The night gradually lightened as dawn drew near.
A faint, pleasant aroma filled the narrow little shop.
It was the scent of flour swelling in the oven, turning crisp and browned.
He Ao leaned back in a small chair at the entrance of the shop, while Silvi sat on the backrest behind him.
The street beneath the night sky was unusually quiet. The entire area had already been sealed off by the Anomaly Association, leaving only this tiny bakery lit by dim yellow lights.
He Ao glanced at the Physical Quality displayed in his vision: 300.
This seemed to be the limit of D-rank. His Physical Quality had not changed for several hours. Dense masses of "qi" were currently piling up within his body, pressing against his flesh.
The pendant on his chest swayed gently, drawing the surrounding power toward him.
He took a deep breath.
The "qi" gathered at his feet gradually converged beneath his navel before swiftly rising, while the "qi" in his mind slowly descended.
In the end, the two masses of qi converged in his chest.
However, the upper and lower vortices of qi did not collide directly and violently. Instead, they gradually separated into fine strands, approaching his chest in advance as they merged and collided with one another.
Little by little, they drew closer. Little by little, they fused.
The process was slow, but steady.
"The bread's ready," the aged voice called out from deep within the shop after an unknown amount of time. "Who wants some delicious little bread?"
"Me, me, me!" Silvi flipped over, then fell off the backrest with a smack—, shattering into pieces.
Then, in an instant, her body reformed on the floor, and she scampered into the depths of the shop.
"Coming!"
He Ao also smiled, rose to his