CHAPTER 187: ETHAN’S TEAM.

After his remarkable advancement to apprentice rank, Noah decided it was time to return to the shop, check on Lola’s breakthrough progress, and then head home for some well-deserved rest after such an intensive day.

The walk back felt different with his new attributes—each step carried him further than expected, while his heightened awareness made him notice details in the environment that had previously escaped his attention.

Moving with sixty points in agility takes adjustment. Everything feels effortless but almost too responsive. Noah thought, a smile on his face. He wasn’t complaining about the boost, not at all.

Arriving at his shop, Noah found the space empty and quiet. Lola wasn’t behind the counter, and the "closed" sign remained in place, indicating that her advancement attempt was still ongoing.

She’s been at this for around two hours. Grandmaster breakthrough must be incredibly demanding.

He made his way upstairs slowly, taking care not to create any noise that might disturb her concentration during such a critical process. Rank advancement required complete focus, and interruptions could prove dangerous or even fatal.

Outside her room, Noah found the door slightly ajar, allowing him to check on her condition without intrusion. Through the gap, he could see Lola maintaining perfect meditative posture, her body radiating so much energy that it made Noah’s eyes widen.

If he had to put it into words, she was like a small sun radiating energy all over the room.

Still in deep meditation. The beef jerky remains untouched beside her, which suggests everything is proceeding normally.

The beef jerky’s presence by her side provided reassurance that she had emergency healing available if complications arose during the breakthrough attempt. Her steady breathing and stable posture indicated that the process was demanding but proceeding safely.

Noah smiled with relief at her apparent stability and decided not to worry about the extended duration. Grandmaster advancement naturally required substantial time investment, often lasting many hours for particularly challenging transitions.

She’s handling it well. Better to let her finish without interference.

Returning downstairs to the main shop area, Noah found himself staring thoughtfully at his inventory displays. The day’s events had reminded him of family members who could benefit from his products, particularly his cousin Ethan.

Ethan’s Type 1 diabetes. I’ve been meaning to address that.

His cousin had been managing the chronic autoimmune condition for some time now, requiring constant monitoring and insulin management that significantly impacted his quality of life. While modern medicine could control the symptoms, it couldn’t cure the underlying immune system dysfunction.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Maybe the bread’s healing could help restore proper immune function.

Noah considered his options between beef jerky and healing bread. The bread’s thirty percent healing acceleration might help his cousin’s immune system recover proper function, while the beef jerky’s permanent vitality enhancement could strengthen his overall constitution and cure him.

Start with bread first. If it doesn’t work, then I will use the beef jerky. There is no need to jump to the beef jerky just yet.

He decided to begin with the healing bread, reasoning that the temporary enhancement would provide insight into whether magical healing could address autoimmune conditions without the permanent commitment that beef jerky represented.

Having nothing to lose and a sick cousin to potentially heal, it’s worth trying.

Noah carefully selected one of his loaves and stored it in his dimensional ring, planning to visit Ethan tomorrow after school or perhaps drop by their family home during his free time.

Tomorrow I’ll test whether magical healing can help with his conditions.

With his family stuff planned, Noah secured the shop and made his way home to his comfortable house. The day had been extraordinarily productive, whether it was the estate tour, the massive sales success, or the swordsmanship advancement.

Time to process everything that happened today. I’ve advanced far beyond what I thought possible.

At home, Noah headed straight for the shower to wash away the dirt and sweat accumulated during his intensive sword training. The hot water felt amazing against his body.

After cleaning up thoroughly, he changed into fresh, comfortable clothes.

The evening routine felt luxurious compared to his previous struggles with poverty and uncertainty. Having a real home, financial security, and with his dad healthy by his side, everything felt complete in ways Noah had never imagined possible.

Real stability. Not just surviving, but actually thriving.

Noah settled at his desk, wanting to relax and decompress after such an intensive day. He powered up his gaming setup, looking forward to an hour of simple entertainment before heading to sleep.

Just because he could practice magic and operate a shop in another world didn’t mean he would discard the enjoyable aspects of his previous life. Gaming, family time, and normal Earth activities remained important for maintaining balance and connection to his roots.

Logging into the game, Noah immediately noticed that Ethan was online and currently in a group with several other players.

He’s probably training with that esports team that offered him the contract. He mentioned they had practice sessions scheduled.

During their family dinner, Ethan had enthusiastically explained how the professional team required extensive coordination practice to prepare for upcoming tournaments. The opportunity represented exactly the kind of career breakthrough his cousin had been working toward.

Better not disturb his professional training. Solo queue for me tonight.

Noah queued up for a solo match, settling back in his chair as the familiar interface searched for opponents of appropriate skill level.

Meanwhile, across the city in his family’s modest apartment, Ethan sat focused at his computer with intense concentration that had become his trademark during play.

Whenever his viewers on the stream saw that look, they called him ’Locked-in Larry.’

"Alright, team, remember our strategy for this map," called the team captain through voice chat. "Ethan, you’ll be handling the aggressive flanking routes we practised yesterday."

"Got it, captain." Ethan replied.

His positioning and timing have been improving consistently under the training he had been undergoing.