[Quest: Protect Triton]
[Difficulty: Impossible]
[Task: The aliens have realized that their cover has been blown. From now on they will intensify their efforts greatly. Stop them from obliterating Triton!]
[Reward: Mythic cybernetic, 1000 Skill Points]
Michael looked in a daze at his updated quest.
'How did things get worse?' He cried inwardly. 'I was under the assumption that humanity would fend off the invasion easily if they banded together.'
"Are you okay?" Ava, sensing Michael's worry, tugged his arm.
"Yes… I am okay."
Wordlessly they climbed upon the transportation vehicle and took off.
As usual, Leo was behind the driver's seat, Ava was looking through the window, and Michael was lost deep in thought.
'The difficulty and the reward both increased. It seems my actions changed the course of events drastically.'
Letting out a sigh, he stopped focusing on it. He had already alerted humanity of the attack. The only thing that was left was to make himself and those that follow him stronger.
"I forgot to ask. Did you buy another hammer?" He turned to Ava. Since that time, he saved her by carrying her in a princess carry. They had to leave her hammer on the battlefield.
A large grin plastered all over her face before she showed him an even bigger hammer than before.
"Thanks to Victoria's generous donation, I was easily able to get the best stuff money can buy. Plus, as it turned out, thanks to the meat of the Elite tier alien, my strength has gone up slightly."
'This is good to hear. At the very least she would be even harder to kill from now on.'
Thanks to the army that was running practically 24/7, the aliens on the moon had been reduced. The entire ride was uneventful.
"I see it!" Leo called out from the driver's seat.
"Hm? Why are there so many people there?"
Indeed, when the news got out that General Victoria had slain an Elite tier alien, many squads showed up eager to see its corpse and, if possible, take a bite out of it.
"There have to be at least a hundred soldiers here. Word sure travels fast." Ava chuckled softly.
The trio began to walk towards the geyser, attracting several gazes along the way.
"Hey, look at the shorty! Isn't that the Daredevil?! The one that assisted Lady Victoria?"
"SHH! You dumbass, if she hears you talk about her height, she will beat you to a pulp!"
"What is she doing here, and who are those two with her? I don't recognize them."
"Who cares? Better let her pass."
Usually the fact that an Elite alien had been slain would remain a secret, but the news had been leaked much earlier than anticipated.
Unknown to most, the one responsible was Oliver. His reason being fairly simple. He spread the word about Victoria slaying the creature with Ava's help while not mentioning Michael's involvement in the process.
Now even if he were to claim that he had been in the fight, at best no one would take him seriously. At worst he might anger some of the soldiers for lying.
Oliver had made it his goal to complicate Michael's life as much as possible.
Entering the geyser, they quickly navigated towards the ice arena-like space where the Elite being was still lying.
After bowing in appreciation towards his two teammates, Leo approached the alien and took several bites, feeling his power soaring.
'I wonder how my attributes have changed?'
Quickly finding the cave where the spiritual energy felt the most concentrated, the trio sat in a lotus position and closed their eyes.
'It has been a long time since I last cultivated. I wonder how my young body will handle it?' Michael mused.
Slowly the nearby spiritual energy began to move toward his body. Entering his nostrils, causing his senses to expand.
[You have consumed spiritual energy: +1 Spirit]
[You have consumed spiritual energy: +1 Spirit]
[You have consumed spiritual energy: +1 Spirit]
Every few minutes Michael's soul would feel just a bit fuller and more powerful, causing a window to appear before him.
Naturally, because he was focused on cultivation, he didn't pay the windows any mind.
[Your mind has entered into a trance.]
[You have achieved a higher sense of being: +1 Mind]
Despite not growing as fast as his spirit, his mind was being improved as well.
'I can feel the difference already. Thanks to the high spiritual energy, cultivating has become ten times more effective than normal.'
Unknown to the trio, only recently did the geyser achieve such concentrated spiritual energy. The reason it was in its current state was Victoria. When she came, the place had been full of aliens. As a side result of slaughtering them all, the spiritual energy that they would release upon death was trapped in the tunnels of the geyser, creating the perfect condition for cultivating.
"I am sorry to interrupt." Still deep in cultivation, Ava gently poked Michael with her thin finger.
Usually it was frowned upon to interrupt cultivation, but Michael didn't mind since he had just started.
"The spiritual energy is much higher than I expected." Ava said. "Do you think we can stay here for a few days?"
While cultivation wasn't able to entirely replace sleep and the need for nutrients, it decreased the body's need for them significantly. In other words, depending on one's realm, a person can cultivate from day to month without stopping.
Michael nodded. Since the quest to protect Triton had become even harder, they would need all the strength they could get.
Silently they continued their cultivation, feeling their souls becoming more formidable.
An unknown amount of time later, a bigger window than the normal ones appeared before Michael.
Sensing the change, he opened his eyes.
[New technique comprehended: Spirit Flow]
[Rank: Common]
[Level: 1]
[Description: The longer you cultivate, the more effectively you can absorb the spiritual energy around you. Currently it increases your cultivation by 100%.]