He didn't go to her right away. Instead, he focused on training his other techniques.
The first was called Armament Control.
It let him send mana into specific parts of his body, strengthening them past normal limits.
He flexed his hands and wrists, then closed his eyes.
In his mind, the instructions from military manuals played on loop—concentrate, release, circulate.
Mana moved sluggish at first, like pushing syrup through tight veins. But with each breath, it started to respond.
Fine white lines ran along his veins, visible only to him, and the sensation prickled—half-static, half-hot water.
The pain was manageable, but there was a brief, brutal second when the bones in his hand felt like they would shatter from the pressure.
He gritted his teeth, counting the time.
At the five-second mark, the pressure peaked.
Mana pulsed beneath his skin, forming a white layer over his fist, giving it a marble-like texture.
This level of reinforcement marked the Basic Stage.
Mastery was divided into six stages:
Basic, Advanced, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, and Transcendent.
Each stage reshaped how the body handled pressure and control.
As one progressed, the energy around the skin would condense, changing the look and density of the armored surface.
At Basic, the reinforcement looked pale and bone-like.
Advanced turned orange, rough and dense.
Expert became red, heat pulsing beneath the skin.
Master formed a gold shell, molten and solid.
Grandmaster shimmered black-gold, rippling with unstable force.
Transcendent turned pitch black—flat and silent, swallowing light
Of course, there were variations, each user's element could change how it looked or felt.
But these colors were always the base layer.
For most people, even with clear instructions, reaching the Basic State would take months—sometimes years.
Fortunately, he already knew the feeling. Muscle memory, instincts, and a mind full of past experience made it second nature.
Still, moving from Basic to Advanced wouldn't be easy—even for him.
Each stage wasn't just a step up; it was more like jumping from 2 to 10. The gap in difficulty grew exponentially.
'Right now, I can only cover my wrist. But with some practice, I'll be able to extend it across more of my body.'
With that in mind, he took his time, gradually expanding the area. The white layer crept up, inch by inch, until it finally reached his elbow.
But the mana consumption grew too high, so he stopped training for the day.
Forcing himself now would be counterproductive. His control would slip, and the flow could destabilize.
Better to stop here than risk a backlash.
Looking up, he saw the clock read 5:30 pm. He went down several floors to meet Anna in the cafe.
'Whoa, she looks hot in black.' The thought slipped in before he could stop it
Her strapless dress clung to her in a rich, dark black that caught the light just right, tracing the lines of her body and hinting at skin and curves without giving too much away.
It matched her silver hair, curled and held back by an expensive gold hairpin studded with diamonds
Coincidentally, he was dressed formally as well. His black suit fit perfectly, firm and polished, radiating confidence and style.
"Are you headed somewhere?" he asked while taking a seat.
She glanced him over with a teasing smile.
"Yeah, a charity ball. You look like you dressed up for something special too."
Terrence raised an eyebrow. "Is that the charity ball at The Waldorf Astoria?"
She paused, then smiled warmly. "So, looks like we're headed to the same place. Do you already have a date?"
Terrence scratched his head, feeling awkward.
Saying he had a date while talking to her made him sound like a player collecting trophies.
"Don't worry, I won't judge. So, who's the lucky girl you're taking?" she teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I'm sure she's way prettier than me—since you've been ignoring me for days."
He hesitated, then gave her a sheepish grin. "I wouldn't say that. You're… hard to top, actually."
Anna's face lit up with a pleased, almost bashful smile.
She tucked a silver curl behind her ear, a subtle move that couldn't quite hide her pinkish cheek.
"Oh my, no wonder you've got girls lining up—you've got a way with words. Fine, I'll let it slide this time."
Terrence exhaled, a little more relaxed now. "So… who's your date?"
Anna smirked. "Jealous?"
"Maybe a bit," he admitted, catching her off guard.
She laughed, knowing he was just trying to sweet talk her —but she didn't mind. There was something about his bad boy charm that was hard to ignore.
Even though they had only known each other for a short time, she noticed a lot of changes.
He looked stronger and more confident than before. It made her wonder even more about who he really was.
"I'm going with my dad. He's a scientist who specialized in human genetics."
Terrence nodded, not thinking much of it—until she added.
"I'm a scientist too. Kinda hard to believe, right?"
His eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"
"Google me. My full name is Anna Ivanovna "
Curious, he checked his phone—and was stunned by what popped up.
[Anna Ivanovna - The Silver Rose of Russia.]
[Genius. Magazine Model. World Renowned scientist.]
She leaned back, smirking. "So, still think I'm just a pretty face?"