaving in five days," he said. "Are you coming with me or going with Grandpa?"
Jack hesitated. "Son, we just invested five billion into the company. If we leave now... whatāll happen to it?"
Alexander waved a hand. "Donāt worry. Iāll send someone from the family to manage the business in your absence. Later, you can move the company headquarters to the Super City."
Jack thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Weāll do that. So... when exactly are we leaving?"
"Iāll leave five days from now," Ethan replied. "You coming with me?"
Jack smiled. "Weāll go with you, son. If we left tomorrow, who would feed you these next five days?"
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Youāre just scared of facing your family alone, arenāt you?"
Jack looked away. "Iām not even looking at you."
Ethan laughed. "Alright, alright. Good night, old man."
The next morning, Ethan woke at six.
With his current physique and spirit stats, he could go a month without sleep if he wanted. But he preferred to live like a normal person. Without those small, mortal habits, even power would lose its meaning someday.
He checked his panel:
> [Master: Ethan Hunt]
Physique: 6944
Spirit: 6944
Talent: Infinite Comprehension
He smiled with satisfaction, then freshened up and headed downstairs. His grandfather and the others had already left.
Jack and Elina were preparing breakfast. Ethan joined them for a quiet meal, then made a call.
"Umm, Captain... I wanted to say something," he began.
But before he could finish, Remondās voice came through the speaker.
"I already know what youāre going to say, Ethan," he sighed. "I always knew youād leave the team one day... but I didnāt expect it to be so soon. A pond canāt hold a dragon. Go soar in the skyāweāll be cheering for you."
Ethan chuckled awkwardly. "Iām sorry, Captain."
"Thereās no need to be," Remond said. "This is your path."
At 7 a.m., Jack and Elina left for the office to finalize company matters before they move into the super city.
Ethan, meanwhile, walked into the garden with his sword in hand. The morning sun was soft, the air crisp.
He began swinging his sword rhythmically, refining his form and flow.
Two hours passed.
> [Ding! Absolute Speed ā Level 2 Achieved!]
But he didnāt stop.
Today, he aimed to reach Level 9 Sword Intent.
He began practicing the Primordial Foundation Sword Art, losing himself in the motion.
Time flew by. Seven hours had passed in a moment.
He was covered with sweat all over his body.
But a smile formed in his fae.
> [Ding! You have reached Level 9 Sword Intent!]
A surge of information flooded his mind.
His strength multiplier rose to 12Ć.
His speed multiplier increased to 6Ć.
With a base physique of 6944, he could now unleash 83,328 tons of force.
For comparison:
A Level 9 Warrior had about 20,000 tons
A King had 100,000 tons
His base speed was 2100 m/s.
Level 1 Grandmaster: 1000 m/s
Level 2: 1500 m/s
Level 3: 2000 m/s
Ethanās natural speed now surpassed that of a Level 3 Grandmaster. With his 6Ć multiplier, he could swing his sword at 12,600 m/sāfaster than most Level 9 Grandmasters.
He was getting closer.
Closer to becoming the strongest.
---
At 4 p.m., with the sun beginning its descent, Ethan took a quick shower, changed, and got ready.
He dressed casuallyābut on him, even casual felt like a tailored suit. His presence was magnetic.
When he arrived at Silver Moon Dojo and stepped out of the car, a small group of girls nearby gasped.
"Who is that? Is he visiting someone?"
Another girl rolled her eyes. "You donāt know who that is? Thatās Ethan HuntāInstructor Roseās boyfriend. He caused a massive uproar yesterday. Mobilized the whole Alliance to rescue her little sister. Killed two people in publicāone of them was a Grandmaster!"
The clueless girl covered her mouth. "What?! That all happened yesterday?! Damn it! My boyfriend pissed me off, so I turned off my phone and stayed home all day... I missed everything!"
Somewhere across the city, a man eating a mouthfull of food suddenly sneezed.
"Damn that girl... still cursing me," he grumbled and kept eating.
---
Ethan walked up to the front desk.
The receptionist immediately called Roseāeveryone knew what had happened yesterday. Ethan was now famous in the city.
Moments later, Rose came rushing forward with a wide grināthen stopped in her tracks.
She quickly adjusted her clothes, fixed her posture, and composed herself.
But as soon as she saw Ethan up close, her heart skipped a beat. Her face turned red, flushed like a ripe tomato.
Ethan waved casually. "Hey."
Rose tried to keep a straight face. "Why are you here again?"
Ethan clutched his chest dramatically. "Donāt look at me like that. I havenāt eaten yet. I was wondering... would you like to go grab some food with me?"
Her heart nearly exploded.
Waitāis he asking me on a date?
She tried to play it cool, pretending to think.
After a pause, she said with a soft smile, "Sure. Wait ten minutesāIāll go change."
Then she turned around quickly, hiding the blush that spread across her face.