“We’re leaving now, enjoy this period of rocketing achievement as much as you can, it’ll not be eternal,” shaking hand with Aven, Commander casually said goodbye.

“Will it~?” Playfully countering, the young man seemed to have recovered all the enthusiasm and playfulness he had once shown when he arrived at Blackdale IMC.

It was then Rival who shook hands with him, the last 2 days had gone far into relieving this grumpy black-haired grandpa of his continued investment, “You’ll soon get access to our knowledge and more, so quickly transmit everything once you got it.”

“It’s the least I can do,” agreeing without an ounce of hesitation, Aven didn’t hide how indebted he felt to them, “I wouldn’t have reached so high in such a short time without the help you’ve given me. That’s a fact.”

“Good,” leaving behind this word, Rival left without looking back with Commander in tow.

Spinning on himself with a big smile, Aven took a deep breath before commenting on how this hall felt different, “This place looks so much more welcoming now~”

After 2 days of mentoring by Commander and Rival on the extreme path of being a production tech super specialized in integrated machinery, Aven finally felt that he wasn’t in an unfamiliar environment anymore, “And my path is so clear too.”

Getting to work once he stopped immersing himself in intellectual self-satisfaction, he put on his headphones and began executing his new schedule of spending 10 minutes per integrated production line for the few remaining hours he still had before it was time for him to go to sleep.

Yet, when he was infusing his 7th line a bit more than an hour in, his silent escort, Ron was his name, suddenly patted his shoulder.

Turning around leisurely after he stopped mobilizing his knowledge, he saw… A small, human-like creature with wings bigger than its body, wearing a correspondingly small white military uniform.

For the second time in his life, he was seeing a fairy again, and it was the same one, at least he was pretty sure it was the same one, its image had been engraved pretty solidly in his mind after all.

“Oh! Sorry for making you wait!” Taking off his headphones, Aven exploded in a flurry of movement that translated his panicked state.

Same as last time, however, the fairy didn’t seem to care about his state, probably being used to it, “Aven Amias, son of Hana Amias and Sen Amias.”

“That’s me,” stupidly answering, the moment after he spoke he wanted to slap himself in the face for being so casual.

“Of course you are you, but thanks for the confirmation,” the fairy smoothly responded with a slight imperceptible nod before continuing, “I am Novus, acting as the representative of the royal family to confer upon you an exceptional 6-star general honorary appointment.”

One of the floating boxes slowly headed towards him, and then magically opened, presenting to him an insignia with 6 white stars surrounding the national Eland symbol of a fairy.

“This approval is official and cannot be taken back unless in case of force majeure,” symbolically, the 30-centimeters tall fairy personally took the insignia and put it on his white uniform with his small hands, “This rank has only been given a few times in the entire history of Eland, all to reward exceptional achievement, and there is no higher military rank in the current military hierarchy.”

Flying back, the fairy looked at him with the same cold and stern stare it had always used from the moment they had seen, “We have great hope for you.”

Then it left, leaving behind a once again shocked young man and 2 appraisal screens done by instinct by this same young man.

Novus Eland

Faction: Nation of Eland

Nation of Eland

Power Index: 65 021

Influence Index: 68 455

Economy Index: 64 447

Technology Index: 63 896

Description: A balanced, ambitious, and quickly developing faction taking on the form of an organized society. Its highest powers, the fairies, stand at the very top of attainable power, it provides the greatest revolutionary talents in every field, and has factually proven itself to be the strongest faction of Green.

…

“How long can a lie remain undiscovered when faced with someone like him?” Rival asked himself, no doubt already having a clear answer in mind.

For him, his current luxurious military plane environment as he was heading back to the Forbidden Continent was conducive to such thinking, so he didn’t hesitate to make use of it.

“Why did I have to act such a fake scripted scenario to make him believe Eland just noticed his existence? And why interrupt my research and preparation for the abomination surge for something that’ll come crashing down sooner rather than later?”

Speaking his heart out in his standalone cabin far from his more talkative friend and rival Commander, he felt a slight amount of frustration towards both himself for having obeyed so blindly and ERA for coming up with this need to completely cut Aven off from the world as long as he remained grade 2.

“How far will they take this manipulation anyway? They already completely rigged his 1st deployment to be as boring as ever to make sure he didn’t deploy anymore, and now they simply opened the way for him to get… My own knowledge… And that of everyone else in the military… What the freak is even a 6-star general if not a mascot?”

