Boundless Cultivation-Chapter 60 - Farewell

Alaric felt as if he had swallowed a ball of chalk. The bone reforging pill had a rough texture that didn’t glide easily down his throat. He drew a bit of mana from his core and directed it to his stomach to aid in the digestion of the pill.

After a while, a burning sensation erupted inside his belly as if he had swallowed hot coal. He gritted his teeth and channeled more mana into his stomach. The sensation of pain peaked and then gradually abated as a warmth radiated from his core to the extremities of his limbs.

The warmth came in waves, lulling his senses. Time seemed to slow down and sound dulled all around him. The awareness of his body dissolved except for a keen perception of his skeletal system. He envisioned it in perfect clarity - from the toes of his feet to the crown of his head.

The pull of gravity intensified and his awareness was yanked downward, accelerating at a rapid pace. The skeletal structure expanded massively as his sense of self shrunk and detached from it.

The acceleration ceased and he stabilized, simply acclimating to this new feeling. After a while, he concentrated on examining the massive skeletal structure. The bones appeared whiter and denser than ever before.

He noticed tiny details - the roughness of the texture, the weight, the rigidity, the hollowness, and so much more - that he had never detected before. Alaric engraved each and every detail into his memory. Each new detail sparked a new insight that could potentially aid with his bone reforging process.

When he focused on one spot, he could magnify it so much that he could perceive the tiny gaps in the structure. Gaps that required fortification with mana. He recognized how every bone, cartilage, and joint interlocked and formed the structure of his skeletal system.

Time lost its meaning. Alaric didn’t comprehend how long he’d lingered in that trance-like state. However, once he emerged, he was brimming with newfound knowledge and insight about his bone structure.

He channeled his mana throughout his entire skeletal structure and observed a significant reduction in the pain he had endured before. Utilizing his new insights, he filled all the gaps in the structure of the bones with mana and then concentrated on sections that felt weak to his senses.

Once that was accomplished, he began saturating more mana into his bones to amplify the mana potency. Now, his bones eagerly absorbed the mana he provided. It was another beneficial effect of consuming the pill. The pain in his big toe was alleviated as well.

Alaric wanted to continue longer but his mana was depleted. He checked the progress of his bone reforging.

Bone Reforging:

Reforging Progress - 3%

Mana Infusion Potency - 4%

This would have to do for now. Alaric resolved to initiate the blood reforging process and the muscle reforging process within that week as well. He aimed to accelerate the reforging process by harnessing the energy of his chakras but resisted the urge while Edgar was watching.

His happy mood was ruined as a nasty odor assaulted his nose. He nearly gagged. Ugh…how did I forget about this? His body was encrusted with a layer of black filth, and his clothes were soaked in it. Great, my clothes are ruined.

He spotted Edgar standing a few feet away, pinching his nose while wearing an amused expression. For some reason, he clutched a twig in his hand. “Kid, you stink like hell,” he chuckled.

Alaric grew irritated. An idea struck him. He rose up and approached Edgar.

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“Wait, don’t come any closer,” Edgar exclaimed, his hands shooting up in alarm. “Stay right there and grab this. I’ll teleport you to your room.” He thrust the twig toward Alaric.

Alaric eyed the twig and then looked at Edgar, who was clearly eager for him to grab the stick and be done with the whole thing. Alaric grinned. He ignored the twig and dashed toward Edgar.

I’m going to wipe that grin off your face!

“Alaric,” Edgar hollered as he dodged. “I’m going to leave you here, and then you can find your way back home on your own.”

Alaric laughed. “No, you won’t,” he retorted but then halted. Of course, Edgar wouldn’t abandon him there. However, it was best not to provoke him any further. He wanted to scrub his body and have a warm bath as soon as possible.

So, without any further delay, he grabbed the end of the twig and found himself back in his room. Edgar was nowhere in sight. Alaric shrugged and hurried to his bathroom for a long, soothing bath.

***

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It took over an hour for Alaric to complete his bath. No matter how rigorously he scrubbed his body or lathered himself with soap, the foul odor persisted. He despised that stench. Only when he felt thoroughly refreshed and clean did he finally step out of the bath.

Fortunately, this wouldn’t be a daily occurrence during his reforging sessions. Of course, he’d face more impurities once he consumed additional cultivation resources to reforge other aspects of his body.

But other than that, he could remain carefree until he had to trigger the completion of a body-reforging aspect.

Dismissing those thoughts, he settled down on his bed and dove inside his cultivation sanctuary. It was time to meditate on his chakras. Today was a special day. Rowan would depart late in the evening, and they had all arranged a farewell party to celebrate the occasion.

***

Alaric and his friends wandered through the ‘Sunlight Plaza’ under the dimming light of the evening sun. They had all agreed to visit their favorite spot—the market square—one last time. No matter how many times he strolled through the place, it always lifted his spirits. Alaric doubted it was any different for Rowan, Gareth, and George.

