[Endless Treasury Token (Common)] has been consumed x2!

You have received [Pathetic Mana Potion (Common)] x3!

Pathetic Mana Potion (Common)

An awfully mixed potion that restores the user's mana over time. Restores 2 mana per minute for 20 minutes.

You have received [Brittle Broadsword (Common)]!

Brittle Broadsword (Common)

Forged by a journeyman blacksmith, this broadsword has a sharp edge and a sturdy grip. However, faults that formed during the forging process mean it might just as easily shatter in your hands as cut down your foes.

[Endless Treasury Token (Uncommon)] has been consumed!

You have received [Fortified Apricot of Acuity (Uncommon)] x2!

Fortified Apricot of Acuity (Uncommon)

Delightfully plump and soft, these apricots are found growing in warm, sunny plains by the coast. Those who consume their flesh find their mental faculties are slightly sharpened. This variant received more energy while growing, enhancing logical thought by a greater degree.

+5 Acuity

[Endless Treasury Token (Rare)] has been consumed!

You have received [Diamondback Gorilla Tempered Body Art (Rare)]!

Diamondback Gorilla Tempered Body Art (Rare)

This tempered body cultivation art was developed by a master of martial arts who went on a journey of solitude into the jungle. There, he observed a mythical species of gorilla, known as diamondbacks, who have fists so hard that they naturally crystallise into diamonds. By watching the gorillas fight for dominance, he was able to develop a body cultivation art that mimicked their dueling rituals and training. Through the use of this art, he trained and cultivated, emerging from the jungle a changed man, defeating all of his former rivals in single combat. Through relentless brutality and determination, even the softest fists can be forged into diamond.

While the sword and the mana potions weren't great drops, Ronan wasn't too bothered. Those were his common tokens, and the loot he obtained from the uncommon and rare tokens were far superior.

A brand new type of stat fruit, the apricot gave him a small boost in one of his magic stats. They were as soft as a pillow, sweet as honey, and practically melted on his tongue. Ronan devoured them both with gusto, maxing out the acuity cap in just a few bites.

However, even the fruits were an appetiser to the real reward. Another cultivation art had been the drop from his rare token. This one was a tempered body art, meaning it was going to see immediate use. Not only that, but it was rare, putting it a step above the Nine Mouths Delta Mystic Energy Art.

He wondered just how much it would boost his cultivation. More than that, he was curious to see what other effects it would have. The description hinted at a direct improvement to combat prowess, but that could have just been the system's way of beefing up the flavour text.

[Myriad Skills Tome (Common)] has been consumed!

You have received the skill [Creative Connection (Common)]!

Creative Connection (Common): Allows the user to combine two parts or materials that would otherwise not mesh well together when crafting. The chance of success depends on the compatibility between the component parts or materials and the user's crafting experience. (Cost: 35% Max Stamina)

While the skill clearly had use, Ronan wasn't that excited to receive a crafting skill. He had tentative plans to dip his toes into the waters of crafting at some point in the future, but that wasn't happening any time soon. He would have preferred a magic or combat skill.

Actually… Holy shit! Ronan clapped his hands together as he had a sudden realisation, startling the others momentarily. If that works this skill might be one of the best I've ever received. He had an idea that was outside of the box but might give the seemingly ordinary crafting skill an exceptional utility. However, he wouldn't be able to test it until he finished this iteration, so he put it out of mind for the time being.

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With that, all of his rewards had been consumed, minus the rift key. He still had yet to find out what they were used for, but his theory that he needed to first claim the sector pillar to discover the answer would be put to the test this iteration. Hopefully.

As the timer ran down, the group assembled once more. "I hope I see you all on the other side. Stay safe, and kick ass," Ronan said.

"Same to you, suspicious fella," Dana teased, winking as they were all yanked out of the tutorial and into the void.

Ronan was used to this sensation by now, so he didn't panic or stress as he was unceremoniously launched through space, back to his home planet. The view was as beautiful as ever, the enormous planet that Earth had been fused with three others to form somehow more majestic and breathtaking than the old planet had seemed.

Then again, Ronan had never seen Earth from space, so the new planet had an advantage in that regard. His admiration was cut short as he briefly blacked out, before waking up right outside his old office block, Keith a few metres away.

There was no need to explore his surroundings. Ronan already had a complete map of the entire sector that he'd spent his first few confused iterations in the outside world putting together. Locations of note were marked, such as Serenaeth's grove, the boss' tower, the entrance to the underground sewers, and the sector border that was along the former River Thames.

After rallying Keith, Ronan decided to make a beeline for the building they always made camp in. Along the way a few foolish foxes tried to make a meal out of the pair of men, but they found themselves on the wrong end of the stick. Unfortunately they were all too low level to push Ronan over the edge and into his class evolution.

However, that wasn't a problem. The moment he needed to evolve his class he would simply seek out Vulparis and pound the Trickster into mincemeat. That would give him all the experience he needed to hit level 50, and a little more.

Once they reached the building, Keith decided he needed to have some sleep and rest up. It was already approaching sunset, so Ronan had no problem with that. He wanted to start cultivating anyway, so having the other guy out of the way worked for him.

As he reached the rooftop, he stared at the ruined city around him, breathing slowly as he absorbed the sights. It was beautiful in a strangely haunted way. The corpse of a civilisation, that would give birth to a brand new one. He intended to do his utmost to ensure that humanity didn't lose out in this new world.

To do that, Ronan had to be much, much stronger than he currently was. That was where cultivation came in.

Most of the shards he'd acquired were body aspected. That lined up nicely with the tempered body art he'd received from the rare endless treasury token. With his dao child class skills he could have cultivated any of the four paths, but even losing 40% of a shard's energy made little sense when he had all the tools to cultivate the tempered body path to at least the fifth realm, and almost certainly beyond the first threshold.

Now that he knew what to expect from cultivation arts, Ronan didn't try to force things. He took the art from his inventory, finding that it was an aged scroll with a drawing of a strange gorilla on the back and a diamond underlying the text.

Unlike the chicken-scratch, near-unreadable writing that had made up the Nine Mouths Delta Mystic Energy Art, the scroll was written in neat handwriting, plainly legible. From the very first phrase, Ronan knew he wouldn't have a problem getting through the text. Whether or not he would actually understand how to use the art was another matter, but all things worth doing took time and effort.

The sun rises and the sun sets,

Diamond fists, diamond back, the gorilla trains relentlessly;

A weapon is only forged through tempering

Fear not the gorilla with a thousand moves,

But the gorilla who has trained a single blow for a thousand days

You have consumed the 'Diamondback Gorilla Tempered Body Art'!

Diamondback Gorilla Tempered Body Art: 0%

Unlike with the mystic energy art, this one was consumed immediately. Ronan suspected the difference lay in his understanding of the art. The last time, it had been consumed once he began cultivating and realised how to use the nine streams. This was far simpler.

Punching a thousand times? That he could do.

However, it did raise a question. Previously, no matter which of the four paths he'd been cultivating, Ronan had sat on the ground, in a meditative pose. However, this tempered body art seemed to suggest a more active approach; not simply cultivating, but training.

That in mind, he stayed upright as he took out the first shard. Holding it in one hand, he adopted a combat stance and began to flow through some practice punches and kicks while absorbing the energy from the shard.

At the beginning of his routine, nothing felt different. Not much different, anyway—it was certainly a new way of cultivating for Ronan, even if the art hadn't kicked in yet.

The more he practiced the same set of punches and kicks, however, the faster the energy began to flow into his body. During the fourth set, the crystal suddenly shattered into dust. He staggered backwards, feeling as though a speeding train had just struck his chest. What the fuck was that!?

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