Han Ming paid no attention to the excited chatter behind him. He had no interest in it. Today’s incident shouldn’t have happened, but that Kano kid had been far too disrespectful. What had started as a good day had been completely ruined by that arrogant brat. What a nuisance.
The staff member who had called Han Ming’s number had witnessed the entire scene—how Han Ming had effortlessly dealt with Kano and the two attendants. He had also heard Han Ming’s introduction. Not daring to delay, he hurried over to Han Ming before the young man could even approach him. With a beaming smile, he said, “You must be number 340. Please, follow me. It’s an honor to assist you.”
Seeing Han Ming nod with a faint smile, the staff member was overjoyed. Who was Han Ming? He was the man who had openly defied the military! And now, this legendary figure had smiled at him.
The staff member’s chest swelled with pride as he led Han Ming through a small door into the room where aura activation took place.
Activation masters were divided into two categories: aura activation masters and magic activation masters. These individuals were born unable to cultivate aura or magic, yet their bodies were unique. Their sole ability was to unlock the latent potential within others, awakening the dormant energy within a person’s body and allowing them to advance to the next stage once certain conditions were met. These activation masters never learned aura or magic themselves; instead, they studied a specialized activation technique developed exclusively for their role.
The activation master assigned to Han Ming was an elderly man with snow-white hair, a highly renowned figure in Wildfang City. Although the city’s temple boasted three excellent aura activation masters, this old man was the most famous and experienced among them. In theory, the work of an activation master wasn’t particularly complex. Any competent activation master could perform the task, and the results were the same regardless of who conducted the activation. However, many people believed that a more experienced activation master might be able to unlock their potential more fully. What if a novice only unlocked half of their potential? That would be a disaster.
This, of course, was a misconception. A person’s latent potential couldn’t be lost. Activation masters merely served as guides; they couldn’t directly influence a person’s potential. Nevertheless, the white-haired old man was the most sought-after activation master in the city. He wasn’t supposed to be working today, but upon hearing that Han Ming—the man who had caused a stir at the Mercenary Inn the previous day—was here for activation, he volunteered to take on the task. After all, a young man like Han Ming, who possessed such terrifying strength at his age, was destined for greatness. If Han Ming achieved legendary status in the future, the old man could proudly boast, “See that great warrior? I was the one who activated his potential!” Perhaps his name would even be recorded in history.
When the old man learned that Han Ming had never undergone any aura imprint activation before, he was deeply shocked. How could someone who had never undergone activation possess such immense power? He stared at Han Ming in awe, only snapping out of it when Han Ming’s smile turned to impatience. Flustered, the old man chuckled and guided Han Ming to a chair.
The process of aura imprint activation was simple and quick. Once Han Ming was seated, the old man placed his hands gently on Han Ming’s head and began murmuring an incantation. A faint white light emanated from his palms.
Han Ming didn’t feel any immediate changes in his body. It wasn’t until the old man finished the process that Han Ming sensed the chaotic energy within him begin to stir, swirling wildly before gradually coalescing. A faint white light flickered on Han Ming’s forehead before fading away.
“That’s it?” Han Ming asked, curious. He examined his body but found no significant changes. The only difference was that the previously chaotic energy within him now felt more organized. This wasn’t surprising. Aura activation primarily served to clarify a person’s tier and rank while unlocking their latent potential. In essence, it opened a tightly sealed door, allowing their aura to advance and enabling them to cultivate the next stage of aura. However, since Han Ming couldn’t cultivate aura, the activation only made his internal energy more structured. There were no other noticeable changes.
Han Ming quickly understood this. It wasn’t complicated.
The old man smiled and said, “Be patient. Your strength is remarkable. There’s still more to unlock. Right now, you’ve only reached the first-tier warrior level.” He placed his hands on Han Ming’s head again and repeated the process. Another faint white light flickered on Han Ming’s forehead before the old man withdrew his hands.
“There, the aura imprint activation is complete. I never expected someone who hasn’t cultivated aura to reach the level of a grand warrior. Your talent is truly enviable. In all my years, I’ve never seen anyone with potential like yours. Tsk tsk. Go back and focus on cultivating your aura. I doubt it will be long before you return for your next activation.” The old man couldn’t stop praising Han Ming’s talent, looking at him as if he were a rare treasure.
Han Ming felt slightly uncomfortable under the old man’s gaze. He knew he was about to disappoint him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t learned aura—he simply couldn’t cultivate it. Reaching this level through sheer physical strength was already his limit. The old man only saw his current achievements, not the immense effort it had taken to get here.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Well, it’s not so bad, Han Ming thought. If I can’t cultivate aura, I’ll probably remain a grand warrior for life. But that’s nothing to be upset about. After all…
Wait!! What’s this!?
Han Ming suddenly felt an indescribable shock. How could this be!?
The old man noticed Han Ming’s strange expression and was about to ask what was wrong, but Han Ming didn’t give him the chance. He hastily bid farewell and rushed out of the temple.