Not holding back at all, Rival savagely and tyrannically took apart the absolute crap that was this situation that had no chance of making any sense to the more enlightened mind.

Not that the situation had been designed to be accessible to anyone to begin with. The name of the entity “Aven Amias” surely wasn’t present on any list anyone with unclear loyalty would ever have remote access to.

“How the gears turn…” Using an inside joke he had with his same-generation friends to recenter himself, his target slowly shifted to the main reason behind the unwitting total isolation of Aven.

“Those bunch of rats,” recovering his rationality and coldness, his eyes sharpened as he evoked the first culprit behind the massively worsened global situation.

For him, the war of succession initiated by the Emma Emperor for no clear reasons or the imminent 5th human era abomination surge were both the same thing in that Eland would survive no matter their existence or their severity.

Emma could disintegrate that he wouldn’t care even for the billions of citizens that would be directly impacted.

This abomination surge could be one where the core decided to move that he would simply retreat and let it travel the entire ocean peacefully to go face off with the deep abyssal threats by itself.

The Bright Canopy, however…

The more time passed, the more each of the branches gone rogue shifted from business-minded violent underground unlawful people to murderers and terrorists, weaponizing fear, with goals no one could understand.

“Eland is most certainly getting itself ready for war… But while it should just have been getting itself ready to war with the abomination, the truth is that too many things are happening for high commands to ignore… So the abomination surge war preparation shifted to include actual war preparation…”

The more Rival reasoned on the situation that would most certainly puzzle every historian in the future, the more he realized that everything seemed to be too convenient to be anything but either the evilest and biggest plot in Green’s history or the most coincidental turn of event in history.

And he stood firmly on one side.

“Not that it matters so much though,” rationalizing that even if the sky collapsed, giants 2 grades above him would be there to support it, he couldn’t believe in the existence of a group of people that had more high-grade manpower than the united 5 nations.

For this plot to succeed, the premise would be for the grade 5 supers ruling over the world to favor money over stability…

And not even the grade 5 supers controlling the Conglomerate, objectively the greediest supers in existence, would ever exchange their hard-earned stability for money.

One could be generated endlessly and wasn’t the key to progressing beyond grade 5.

The other one couldn’t be generated at will, and could eventually, miraculously, lead to the birth of…

‘Aven…’

Coming back to the ridiculously isolated future revolutionary that was Aven Amias as if his thought process was a cycle, Rival forgot about the tens of thousands of innocent civilian casualties provoked by rogue branches of the Canopy.

“I’ve already given him everything I could think about to help him progress rapidly… It should be enough to enjoy some of his future benefits, right?”

In the end, what he valued was the potential era-defining and redefining knowledge that would result from an Aven Amias whose potential, capabilities, and mindset were perfectly aligned.

Such a combination of factors couldn’t result in anything else but a short-term growth explosion that would need to be thoroughly blocked by ERA until he reaches grade 3…

“Sigh… Anyway, I only give the world and the Canopy a few more months before it's too late to stop him… Otherwise, there’ll be no other choice but to side with him without negotiation…”

...

“We have great hope for you…” Crashing on the couch, Aven kept repeating the sentence that finally turned his situation from a relatively precarious one where he didn't know what awaited him, to one where he was fully accepted and known by the highest decisional power of Eland, the most powerful nation of Green.

“Sigh… Great hope… Coming from a fairy… How much do they expect of me? To revolutionize the world?” Absent-mindedly looking at nothing in particular, he was reminded of the ambition he didn’t want anyone to know about, “Well… Not that I don’t want to try~”

After returning back to the present, he quickly decided that he wouldn’t continue contributing his energy for the rest of the day, so he decided to claim his volunteering quest’s reward.

Faction Contribution Quest: Nation of Eland Military

Volunteering: Contribute to the stability of your faction without asking for anything in return. The more time spent and the harder the tasks, the greater the contribution.

Reward: 676 800 FCP

“Pretty much what I would expect for a normal day of contribution. As for my shop…” Dismissing his quest reward screen, he decided to finally see for himself the consequence of the fairy’s visit and his new honorary rank that was supposedly standing at the apex of Eland’s military.

