For a long minute—maybe more—they hovered high above the ground, eyes glued to the empty desert before them. It was hard to believe a mountain had stood there a few seconds ago. For it to simply sink beneath the sands like that… were the sandworms involved? Or was it just the work of the Overseer?

  Honestly, Isaac wasn’t sure which option was worse. Thankfully, a new set of notifications spared him from dwelling on it.

  Deconstruction completed. Personal rewards have been delivered to your Storage Brand. Full level progression distributed. 11923 Fusion Points awarded. Congratulations!

  You have leveled up thrice. You are now level 42. Distribution of Ascension Power had advanced the tier or grade of the following attributes: Power (II->III), Agility (Refined V->Unbound I), Toughness (Developed V->Refined I), Regeneration (Unbound V->Awakened I), Insight (III->IV)

  Isaac almost whistled as power surged through his tired body. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gained so many grade advancements at once. Not that it was too surprising. Those were three levels of progress after all.

  Finally moving forward again, he thought, summoning the next notification. He would check the item rewards later. They shouldn’t stay here too long. Better be quick then.

  The following skills have advanced tiers:

  Maker’s Shell (II->III)

  Obliteration (VI->VII)

  Crimson Death has evolved into Crimson Cataclysm, an Eternal-grade ability.

  There it is. Only took you like five levels. Same grade as Red Puppeteer, though.

  Isaac was about to pull up the new skill’s description when Harry’s strained voice cut through his thoughts.

  “Friend, we really should get moving,” the man said. “The lady requires rest, and she won’t get it like this.”

  As if to prove his point, Carmela groaned, shifting weakly in Harry’s grasp. Isaac stifled a grimace and dismissed his notifications. They could wait until they found a somewhat safe place to rest. The middle of the desert definitely wasn’t it.

  He looked back at the woman. “If I take you on my back, think you can hold on?”

  Carmela blinked blearily, tilted her head, then gave a stiff nod. Whether he could trust that nod was another matter. But he didn’t have much of a choice. Based on how Harry’s Legacy twitched and lost more of its color with every minute, the man was barely staying afloat himself.

  Isaac sighed.

  “Follow me.”

  With that, they glided back toward the ground, where Harry helped Carmela settle on Isaac’s feathered back. Even half-conscious, she managed to wrap her arms around his neck and cling tight. Now he just had to make sure she didn’t fall off mid-flight.

  All right. Calm and steady, Isaac reminded himself as he spread his wings and gently took off. Carmela let out a soft groan on his back, but didn’t move otherwise. He flew higher, heading toward their new destination.

  The edge of the Battleworld.

  There better be no worms there, or I swear…

  To his relief, there indeed were no worms at the edge of the desert. Even better, he managed to find a small rocky enclave there. It was a bit like an oasis, just without any plants and well… water. Still, the place was more than good enough to hide in the shade and catch a breather.

  They all definitely needed one.

  Carmela had fallen asleep the moment they landed, her breathing finally evened after remaining ragged during the long flight. Harry, on the other hand, seemed to have recovered a little on the way thanks to no longer being burdened by another body. He just sat in the shade, staring absently up at the sky.

  As for Isaac?

  He was… okay-ish. His newly improved regeneration had long since healed all the lingering injuries. The emptiness in his body, however? That remained. Not even drinking a Viron regeneration potion helped on that front. It was like the energy refused to refill at its usual pace.

  Hopefully that won’t last long, he thought, leaning back against a rock and closing his eyes. We can’t stay here too long either. Only a matter of time before some wannabe invaders spot us.

  Still, there wasn’t much he could do to speed up his own recovery—or his teammates’. And so, to get his mind off the potential dangers of staying here, he decided to check the rest of his rewards.

  First was the new skill.

  [Crimson Cataclysm | Grade: Eternal | Tier I]

  A powerful Origin skill. You may now summon a centralized blood storm that will shower the battlefield in a deadly, cursed rain. Requires a very large amount of Viron to activate. Can self-sustain itself afterward by consuming the blood of fallen enemies.

  “Damn,” Isaac muttered, blinking at the description.

  Considering what Crimson Death had evolved from, he had expected the next stage to be a bit more focused on thrown projectiles. Yet here he was, with a skill that could affect an entire battlefield and only needed to be activated once. Eternal grade indeed.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Question is… can I still use Crimson Death?

  He should be able to create spears with Blood Manipulation just fine. The issue lay in replicating the explosive aspect of Crimson Death. In theory, it was doable. He understood the process. He just needed practice.

  Isaac almost tried it right then and there before remembering the pitiful state of his Viron reserves. Experimentation would have to wait a bit longer.

