Chapter 91: Getting Rich

It was perfectly normal for Alden Vance and Julian Linley to be so eager. After all, though both men were powerful masters at Rank Four, their positions as heads of major families kept them bound to the city. Killing a few Rank Two monsters was as easy as chopping vegetables for them, but finding the time to personally venture into the wilds was another matter entirely. Most of the psionicists who could actually go out hunting were Rank Two, and the number of Aura Cores they could bring back was never a sure thing, and certainly not in this quantity.

Ethan took out the F-rank Aura Cores he wanted to sell, laying them out on a nearby training bench. The soft, internal glow of the orbs painted the faces of the two powerful family heads with colored light as they began to discuss the price. Ethan didn't want to make too much of a profit from this. He knew that when these cores were brought back to their respective families, a significant portion would be allocated to Marcus and Seraphina to aid their own training.

In the end, after a brief and friendly negotiation, the three of them unanimously decided on a price that was slightly above market value—a gesture of goodwill on all sides. The seven lower-grade cores went for 1.05 million credits each, the three mid-grade for 1.4 million, and the two upper-grade for 1.8 million.

Alden Vance purchased three lower-grade, two mid-grade, and one upper-grade core. Julian Linley purchased the remaining four lower-grade, one mid-grade, and one upper-grade. In a matter of moments, a staggering 15.15 million credits was transferred directly into Ethan's account, the confirmation chime from his datapad sounding almost surreal.

Fortunately, in this world, awakening one's psionic ability legally designated them as an adult, able to open their own bank accounts and handle their own finances. Otherwise, Ethan wouldn't have the first clue how to handle so much physical cash. A whole fifteen million-plus, if exchanged for paper notes, would probably stuff even his new storage ring completely full.

Ethan was very satisfied with this result, and Alden Vance and Julian Linley were as well. For Ethan, three days of horrific pain had yielded a fortune. For the two patriarchs, they had, in one go, acquired a number of Aura Cores that would have taken their family hunting teams three to four months to obtain, if they were lucky. All in all, in this transaction, both sides felt that they had profited immensely.

“Alright, children, you continue to play. We won't disturb you any longer,” Alden Vance said with a satisfied, booming smile.

Julian Linley added, “That’s right, we still have a lot of work to deal with. We'll be leaving first.”

Ethan hurriedly said goodbye to the two elders. “Goodbye, Uncle Vance, Uncle Linley!”

Watching their retreating backs, Ethan was secretly delighted with his new fortune. He turned to Marcus and Seraphina and said, “Actually, I still have those three mid-grade Aura Gathering Pills in my ring. I can take out two. Do you want them?”

Aura Gathering Pills! The hearts of his two friends skipped a beat. This was a truly, incredibly good thing. However, they knew that such a treasure was something their families would eventually provide for them, while these pills were something Ethan had obtained by risking his very life. They could only shake their heads and refuse.

Marcus was the first to speak, his tone firm. “Wait until we break through to Rank Two. Our families will prepare them for us then. Ethan, man, you should keep those for yourself. This kind of rare resource shouldn't be given away so easily. Improving your own strength is the most important thing.”

Ethan nodded, understanding their sentiment. “Now that I have some free time, and we're in a training hall… how about a little spar?” he asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Relax, I’ll go easy on you. A one-on-two is no problem for me.”

However, facing Ethan's challenge, his two friends appeared a little hesitant. This guy in front of them was already at Rank Two, Level Three, while they were only at Rank One, Level Ten. The gap between them was no ordinary gap. And he also had so many ridiculously powerful forms. This wasn't a spar; it was openly asking for a beating.

Unknowingly, the gap between them had been pulled so wide. Thinking of this, the eyes of both Marcus and Seraphina became even more determined.

Marcus gnashed his teeth. “Alright, then let me come and meet you. Let me see for myself just how strong a Rank Two psionicist really is!”

Seraphina also said, not to be outdone, “We won't lose easily!”

