Chapter 1:

I swear to god, when my parents named me Tereda Chouju I don't think this is what they meant!

Yes, certainly, fulfill my wish for an abundantly long life by making me float through outer space dying over and over.

What kind of sick joke is this? I was having a nice nap, and all of a sudden everything is exploding!

The worlds greatest superhero somehow snapped and blew up the world!

Again, this is really extremely horrible and it just won't end.

Oh, cool, I just died again. So wonderful.

First the explosions of the planet stopped killing me instantly. Which made me suffer, but not for long as the vacuum of space shredded me in an agonizing way.

Oh cool, there we are again!

Sitting up from my bed, I don't bother to do anything, because I know what's coming.

I look out the window to see a kneeling alexandria staring at the big golden idiot who keeps killing us all.

"You needed worthy opponents." He said, whatever the hell that means.

Following which eidolon the 2nd greatest hero fell to the ground in absolute despair.

Then hundreds of capes from all over were portaled in.

Then thousands.

Countless of them swarmed Sion and then everything exploded after a bright gold beam hit the surface of the planet.

The shockwave slightly bumped me as if I was lightly punched by an out of shape toddler.

That obviously would have shredded someone without an 11.46 times resistance to it from dying 52 fucking times to the same damn thing!

A few moments later I was floating in outer space again.

Well, cold doesn't really kill me anymore and neither does heat.

That's right, fucking sun boiling me my ass on one side while outerspace freezes my front.

The radiation, decompression, or asphyxiation gets me every time though.

An hour passed and I still hadn't exploded, imploded, or suffocated.

Well, it's been an hour so even if I died I would be in outer space this time.

2 more hours passed and I felt like I needed to take a breath.

30 minutes later, and that was my end.

Floating in space.

3 hours… boring.

Wow. dead.

I think it was the radiation this time.

Okay what's that over there?

A book was floating in the air and it was hurtling towards me at great speeds.

It smacked me in the head and-

Did I just die from a book slamming into my face?

I really fucking did.

On the four hour mark, every time, I just got fucking smacked in the face by a book.

Which doesn't make sense because the book should be getting closer each time or I should miss it due to being reset at a nearer and nearer time.

I frowned as the book hit me again at the same immense velocity.

4 hours later- ow my nose!

Well, at least I didn't die this time.

Well, let's see the title of this sturdy fucker.

'Time-Space Divine Death Law?'

I tried to speak the name out loud, but there is no air, so-

I shrugged.

The more I read, the more interest I had for it.

'I, Eternal Emperor, Heaven-Chaser Star-Devourer, Have reached the end of my journey. Though I feel there must be at least one realm above the eternal Emperor realm above this one. I shall cast this manual between chaosworlds and hope it finds a worthy successor. This is one of 108 inheritances I shall throw to the eternal winds between realms. This can only be used by someone with at least initial understanding of the dao's of Death, Time, and space. One must restart their cultivation entirely to use this as well. Good luck, this is one of many cultivation techniques I wish I had when I had started.'

Many crazy ass diagrams and body positions as well as weird words in strange poems followed.

I followed along as best I could.

10 hours passed, and I still didn't feel chi.

I didn't sleep for a long time and eventually I died of sleep deprivation for the first time.

Wow, what an amazing milestone.

I scoffed and continued to try to use my only hope.

I did it! I sensed chi! Now draw it in like-

I died? How did i die? What the fuck.

I drew in chi and- I got the sense that I did something wrong that time and my body bulged and-

Okay, don't do it that way clearly.

I tried multiple methods until one worked.

Why does in the palm of the asura mean pull it in through your fucking thumb?!

I continued to do this for about an hour and then-

I died again.

What did I do this time?

Okay so apparently my stomach is not my dantian.

I was turning my stomach into a bomb.

When I tried to break through my stomach just exploded and all the chi blew me to bits.

Okay, wow I actually saw that strange organ this time, but it's immaterial.

It's like my dantian is there and not.

Okay, this time I needed a lot less chi.

Okay. good, a bunch of gunk spewed out of my body then it evaporated and burned away.

Why the fuck do I hear thunder? We're in the middle of spa-

I died again.

