“This body is completely unsuitable for practicing advanced martial arts…” Garen’s thoughts sank into depression at once. As this new body build was different, it could not adapt to the practices of various Secret Techniques. Moreover, a lot of time and energy would be required to modify this body to suit it to advanced Secret Techniques. Unfortunately, this was something that he could not afford to waste time on right now.
He could only practice certain low level, average Secret Techniques such as martial arts that were used for muscle training or Secret Techniques that did not involve the control of vital energy. Pure martial arts like these which did not involve actively controlling vital energy were merely third-rate Secret Techniques that were far from White Cloud Secret Techniques.
“Unless I modify this body completely into my previous build…” Garen began to ponder on which path he should take in the future.
This world looked more powerful than the previous worlds. While he was travelling back and forth across planets, he could see an unimaginably large invisible protection belt that was miles apart from the space that Earth occupied.
Through Nono’s remaining memories, he knew that this planet was probably attached to a large country called the Mother Planet Federation. Not only did this federation possess a planet, there were actually more than forty-five planets. It was worthy to be called a colossus.
It belonged to a completely different level from the previous other planets.
There were star rated countries which also possessed numerous planet nations. Most of these countries were attached to a larger nation called the Galactic Alliance. Both of them had been cooperating to resist the Finite people for more than a thousand years.
During this resistance, there were other neutral parties besides the Mother Planet Federation and Galactic Alliance. They were a thousand in total and they were of various sizes, and they imparted continuous support to maintain the balance between these three giants. There were five or six planets that were larger countries and one or two smaller ones that relied on different specialities to ensure their continuous lengthy existences.
Meanwhile, this body that he was currently inhabiting was one of the citizens who was living inside the colossus known as the Mother Planet Federation.
However, the current situation was becoming less stable recently. The chaotic struggle and war between the three main forces had continued on for too long. It had created various debts within the country and increased the indignation between the population. In an unexpected sweep, all three forces were hit by a powerful financial storm that almost toppled their constitution. The public credibility of the national government was lost completely while the three main forces fell into internal chaos. Each major fleet set up a established an independent regime and almost formed separatist warlord regimes.
The planet where Nono was living in was one of the planets that were controlled by the Mother Planet Federation. However, since it had already fallen into complete chaos, various powerful forces were now occupying its territory to develop themselves willfully.
The place where they were living was part of the range that was controlled by the Blackboard Academy.
“It’s really such a chaotic place…” this was the first time Garen had stepped into a world like this. It was humongous, extensive, and vast. By using a planet as a unit, certain powerful and first-rate fleets and extremely terrifying Star Cannons would be able to destroy a planet instantly.
Worlds like these could be considered as technologically-advanced peak worlds. Garen knew this and was worried that he would need to behave himself when Nadia arrived, as there were terrifying major war weapons like Star Cannons here.
Even if he was able to practice his Secret Techniques, he knew that relying on them while going on a rampage was still a wild idea…
He calculated for a moment and realised that even if he managed to reach his 40-point Soul Limit, it could only resist the equivalent of a nuclear or hydrogen bomb. It would not be able to resist a Star Cannon that could destroy an entire planet, as the difference between their powers were simply as different as night and day.
Other than Star Cannons, he was afraid of the war weapons in this world that could hurt his body to its limits. Terrifying civilizations that could control more than ten planets would definitely not be so simple.
“Looks like I won’t be able to use the Secret Technique method directly anymore. If I want to condense any more Soul Seeds in this world, I should test out the power systems here.”
Garen began to recall the remaining memory fragments in Nono’s mind before transferring all of the information regarding the power systems here.
Unfortunately, Nono was too weak and could access any high level information. Meanwhile, only a few pieces of his fragmented soul remained, making it completely impossible to view its contents. Only some information regarding the topics that were covered in the grading test remained.
“Mech Pilots can use their Willpower to control the high level fighters during Mech battles. Powerful Mech Pilots can get the Mechs to release terrifying battle abilities. There was even a record of a Mech that was able to defeat an entire fleet during a campaign. This was the ultimate instance of personal heroism.”
Garen browsed through these fragmented memories carefully.
“Strong and high-level Mech Pilots and equally powerful Mechs are almost equivalent to undefeatable strategic existences.”
“High rates of casualties inflicted by powerful and advanced weapons allowed Mechs to become terrifying war weapons that could even overtake battleships. Various Mech sects emerged and heralded a historic era. These sects used various Mech battling styles and specialized and celebrated abilities. The Blackboard Academy’s inherited sect used a suspended black disc as a well-known, high-speed cutting weapon and is considered as a purely long-range attack sect.”
Garen scrutinized the remaining bits of information carefully.
He could vaguely feel that the Willpower in this world could greatly benefit his third condensed Soul Seed. Perhaps this was the fundamental route to condensing his third Soul Seed. According to Nono’s memories, the time and space of this universe had already developed his Willpower to a frightening level that was vast and endless. Numerous impressive figures of the past who had a place in history had once walked a great distance on this path.
According to certain legends, there were sects that could use their Willpower to strengthen normal Mechs greatly and achieve powers that were vastly improved. There were even sects that could practice terrifying specialized abilities through their Willpower, allowing their Mechs to have strange specialized abilities.
When a Mech Pilot integrated their Mechs with their Willpower, the powers that were produced were not as simple as adding one with the other. On the contrary, it was rumored that they would form terrifyingly taboo Mechs that could overpower dying stars.
