As they prepared to leave for the day, Xu'er casually asked, "Ready to head to the store, dear?"

Su Mu paused, "Actually, Xu'er," she began, trying to keep her tone even, "I think I'm going to head back to my uncle's place."

"After yesterday… everything… I feel like I just need a quiet day to myself to process it all."

Xu'er looked at her for a moment, her purplish eyes searching Su Mu's face.

Then she smiled, a slow, understanding curve of her lips.

"I get it, Missy. Yesterday was intense." She leaned in and gave Su Mu a quick, warm hug.

"Alright. You go to rest up. But don't think this lets you off the hook. I'll be expecting you to make it up to me."

"I will," Su Mu promised, a double meaning lacing her words that Xu'er couldn't possibly guess.

They parted ways outside the apartment building, Xu'er heading towards the bustling commercial district and RomantiX, while Su Mu called a sky-cab to take her back to her uncle's house.  The most update n0vels are published on NoveIꜰire.net

The short flight was a blur.

Su Mu stared out at the sprawling, multi-layered city, but her focus was entirely inward.

The soreness in her body was a constant reminder, not of her weakness, but of the incredible potential for pleasure and power her new body held.

The house was silent when she arrived, save for the soft padding of paws.

Little Black, the mysterious cat, trotted over to greet her, rubbing against her leg with a low, rumbling purr before settling on a nearby rug to watch her with those intelligent emerald eyes.

It is quiet in the house, a perfect place to meditate and finish the construction of the Lunar Disk Will Rune.

Making her way to her room, Su Mu felt her heart begin to hammer with a new kind of anticipation, one that had nothing to do with another person's touch and everything to do with her own potential.

She sat cross-legged on the floor, the memory of Xu'er's bed a faint, pleasant ghost.

Closing her eyes, she sank into her meditative state and called forth her attribute panel.

The holographic attribute panel shimmered into existence in front of her eyes.

[ Name: Su Mu ]

[ Gender: Female ]

[ Age: 19 / 97 (Estimated Lifespan Potential) ]

[ Race: Human (Spiritually Awakened) ]

[ Physique: 0.92 ] (Baseline Human Average: 1)

[ Spirit: 2.5 ] (Baseline Human Average: 1)

[ Core State: 'F-' Rank Awakener (Initial Phase) ]

[ Source Power: 3.43 ]

[ Cultivation Method: Lunar Disc Breathing Method (Incomplete Will Rune: 70%)]

[ Unique Skill: Upgrade Matrix ]

Her gaze flicked to her list of skills.

[ Spiritual Sense (Innate, F-Grade): (Upgradeable) ]

[ Lunar Disc Breathing Method(Not started): (Un-upgradeable) ]

The breathing method was still locked, pending the completion of its Will Rune. That was her first priority.

Her old pride, the ghost of Su Yang, demanded it. He had been a creator, a builder of complex systems.

This was no different. Her eyes flickered to the Source power.

[ Source Power: 3.43 ]

The night with Xu'er, filled with such intense, raw emotion and physical connection, had been a boon for her Empathic Siphon. It had absorbed energy steadily, leaving her with a significant pool to work with. Now it was time to spend it.

The number was a small victory, a tangible result of the night's intimacy. She had three full points, ready to be used.

'Okay,' she thought, her mind sharp and focused. 'Two points of Source Power. What's the most effective use right now?'

Upgrading her Physique or Spirit directly was tempting. More strength, more mental fortitude.

But it felt… inefficient. A raw stat boost was good, but a skill upgrade could offer more versatility. Her gaze fell on her skill list.

"Let's see if this really works," she thought, taking a deep breath. She still had 30% of the Lunar Disc Will Rune to complete.

"Upgrade," she willed silently, directing one point of her Source Power towards the "Lunar Disc Breathing Method (Incomplete Will Rune: 70%)" on her panel.

Instantly, the familiar 70% next to the incomplete Will Rune on her attribute panel began to flicker.

While the source power began to decrease.

It jumped to 71%, then 72%, then 73%. The numbers surged rapidly, ticking upwards with astonishing speed: 75%… 80%… 85%…

While the source power decreased… from 3.43%… 3.42%… 3.41%… 3.27%…

Su Mu felt a peculiar sensation in her mind—not pain, but a surge of intense mental activity, as if thousands of tiny puzzle pieces were suddenly snapping into place.

The intricate lines and nodes of the Will Rune, which had been so painstakingly difficult to assemble, now flowed together with an effortless grace.

