The golden panel continued expanding before Ethan’s eyes as countless rows of information appeared one after another.

Weapons.

Armor.

Cultivation Resources.

Treasures.

Rare Materials.

Techniques.

The sheer scale of the War Merit Store far exceeded his expectations.

Even after living an entire lifetime, Ethan found himself surprised by the depth hidden within the System. Many items displayed prices that would bankrupt entire noble families, while others remained sealed behind restrictions he could not yet access.

His gaze calmly moved across the various sections.

Unlike ordinary cultivators, Ethan wasn’t particularly interested in techniques. House Ravencrest possessed generations of inheritances — Rare techniques, Epic techniques, even Legendary techniques. Combined with the combat experience from his previous life, there was little value in spending precious War Merit on things he already possessed.

Resources were different.

Resources translated directly into growth. And growth was exactly what he needed.

Just as Ethan prepared to continue browsing, the golden panel suddenly flickered. A new notification appeared.

[Emergency Mission Reward Pending.]

[Host has not claimed all rewards associated with the Emergency Mission:

Protect Amelia Ravencrest.]

Ethan blinked.

Then immediately remembered.

The assassination attempt. The mission. The rewards. So much had happened afterward that he had completely forgotten there were still unclaimed rewards remaining.

The panel shimmered. Two new entries appeared.

[Reward Available]

Growth-Type Weapon Selection Ticket ×1

War God’s Divine Exchange Voucher ×1

Ethan’s gaze lingered on the rewards for a moment.

The more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed that rewards of this level came solely from the emergency mission. Protecting Amelia had completed the immediate objective, but her survival had also prevented a far greater tragedy. After a brief moment of consideration, Ethan suspected the System had taken the primary mission into account as well. If that was true, then the War God System evaluated consequences, not merely actions.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The first reward immediately caught his attention.

Growth-Type Weapons. Even during his previous life, such weapons had been extraordinarily rare. Unlike ordinary equipment, they possessed the ability to evolve alongside their wielder, gradually increasing in rank as they absorbed energy, materials, and battle experience.

A weapon that could accompany him for years. Possibly decades. Its value was impossible to estimate.

The second reward appeared even stranger.

War God’s Divine Exchange Voucher.

Upon reading its description, Ethan’s expression became serious.

[War God’s Divine Exchange Voucher]

Single Use.

Allows one item purchase at an extraordinary discount.

A treasure capable of reducing the cost of even the most valuable items within the War Merit Store.

For a moment, Ethan found himself wondering what sort of purchase would justify using such a reward.

The answer arrived sooner than expected.

As he continued browsing, a new notification suddenly appeared.

[Recommendation.]

Ethan’s eyebrows rose slightly. The System rarely made direct recommendations.

Curious, he shifted his attention toward the highlighted item.

The moment he saw it, his breathing paused.

-----

Saint Beast Blood Essence

Grade: Divine

Price: 5,000,000 War Merit

-----

Silence filled the room.

Five million.

Not five thousand.

Not fifty thousand.

Five million.

Even Ethan found the number absurd.

A treasure of this level should never have appeared before him. Not now. Not as a ten-year-old child. Not with only thirteen hundred War Merit to his name.

The golden panel flickered once more.

[Saint Beast Blood Essence possesses

exceptional compatibility with Host.]

[Recommendation:

Acquire Immediately.]

Ethan stared at the message.

"Reason?"

The response appeared instantly.

[Current Host Stage: Foundation Building.]

[Foundation Stage determines future growth potential.]

[Benefits obtained during Foundation Building significantly exceed benefits obtained after maturation.]

[Current Opportunity Value: Extremely High.]

Ethan slowly leaned back.

The System rarely repeated itself. If it was recommending something this strongly, then the benefits were likely far greater than he currently understood.

His attention returned to the terrifying price.

Five million War Merit. A number completely beyond his reach.

Then another notification appeared.

[War God’s Divine Exchange Voucher Applicable.]

Apply Voucher?

Ethan immediately understood.

"Apply."

Golden light flashed across the panel. The number changed.

5,000,000

↓

5,000

For the first time, Ethan’s eyes widened slightly. The reduction was unbelievable.

Yet the surprises weren’t finished.

Another notification appeared.

[First Purchase Privilege Available.]

