Caelum fell from a considerable height but before he hit the ground, a blue aura erupted from his body.

THUD!

The impact cracked the earth beneath him yet Caelum remained completely unharmed.

"This horse needs a beating," he muttered while looking up at Asta, who was happily running through the air as if nothing had happened.

He found a clear patch of undamaged ground nearby and sat cross-legged, following the instructions of [Myriad Heavenly Ascension].

He concentrated fully, turning his focus inward — toward his Aura Seed, seated within his Energy Core.

He breathed in rhythm as mana flooded into his body, drawn in through his pores and flowing along his energy channels in steady, measured currents.

After a long while, something new stirred within his core.

A faint trace of Qi.

"This feels very strange," he murmured.

Under normal circumstances, humans were not born with an Aura Seed.

It had to be awakened through grueling training and repeated effort pushed past its limits.

Of course, there were exceptions and Caelum was one of them.

The same principle applied to magic.

Those with an affinity for it and the intention to walk the Magic Path required significant natural talent – talent that could, in some cases, be enhanced through rare treasures, but never manufactured from nothing.

Most humans chose one road either the Aura Path, or the Magic Path.

There were those who attempted both, but the dual path was a scarce and poorly documented road.

Techniques that supported it were few, most of them closely guarded and passed down only within specific lineages or to disciples.

Even among dual-path practitioners, the balance rarely held.

One aspect would inevitably mature faster, and the other would settle into a supporting role rather than an equal one.

In the end, none of it was absolute.

A swordsman of the same level might defeat both a mage and a dual-path wielder.

A mage might defeat all of them.

Or a dual-path wielder might overcome them all.

In the end, the outcome of battle depended on experience and individual strength.

But Caelum was different, he was a cultivator.

’This technique complements the Heaven Dominating Divine Sword Art directly,’ he thought with shining eyes.

’And I can already see where the Magic Path fits into this.’

The tradeoff was time.

His path was broader than most as Qi and mana were fundamentally different, and Qi was essentially a refined form of mana that required careful harmonization in his aspect as there was no spiritual energy present.

It would take longer to develop than either path would in isolation.

Fortunately, due to his [Boundless Warrior Physique], his energy pathways had already been opened from birth, making cultivation almost effortless.

What should have been the first obstacle had simply never existed for him.

’What a miraculous technique,’ he thought.

Qi flowed upward through his channels and into his eyes as his blue eyes shimmered.

He looked toward Asta, still drifting through the sunless sky above.

Through the [Heaven Reading Eyes], the mana currents around the horse became visible — not just present, but tangible.

He could see how Asta moved his mana, how it circulated, and to some extent, anticipate which direction the horse would move before it chose to.

"My eyes aren’t burning anymore," he noted.

Previously, using his [Heaven Reading Eyes] without Qi had left his eyes painfully dry. The problem was apparently solved the moment he became a cultivator.

’System,’ he thought looking at the Cultivation section.

«Cultivation»

Realm: Qi Condensation (1 / 9)

Physique: Boundless Warrior Physique

Eyes: Heaven Reading Eyes

Technique: Myriad Heavenly Ascension, Heaven Dominating Divine Sword Art

"So this is what cultivation feels like." he said quietly.

Just then, the Annum Badge hanging at his waist began to vibrate.

Caelum took it out and checked the message displayed as floating text.

[Uncle Roger: Be ready in five minutes. We are attending a Private Ball and this is your first social appearance.]

"He didn’t even mention where we’re going."

He turned the Badge over in his hand absentmindedly.

This world had a strange relationship with technology.

In some respects it lagged far behind what he had known on Earth.

In others, it had arrived at things his old world hadn’t imagined.

The Annum Badge was a magical artifact that could only be used by members of the Annum bloodline, functioning somewhat like a family communication device.

Similar artifacts existed in the broader market, but without blood verification and public versions required physical registration between users to establish a connection.

There was no internet in this world.

But print media was alive and well.

"Asta, I’m sending you home!"

A symbol, a small horse’s face manifested on Caelum’s wrist.

Then, with a soft pop, Asta vanished back to the Spirit Plane.

The Divine Mystical Horse was a creature native to the Spirit Plane, even though technically it was not a spirit.

His father had helped him establish the contract, and with it came the ability to call Asta forward and send him back at will.

"What should I wear?" Caelum muttered to himself, already tapping the Annum Badge in a specific configuration.

A portal opened in front of him.

He stepped through and found himself standing inside his room.

The badge was linked to the hidden space where he trained, acting as an entry token his father had given him.

He was also fairly certain his father had his own way to go there without him noticing.

He skimmed through his closet and pulled out a matching blue outfit.

Satisfied, he turned toward the window.

The pale silver-blue moon had just risen.

After changing and allowing himself a moment to acknowledge that he looked excellent, he opened the door.

And came face to face with a familiar figure.

Hannah.

Daughter of Uncle Roger, and to no one’s surprise, exactly the last person he wanted to see before a social event.