Boundless Cultivation
Chapter 106 - Checking Rewards

Alaric slowly blinked his eyes open, relishing the warmth of his soft bed. The grunts of soldiers and chirps of morning birds greeted him. It took a few seconds to jog his memory before he pulled himself up and massaged his temples.

I defeated the hidden boss of the final zone yesterday. Alaric’s face broke into a smile when he realized he had succeeded in completely conquering the Tutorial Rift.

A mild sting in his abdomen made him recall that he hadn’t defeated Omega Prime without suffering any consequences. In fact, it had been a close call.

A brief scan of his internal body revealed that his body had already started healing his cracked mana core, but the energy pathways still remained a tangled mess.

Thankfully, when his body was restored by the administrator, most of the damage to his mana core and energy channels had been restored as well. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take long to reconstruct his mana core, since it wasn't completely shattered.

And rearranging the energy pathways shouldn’t be too difficult since they responded to his commands well. It was the impending tribulation that mildly concerned him. I have to get well soon.

A rich, earthy aroma with hints of wild herbs and garlic wafted into his nostrils. Alaric spotted his breakfast neatly arranged by the bedside table, ready for consumption.

Some kind of meat stew with a healthy serving of sliced fruits - mangoes, apples, and lychees - and black coffee.

He mentally thanked Edgar and his father for carrying him to his bedroom yesterday and expressed his gratitude to the cooking maids and Elara for preparing his meal.

Taking care of his morning activities, he gulped down the stew with large spoonfuls.

Mmm…venison stew. He licked his lips. This is prepared well. After finishing the venison stew and consuming the fruits, he wrapped up his breakfast by downing the coffee.

Once his head cleared, Alaric recalled something from his morning dream. His memory of the dream was unusually blurry, probably because he had been exhausted. Besides, he hadn’t intended to engage his lucid inner world ability to train the previous night.

Still, he recalled the faint echo of an unfamiliar female voice. “Let me inside your mind, Alaric.” The urgency was clear in her voice.

Still, Alaric’s passive mental defenses had become very strong, and whoever had wanted to invade his dream world had failed.

Huh…Alaric furrowed his brows. For some reason, he longed to confront this unknown entity and get this mystery settled once and for all. However, he couldn’t risk inviting a foreign power inside his mind until his mana core and energy channels were fully healed.

Brushing that worry aside for now, he left the room to meet his father and the head butler.

***

“What do you mean you haven’t checked the rewards yet?” asked Edgar incredulously. He didn’t appear angry, only astonished by how a child had the self-control to not check his rewards.

“I wanted all of us to experience the surprise together.” Alaric chuckled. His father’s study felt unusually warm today. They had agreed to skip his training for today because he was still recovering.

Count Eustace reclined in his chair, content to stay silent and absorbed in his thoughts. Alaric couldn't guess what went inside his father’s mind, but he didn’t try to disturb him.

“Well, don’t keep us waiting,” Edgar chuckled. “Find out what you’ve earned.”

Before checking his rewards, Alaric briefly checked his skill level up notifications.

[Superior Mana Manipulation lvl 21 -> Superior Mana Manipulation lvl 23]_{free we\bnove(l).com}

[True Vision lvl 11 -> True Vision lvl 14]

[Disruptive Pulse lvl 18 -> Disruptive Pulse lvl 21]

[Lucid Inner World lvl 3 -> Lucid Inner World lvl 7]

His rigorous training schedule in the past month and the fight with Omega Prime had helped him to push past the struggle of leveling up high-ranking skills.

All his skills, except for [Superior Mana Manipulation], were Rare+ skills, which were notoriously difficult to level up without sufficient challenge, no matter how hard one trained to advance them.

So he was grateful for the intensity of the challenge he faced inside the final zone of the Tutorial Rift.

Not bad, but I still have a long way to go. Alaric mused. However, he quickly snapped out of his musing once he noticed Edger glaring at him.

Finally, he proceeded to check the pending system notifications in order.

Congratulations, Alaric! You have completed all pending objectives within the time limit.

The rank of your Dark Continent access token has been upgraded.

Rank - Omega (Prime)

Status - Pending.

Would you like to accept your token now?

Alaric could barely restrain his excitement as he accepted the prompt. There was a lot of mystery surrounding this enigmatic token, but he believed it would allow him to learn more about the secrets of this new world, the system, and enable him to grow stronger.