The old man watched Han Ming’s retreating figure, shaking his head in admiration. What an extraordinary young man. In his mind, he could already see the future: Han Ming standing at the pinnacle of greatness, revered by millions, tears streaming down his face as he supported the old man and declared to the world, “This is my mentor, the one who first activated my aura imprint!” The old man’s eyes grew moist at the thought. Age was no barrier to daydreaming.
Unaware of the old man’s fantasies, Han Ming was preoccupied with a burning question. He hurried back to the Mercenary Inn, ignoring the curious stares of onlookers. Several people in the inn’s lobby tried to strike up a conversation with him, hoping to forge a connection, but Han Ming merely smiled and brushed them off, not breaking his stride.
Once back in his room, Han Ming slammed the door shut. Before he could say a word, Katheryn materialized before him.
Katheryn was as radiant as ever, a breathtaking beauty that never failed to leave Han Ming in awe. She was a masterpiece of creation, flawless in every way.
But today, even Katheryn’s expression was one of shock. Before Han Ming could speak, she blurted out, “You felt it too!?” Her voice trembled, a rare loss of composure for someone usually so calm.
Han Ming nodded, equally unable to contain his astonishment. “Eighth-tier peak! An eighth-tier grand warrior! How is this possible? I thought each tier only had seven levels. After reaching the seventh tier, you’re supposed to advance to the next stage. Why am I at the eighth tier without advancing? Is it because of my unique constitution? Am I unable to advance?”
Katheryn shook her head, trying to calm herself but finding it unusually difficult. “No, if you couldn’t advance, you wouldn’t be a second-tier grand warrior now. You’d still be a first-tier warrior.”
Han Ming agreed with her logic, but the facts were undeniable. He was clearly at the eighth tier, and he could feel it distinctly. Yet, he couldn’t explain it. That’s why he had rushed back to the inn, hoping Katheryn could shed some light on the mystery.
Katheryn bit her lip, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking. “This is a secret I shouldn’t share with a mortal. But since you’ve reached the eighth tier, there’s no point in hiding it anymore.”
She paused, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts. “Ordinary people, whether they’re warriors cultivating aura or mages cultivating magic, only have seven tiers per stage. Once they reach the seventh tier, they must undergo activation to advance to the next stage. However, there are two races in this world that are different: the elves and the dragons. For us, each stage has nine tiers. Only after reaching the ninth tier can we advance to the next stage. This means that, within the same stage, elves and dragons are far stronger than any other race. The gap only widens as we progress.”
Han Ming understood immediately. Ordinary people advanced after the seventh tier, while elves and dragons could progress to the ninth tier before advancing. This meant that, within each stage, elves and dragons accumulated more power or magic than others, making them significantly stronger upon advancement.
Katheryn didn’t give Han Ming time to dwell on this. “You’ve now reached the advancement condition for elves and dragons—the eighth tier. Normally, humans have seven tiers per stage, but they never truly reach the seventh tier. Once they reach the peak of the sixth tier, they can undergo activation to advance. The so-called seventh tier is essentially the first tier of the next stage. It’s the same for elves and dragons. Once we reach the peak of the eighth tier, we can advance to the next stage. The ninth tier is essentially the first tier of the next stage. But you’ve reached the peak of the eighth tier without advancing. The only explanation is that you have more tiers per stage than even elves and dragons.”
Han Ming’s heart raced. “How many tiers do I have per stage?”
“Ten!” Katheryn exclaimed. She had noticed it during Han Ming’s first activation—he had directly reached the peak of the ninth tier as a warrior. At first, she thought it was a mistake. But during the second activation, he jumped to the peak of the eighth tier as a grand warrior. Only then did she realize the truth: Han Ming, a mere mortal, had one more tier per stage than even the elves and dragons.
“Ten tiers!” Han Ming was ecstatic. This meant that, as a human, he surpassed even the elves and dragons, the pinnacle races of the world. In other words, he had three more tiers per stage than ordinary humans. The implications were staggering. Now, he finally understood the gap between those who cultivated aura and those who didn’t. At his current level, an eighth-tier peak grand warrior, he still couldn’t defeat Baldur, a first-tier war madman. But if he could cultivate aura, he would absolutely crush Baldur.
For a moment, Han Ming felt a pang of regret for being unable to cultivate aura. Aura was far more powerful than he had realized. But that regret was quickly overshadowed by another thought: If he had ten tiers per stage as a warrior, did that mean he also had ten tiers per stage as a mage? If so, he would be vastly stronger than ordinary mages! The idea thrilled him. He was so excited he could barely contain himself.
Meanwhile, Katheryn was grappling with her own thoughts.
This young man has one more tier per stage than even the elves and dragons. Can we allow someone like him to exist? Elves and dragons have always been the pinnacle races of the world, relying on their innate advantage of having two more tiers per stage than other races. This advantage was insurmountable—no matter how talented or hardworking others were, they could never bridge the gap of two tiers. But now, this young man had not only bridged the gap but surpassed it.
Katheryn hesitated. Should she eliminate him now, before he became a threat to her race? Even if she didn’t act, her fellow elves and the dragons would never allow someone who could challenge their supremacy to live.
Unaware of Katheryn’s murderous thoughts, Han Ming was lost in his excitement, completely oblivious to the danger brewing around him.