“In this world, Willpower is everything. It is an invisible form of unnatural powers that anyone can grasp. However, the difference lies between the condition of their natural talents.”
Garen’s mind understood everything.
Although Nono had not left many fragments behind, the amount of information was still enough to surprise his mind.
The strength of this current world and universe had surpassed the previous worlds by an unknown degree.
Willpower was like a specialized unnatural power that could only be utilized through Willpower Mechs and other facilities. Meanwhile, every single Mech Pilot was a powerful existence that was constantly unearthing their strong Willpower.
Vigilant feelings formed in Garen’s mind. Since this world had already possessed thorough research on something as insubstantial as Willpower, it was very likely that they would also be one step ahead in their Soul Seed research. It seemed like he would need to be even more careful from now on.
It was fortunate that there were no unexpected or strange occurrences when he reincarnated this time.
Even at peak levels, his current powers could not even be compared to the size of a domain of the planet, much less a dying star. Perhaps Nadia would be able to reach this degree if she used her the full extent of her powers at once.
This was an Army-level strength!
Garen doubted that an existence that had achieved the Demon King level of Ancient Endor existed in this world. However, it was fortunate that it was merely a rumor.
“No, the powers of the Dying Star Level may be even stronger than the Demon King Level. They merely have different systems,” Garen compared them in his mind quietly. He was becoming slightly more in awe of this world.
“Seems like I can only advance according to the systems of this world. My top priority right now is to heal my body first. I’ll forget about modifying it for now as long as I’m able to allow this body to get used to my soul to get rid of the rejection reactions.”
Garen made up his mind and began to carefully control the vital energy that his Soul Seeds were releasing so that his body could adapt.
On the surface, he was merely closing his eyes and resting.
Once the nurse had finished wiping down his body, she took the water and left. His parents, younger siblings, and friends then entered and chatted softly for a while. Soon after, his family left the room, as they were worried that they would disturb him.
When Aier and Mina saw this, they too got up and left as well. They placed some money at his bedside quietly as a contribution.
Meanwhile, Garen continued to drift into the process of adjusting his body. However, it took a long time as his nerves had suffered serious injuries. In order to heal himself without losing his Soul Seeds, he would need to wait at least five years. Unfortunately, this duration was far too long.
Therefore, it was important for him to wait until the restoration surgery. The medical techniques of this time period would be extremely advanced now and there would definitely be impressive basic techniques to repair damaged nerves.
As long as the nerve restoration surgery succeeded, there was a chance that he could shorten the time period. He would be able to adjust to this body completely within half a year without any after effects.
Although he could not practice advanced Secret Techniques, some pure mental training and simple aura and muscle exercises could be used instead.
*********************
Time passed day by day.
Instructor Hamm came to visit Garen a few more times but did not say much. He was merely there so that Garen could feel relieved while recuperating and waiting for his operation.
While his parents left for work, his younger siblings would usually come over and take care of him. They would deliver meals and help clean the ward. This gave Garen a glimpse of this family’s unity.
However, the thing that made him feel the most helpless was the fact that his younger siblings seemed afraid of him. Although he was currently unable to move, he could still see that Nonosiva’s influence over them had been built over a long period of time. This caused his younger brother and sister to act frightened and cowardly around him.
Although he was unable to speak now and could only lie down, neither of his younger siblings dared to look him in the eye.
His few friends visited often as well. Mina had already come a few times and would always bring some money with her. Once, she had even brought a general ATM card with her. Usually, only individuals with at least a thousand dollars would be given these cards for their savings accounts. Although this was equivalent to the monthly earnings of an average adult, it was also the minimum monthly expense of a Blackboard Academy student.
However, Mina put the card down without a second word and left.
Later, Garen realized that this card contained money that was put aside by both Aier and Mina. This changed Garen’s initial impression of Nonosiva slightly. Despite his certain flaws, he could not be a terrible person if he had friends like these.
Meanwhile, his supposed girlfriend Lisa had disappeared and had not come to see him again after the first time. It was rumored that she was currently seeing another boy.
The upcoming operation approached.
******************
Blackboard Academy
There were lofty metallic buildings with black outer walls throughout the academy grounds. The exteriors of these buildings resembled gigantic black discs that were embedded within the ground.
When looking at it from afar, the academy seemed like a flat white area with more than ten black discs embedded there.
Some of these discs were larger than others and there would be a little door and entrance at the bottom. Cars and people moved between the black discs in a bustling manner. The academy was built below a tall mountain that was flattened. A large black battleship was parked at the top of the mountain where there were black symbols engraved on the surface. Meanwhile, the large academy grounds were located below the mountain.
The pointed nose of the front of the battleship stretched over the border of the mountain and hung over the sky above the academy, casting a large dark shadow over it.
Within a room in the front of the battleship.
Inside a black room, a group of people sat around a round silvery-white table. They were all dressed in black uniforms and were the teachers and instructors of the academy.
The Head Instructor and Vice Head Instructor were seated in the main seats.
“Regarding the five series of public funds that have been allocated by our academy during this semester for one of the students named Nonosiva, I personally feel that this should not be the academy’s responsibility. There were no problems with the Mechs or the site. Therefore, the academy is not obligated to bear the cost of his operation and compensation.”
The Head Instructor was a muscular man with bronze skin who glanced at everyone while he spoke.