Chapter 58: Strength in Unity

In the heart of the Greenridge base's residential core, just a stone's throw from the Chief's Mansion, stands a lavish residence, gleaming with prestige.

These are homes reserved solely for the high councilors of the Greenridge base. Today, Alex and Lily, along with Claire, Evan, and Max, settled into this elite enclave.

As Alex ascended to councilor status at the Greenridge base, his voice carried newfound weight across the region. Coupled with his unique legacy as the founder's son, he boldly declared Claire , Evan, and Max as his trusted allies, vowing to take responsibility for any fallout.

Several councilors, whether openly or in hushed tones, rallied behind Alex's cause.

Though Ethan claimed Claire and the others were traitors from rival bases, it was merely a flimsy pretext. Lacking solid proof, he couldn't dig in his heels, so he had no choice but to release Claire and her two companions.

"I can't wrap my head around it, I really can't…" Even after arriving at Alex's swanky new residence, Claire and the others still felt like they were caught in a dream.

"You vanished after luring that Raging Bear away that day, didn't you? You actually made it out alive," Claire said to Alex, her voice brimming with shock and joy.

"And you managed to spring us free. I was sure you were a goner," Max beside her nodded, chiming in with a grin.

"The real kicker is you've hit Level 3 Awakened…"

Evan, usually a man of few words, couldn't hold back, cutting in with a single sentence that nailed the heart of the matter.

Evan's words drew heavy nods from Claire and Max beside him. Truth be told, no matter what news they'd heard, nothing hit them harder than learning Alex had soared to Level 3 Awakened.

Two months ago, he'd only just broken through to Level 2. This growth rate was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Alex flashed a sly smile at Claire and the others' astonishment, opting not to spill the full story.

In truth, for them, it was a mere two months, but Alex knew he'd endured the worlds of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer and One Piece, grinding through over a year of relentless training.

"Alright, now's not the time to gawk. Sure, I've snagged a high councilor spot at the base, but we're still staring down Ethan, the leader of this base, and danger's lurking." After the team shared a round of laughs and banter, Alex's face turned grave, his tone sharp.

Alex's words prompted serious nods from Claire, Max, and Evan beside him.

Spot-on, he'd hit the nail on the head. Here at the Greenridge base, Ethan's presence loomed like a massive boulder pressing down on everyone's shoulders.

"Strength is the foundation. It just so happens that I have had some adventures in the past two months, which is just right to help you improve your strength!" Alex pressed on, his eyes glinting with purpose.

As he spoke, he pulled a vibrant crimson dress from his pack and handed it to Claire .

"Whoa, kid, you trying to confess your love to the boss or what?" Seeing Alex present a dress to Claire , Max quipped from the sidelines, smirking.

"Nah, this dress has a martial arts secret manual woven into it. I reckon it's just right for her to master," Alex shook his head, clarifying with a chuckle.

Indeed, this dazzling crimson dress was the very one Dongfang Bubai had gifted to Alex in the The Smiling, Proud Wanderer world.

"Oh? Martial arts secrets? Then we can practice them too??" Hearing Alex's explanation, Max's eyes lit up like a kid spotting treasure.

Even Evan, ever sparing with words, let a flicker of curiosity cross his stoic face.

"To master this divine skill, you must first make a… certain sacrifice…castrate yourself..."

At that moment, Claire clutched the dress and murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hearing Claire's words, Max's face froze mid-grin, then he waved a hand awkwardly and stammered, "Uh, well, I think I'll stick to honing my abilities. No need for this martial arts stuff…"

"Isn't this the Sunflower Manual? Isn't that just a fictional martial art?" Claire asked Alex, puzzled, after skimming the techniques etched into the crimson dress.

The Sunflower Manual's fame was well known far and wide.

"I crossed paths with a bizarre Awakened who could turn fictional things into reality, and this Sunflower Manual is one of his creations," Alex spun a quick tale, his tone casual.

