CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 708: Status

Seated within his chamber, Asher's gaze was fixed upon his Point Card, a weariness evident in his expression as his eyes lingered a moment too long.

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Name: Asher Wargrave.

Class: ★

Rank: 1

Point Balance: 307

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Five days had passed since concluding his rigorous training, a period he had dedicated to rest, which concluded today. Just moments prior, Asher had visited the Logistics and Missions Operations Hall to secure another mission. However, the Facilitator informed him that no new missions would be issued until the Principal issued a directive, a restriction seemingly imposed upon all individuals without exception.

The demanding schedule of training and missions had caused Asher to overlook this detail. Furthermore, while immersed in his training at the Facilities Building, he had missed an announcement. Apparently, an important declaration concerning the closure of the Logistics and Missions Operations Hall was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. He only learned of this a few minutes ago while returning from the Hall, overhearing casual conversations among students.

’An announcement, is it?’ Asher pondered, his gaze shifting from the Point Card, which disappeared into his space ring. His expression remained impassive, though a flicker of curiosity emerged.

While the precise location of said announcement was unknown to him, Asher was confident he could inquire with Finch and William upon their next encounter. Moreover, on his journey back to his room post-meeting with the Facilitator, he had overheard students vociferously complaining about being expelled from the Training Facilities Building without any reimbursement of their points, their discontent palpable.

Although Asher was aware of the Training Facilities Building's impending closure, the exact timing had not been disclosed. Additionally, all individuals engaged in missions were forcibly recalled, irrespective of mission completion status. While Asher couldn't fathom how Cindralis pinpointed and teleported each mission-bound student with such accuracy, he surmised it was a trivial task for someone as immensely powerful as Cindralis.

’I find myself rather anticipating it,’ Asher mused internally, his expression unchanged, a subtle undertone of eagerness veiled beneath his composed demeanor. Numerous speculations about the announcement's subject occupied Asher's mind, yet he did not linger on them excessively.

Nonetheless, despite the temporary closure of the Training Facilities Building and the Logistics and Missions Operations Hall, classes persisted as normal. Even at this very moment, a lecture was in progress, with all of Asher's classmates in attendance, adhering to the Academy's established routine amidst the prevailing circumstances.

’I suppose I shall encounter the third-years during the announcement,’ Asher surmised. He had harbored a persistent curiosity about the third-year cohort, intrigued by their top-ranked student and whether they hailed from a noble lineage – a distinct possibility, given that the first-year rankings were heavily populated by nobles, with only two commoners securing a place. As for the second-years, Asher possessed prior knowledge. His brother, Thalric, had consistently maintained the premier position since his enrollment at Star Academy. The second and third rankings were held by prominent Ducal Families, with smaller noble houses filling the remaining top ten spots. Not a single commoner had managed to infiltrate these upper echelons; their presence was entirely absent from the leading ranks.

As Asher's thoughts meandered, his attention gradually gravitated towards his Life Rank. ’Let me examine my status screen,’ he resolved, having not scrutinized it closely for the past seven months.

’Status.’

A chime signaled the system's response to his mental command.

[Name: Asher Wargrave

Age: Eighteen

Bloodline: The Wargrave Lineage

Physique: Absolute Physique

Titles: [Youngest Heir] [Tenth Sun] [Disgrace of the Wargrave] [Unique Body Holder] [The Star’s Heir] [Monster] [Most Loved Wargrave] [Most Talented Wargrave in History]

Life Rank: Swiftstar

Sub-Life Rank: Radiant

Affinity: Lightning, Star, Space, Gravity, Light, [Hidden]

Strength: 757 → 890

Agility: 780 → 915

Vitality: 968 → 1127

Perception: 830 → 967

Inventory: Platinum coins, assorted cuisine, liters of purified water, triangular wooden talisman, armors]

His eyes scanned each statistic; every attribute had seen an augmentation of at least one hundred and twenty points, a progression that would be considered extraordinary by most. Initially, Asher had held the expectation that reaching the 1000-point threshold would trigger some form of evolution or awakening, a significant event heralding a new phase. He had anticipated some notable occurrence, however minor, but nothing transpired, and his hopes eventually waned.

When he inquired about it with his system, he recalled being informed that the stats were merely numerical values used to quantify his power and advancement. Reaching the thousand-point mark did not initiate any form of evolution or awakening, nor did it trigger any hidden changes or transformations.

Asher had let out a sigh at that time, but he couldn't dwell on the thought. He had to let go of that line of reasoning; after all, it wasn't as if he could confront the system or compel it to offer a different response, regardless of how much he desired it.

'It took me seven months to ascend from the Dust to the Radiant tier within the Sub-Life Rank,' Asher reflected internally, a subtle hue of contemplation crossing his mind as he evaluated the scope of his progress and the sincerity of his efforts.

Dust represented the commencement of his Major Life Rank, while Radiant signified its zenith. He had never dedicated such an extensive period to a single rank before, making this experience both unfamiliar and somewhat eye-opening.

'Indeed, the higher the Life Rank, the more arduous the climb,' he mused, a slight shake of his head accompanying his words as he leaned back. He couldn't help but ponder how much longer it would take for individuals who were significantly less gifted and less resolute to reach his current standing, given his own extended duration.

However, Asher seemed to be overlooking a crucial detail. He hadn't been consistently cultivating and fortifying his Astra veins for the entire seven months; far from it. His efforts in this regard had been sporadic at best. Instead, he had devoted the majority of his time to honing his newly acquired element, refining his skills and elemental command, enhancing his Song Of Virelass Rapier Technique, devising new maneuvers, and perfecting existing ones, all while simultaneously developing a few Star Energy skills and abilities.

He simply had an overwhelming number of responsibilities to manage, yet he still achieved such astonishing progress despite dividing his focus across so many disparate areas. This naturally led to a pertinent question: if Asher maintained such remarkable speed and effectiveness even when treating his Life Rank as a secondary objective during his training, what Life Rank might he have attained if he had solely concentrated on the Lightning element without the need to subdivide his attention across multiple elements, skills, and techniques?

Verily, he was a prodigy whom few, if any, could rival in terms of sheer talent and acuity. But the definitive answer to this query could only be unearthed upon the exploration of other Empires, realms where formidable beings of comparable stature might reside.

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