Just as Michael expected, it was still early in Aurora.
There was warm food in the pot, but no one else was home—only him and his undead.
Already used to this, Michael quietly made a plate of food for himself.
With his current stats, he didn’t need to eat every day. Food was no longer essential like it once was. Even if there was a need—it had to be after days of abstaining or after intense exertion.
Also, ordinary food that common people ate did little for him.
Even monster meat or supernatural ingredients had to be consumed in large quantities or be of sufficiently high grade to make any real difference.
A foodie didn’t need to be hungry to eat. Besides, enjoying Aunt Mia’s cooking was a small way to still feel connected to his family.
With his growing power and responsibilities, he found himself drifting—no matter how much he resisted. The bond was still there, but the time spent together was fading.
He could sometimes see the sadness in Aunt Mia’s eyes because of it. As for Lily... she probably preferred him being busy.
Whenever he returned to the original world, Michael always ensured Lily continued her training and that her cultivation stayed on track.
He had his worries as a brother.
Aurora wasn’t as safe as its citizens liked to believe—especially after the Demonic Supernaturals event. Even now, many clung to the illusion of peace.
Michael didn’t worry about himself. He had the strength to survive. If that ever failed, then perhaps he deserved death.
But his family was different. They were still weak.
Though he had assigned undead to quietly guard them, having personal strength was always safer.
Unfortunately, gaining that strength was easier said than done.
As he ate, thoughts flickered through Michael’s mind, eventually circling back to Duke Evermoon’s daughter.
He wasn’t interested in Beast Taming because he lacked interest in the undead.
Necromancy was his foundation—and abandoning it would be foolish. He had come too far, gained too much. Becoming some half-baked Beast Tamer now would be nothing short of idiotic.
That wasn’t to say Beast Taming was useless to him.
But to a certain extent, having living monsters could also end up more of a burden than a blessing. For one, where would he even keep them?
Even if Beast Tamers had some form of storage space for their beasts, he wasn’t interested in managing a zoo. His goal wasn’t to replace his undead. What he truly wanted... was a way to attach his soul to things beyond the undead.
If he could achieve that, his talent would finally show its full potential. It would grant him flexibility—let him connect to more than just monsters. To people, even.
People like Aunt Mia and Lily.
Becoming a High Human could change everything. With the race alone, Aunt Mia could become a supernatural being. Lily... she could become a supreme genius.
Michael hadn’t forgotten how Teacher Brian had looked at him—half in awe, half in envy. How the man had confidently declared that there was no way Michael would fail the Academy entrance exam.
And that was just because of his race.
There was another suspicion Michael hadn’t let go of.
If he found a way to bond with Aunt Mia and Lily—if they became his "summons"... would they gain the ability to level up too?
But it was a fascinating idea.
Still, even if he somehow gained the ability of a Beast Tamer now, he wouldn’t use it on them immediately. That level of power and connection came with risk. They weren’t experiments.
He had two hopeless, untalented youths in mind for that kind of test.
After finishing his meal, Michael freshened up and returned to the Land of Origin, where he immediately began to meditate.
Unlike when he first started—when each day of meditation granted at least 0.5 Intelligence—progress had slowed. With his Intelligence stat already high, especially after the mass level-ups during the corrupted monster ambush, gaining even 0.2 Intelligence in a day was now considered good.
He currently had 50 unallocated attribute points sitting in reserve, but he wasn’t ready to use them—not even with his Intelligence just a few points shy of 200.
In fact, that was exactly why he wasn’t rushing it.
For one, he’d naturally reach 200 in a few more days. Using points now would be a waste of something valuable.
Two, after every 20-point increase in Intelligence, he had a chance to unlock a new skill. But even after multiple milestones, he’d gotten nothing.
No new skill. No notification.
It was disheartening.
No wonder the forum posts said it depended on luck.
And luck? That was one thing Michael wasn’t convinced he had enough of.
Perhaps, having a powerful talent had already sucked a major part of his life’s luck.
The next morning came uneventfully.
Michael awakened from his cultivation a few hours after dawn, the air around him still faintly thrumming with mana.
As he opened his eyes and slowly drew his consciousness back into the present, a subtle chill ran down his spine.
Time... passed far too quickly when he meditated.
It had been a recurring realization, but each time it felt a little more jarring. What had felt like moments to him had already consumed hours.
And though it was only due to his current mental limits that he couldn’t go on endlessly, the implications of his future growth worried him.
One day, when his mental strength grew exponentially, what then?
Would he wake up from a cultivation session only to find decades had passed?
Would he one day blink... and everyone he cared for had grown old or passed on?
It was a terrifying thought.
And thinking of Aunt Mia and Lily only made the fear worse.
Right now, Michael was at the peak of Rank 1. A rank 1 Awakener lifespan was estimated at over 200 years. This number would increase drastically once he broke through—perhaps even double as a High Human.
They were still ordinary humans.