Before Ethan was about to leave, he turned to Charles and asked, "Can I take the âAnnihilationâ sword technique now?"
It wasnât just any techniqueâthis was one of the two legendary sword arts. Even the President of the Martial Alliance, known as "Dragon," had practiced it.
Charles shook his head. "No. The scroll copy will be coming from Super City by special jet. Itâll take about two and a half hours. Go make your purchases in the marketâIâll deliver it to your home."
Ethan waved it off. "No need to send it to my house. Deliver it to my hotel room."
Charles frowned. "Why are you staying in a hotel? Arenât your parents at home?"
"They are," Ethan replied quickly. "I just wanted to give them some space."
Of course, that was a lie. In truth, he was too embarrassed to go back after claiming heâd return in three days but he came back after just one day. He did that once before. So felt embarrassed as a man.
Charles gave him a look, then nodded. "Alright. You can rest easy."
Ethan made his purchases. Though he had enough money to buy the technique,but his that identity was now confidential, he couldnât use his own moneyâso he just used the free purchase option.
His body no longer felt physical or mental fatigue. But spiritually, he was drained.
Right now, all he wanted was a hot meal and a soft bed.
When he returned to the hotel, the receptionist greeted him warmly as he passed by. Ethan simply nodded back.
Once in his room, he stepped into the shower and stood under the hot water for 30 full minutes.
"Huh... thatâs refreshing," he sighed as he stepped out. "Time for some good food."
He changed into comfortable clothes, placed a food order, and sank into the soft, plush bed. Then he opened his communicator and sent a message to Rose.
Ethan: Hello, honey.
Her reply came instantly, as if sheâd been waiting.
Rose: Donât talk nonsense đĄ Whoâs your honey?
Ethan: đ After stealing my first kiss, youâre still pretending to be innocent?
Rose: đ€Ź Donât bring that up! Maybe you used black magic on me or something!
Just thinking about the kiss made her cheeks flush red. Her heart was racing.
Ethan: đ„ I swear I didnât do anything. Trust me.
Rose: đ Who knows?
Ethan grinned. This playful back-and-forth felt oddly comforting.
His food arrived just in timeâbeef steak, quantum rice, a massive 30 cm lobster, fresh salad, and a few other gourmet dishes. Even the dessert tray had ice cream.
He snapped a photo and sent it to Rose.
Ethan: Hungry? You can come over if you want.
Rose: Eat as much as you like. Even if you get fat and ugly, itâs not my problem.
But Ethan knew her too well. She was a foodie. Even if she acted tough, her mouth was probably watering.
He chuckled, then ordered the same meal and sent it to her house via drone. The delivery arrived in under five minutes.
Rose: Thank you...
Ethan: Letâs eat together. I havenât started yet.
Roseâs heart warmed. Though they werenât together in person, sharing the same food at the same time felt like a quiet, shared moment. A soft smile spread across her face.
After dinner, the two continued chatting for nearly two hours.
Then, the door was knocked.
A moment earlier, Charles had messaged that he was on the way.
Ethan sent Rose a quick goodnight and opened the door.
Charles stepped inside, holding a scroll case and a thick book.
"This is your sword technique," he said, handing over the scroll. "And this book was sent by the Vice President. It contains insights written by the President himself."
Ethan nodded in thanks and shot a quick message to Leon. Leon replied with a high-five emoji.
"This old man is using emojis now?" Ethan chuckled to himself.
After Charles left, Ethan settled in to examine the scroll.
"Annihilation" was found 35 years ago in a ruin. It had 7 layers. If someone learned it full,they could gain a total multiplication of 7 times of his base strength.
> [Ding! A sword technique is detected. Comprehend?]
"Yes," he responded without hesitation.
> [Ding! You have comprehended the primordial sword technique âExtinctionâ.]
Extinction (Primordial-grade) â 10 Levels:
Level 1: 2Ă force
Level 2: 4Ă force
Level 3: 6Ă force
Level 4: 9Ă force
Level 5: 12Ă force
Level 6: 15Ă force
Level 7: 20Ă force
Level 8: 25Ă force
Level 9: 30Ă force
Level 10: 50Ă force
Ethan blinked. Wait... what the heck?