But hey!

I was still at the start of stage 1 Houtian.

I can progress faster and- oh fuck, what's that rumbling?!

This time I glimpsed an electric discharge and died just as fast.

This repeated.

I died, fried crispy 3 times.

I survived the furst bolt, only for the sky of what the fuck space to shoot another one at me.

Again.

It kept zapping me.

Subjective hours later, I could finally survive the 3rd bolt. I was nice and crispy, but still alive.

Then a portal opened and swallowed me whole.

The portal went on for a while.

I died mid-flight through my electrical burns.

I woke up again, I was in the sparkly rainbow colored corridor flying forward.

Thank god I was out of that eternal space of lightning and such.

All of a sudden I was spat out.

I stumbled forwards into a guy in a tracksuit pointing at a child in front of a moving carriage that looked medieval. He flew into the way of the carriage and was splattered.

"OH SHIT!" I shouted, as the carriage stopped.

A guard in medieval armor ran to the scene.

He rolled in front of the carriage and saved the kid.

I was frozen as a beautiful woman in an elegant red dress and blonde hair done up in a fancy style approached me with rage on her face.

"Listen I didn't mean to push the guy I-"

"HOW DARE YOU DIRTY MY CARRIAGE WITH PEASANT BLOOD!" She put her hand forward and shouted, "Fura!"

I died again to a whirlwind of green shining energy. It was as if I was in a whirlwind of cutting blades.

I was spat out of the portal.

It hadn't been an hour but I was here all the same.

I sighed and looked around.

No sign of the tracksuit guy, but I saw the same scene of the guard saving the child.

The carriage went on by, and I decided I needed info. I saw a sign that said 'Tavern' in front of it.

The letters were weird but for some reason I knew they meant tavern.

"When in shitty fantasy rome. Do as the shitty fantasy romans do."

So then, Tereda Chouju began his journey. Not quite from zero, but it was pretty damn close.

Chapter 2:

The tavern's wooden doors creaked as I pushed them open, the smell of ale and roasted meat hitting me like a wall. It was dimly lit, with rough-hewn tables and benches filled with boisterous patrons. My pajama pants and t-shirt definitely stood out amongst the leather jerkins and roughspun garments.

Ignoring the stares that felt like hot pokers on my back, I shuffled towards a dimly lit corner table, hoping to disappear into the shadows.

The tavern buzzed with life, a cacophony of clinking mugs, raucous laughter, and conversations about topics I didn't quite understand.

Rough-looking men with weather-beaten faces and calloused hands nursed their drinks, while women with bright smiles and even brighter dresses flitted between tables, refilling mugs and exchanging banter.

As I settled onto the hard bench, snippets of conversations began to filter through the background noise.

"-was a curse, some say the Witch's Cult was involved." a gruff voice muttered, followed by a nervous chuckle.

"-is utter nonsense, just a bad illness, nothing more." another countered, but his voice lacked conviction.

"-royal selection, can you believe it? Five candidates, each one more ambitious than the last!" a woman with a shrill voice declared, drawing nods and murmurs of agreement from her companions.

Slowly, a picture began to form. The kingdom was in turmoil, the royal family wiped out by a mysterious illness, and now five contenders were vying for the vacant throne. Each name was accompanied by whispers of alliances, betrayals, and hidden agendas.

Emilia, the half-elf, too naive but seeking equality.

Priscilla Barielle, arrogant and ruthless, but with powerful backers

Crusch Karsten, a skilled military leader, but cold and calculating

Anastasia Hoshin, a cunning businesswoman with a mysterious past

Why were none of them talking about the fifth?

The names swirled in my head, each a piece of a puzzle. This royal was a powder keg ready to explode. Well, It seemed I, in my ridiculous pajamas, was caught right in the middle of a regime change.

After about thirty minutes, a burly barmaid with arms thicker than my thighs approached my table, her face like thunder. "You gonna order something, or just take up space?" she growled.

"Uh, actually..." I stammered, suddenly aware of the emptiness of my pockets. "Just enjoying the atmosphere."

Her lips curled into a sneer. "Atmosphere don't pay the bills. Out!"