Seeing the two of them now full of fighting spirit, Ethan couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. “Since that’s the case…” He turned the dial on his watch. With a flash of green light, he transformed. “Four Arms!”

Marcus roared, activating his muscle strengthening and Amplify skills, his body instantly swelling to a terrifying size. Seraphina didn't stay idle. She applied a layer of her golden Defensive Aura to both of them, and at the same time, put on her own solid Bedrock Armor, summoning a heavy rock shield for herself.

Once preparations were complete, Ethan and Marcus, two giant humanoid tanks, charged towards each other. With every heavy step, the reinforced ground of the arena trembled slightly, as if the earth itself were quaking in anticipation.

“Shattering Fist!” With a loud roar, Marcus raised his right fist. The giant, psionically-charged appendage, glowing with power, smashed towards Ethan with the force of breaking through the air.

Ethan was not to be outdone. He merged his two right fists into one massive battering ram and punched out with all his might.

BAM!!!

The two powerful forces fiercely collided, emitting a sound like the beating of a giant war drum that was deafening to the ear. However, the result was unexpected. Ethan stood firmly in his original spot, unmoving as a mountain, while Marcus was sent flying back nearly ten meters by the explosive blow. He landed heavily, skidding to a stop. He looked at his own fist, panting heavily, his face showing an expression of utter disbelief as he stammered, “This is… this is the strength of a Rank Two?”

Ethan smiled slightly. “Don’t be too envious, Marcus. With your talent and hard work, I believe you’ll reach this rank very soon.”

Marcus said, unconvinced, “If it weren’t for you disappearing for three days, and us wasting so much time looking for you, I might have already broken through!”

Ethan comforted him, “Relax, when you get back, those Aura Cores will definitely be given to you. I estimate that by tomorrow, you’ll have successfully advanced.”

Marcus replied with full confidence, “But of course! I don’t want to lose to you!” With that, he once again unleashed his psionic skills. “Steel Transformation! Shattering Fist!” This time, his fist became extremely hard and gleamed with a metallic sheen, as if it were made of cast iron. However, facing Marcus’s attack, Ethan did not play by the usual rules. He clapped his four large, powerful hands together in a single, explosive motion.

A fierce, invisible slap of concussive force produced a powerful shockwave. Marcus was sent flying by the blow again, tumbling a few times on the ground before he could stop.

“Damn it, so badass!” Marcus shouted, impressed despite himself.

Hearing the praise, Ethan explained with some satisfaction, “Actually, with my current strength, I can't complete such an attack alone. When I clapped, I cleverly used my psionic energy to condense a small, unstable ball of Aura in front of me. The physical force from the clap just now smashed this ball of psionic energy, causing it to detonate and thus greatly enhancing the effect.”

Seraphina, who had been watching from the side, nodded slightly in agreement. “Indeed, very good, Ethan. This move already has the initial prototype of creating your own, unique psionic skill. However,” she added, her analytical mind already dissecting it, “if I'm not mistaken, this move also has an obvious flaw. When the Aura ball explodes, the damage is omnidirectional, which means it also has an effect on you.”

“That’s right,” Ethan confirmed. “I also have to bear some of this shockwave. But this Four Arms form has thick skin and dense flesh, so it's not a big deal. It’s still quite painful to be hit by my own attack, though.”

“It’s okay,” Seraphina said. “After all, the move was just now developed. With more practice, you should be able to learn to control the shockwave so that it only moves forward. Then it will be a perfect skill.”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Ethan said.

Marcus, now back on his feet, grinned. “Hehe, when you've learned it, you must teach me. That move is simply too practical.”

“Then you’d better hurry up and break through to Rank Two,” Ethan teased, “otherwise you won’t even have the qualifications to learn it.”

Marcus’s grin widened. “It’s just Rank Two. I’ll break through tonight when I get home.” The current Marcus was at the absolute peak of Rank One, Level Ten, and could break through at any time. Even without an Aura Core, it was a sure thing.