The three days that Ronan had before his Path of the Gladiator began passed by in a flash. He spent most of it cultivating, and managed to make some serious gains across all four paths.

While he had most recently acquired a cultivation art for crystalline mind cultivation, he decided to start with soul cultivation as it was the path which benefited all four the most. His overall time would be lower starting with the prismatic soul path.

It worked out, and during the course of the three days he burned through every single shard in his possession, including the one he'd acquired from his gifts. As he wanted maximum efficiency, he tried to only use the shards for the cultivations they were meant for, but he lacked soul shards and so only pushed it up one realm.

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the seventh realm of Prismatic Soul Cultivation!

Prismatic Soul Cultivation has advanced from [Orange ★] to [Orange ★★]!

Soul weight is increased by 9.4%

Cultivation talent is increased by 59%

Efficacy of intelligence, tenacity, and luck +60%

Potency of intelligence, tenacity, and luck +10%

The big jump in cultivation talent showed its effects and he managed to squeeze two realms in body cultivation, two in energy cultivation, and somehow also two in mind cultivation, despite lacking mind-aspected shards. He suspected that was because of the power of his new legendary cultivation art.

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighth realm of Tempered Body Cultivation!

Tempered Body Cultivation has advanced from [Copper ★★] to [Copper ★★★]!

Reduces chance of tendon, joint, and muscle damage during movement and combat. Efficiency of bodily functions is increased. Durability, muscle memory, and bodily independence are minutely increased.

Physical damage reduction +50%

Efficacy of vitality, strength, agility, and resistance +75%

Potency of vitality, strength, agility, and resistance +15%

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighth realm of Mystic Energy Cultivation!

Mystic Energy Cultivation has advanced from [Pulsing ★★] to [Pulsing ★★★]!

All forms of energy regenerate 120% faster

Energy costs are reduced by 35%

Efficacy of endurance and regeneration +75%

Potency of endurance and regeneration +15%

Congratulations! Your hard work and effort have allowed you to reach the eighth realm of Crystalline Mind Cultivation!

Crystalline Mind Cultivation has advanced from [Agate ★★] to [Agate ★★★]!

Mental processing speed +30%

Nerve processing speed +60%

Mental damage resistance +50%

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Efficacy of wisdom, dexterity, acuity, and charisma +75%

Potency of wisdom, dexterity, acuity, and charisma +15%

Crystalline mind cultivation was becoming absurd. Ronan's movements were unbelievably smooth. His body and mind reacted to signals at literal lightspeed. In fact, his muscles were holding back his reactions due to not being as quick as his luminous nerve signals. Adding the bonuses from the cultivation to the trait was simply ridiculous.

He doubted any enemy could get the drop on him now, unless they far exceeded him in level and race rank. Hopefully the planet he was about to invade wasn't filled with powerhouses.

The system enjoyed challenging people, but he doubted it would set him a truly impossible task. At most there would be enemies towards the higher end of race rank F, whatever level that was. Maybe 200 or so.

With his stats and other advantages Ronan was confident, provided he wasn't put immediately in the midst of said powerhouses. Building his way up was how he hoped to do things, but the system might not give him a choice.

Whatever happened, he had prepared as best he could and all he could do now was throw himself into the Path of the Gladiator with fists ready to fly.

There had been a timer in his vision ever since the 72 hour countdown began, but he only focused on it now as it drew closer to zero. When there were just 2 minutes left, the bovine announcer appeared in his room once more.

"How are you feeling? Pleased with your sponsorship and gifts?" The announcer's mouth flashed a few large teeth in what Ronan assumed was a friendly smile.

Ronan shrugged. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. The sponsor was friendly and the gifts helped me a lot. All I can do now is throw myself at the next challenge."

The bovine's large torso rumbled with laughter. "Well, I was only asking to be nice. There's no turning back now. It's good that you're confident. It's the least of what you'll need to survive the path. We're going to head out when your timer hits thirty seconds. The crowds love a showy send-off. They won't know where the system takes you, though. Top secret." It tapped a hoof against one of its horns.

Ronan nodded in understanding. If these people were betting on him, giving him gifts, and in the princess' case, sponsoring his path, then he needed to put on a good show. He began to laugh as a funny idea came to him.

The announcer tilted its head to one side. "What's so funny?"

Ronan waved a hand. "Oh, nothing much. I just thought of a good idea. Thanks for the heads up. I'm ready whenever." His idea wasn't one he could share with the bovine, especially as it was working for the system.

If he was going to go through this rigmarole in multiple iterations, he might as well have some fun. This time around, he was confident that Princess Petalania didn't really care about his public image, so he wanted to mess with the spectators a little.

"Alright. We've got twenty seconds, so I'll just run you through the procedure. We'll get out there, I'll talk you up to the crowd and make some speculations about your first step on the path. Then you'll get about five to ten seconds to give a little speech before the system takes you to wherever you're headed. Think of something good." The announcer explained what would happen when they returned to the space outside the room. Ronan had to bite his tongue, knowing he was about to flip the script.

"I'll try."

There were only a few seconds left now, and they didn't speak again until the countdown hit twenty-one seconds. At that point, Ronan felt the same strange sensation as he had when the system pulled him into the room three days prior.

It lasted for far less time the second time around. A second later he found himself floating in the middle of that vast space, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of watching aliens. He knew that his sponsor and the people who had given him gifts were out there, watching.

The announcer stood beside him and had already begun to talk him up. The bovine began by briefly recounting his level and class before mentioning common first steps for gladiators and hyping up the crowd regarding which Ronan might get. Those who'd made bets would be hoping for an easy path—or perhaps a lethal one, if they had bet against him.

"...All I know is that of all the gladiator candidates we get during the Grand Integrations, Ronan is a promising one. A mythical class is no joke, people! Now, let's hear a few words from the man himself before the system throws him back into the grinder." The announcer raised a hoofed limb in Ronan's direction, the floating speaking device zipping over to his mouth.

He inhaled briefly, looking up and around at the crowds as though he were trying to think of what to say. In truth, he already knew.

"I'd like to thank all the generous gifters for offering me power-ups for the path ahead. I deleted all of the items and want to take on the path with nothing but my bare fists and my courage. It is a ritual from my homeworld for warriors. I hope you will all wish me luck and cheer me on!" Ronan heard the stands erupt into chaos right as the system ripped him out.

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