Faction Contribution Shop: Nation of Eland Military

Faction Authority: Six-Star General

Faction Contribution Points: 940 300

…

Knowledge: Advanced Tech Energy System (311 400 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Energy Specializations (315 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Psy Energy System (316 100 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Elemental Energy System (316 100 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Martial Energy System (316 400 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Pure Energy System (316 500 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Swimming (325 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Fast-Roping (325 700 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Free-Fall (325 900 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Singing (326 200 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Fishing (326 200 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Military Procedures (328 000 FCP)

…

Knowledge: Advanced Aircraft Piloting (425 900 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Jet Piloting (426 100 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Helicopters Piloting (426 100 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Oceanography (427 200 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Filming (427 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Triangulation (428 100 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Energy Applications (436 300 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Nanomaterials (436 400 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Energy Cultivation Resources (437 200 FCP)

…

Knowledge: Advanced Materials Engineering (659 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Industry Skills (664 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Chemical Engineering (668 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Ammunition Engineering (674 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Human Resources (684 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Long-Range Rifle Shooting (615 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Polymers (622 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Explosive Breaching (625 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Emergency First Aid (625 700 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Sniper Rifle Shooting (625 800 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Counterintelligence (625 800 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Guerrilla Tactics (625 800 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Psychological Operations (626 200 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced War Planning (626 400 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced History (626 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Hacking (636 200 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Short-Range Rifle Shooting (636 300 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Handgun Shooting (636 400 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Crystallography (636 500 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Alloys (636 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Cooking (636 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Super Biology (636 700 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Energy Cultivation (636 800 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Innovative Designs (636 900 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Artillery Handling (637 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced High-Speed Driving (637 600 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Audio Engineering (637 800 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Criminology (638 200 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Hardware (639 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Ceramics (639 000 FCP)

…

Knowledge: Advanced Tech-Energy Engineering (718 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Martial-Energy Engineering (720 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Abomination Biology (724 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Surgery (727 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Psychology (729 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Inspection (731 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Software (732 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Water Engineering (735 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Air Engineering (739 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Firearm Shooting Skills (741 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Vehicle Driving (742 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Politics (756 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Logistics (775 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Communication (776 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Administration (789 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Economy (807 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Infiltration (835 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Teamwork (837 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Diplomacy (840 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Special Operations (847 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Weapon Systems (849 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Vehicle Designing (850 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Cyber Warfare (851 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Combat Engineering (852 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Aeronautical Engineering (858 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Demolition (858 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Close Quarters Combat (860 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced High-Pressure Mentality (864 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Aircraft Piloting (865 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Electrical Engineering (875 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Aerospace Engineering (876 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Military Tactics (885 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Biomedical Engineering (887 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Armament Engineering (890 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Mechanical Engineering (891 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Problem-Solving (902 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Advanced Energy Engineering (927 000 FCP)

…

Knowledge: Expert Weapon Engineering (1 135 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Industrial Engineering (1 185 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Management (1 241 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Leadership (1 394 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Biology (1 471 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Mathematics (1 574 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Programming (1 612 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Physics (1 681 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Developmental Engineering (1 842 000 FCP)

…

Bio-Innovative Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Cycle Downtime Canceling Serum (14 400 FCP): Cancel a grade 2 energy cultivation downtime period

Mark 3 Rainbow Fairy Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Base Increase Serum (15 000 FCP): An elixir artificially increasing the amount of energy being cycled during grade 2 energy cultivation by 250%. Artificial increase cannot go beyond grade 2 maximum threshold.

Fifth Harmony Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Base Increase Serum (15 200 FCP): An elixir artificially increasing the amount of energy being cycled during grade 2 energy cultivation by 270%. Artificial increase cannot go beyond grade 2 maximum threshold.

Greater Vow Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Base Increase Serum (16 200 FCP): A serum artificially increasing the amount of energy being cycled during grade 2 energy cultivation by 370%. Artificial increase cannot go beyond grade 2 maximum threshold.

Written Vow Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Cycle Sustaining Serum (17 400 FCP): Postpone a grade 2 energy cultivation downtime period by revitalizing all the spent energy artificially.

Third Harmony Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (17 600 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 2 energy cultivation by 320%.

Holy Vow Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Base Increase Serum (17 400 FCP): A serum artificially increasing the amount of energy being cycled during grade 2 energy cultivation by 480%. Artificial increase cannot go beyond grade 2 maximum threshold.

Holy Vow Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Cycle Sustaining Serum (18 100 FCP): Postpone a grade 2 energy cultivation downtime period by revitalizing all the spent energy artificially.

Holy Vow Grade 2 Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (18 900 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 2 energy cultivation by 470%.

