"What is this?" Mike murmured as he felt his mana become even denser and more powerful.

"It's the Purification effect," Lily explained. "Now I can purify anyone's mana by 20% as well."

Mike nodded slowly. "It doesn't feel like just 20%. It feels like I've become much stronger."

"Hm," Lily nodded. "The higher the mana quality, the better the effect."

She then looked at him. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Mike led her a little to the side. His shadow suddenly peeled away from his feet, rising up and forming into another him.

"Meet Shadow," Mike said calmly. "My other self."

"Yo, Lily," Shadow said casually.

Lily rubbed her eyes. "There are two of you…? I can see both clearly. They're exactly the same. How?"

"SSS+ rating," Mike answered. "A perfect clone talent."

"What? What kind of rating is that?" Lily asked, stunned.

"SSS+," Mike repeated. "Now that you're an S-rank mage, I think you'll need to defeat at least a Rank 7 peak boss to get it. But for you, it should be easier."

He continued calmly, "With your base mana now being one billion times normal, you can easily farm an undead army of millions. With that force, even Rank 7 bosses are doable."

Lily went silent, clearly shocked.

"Yes," Lily nodded. "With my mana like this, I can raise an undead army and create a force strong enough to deal with those bosses."

"But… are you sure it will work?" Lily then asked.

"And is this the talent I'll get?" she added.

Mike nodded again. "I was only E-rank when I got SSS+ after defeating a Rank 4 peak boss."

He looked at her seriously. "So for you, at S-rank, a Rank 7 peak boss should be the minimum. If you want to be safer, you can try a Rank 8 early-stage boss."

Mike then asked. "What boss did you defeat to get SSS?"

"I defeated a Rank 5 peak boss," she replied.

"Then Rank 7 peak makes sense," Mike said. "Rank 8 if you want to be absolutely sure."

Lily clenched her fist, her eyes burning with determination.

"Yes. Now that I have learn of this… I want another talent too."

Mike smiled and nodded.

"Yes, let's aim for the best," Mike said. Lily nodded firmly.

"Oh, before I forget," she said, taking out seven skill books and five items, ranging from swords and a mace to a bow.

"I cleared the whole Rank 5 dungeon, Salamander Cave," she explained. "So I got a lot of fire-type drops. Since you have fire affinity, I brought them for you."

Mike stared as half of the items shone brightly. "You farmed a Rank 5 dungeon… and there are this many legendary items?"

She smiled proudly.

"But let me show you something first," Mike said. "My Midas Touch after reaching Rank 2 got me this effect."

He took out the Lava Heart Staff and activated Reversal Engine on it. Black and white light wrapped around the staff, twisting together. The heat vanished, replaced by an icy aura.

In the next moment, it transformed into a Glacial Heart Staff.

Then Mike activated Midas Touch again, pushing it further—until the staff radiated overwhelming power.

"Mythical rank," he said calmly, handing it back to her. "Here. Take it."

Lily's eyes widened. "W-What? You can change elements too now?"

"It's more like reversing them," Mike replied. "Hot becomes cold. In this case, lava became glacial."

She nodded slowly, still shocked.

"I also have some other things for you," Mike added, handing her a set of Frost Armor and a skill called Lunar Nova.

"They're very good," he said honestly, "but the mana consumption on Lunar Nova is too high. It's not suitable for me or Shadow."

Lily looked at the items in her hands, then at Mike, clearly overwhelmed—but excited.

"Don't look at me like that," Mike said, waving his hand. "Aren't I your sponsor?"

She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Y-yes! You are right."

"So, when can I get more empty skill books?" he asked as they stepped out of the side, talking quietly.

"Hm… in another ten days," she said after thinking for a moment.

"Okay then. I'll wait," Mike nodded.

As they came out of the side, Mike noticed both his parents and Lily's parents watching them with knowing smiles.

"What are you guys looking at?" Mike asked. "We were just talking."

"Sure, sure," both his mother and Lily's mother replied, nodding—smiling even more.

"Stop acting so weird," Lily said, embarrassed. "We were just discussing a deal we made."

She lightly kicked her father in the leg to get him to stop staring, but he didn't move at all.

Mike's father laughed. "I see Lily is the same tomboy she always was," he said.

Lily's face turned bright red. "Uncle!"

She grew even angrier when Mike started laughing too—and immediately kicked him as well.

"What are you laughing at, you dumbass?!" she shouted.

Mike stumbled half a step from the kick, more from surprise than pain.

"Hey! That was uncalled for," he said, rubbing his leg, though he was still smiling.

Lily crossed her arms and turned her head away. "Serves you right."

Their parents laughed openly now, the tense atmosphere completely gone.

"Alright, alright," Mike's mother said, wiping a tear from her eye. "Enough teasing. People are starting to stare."

Sure enough, a few nearby visitors were glancing their way, curious about the loud exchange.

Mike cleared his throat. "Let's keep moving. There's a high-level zone ahead."

Misty, who had been quietly staring at a massive monster with three heads, immediately turned around. "Bigger than that one?"

"Yes," Mike said. "Much bigger."

Her eyes sparkled again, and she hurried ahead.

They soon reached another enclosure. Inside was a gigantic creature shaped like a mountain of stone and fur, breathing slowly. Each breath made the ground tremble slightly.

"It's a Stone Skin Troll," Lily said, and their parents nodded.

"I've never seen one this close before," Lily's father said as he adjusted his glasses and leaned in for a better look.

Suddenly, the troll's eyes snapped open.

Lily's father startled and jumped back instinctively.

"Relax, James," Mike's father said quickly. "This thing is inside a powerful cage. It can't come out—"

Crack!

Before he could finish, the mana barrier around the enclosure shattered.

The Stone Skin Troll let out a thunderous roar as it stepped forward.

"Dad!" Mike shouted.

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