A Bug In Fate

As the numbers slowly became clearer, the glow around the orb began to fade.

Both Alden and Ravenna stared at the surface, waiting for the final result.

The numbers finally stopped changing.

65%.

Alden’s eyes widened.

For a moment, he simply stared at the number, unable to believe what he was seeing.

65%.

That was far beyond what an ordinary human could refine.

The surprise on Ravenna’s face was no different. She stared at the result in silence, her usual calm expression completely gone.

Neither of them spoke.

The quiet field suddenly felt strangely heavy, as if even the air itself had frozen around them.

Alden slowly looked toward Ravenna.

"....65%?"

Ravenna didn’t answer immediately.

Her eyes remained fixed on the golden number.

For those who didn’t know the gravity of the situation, a normal human was capable of absorbing mana with 20% efficiency. Certainly, there were differences from person to person, and there were exceptional individuals who had special physiques that could increase the number by a margin, but even they had their boundaries.

"...That’s 5% more than an ordinary elf," Ravenna muttered in a daze.

True, the elf race, who were said to be blessed by mana itself, could absorb it with 60% efficiency, and that was for only ordinary elves. As for their geniuses, the number increased from person to person, as geniuses had their stages too.

*Who is he? Did I accidentally take the exiled prince of some noble family as my student? But even they don’t have such a high efficiency rate...*

Ravenna wondered in silence.

Even though the public only knew her as Arbiter Ravenna, who worked with the Adventurers’ Guild, the people from her generation, a century ago, knew who she really was and how much of a monster she had been.

And even she had only reached 45% efficiency.

That was already nearly the level of an average vampire.

The scene works, especially because Ravenna immediately starts questioning Alden’s background after seeing the 65% result. The mystery around "Crowe" also fits the situation.

A few things are hurting the flow:

"whose seems to be thinking" → "who seemed to be thinking"

"turned silence" → "fell silent"

"from the word" → "from the world"

"she have" → "she had"

"jave" → "have"

"What is your name?" followed by "Only Alden?" works, but Ravenna already knows his name, so her questioning should feel deliberate—which it does.

Her gaze lingered on his face, who seemed to be thinking something as well.

"What is your name?"

"Hm... It’s Alden?" Alden answered, wondering why she was asking his name even though she already knew it.

"Only Alden? Is it your full name?" Ravenna asked again in a calm tone.

"Oh... It’s not my full name. It’s Alden Crowe." Alden revealed his full name for the first time.

Meanwhile, Ravenna fell silent as she tried to remember a family name called Crowe. Yet no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t remember a single name similar to Crowe.

Is he from a secret family that hides itself from the world?

A possibility came to her mind, and it was the most plausible answer she had at this moment. There were many families who didn’t reveal themselves to the public. Most of them were assassin families, while others had their own reasons for remaining hidden.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Alden spoke.

"Teacher Ravenna... what should we do now?" Alden asked in a calm tone.

The reason he wasn’t as shocked as her was because he already knew that he had a powerful physique. And not just any physique—it was literally called the Apex Evolution Physique.

He had come to the conclusion that his body was already evolving, and it had reached a point where he could absorb mana with 65% efficiency.

"Hm... It seems you have a special physique. So we have to make your technique while considering it," Ravenna said after pushing her earlier thoughts to the back of her mind.

"...I see. I was thinking the same thing."

Alden simply nodded.

"Our next step will be to find the best breathing method to guide mana inside your body without damaging your mana meridians." She paused before continuing. "And we have to do that while keeping your efficiency in consideration."

Alden nodded at her words, and his eyes flashed with a determined light.

"Let’s do it," he exclaimed in excitement.

"Sigh... It’s not that simple. The balance between mana flow, breathing, and circulation is crucial, and isn’t something one can find easily."

Ravenna shook her head at his excitement.

Maybe it’s better to let him figure it out himself.

She wondered in her head, while Alden didn’t lose his smile, as he had enough confidence in himself and his physique.

"Just try not to die in the process."

Ravenna warned him in a gentle tone, as one mistake inside the body could lead to a disaster he wasn’t prepared for.

Alden nodded at her, and a genuine smile formed on his lips. He was touched that his teacher was worried about him, as he didn’t exactly have a high number of people who would care about him even if something happens to him.

Most will probably forget me in a few months.

Alden shook his head. There was no point in thinking about something that wasn’t in his control. The best he could do was live his life without regrets.

"Now sit down and keep the orb in your hand."

Ravenna instructed him as he sat down on the grass, while a cool feeling crept into his hand because of the black orb.

"Now follow a breathing method you think is suitable, and if you have any preferences, just follow your instinct," Ravenna stated in a calm tone.

"You will have to keep trying until you find the balance."

Alden nodded at her words, and mana began to enter his body with a rhythm unlike the previous time, when he had simply guided it without doing anything more.

His breathing gradually became steady as he focused entirely on the mana surrounding him. He could feel the faint movement of mana through his body, responding to every change in his breathing. It wasn’t perfect yet, but he could already sense a difference compared to his previous attempts.

His expression was now calm, while Ravenna stood beside him, her gaze following every movement of mana inside his body.

She had to protect her student. That was the bare minimum she expected from herself as a teacher.

The time had finally come.

After days of reading and preparation, Alden was finally going to create his own cultivation technique.

The books he had read, the knowledge he had gathered, and the countless questions he had asked had all led him to this moment.

Whether he would succeed and win his bet was something only time could tell.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!