…

Rainbow Bio Grade 3 Psy-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (31 700 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 3 psy-system energy cultivation by 260%.

Rainbow Bio Grade 3 Tech-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (31 900 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 3 tech-system energy cultivation by 280%.

Rainbow Bio Grade 3 Martial-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (32 600 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 3 psy-system energy cultivation by 310%.

…

Holy Vow Grade 3 Tech-System Energy Cultivation Base Increase Serum (35 100 FCP): A serum artificially increasing the amount of energy being cycled during grade 3 tech-system energy cultivation by 290%. Artificial increase cannot go beyond grade 3 maximum threshold.

Holy Vow Grade 3 Tech-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Sustaining Serum (35 900 FCP): Postpone a grade 3 tech-system energy cultivation downtime period by revitalizing all the spent energy artificially.

Holy Vow Grade 3 Tech-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (36 200 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 3 tech-system energy cultivation by 350%.

…

Rainbow Bio Grade 4 Psy-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (64 800 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 4 psy-system energy cultivation by 210%.

Rainbow Bio Grade 4 Tech-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (65 100 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 4 tech-system energy cultivation by 220%.

Rainbow Bio Grade 4 Martial-System Energy Cultivation Cycle Boosting Serum (67 500 FCP): Increases the energy cycling speed of grade 4 psy-system energy cultivation by 240%.

…

Eland Innate Ability Awakening Serum (249 000 FCP): A serum made from awakened life organic material reprocessed to be mild enough for unawakened life. As long as the organism receiving this serum is genetically predisposed to awaken, then a single dose is enough to awaken them.

…

Perfected Evolution Elixir (670 000 FCP): An elixir refined with the topmost human and super biology knowledge available. Gives the drinker a deep and forceful DNA wash, allowing previously hidden physical talents to emerge. Only work one time and is not guaranteed to make a talent manifest itself.

Energy Growth Wonder Flower (780 000 FCP): A flower only found in nature in extremely luxuriant environments with growth conditions not yet understood. Awaken any life that eats it while also giving it the natural energy growth energy talent.

Tireless Apple (810 000 FCP): An apple that grows every decade from a tireless tree in good condition. Gives the eater the tireless spirit spiritual talent, a talent that can grow the more it is used.

Crafter’s Delight Drop (940 000 FCP): A spiritual substance only master craftsmen with a rare universal talent can produce. Due to the absence of signs related to having such a talent, and the spiritual substance quickly dissipating once exposed to the air, most of the stock relied on happenstance to be made. Gives the consumer the creative instinct universal talent.

…

Experimental Abandoned Beast Serum (1 250 000 FCP): A serum made from the rare samples of abandoned beasts brought back from expeditions made in the Abandoned Continent. Has a certain chance once ingested to give the consumer the condensed body physical talent.

Regeneration Leaf (1 370 000 FCP): A leaf from the legendary Athal Tree, a jealously guarded tree by beasts and humans alike. Gives the consumer the regenerating body physical talent.

Self Revolving Energy Mutation Elixir (1 460 000 FCP): An elixir created through an ancient rainbow fairy formula with most of its ingredients being extremely difficult to gather. Gives the self revolving energy energy talent to anyone consuming it.

Inexhaustible Body Mutation Serum (1 630 000 FCP): A serum made from both rare beasts and humans who had this physical talent before dying. Gives the consumer the inexhaustible body physical talent.

Energy Furnace Constitution Mutation Elixir (1 850 000 FCP): An elixir made through an extremely difficult process that cannot be fully controlled due to the need to add mixed-origin blood and organs from life already having such a constitution. Gives the consumer the energy furnace cells physical talent.

Armored Spirit Treasure Pill (1 900 000 FCP): A pill produced by the Eternal Vow Kingdom to give to its highest authority. Initially designed to help protect the spirit, it ended up accomplishing much more than that with the help it can provide to psy supers. Gives the consumer the armored spirit spiritual talent.

…

Spiritual Awareness Drop (2 456 000 FCP): A drop of spiritual awareness personally condensed by a grade 5 psy super with the help of precious meditation and focus medication as an experiment. Gives the consumer the enhanced awareness spiritual talent.

Seamless Bark Extract (2 706 000 FCP): An extract produced from tons of a special tree bark reputed to give one’s energy a temporary wielding boost. Gives the consumer the seamless energy energy talent.