Discount Rate:

80%

Applicable Uses:

3/3

The price shifted once more.

5,000

↓

1,000

Now it was affordable.

Barely.

But affordable. A treasure originally worth five million War Merit now stood within reach, as long as he was willing to walk away from the purchase with almost nothing left in his account.

Ethan remained silent for several moments.

Then he made his decision.

His attention shifted toward two additional resources.

-----

Low-Grade Body Tempering Pill 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

100 → 20 War Merit

-----

High-Grade Mana Capacity Pill

500 → 100 War Merit

-----

Three treasures. One designed to strengthen his body. One designed to expand his mana reserves. And one capable of permanently enhancing his foundation.

For a moment, Ethan’s thoughts returned to the courtyard. To the assassin’s blade. To Amelia standing frozen beneath the evening sky.

The image remained painfully clear.

Had he been weaker, she would have died. Had he been slower, history would have repeated itself.

His gaze hardened. No treasure in the store mattered more than ensuring that never happened again.

There was no reason to hesitate.

"Purchase all three."

The golden panel immediately responded.

[Transaction Confirmed.]

Purchasing Selected Items...

War Merit:

1300 → 180 (-1120)

A pulse of golden light spread through the room. Moments later, three objects materialized before him.

A jade bottle.

A glowing blue pill.

And finally—

A crimson crystal vial containing a single drop of blood.

The moment it appeared, the atmosphere within the room changed.

An ancient pressure radiated from the blood essence. Proud. Savage. Overwhelming. Even while sealed, it felt as though a terrifying beast was staring directly at him.

Then something unexpected happened.

A faint golden warmth spread through Ethan’s body. His Heavenly Sovereign Physique had reacted. The Saint Beast Blood Essence trembled slightly within its container, as though acknowledging something far greater than itself.

[Notice.]

[Saint Beast Blood Essence has entered a state of passive submission.]

[Heavenly Sovereign Physique possesses a higher-order bloodline authority.]

[Assimilation risk reduced by 97%.]

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

Interesting.

The treasures now rested silently before him.

Body. Mana. Foundation. Everything required for explosive growth.

Outside, Ravenhold City had already settled into its nightly quiet, lanterns flickering along the distant streets of the Outer District. Inside the estate, Ethan sat before treasures that countless cultivators would kill to obtain.

Tomorrow, he would become stronger. Much stronger.

And for the first time since his regression, Ethan felt that his current body might finally begin catching up to the experience accumulated within his soul.

-----

The first rays of dawn slowly crept across the horizon.

Inside the cultivation room, silence reigned. Ethan remained seated cross-legged at the center of the room, his eyes closed as the final remnants of energy circulated through his body. The violent fluctuations that had shaken his meridians throughout the night had finally subsided.

Everything was calm. Everything was stable.

A faint golden glow flickered beneath his skin before gradually fading from view.

Moments later, Ethan slowly opened his eyes.

The world seemed different.

Sharper. Clearer. More vivid.

He could hear the distant footsteps of guards changing shifts along the estate’s outer walls. He could hear the morning wind brushing against the banners raised above the residential wing. Even the flow of mana throughout the room appeared more distinct than before.

A slow breath escaped his lips.

The transformation was complete.

The golden panel immediately appeared before him.

[Assimilation Complete.]

[Body Tempering Complete.]

[High-Grade Mana Capacity Enhancement Complete.]

[Saint Beast Blood Essence Assimilation Complete.]

[Host has successfully advanced.]

Ethan’s gaze sharpened.

A familiar sensation flowed through his body.

Strength. Not the artificial strength granted by a temporary treasure. Real strength. Strength that belonged to him.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

He had finally stepped into the Knight Realm once more.

The realization carried an unexpected weight. During his previous life, reaching the Knight Realm had taken years of effort and countless hardships. Now he had achieved it at the age of ten — not through luck, not through coincidence, but through preparation, opportunity, and the advantages gained through regression.

"Status."

The golden panel immediately obeyed.

-----

Ethan Ravencrest

Age: 10

Knight Rank: Apprentice Knight → Knight

Mage Rank: Unawakened

Spirit Rank: Unawakened

Talent: Unawakened

Physique:

Heavenly Sovereign Physique (SSS)

Cultivation Art: Northern Heaven War Art

Strength: 10 → 40 (+30)

Agility: 11 → 40 (+29)

Vitality: 13 → 45 (+32)

Endurance: 13 → 45 (+32)

Intelligence: 15 → 25 (+10)

Mana Capacity: 13 → 130 (+117)

War Merit: 180

Available Attribute Points: 0

-----

Even Ethan remained silent for several moments.

