"Next time we find a sleeping monster over level fifty we're taking the alternative route home. That was terrifying," Keith said when they made it back to their temporary base.

"All's well that ends well, mate. Get some sleep, I'll take the first watch. Up and at 'em again tomorrow," Ronan said with a lighthearted chuckle, gently punching Keith's arm. "I want to map the whole sector if possible and going the other way will let us avoid that Lord Rockmore's goons."

"You know, I thought this in the tutorial, but seeing you out here really drives it home. It's almost like… you prefer this." Keith shook his head. "Ignore me. I'm just thinking out loud. Wake me up when it's my watch."

Ronan nodded, face still showing traces of amusement. Internally, however, he was thrown for a loop by what Keith had said.

I guess I'd considered it already, but maybe I have to admit to myself that I really do enjoy this more. Hell, why wouldn't I? I get to live every day with a healthy dose of adrenaline, develop my strength and use incredible superhuman abilities to fight against real monsters! All I'm missing is a hot tub…

He waited for the sounds of Keith's gentle snoring to reach him before he made his way up to the roof to begin his watch. As he sat there, gazing out over the city, he took the three mind shards out of his inventory.

Staying longer than necessary to observe the fox cultivating had been more than worth it. It unnerved him now that he had time to think about the facts—Vulparis was likely not sleeping—but they'd made it out safely nonetheless. More than that, he'd figured out a potential method of cultivating the mind shards.

With his heritage, he could brute force any of the cultivation paths, reach the first realm, die, and arrive back at the beginning of the tutorial, hopefully having kept his progress. Ronan didn't know if he would, which was the main reason he didn't attempt such an insane method just yet.

Essentially what he'd witnessed the fox do mirrored his body cultivation, with a few minor differences. Whereas the body aspected shards broke down his physical body and reforged it stronger, the fox's cultivation seemed to 'bathe' its mind with the energy.

There was also the fact that the monster didn't seem to be using a shard at all. It had appeared as if the energy was being drawn from its surroundings and repurposed to cultivation. Ronan had no clue how it worked, but he had the shards anyway. Monster thing, most likely… Stupid system and its shoddy balance.

In any case, if things started to go wrong he could just… stop. It would be fine. Ronan decided to start with the shard he'd looted from the leader of the four lackeys.

Holding it in his hand, he took up a meditative pose and closed his eyes. There was no real reason he did it, but it felt right. He focused on the shard, trying to sense the energy contained within.

About ten minutes later, he felt it. Sweat glistened on his brow. He'd tried feeling for energy similar to the body aspected shards, but that had turned out to be a mistake.

It was almost the opposite. The body aspected shards were passionate, loud, throbbing. The mind shards on the other hand felt cool and calm. The energy… moved differently.

Ronan didn't let himself get bogged down in the specifics. Now that he could sense it, it was time to begin.

He drew the energy towards his mind, allowing it to surround it. In a way, this is like my brain having a soak in a hot tub. Kind of. If you squint real hard. Jokes aside, he felt it having an effect.

Not an immediate one. He didn't suddenly gain the ability to do complex mental maths or anything absurd like that. It was more that there was a tad more clarity in each thought, that grew clearer the longer he continued.

Unfortunately the sensation only lasted for twenty minutes. The shard crumbled into sparkling dust. He checked his status.

[Partial Status - Ronan Steele]

[Cultivation]

Mind: None (13%)

Body: Stone ★ (58%)

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Energy: None

Soul: None

Weird. The progress amount doesn't really match with the body aspected shards, he thought to himself. Is it to do with the aspect, or the method I'm using?

There was no easy way to find the answer to that question, so he forgot about it and moved onto the next shard instead. Problems were solved by experimenting and failing, not endless thinking.

The second shard took a lot longer to consume. It was a much higher level and hadn't been used at all, so that made sense.

It advanced his progress well beyond fifty percent, making Ronan hopeful that the final shard would push him into the first realm of mind cultivation. Otherwise… Well, it wouldn't be wasted effort, it would just be annoying.