With a rough shove, I was ejected back onto the cobblestone street. Great. No information, no money, and still wearing pajamas. I needed a change of clothes, and fast.

Spotting a clothesline strung between two buildings, I quickly scanned the surroundings before snatching a set of clothes. A fine tunic and trousers, much better than these damn pajamas. As I slipped them on, a voice boomed behind me.

"Thief! You dare steal from me?"

Turning, I came face-to-face with a fuming nobleman, his hand gripping the hilt of a jeweled sword. Before I could even explain, the world dissolved into a whirlwind of pain as the blade sliced through me.

And then, I was back.

Sprawled on the ground, staring at the passing carriage.

But something was different. I was no longer in pajamas. I was wearing the nobleman's fine clothes.

A strange sense of understanding washed over me.

My resets weren't just resetting time; they were resetting me to my best possible state.

that 'best possible state' thankfully included being pristine- no blood, no grime, no lingering evidence of my previous deaths.

The carriage continued its journey, the blonde noblewoman's gaze sweeping over me without a flicker of recognition. This time, I wouldn't be caught off guard. This time, I wouldn't die.

This time, I wouldn't waste my opportunity. Knowledge was power, and I needed to learn everything I could about this world, this royal selection, and the forces at play.

First things first, I needed a plan. And perhaps, a drink. Despite the reset, my throat felt parched, likely a phantom sensation from the many times I'd died from dehydration in that endless void.

First, I needed money.

I frowned, time to piss off the crowd and get killed again.

With a grimace, I grabbed the coin sack of a noble, and attached it to my hip. I ran, and grabbed another, I dumped the money into my pouch until it was full.

I notice that my clothing had a bunch of straps inside my cloak and tunic for more money I grabbed. So I filled 6 pouches and then strapped them to the cloak and inside my tunic.

By then I was surrounded by guards who were shouting at me, swords drawn.

When I didn't obey and just grinned at them, one of them lunged forward.

Surprisingly, getting cut by aluminum furnishings to death about 50 times does not let normal guards without magic cut you at all.

Or was it chi? Or both? Seriously I have no idea what the powers are here.

They kept attacking until they were panting with exertion.

I knocked the one with the sturdiest looking sword out with my fist that due to impact damage resistance hit as hard as I could without harming me.

Right on the chin, he fell.

I grabbed his sword and strapped it to the space on my belt it seemed to be meant for.

I grinned, but before I could walk off, I heard the words, "El Clarista!" and a blade of light cut me in two.

I was standing this time.

I had the sword of the guard I knocked out and my coin pouches were still here.

Success.

I went to the bar to listen more intensely.

I sat down at a more central table this life.

I waved to the bulky barmaid, "Get me some watered ale. Something fruity."

"Something fruity?" the barmaid echoed, her thick brows furrowing in suspicion. "We ain't got nothin' fancy like that here. Ale or nothin', take it or leave it."

"Ale it is then," I conceded, placing a few coins on the table with a flourish. Money talked, even in this rough establishment. "And perhaps some information, if you're willing to share."

Her eyes narrowed, assessing me. The fine clothes and the heavy coin pouch clearly sparked her interest. "Depends on the information you're after," she said cautiously.

"The royal selection," I stated, leaning forward. "Tell me about the candidates. Especially the fifth one. No one seems to be talking about them."

A flicker of surprise crossed her face.

"The fifth one?" the barmaid echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Ain't no fifth one yet, none'n heard a peep about it sides they exist. Heard dat reinhard'n noble fellow be lookin for one'er but nobody knows. just the four noble ladies vying for the crown so far.t hat Emilia, that Priscilla, that Crusch, and that Hoshin woman. Everyone knows that."

"Is that so?" I replied, schooling my features into a neutral expression. Four candidates and a fifth to be found.

"Tell me more about these four then," I continued, taking another swig of the ale. "Their strengths, weaknesses, anything you've heard."

She frowned. "Nonnuf coin for weaknesses ever. You wanna learnbout weaknesses listen but don't ask. Fuggen off with that suicidal askin'.

I nodded with a grimace. I asked for too much. I passed her a silver this time. "For forgetting I asked about weaknesses."

