Alex removed his helmet and blinked in surprise.
His mother stood in front of him with a soft, gentle smile. Her posture was relaxed, yet her eyes shone with unmistakable pride, as if she were looking at something precious she had always believed in.
"You caused quite a stir out there," she said calmly.
Alex sat down on his bed and scratched the back of his head, trying and failing to hide the excitement bubbling inside him. His heart was still beating fast, and the joy he felt refused to settle.
"Mom, I finally understood sword intent," he said.
He could not stop the grin spreading across his face.
Elizabeth nodded slowly, her expression filled with satisfaction. "You have created history, son. Tell me, what reward do you want?"
Alex leaned forward, his eyes shining. "When I awakened sword intent, I felt my strength shoot up. Can you arrange a strength measuring machine for me? Something private."
She thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I will have one delivered tomorrow. For now, take a shower, eat well, and sleep."
Alex nodded obediently and did exactly that.
That night, his sleep was deeper than usual.
The next morning, Alex woke earlier than he normally did. His heart felt strangely light. Today, he would receive the special wrist band, a reward granted only to the most exceptional young talents in the Alliance.
He headed to the restaurant for breakfast, expecting the usual quiet atmosphere.
Instead, he froze at the entrance.
The entire place looked as though it had been prepared for a ceremony. Elegant banners hung from the walls. The tables sparkled as if freshly polished. Every staff member stood in a neat, orderly row.
The moment they saw him, they bowed together.
"Congratulations, young master, on your glorious victory."
Alex stood there completely dumbfounded.
Even the restaurant manager stood among the waiters and cooks, bowing deeply. Several young members of the family were present as well. Their eyes sparkled with admiration. These were the same people who once avoided him under Anna's influence.
"Brother, we are sorry for how we acted before," one of them said sincerely.
Alex felt nothing from the apology.
Today, they praised him. Tomorrow, if he fell again, they would step on him without hesitation. He had seen enough hypocrisy to understand how the world worked.
Still, he did not want trouble.
"It is all in the past. We are family. No need for formality," he said calmly.
Everyone let out a breath of relief.
"Thank you, brother," they said together.
Even his third uncle stepped forward. The man was a Martial Lord, his aura heavy and mature.
"Nephew, forgive me as well. I failed to treat you properly. And please do not blame Anna. She is still young and does not know much about the world."
Alex smiled politely. "No need to explain, uncle. I know she is just a brat."
His uncle's face twitched slightly, but he maintained his smile.
Elizabeth watched from the side, her gaze warm and proud. Her son had earned this recognition through his own strength. This moment was as much her honor as it was his.
Alex thanked the staff and enjoyed a hearty meal.
After breakfast, Elizabeth led Alex toward the Alliance headquarters. The last time they had come, they were only allowed to reach the entrance. Today was different.
A high ranking officer welcomed them personally and guided them through the grand halls.
Alex followed quietly. But the moment he stepped into the central chamber, his heart nearly jumped into his throat.
Twelve people stood inside, waiting for him.
Every single face was familiar.
He had studied them before.
They were the twelve senators of the Alliance. The twelve most powerful saints. The twelve pillars of humanity.
Elizabeth bowed lightly. "Thank you, senators, for meeting my son."
Alex bowed as well. "It is an honor to meet you."
One of the senators stepped forward, a middle aged man with calm, steady eyes.
"Alex, you have earned this," he said. "We will not take more of your time now. After your tower challenge, we will speak again. From this moment, this reward belongs to you. Tenzen will explain its functions."
He handed Alex a black wrist band.
Alex accepted it with trembling fingers. "Thank you, sir."
A man in his thirties stepped forward and smiled. "I am Tenzen. Let me explain."
He tapped the wrist band. Silver light traced across its surface.
"This is the Omni-Weave Armament. This is the first of its kind."
He brushed the band lightly, and it shifted shape instantly. The metal extended and formed a sleek, curved blade.
"In weapon form, it can kill a Martial Monarch level beast if you supply enough force."
Alex's breath caught in his throat.
Tenzen continued, "Second, armor."
The blade melted and wrapped around Tenzen's body, forming a black full body suit that looked flexible yet incredibly sturdy.
"This armor can block a Martial King level attack long enough for you to survive or escape."
The armor dissolved and returned to wrist band form.
"Third, measurement. It can calculate your physical strength, speed, impact, and other data with perfect accuracy."
A hologram flickered above the band, displaying complex readings, before fading.
"And finally, it has a personal intelligence assistant and can transform into a transport vehicle."
The band expanded and formed a compact hover car before folding back into a wrist band.
"If you ever need adjustments, come directly to me," Tenzen said.
Alex bowed deeply. "Thank you."
The senators nodded in approval.
Elizabeth bowed once more before leaving with Alex.
Outside, Alex let out a shaky laugh. "I thought I would faint."
"Anyone would," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Come. Let us return."
Back in the hotel, Alex ate a simple meal, then locked himself in his room to cultivate.
Seven days passed without him stepping outside.
He practiced sword intent until it felt as though his mind would split apart. Each day, he pushed himself to the limit, stepping closer to the edge and refusing to retreat.
Sword intent helped him more than anything else.
Each slash felt cleaner. Heavier. More alive.
On the seventh night, Alex opened his system panel.
[Cultivation Base: 10M/10M]
"Breakthrough."
"This is it," he whispered with a smile.
The time of his major realm breakthrough had arrived.
He sat cross legged. His muscles heated. His bones vibrated. His skin glowed faintly.
The pressure climbed higher and higher.
Then it exploded.
A violent wave of power surged across the room, rattling everything inside. Even the Omni-Weave Armament pulsed with light, reacting to his breakthrough.
After a minute, the energy settled.
Alex opened his panel again.
[Name: Alex Moriarty]
[Cultivation Talent: Pseudo]
[Cultivation Level: 10]
[Cultivation Base: 10M/20M]
[Energy Absorption: 90/s]
Attributes:
[Strength: 320 Tonnes]
[Speed: 100 m/s]
[Defence: 320 Tonnes]
[Spirit: 50 Tonnes]
[Combat Prowess: Martial Master Level 6]
Alex stared at the numbers in disbelief.
"A ten times boost… except for speed. But still incredible."
This strength surpassed that of a level six Martial Master, who only possessed around 300 tonnes of strength.
He clenched his fists and felt dense power flow through his muscles.
He threw a light punch into the air.
A shockwave cracked outward.
Alex broke into a smile. "I can crush boulders like nothing."
But he did not celebrate for long.
He returned to practicing sword intent.
Sword intent could triple his strength. If he polished it further, his combat power would skyrocket beyond the standards of this realm.
Hours passed.
During a short break, his wrist band displayed a notification.
[News: Anna Moriarty has reached the 60th stair of the tower.]
[Awakened abilities: A rank cultivation talent. A rank healing bloodline.]
[Family celebration in progress.]
He had previously instructed the AI to only notify him of important news and provide brief summaries.
Alex read it calmly, then smiled faintly.
"Not bad."
A healer with an A rank bloodline was a treasure. The family would now treat her like a jewel.
He felt genuinely happy for her.
The pettiness she had shown him before meant nothing now.
"And soon, it will be my turn."
Alex tightened his grip on his sword.
"I want to know how many stairs I can climb."
Tomorrow, he would challenge the tower.
And the entire Alliance would be watching.