The gains exceeded his expectations. The Saint Beast Blood Essence had done far more than strengthen his body — combined with the Heavenly Sovereign Physique, it had fundamentally elevated the quality of his foundation.

The System seemed to recognize his thoughts.

[Assessment.]

[Foundation Stage Bonus Applied.]

[Current Saint Beast Blood Essence Utilization:

1.0%]

[The remaining essence remains dormant within Host’s foundation.]

[Current cultivation insufficient for further refinement.]

[Heavenly Sovereign Physique has suppressed and sealed 99% of the Saint Beast Blood Essence.]

[Recommended refinement threshold: Higher Realm required.]

Ethan’s gaze lingered on the final lines.

One percent. Only one percent — And the rest had been locked away by his own physique until he was strong enough to be entrusted with it.

Even with the memories of a lifetime behind him, he found himself falling silent. The changes brought by the Saint Beast Blood Essence had already exceeded his expectations — a transformed foundation, a greatly strengthened body, an unprecedented increase in mana capacity, and all of it from merely one percent. Ninety-nine percent remained sealed inside him, waiting for a version of Ethan that didn’t exist yet.

His eyes drifted toward the now-empty crystal vial resting quietly beside him.

He had encountered countless treasures and opportunities. None had ever reached this level. During his previous life, Ethan had learned a truth far too late — there existed monsters beyond human imagination. Beings so powerful that the rise and fall of kingdoms meant little to them. Saint Beasts stood among those existences.Even in the vast Empire, such beings existed only within ancient records and legends passed down through generations. Compared to an existence of that level, Ethan’s current self was no more than a drop before an endless ocean.

If one percent had already brought such change... then what sort of existence would he become after completely refining it?

The thought surfaced briefly before Ethan shook his head. That future remained far too distant. Power obtained too quickly often became the source of one’s downfall. For now, a perfect foundation mattered far more than unattainable possibilities — and the physique itself seemed to agree, sealing away the rest until he’d actually earned the right to it.

Step by step. Just as he had always done.

Ethan nodded. He rose to his feet. A series of faint cracks echoed from his joints.

Power surged through his limbs.

Controlled. Stable. Complete.

With a simple thought, Ethan suppressed every trace of his aura. The pressure surrounding him vanished instantly. The room returned to normal.

No one would sense anything unusual.

At least, that was the intention.

-----

Several minutes earlier.

Marquis Adrian Ravencrest stood upon one of the estate’s upper balconies, overlooking the training grounds stretching out below him.

His gaze was directed toward the distant horizon when he suddenly frowned.

For the briefest moment, he had sensed something. A fluctuation. Tiny. Almost imperceptible. Yet enough to attract his attention.

Adrian slowly turned toward the residential wing. His eyes narrowed.

Then the sensation vanished completely. As though it had never existed.

"...Strange."

The sensation had felt familiar. Not the aura itself — the quality. Ancient. Majestic. For the briefest moment, it had reminded Adrian of the pressure radiated by certain legendary creatures recorded within Ravencrest’s oldest archives.

Then it vanished completely, leaving him wondering whether he had imagined it.

A few steps behind him, Gareth Ironwood raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, my lord?"

Adrian remained silent for a moment. Then he slowly shook his head.

"Nothing."

Yet his gaze lingered on the residential wing where Ethan’s rooms sat. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed.

Something important had changed within Ravenhold. Whether for good or ill, he could not yet tell.

-----

Back inside his room, Ethan remained completely unaware of Adrian’s suspicions. His attention had already shifted elsewhere.

A new notification had appeared before him.

[Unclaimed Reward Available.]

Growth-Type Weapon Selection Ticket ×1

For the first time that morning, genuine anticipation appeared in Ethan’s eyes.

A growth weapon. A weapon capable of evolving alongside its master. Even during his previous life, treasures of this nature had been extraordinarily rare.

Slowly, Ethan sat back down.

"Let’s see what options I have."

The golden panel shimmered.

And the Weapon Selection Interface began to open.