NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Essence Core Evolution
At dawn, the city began to waking up. The air was still cold, but for the people who had to work to stay in the city, there was no luxury of resting in their homes, which, though dilapidated, provided the minimum comfort.
"Hmm..."
Various sounds disturbed Mark's sleep. He lazily opened his eyes, and then absentmindedly stared at the ceiling.
"Right... I died. I still haven't gotten used to it."
It was true that Mark felt fortunate to have been reborn, but he wasn't happy. He had lost everything he had worked for and the bonds he had formed. Now he found himself in an unknown place with completely different ways of life, all while dealing with the stress of saving Selene within five years.
"Haaaa... a new day, a new beginning, they say."
[Good morning, Host. I hope you rested well.]
"...Yeah."
If there was one thing he doubted he would ever get used to, it was hearing a mechanical voice in his head.
[Any problems?]
"Next time, could you explain in more detail the situation I'll find myself in? This body was indeed an orphan, but no matter how I see it, these people are not much different from a family." -Mark said with an exasperated tone.
[Noted. Initially, I didn't think the Host would care about such matters since he wouldn't stay with them for long. I must say, though, that being your initial support point, I should have been more precise.]
"Just make sure you understand. Well, what's the action plan now?"
With so much to learn and do, Mark had to figure out where to start.
[First of all, I have some good news about the fragments.]
"Good news is always welcome."
[The first is that I sensed a fragment near the area where you were yesterday, albeit vaguely.]
"Great, let's go right away— that's what I would like to say, but I'm sure it would be suicide in my current state."
Considering the presence of monsters and unknown dangers, wandering around the canyons was not something he would consider sane.
[Exactly. The second piece of news is that I know the location of at least one-third of the fragments.]
"Really?" -The news immediately cheered him up.
[Yes, they are in Orario, considered the strongest city, with the presence of several level 6 and the person currently known to be the strongest, who is at level 7.]
"That's fantastic, but why are there so many there?"
[Because of the dungeon, which is also the reason there are so many strong Familia there.]
"Dungeon? Like mazes and such?"
[Don't underestimate the dungeon. No one knows when it appeared or how far it extends, falling into one of the three unexplored regions. Many say it exists to protect them, while for others, it's the place where monsters come from.]
About a thousand years ago, there was a monster outbreak from the dungeon, increasing their density on the continent. Among them were three monsters, in particular, that wreaked havoc: the Sea King Leviathan, the Earth King Behemoth, and finally, the Sky King Black Dragon.
"Since you're speaking in the past tense, it seems like they are already dead."
[Two were killed by the Zeus and Hera Familias together, which were the strongest Familias ever to exist, with their captains being at level 9.]
"...And the third?"
[The third, Black Dragon, destroyed both Familias and one of the strongest empires, then disappeared without a trace. All of this happened about twenty years ago.]
Mark felt his blood run cold at the Guide's words. He still didn't have a clear idea of people's strength, but considering that the strongest person at the moment was at level 7, he could imagine what kind of terrifying existence that monster was. The idea that both he and Selene would remain in the same world with that thing was unsettling.
'Wait a minute.'
Rethinking the Guide's words, he noticed details that began to worry him.
"How is it possible that after twenty years, no one has surpassed level 7? And from what you said, no one knows how deep the dungeon is, which I assume is due to lack of strength; so, considering that the fragments are there..."
[It seems the Host has grasped the core of the problem. Leveling up takes a long time. You should know that the person who took the shortest time to reach level 2, took a whole year, even in Orario, where challenges abound. From there, leveling up will take more and more time, compensated by the extension of life.
Now, the fact remains that I don't know precisely where in the dungeon the fragments are located. They could be on the upper floors or in the never-explored depths.]
"Curse it, never any good news."
With hands covering his face, Mark began to think. Even if he eliminated every kind of unforeseen circumstance, the exponential growth rate, and using the standard of one year per level, after five years, he would only be at level 5. Moreover, he was stuck in that city. If he tried to leave, he doubted he would reach another city, and the only God present there was with that gang.
[I have a proposal.]
"...What?" -Mark asked, still feeling overwhelmed about what to do.
[As I told you, the people in this world need to receive a God's blessing to become stronger, but since your soul is external, you are not bound by this rule.]
His words caught Mark's attention.
"What's your point?"
[My task is to provide you with information, including growth and combat. This information has been collected from myriad planets, but what I can offer you are the one that does not disrupt the natural order of the world you are in.
Now, for your problem. I have various growth system methods that I have broken down and merged to make it compatible with this planet, fully utilizing the potential of your soul.]
"Hmm, what are the differences between the two methods?"
[The strength obtained from the blessing of the Gods increases with the experiences one goes through, and the more challenging these experiences are, the greater the growth factor. Of course, there are two points to consider. The first is that the experience you undergo must have a challenge level equal to or higher than your strength, and the second is that the strength limit you will reach depends on your latent talent.
