Earth's Greatest Magus

With a smile, the father carefully unwrapped one of the packages, revealing a large block of crimson meat. Emery's eyes widened as he took in the sight. Each of the 30 packages contained similar blocks of meat, all exuding a rich, savory aroma that filled the hall.

"These are 30,000 kilograms of consumable meat," the father explained proudly, displaying the contents of each package. The meat was from legendary beasts, classified as tier 4 materials, with a market price of around 100 spirit stones per kilogram. In total, the meat filling up the hall was worth a staggering 3,000,000 spirit stones.

Emery realized that this was not a bribe at all. Instead, these meats held the key secret to his family's [8 Palace Boar] Mythical bloodline gene.

"Let me show you how it works," the father offered.

Noticing the ongoing combat practice in the yard, the father hoisted one of the 1000-kilogram heavy packages onto his shoulder and walked out, showing it to his son.

Ulong's gaze fixated on the meat packages, his mouth watering with anticipation. His father's voice was firm as he presented the package to his son. "This is for you, but remember, afterward, you must show your true power. Do you understand?"

Ulong's response was eager and affirmative, his excitement palpable. "Yes, yes, yes, Father!"

Emery watched in surprise as Ulong swiftly devoured the large piece of meat, his hunger seemingly insatiable. While Ulong ate, the father turned to Emery with a serious expression.

"Who is the strongest acolyte among your students?" he inquired, his gaze flicking over the practicing acolytes. His eyes settled on Dillion, and he nodded approvingly. "Strong lad indeed. Let him fight my son," he declared confidently.

With Emery's permission, Dillion stepped forward into the yard, drawing the attention of all present, who watched with keen anticipation.

As Emery turned his gaze back to Ulong, he was astonished to find that the boar half-blood had finished his feast in record time. Consuming 1,000 kilograms of meat was no small feat—it was akin to devouring as many as two cows. The result was that Ulong appeared so full that his stomach massively bulged, causing some concern among Emery and the others.

However, before they could voice their doubts, Ulong's father urged him on with a firm command. "Go show it, son!"

With his father's encouragement ringing in his ears, Ulong stepped forward, walking casually to the center of the yard. There, he activated his bloodline transformation, a process that left everyone in awe.

[Bronze Palace Boar Transformation]

Ulong's body underwent a startling transformation. The excess fat seemed to melt away, replaced by iron-like muscle that rippled beneath his skin. His complexion took on a bronze metallic hue, and Emery could sense a surge in Ulong's battle power—his strength had increased by at least 20 points.

Ulong's father added, "Son, if you can defeat this friend of yours, you can have another serving."

These words seemed to work like magic, transforming Ulong into a completely different person. Brimming with newfound bravery, he began to roar and taunt Dillion, "Come! Come hit me!"

With a fierce determination, Dillion charged in at full strength. Each of his steps created tremors as he swung his heavy sword at Ulong. The powerful smash was met by Ulong's two arms, and though it pushed him back a couple of steps, he maintained his smile and asked for more.

The sight left everyone's jaws dropping in amazement. Ulong wasn't just a rank 8 acolyte; he was also considered one of the weakest among them. To witness how Ulong could effortlessly block Dillion's powerful sword smash with his bare hands was truly impressive.

Dillion's sword sliced through the air with precision, each strike aimed at exploiting any opening in Ulong's defense. From swift slashes to powerful overhead swings, Dillion unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks. Yet, to his surprise, Ulong seemed to be absorbing the attacks with minimal damage.

Unbeknownst to Dillion, Ulong was luring him into a trap, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As Dillion's assault intensified, Ulong's arms bulged with newfound strength, growing exponentially in size, and swiftly slammed into Dillion.

The impact was so forceful that Dillion found himself ensnared in Ulong's grasp, his movements restricted by the boar half-blood's overwhelming might. Despite his best efforts to break free, Dillion struggled against Ulong's iron grip, his muscles straining with exertion.

"YES! Get him, son!" Ulong's father cheered from the sidelines, his voice filled with excitement and pride.