Two more hours later, about four and a half hours total since he'd begun, the third mind aspected shard crumbled to dust in his hands. Ronan opened his eyes and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

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

Crystalline Mind Cultivation has advanced from [None] to [Quartz ★]!

Mental damage resistance +3%

Efficacy of wisdom, dexterity, acuity, and charisma +5%

Why not intellect? That seems as if it would be the obvious stat to get a boost from 'mind' cultivation, Ronan wondered, perplexed at the boosts but satisfied nonetheless. He hoped the mental damage resistance stretched to illusions. That would help against the foxes.

Satisfied with his accomplishment, Ronan wiped the thin sheen of sweat from his brow. He scanned the surroundings, but there was still no sign of danger or life, save for the occasional screeching of foxes in the distance. Time to wake up Keith for his watch. I'm pretty wiped after that.

Ronan woke to what sounded like nails scratching on a chalkboard. He hated that noise. "Keith shut up dude, I'm trying to sleep," he mumbled.

It didn't stop. In fact, it grew more intense. Then the muffled shouting followed. Ronan's tired brain finally clocked that something was wrong.

His eyes snapped open and he shot up into a sitting position. His gaze darted about the room, until it landed on the source of the infuriating sound.

As it turned out, it was Keith.

Unfortunately it wasn't him messing about out of boredom. Keith was pinned to the wall, a leather-gloved hand wrapped around his throat and lifting him off the ground.

Ronan shot to his feet, sending the water bottle that had been resting on his chest flying. It smacked into the floor with a plastic-y crinkling sound.

The person throttling Keith's head snapped around, staring at the water bottle with narrowed eyes. The man had a three piece suit on, which somehow stuck out less than the damned monocle resting on his left eye.

Ronan wanted to question the intruder about his dress sense, but freeing Keith was a slightly higher priority. It was pretty close though.

The unusually well dressed home invader kissed his teeth. "I had hoped to squeeze more information out of this pudgy coward before you woke up. How frustrating."

"Are you… putting on a posh accent? There's no way that's your real voice, right?" Ronan asked in disbelief.

"Insolent fool, you dare question Lord Rockmore's nobility!?" a voice cried from behind him.

Crap, I was so caught up with Keith I didn't properly check my surroundings, he inwardly cursed. Thankfully the attacker was slow and his shout forewarned Ronan of the sword swinging his way.

Dodging it took only a gentle sidestep. The swing went wide and carried the man's weight with it. He ended up lunging past Ronan and exposing his entire right flank.

It was the last mistake he made.

You have killed [Bellamy Reed - Human Fighter Lv.31]!

Experience has been split among your party members!

Party Experience Bonus has been applied!

+4 Bronze Credits

+719 Copper Credits

+1 [Perception] Mastery

+1 [Mana I] Mastery

+1 [Spear I] Mastery

+Dexterous Pocket Square (Common)

+Iron Shortsword Lv.26 (Common)

+Talisman of Regeneration (Common)

Thurg's Razorspear sent blood and flesh flying as Ronan tore it out of the dead man's side. The corpse collapsed to the ground where Ronan had been sleeping not a minute earlier.

He dismissed the kill notification after glancing at it, noting that the man was the highest level human he'd encountered thus far. Still died in one hit… Although I did pump about fifty mana into that magic strike.

He didn't relax even after dispatching one enemy. Ronan raised the spear in a firm two-handed grip as he pivoted his gaze three hundred and sixty degrees. Only after confirming there were no more hidden ambushers did he turn his attention back to saving Keith.

That plan was torn to shreds when he was greeted by the sight of the suited gentleman's bloodstained dress shoe in a reddish puddle of gore. Keith was lying right beside the shoe, missing his head. Only then did he notice the message in his vision.

Party has been disbanded due to the death of all other members!

"Tch. Bellamy was a useful servant. It will take a while to replace him. This… lump of flesh on the other hand? I'm sure you won't miss him," the man said, lifting his shoe and grimacing at the aftermath of murdering Keith.

"Lord Rockmore, I presume?" Ronan said coldly, his words polite but every fiber of his being wanting nothing more than to slaughter the bastard.

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