Too bad, he couldn’t share any of the details surrounding it to anybody else who wasn’t already aware of it.

He watched with awe as a block of space the size of his palm shimmered in front of him with an emerald glow, before congealing into a magnificent card - the access token.

He snatched it from the air and started examining it. It was crafted from solid metal just like the Tower of Trials token. Only, instead of gold, it was forged from a metal with a greenish hue.

The back of the token was engraved with a collection of sprawling land masses, depicting mighty mountain cliffs, winding rivers, lush forests, scorching deserts, and freezing glaciers.

He didn’t need to activate his true vision to detect the mystical energy imbued in this tiny card. It was palpable to his senses, as if it could transport him to a whole new world with just a mental command.

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An intense urge to immediately use the access token erupted in his mind, but he quickly curbed that desire. Not that he was afraid to suddenly get teleported to a mysterious location - he could instinctively feel that the token couldn’t be activated without the system’s permission.

It was akin to a key, but he still needed to find the lock to use it. No, he simply disliked the feeling of being manipulated.

“Is that thing one of your rewards?” asked his father. “It feels hazy to my senses.” Edgar nodded, crossing his arms around his chest.

After a little probing, Alaric learned that neither of them could really perceive the Dark Continent access token with full clarity. In their senses, it simply appeared as a blob of shimmering light. In fact, their focus continuously slipped from it if they didn’t pay particular attention to it.

Alaric explained to them that it was a reward, but not a cultivation treasure. It didn’t take too long for them to realize that what he possessed was a restricted item by the system. Once all the confusion was cleared up, he scrutinized the system description.

Dark Continent Access Token: (Omega Prime) - A mark of rare distinction, this token signifies the system’s ultimate trust in your capacity to survive, adapt, and conquer. Only a select few have earned the right to wield this emblem — individuals acknowledged as part of the System’s inner echelon and entrusted with its most dangerous mandate: the elimination of its enemies.

This token grants access to Sector #J1976Chapter 4 of the Dark Continent, a forbidden zone revealed only to those summoned by the System itself.

Note: You possess the highest classification of this token — Omega Prime. This not only grants you unrestricted passage into the designated sector but also elevates your authority above all lower-ranked token holders. It is a reward born of accumulated merit, unwavering loyalty, and proven valor in service to the System.

Alaric didn’t know what to think. It was a lot of information to digest, and the description didn’t reveal all the mysteries. However, a few things were clear to him now.

Firstly, this token would permit him access to only a sector of the Dark Continent, and only when the system invited him. There was no information on what would trigger an invitation from the system, so that frustrated him.

Secondly, he had the suspicion that he might encounter other token holders with access to the Dark Continent when the time arrived.

Hmm...I’ll deal with it when the time comes. Dwelling on this matter wasn’t a priority for him at the moment since he had no idea about when he would have the opportunity to utilize the token.

He moved on to the next pending notification.

Congratulations! You have defeated the hidden boss of The Grey Terminal.

You have been awarded - The Mirror of Ten Thousand Echoes. Please accept your gift.

Once again, Alaric accepted the prompt and witnessed with awe as a block of space the size of his body shimmered in a silvery hue, before solidifying into a large floor mirror.

The polished surface of the mirror was encased in an ornate, golden metal frame. When Alaric gazed into the glass surface, which glistened with the lustre of moonlight, he felt a strange pull inside his soul.

Oddly enough, he felt no urge to focus on the pristine reflection of his form. No, he only responded to the calling of the mirror that beckoned him to explore his inner depths.

Alaric raised his right hand and reached out with his fingers. However, just as he was about to brush his fingertip against the mirror surface, he felt somebody clutch onto his shoulders, and snapped out of the enchanting pull of illusion.

“Careful there, kid,” said Edgar with an amused grin. “The pull of that soul reforging treasure is very strong.”

Alaric felt a little embarrassed for losing his composure for a moment. He knew he could’ve handled himself at the last moment even if Edgar hadn’t intervened, but the fact that he succumbed to the enchanting illusion made his cheeks flush.

I’ll have to be very careful around this mirror. He promised himself, although he realized that such a lapse was likely the result of his weakened mana core and energy pathways.

Mirror of Ten Thousand Echoes - The Mirror of Ten Thousand Echoes is no ordinary artifact — it is a gate, a challenge, and a judgment. To gaze into its polished surface is to peer into one’s deepest karmic reflection.