I then put out 10 more copper coins. "Hows about just what you've heard of the current candidates."

She nodded. "Aye, that it is. Got that Emilia, the half-elf, tryin' to make things fair for everyone. Then there's Priscilla, all high and mighty, thinks the crown belongs to her by right. Crusch, the general, she's all about order and discipline. And Anastasia, the sly one, always wheelin' and dealin'. Whole lot of power at play, that's for sure."

"Interesting," I murmured, taking another sip of the ale. "Seems like a complex situation."

"That it is," the barmaid agreed. "Best to keep your head down and stay out of trouble, that's what I say."

"Wise words," I replied, offering a small smile. And for once, I intended to heed them.

I left another silver and stood up.

I left the tavern and I tried to disappear into the crowd.

Bennetta the Barmaid POV

As the fancy fellow tried to shift into the crowd and fail, I cast a suspicious glance at his retreating back.

With a scowl, I leaned towards a group of shady-looking individuals huddled in a dark corner of the tavern, their faces hidden beneath hooded cloaks.

"That one," I muttered, pointing in the direction the fancypants had gone. "He was askin' 'bout the royal selection, and the fifth candidate. Paid good coin, too."

A low chuckle rippled through the group, followed by a voice like rustling dry leaves. "Interesting. Perhaps our little game is about to get more profitable.

Chapter 3:

Slipping out of the tavern, I merged with the flow of the marketplace, the press of bodies a welcome anonymity after the scrutiny of the barmaid's gaze.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on my back, a phantom itch between my shoulder blades.

Maybe it was just nerves. Dying repeatedly does tend to leave one a bit jumpy. Or maybe it was the ale, stronger than I was used to. Either way, I decided to put some distance between myself and the tavern. Just to be safe.

As I turned a corner into a quieter side street, a sudden tightness around my neck yanked me back.

A thin wire, nearly invisible against the rough stone wall, had caught me like a snare. Panic flared as my air supply was cut off, vision blurring, the world tilting sideways.

Then, nothing.

The tavern smells slammed into me again: roasted meat, stale ale, unwashed bodies.

The barmaid stood there, expectant, as if I'd never left. My hand was half-raised, about to signal her for another drink, when the pieces clicked into place.

The barmaid.

My questions about the royal selection.

Those hooded figures she'd been talking to.

It wasn't paranoia, it was a setup.

Anger simmered, but mostly I felt stupid.

Of course someone would see a well-dressed outsider asking too many questions as an easy mark.

Lesson painfully learned.

I lowered my hand, turning away without a word.

The barmaid's confused face faded behind me as I paid the barman and left.

I pushed back into the crowd.

Time to find a new watering hole, one with less treacherous staff.

And this time, I'd keep my mouth shut and my ears open.

The second tavern was smaller, dingier, and reeked of stale cabbage.

A definite downgrade, but that suited me just fine.

The fewer eyes on my fancy clothes, the better. I snagged a corner stool, nursing a mug of watery ale while trying to tune out the off-key singing from a group of drunkards.

Instead, I focused on the snippets of conversation swirling around me. This crowd wasn't as interested in the royal selection, which was a relief. Instead, they talked about more mundane things: crop prices, local gossip, and grumbling about taxes. Occasionally, though, a tidbit about the wider world would slip through.

"-heard things are tense in Gusteko," a merchant was saying, his voice low. "Gustekoan raiders causing trouble again and Kararagi's pissed."

"Kararagi's even closed its borders," another man added. "Something about a plague, or maybe demons, who knows with those westerners."

Interesting. It seemed this kingdom wasn't the only one facing troubles. Knowing the state of neighboring countries could be valuable information, especially if things went sideways here.

After a while, I shifted my focus, straining to catch any mention of swordsmanship schools. If I was going to survive in this world, I needed more than just information and resets. I needed skills.

"son's training at the academy in the capital," a woman was saying proudly. "Says he'll be a knight someday."

"Bah, knights are all show and no substance," scoffed a grizzled old man. "Real fighters learn on the streets, or from a proper mercenary guild."

That gave me a few leads. A knight academy, a mercenary guild.

I guess these were the places where I could hone my fighting skills and hopefully learn to use this fancy sword I'd acquired.

