Dojo dormitory.
Alan slowly opened his eyes.
As his meditation ended,
The translucent, attributeless magic stone in his hand lost its luster and became covered with dense cracks.
Alan sighed regretfully.
He casually tossed the drained magic stone into the trash can.
He opened the system page to check his current status.
Attributes: Constitution 19, Agility 17, Spirit 20
Physique attribute increased by 1 point.
Just as Second Brother Taffman had said, magic stones aiding in cultivation can indeed have the effect of tempering the physique!
Unfortunately, magic stones are too expensive.
All of Alan's wealth could only afford 30 of the cheapest attributeless magic stones.
In just one month, they were all gone.
The one he had just thrown away was the last, drained magic stone. Having grown accustomed to feasting on sumptuous meals, he found the simpler, more simple meals unbearable.
Now that he knew using magic stones to aid his cultivation was more efficient, Alan was no longer satisfied with his old methods.
He needed magic stones!
More magic stones!
To meet this urgent need, he had to start making money!
…
The Warlock Academy was like the university town of Alan's previous life.
A university town with tens of thousands of people gathered inevitably had a thriving supply and demand market, which in turn gave rise to a wide variety of economic activities.
To make ends meet and pay tuition.
To purchase magic stones to aid his cultivation.
Alan ran his secret medicinal wine as a business.
He even made his mentor's only daughter a partner in the winery.
Tanya, this senior sister, was truly considerate!
Not only did she use her own personal funds to help her junior apprentice start a distillery, she also helped him with advertising and promotion.
She vigorously promoted Panter's Medicinal Wine among her friends! The senior sister's diligent promotion was highly effective.
The wine was an instant hit. It was a good wine, and the price was reasonable.
Panter's Medicinal Wine, known for its quality and affordability, quickly gained a reputation, and sales soared.
The distillery's business was booming. The profits were enough to cover Allen's daily expenses.
There was even a substantial surplus to buy magic stones. Mentor Panter Sen also loved the wine.
At his daughter's persuasion, he waived Allen's tuition. On the condition that he send him two dozen bottles of the wine every week.
He drank half himself and entertained relatives and friends. ...
The winery business was on track.
Alan only needed half an hour each day to stock up on the day's supplies.
The winery's profits were enough to buy the magic stones needed for cultivation.
The Level 1 meditation method Alan used was inherently more efficient than the apprentice-level meditation method.
Add to that the ample supply of magic stones.
The combined effect resulted in an astonishingly rapid cultivation speed!
The apprentices who had passed the first two levels of the Pantheon Martial Arts School with Alan were also commoners.
Their awakened bloodlines were quite ordinary, just ordinary minotaur.
However, both possessed superior talent!
Because of this, they initially disregarded Alan, their average-caliber disciple.
They believed that with their own talent, they would soon surpass Alan.
They wanted to make their mentor regret not accepting them as their own disciples.
However, less than two months after starting, these two were dumbfounded.
They were practicing ordinary apprentice-level meditation.
Their financial situation was average.
They couldn't possibly afford to buy as many magic stones as Allen.
Each meditation session consumed a magic stone, a sheer waste of money!
Besides these two obvious reasons, there was another secret they didn't know.
Alan had already used up his remaining potential point to raise the purity of his Poison Demon Bloodline to 7%!
Sorry, Allen now also possesses superior aptitude!
With these three factors working together, Allen's progress was naturally faster than theirs!
And as time went on, the gap widened.
No matter how much the two men refused to accept it, they had no choice but to admit it.
They probably wouldn't ever expect to catch up with Allen.
For a sorcerer's training, aptitude is crucial.
But it's not the only important factor.
Money and resources are equally crucial!
Alan's overtaking and crushing of his two fellow disciples fully demonstrates the great magic of money.
Sorry, money means you can do anything!
It's been two months since Alan's initiation.
As is customary, the instructor checks on his progress.
The results have Pansen very satisfied.
"Alan, you've worked very hard these past two months and made great progress."
"Now that we have a solid foundation, it's time to learn martial arts."
"Our school has over twenty first-tier martial arts, but only four truly hold the essence."
"Instructor, which four are they?" Alan inquired excitedly.
Pantheon took a sip of tea and replied with a smile, "'Bone-piercing Strength,' 'Explosive Palm,' 'Finger Wave,' and 'Hound Step.'"
"You've already mastered two of them."
"You can choose one of the remaining two now, and I'll teach you wholeheartedly."
"In another six months, once you've mastered your new skills, I'll also teach you the final technique."
"Teacher, what are the respective characteristics of Explosive Palm and Finger Wave?" Allen asked curiously.
"Explosive Palm is extremely destructive, but can only be used for close-range attacks."
"Finger Wave isn't as powerful as Explosive Palm, but it has a longer range."
"Alan, which one do you want to learn first?"
Pantheon asked his student.
Alan fell into thought.
One is for close-range bursts, the other for long-range strikes.
Both skills have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Having already mastered "Bone-piercing Strength," he wasn't lacking in melee tactics, but rather in ranged attacks.
Alan looked up, a look of determination on his face:
"Teacher, I want to learn 'Finger Wave' first!"
...
The first-level martial art, "Finger Wave," consumes 3 points of magic power and fires a shockwave with "force field" properties from the fingertips.
At first glance, it seems simple.
In fact, this martial art is far more complex than "Bone-piercing Strength" and "Hound Step"!
Mastering it is not easy.
First, the maximum range of "Finger Wave" depends on the Spirit Attribute.
Alan's current Spirit Attribute is 20, so mastering Finger Wave gives him a maximum range of 20 meters.
Within 20 meters, the damage is guaranteed.
Beyond the range, the damage drops sharply.
Secondly, Finger Wave is similar to a bow and arrow; the accuracy of long-range shots depends on the Agility attribute.
The higher the Agility attribute, the more accurate the shot.
Finally, the destructive power of Finger Wave depends on the Physical Attribute.
The stronger the physique, the greater the strength.
The more destructive the shockwave is.
These principles are easy to understand, but when applied to practitioners... they become quite frustrating.
For a brute-force sorcerer, Physical Attributes are definitely a problem.
The Agility attribute is more difficult to say.
Some people are physically strong but have slow reflexes.
They are not suited to practicing Finger Wave.
Otherwise, they will miss the target and waste their mana.
Even more problematic is the Mental Attribute.
With the exception of a few geniuses, brute-force sorcerers generally have low Mental Attribute development.
This results in the "Finger Wave"'s range being too short, preventing it from fully utilizing its long-range attack advantages.
Alan's stat growth is absolutely genius-level!
His Poison Demon bloodline grants +1 to both Physical and Spiritual Strength with each level-up, offering excellent growth potential.
His biggest weakness, Agility, can also be improved through the consumption of unique ingredients.
It's safe to say that no one is more suited to cultivating the Finger Wave than him!