Upgrading a Soultrait from 1-Star to 2-Star required 3-4 SoulStar Fragments. Enhancing a Soultrait from 2-Star to 3-Star, on the other hand, required roughly 20 SoulStar Fragments. This increment was already quite high, but it seemed like upgrading Soultraits would become increasingly difficult the higher the Star rating.

After all, enhancing Extraction from 3-Star to 4-Star required 200 SoulStar Fragments, ten times the amount Eagle Eyes required to upgrade from 2-Star to 3-Star!

He didn't want to know how much enhancing Extraction to 5-Star cost, but he had a premonition. Michael didn't like this premonition, but there was not much he could do about it.

He could only accept it.

"I wonder if I can acquire SoulStar Fragments in the Temple of the Forgotten" Michael wondered at this moment.

He figured that there were various ways to procure SoulStar Fragments, and imagined the Temple of the Forgotten to be one way.

His desire for strength had turned even fiercer after today's event, but he also knew that the Temple of the Forgotten was a place he shouldn't visit just yet.

He was not well versed with the language used in the Temple of the Forgotten, and there were only a few ways to find out more about the old tongue used before the third epoch; using the network system of other races.

'I wonder if the network system of the Saphirelake Military Academy is connected to the Barbarians and the Warlock Centaurs'

Danny told him that the language used in the Third Epoch was the oldest language of the Origin Expanse that had been studied by mankind. Thus, he would have to seek help from the other older races to study the languages used before the Third Epoch.

Both the Barbarians and Warlock Centaurs had spent several millennia in the Origin Expanse. Maybe, some of them were alive when the old tongues had been commonly used in the Origin Expanse!

With that understanding in mind, Michael sincerely hoped that the Saphirelake Network was better than the Bartholomew Network, or he would have to soon pay a visit to the Barbarians and Warlock Centaurs.

Fortunately, the Saphirelake Military Academy was in the same Stellar System, so there was hardly any issue.

Now that he recalled that the Saphirelake Military Academy still existed, Michael felt that he was forgetting something.

"Wait"

His eyes widened and he rushed out of the warehouse after stuffing all Lionheart corpses into his War Rune's spatial space.

He found Tiara near the huge campfire they had made to honor the deceased and dashed towards her.

"How long has it been since I started my advancement to Tier-1?" Michael asked immediately.

Tiara, who hadn't expected such a question, looked at him with a slightly stupefied gaze.

"Masterit has been almost three days since you returned to your territory to advance. Did something happen?" Tiara asked worriedly.

Michael waved his hand in denial while calculations ran through his head.

'I had two days left when I returned to the Origin Expanse. Almost three days inside the Origin Expanse meant that roughly 36 hours passed outsideI still have some time before the aptitude assessment startslucky me!'

Michael's heart was beating rapidly and he sighed in relief. However, it was just a moment later when his heart skipped a beat. He recalled something else he had forgotten.

'Alice wanted to meet me the day before the aptitude assessment to give me the Tier-1 Artifacts!!'

"Shit!" He cursed while turning back to Tiara.

"I have to leave. I will be back in a day or two. Don't worry about me. If something happens in the Origin Expanse, take care of it. You're in charge!" Michael said hurriedly, before he hastily added, "If an adventurer team like the Lionhearts appear again, either take them by surprise or flee if their combat prowess is too high for us to handle. It doesn't matter what happens to the territory as long as you guys survive!"

After Michael gave her the instructions, he manifested the Runic Gate. He made a last prayer to the deceased and disappeared in the next moment.

It was hard to pinpoint how much time had passed in the outside world when you spent too long inside the Origin Expanse. The time spent in the Origin Expanse seemed magical and it passed much faster than one may think.

One day outside the Origin Expanse was equivalent to two full days inside, but it didn't feel like that, at all.

In fact, Michael did not even feel like leaving his territory and the Origin Expanse at times. He knew that he could spend several weeks in the Origin Expanse without feeling bored, while the same may not be the case outside the Origin Expanse.

Most people wouldn't even bother to leave the Origin Expanse for several months because there were so many things one could do inside the mythical realm of the Origin Expanse.

It was magical and far more entertaining than the outside world. At least, that was what many thought.

However, there were also adventures and mythical places outside the Origin Expanse. It was just that they were harder to come by than the places in the Origin Expanse.

Upon emerging outside the Origin Expanse, Michael felt a little weird. His Sun Soldier's Breathing mastery had increased considerably in the past few days, and Michael had learned to take in traces of the Origin Expanse's energy by breathing. Thus, it was a little bit weird now that the air around him was void of energy.

The sensation of missing the Origin Expanse's dormant energy was something most Lords and Adventurers were aware of. It was also the reason why most people would return to the Origin Expanse more often than they needed to.

They were addicted to the Origin Expanse's energy and couldn't live without it anymore after they spent years in the Origin Expanse. They were drugged and would never be able to survive without their beloved drug. After all, the drug was natural, highly potent, allowed them to grow stronger, and it invigorated their mind and bodies.

Michael felt the lack of origin energy for the first time, and it was already bothering him. However, he could still endure the sensation of loss.

He was already late, so he hurriedly opened the messenger on his crystal watch and typed a message to Alice Zenovia.

[Michael: I'm on my way.]

'I hope you're not too angry. I was almost burned to a crisp todayhave some mercy.' He mumbled in his mind while staring at the messenger.

While continuing to stare at his crystal watch, he rushed to the bathroom, washed up and changed into a new set of clothes. Once he was done with everything, he booked a shuttle and rushed downstairs as it reached the entrance of his building.

Just as he jumped into the shuttle, a notification reached him.

Alice sent him a message.

[Alice Zenovia(fierce beauty): You bastard! Why am I always the one waiting for you!?!? Do you think I'm your personal maid, or what?!?'

Michael's expression contorted when he saw the message, but he ended up smiling faintly at last.

'This will be fun.'

It was time to meet up with Alice once again.