Finishing my ale, I tossed a few coins on the counter and headed back out into the streets.

It was time to start my training, and maybe, just maybe, turn this endless cycle of death and get the hell back up again into something more.

Looking down at the noble attire I was wearing, I chose to train at the knights academy.

I moved towards the knights training facility after asking where it was from a nearby guard.

I arrived and noticed The Royal Knights Academy was a sprawling complex of stone buildings and training grounds, bustling with activity.

Squires sparred with wooden swords, knights practiced mounted combat, and instructors barked orders with an air of authority.

Feeling like a child playing dress-up amongst seasoned warriors, I approached a group of knights, hoping to inquire about training.

"Excuse me," I began by bowing slightly like the nobles. "I am interested in learning swordsmanship. Would it be possible to receive instruction here?"

One of the knights, a burly man with a thick beard and a scar across his cheek, sized me up with a critical eye.

30 minutes of impressively terribly flailing later.

"Strength seems decent enough," he grunted, "but your form is atrocious. You barely even know how to hold that sword."

Embarrassment flushed through me as I fumbled with the hilt, acutely aware of my lack of skill.

"We offer private instruction," the knight continued, "but it'll cost you. 1 gold coin for an hour."

It was a steep price, but I had the money, and the need was dire.

"I accept," I said, handing over 8 coins.

The next few hours were a blur of grueling exercises, footwork drills, and basic sword techniques.

The knight instructor was merciless, correcting every mistake with a sharp bark and a swift rap on the knuckles.

By the end, I was sweating profusely, my muscles aching, but I had grasped the absolute basics of swordsmanship.

"Here," the instructor said, tossing me a scroll. "A technique for drawing in mana and strengthening the body. Practice it diligently."

I unfurled the scroll, my eyes scanning the unfamiliar symbols and diagrams.

As I deciphered the text, a sense of familiarity washed over me.

This technique, while crude and inefficient, bore a striking resemblance to the initial stages of the Time-Space Divine Death Law.

A daring idea sparked in my mind.

Perhaps I could merge the two techniques, combining the always on mana drawing and cycling aspect of this knightly training with the superior foundation and power of the Time-Space Divine Death Law.

It was a risky gamble, but the potential reward was too tempting to resist.

Closing my eyes, I attempted to weave the two techniques together, guiding the chi according to the principles of the Time-Space Divine Death Law and the constant drawing of the Knight tehcnique.

For a moment, I felt a surge of power, a sense of harmony as it drew in. It then continued. then it didn't stop. I couldn't rotate this chi fast enough!

everything went white.

My power seemed to stutter in confusion for a moment then-

I found myself sprawled on the ground once more, the familiar scene of the carriage incident playing out before me.

Confusion washed over me.

It was morning, barely past 10, yet I distinctly remembered it being at least 4 PM in the afternoon when I attempted the technique merge.

Had my reset somehow gone wrong?

Dismissing the anomaly for now, I focused on the positives.

My money was back, the eight gold coins I'd spent on training returned to my pouch.

The knowledge I had gained, the basic swordsmanship and the flawed mana technique, remained etched in my memory.

This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.

The knight instructor had mentioned my sword was shoddily made while he was training me, so I

would start by acquiring a proper weapon and some decent armor.

With the straps and pockets of my noble attire conveniently refilled with coin pouches, I had the means to equip myself properly.

I moved towards the shop I overheard one of the trainees say had the best weapons and armor.

I would take that with a grain of salt, even if the instructor he was in front of seemed to agree.

10 minutes later, I stood in front of a shop.

In the back a strong looking man who looked no older than 30 was hammering at a nearly finished looking chestplate.

Being polite, I waited for him to reach a breaking point and for him to look up at me.

"Aye, thenks four be'en so polite-y your nobleship ser. What'n cane I doe for yeh."

His accent was thick, but I could make it out.

"I was looking for some tough armor with the same amount of straps or more than I have here. I could also use a sword that won't give out on me the moment I try to fight with it."

The man nodded. "That'n I ken do. Dun'che worry. I ken get et dun en bout en owwer."