Fifty times force? What kind of insane concept was that?
If he reached Level 10, heâd be able to erupt with 6.9 million tons of power now. A Level 9 King had about 1.8 million tons base strength, and most techniques in the world only multiplied force by five at most.
Even a peak King with the Annihilation technique maxed out at Level 7 would only hit around 12.7 million tons.
But Ethan had Level 9 sword intent, which gave him a 12Ă multiplier. Combined with Level 10 Extinctionâs 50Ă, that would be 600Ă.
His current attribute was 138,880 tons. A 600Ă multiplier meant over 83 million tons of output.
Holy shit. That was dangerously close to the base strength of a Level 5 Emperor.
Of course, heâd need time to master all ten levels.
Besides, tomorrow his attributes would double again.
Ethan gripped Frostmourne and began practicing the technique. It was already 10:30 p.m.
Time slipped by.
He trained non-stop until 6:00 a.m.
> [Ding! You have reached Level 2 Extinction.]
Ethan exhaled deeply. "Itâs too hard..."
If the Dragon found out heâd turned the Annihilation scroll into a primordial-grade technique, and already learned two levels in nine hours, he might explode on the spot.
And Ethan still wasnât satisfied.
He opened his system panel:
---
[Master: Ethan Hunt]
Physique: 277,760
Spirit: 277,760
Talent: Infinite Comprehension
Ethanâs todays peak combat power was something like this.
Sword Intent: Level 9 (12Ă)
Extinction: Level 2 (4Ă)
Total Multiplication: 48Ă
Peak Combat Power: 13.3 million tons.
---
That was already more than the maximum output of a normal level 9 king with max annihilation technique.
Ethan was pleased with his power. He then took a shower. After coming out he ordered breakfast.10 minutes later, the food was delivered. Then he enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast.
Today,he planned to visit the school.
Yesterday Charles had also delivered 35 bottles of supreme body-strengthening fluid he ordered. He would give them to Rose,Ryan,Riya,Elizabeth and some other students who once helped him.
All the students would come today. Teacher Arnold had called them in to explain the final rules and regulations of the admission examination. Afterward, the entire batch would begin formal preparations at home.
He then called Rose. "Rose, Iâll pick you up at 8:30."
Rose: Okay.
Ethan then checked his bank account. It had just been credited with 3 more platinum pointsâ3 trillion credits. Adding that to his previous 35 trillion, he now had 38 trillion.
His clones hadnât started to act yet. The deal was already negotiated, just waiting on formal confirmation. With Charles as supervisor, it was guaranteed. They would probabylt start hunting from today.
He dressed casually todayâwhite jeans, a black t-shirt, and black sneakers. Simple but stylish.
Ethan got into his super-luxurious car and called Rose to be ready. He would arrive shortly.
After picking her up, they drove toward the school.
The moment the car parked at the school gate, students rushed over like moths to a flame.
"Isnât that the Celestial Nova?!"
"Which big shot came to our school?!"
The door opened and Ethan stepped out with an aura of nobility. Several girls gaspedâone even stumbled to the ground. The boys stared in shock, as if they were seeing an alien.
Ethanâs fame in school was already at mythic levels. Everyone had seen what happened that day on the television.
Ethan called Ryan. Ryan ran over, raised his fist toward the sky, and declared, "The general has answered the kingâs summon!"
Ethan nearly choked.
He looked away, pretending he didnât know this bastard. Je wanted to dig a hole and slipped in.
That line had been to protect Ryanâs dignity that day,the situation was differentâbut not now, not in front of everyone... and Rose.
Even Ethanâs thick skin flushed red.
He quickly turned and opened the car door. Rose stepped out elegantly.
Another wave of gasps swept through the students.
So the rumors were trueâEthan and Rose were really together.
And they looked like a celestial couple.
No one dared to speak.
Only a few jealous girls clenched their fists quietly.
---