My Idle System

Chapter 385: Life Authority

Life Essence. Vibrant golden power, pure and brimming with boundless vitality, surged into Christian's body.

The wall separating him from the second mastery stage, something he had thought would still require considerable time to overcome, shattered instantly.

In a single breath, he broke through.

Yet the changes didn't stop there.

They continued deeper within him, reaching something far more fundamental. Something inside him was being elevated, and along with it, the world itself seemed subtly different in his eyes.

Anastasia had once said that breaking through from one stage to another was a change in life level.

If he had to guess… then this was probably what she meant.

But was this elevation truly caused by the breakthrough itself?

Christian had already experienced one breakthrough before. He knew the feeling well enough to realize that what he was experiencing now, this overwhelming elevation of life itself, was something entirely different.

It came from the Vitalis Stone.

So this is how lifespan increases…?

By elevating one's life level directly?

Christian quietly pondered the thought while continuing to focus on the ongoing changes within him.

And this time, the transformation reached his mind.

The moment it happened, he recognized the feeling immediately. It was far too familiar to him by now.

His thoughts became clearer. Sharper. Faster.

His comprehension was increasing.

Among all the changes happening to him, this was the one that pleased him the most, and Christian quietly reveled in the sensation.

He wouldn't go as far as saying his comprehension had doubled, but even without opening his status window, he could tell the increase was enormous. Around a hundred point, at the very least.

Like that, under Anastasia's guidance, Christian continued absorbing the Vitalis Stone.

His mastery of the second stage kept rising steadily until he eventually reached the verge of the third mastery stage before finally slowing down.

It seemed he was almost done absorbing the stone entirely.

Then suddenly, the process, which had gradually begun calming down, intensified once more.

But this time, the source wasn't the Vitalis Stone.

It was his Idle System.

[Due to the successful assimilation of a fragment of Life Divinity, the skill Life Authority has been created.]

Anastasia had been quite satisfied with the effects of the Vitalis Stone she had extorted — no, graciously received as a gift from a friend, for Christian.

But when the process suddenly slipped beyond even her expectations, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

A mysterious power, one far beyond anything she knew, suddenly interfered with the absorption process. And under its influence, she could feel another special ability rapidly taking shape within him.

As expected of my special friend.

Rather than feeling alarmed or flustered by the sudden development, Anastasia calmly withdrew her own power and simply observed him with fascination.

And strangely enough… pride as well.

Whenever Christian gained something extraordinary like this, she found herself feeling unexpectedly joyful.

As for the reason behind those feelings, Anastasia had no interest in analyzing it too deeply. So she simply continued watching him quietly instead.

The entire process lasted only an instant. But to someone as proficient in Time as Anastasia, that instant was more than enough for her to perceive everything clearly.

This newly formed special ability felt comparable to the one he had obtained earlier.

"So?"

Her voice carried unconcealed curiosity as she asked,

"How do you feel?"

Christian, whose side had finally calmed down, answered almost unconsciously.

"Better than ever."

The Vitalis Stone had already sounded absurdly precious from Anastasia's earlier explanation, but personally experiencing its effects felt entirely different from merely hearing about them.

And on top of that, he had unexpectedly gained another skill from his Idle System immediately after obtaining one earlier.

What was this supposed to be? Buy one, get one free?

No… this felt more like hitting the jackpot twice in a row.

Christian still hadn't checked the new skill yet, but he could already tell its effects were going to be absurdly powerful.

So honestly… how could he possibly feel anything less than fantastic right now?

"Thanks." His voice was quiet, yet unusually heartfelt, as if he was trying to convey even a fraction of the gratitude he truly felt.

This time, he didn't lean in to kiss her, nor did his hands start wandering around her body like usual.

He only spoke a single word.

Yet whether it was the look in his eyes or the weight behind his voice, Anastasia could feel a kind of sincerity and intensity that hadn't been there before.

In the end, she simply smiled and nodded lightly.

And just like that, silence settled between them once more.

How many times had he thanked her by now? Christian delayed checking his new skill and the rest of his gains, his gaze remaining fixed on Anastasia instead as a thoughtful look slowly appeared on his face.

He had received far too much from the petite woman resting in his arms.

So was there anything he could give her in return? Anything he could actually do for her?

Christian genuinely thought about it for a while, but in the end, nothing came to mind.

Shaking his head slightly, he decided to leave the matter for later and focus on something more practical for now.

Today had already become a day filled with change. Progress. Transformation. Breakthroughs.

So why not add another achievement to the list?

Reaching into his storage ring, Christian took out a small box before looking toward Anastasia.

"I still haven't managed to tame the Living Flame," he admitted. "Can you help me with it?"

His tone, which had been smooth and composed moments earlier, suddenly turned noticeably awkward the instant he brought up the Iron Flame.

But perhaps that was understandable.

After all, Anastasia had offered to help him before, and he had refused her back then. Yet now, he was the one asking for help instead.

Contrary to his expectations, however, Anastasia didn't tease him about it at all.

She simply took the box from his hand and said,

"Sure."