But Dillion was not one to be easily subdued. Drawing upon his newly formed seventh pillar, he tapped into his reserves of inner strength, channeling it into a mighty burst of power. With a fierce roar, he shattered Ulong's hold, breaking free from the body lock with sheer determination.

"ARGG! It's so close!" exclaimed Ulong's father, clearly disappointed.

The fight continued, with Dillion keeping his distance and delivering calculated strikes. Despite Ulong's efforts, he struggled to keep up with Dillion's skill and agility.

As Emery observed the battle unfold, his keen spirit reading allowed him to discern the intricacies of Ulong's transformation. While the enhancement primarily bolstered his endurance, rendering him seemingly invincible, it also severely limited his agility, hampering his mobility in combat.

Despite Ulong's display of resilience, his transfiguration had its limitations. After ten grueling minutes of battle, the effects began to wane, and Ulong was forced to concede defeat. His mother greeted him with a mixture of scolding and affection, urging him to strive harder in future endeavors.

"Yes, Mother, I will do better next time," Ulong replied earnestly.

Meanwhile, Ulong's father let out a heavy sigh as they retreated for a private conversation with Emery. There, he elaborated on their family's unique bloodline innate ability: a devouring technique that provided an instant surge in physical prowess. However, this formidable power came at a cost—the curse of extreme metabolism, which cursed them with an inhuman appetite.

The snack that Ulong had been consuming was a family recipe passed down in generations, medicine of sorts that supplied the bare minimum to ensure his ongoing health. However, to perform in daily activity Ulong required a substantial intake of tier 2 or tier 3 consumable meats. In fact, to exhibit any noticeable progress in his physique, he needed about 500 to 1000 kilograms of tier-4 meats daily.

Upon learning of Ulong's dietary requirements, Emery quickly grasped the staggering amount of resources needed. Doing some quick calculations, Emery realized that the entire cache of 30 packages, worth 3,000,000 would only suffice for two months.

With this revelation, the parents could only offer a sheepish apology as they divulged their predicament. They assured Emery that they would endeavor to provide more meat in the future but emphasized their limitations as mid-figures among a low-grade faction. Their financial means were modest, and their assistance was constrained accordingly.

They were hoping that Ulong would be accepted to the middle or even higher halls, where tier 2 and tier 3 consumables were easily available. Upon learning that Ulong had been assigned to the lower hall, they swiftly expended their hard-earned resources on procuring the tier 4 meats for their sons.

"Unfortunately, my son's aptitude is not particularly high," the dad conceded, his voice tinged with regret. "But I firmly believe that with you as his teacher, he could emulate our famous, unbeatable ancestor."

Their fervent hope for Ulong's success was palpable. Like many other families in the academy, they yearned for their son to excel and elevate the family's status—a sentiment that resonated deeply with Emery.

"Being parents is not easy"

The father's solemn remark about the challenges of parenthood cast a brief shadow over the conversation, prompting the mother to shift the topic with an innocent inquiry directed at Emery and Klea.

"What about you? Have you any kids yet?"

Being fans, they knew about the romantic relationship between the two and mistakenly thought that they had raised a family of their own. The question left Klea momentarily flustered, her awkward smile as she answered, "No, we don't have kids,"

The father's answer carried a hint of longing as he joked, "Ah, it's too bad. If you had a daughter, maybe we could make marriage arrangements."

Unaware of the complexity of their relationship, he innocently suggested a scenario that left Klea feeling even more flustered. Despite their genuine intentions, the conversation had taken an awkward turn.

As the visit came to a close, the parents took a moment to impart some final words of counsel to their son before bidding farewell.

Watching the scene and their previous conversation made the thought of family linger in Emery's mind.

Another week passed, and once again, his mind was troubled by the absence of the girl.

At the end of the day, Emery received an urgent message from Magus Heorgar:

[Emery, I am in need of your help. My breakthrough into the Grand Magus realm will come sooner than expected. Unfortunately, Senior Sinure is currently away. I am hoping you can assist me in my Cosmic tribulation]