I nodded, "An hour can be fine. How much would the leather set and the sword be?"

He nodded, "about'n 16 golde.'"

I nodded, "I'll stand and watch as you make them."

I poured out 16 gold and showed it to him.

"You'll get the full amount when it's done."

He nods, "Spousse I shulde' geet tew wurk."

He moved the finished chest-plate aside, and then pulled out some really tough looking leather from a hide I didn't know about.

He placed it on the table, made strange gestures. He muttered something about spirits and then spoke up as his sewing hand glowed.

He spoke up. "What'n kenda 'chantments ye went?"

I grinned, "Surprise me. I got another 16 for the enchanting budget." That would leave me with 10 left after I would have him enchant the armor and sword.

That would be enough for more training and then 2 gold for me to die with. assuming I didn't refill.

An hour passed and it was 11:10.

He began to explain the enchantments.

On the armor.

He pointed to the red leather upper suit that looked like it wrapped around my whole upper body. "Dis wun er hes de endlays storedge fo them people who wann carry lot eh crap wit em. Comes witt da standard increased protectins o' to awl dengs magic en de- cress weight ferr all yerself. Whol boddeh."

I nodded, Endless storage with magical protections and damage resistance. Decreased weight too. Nice.

I nodded, as I passed him the 32 gold for the set and the sword and he gave me.

The pants gave additional magic protection and defense with two pockets that linked to my endless storage.

The hood and circlet gave the same protections as the rest but increased the speed of knowledge gained and reading speed.

The gloves were linked to the circlet and hood which made my hands quick, and such things relating to the hands easier to learn and bonus protections.

The boots, finally, gave a bonus to learning how to move in battle as well as footwork learning speed.

The sword was just extremely durable to the point where it could cut through normal steel like butter with enough force applied.

"How did you know I needed a learning boost?" I asked, wanting to know the answer.

"Ye hold ye sword lik'n yor holden' et to lern. Lik'n ye just sturt'd lern'n"

Right. So I'm holding it like an amateur who barely trained at all. Got it.

I nodded, and handed him 2 gold for a tip.

I had 8 gold for training- but maybe going to the library to learn stuff wouldn't hurt.

6:30 PM Lugunica Library.

I spent hours in the library and had to pay 50 silver for an hour.

This world's fantasy novels sucked.

I learned a lot about mana and magic, though, not enough to use it.

I reached for a book on world history, which is really what I should have started with.

Then a Shockwave of freezing energy passed through the library.

All the nobles around me looked around for a moment, started shivering for about 30 seconds and then went pale and died of the cold.

It was getting colder by the second.

At this rate, it would be colder than outer-space in about 10 minutes.

I decided to grab all the books on history and put it in my endless storage.

2 minutes and 15 seconds I started hearing explosions and the ground shook.

Then all the books on magic.

Books started falling down and floating around at around 4 minutes and 50 seconds.

Then all the breathing techniques that were guarded on the upper level.

6 minutes had passed and whatever was happening outside was a monumental disaster.

Then those books on magic that were guarded by a noble mage.

7 minutes had passed, and there was a lull in the battle.

I then looted the gold of every patron I saw.

Putting them all in endless storage.

9 minutes had passed and I was shivering.

50 seconds later and an explosion so large that the library seemed like it was being bounced up and down like a ping pong ball.

I continued to grab gold and a few shiny looking platinum coins that I had no idea what they could be for if gold had such amazing buying power.

I had about 90 of them.

9 seconds later I had to sit down.

As my body began to shut down from temperatures that would make pluto blush, I opened my endless storage and counted using the measuring function in my enchanted armor.

92 platinum coins I didn't know anything about.

172 large gold coins.

504 gold coins.

9052 silver coins.

And over 99999 copper coins because the armor stopped counting there.

As my brain failed me, I shrugged internally.

A good haul.

5:30 PM Lugunica Library.

SHIT! Internally I was freaking out. It was 5:30.

Shouldn't it be 10 AM?!

Chapter 4:

Panic clawed at my throat. 5:30 PM?

How?

The last thing I remembered was the library freezing over, my body shutting down.

I should be back at the carriage incident, 10 AM sharp.

That was how the resets had worked so far. So why...?