On the other hand, my method involves absorbing the life energy of the world, which will then be purified by your soul and used to strengthen you. The advantages it possesses include not relying on a God, and the strength gained will be quite remarkable. The disadvantages, however, are that you won't have an existing path, the absorbed energy still needs to be metabolized, and the limit you reach will depend on your soul.
Once you have chosen a method it is no longer possible to change, the choice is yours.]
There were a couple of minutes of silence before Mark spoke decisively.
"I'll go for your method."
Mark's decision was a combination of gambling and reasoning. He wasn't sure about the talent he possessed, and even if it was high, he doubted there had ever been anyone like him. However, even so, no one had surpassed level 9. Moreover, in his current situation, he had no other ways to become strong. Therefore, he was betting on his soul, which had caught Origon's attention and was also the reason for his reincarnation.
[Perfect, we can start right away. Lie down on the bed and close your eyes.]
Mark followed the instructions, although it felt strange to lie down after just waking up.
[Now, breathe according to my instructions.]
Suddenly, a specific breathing method appeared in Mark's mind. He tried to follow it, but each time he ended up breathing normally, reaching a point where he felt breathless. Even so, he didn't give up and forced himself to continue even when his breath felt blocked.
'Haaaaah.'
Once he managed to endure that phase, his entire body relaxed, and his mind emptied.
At that point, Mark experienced a strange sensation. He knew he was awake, but his entire existence felt asleep as he floated in the darkness.
[I'll try to stimulate your soul, and then it will be up to you to perceive it. Once done, you'll need to transform it into a core in the form you find most comfortable and fuse it with yourself.]
The Guide's voice seemed to come from all directions in that space, but Mark, who was floating, preferred to enjoy that feeling of relaxation.
Time began to pass, maybe seconds or maybe years, but in that dark void, nothing mattered. His body continued to float, but the strange thing was that from the beginning, he had moved in one direction as if something was calling him. He traveled for a long time or maybe just a little, but for Mark's empty mind, such a difference didn't exist.
Finally, his body stopped floating in front of a strange flame. It was dark, but even in all that darkness, it seemed to shine because of the various lights within it, making it look like a beautiful starry night.
Mark reached out, and as if greeting an old friend, the flame quickly approached. Once it positioned itself on his palm, Mark didn't have to do anything. The flame began to become brighter as it spun around itself, and when it reached maximum brightness, it transformed into a sphere that flew into his chest.
Mark's eyes snapped open, and he immediately sat up while trying to calm his breathing, with his body dripping with sweat.
"That was... wow."
With still heavy breathing, Mark reflected on the sensation he had just experienced. Never in his life had he felt something so pleasant yet bizarre. Perhaps it was similar to when he died, but in that case, he was fully conscious.
[...Congratulations, you did it, and all in just one hour.]
"Just one hour? I thought much longer. Exactly what happened to me?" -Mark asked, curious.
[The breath I taught you is a method to interact with your soul and what you'll need to absorb the life energy of this world. At the moment, it's still challenging for you, but with experience, it will become a part of your life. So, I advise the Host to practice a lot. How do you feel then?]
"I feel... fine, actually, I don't think I've ever felt better."
Perhaps it was his imagination, but when he clenched his fists, he felt more strength than usual.
[At the moment, it's as if you've just become level 1. My method is called Essence Core Evolution, which involves evolving your core with the life energy of the planet. However, this energy won't be absorbed immediately but will be slowly collected in the form of a ring around your core, which will work to purify that energy. Once the ring is complete, it will merge with the core, causing it to evolve.]
"All right... so how strong will I be?"
[It will depend a lot on the purity of the energy. The fact is that your strength will be much stronger than others. For example, once the ring is formed 50%, it's like you've reached level 2 with much higher stats.]
"So, from what you're saying, it seems like every 50%, I level up."
[This is a way to get an idea of your strength compared to others.]
Mark nodded, understanding. He had never fought, so he had to think about laying some foundations.
[Each core has its characteristics. The one you currently have, Primary Core, focuses on improving your physical abilities and grants you an ability that allows you to perceive souls.]
"But I don't feel anything, though." -He said, confused.
[That's because you're still weak. This ability allows you to obtain information about the type of existence you're interacting with, for example, if it's fearful, angry, and so on. Obviously, the stronger you become, the more information you'll be able to obtain, and your senses will improve.]
"This is fantastic. But now I think there's something more important to do."
[Which is?]
"Eating. I haven't eaten something edible for so long."
So, in a more optimistic mood than the previous day, he headed to the kitchen, leaving the Guide with his thoughts.
['Initially, we thought his soul had a lot of potential, but it seems we were wrong.']
Estimated time by the Guide for Mark to form the core: two days.
['At this point, it's simply abnormal.']