The day Liam arrived at the dojo. Master Baker immediately called him over, f him to bend in various strange positions. Although he felt some pain, but it was apanied by a heated feeling streaming through his flesh.

  Master Baker nodded with an appreciating gaze.

  “Your martial arts are making goress. You are not far from reag the first stage, flesh strengthening.

  Train diligently for a few more days a well. You should soohrough.”

  Liam, perf a handstand, his face beet red could only speak with a strained voice.

  “Thank you, master.”

  A while ter Liam colpsed to the ground, almost out of energy. He dragged his body to the training room, rexing while p over his martial arts.

  He was too tired to further train the game’s skills today despite knowing the importance of ranking them up.

  The damage from low level skills simply wouldn’t be enough iure.

  Naturally, he had already informed his teammates about this. Silent Acacia told him yesterday that he and Quickstep were taking the advice serious, expeg to rank up their skills soon.

  However, Cye had a valid question. She didn’t uand how she was supposed to train in the real world, leaving Liam stumped.

  With some time left until the game was about to go ohe young man decided to experiment.

  He sat down cross legged, feeling the VR sole resting around his upper body.

  With a thought he used his only magical skill, [Holy Wave].

  With the sole as a duit a strange energy fshed through Liam’s body. Instantly a wave of light spread from him. It emitted a sacred feeling, as if all lies could be uncovered us illumination.

  However, crashing against the training room’s walls it dissipated immediately, barely shaking the window.

  It wasn’t that the skill was too weak. But the training room was structed to train martial arts. Naturally it was incredibly sturdy.

  Liam didn’t trate on the skill’s power, though. He frowned recalling the fleetiion of energy passing through his body.

  Not able to e to a clusion he used the skill again. Suddenly a feeling of weakness assaulted his body. Obviously using skills also put a burden on Liam.

  The young man couldn’t help but yawn. But in his mind was a hint nition. He deduced something from his body’s state.

  The energy used to activate the skill came her from himself, nor from the sole but was absorbed from outside.

  Liam had a certain guess. He couldn’t firm it, but the likelihood was high.

  This energy might just be starlight energy. It is said that starlight masters produce simir effects as the skills in the game. Naturally other forms of energy like radiation or whatever ’t be excluded but are paratively more farfetched.

  However, how could one be able to train magic skills then? Is it necessary to first bee a starlight master?

  Deep wrinkles formed on Liam’s forehead. He took of the sole, closing his eyes.

  He tried to repeat the earlier sensation but came up with nothing. No energy seemed to enter his body.

  A hint of excitement crept up in Liam’s mind. He didn’t believe that he couldn’t figure it out.

  He didn’t even sider asking C about it. His body seemed to discover extra reserves of energy.

  Shaking off his tiredness Liam one by oried the poses described in the Winding Dragon Martial Teique.

  A few mier he stood with both his feet turned outward, his upper body in a strange forty-five degree angle. One of his hands was stretched upwards and one almost touched the ground.

  Liam held his batempting once again to activate the skill.

  Suddenly his body jolted. He felt a stream of extremely feeble energy running through his body. When it reached his skin, a faint glow could be seen, which dissipated swiftly.

  Delight shone from Liam’s eyes. A thud sounded out. Liam fell to the floor, utterly exhausted, not able to move even a finger.

  But his mind was reeling iement.

  “That’s it! Mana pathways! Haha, it works!”

  A strong feeling of aplishment welled up in Liam.

  In the game mana pathways are one of the foundations of magic. Pyers don’t o learn them, but NPCs do.

  Yet, when pyers cast magic skills, they still feel these paths.

  It seems like the same theory be applied in real life. However, the mana pathways are extremely difficult to sense and require a lot of training.

  It won’t be easy fes to improve their skills like this.

  If Liam were to report his findings to Master Baker, the old man would be surprised.

  The mana pathways Liam discovered were known to martial artist under various names. Some teiques called them starlight paths, duits, or meridians.

  Clearing them was the important st step to finish the basic training and bee a real starlight master.

  Liam, inspired by the sole, could be said to have reversed the order of the basic training.

  This was not airely novel approach. However, usually disciples were dissuaded from doing so as they teo be overfident, using spells whijured their bodies and might even cut of their paths in the worst case.

  Liam didn’t think so deeply at this moment. He was enjoying the feeling of solving a problem while his eyes slowly grew heavier.

  Two hours ter Liam woke up with a start. After uanding his situation, he smiled wryly, sitting up and putting on the VR sole.

  The others must already be waiting for me…

  As soon as Liam ehe game, messages cluttered his vision. Being more than an hour te the other party members were uandingly annoyed.

  They even tried the leveling strategy without him. Silent Acacia took on Liam’s role, quickly faltering uhe pressure. During his sed attempt he almost made it to the vilge but was obstructed by a group of sgers.

  Right now, the party reparing for a third attempt.

  Liam vened with his friends, apologiziedly. He was just about to take on his role when Silent Acacia stopped him.

  The hunter was eager to succeed, adamant in his wish to lure the wargs. After managing to vihe party he took the meat and began his third attempt.

  Listening to the beasts fletg their teeth and howling behind his back, Acacia felt a tremendous pressure. Eveher party members wore tense expressions, praying for the huo succeed.

  With each close shave Silent Acacia felt his stomach sink. However, after a few mihe vilge came into view.

  Silent Acaimbly weaved between the sgers, leaving them in the dust this time, before successfully reag his target.

  Notig his eted expressiohers didn’t tease him, praising him genuinely. Only Radiant Shield and Bloody Edge looked somewhat envious as Quickstep weled her boyfriend with a kiss.

  Subsequently however, Liam took over the duty again. Since Silent Acacia already died twice, they didn’t dare to take any more risks.

  Thus, another day of leveling quickly cluded. A storm was set off in the global chat.

  “Wow! Look at the ranking list!”

  “Three levels in two days! others even pete?”

  “Do others even have time to level? Wouldn’t they be searg for a strong css after reag level 10?”

  “Yes, other thaop, nothing much ged on the ranking list.”

  “What csses do you think those at the top got?”

  “With how quick they moved, it ’t be anything special right?”

  Liam and his friends didn’t care much for the global chat. However, angry curses could be heard for quite a while from within Brayan’s room in Colville Tower.

  It took the young man quite a while to get bato his usually calm mental state. He opehe opulent door leading towards his living room.

  However, he was surprised to see someoed on the luxurious white couaturally, he reized the well-dressed man quickly.

  “Dad? What brings you here?”

  “Sit. Look at this.”

  Brayan was fused. He sat dowo his father, staring at the pieces of paper, which were peatly on the bck, wooden table designed solely for him.

  A frown quickly appeared on his face.

  “It’s one of Silva’s tracts. Why are you showihis?”

  “It seems you don’t quite remember. Don’t yhe name?”

  “Liam Varsmith? I…”

  Suddenly Brayan fell quiet. Something came to his mind.

  “Weren’t there some exploing by the name Varsmith?”

  “Exactly. A few years back we bought their home…”

  “Yeah… bought.”

  “Bought!”, stressed Owen sternly. “Anyways, we thought we found everything they extracted from the a ruins. But now it seems they were quite ing.

  The Varsmiths must’ve hidden some beforehand.”

  “I did think it was strange how someone unknown seemingly anticipated all the boss moves beforehand…

  But what we do with this information?”

  “We o find a way to make him hand over whatever he knows. But be clever about it.”

  Brayan furrowed his brows, obviously thinking deeply.

  “I will find a way.”