Emma Unstable Elixir (2 740 000 FCP): An elixir whose creation process is owned by the greatest power of the Emma Continent, gives the consumer the excitable energy energy talent.

Energy Immune Constitution Mutation Elixir (3 128 000 FCP): An elixir whose formula isn’t exact and with an extremely high chance of failure even with the best conditions. Gives the drinker the energy immune constitution physical talent.

Equalizing Crystal Shard (3 410 000 FCP): A shard from a crystal finding its origin from space. Once it comes in contact with energy, it’s able to absorb it and redistribute it in a steady flow depending on several factors. Once ingested, it is consumed to give the equalizing energy energy talent.

Energy Photosynthesis Amber (7 856 000 FCP): An amber originating from an awakened tree with an extremely powerful innate ability that eventually resulted in the creation of this amber during its death. Gives the consumer the energy photosynthesis energy talent.

Essence Stabilizer Life Blood Drop (14 870 000 FCP): A drop of life blood, a blood that can only be produced with the intent of sacrificing one's talent, from a life with the essence stabilizer universal talent. Gives the consumer a chance to acquire the essence stabilizer universal talent.

Affinity Resonance Exotic Stone (24 190 000 FCP): An exotic stone originating from space capable of enhancing one’s affinity to any energy system up to the advanced rank. Cannot create an affinity.

Lifelike Energy Feather (27 800 000 FCP): A feather created through unknown means, it’s made of energy, but doesn’t appear or register as anything else but a simple feather. It can be absorbed with one’s energy and gives the sensitive energy and compatible energy energy talents.

Elemental Warp Wisp Remains (48 753 000 FCP): The remains of an elemental warp wisp, a life that can only exist in the high-energy environments often resulting from major battles between grade 6 beings or higher. Fusing with it gives elemental energy system beings a chance to get the elemental warp energy talent. Lethal to every other energy system beings.

“It hurts…” Resisting the strain of having to see his entire faction contribution shop’s catalog consisting of tens of thousands of items by closing his eyes, he slowly opened them back, steadily accepting the new input.

Gradually, everything the military could offer him was being unveiled, but what interested him wasn’t the thousands of basic knowledge, what interested him was the high end, the limits.

The limits attained by the likes of those standing above Commander and Rival.

And for the first time in his life, Aven came to realize something he hadn’t exactly considered before, “A bit above the minimum threshold for expert?”

Accompanying the arrival of this realization, a bit of his youth’s naivety and ignorance left, never to return.

Because, no matter how he saw it, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, no matter how he folded his knowledge… His shop was now displaying the knowledge limit reached by the most powerful military of Green. To his knowledge.

“That’s… It?” He inquired weakly, “Less than a dozen of above-advanced military-related knowledge? 2 million FCP for the biggest? That’s all it takes to claim the greatest knowledge gathering the wisdom of every person part of the military?”

The gears in his brain and spirit started turning, slowly at first, but faster and faster by the second.

He remembered the history of Green.

The wild ancient era, where grade 5 and 6 beasts roamed Green with total impunity, treating humans as just prey.

The fairy era, where the humans woke up thanks to the fairies and both developed until they gave birth to legendary grade 6 supers, sweeping through every ancient beast, clearing all the 6 continents, and establishing nations that still stood to that day.

The disaster era, where beasts descended from the sky to claim the Abandoned Continent for themselves, and where a mad being engineered by itself the forbidden disaster, giving birth to abominations that no one could contain, losing yet another of the 6 continents to a force that couldn’t be contested.

The culmination of that era was known to all as the great dusk, it was a time where both abominations and abandoned beasts began rampaging beyond their continent. And even if they were ultimately stopped… It was at a great price.

And finally, Aven’s mind drifted to where he was now: The human era.

Nearly the entirety of fairies disappeared a few centuries ago for seemingly no reason at all. Even the supers still living from that day didn’t know what had happened. All the fairies had simply vanished overnight, leaving behind only myths, legends, and it turned out, elixirs with lost formulas like the self revolving energy elixir.

The major void created by their disappearance was then reluctantly filled by the humans, struggling all along after they lost their highest common super forces.

‘And it forced every energy system to innovate… Ushering in an age of technological progress…’

“And so… Here I am,” he closed his eyes, digesting and organizing what he had realized about his situation, “I’m born in the wrong era.”

