I Can Only Cultivate In A Game-Chapter 130: T-minus 38 Minutes

(( Emberreach City – Northern Containment Zone ))

Iron structures, blast furnaces, and thick copper pipelines dotted the industrial-looking surroundings.

This city seemed to thrive on its weapon manufacturing sectors and mana-forging workshops. Tall smokestacks reached into the sky, and every building was fortified with shielding tech, including a reddish-orange mana barrier that glowed like firelight at night.

In a traditional hall surrounded by black wood and cascading purple flowers, a young boy knelt with one hand pressed firmly to the ground. He was about thirteen, but there was no fragility in his appearance.

His golden eyes burned with clarity and discipline, and his nack hair was neatly tied back into a small topknot.

He wore a ceremonial red robe embroidered with flame motifs.

Before him stood a tall woman, draped in priestess garments of orange and gold. Her eyes were cold but proud and her long blue hair was tied into a high ponytail that swept behind her like a banner.

"Kaien," she said. "Do not be distracted by the glitz of the Academy. You are not going there to make friends. You are going there to forge strength."

Kaien looked up with a determined expression; "I won't forget. Father died protecting this zone. I'll make sure I finish what he started."

She stopped pacing and turned. "Good. Let the Academy temper you, not tame you."

Kaien nodded once. "I understand, Mother. I will not disgrace our name."

As he rose, firelight reflected in his eyes.

---

(( Viridia Core – Sector 3 of the Green City Network ))

Within this city, buildings were covered in vines and bioluminescent moss due to this part of the earth being semi terraformed.

The barrier surrounding this city was veiled in mist that properly obscured the city.

Inside a glass chamber filled with filtered green light, a girl stood silently before a massive portrait of a man clad in modern battle armor—mana-plated, scratched with battle scars, and holding a massive sword that seemed to be glowing.

She had no eyebrows.

No lashes.

No hair of any kind.

Her skin was light green, smooth and polished like marble, and her physique was lithe but her posture depicted strength.

Her cloak-like robe fluttered slightly from the environmental systems above.

An aged butler with a hunched back stood behind her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You were born for this, young miss," he whispered.

Elis tilted her head just slightly before responding with a cold tone.

"I'll make sure I retrieve my father's sword," she said. "I will continue his legacy!"

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(( Dawnveil Medical Tower, Skybright City ))

Floating platforms, arc bridges, and skyscrapers that were hundreds of feet tall and lined with luminous data lines made the city feel like it touched the sky.

A bluish-white dome surrounded the city like a guardian angel and within a medical room in one of such towers, one could properly view the majestic city.

White light filtered through the windows, and the soft beeping of heart monitors echoed faintly in the silence.

A young man with shoulder-length blonde hair, clean features, and soft emerald eyes sat on the edge of a bed.

A woman lay comatose on it, hooked to advanced mana infusion systems and stabilized by life-preserving tech.

He gently held her frail hand.

A smile touched his lips.

"Mom," he said softly, "I leave for the Academy today."

He looked down while brushing a strand of her graying hair from her forehead.

"I'm going to make you proud. I swear it."

He leaned down and kissed her hand gently.

-----

(( Oblivion Sprawl – Southshadow District, Blackridge Megacity ))

Darkness dotted the surroundings.

Oblivion Sprawl was like a forgotten scar of civilization—located on the fringe of Blackridge Megacity and surrounded by a dull gray mana barrier that flickered like a dying flame.

The city was half-ruin, half-underground labyrinth. Luminous signs buzzed weakly, and smoke choked the alleyways where the lowest of society dwelled.

Within the cracked ruins of what was once a shopping complex now turned underworld den, a scream echoed.

A young girl no older than sixteen pressed a screaming man against a concrete wall. Her hand was wrapped tight around his throat, lifting him a full foot off the ground.

She wore a hooded black cloak and her face was partially covered in shadow. Her exposed lips were stained with what looked like blood—or maybe dark lipstick.

"Please… I told you everything I know…" the man begged.

"Mmhm," she replied with a bored tone. "And yet... I'm still unsatisfied."

Just then, another figure—a man in a dark military coat with silver buttons—stepped into the corridor behind her.

"Veyla," he called. "You haven't forgotten the Academy summons, have you?"

She turned her head slightly while letting out a lazy yawn.

"I hate mornings," she said. Then, without warning—

Pop.

Her fingers crushed the man's throat and severed his head clean from his neck.

Blood sprayed across the walls in a grotesque arc.

She let the body fall with a dull thud and turned while stretching her arms like someone waking from a nap.

"Why am I even going?" she muttered. "I could already be on missions by now. I don't want to play school girl with a bunch of weaklings."

"You're not ready," the man said sternly.

Veyla licked a bit of blood from her knuckle and sighed. "So they keep telling me."

...

...

(( New Avalon City – Eastern Transit Terminal ))

Back in the glowing brilliance of New Avalon City, the sky was still a faint pink from dawn. Mana trains glided through transparent skyways above, and mana-powered drones zipped between tall mirrored skyscrapers.

At the farthest edge of the city, where the barrier fields glittered faintly, a massive silver dome pulsed with white-blue light.

The Awakener Transit Station...

Victor stepped out of the private shuttle he'd booked, dressed in his newly issued Academy uniform—a white ensemble composed of a high-collared jacket with silver lining and flexible mana-fiber panels woven into the seams.

The jacket hugged his frame comfortably, featuring the emblem of the Awakened Academy stitched in pale blue over the left breast.

Reinforced combat trousers accompanied the top, durable yet breathable, and his boots were lightweight and adaptive to a range of terrain.

A small silver identification chip was slotted into a discreet panel on his collar, its mana signature synced to the station's access grid.

Without it, he wouldn't have been able to enter the Awakened Transit Hub.

> Victor, Age 16

Awakening Level: Unknown (B Rank)

Status: Approved

Transit Departure: T-minus 38 minutes