[ Congratulations User! You have retrieved the Cube of Paradox. ]

[ You can now utilize the power of the Cube within your body. ]

[ You have received further enhancements in your Mana Affinity. ]

[ Your Mana Affinity could no longer be increased. ]

[ The Fervor Timepiece still has remaining usage left. You have acquired this Mission Item. ]

[ Fervor Timepiece's function will now be fully revealed. ]

[ Fervor Timepiece

A pocketwatch containing mysterious energy.

Effects: Protects users from the magic that affects the human mind.

Skills:

Brain Burst - Allows the user to accelerate brainwaves for 15 seconds.

Cooldown: 24 hours

Physical Burst - Allows the user to accelerate physical activity for 15 seconds.

Cooldown: 24 hours

Dual Burst - Allows the user to accelerate both brainwaves and physical activity at the same time for 10 seconds.

Cooldown: 48 hours ]

[ Due to the manner that the mission was completed, the user still has 2 usages left for Dual Burst which can be used without affecting the cooldown. ]

Wallace was bombarded by notifications as soon as the completion of his mission was determined. He felt some changes on his body as an abundant amount of power was leaking out of his body before it stabilized and making an extremely sturdy Mana Shell-like structure around him before vanishing.

"W-wow... That's definitely on par or even sturdier than that man's Mana Shell."

Wallace was surprised and excited upon realizing those minute changes that have occurred.

As he read through the notifications, he first felt a bit disappointed about his Mana Affinity that could no longer be increased.

But he immediately changed his mind as he remembered what it does. The affinity in Mana isn't everything in this world of Magic, it only means that he reached his limit in terms of how his body could attract Mana for his own usage. Regarding how he utilized this Mana was still different, with the A.I.'s data about all the advanced technology, together with his magic knowledge and the Cube's assistance, he will definitely achieve far more than what others could.

Since the path he had chosen wasn't in the option that the Pathfinder provided and created his own path, he had to work hard for it.

"Now, what does it mean that I can now utilize the power of the Cube?"

As soon as he thought of utilizing the power he was again prompted by another notification.

[ Cube of Paradox Guide ]

[ As a chosen individual, even if you do not possess any Ancient Mayan Royal blood in your body, the Pathfinder recognizes your identity as someone who can bring glory to the Royal Clan and determined that you can be granted Knight-Level access on the Cube's power. ]

[ Knight-Level Access:

- Allows the user to utilize one stored ability of the Cube based on the Path the user had chosen.

- Allows the user to use 5 cubic meters of spatial space of the Cube for storing inanimate objects.

- Allows the user to have more options on the rewards in future missions.

- Removes protection granted by the Cube of Paradox. The Cube will no longer interfere with the user's fate. ( Effective Now)

- 1 Life Guarantee ( Used up ) ]

"Eh? What do you mean by this?" Wallace had several questions in his head but another notification was sent to him.

[ Due to the restriction of your granted access, you can only choose one ability from the selection. All of the options came from a predecessor of your chosen path. You have to increase your level of access to gain more authority.

Reminder: The options that will show were all based on the path you had chosen. There will be a chance that you can acquire all of them in the future. Please, work hard. ]

[ Select one of the options below.

1. Void Phase - Beginner

2. Matter Disassembly - Beginner

3. Essence Reconstruction - Beginner

4. Astral Core Formulation - Beginner

5. Chasm Trample - Beginner ]

Wallace forgot the questions in his mind as the options for the ability caught his attention. It was something he was looking forward to ever since he selected the path he chose. It seems that all the rewards he had been receiving so far were only for the sake of building up his foundation.

Now, it seems like the game is on for his struggle to reach the apex.

He then tried to see the descriptions of each skill. It seems that the system was kinder now that it was completed. Although he wasn't being pressured by the time limit before, it would still be best if he could spend his time checking the list.

***

Mark had visited the place where the spaceship was located. He wanted to make sure about the feeling he had felt before. Now that the place had calmed and being reconstructed, he realized that the same aura of the Cryptic Link Serum seems to have really come from the aircraft.

"Is this where we are getting resources for the serum? But this place seems to be already compromised. Why can't we just change location instead of fortifying this isolated place? We should have a lot more secure facilities than this place."

As he frowned and contemplated a bit, he felt an acute pain starting from the abdomen and slowly spreading throughout his body.

He was very familiar with this feeling so he immediately took out a bottle from his pocket and uncapped it. He took out 1 black pill and consumed it without any hesitation. A few seconds passed and the pain dissipated but it can be seen that beads of sweat were trailing on his forehead.

He decided to go back in his ship as he let the members of their Shaman's Hex Faction help these people of Ember's Fist in guarding the area.

They sent a dozen of Battle Mages and two more Adepts in the place to protect all corners of the island to avoid any more ambushes.

A lot of guards and Battle Mages were injured on the latter's faction so they 'kindly' provided them further help while the Ember's Fist leaders are still finding a way to replenish their manpower. This will make the leaders of the Ember's Fist Faction owe their Shaman's Hex faction and the leaders can use this as their leverage in the future.

He took one last glance at the metallic aircraft that was pulsating an incomprehensible aura before leaving the area.

***

The center of operation of the Lucent Force in this island country was a town located near the 2nd most prosperous city of this country, Bluefields City. Although they have a level of the network within the capital of Montego, the security was too tight to be used as a place for their headquarters. The Royal family doesn't want to have any suspicious organization lurking near their Palace and so, the place was constantly being purged by Royal Knights for any wrongdoings.

Aside from the King being suspected to be tied with the Z-Company, the royal family was also rumored to be a pious believer of a certain Celestial Being that resides in the Northern Continent.

The Lucent Force members that were stationed here have a job not only to gain information advantage but also to investigate suspicious activity happening in this country that was isolated by waters from others.

Three members of the Lucent Force in the town were having a talk as they gathered at a table. They were currently on the first floor of their headquarters.

"I heard that the young master has arrived?"

"Huh? Why would he come here? Wasn't he supposed to study at the Academy?"

"I'm not sure but you may ask him personally if you really want to know. He should be here any moment by now."

"Haha! I'm just kidding. Let's greet him at the entrance."

"Heh! Alright, who knows maybe I can request to be reassigned back to the country. I miss home. Sigh~"

"Hmph! If he's here, there should be some sort of special mission that's about to happen."

Their headquarters was only a three-story building on the outside but the place has an underground facility where they normally held their classified pieces of information. They also have here the Mana Artifacts that can be used to send communication from this country up to their headquarters in Zairus without being intercepted by other Mana Spell or technology, and Mana Artifacts capable of creating a barrier at the level of City-Wide Mana Shield was located here.

Zairus was the place where Aeolia hailed, his contribution in Mana Engineering was so tremendous and this barrier was only one of his left blueprints before disappearing. The blueprint was left untouched until recent years when they had made a huge breakthrough in magic engineering. This barrier was called Magnum Barrier.

It can be said that Aeolia's fame isn't fabricated and is very realistic. Leaving blueprints of magic structure that can only be used in the future, just imagining the limit of his creativity and knowledge could make all aspiring magic engineers left in awe.

The Mana Artifact they made using the decades-old blueprints was something that no one could beat even after the long time that had passed.

Several figures adorned with traditional clothes and accessories of this country were seen coming into the building. The ground floor was a coffee shop and being used as cover for their base of operation.

"It's nice meeting you again, young master Aaron."