Chapter 88

Ethan’s mind buzzed with possibilities, his recent discoveries charting a new, thrilling course for his future. Pinnacle University… I wonder if they’ll teach alchemy and psionic botany? They should, right? When the time comes, I must definitely study it well.

He realized with a jolt that he already possessed the core resources for two of the most profitable industries in this new world. For crafting psionic gear, he had the unparalleled super-intelligence of Grey Matter. For understanding the complex biological and energetic makeup of Aura Pills, he had the unique, plant-based sensory abilities of Wildvine. He was sitting on a potential goldmine.

But now was not the time for daydreaming about future business empires. He had three of those mysterious pills in his hand, and his intuition told him they could significantly accelerate his training. He’d need to confirm their nature with his uncle tomorrow.

He carefully put away the precious items, then picked up the folded map once more, his brow furrowed in thought. If I just hand this over to the authorities directly, it's the same as admitting I looted the Deacon's storage ring. While Mayor Thorne had clearly chosen to turn a blind eye, flaunting it would be foolish. No, better to play the part of an anonymous, concerned citizen.

Late that night, an invisible, intangible form slipped silently from Ethan’s bedroom window. As Ghostfreak, he phased through the city's complex web of defenses. The journey was tense and nerve-wracking. He could feel the faint, rhythmic hum of psionic patrol drones overhead and even sensed the probing tendrils of mental energy detectors sweeping the streets below. A single misstep, a moment of lapsed concentration, and alarms would blare across the district. Luckily, his recent breakthrough to Rank Two had greatly enhanced his powers. His invisibility was deeper, his intangibility more stable. It was the only reason he managed to slip past them undetected.

He reached the imposing main gate of the Public Security Bureau headquarters and quietly placed the folded map on the ground, just inside the threshold. At the same time, using a piece of chalk he’d pocketed, he scrawled a single line of cryptic text on the stone beside it.

This is not intelligence ===> [Map]

Phew, that was close. I was almost discovered on the way back, he thought, his heart pounding as he phased back into the safety of his room. The defenses of this city were truly on another level. After doing all this, Ethan finally collapsed into bed, a deep and dreamless sleep claiming him instantly.

Just as Ethan had returned home, a patrol guard discovered the map and immediately reported it up the chain of command. Before dawn, the mayors of several major safe zones in the region were on encrypted emergency conference calls. In a series of swift, coordinated strikes, they wiped out the nearby Evolution Cult lairs, rescuing two other young psionicists who were about to be experimented on. From the raided labs, they also obtained samples of the dangerous Beastification Potion, which were promptly sent up the chain for analysis by the Global Concord’s top research teams.

Sunlight streamed warmly through the window, waking Ethan. He stretched, a satisfied smile on his face. He had finally had a good, deep night's sleep, and he woke feeling completely refreshed, full of energy. Just then, his phone chimed. It was a message from his homeroom teacher, Mr. Gordon.

"Ethan, I've spoken with the principal. Considering what you've just been through, you've earned a break. I'm giving you a week's holiday to rest and recover. Come back to class in a week."

Seeing the message, Ethan jumped up excitedly. A whole week-long holiday! That’s great! This unexpected joy made him feel incomparably happy. Who wouldn’t want a little holiday? At this rate, I almost want that group of guys to capture me one more time! he thought with a flicker of dark humor.

He didn't even bother with breakfast, rushing over to his uncle Steven's new house. As soon as they met, he said excitedly, “Uncle, I got a few pills here. Can you help me see what they are?”

Steven's interest was piqued. “Aura Pills? This is good stuff! Where did you get them?” he asked curiously.

Ethan scratched his head, putting on a practiced, innocent smile. “Oh, I just… picked them up on my way out of the Evolution Cult’s base.”

Steven nodded, a knowing glint in his eye. “So that’s how it is. But things like this aren’t just left lying around. They’re usually carried by the leader of the stronghold. Since you got these, the storage ring must also be in your hands, right?”

Ethan laughed embarrassedly. “Hehe, Uncle, let’s just say some things are better left unsaid, right?”

Steven couldn't help but laugh. “Alright then, you cheeky brat. Let me see what these pills are.” He took the pillbox from Ethan and sniffed it carefully. His eyes widened slightly. “As I expected. This should be an Aura Gathering Pill.”

“An Aura Gathering Pill?” Ethan’s eyes widened. He remembered Mr. Gordon saying their entire high school division only received three of these precious pills each month for the top students. The pill’s effect was to double the speed at which one could absorb ambient Aura for twelve hours straight. For the current Ethan, it was absolutely a godsend. Such a precious pill, and he had three. Fortune favors the bold, he thought with a grin.

This unexpected wealth made him feel incomparably excited. He pulled out his datapad and navigated to the public trading network of his uncle's Aevum Corporation. He began looking up the current market values.

A standard, lower-grade F-rank Aura Core was worth a solid one million credits. He did the math: his six lower-grade F-rank cores were worth 6 million. A mid-grade was 1.3 million, so his three were worth 3.9 million. An upper-grade was 1.7 million. Just his F-rank cores alone were worth a staggering 11.6 million credits.

Then he looked up the E-rank cores. A lower-grade one was 2 million, a mid-grade was 2.3 million, and an upper-grade was 2.7 million. His four E-rank cores were worth another 8.6 million credits. And a D-rank core, even a lower-grade one, started at a base price of 5 million!

He tallied it up, his eyes wide. Just the Aura Cores alone were worth a total of 25.2 million credits!

And that wasn't even mentioning the psionic gear. A beginner-grade item was worth peanuts, but an intermediate-grade, supreme-quality one could fetch up to 2 million. His Steel Shield was Advanced-grade. Furthermore, it was a defensive, life-saving item, which always sold for a premium. What’s more, it was now a supreme-grade, and it had even awakened a special ability. He looked up comparable sales, his heart pounding. If he were to take it to auction, if he was lucky, he might be able to sell it for a heavenly price of eight million credits!