My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 429: Seeking the enemy himself

With great difficulty, Ethan's incarnation managed to raise his head.

The scene in front of him swirled and distorted, like the very fabric of existence had become meaningless. His soul felt ripped apart, fractured in numerous spots, and each effort to concentrate unleashed surges of agony across his being. Nevertheless, he could faintly discern the silhouette of a middle-aged man positioned right in front of him.

That figure seemed recognizable.

Not just from his looks, but from his very core. A profound, gut-level familiarity stirred in Ethan's broken soul, as though he was looking upon a person he'd encountered over endless reincarnations.

Gathering up the last bits of his determination, Ethan's incarnation compelled himself to rise. His legs shook violently, on the verge of collapsing, but he held firm. Next, with true reverence, he inclined his body.

"Thank you, sir, for saving me."

The man regarded him steadily, his gaze deep and impossible to read, like it had seen entire universes come and go. After a short while, he finally uttered.

"Don't worry about thanks. Starting now, I am your master."

He stopped for a second.

"My name is Mr. Hunt."

At that declaration, a profound echo stirred deep inside Ethan's incarnation, even if he didn't grasp the reason. Before he got a chance to reply, Mr. Hunt shifted his attention to the horizon, where Jenna along with her butler remained rooted in shock.

The atmosphere turned oppressive.

"Get out of the Magus World," Mr. Hunt stated in a even tone. "And stay away forever."

No fury colored his words, no elevation in volume. Still, they held an undeniable command that caused the realm's principles to quiver. Prior to Jenna or the butler reacting, the void crumpled in on itself.

Mr. Hunt and Ethan's incarnation disappeared.

Quietness descended in their wake.

Jenna gripped her hands into fists with such force that blood trickled from her palms. Her nails pierced her flesh, her knuckles pale from bottled rage.

"I want the two of them gone," she snarled, her gaze aflame with malice.

The butler offered no protest. He promptly engaged a messaging relic and reached out to the clan leader, detailing all that had transpired.

From the other side, the leader plunged into a chilling hush.

Then his tone exploded in a mix of wrath and dread.

"You fools! Complete idiots! Are you trying to wipe out the whole family?"

His breaths came ragged.

"Come back to the family at once. Defy me, and I'll end you myself."

Jenna's features contorted in bitterness, yet she recognized the futility of rebellion. Her father's commands were absolute. Above all, his assessment rang true.

Whoever could easily exchange a tenth-dimensional treasure for the survival of a simple third-dimensional entity was beyond their reach to challenge.

Saying nothing more, Jenna and her butler departed the Magus World, rising to the ninth dimension.

A gateway flickered to life inside an enormous imperial hall.

This was the hall where Ethan's incarnation had spent his early years.

In the Magus World, time passed at a different pace; eons had elapsed. All of Ethan's lineage had vanished long ago, turned to ashes and erased from memory.

Ethan's incarnation remained motionless, enveloped by known environments and the overwhelming burden of grief he couldn't shake.

He cherished his relatives and companions deeply, and when age had claimed them, he was powerless to intervene back then. His strength simply fell short.

Devoid of kin, lacking direction, he wandered aimlessly through life. His cultivation halted. His resolve faded.

He grew feeble. Unnaturally so.

Mr. Hunt watched him in stillness.

Suddenly, he lifted his arm.

The surroundings quaked.

In a flash, Ethan's full cultivation foundation crumbled. Strata of strength broke apart like fragile shards, scattering into oblivion. The force that had shaped him vanished entirely.

Ethan's incarnation reeled backward, eyeing Mr. Hunt in terror, as if facing a fiend from nightmares.

Why?

Should his master desire his end, he could've abandoned him to perish. Why rescue him just to shatter him here?

His bewilderment showed clearly on his expression.

"Don't stare at me that way," Mr. Hunt replied evenly. "Your base is trash."

Ethan went rigid.

"You tried pursuing three routes simultaneously. Magus, knight, beast master. Versatile in everything, expert in nothing. Such a path only breeds average results."

Mr. Hunt's stare intensified.

"That's why I ruined it all. Even your magus and knight aptitudes."

Ethan's incarnation sensed his spirit plummet.

"From here on, you'll focus solely on beast master cultivation."

Quietness lingered.

