The thought lingered in Kael’s mind for several seconds before he slowly calmed himself.
His excitement quickly subsided.
’No...’
’It’s still too early.’
The idea certainly sounded promising, but there were still too many unknowns. Jumping into it without understanding the bigger picture would only lead to unnecessary losses.
The first thing that came to mind was Mana purity.
Among scholars and researchers across the vast cosmos, Mana was often revered as the very source of life itself.
The reason wasn’t complicated.
The purer and denser Mana became, the more vibrant the surrounding environment would be. Plants flourished, wildlife became more active.
Mana nourished life.
That much had already been proven countless times.
But...
Kael’s brows slowly furrowed.
’Then what about Rift entrances?’
Every Rift he had ever seen shared one common characteristic.
The land surrounding them was barren.
The soil was dry.
Vegetation struggled to survive.
Some areas even looked completely devoid of life.
At first glance, it almost seemed contradictory.
If Mana truly nourished life...
Why would places overflowing with Ambient Mana become wastelands?
Two possibilities immediately surfaced in Kael’s mind.
The first was that the Mana leaking from Rifts wasn’t pure.
But the moment that thought appeared, he rejected it.
’That doesn’t make sense.’
After all, every trace of Ambient Mana existing throughout the world today originated from Rifts.
Before switching his cultivation entirely to the Tower, he had cultivated the Primordial Genesis Sutra using the Ambient Mana outside several times.
Although the density had been disappointingly low, the quality itself wasn’t bad.
Certainly not as pure as the Mana inside the Tower, but it wasn’t contaminated either.
If it had been impure, the Primordial Genesis Sutra wouldn’t have accepted it in the first place.
Which meant, the desolation surrounding Rift entrances had to be caused by something else.
Some other factor he had yet to discover.
Until he understood that mystery, there was no point rushing into buying land near Rifts.
Kael quietly pushed the idea to the back of his mind.
There would be plenty of time to investigate later.
By then, his motorcycle had already slowed to a stop in front of an enormous building.
The Spectre Guild.
Pulling into the parking area, Kael switched off the engine before removing his helmet.
After locking his motorcycle, he calmly walked toward the entrance.
The moment he stepped inside, cool air greeted him.
The guild’s lobby was just as luxurious as he remembered.
Walking directly toward the reception counter, Kael immediately recognized the young woman standing behind it.
She recognized him as well.
The moment their eyes met, a bright smile appeared on her face.
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Welcome back to the Spectre Guild."
"How may I assist you today?"
"I’m here to upgrade my Spectre Nano Bracelet."
The receptionist’s eyes brightened.
"I understand."
"Please give me just a moment."
She immediately lowered her head and operated the communication terminal on her desk, her fingers moving rapidly across the holographic interface.
A few moments later, she looked back up.
"Someone will be with you shortly."
Kael nodded.
"Thank you."
Moving away from the reception desk, he quietly waited nearby.
As promised, it didn’t take long.
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime.
A man dressed in a perfectly tailored business suit stepped out before immediately making his way toward Kael.
It was the same man who had personally received him during his previous visit.
The man’s face lit up the moment he saw him.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Voss."
He bowed politely.
"If you’ll follow me."
Kael gave a slight nod before following him into the elevator.
The two rode upward in silence.
After leaving the elevator, the man led him through an elegant corridor before stopping in front of an expensive-looking private room.
He pushed the door open.
"Please."
Kael stepped inside before taking a seat on one of the luxurious sofas.
The man remained standing.
"Would you like something to drink while we discuss your request?"
"We have some of the finest wines available."
Kael shook his head.
"No need."
"Let’s get straight to business."
The man smiled professionally before taking the seat opposite him.
His relaxed demeanor gradually shifted into that of a businessman conducting an important transaction.
"Very well."
"So, Mr. Voss..."
"How would you like us to upgrade your Spectre Nano Bracelet?"
"Our guild will naturally do everything within our capabilities to provide you with the highest quality result."
Kael answered without hesitation.
"I want it upgraded to the highest tier possible."
The man visibly paused.
Although the surprise only lasted for a brief moment, it didn’t escape Kael’s notice.
He quickly regained his composure before speaking carefully.
"Mr. Voss..."
"May I ask if you’ve considered the drawbacks?"
Kael looked at him.
The man continued.
"The higher the tier of a Nano Bracelet, the greater its defensive capabilities and additional functions."
"However, those improvements don’t come without a cost."
He folded his hands together.
"At the highest tier, the bracelet can no longer rely solely on its internal energy reserve."
"It requires continuous energy supplied directly by its owner."
"In other words..."
"It consumes your Mana."
He paused briefly before adding,
"And the consumption isn’t small."
"In fact, even many S-rank hunters choose not to purchase the highest-grade models because the Mana drain is simply too demanding during prolonged battles."
The room fell silent for a moment.
The man looked at Kael.
"Knowing that..."
"Do you still wish to proceed?"
Kael nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Yes."
The man couldn’t help feeling surprised.
Even after hearing such a significant drawback...
The young man hadn’t shown the slightest sign of reconsidering.
’Could he actually be...’
An absurd thought suddenly surfaced.
’S-rank?’
But he quickly dismissed it.
Impossible.
The young man sitting before him looked far too young.
Someone his age reaching S-rank? That was simply unimaginable.
Still...
Those thoughts remained locked inside his heart.
As a businessman, his responsibility wasn’t to question his clients.
His job was to explain the product honestly.
Once the customer understood both the advantages and disadvantages, the final decision belonged entirely to them.
With that in mind, he smiled politely.
"Very well, Mr. Voss."
"We’ll ensure your bracelet is upgraded to the highest standard possible."
"Good."
Kael raised his left wrist before removing the sleek black Nano Bracelet.
He placed it on the table.
The man carefully picked it up and inspected it briefly before storing it inside a protective case.
After doing so, he looked back toward Kael.
"Aside from increasing its grade..."
"Are there any additional modifications or functions you’d like us to incorporate into the bracelet?"