During soul-reforging meditation, the mirror draws the user's soul into a hidden plane where forgotten debts, suppressed regrets, and vengeful echoes from past and present lives roam freely.

Within this realm, the cultivator’s soul manifests as a vulnerable spirit form, visible and tangible to those who hold grudges — slain enemies, betrayed allies, abandoned oaths, and even the innocent wronged by mistake.

To survive and refine the soul, the user must appease, confront, or overcome these karmic shades. Each victory weaves a new thread into the soul, increasing its cohesion, resilience, and clarity. Each failure frays the self, risking fragmentation, possession, or loss of identity.

Only those who face the totality of their being — sins and virtues alike — can emerge reborn, their soul reforged into a tempered core of will and purpose.

Warning

: Repeated use without sufficient mental fortitude may result in permanent soul deviation or karmic entanglement.

Alaric was thoroughly impressed after reading the description of the soul reforging treasure. The system practically informed him how to utilize the mirror and the dangers associated with it.

And he was really thankful for that because neither Edgar nor Count Eustace had any knowledge of such a soul treasure. Soul treasures were exceedingly rare. In fact, he could recall only a handful of soul treasures listed in the treasure guide books in the library.

One thing was for certain, though - he wasn’t ready to utilize this treasure yet. At least not without guidance or conducting sufficient research.

Surprisingly, he had one more pending notification.

Congratulations! You have been granted the Title - Tier One Tyrant (Rare)

Huh…that’s a nice surprise. Alaric wasn’t expecting to earn any titles as rewards. None of his friends had obtained one. Still, he was grateful to the system for offering him one.

Tier One Tyrant (Rare) - You have proven yourself to be the sharpest blade forged by the system’s whetstone — The Tutorial Rift.

Where lesser cultivators falter against elite monsters, you have not only survived but dominated, vanquishing every boss and uncovering every hidden foe across all zones. Even more astounding, this was almost all achieved while still being a Tier 1 Cultivator — a feat so rare that the system itself acknowledges your potential.

Note - This title greatly amplifies your reputation within the system, unlocking privileges reserved for the truly exceptional.

Alaric couldn’t deny that reading the description of his new title inflated his ego a little. However, he really didn’t like the ‘Tyrant’ part in the title. Surely I wasn’t that ruthless to the monsters?

He brushed off that thought, instead wondering what kind of privilege he might expect from the system.

The administrator did mention something about reputation points. He had been offered an opportunity to expend his existing reputation points with the system to escape a tribulation.

That was truly unbelievable, given the nature of tribulations. So he was really looking forward to what other benefits he could gain once he accumulated enough reputation points.

Wait, how do I gain more reputation points? Suddenly, he heard a chime in his mind.

Congratulations! You have been invited into the System Reputation Ladder.

Current rank: Level 6 (Distinguished).

When Alaric focused on his current rank, a simple message popped up.

Level 6 (Distinguished) - You have surpassed the expectations of your tier.

Upon revealing his last two rewards to the elders, both of them looked surprised. No, there was something else - their faces were filled with pride.

The title was self-explanatory. Obtaining a title was even harder than attaining a skill or an ability. Obtaining a rare-ranked title was even more impressive.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t share any more details about titles, except that a rare-ranked title was very prestigious and would definitely help him along his cultivation journey.

Fortunately, they were familiar with the system reputation ladder. Apparently, the reputation ladder system was another mechanism through which the system rewarded cultivators, mainly by bestowing them with prestige and recognition.

All the major powerhouses in the nation were part of the system's reputation ladder. Evidently, most young cultivators started as level 1 (unknown) and slowly moved up the ranks by accumulating merits.

According to them, it was surprising that Alaric had started with the rank of Level 6 (Distinguished), but Alaric chalked it up to his new title. Plus, he possessed another title that he still had to keep a secret from everybody.

“Alaric, I’ve arranged a small party this evening in honor of your 14th birthday,” said Count Eustace softly. “You’ve all grown up too soon.”

Alaric simply nodded. No words were necessary. He would be present. It appeared his father wished to say something more, but changed his mind at the last moment.

Alaric noticed the glimmer in his father’s eyes. Something pained the count, but he was reluctant to share it.

Alaric didn’t want to come to his own conclusions. He didn’t want to put himself in his father’s position. Instead, when all was said and done, he was allowed to leave to focus on healing his body.