NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Second Stage
Going down to the first floor, Oliver saw that his mother and younger sister were already awake. They were in the living room, where Emma was helping Sofia with her light weight-lifting routine—something she did every morning to maintain her physical condition.
If she didn't do it, her body would become extremely stiff.
"Good morning, Mom, Emma!" Oliver greeted them in a gentle tone, showing that he was in an exceptionally good mood.
"Good morning!"
"Morning!"
Both of them returned his greeting while he immediately headed to the kitchen.
He had nothing but endless enthusiasm.
In the kitchen, he took a few fish out of an old aquarium and began cutting them with a kitchen knife.
That aquarium was a relic from the days of their economic prosperity, but the fish inside were ones Oliver had caught himself and sometimes kept there to keep them alive.
He fried the fish, cooked vegetables, and toasted some bread.
His smile never faded, and occasionally he even whistled loudly.
After finishing the cooking, he made three cups of warm milk.
"Mom, Emma, breakfast is ready!" he called out while setting the food on the table.
Soon after, his mother and younger sister came in, looking a bit sweaty.
Both of them seemed surprised by the amount of food he had prepared.
"Oliver, isn't this a bit too much?" Sofia asked.
"Good things are happening—we can't afford to be stingy," Oliver replied while helping her to her chair.
Emma watched his actions, unable to hide the strange expression on her face as she saw how overly cheerful he was acting.
After all, he usually looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Mom, you need to eat more," Oliver said as he added more food to his mother's plate.
"You're the one who should be eating more. Your body needs more nutrients so your cultivation can progress," Sofia replied, a bit helpless. But she couldn't move much, so she couldn't transfer the food back to Oliver's plate.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Oliver said with a smile.
As for Emma, she stayed silent while continuing to stare at him.
Oliver began eating, but his thoughts were still on his cultivation. Even while eating, he tried absorbing Spiritual Energy from the surroundings.
He ate faster than usual.
Sofia and Emma had barely touched their plates when he was already done—almost as if he hadn't eaten in days. But it was just because he was so excited.
"Oliver, if you want to get back to cultivating, you can go to your room. I'll do the dishes once we're done," Sofia suddenly said.
She seemed to understand his current mindset very well.
Hearing her words, Oliver quickly shook his head.
"No, no, Mom. I have plenty of time. You need to rest after breakfast—you shouldn't be doing any hard work. I'll take care of it," he said.
Of course, he didn't want his mother to do any chores.
He could wait patiently for her to finish eating.
"Ehm…" Emma suddenly cleared her throat.
"Bro, are you forgetting me? Don't worry, I'll do the dishes. You can go back to your room," she suddenly offered, surprising both Oliver and Sofia.
Emma did help with chores from time to time, but washing the dishes was rarely one of them.
"What's with those looks? Why are you both staring at me like that?" she asked in confusion.
"No, I just realized—you're starting to grow up," Oliver said, causing Sofia to chuckle.
"Alright then, I'll go back to my room. But don't let Mom help you," he said as he stood up.
"Hmph, it's just washing dishes. You think I can't handle that?" Emma replied with an annoyed tone.
She seemed a little offended by Oliver's remark.
He grinned at her before heading to the stairs.
He returned to his room and sat on his bed, beginning his cultivation once again.
This time, he focused entirely on absorbing Spiritual Energy without trying to comprehend any techniques.
When his focus was directed solely at Spiritual Energy—even rejecting Will Energy—the rate of absorption did increase, though not quite double.
That was enough to satisfy him, as he believed he could break through before noon.
(Spiritual Energy: 200/200!) +67
After who knows how many hours, his body automatically stopped absorbing Spiritual Energy.
His eyes opened on their own, only to find that his Spiritual Energy had reached 200.
Immediately after, he began feeling changes within his body.
Every bit of Spiritual Energy that had fused into his body seemed to push deeper into him.
He could feel sweat pouring out of every pore, along with hidden impurities.
His veins bulged, as if responding to the rising power inside him from every direction.
From what he could sense, there was a hidden space within his body. That was the final destination for all the Spiritual Energy he had absorbed.
As it filled up, that space was forcefully expanded to hold even more energy.
And more energy meant more strength.
He knew this was called the Spiritual Space, based on information he had read on the internet.
However, with his current cultivation level, it was impossible for him to see inside that space.
Only Cultivators at the next realm—the Earth Master Realm—could do that. They were considered elites among Cultivators due to their immense power.
BANG!
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from within his body. It even unleashed a shockwave that pushed the air around him, temporarily displacing the air above his bed, making it hard to breathe for a moment.
But he didn't care.
A look of awe filled his face as he clearly felt a massive increase in power.
(Cultivation: Second Stage of the Spiritual Master Realm!)
(Spiritual Energy: 0/300!)
(Body: Void Body!)
(Will: Spiritual Master | 73/1000 Will Energy!)
"I finally did it!" Oliver panted, exhilarated.
The greater energy in his body instantly gave him a much higher combat strength and stronger physique.
"With this, I don't have to worry about going to the Chaotic World. My chances of escaping danger are much higher now," he thought.