Chapter 129 - 6-Star Knight

Adrian sat on the floor, cultivating with a serene expression when he heard a beep sound.

The System was kind to inform him that the complete map was gotten.

Adrian smiled as he got to his feet, stretching his limbs briefly before summoning his status first.

[TECHCORE SYSTEM – STATUS PANEL]

Knight: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Mana: 60.93%

Name: Adrian | Age: 10

System Level: 12 | EXP: 34980 / 149850 | TP: 34800

[Stats: Speed - 960 (64) | Strength - 1050 (70) | Constitution - 1800 (75)]

[Inventions Created: 41]

He had kept to his plan these five days. He cultivated every single time he could and the days blurred together, each one a cycle of focus and discipline.



Only taking breaks to eat or rest at some days, he pushed himself to the limit, determined to grow stronger.

"It could be described as boring, but it was surely worth it,"

Adrian said to himself. He didn’t have the Power Suit on him, and without its familiar weight, he still felt far stronger than before.

"Comparing this to my former self is akin to comparing a rodent to a human," he said matter of factly.

It was simply impossible to make such a comparison!

He was very much stronger, and his incredible stats were a testament to that.

He clenched and flexed his arms, feeling the raw strength ripple through his muscles.

Adrian also felt different because the clothes he wore could barely contain him. It was tight because he had grown again.

He could only manage it for now, tugging at the collar to give himself a bit more room. He planned on processing some beast hides into skins and armor, but that was another plan pushed for later.

For the moment, he’d deal with the discomfort.

Adrian looked at his status panel one last time. It was still incredible to him how easily he was climbing the rankings that eluded all others.

It didn’t leave his mind that there were only two individuals in the entire human continent above the 9-Star level. And here he was, quickly approaching that level.

"I would have loved to continue going, but I have to proceed with the rest of my plans."

He wasn’t in a hurry to power up fast anyways. He had time, and he’d use it wisely.

After stretching once more, he commanded, "Visit Factory." His words hung in the air for a moment before the world shifted around him.

***

As soon as Adrian walked into the Simulation Chamber, he didn’t waste time to summon the holographic map.

The map bloomed into existence, a sprawling web of lines and colors stretching across the white room.

This time, all its sections were complete and detailed, thanks to the drones. Every ridge, every valley, every forgotten corner of the land glowed with precision.

"Good, good," he said, nodding to himself.

With that sorted out, he reduced the size a bit to eye level as he looked at it, the hologram shrinking obediently to hover just in front of him.

For the next 45 minutes, Adrian played with the map, setting out his plans.

His fingers traced paths through the air, marking spots for infrastructure. He designated areas with structures and areas with roads.

Transformation plans took shape as he worked, his vision for the land unfolding step by step.

He continued, as he got lost in the process, detailing everything.

"Ever since the mana saturated the air, the Frozen Region and Volcanic Wastelands had returned to normal," he said, his eyes narrowing as he studied those zones on the map.

They still had their unique conditions, but they were now normal in temperature.

To a level that a human could walk there without freezing or burning to death.

"That came as a relief," Adrian remarked. "I don’t need to make plans on how to regulate their temperatures."

The thought lightened his mood, one less problem to solve. As he designed the hologram floating above his eyes, he committed to transforming those places into industrial hubs.



By the time he was done with everything, he looked at the now updated hologram, filled with structures and transformed. He even accounted for water!

"Beautiful," Adrian said as he admired his handiwork, stepping back to take it all in.

He saved the blueprint to the System’s database after he was through.

"With this done, time to leave this place," he said, and with his next thought, he was out of the Factory, the white space fading as the world shifted again.

***

After Adrian arrived at the mountains on his Rover, he stepped out of it and returned the vehicle to his [Inventory]. The sleek machine vanished in a flash of light, leaving him standing alone at the base of the towering peak.

"It’s unfortunate I can’t use it to climb," he said, glancing up at the jagged slopes.

The mountain didn’t have even slopes or any path for him to use the Rover on.

Yes, it could handle difficult terrains, but this mountain was something else.

But Adrian was hopeful for the future. It was one of the places he had detailed in his blueprint that he planned to transform.

Roads would carve through it one day, making it accessible. But for now, he would have to climb the old way.

"This is an opportunity to see how much stronger I’ve gotten," he said, a spark of excitement in his voice.

He didn’t have the Power Suit on for comfort reasons, but he was okay with going alone.

Adrian executed the Phantom Flow Technique, which was unfortunately the only technique currently in his arsenal.

His body blurred as he moved, and then he stepped forward at a speed that was unexpected for a human.

He was untrackable as he stepped his foot on the mountain, and then with quick feet, he didn’t climb the mountain... that was too slow.

He ran up through it, pulling off a feat that was hard to believe!

His legs pumped like pistons, each stride launching him higher up the rocky face.

The wind roared in his ears, tugging at his tight clothes, and the feeling felt great for Adrian as he rushed up the mountain.

The ground blurred beneath him and he grinned at the sheer thrill of it.

It only took him 3 minutes to reach the peak, and when he did, Adrian was impressed.

He stood there, looking out over the vast expanse below.

"That was exhilarating," he said, his voice carrying a mix of pride and disbelief.

Even he was surprised by how much his physical capabilities had improved.

Adrian looked down at the mountain and said, "Now what’s the best way to come down?"

The first thought that swayed his mind was to jump, but he wasn’t stupid to try such a thing.

"Even for this, a jump would be too much to ask for," he said, shaking his head.

There were many unpredictable elements that he just couldn’t take the risk. But that didn’t mean he planned on wasting time the normal way.

Adrian abandoned all his former thoughts as he jumped, but not to leave the mountain.

He jumped to a ledge on the mountain, his feet landing with precision.

Then another, and another, each leap calculated and swift. With less than ten jumps and in over a minute, his foot finally touched solid ground with a loud thud, the impact kicking up a puff of dust around him.



Adrian looked back at the former lands which had been his home for weeks now.

He had lots of experiences here, and if he was to be praised for any accomplishments, it was returning mana to the land, breathing life back into a place that had been barren for so long.

"I won’t be gone for long," he said as he turned his back and walked towards the bridge, his steps steady and sure.

Adrian planned on crossing it and heading back to civilization, but there was a fact he wanted to avoid for so long.

"I reek."

Due to the absence of water, he hadn’t had a bath all these while, and even he was struggling to stand his stench.

The smell clung to him. How then would he interact with people?

Adrian looked down at the flowing river, which was the only water source around, and a rare smirk formed on his face.

The water sparkled under the sun, rushing with a soft roar.

"Tech Core, give me the details of that river, its depth, current speed, and any hazards," he said.

A series of notifications flashed on his eyes and after Adrian confirmed all he needed, he didn’t say no more.

Instead of stepping on the bridge, he turned the other side and jumped in with unbelievable athleticism, his body arcing through the air before splashing into the cool, welcoming water below.