Thinking some more, however, he added, “But while it's not the best, it’s certainly not the worst. I’m in it after all, and my innate ability… While it shouldn't be its main goal, it can definitely be used to support research. Sigh~”

Quickly arriving at a point where what he was talking and thinking about touched upon civilization-level revolutions, Aven connected more dots about the only logical path he could take.

“In the end, if space travel technology doesn’t exist… Then there are only 2 choices,” he gravely concluded, “Either I forget about it, or I make it my life goal.”

As if he had finally seen through everything, Aven felt enlightened.

Stupid ambitions like reaching the peak, world unification, being free to do as he wanted… They meant nothing when he could dedicate his life towards something so much more concrete.

From his awakening, where he had not really known anything about the world of the supers, this minority that controlled the world.

Then to his grade 1 period, where he had discovered how his innate potential gave him an endless potential, causing his ambitions and train of life to rise and follow after this “endless” potential.

‘And finally, to now.’

His grade 2 innate ability had similarly revolutionized his life, pushing his potential beyond “endless”, with no one to compare to, and he had really tried to live up to this potential by pushing himself to his limits.

As for the results of pushing himself to his limits…

He made friends with centenarians grade 3 tech supers, all coincidentally belonging to the production tech path, and the optimal way of using his innate ability was to follow along in their footsteps, fusing his knowledge claiming ability with his coincidentally predisposed tech energy affinity.

“As long as I use a confirmation bias, I can connect anything and everything,“ standing up from his couch, Aven started listing all the “coincidences” he was facing meaningfully.

“Faction contribution system? isn’t my innate ability itself defined by the word contribution?“ He challenged a first time.

“Tech affinity? There’s no other energy system that is more suitable for me to exert my innate ability?” He challenged a second time.

“Production tech super path? How would I truly contribute if I can’t create with my own hands the most top-notch and perfect tech-produced machines ever?” He challenged a third time.

“If I don’t choose this path, who will?” He challenged the air, or maybe himself, the world, or even fate, for the final time, before ending his dramatic acting feat, “So I need to purchase that apple, right? Hehehe~ What a surprising turn of events.”

Bringing his shop again, he ignored all the fancy new… Dozens and dozens of items able to give him talents in exchange for points he could earn relatively easily, and only focused on one thing that would help him extend his contribution time.

Faction Contribution Shop: Nation of Eland Military

Faction Authority: Six-Star General

Faction Contribution Points: 940 300

…

Tireless Apple (810 000 FCP)

‘Claim.’

Tireless Apple (Claim?)

‘Claim.’

A few seconds after finding the apple in the shop, it started materializing before him with the same characteristic light and color show as any items he had materialized before.

When it fully stabilized, what appeared before Aven was a glistening, translucent white and red apple.

“Now that’s a jewel-like fruit~” Taking it, he didn’t hesitate and started biting it here and there, swallowing it until there was nothing left less than 1 minute later.

And the effect soon started making itself apparent, both spiritually and physically.

To confirm that it wasn’t a placebo effect, he opened his status.

Aven Amias

Faction: Nation of Eland Military

Energy Grade: 2

Energy Cultivation: 110/1 000

Energy Affinity: Tech

Physical Talents: None

Energy Talents: Basic Tech Energy Affinity, Basic Energy Sense, Basic Natural Energy Growth, Basic Self Revolving Energy

Spiritual Talents: Inquisitive Spirit, Intermediate Knowledge Integration, Basic Tireless Spirit

Universal Talents: Unawakened Fairy Ancestry

‘And it’s here…’

Focusing on his new spiritual talent, he brought up its detailed description.

Basic Tireless Spirit: Your spirit has learned how to fight against naturally generated exhaustion. Allows you to ignore the direct consequences of going without rest for a gradually increasing longer period the more your spirit learns how to fight better.

“So… Another factor to add to my positive feedback loop? It’s absurd! I love it!” Feeling in real-time his exhaustion go away, he was exhilarated and his plan of going to sleep now was seriously being disputed, “It’s not like my body is exhausted, infusing isn’t a physically-demanding job… And the earlier I start, the best it is, right?”

With the fact that now, fighting against exhaustion and continuing to contribute meant investing for the future, Aven felt that not going back to volunteering right now was the worst possible decision he could make.

Thus, once he had concluded that, he didn’t see any other course of action to take other than serving himself a glass of peach iced tea, putting on his headphones, and exiting his quarters with confident steps and a simple smile.

He had FCP to grind.

