Chapter 274: Void Crystal (2)

[Quest: Tech Core Evolution][Description: You have unlocked the fundamental blueprint of the universe’s most potent resource. The Void Crystal is the blood of the cosmos, containing the pure, conceptual essence of existence. The Tech Core recognizes its kin and hungers to evolve.]

[Objective: Consume one Void Crystal.]

[Reward: Higher Existence]

Adrian frowned slightly at the System’s vagueness. "Higher Existence" was a lofty promise with zero details, but he knew better than to doubt the Tech Core.

Every major evolution had been a game-changer. And learning that he could consume a Void Crystal and integrate that raw, conceptual power directly into his own being was shocking. His eyes shone as he imagined the possibilities.

"If only I still had a Void Crystal..." he muttered, the regret of sacrificing the Oculon’s core stinging afresh.

But suddenly, Adrian paused. A memory surfaced, a cold, dark object he had carried for years. With a thought, he retrieved a large, pulsating obsidian crystal from his [Inventory]. It was the core he had gotten after defeating Julian, the necrotic battery that had powered the undead army that ravaged him.

He had always assumed it was just a corrupted, high-grade magic crystal, even using it to power the Oracle Satellite.

But now, holding it in his hand, feeling it with his new understanding, he realized the truth. He turned it over, watching the dark energy swirl within. He could feel the concept trapped inside; not just mana, but the essence of Death and Preservation.

"It’s a Void Crystal!" he whispered.

It wasn’t even an ordinary one. [Analysis] confirmed his suspicion. It was a Grade-B Void Crystal.

The scale was exponential. Void Crystals were classified by letters: F, E, D, C, B, A, and finally S.

The gap between each consecutive grade was a chasm of power. The Void Crystal he had deconstructed from The Watcher was only a Grade-D, and that creature had been a terrifying psychic powerhouse. Yet now, he held a crystal two full stages higher.

"Like a beggar sleeping on a gold mine," Adrian muttered, shaking his head at his own ignorance.

He didn’t hesitate. He placed the dark crystal on the ground and mentally selected the option to consume.

[Target Identified: Void Crystal (Grade-B). Attribute: Necrotic/Regeneration.]

[Initiating Assimilation Protocol...]

[WARNING: This process will fundamentally alter the user’s energy matrix. Proceed?]

[Yes/No]

"Yes."

As soon as he confirmed, the Void Crystal began to dissolve. It didn’t melt; it was erased, bit by bit, by an invisible force, turning into a stream of pure, dark data that flowed directly into Adrian’s chest.

[Assimilation in Progress: 1%...]

Pain coursed through Adrian, sudden and absolute. It wasn’t physical pain; it was the feeling of something invading his soul.

He felt his dantian being twisted, stretched, and reformed. His consciousness felt like it was being torn apart and stitched back together with threads of fire.

Even his physical body seemed to be unraveling, his cells screaming as they were forced to accept a higher form of energy.

He fell to his knees, clutching the metallic surface of the platform as he grew weak. He bit his lip until it bled, refusing to scream.

The process was ridiculously painful, a torture of the soul. His vision went haze and the world kept spinning. It continued for several minutes, but to Adrian, trapped in his own fracturing mind, it felt like an eternity.

Finally, the last mote of dark energy was absorbed. The pain vanished instantly, leaving him gasping on the floor.

[Congratulations! TECH CORE SUCCESSFULLY UPGRADED]

[Evolution Complete!]

[You’ve obtained a trait — Regeneration!]

Adrian ignored the notifications for a moment, just lying there, letting his breath return. The pain was receding, replaced by a new, profound sensation of fullness. When he finally opened his eyes, he could feel it. Just like his last evolution, the world had changed.

Before, he could see mana tendrils with his naked eye. Now, the world was a tapestry of infinite complexity. He could see the minute vibrations in the mana tendrils, the subtle frequencies of the air itself. But that wasn’t all.

’I can sense all the energies.’

It wasn’t just his mana perception that was maxed out. Adrian was able to feel every energy that made up the environment. He saw the world in a new spectrum.

Mana was a vibrant blue river. Qi, the life force of living things, was a warm, pulsing yellow. Aether, the energy of space itself, was a faint, silvery mist. He could see them all, flowing, interacting, weaving the fabric of reality.

And he wasn’t just watching. He felt his dantian filling, not just with mana, but with everything. His body was now a universal conduit, passively absorbing all forms of ambient energy.

He stood up, feeling a surge of power that made his previous self feel like a child. He had to test this.

He used the Simulation Chamber to manifest a wall of very dense alloy that he well knew he previously wouldn’t be able to scratch without his Power Suit.

He summoned his Mana Gun. He didn’t just channel mana; he let his new, blended energy flow into the weapon. The gun hummed with a strange, multi-colored light.

He fired.

~VZZZT!~

There was no explosion. The beam simply erased the matter in its path. It punched a clean, perfect hole through the indestructible wall as if it were paper.

It wasn’t a scientifically accurate test, but Adrian was sure that his offensive output had increased exponentially. He soared into the sky of the simulation, and he realized it wasn’t just his energy. His whole body felt remodeled, lighter, denser, more perfect.

’I feel... like a God!’

He looked at his hand. He could feel the separate threads of energy and he knew, instinctively, that he could weave them. He could combine them. He had unlocked the potential for true, universal creation.

But a simulation was just a simulation.

"This won’t prove anything," Adrian decided, his eyes burning with a new, golden-blue fire. "There’s only one way to check how much I’ve really improved."

He didn’t want data. He wanted a fight.

"Let’s see how I stand against a Platinum fighter."