Then it hit me.

The Time-Space Divine Death Law.

My attempt to modify it, to incorporate that crude mana technique.

It had backfired spectacularly, but maybe, just maybe, it had also affected the reset somehow.

A crazy, desperate hope bloomed in my chest. If I could control the resets, even a little, it would be a game-changer.

Ignoring the curious glances from other library patrons, I settled into a meditative posture, closing my eyes.

I focused on the familiar pathways of the Time-Space Divine Death Law, I recalled the sensation of the botched merge, the uncontrolled influx of mana. This time, I would be more careful, more precise.

I visualized the flow of time as a river, picturing myself stepping not just back to a fixed point, but navigating the current, choosing my destination.

It was a monumental task, trying to influence something as fundamental as time itself, but the alternative was unacceptable.

Another death, another blind reset

Sweat beaded on my forehead as I concentrated, The correct flow snapped into place.

The energy was still too much.

I arrived at Houtian rank 2.

The flow increased twice as much and I exploded.

My eyes snapped open.

I looked around.

I was standing on the street where the guard would save the child.

However, It seems I had bought myself some time.

It was 6 AM and the sun had barely risen.

I instinctively knew it was the same day.

I grinned, time for a training montage.

I had immense wealth now, so I might as well buy an amulet enchanted for training speed.

I went to a shop that sold enchanted jewelry.

I then realized it wasn't open, so I went to an open field and trained with my sword.

At this point, after training, yes I was durable, but 2 of 9 Houtian ranks made me barely above peak human.

So I trained and I continued to train.

9AM Luganica field across from the noble shopping district.

Stopping the exercise I realized that the gear I had really heavily affected training to the point I was correcting myself mid-swing.

What if I added even more multipliers.

That enchanted jewelry sounded really nice around now.

The store was open, so I sheathed my very expensive sword, and moved towards the magic item and jewelry shop.

I opened the door, and I heard a male voice, "One moment, customer."

Emerging from a back room, a man appeared, his smile as bright as the polished gemstones adorning his fingers.

He was dressed in flowing robes of a style I didn't recognize, adorned with intricate embroidery and shimmering with faint magical energy.

In fact, one of those rings had what seemed twice as much energy as my houtian 2 explosion contained.

"Welcome," he greeted, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I am Kasimir, purveyor of fine wares and curiosities from across the planes. How may I assist you today?"

I was a bit weirded out but he seemed to be the real deal. "I'm looking for something to enhance my training," I stated, getting straight to the point. "Jewelry, perhaps, enchanted for increased learning speed and skill training."

Kasimir's smile widened. "Ah, a seeker of knowledge and self-improvement. A worthy pursuit indeed. Come, let me show you what I have."

He led me through the shop, which seemed to expand and twist with each step, revealing a seemingly endless array of shelves and display cases filled with objects that defied description. There were amulets that pulsed with inner light, rings that whispered secrets in unknown tongues, and bracelets that hummed with a power I could barely comprehend.

When the world stopped moving around us, I only had one question.

"What the hell is this place?"

He grinned at me when I asked.

"I am Kasamir." His grin turned strange.

"And I am a wandering bazaar. A purveyor of fine wares and curiosities from across the planes." his strange grin turned into a smile.

"The pendant," Kasimir explained, "works on a different principle from the ones of the waterfall world, as I like to call it. It attunes your body to the flow of physical movements, improving muscle memory and coordination by a factor of three. Your reflexes will sharpen, and learning new techniques will become significantly easier."

"The rings," he started as he waved to the other side display. "Are a set of five, each additively increasing training speed by 10 when all are worn. A multiple of 2 added for each ring worn."

I considered his words carefully. The enchantments were impressive, but I knew from experience that even greater enhancements were possible.

My current attire, when worn together, tripled my learning speed for combat skills and other physical disciplines and I only spent 32 gold on them.

Each ring only cost 20 gold, and the amulet 50.

"I appreciate the craftsmanship," I said, "but I'm looking for something more...potent. Do you have anything that surpasses these enhancements?"

Kasimir stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps...but such items are rare and come at a premium price. Tell me, what is your budget for this endeavor?"

