CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 732: Two years

As the sun ascended the horizon, its morning rays streamed into the chamber, illuminating the space. Within, Asher slumbered deeply, his breathing even and tranquil, lost in a world of dreams. The persistent sunlight eventually kissed his face, coaxing his eyelids to flutter open.

With a languid stretch that transitioned him from a lying to a seated position, he sat on the bed, his movements sluggish and his eyes still heavy with sleep.

'System, what's the time?' Asher inquired mentally, his consciousness gradually returning to full awareness.

[1 p.m., Host]

The system responded with a gentle chime, seemingly resigned to its function as a temporal indicator.

Asher remained seated for a spell. The intensive one-month training had concluded the previous day. Upon his return, he had immediately collapsed onto his bed, foregoing sustenance and hygiene, utilizing only Astra Energy for a quick refresh.

While merely four hours of sleep could fully restore him, erasing all fatigue and returning him to peak physical condition, it didn't preclude him from indulging in extended rest when the mood struck.

'Looks like I overslept,' Asher mused, swinging his legs over the side and rising from the bed. 'It's been a month since I had such a long, satisfying sleep.' He stretched, savoring the sensation wholeheartedly.

He proceeded directly to the bathroom, where he spent over an hour immersed in a long, soothing bath. Emerging from the bathroom, he donned fresh attire and ambled onto the balcony. He saw no need to visit the cafeteria; his system inventory was well-stocked, and he intended to eat his fill.

Asher sank into a seat, exhaling a sigh of contentment. With a sweep of his hand, an array of dishes materialized before him, and he commenced his feast without a moment's hesitation. After a few minutes, he patted his distended belly with satisfaction; he was thoroughly stuffed.

A quiet settled over him as his gaze drifted towards the balconies of the other Top Ten students. None had stirred yet; they were all still deep in slumber. Despite his late awakening, Asher was the first to emerge from his rest, a testament to everyone's effort to maximize recovery after weeks of deprivation.

Asher lifted his head towards the heavens, observing the peaceful coexistence of clouds and sun. After a brief contemplation, he shook his head and decided to access his system panel. After all, he had nothing else pressing to occupy his time.

'Status,' he commanded mentally.

The system responded instantly, projecting the status screen before him.

[Name: Asher Wargrave Age: Nineteen 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: Firmstar Sub-Life Rank: Dust Affinity: Lightning, Star, Space, Gravity, Light, [Hidden] Strength: 890 → 913 → 1315 Agility: 915 → 933 → 1343 Vitality: 1127 → 1127 → 1538 Perception: 967 → 981 → 1357 Inventory: Platinum coins, assorted cuisine, liters of purified water, triangular wooden talisman, armors]

Asher studied his system page, a faint smile gracing his lips as his eyes scanned the details. The most immediate alteration was his age; Asher had officially turned nineteen.

He had been eighteen upon his enrollment at the Star Academy. After spending a cumulative eleven months within the Separate Dimension, he had aged a full year. His birthday had fallen during the recent month of training. There had been no fanfare, no birthday wishes, no cake... though such things held little importance for him, as men typically did not dwell on them.

Even Thalric had remained silent on the matter, a fact Asher attributed to his companion likely being unaware of the date – something Asher himself was indifferent to. After all, he didn't know Thalric's birthday either.

He lifted his hand, his gaze falling upon the watch Lyra had gifted him two years prior, just before his awakening. His thoughts briefly drifted to Lyra before he consciously pushed them aside, choosing not to dwell on her at that moment.

His attention returned to the system display, and the next significant update was his Life Rank. Throughout the past month, Asher had not solely focused on training. Despite his exhaustion, he had consistently dedicated a few minutes, sometimes even an hour, each day to cultivation, successfully advancing to the Dust Firmstar Life Rank. This marked the sixth of the ten primary Life Ranks.

(Faintstar — Kindlestar — Brightstar — Blazestar — Swiftstar — Firmstar — Wavestar — Voidstar — Soulstar — Crownstar) (sub-Life; Dust — Spark — Flare — Pulse — Radiant)

A genuine smile spread across Asher's face as he gazed at the system's report. To have ascended from utter obscurity to his current standing in a mere two years felt extraordinary. He had traversed more than half of the established power spectrum in such a short period. How many individuals, since the dawn of this new era, could claim such prodigious talent?

A surge of pride washed over Asher; in this very moment, he felt an undeniable sense of accomplishment. Why wouldn't he?

After a brief moment reveling in his own extraordinary talent, his gaze drifted to his status screen.

He froze, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he struggled to comprehend the numbers before him.

The initial set of stats reflected his condition at the Radiant Swiftstar Life Rank. The middle set showed the gains from the gruelling one-month training regimen. The final set displayed his current attributes after achieving the breakthrough.

He immediately dismissed the middle parameters. In his previous state, such gains would have been cause for immense celebration, but now, they barely registered. His focus was solely on the final figures.

Every single stat had seen an increase of at least four hundred points. To Asher, it was utterly unbelievable, bordering on madness. The numbers presented by the system starkly illustrated the colossal gulf between each Life Rank.

Asher took a deep, steadying breath, attempting to compose himself. Yet, how could anyone remain calm in the face of such numbers? Four hundred points was simply staggering. He closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them, his stare fixed once more on the status display. All his stats had now surged past the one-thousand-point mark.

'It appears the system's earlier pronouncements were indeed accurate,' Asher mused internally.

He hadn't experienced any special evolution upon crossing the one-thousand-point threshold in strength, agility, or vitality. A sigh of disappointment escaped him, his hopes dashed once more. Although the system had already warned him that no special transformation awaited him at this particular milestone, a sliver of hope had persisted.

Nevertheless, despite the slight disappointment, the sheer increase in his power was enough to send a tremor of excitement through him. The difference between his former self and his current state was simply astronomical. If the previous Asher could hold his own against opponents of a higher rank, what was possible now?

He couldn't even accurately gauge the extent of his newfound strength.