Ethan had truly held all three innate gifts of the realm, a rare wonder. Yet inwardly, he realized his master spoke truth. He'd divided his efforts too widely, failing to achieve mastery in one domain.

After an extended pause, he bent low in respect.

"I get it."

Then he raised his gaze, a flicker of fresh resolve shining in his eyes.

"Should we hunt a beast and start our cultivation path, master?"

A subtle grin appeared on Mr. Hunt's serene features.

"We'll head to a realm where your gift truly matters."

With an effortless motion of his hand, the void fractured anew.

They stepped into an unfamiliar realm.

Neither Ethan's incarnation nor Mr. Hunt knew this place at first, but he shut his eyes right away and spread his awareness. His essence connected with the domain's rules, and insights poured into his thoughts.

This realm reached Progenitor tier.

The top powers within operated at Progenitor level, supreme entities beyond origin worlds at the pinnacle of might. The world they occupied ranked low in the overall structure, though.

The mightiest entity nearby was just a rank one beast master.

What captivated Ethan above all was the path of advancement. This was a domain dedicated to beast masters.

The realm featured nine hidden astral planes.

Aspiring beast masters needed to rise to an astral plane solely through spiritual force. The ninth plane stood as the pinnacle, the first as the base.

Within the initial astral plane dwelled ordinary animals. Dogs, cats, livestock, and similar everyday beings with scant room for evolution.

The ninth astral plane, by contrast, sheltered creatures capable of evolving into Progenitors.

Entry remained barred, however.

Imperial rank individuals alone had the psychic capacity for the ninth plane. Monarchs could access the eighth. Entities from the thirty-sixth to sixty-ninth dimensions managed the seventh. The sixth awaited tenth through thirty-fifth dimensional ones.

The fifth plane opened to fourth up to ninth dimensional presences.

Third dimensional ones maxed at the fourth astral plane, and only if they exceeded rank twenty.

On this globe, though, the majority of practitioners stuck to the first three astral planes.

Every plane held nine tiers, with spiritual force alone dictating ascent to bond with a fitting beast essence.

Once he'd absorbed this knowledge, Ethan passed it along to his incarnation.

He intentionally omitted details past the fourth plane.

Mr. Hunt addressed him once more.

"Pay close attention. At awakening, everyone gains a binding core."

"Using that core, they can climb the astral plane one time. It's their sole chance. Miss the bond, and the core fades away permanently. They stay ordinary forever."

He faced Ethan.

"You're an exception, though. You'll get two cores."

Ethan's eyes grew large.

"You can climb the astral plane twice, or bind two beasts during one climb."

Next, Mr. Hunt pointed a digit.

"I'll impart a technique to bolster spiritual force directly. Your progress hinges on your determination."

Ethan absorbed every word intently, his thrill hardly restrained. This realm brimmed with peril, enigma, and boundless scale.

"You'll join an academy," Mr. Hunt went on. "I'll wipe your recollections."

Ethan tensed.

"You'll think you're a fifteen-year-old youth, set to awaken tomorrow."

Ethan wavered.

"Master... will I lose all memories? Of my family? My companions?"

"Yes."

Ethan's chest constricted.

"But once you seize the strength to bend space and time, you'll recall them and restore their lives."

The grief evaporated in an instant.

Ethan grinned.

"Thank you, Master. Go ahead and remove my memories."

Through a mere motion, Mr. Hunt carried it out.

Dawn broke.

Ethan gradually roused, opening his eyes.

A man in his middle years lingered by his bedside, offering a soft smile.

"You're up at last," the man remarked. "Get ready quickly for the academy. Your awakening happens today."

Ethan sprang to his feet.

"Excitement must have made me sleep in. Thanks, Master."

Mr. Hunt had cleared away all traces, substituting them with this realm's history. Beyond that, he'd reshaped the Grand Dao, integrating Ethan's presence flawlessly into the weave of truth.

Each instructor. Each pupil. Each document.

Everyone recalled Ethan like he'd always been part of it.

Now, nothing left but to observe his rise.

....

Within the Dragon World, Ethan's duplicate perched at the height of readiness.

He'd resolved to confront that fearsome entity on his own.

Triumph wasn't required.

Enduring was sufficient.

Should he evade the clash, come the following day, he'd match his foe's strength.

He just had to survive.