The market stalls bustled with activity—hawkers bellowed to draw the attention of passersby, food vendors crafted mouthwatering dishes, street performers captivated their audiences, and more.

As usual, Alaric steered toward his favorite food stall and ordered a variety of snacks to keep them entertained. Crispy fried chicken with tangy sauce, vibrant salads, and chilled fruit juices filled their table. He craved a cold beer but resisted the urge, knowing he was still too young. Besides, no vendor would dare sell alcohol to minors in public.

Rowan wore a conflicted expression. It was easy to understand why. On one hand, he was thrilled to embark on the next chapter of his life after waiting so many years. On the other, he was reluctant to leave Alaric, George, and Gareth behind.

Alaric sighed. Time really did fly. Memories of the moments they shared flooded his mind, and he let them flow freely. He didn’t even channel any sacral chakra to numb his emotions. Sometimes, he appreciated experiencing the bittersweet sensation of nostalgia.

For him, this wasn’t just about the time he spent with Rowan, Gareth, and George in his new life. For better or worse, the nostalgia he felt stemmed from the memories of his previous life as well. Back then, he didn’t have many friends.

But the few he did, Alaric treasured deeply. Unfortunately, he had sacrificed their companionship to pursue his cultivation journey and climb to the pinnacle of power. No, that isn't entirely true.

It wasn’t as if Alaric had abandoned them deliberately. His friends had urged him to move forward, recognizing his greater skill and talent.

Alaric had long ago accepted a simple fact of life: not everyone advanced at the same pace. He didn’t necessarily regret leaving his friends behind in his pursuit of power and knowledge, but he occasionally wondered what might have been if they had remained a part of his journey.

The sound of laughter jolted him from his reverie. Alaric had missed the thread of the conversation his friends were weaving but quickly refocused on their discussion. Fortunately, nobody had noticed him drifting off into his own thoughts.

“- yeah. And I’m sure you’ll make a name for yourself in no time,” George encouraged Rowan. It wasn’t easy to rise from an intern to a full-fledged guild member without demonstrating real talent.

“Couldn’t you have stayed a bit longer to compete in the upcoming regional tournament?” Gareth asked. “I’m confident you can beat Therin next time and maybe even win it.”

Alaric had already suspected the reason behind Rowan’s early departure but remained silent. He was curious to hear Rowan’s explanation firsthand.

“No, I can’t.” Rowan shook his head, his disappointment evident. “Their recruitment period for the year ends before the tournament.” His gaze grew distant. “Besides, they’ll train me for the Tower of Trials. That’s more important.”

Just as Alaric had predicted. Winning the tournament would earn Rowan a decent reward, but delaying his entry into the guild and preparation for the Tower of Trials simply wasn’t worth it.

Fortunately, Alaric didn’t have to worry about that just yet. At only twelve, he was already exploring the higher zones of the Tutorial Rift, a feat considered impressive by most standards.

Learning mana skills hadn’t been too difficult for him. In fact, he surmised he could acquire his [Superior Mana Manipulation] ability much ahead of schedule. I just have to get another skill in the next zone.

Of course, Alaric was also committed to advancing his core to the solid stage by fourteen and reforging every aspect of his body. He still had ample time to refine his chakra cultivation, though progress would be gradual until he reached Tier 2 and beyond.

As his friends exchanged old memories and promises to reunite in the future, time seemed to slip away. Rowan proudly displayed a black saber etched with intricate runes that perfectly complemented his adventuring gear.

It was a level one treasure Rowan obtained using the Church treasury access card signed by Bishop Drevon. Although a level one treasure wasn’t very rare, it would be perfect for a Tier 2 cultivator.

Alaric had his own plans for using the Church treasury access card. He was simply waiting for when the time was right.

Suddenly, Alaric detected somebody’s gaze lock onto him before swiftly shifting away. He casually stuffed the last remnants of crispy chicken into his mouth and stretched his body, using the movement as a cover to survey his surroundings.

Among the crowd of people, he failed to identify anybody suspicious that lurked in the dark corners. The sensation of being watched only lasted for a moment, short enough to attribute it to paranoia.

However, Alaric’s instincts suggested otherwise. Hmm…someone’s spying on our group.

None of his friends seemed to notice. Alaric considered whether it would be beneficial to warn his friends but decided against it. Whoever was observing them harbored no malice or hostility.

In fact, he suspected the watcher wasn’t even certain that their group was the target. It could simply be someone surveying the entire crowd. If that were the case, there was no immediate danger.

Yet, Alaric couldn’t shake off another suspicion. The runic bracelet gifted by the count hadn’t shown any signs of activation, but it itched faintly. Perhaps the witches had finally decided to make a move.

If that were true, Alaric concluded that it would be best to keep his friends out of this mess.

“We should all head home now,” Alaric announced as he stood up. “It’s getting late.”

Fortunately, everyone agreed. Just then, Alaric’s eyes caught sight of a figure cloaked in dark robes, lingering in the shadows of an alleyway, quietly monitoring their group.