9th Rank Magic Apprentice

As the last of the guests departed, the once lively house settled into a quiet calm. Christine, feeling the weight of the day's events, carried George back up to his crib, gently placing him down with a soft smile. "You must be exhausted, little one," she whispered, brushing a hand over his tiny head before stepping out of the room.

However, George was far from tired. Lying in his crib, his mind churned with thoughts about his cultivation. The events of the day had been enlightening—he had witnessed martial arts in action and even obtained his first martial skill. But now, he faced a dilemma.

'I don't have any more pills,' he thought. 'And even if I bought more, using them would make me regress.'

The system had made it clear: until he reached the rank above Magic Apprentice, every mana crystal he formed improved his cultivation. However, if he spent them, he would regress. That meant relying on pills was no longer a viable option. He needed to cultivate purely on his own from this point forward.

'No shortcuts. I have to push through the hard way.'

With that resolution in mind, he closed his eyes and focused inward. Slowly, he cycled the mana through his body, refining and condensing it as he had done before. The process was slow but steady, and with each passing hour, he felt his mana pool deepening. The night stretched on, and as dawn approached, he sensed the threshold of the 9th level breaking.

Then, with one final surge, he advanced.

A system notification flickered in his mind:

[Congratulations! You have reached Magic Apprentice (9th Level).]

He exhaled slowly, feeling the faintest surge of new power settle within him. He was so close now—just a little more, and he would reach the next rank. But for now, he had done enough.

With a satisfied sigh, George finally allowed himself to drift into a well-earned sleep, ready for whatever challenges awaited him next.