I reached into my seemingly bottomless coin crevice and pulled out a handful of platinum coins, the ones I had looted from the frozen corpses in the library. "I believe these will suffice," I said with a confident smirk.

A gleam of excitement entered Kasimir's eyes. "Ah, platinum! Holy dragon coins of Lugunica! A currency of connoisseurs and collectors. Now we're talking. Follow me, my friend. I believe I have something that will pique your interest."

"Now, my friend, here is something very good!' He smiled excitedly. "I had found this in the ruins of Turudu on the plane of Mahadan. Very nasty place but the enchanters there are top notch!"

He pulled a cloth off of the three amulets.

"Now, the one on the far left is called the 500 hour amulet. It will force your mind and body in whatever you do to yourself, add skill to you as if you were doing it for 500 hours. I can sell this to you for your local platinum currency, the Holy dragon coins. Just 15 of them! A wonderful deal yes?"

I nodded, "what about the middle one?" I asked.

He obliged by explaining. "This is the 1000 hour amulet. The same as the first, but for 1000 hours and for 80 Holy dragon coins."

I nodded, it seemed this was the one for me.

I didn't have enough for the one on the far right. "I wouldn't suppose the third one cost only 92 holy dragon coins?" I asked just in case.

He just shook his head with a smile as the third one disappeared in a puff of smoke.

I nodded, and handed him 80 holy dragon coins.

He handed me the amulet and I put it on. The amulet seemed to sink into my body.

Upon putting it on, I realized my walking and standing was wrong.

I adjusted my body. I begin and continue making minute adjustments for reasons that flooded my mind.

"Ah yes, a doozy the first time! Don't worry! You'll get used to learning fast. Might I recommend this multitasking book for 10 silver?"

I nodded and touched it as I handed some of my mountain of silver to him.

Suddenly the book disappeared in motes of light and I knew how to manage my mind in a way that even if reasons to walk and breathe better.

"Now, a disclaimer. The ring indeed, cannot increase the speed at which you cultivate normally, but you will learn better ways to use the technique. Good yes? Eventually you can modify techniques to be even better at an insane rate." He smiled happily.

"Do you have any extremely top quality cloaks for below 12 Holy coins?" I asked.

"I have exactly what you need!" the shelves shifted around strangely as we arrive at a stand with a scarf with an attached mask.

"This is a wonderful scarf and mask set for enhanced stealth. I guarantee you a level 30 Rogue that has put all his 10 divinity levels into perception would never find you once active. It is completely indestructible! Once worn it will be integrated into your body like the amulet! The mask enables you to go unrecognized, creating a new persona that shifts faces and features for the one viewing. Both are toggleable to be viewed, and used! The mask, when worn, won't be felt or seen just like the cloak and decreases damage taken by slashing and piercing weapons by 90%! Usually the mask would be 12 holy coins and the cloak would be 12 as well! But I like you! So it's a buy one get one free!"

I nodded and handed him my last holy coins.

He clapped, "Do you wish to purchase anything else? Say with large gold coins?"

I shook my head.

He nodded happily. "It was a wonderful time doing business with you. Remember, if you want to come back and hand me more money in exchange for receiving goods, simply stand in front of any magic shop, no matter how dingy, fake, or bad, clap 4 times, say my name, and clap 2 more! Have a wonderful day Tereda Chouju!"

I found myself outside of the shop.

The only evidence I was even there was the strange adjusting of my posture and changes to my breathing.

I turned around and there was an alley there, which had a dingy looking magic shop in the back.

I shrugged.

Strangely, even after surely spending at least an hour there, the clock in my mind still read 9:02 AM.

I went back to the training ground and swung my sword once.

The moment I did it I realized I was doing it wrong.

I corrected myself and it happened again.

It kept happening until my sword was an absolute blur.

The basic knight style was hammered into me.

Something snapped into place, I was houtian 3 and half way to 4.

I checked my clock and it was noon.

All my enchanted items are either integrated inside of me or as part of clothing.

Or in case of the mask and cloak, both. I disable the feature randomization of the mask and the stealth of the cloak.

I think I should check out the mercenary guild. I'll try to learn their techniques.