My attributes are increasing infinitely

Chapter 498: About to reach level 10

Ethan drew a slow breath and steadied his thoughts.

"This time I will go straight to level eighty," he murmured under his breath, though he knew the journey would still unfold step by step. His confidence did not come from arrogance, but from calculation. The Space Cube allowed him to compress years into seconds. With sufficient patience, nothing was truly unreachable.

"Let’s begin."

He stepped forward and entered the cube. The interior space unfolded around him instantly. A pale silver horizon stretched endlessly in all directions. Time inside felt thicker, almost tangible, as though each second carried more weight than usual. Ethan moved directly toward the time field at the center.

He reviewed the requirements calmly.

To break through to level three, he needed fifteen thousand points.

He currently possessed ten.

He would require eleven full days.

Outside, those eleven days would pass in less than a second.

Ethan nodded slightly. The numbers aligned perfectly with his expectations. He sat down cross legged and closed his eyes. The time field activated silently. His breathing slowed. Energy flowed through his body in smooth cycles. Every moment inside the cube carried a quiet intensity, as if the world itself were urging him forward.

Time began to pass.

...

In the battlefield, Ethan walked alongside Max and the others toward the base camp. The atmosphere had relaxed after the previous engagement. Soldiers moved between supply tents. Some cleaned their weapons. Others rested against reinforced barricades. The scent of iron and dust still lingered in the air.

Max glanced at Ethan with visible appreciation.

"Ethan, you did great back there," he said. "There is a treasure in the military market called Dragon Blood. It can strengthen the body without the need for cultivation. Do you want us to get it for you?"

His tone carried genuine concern. Max himself did not understand why, but standing near Ethan made him feel unusually calm. The same applied to the rest of the team. The tension they usually carried during missions faded when Ethan was around. Subconsciously, they wanted him to grow stronger. They did not want someone like him to die early.

Ethan shook his head lightly.

"No need for that."

He paused for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Max.

"Hey, Max. There is a powerful poison in your bone marrow. Are you aware of it?"

The words fell casually, yet the effect was immediate. Max’s face drained of color. His pupils shrank slightly. Even his breathing grew uneven.

"How do you know that?" he asked sharply.

That secret had never been shared with anyone outside his family. It was a hidden weakness that haunted him constantly. A poison embedded deep in the marrow could not be removed through conventional methods. It slowly eroded vitality over time. Only a few specialists in the world even knew how to detect it.

Ethan studied his reaction quietly.

"Judging by your expression, you already know. Do you want me to remove it?"

Max’s eyes narrowed. Suspicion replaced shock. Then his voice turned cold.

"Do not make claims which you cannot support, Ethan. It will ruin our relationship."

From his perspective, the situation sounded absurd. Ethan was technically still a mortal. He had not shown any formal cultivation. How could someone like him cure a poison that even elite healers could not handle?

Ethan did not appear offended. He simply handed Max a thin sheet of paper.

"I do not make empty statements. If you want it removed, collect these ingredients."

Max took the list automatically. His eyes scanned the contents. Several items were extremely valuable medicinal materials. A few were rare toxins used in counter formulations. But there were also unfamiliar names he had never encountered before.

"You have five years left," Ethan added calmly. "After that, the poison will consume your marrow completely."

He walked ahead as though the conversation had never happened.

Max remained rooted in place. His fingers tightened around the list. His hands trembled slightly. The weight of those words pressed heavily on his mind.

His teammates had also stopped.

"Max... is Ethan right?" Mira asked cautiously.

Max did not answer immediately. He looked down at the list again. The combination made sense. Not perfectly, but enough to shake his certainty.

"Mira, I need to visit my family," he said suddenly. "I am going to speak with the commander."

"Wait. I am coming with you," Mira replied.

They turned and left in haste.

Meanwhile, Ethan continued walking toward the supply area. His pace remained slow. His hands were clasped behind his back.

Erina moved up beside him.

"What was that about?" she asked. "Can you explain?"

"It is exactly what I said," Ethan replied. "Max has poison embedded in his bone marrow. I can treat it if he agrees."

Erina frowned slightly.

"Even if that is true... how do you know?"

Ethan glanced at her briefly.

"I have my methods. And Erina, you should stop using the military breathing technique."

She froze.

"You possess a light elemental body. The method you cultivate is derived from a water breathing technique. It was modified so that everyone could use it, but the water attribute residue still remains. It is slowing your progress."

Erina stopped walking.

Kael and Dorian, who had been listening nearby, also halted. All three stared at Ethan as if they were seeing something impossible.

"How the hell do you know all this?" Kael snapped.

Ethan continued calmly.

"You should change your breathing method as well. Your innate element is lightning. Only Max is naturally suited for the current technique."

Kael’s expression darkened.

"On what basis are you saying these things? You are questioning the foundation of human cultivation."

Dorian spoke more carefully.

"You understand what you are implying, right?"

Ethan nodded slightly.

"I am aware. But you have noticed that some people cultivate much faster than others, correct?"

"Yes," Kael replied. "They are geniuses."

"That is only part of the explanation," Ethan said. "Take Max. His innate attribute is water, so he matches the technique perfectly. That is why he advances faster. The five of you have similar talent levels otherwise."

"You are making no sense," Kael retorted. "What innate attributes?"

Ethan remained silent for a moment.

It seemed the higher authorities were hiding fundamental knowledge. Either that, or they had deliberately simplified cultivation for mass adoption.

He turned back toward Erina.

"I will create a technique for you. Try it once. That is all I ask."

Without waiting for a reply, he left.

...

Inside the Space Cube once more, Ethan examined his panel.

[Level: 9

Evolution Points: 10000 / 1.1B]

He exhaled slowly.

The requirement had already jumped from thousands to billions. The increase was absurd, yet not unexpected. At higher levels, advancement slowed dramatically. That was why some individuals remained stuck for millions or even billions of years.

Another limitation frustrated him.

After level five, killing a monster at the same level granted ten thousand points. However, the reward did not increase for higher levels. Killing a level six enemy still gave ten thousand. Level seven gave the same. The system forced cultivators to rely on additional methods.

That explained why ancient powerhouses spent centuries searching for resources instead of fighting constantly.

For Ethan, the situation was different.

He calculated quickly.

Seventeen days.

That was all he needed.

So far, he had used roughly a hundred days inside the cube to reach this level. Outside, only seconds had passed. To others, his growth would appear instantaneous.

A faint smile formed on his face.

"Once I reach level ten, I will awaken my first Elysium talent."

He leaned back slightly and closed his eyes again.

"I wonder what it will be."

Expectation stirred quietly within him as time began to flow once more.