CHAPTER 262: ADVANCEMENTS

After advancing his wind manipulation skill, Noah decided not to stop his productive training session. Feeling motivated by his increase in strength, he chose to continue with another discipline that required different types of focus.

This time he concentrated on his body tempering skill, a practice that demanded both physical and mental endurance in ways that elemental manipulation did not.

Unlike his other magical skills which relied on comprehension, body tempering required Noah to push his physique through stress and recovery cycles while maintaining precise mental control over the process. The technique was exhausting on multiple levels, forcing him to balance physical exertion with concentrated willpower.

The mountain peak provided an ideal environment for such demanding training. Whether it’s the weather or the tranquility that ensured he wouldn’t be interrupted.

Four grueling hours later, Noah received another advancement notification that validated his dedication to improvement.

[Your Body Tempering skill has reached Level 11!]

The advancement brought him closer to stronger physical resilience, improved recovery rates, and higher attributed.

After completing his body tempering progression, Noah stood up from his training position with satisfaction at the productive use of his emotional processing time. Night had already settled over the mountain landscape, with the sun having disappeared behind the distant peak an hour earlier.

The moonlight illuminated the mountain paths with silver radiance that made navigation possible despite the darkness, while his vision provided additional clarity for safe descent.

Noah decided it was time to return to the resort. His extended training session had successfully bore fruit and he was getting closer to his goals.

Noah began his descent under the moonlit sky, feeling significantly more centered than when he had climbed to seek solitude. The combination of skill advancement and quiet reflection had restored his emotional balance while strengthening his capabilities for handling future challenges.

The resort’s lights appeared below as Noah made his way down the familiar paths from earlier.

Despite the sun having set, Noah discovered quite a few tournament participants still engaged in training and practice sessions around the resort training grounds. The dedicated competitors were using every available moment to refine their techniques before tomorrow’s crucial quarterfinal matches.

As Noah made his way toward his room, one of the competitors approached him with obvious interest in extending an invitation.

Noah could see that that man was enthusiastic and friendly. "Hey, Noah! Want to join us for some group training? We’ve got a good thing going over here."

Unlike the competitors previous casual dismissals of him as an unknown competitor that was bound to leave early, the participants had clearly recognized his capabilities after witnessing his dominant performance during the elimination rounds.

"Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to pass, I need some rest before tomorrow. " Noah replied with polite but firm declining.

The competitor shrugged his shoulders with acceptance before returning to his training partner, who had been observing the exchange with obvious disapproval.

"Can’t believe he turned that down, acting all high snd mighty when he’s not even favoured to win." The second man said with an irritated voice and a frown etched on his face.

His voice held resentment that came from someone who clearly held some envy in his heart. Whilst he didn’t want to believe it, Noah could most likely eliminate him from the tournament if they faced each other.

"Any training is beneficial at this level," the second competitor continued with growing criticism at Noah’s choice. "That attitude is going to come back to bite him tomorrow when he faces real competition."

The man who had extended the invitation raised his hand to cut off his partner’s complaints.

"It’s fine, just let him be. Everyone has their own preparation methods. We should focus on ourselves instead of worrying about other people’s training decisions."

"But Hiroshi—"

With his brows knitted together, Hiroshi interrupted him. "No buts, criticising other competitors won’t make us any stronger. Let’s get back to work on our own techniques."

The guy grumbled under his breath but returned his attention to their practice routine, clearly still bothered by what he perceived as Noah’s arrogant rejection of their generous offer.

Noah continued toward his quarters, overhearing enough of their conversation to understand their perspective while feeling no obligation to justify his personal preparation choices to his competitors.

Group practice sessions seemed unnecessary for his current state of readiness.

Once Noah arrived at his room, the sound of footsteps in the corridor prompted Ichigo to emerge from his adjacent quarters.

"Hey, just wanted to make sure you knew—the tournament starts at the same time tomorrow morning, In case you missed the announcements while you were out."

Noah nodded with genuine appreciation for the gesture, recognizing the thoughtfulness behind Ichigo’s reminder even though he had already been aware of the schedule.

"Thanks for letting me know," Noah replied. "I appreciate you thinking of that."

Ichigo studied Noah’s face for a moment, noting that his friend seemed to be in a better mood than when they had encountered each other on the mountain path earlier.

"You seem better than before. Whatever you needed to work through up there, I hope it helped." Ichigo said directly. Unlike others who would just avoid the conversation.

"It did, sometimes you need distance from everything."

"Makes sense," Ichigo agreed. "Mountain air has a way of clearing your head. Plus, tomorrow’s going to be intense—the quarterfinals separate the serious competitors from everyone else."

Noah recognized the truth in that assessment, understanding that his next opponent would likely possess power that exceeded anything he had seen during the elimination rounds.

"I can’t wait to see who i’m facing. They’ll post the matchups in the morning," Ichigo said. "But whoever it is, they’ll be good. Nobody makes it the quarterfinals without legitimate skill."

The acknowledgment coming from Ichigo carried respect for their remaining competition rather than overconfidence about his own advancement.

"Well, I should get some rest," Noah said, preparing to enter his room. "Tomorrow will require everything we’ve got."

"Same here," Ichigo agreed. "Sleep well, and may the best swordsman win."