…

Between the personal mentoring of Commander and Rival, helping him apprehend the massively complex integrated production lines, the show of trust by Eland, telling him to pretty much steal all their knowledge without any limits, the availability of better cultivation resources for a modest increase in his daily expenses, and his new realization about the path he had to take…

Aven couldn’t feel more resolved on what he needed to do.

He needed to claim knowledge representing the technological limit of Green and start innovating by combining them all and becoming an interdisciplinary genius.

He needed to reach grade 3 as fast as possible, getting his next innate ability upgrade and potentially revolutionizing his own way of progressing.

He needed to bring his knowledge application higher, preparing himself for firmly stepping into the reality-defying tech-production enhancement attained by the likes of his 2 mentors.

Only these 3 goals of his pushed him far above even the high volunteering dedication he had shown when he had simply wanted to reach higher and higher, not knowing the only path he could take to harmonize all his gifts.

But that time of his life was over, both for the best and for the worst.

As he had just acquired his new talent though, even the grandest dedication couldn't make him continue infusing without suffering from a reduction of his mental capabilities to that of a normal-baby level at some point.

When he eventually reached that point, he didn’t bother with anything and just left the production hall, claimed a trinity for himself, and went to sleep.

When he woke up the “next day”, he realized that his new talent not only worked by extending his consciously operating time, it also reduced his unconscious sleeping time, and as a result, he had only slept for a bit more than 5 hours.

And he didn’t feel one bit exhausted, neither did his body ache, he was just… Good.

Hence he got back to work, not even claiming his volunteering quest reward for the work he had done prior to going to sleep.

A few hours in, his body woke up from its morning numbness and started requesting food, so Aven decided to use that chance to start planning for how to use his FCP.

“Unless problems start appearing for my body, then I’ll forget about taking more talent and focus on knowledge. It seems like the obvious best choice,” writing down what he was saying on a notepad next to his plate of food, he then brought up his shop to decide in what order he needed to claim knowledge.

“Before starting on something specific… I need to level the ground,” directing his gaze towards the high-end knowledge, he mentally filtered out all the production-unrelated ones and diminished it once more by focusing on the expert-level knowledge first.

Knowledge: Expert Industrial Engineering (1 185 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Mathematics (1 574 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Programming (1 612 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Physics (1 681 000 FCP)

Knowledge: Expert Developmental Engineering (1 842 000 FCP)

“Those 5,” he narrowed his eyes after reducing the list to just those 5 expert knowledge, “They’re universal and combine innovations from tens of other fields, it’s probably the only reason they’re even categorized as expert knowledge to begin with.”

Continuing, and eventually ending, his meal while planning ahead, he returned to contributing his energy to integrated production lines with the combined objective of increasing his knowledge application skill and exhausting his trinity.

His trinity effect that had by the way increased massively thanks to reaching 6-star general authority, giving him access to much more intense cultivation resources, all coincidentally being produced by the Vow Church.

Ultimately, he found that after gaining the tireless spirit spiritual talent, his biological-based circadian cycle became only a remnant of the past, and he reached 24 hours of peak autonomy before reaching a state of exhaustion similar to doing an all-nighter in an instant.

“Compared to 16 hours… I gained 8 hours. That’s much more than I had hoped. And my sleep is reduced too~ I should have started with getting this talent first,” noting all the differences that his new talent had caused made a great smile appear on his face.

“And as long as I take care of my body properly, then those 24 hours of peak conditions will only continue to be extended,” finishing the matter on a good point, he made his phone levitate with energy telekinesis and put it on a desk not far.

Before using a pulse of psy energy to put himself to sleep, however, he was reminded of a critical matter, “Oh! Does that mean my volunteering quest currently has 30 or so hours for me to claim at any time?”

Without further ado, Aven claimed his quest.

Faction Contribution Quest: Nation of Eland Military

Volunteering: Contribute to the stability of your faction without asking for anything in return. The more time spent and the harder the tasks, the greater the contribution.

Reward: 744 000 FCP

“Sweet~ Even if I know my expense must have made a hole in it,” speculating on his real stock of FCP, he didn’t remain blind for long as he opened his shop to check.

Faction Contribution Shop: Nation of Eland Military

Faction Authority: Six-Star General

Faction Contribution Points: 789 500

…

“Hehe~ I knew it,” taking the number he was seeing with a shrug, he soon closed the floating screen bothering him, turned off the lights of his room with a bit of telekinesis, and then released a psy pulse.

Then he was out.

For the next 5 hours.