The progress bar continued to climb: 90%… 95%… 99%…

And then, with a soft, internal thrum that resonated through her entire being, it hit 100%.

The "Incomplete Will Rune" descriptor vanished, replaced by a triumphant "[Completed!]".

Simultaneously, the "Lunar Disc Breathing Method" skill entry on her panel updated:

[ Lunar Disc Breathing Method (Level 1): Foundational practice of the Su family. (Upgradeable) ]

'It worked!' Su Mu gasped, her eyes flying open. A wave of exhilaration, pure and unadulterated, washed over her.

Just like that, a task that would have taken her days, if not weeks, of grueling meditation, had been completed in mere seconds.

She focused back on her attribute panel. Her Source Power had dropped by exactly 0.30%

[ Lunar Disc Breathing Method (Will Rune: 100% Complete). Prototype established. ]

[ Host has met requirements. Core State advancing... ]

[ Core State updated: 'F' Rank Awakener (First-Level Wizard Apprentice) ]

[ Physique: 1.05 (+0.16) ]

[ Spirit: 3.5 (+1.0) ]

It was as if a locked door inside her had just swung open.

A new, deeper reservoir of spiritual power was now accessible to her.

She could feel it, a calm, cool river flowing where before there had been only a trickle. She had officially stepped onto the first rung of the ladder.

She was a true Awakener.

Su Mu opened her eyes, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across her beautiful face.

The soreness in her muscles seemed to fade, replaced by a thrumming, vital energy.

The confusion was gone. The shame was gone. In their place was a cold, clear, and exhilarating sense of purpose.

She could feel it. A subtle shift in her perception of the world. The ambient spiritual energy in the room, which had always been a faint, indistinct presence, now felt clearer, more defined.

She was, quite literally, more attuned to the flow of spiritual power.

She quickly checked her core attributes:

Her Spirit had jumped by a full point, and her Physique had increased by 0.16!

This confirmed the interconnectedness of mind and body in this world.

As her spiritual foundation solidified, her physical form naturally became stronger.

Su Mu clenched her fists, feeling the subtle surge of power in her limbs. She was stronger, smarter, and now, finally, officially an Awakener.

And she had her Upgrade Matrix to thank for it.

A slow smile spread across Su Mu's lips as she savored the feeling of her newly completed Will Rune.

However, this is just the beginning… To evolve again, she needs to upgrade the Breathing Method to level 5 and construct five more Will Runes.

Her Source Power was at 3.13 points—enough for three more significant upgrades. The possibilities buzzed in her mind.

First, she wanted to continue upgrading the number of her Will Runes. After Level 1, each level of improvement of the Lunar Disk breathing method or the Meditation method corresponds to one more Will Rune, with increasingly higher complexity and consumption of her own spiritual energy, time, and mental power.

With three more points of source power, she could easily construct three more will runes.

"Alright then," she whispered to the quiet room, her voice steady and sure. "Let's see what you can really do."

She focused on her attribute panel, her gaze locking onto the newly upgradeable skill.

[ Lunar Disc Breathing Method (Level 1) ]

"Upgrade," she commanded internally, pouring one precious point of Source Power into the skill.

The effect was instantaneous.

A feeling like a cool, refreshing wave washed through her mind.

The single, stable Will Rune that now resided in her consciousness pulsed brightly, and then, a second, more complex structure began to build itself beside it.

Lines of light, far more intricate than the first rune, wove themselves together with impossible speed, forming a second, beautiful, and powerful Will Rune.

[ Lunar Disc Breathing Method upgraded to Level 2. ]

[ Number of Will Rune constructed (Total: 2). ]

[ Spirit +1.5 ]

[ Physique +0.9 ]

Su Mu gasped as she felt the surge of power. Her mind felt clearer, her thoughts sharper than earlier, and the dull ache in her muscles from the previous night continued to lessen again.

She didn't hesitate.

"Again. Upgrade."

She pushed another point of Source Power into the breathing method. The two runes in her mind pulsed in unison, and a third, even more complex pattern began to form.

The mental effort would have been crushing and would have taken her a month or more of focused meditation, but with the Upgrade Matrix fueling the process, it was effortless.

[ Lunar Disc Breathing Method upgraded to Level 3.]

[ Number of Will Rune constructed (Total: 3).]

[ Spirit +1.5 ]

[ Physique +0.9 ]

Another wave of power, stronger this time. The very air around her seemed to vibrate in response to her growing spiritual presence.

Little Black, the cat who had been dozing, lifted his head, his emerald eyes blinking slowly as he sensed the shift. A deep, rumbling purr started in his chest.

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