[ Congratulations. You have cleared the third challenge with a perfect rating. ]
— Clearing Points: 30,000.
— Bonus Points: 30,000. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel-fire.ɴet
'It was easier than I expected.'
Ainen grinned. The minor wounds he suffered healed as usual after clearing the floor challenge.
Of course, he had to rack his brain a bit, but he came up with countermeasures against the challenges quickly and overpowered the unique types of monsters.
In total, he acquired 120k points!
[ You have completed all three challenges of Mortal-rank. Access the shop and buy whatever you want with the 120k points you have earned. ]
Ainen found himself back in the hall, which was now more lit up, with the chandelier glowing in a golden glow.
The previously empty hall now had a fancy wooden shop with magical carved letters.
Ainen approached it and was greeted by a hologram with a list of items.
The most expensive item in the list had a price of 100k points.
[ Limitless Cradle Pot Method ]
Grade: Mortal (Upgradable).
Mana Recovery: 10 Mana per second.
Stat Boosts: Depends on the catalyst food dish.
Core Activation Effect: Depends on the catalyst food dish.
—> Usually, you require a natural catalyst that can enhance your magic core, which gives some stat boosts and extra power as a Core Activation effect in the Awakened life-rank. Each Cultivation Method provides ways to create a catalyst by using natural resources, but the Limitless Cradle Pot Method can use food cooked by you as the catalyst.
Note: This is the most suitable Mana Cultivation Method for Limitless Chef, but the difficulty is equally high as you will have to find resources suitable to act as catalyst and cook them into a food on your own by coming up a recipe, making the power of the Magic Core entirely depended on the your creativity to come up with the recipe and resulting food, unlike other Cultivation Methods which have fixed catalyst recipe and Core Effect.
[ You may choose another method that guarantees a strong Magic Core and Core Activation effect if you are unsure about practicing this cultivation method. ]
Ainen snorted. "No way I am choosing something else."
100k points were gone as Ainen saw a mystical scroll floating out of the hologram.
In the next moment, it turned into a light and entered his mind, floating beside his avatar in inner space.
Ainen started getting knowledge about it.
To practice this method, he first had to learn the structure that looked like a magical pot, which would be his Magic Core's design according to this Mana Cultivation Method.
The four conditions to break through were reaching level 50, all stats and 50, formation of Magic Core, and acquiring a class rune.
'Since there's a time dilation effect in the tower, I'd better break through here.'
So far, Ainen had spent an hour here, which was merely a minute outside!
Ainen focused and started learning the method to create the Magic Core according to the Mana Cultivation Method.
He had also learned the basic method to form Magic Core from the Hammer. Even without the Mana Cultivation Method, people could form a Magic Core, a simple one without any extra effect. People could upgrade it to a special one when they get a Mana Cultivation Method.
Usually, it was better to have some Mana Stones to form a Magic Core instead of using one's own Mana.
However, Ainen only had high-grade Mana stones, and he couldn't even squeeze out a little bit of Mana from them.
As he finished learning the method after twenty minutes, Ainen took out a high-grade Mana Stone, his eyes gleaming as his Mystic Chef's Eyes got its detail.
'Yeah, this is dangerous. I shouldn't risk it.' Ainen wryly smiled.
He could feel incredibly potent Mana in it.
'Hammer said that 100 Gold Coins can merely buy one low-grade Mana Stone, and I have 100 high-grade Mana Stones. It seems like I got lucky with the level 50 Mystery Box.'
Putting it aside, Ainen sat down cross-legged and started the formation of his Magic Core.
It took more time than Ainen expected. The total Mana required to form this Limitless Cradle Pot Magic Core was 5000, but his total Mana Pool was 600, with 100 extra from the armor's Equipment Perk.
So he had to pause while holding onto his developing Magic Core and recover his Mana.
Fortunately, the upgraded S-rank Jet Blaze Flight that he had cooked had a Mana Absorption effect, so he just had to activate it to recover Mana.
In the end, the masterpiece was complete after an hour.
A cauldron-shaped core floated in the void beside his avatar in his inner space, its body a deep obsidian black, polished so perfectly it reflected the glow that his Skill Runes and Class Rune released all around.
Crimson-gold runes spiraled around it in flowing curves, forming an unbroken pattern that looked like both a magic array and a chef's recipe written in divine calligraphy.
The base of the Pot had three clawed legs, carved like dragon talons gripping the void, anchoring it with unshakable stability. On its side, a single ladle symbol gleamed, glowing softly, as though it were waiting for the first dish to be added.
Below the pot was a sphere, the base of his Magic Core, acting as the new Mana Pool.
Between this sphere and the pot was a mystical sparkling blue flame that released from the sphere while all the Mana from his avatar, his body, was getting redirected to the sphere.
Ainen stood up and stretched his arms and legs.
Now, all he had to do was wait for the breakthrough to occur.
Looking at the flame below the pot, Ainen saw that it was about to be done.
When his new Mana Pool completely formed and filled up to full, his breakthrough would start.
The flames below the pot became bigger and bigger as Ainen recovered his Mana, which then transformed into that mysterious flame.
'The mana is leaving my body…'
It was happening as he had learned.
In the end, the entirety of Mana disappeared from his avatar, which reflected his body's conditions.
Ainen felt a strange weakness.
But the moment all the Mana vanished from his body and entered that sphere below the pot, which reached its limit, the breakthrough occurred.
Ainen's eyes shot open from focus as all pores of his body opened at once while the sphere below the pot glowed intensely.
Like a greedy whirlpool, it started attracting and sucking Mana from the atmosphere into his body, and this mana acted without Ainen's control.
It went through the sphere before entering every part of his body, washing it completely.
Ainen grunted as a strange pain occurred all over his body.
But he could feel that every fiber of his body was getting a fundamental boost. As if the world itself was upgrading it, pushing its evolution to a higher lifeform.
More and more Mana was absorbed from outside.
Five minutes passed by, and Ainen felt like he had roughly felt around 5000 Mana entering his body and vanishing. More precisely, it was consumed to evolve his body.
[ Congratulations. You have successfully broken through to the Awakened rank. ]
[ For breaking through to Awakened life-rank, you are granted 5 x Limitless Gacha Draws. ]
Meanwhile, the Limitless Cradle Pot hummed, spreading warmth through his body and powering him up.
The basic bonus from this Limitless Cradle Pot Magic Core applied as Ainen looked at his brand new status.