After all, Awakened abilities in this world were wildly diverse. If someone like Alex could traverse virtual worlds and copy bloodlines, skills, and knowledge at will, it wasn't a stretch to claim another could materialize the imaginary.

"Awakened powers are just plain wild…" After hearing Alex's story, Claire didn't press further. With a soft sigh, she gripped the Sunflower Manual and pored over it intently.

But reading it was like wading through mud.

Talk of acupuncture points, meridians, and obscure human anatomy terms left her baffled, making the Sunflower Manual's secrets nigh impossible to unravel.

"No worries, I've got the know-how on acupuncture points and meridians, and that same Awakened taught me a slick initiation trick." Alex had anticipated Claire's confusion. As he spoke, he reached out, placing a hand atop Claire's head.

He accessed his E drive, copying the knowledge files on human acupuncture points directly to Claire's mind.

After unlocking the E drive, Alex's storage held a trove of knowledge files. These acupuncture and meridian files, a mere 1G, were passed down by Tong Baixiong when Alex studied internal arts at Blackwood Cliff.

The files were small, and the transfer wrapped up in a flash.

As Alex withdrew his palm, he channeled internal energy to force out a sheen of sweat, his face paling to look utterly drained. "You okay?" Seeing Alex's weakened state, Claire , Max, and Evan beside him asked, concern lacing their voices.

"It's fine, just passing on knowledge, draining my own power like in some TV drama. A quick rest, and I'm good," Alex replied, waving off their worries with a tired grin.

Max, an Awakened with firearms prowess, was taught the One Piece plane's Armament Haki practice by Alex.

If Max could master Armament Haki and infuse it into his bullets, his combat strength would skyrocket.

As for Evan? His magic-based Awakening stumped Alex, who had no magic expertise to share.

Still, the Yi Jin Jing included a segment on spiritual training for the sea of consciousness, a core part of Alex's own regimen. Alex copied this skill knowledge to Evan, offering a modest boost to his growth.

"This initiation trick is unreal. If we had this back in school, I wouldn't have flunked half my classes…" Max marveled, awestruck as Armament Haki techniques and knowledge flooded his mind.

"Yeah, it's like copying and pasting files on a computer…" Evan beside him nodded, his rare praise cutting to the chase.

Evan's sharp analogy made Alex's gut twinge with a flicker of guilt.

But seeing his three comrades armed with paths to rapid growth, Alex felt a quiet surge of satisfaction.

At this Greenridge base, allies were crucial to stand against Ethan's iron grip.

What's more, Alex knew his copying ability didn't just fuel his own rise—it could propel his companions to new heights in a flash.

With the copying done, Alex and his crew threw themselves into rigorous training in the days that followed.

Though Alex and Ethan were locked in a silent showdown, both itching to topple the other, the zombie frenzy raging outside Greenridge kept internal conflicts on ice.

Whether Alex or Ethan, both poured their focus into battling the undead hordes beyond the base's walls.

When Alex stormed the base that day, he felled the Level 3 Corpse Vulture. Combined with the team's fierce showings lately, Alex and his squad swiftly earned a towering reputation across Greenridge.

Naturally, as days bled into weeks, everyone clashed with the zombie frenzy, and through those battles, their strength grew sharper and stronger.

Claire , who had 80 crystal points two months ago, was now teetering on the edge of Level 3 Awakened status.

Nearly a month zipped by in a blur. Through relentless fighting and training, Alex's own power had climbed steadily.

The Yi Jin Jing and Armament Haki, blending internal and external cultivation, fueled rapid growth. After all, beyond inner strength, the Yi Jin Jing also honed physical prowess.

On this day, Alex left Lily at the base, entrusting Claire , Max, and Evan to watch over her, then slipped out of Greenridge alone.

After scouting a desolate spot, Alex pulled out an electronic watch he'd prepped long ago, memorized its time and date, and buried it beneath the earth.

Almost instantly, the computer pattern on his palm glowed, sketching a vortex of time and space that swallowed Alex's form, launching him into his fourth plane-crossing odyssey…