Just as Leon was about to swallow the monster core, Noira’s hurried voice rang out once again.

"Wait, Master. You didn’t forget you’re still in Fusion mode, did you?"

Leon clicked his tongue in embarrassment.

"Sorry... I actually did."

"It’s alright, Master. Wait until the fusion duration ends, and then you and Frenrir are separated. In the meantime, would you like to venture onto the next floor?"

Leon thought for a while before replying. "I won’t deny that I’m tempted to see what’s waiting on the next floor. But for now, I’ve learned enough about the Fusion. About what it’s truly capable of."

’Besides, I need to return to college. Even though I no longer need a hunter license to enter Gates, suddenly becoming rich without one would only invite suspicion. And I can’t even sell the loot without a license. I should just join the six-month military training camp anyway.’ Leon thought to himself.

"Then please wait another thirteen minutes, Master. Once the thirty-minute duration ends, you and Frenrir will separate automatically."

"Sure." With that, Leon sat down on the ground and waited.

Seconds passed.

Then minutes.

Not a single monster appeared anywhere nearby. Soon, the thirty minutes came to an end.

A brilliant light enveloped Leon once again as he and Frenrir separated from one another.

Leon hurriedly got to his feet. "Now... it’s finally time."

Frenrir distanced himself from Leon a little. "Best of luck, master."

Leon nodded and then brought out the monster cores from the system storage once more. Without any hesitation, he swallowed the first one. The moment it reached his stomach, a violent surge of energy erupted within his body. The overwhelming torrent of Qi nearly made him lose consciousness. Clutching his stomach, he doubled over and gritted his teeth as veins bulged across his body.

Notifications flooded the translucent panel before his eyes.

[You have absorbed a huge amount of Qi.]

[You have absorbed a huge amount of Qi.]

[Qi: 168 B / 168 B. You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough.]

[Congratulations, Host. You have reached the Ninth Stage of the Martial Warrior realm.]

[You have absorbed Qi.]

[You have absorbed Qi.]

[Qi: 330 B / 330 B. You have absorbed enough Qi for a breakthrough.]

[Congratulations, Host. You have reached the First Stage of the Martial Master realm.]

A ripple of dust and energy burst outward from where Leon stood. A violet aura erupted from his body. He slowly straightened his back.

He could feel it. This breakthrough was completely different from the previous ones.

"Status Bar," Leon commanded instantly.

Ding!

[Host: Leon Bale]

[Status Bar]

[Damage: 167]

[HP: 74]

[Perception: 50]

[Speed: 166]

[Mana: 1.5 B]

[Soul Strength: 10]

Leon’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Damage and Speed increased by twenty-five. That means each breakthrough in this realm will increase my damage and speed by fifteen. Awesome. It won’t be long before I’ll finally be an S-Class hunter. But..."

His gaze remained fixed on one particular stat.

"Perception... This increased by fifteen as well. But how? System, didn’t you say perception is directly related to Soul Strength? Then how did my perception increase even though my soul strength remained the same?"

[Host has just reached the Martial Master realm. This realm marks the true beginning of a cultivator’s journey. As a result, the Host’s perception has increased due to the transformation of the Host’s body.]

"I see. That’s good, then."

’So that’s why my mind felt so much clearer. It’s as if my senses have become sharper. Of course, it’s nowhere near what I experienced while fused with Frenrir, but it’s still far, far superior to how I was before reaching the Martial Master realm.’

As Leon was lost in thought, another barrage of notifications suddenly started appearing in the panel.

[The Host has met the minimum requirements to unlock a new ability.]

[New ability unlocked.]

[New Ability: Spirit Zone]

[Description: Allows the wielder to perceive everything within a specific range without relying on their eyes. Within the Spirit Zone, nothing can escape the wielder’s senses.]

[Current Spirit Zone Range: 5 meters.]

Leon’s eyes widened as he read the description. "Spirit Zone? I can see without using my eyes? T-That’s fucking awesome."

Without wasting another second, he closed his eyes. The next moment, his eyebrows shot up in ecstasy.

He really could perceive everything. It wasn’t sight in the literal sense. Rather, he could sense everything around him with astonishing clarity.

The insects crawling beneath the ground.

The tiny cracks across the earth behind him.

Every movement, no matter how subtle, was vividly flashing in his mind.

Earlier, while fused with frenrir, his eyesight and hearing had improved dramatically.

But this...

This was on an entirely different level.

It felt as though his entire body had become one giant eye, allowing him to perceive in every direction at once. Full 360 degrees.

There were no blind spots. Even solid obstacles couldn’t hide anything from his senses. The earth itself seemed transparent before him. Leon slowly opened his eyes.

"This... This will greatly improve my combat ability. Phew..." He let out a satisfied sigh.

"It’s becoming more and more interesting. Who would’ve thought I’d actually reach this point one day?"

His gaze fell upon the remaining monster cores resting in his left palm.

Four were still left.

He stared at them for a moment before turning toward Frenrir and walking over to him.

"Here." Leon held the cores out.

Frenrir was taken aback. "M-Master, what do you mean?"

"Noira said that if your cultivation increases, your vitality will improve as well. Your lost lifespan can be restored. You helped me survive that demon. You formed a bond with me. And I wouldn’t have obtained these monster cores without you in the first place. So take these four. The one I already consumed is more than enough for me."

"N-No, Master. I can’t accept them."

Frenrir grabbed Leon’s hand and tried to push it back toward him, but Leon didn’t budge. "You and Noira are my beasts, aren’t you?" Leon said with a smile. "Then shouldn’t you both listen to what I say?"

"Y-Yes, Master."

"Then do as I say."

Seeing that Leon had already made up his mind, Frenrir could only accept the four monster cores helplessly.

"Noira," Leon called.

"Yes, Master."

"Let’s head back. We’ll return when we have time in the future."

"Understood, Master."

The space before them suddenly distorted. A spatial rift opened once more.

The three of them stepped inside, and the rift silently closed behind them.