  Items then.

  Without hesitation, he reached into his Abyssal Storage Brand. The first new addition he found seemed like the usual gem pouch. He took it out and looked inside.

  Huh. Not gems then.

  [Inferior Virality Core | Grade: Mystic]

  A small core that holds remnants of a defeated Virus of average power. Generally used as an easy and quick way to strengthen one’s Virus and advance its stage. Can be exchanged into Virality Gems at any Support Nexus.

  Isaac hummed and took out all of five cores. Each resembled a perfectly cut glass marble, glowing softly with violet light from within.

  Don’t mind if I do.

  With that thought, he pushed a trickle of his remaining Viron toward the cores. At once, they turned into liquid and sank into his skin. A notification flashed before his eyes.

  Congratulations, Host! Your Virus has reached the peak of its current stage and is ready to advance. Do you wish to begin the process now? During advancement, abilities will remain usable, but Viron production will slow down until completion.

  Isaac snorted. Can it be slower than it already is? Don’t think so. Go on.

  Beginning Virus advancement. Time to completion: 10 minutes.

  His eyes widened. Where were the usual few hours?!

  Shit. That’s what I get for rushing things.

  Still, there wasn’t much he could do to stop it now. As such, he quickly informed Harry of what was happening and asked him to keep watch while the process ran its course. The final part of the Virus advancement never took more than a few minutes, so hopefully, they would be fine.

  And if something happened… Well, then Isaac only had himself to blame.

  “Stupid,” he muttered, and reached into the Storage Brand again. Ten minutes should be enough to go through the rest of his loot. At least it would take his mind off the dumb decision he had just made.

  A square metallic box landed in his hand. It had a single button on top.

  Analyze.

  [Artifact Box | Grade: Mystic]

  A box containing five random Mystic-grade Origin artifacts. Press the button to claim them.

  In a heartbeat, Isaac returned the box to his Storage Brand. An interesting reward, but not one he needed right now. He could open it once he returned to the Safe Zone.

  Next came a fruit—one he recognized instantly.

  [Greater Ascension Fruit | Grade: Mystic]

  A special Overseer-made fruit that holds a charge of unattuned Ascension Power. Upon consumption, it distributes this power as per the Host’s Origin. Works best on the fourth, fifth, and sixth attribute grades.

  After a quick glance at the Virus advancement timer, Isaac took one bite of the fruit, then another. In seconds, the entire thing was gone.

  Nothing happened.

  Isaac frowned.

  Okay, that’s a bit disappointing.

  No point in complaining, though. He summoned his next reward—a crimson pill. Analyze activated faster than ever.

  [Mutagen: Queen’s Blessing | Grade: Arcane]

  A Mutagen created from the remains of a Magma Queen. It shall noticeably enhance the Host’s strength as well as resistance to fire.

  Not bad, Isaac admitted, putting the Mutagen away for now. He would take it after his Virus advanced. That just leaves those…

  Two items, both pieces of clothing that weren’t really anything special. A vest and trousers woven from Magma Spider silk. They offered solid fire resistance but little else. Still, Isaac pulled them on. Maybe they would last longer than his usual clothes.

  I really need to invest in something that repairs itself… like my boots.

  A thought to save for his return to the Safe Zone. Right now, the timer was close to zero.

  Five seconds… Three… Two… One…

  There was no pain at first. All the remnants of his Viron simply moved to a single spot—right next to his Blood Core. There, the energy shaped itself into a small orb. Then, for reasons he couldn’t explain, both his Origin and Legacy flared to life, reaching toward the orb.

  Pure Immortal Mana flooded his body.

  Isaac gasped, his fist clenching as the poisonous energy spread through his veins, burning, reforging them. He had no idea how long it lasted, but by the time all this Mana snapped back toward the orb, his body was drenched in sweat from top to bottom.

  The pain stopped, though, and his body… it felt lighter than ever. All traces of exhaustion also vanished, leaving him wide-awake and full of energy.

  What?

  A notification flashed before his eyes, but Isaac ignored it. Improvement to his body aside, there was one very important issue.

  Where was his Viron? Where did all the Mana go?

  He found the answer the moment he tried to summon a single blood dagger.

  Oh…

  The orb—the same one that had absorbed all his energy—was still there, just not inside his body. It now somehow existed beyond it, like his connection to the Origin and the spark holding his Legacy. It also carried the entirety of his Viron. Only it felt different, stronger.

  Okay, Interface. Explain.

  Virus Core assembly finished successfully. Your Virus has entered the first Major Development Stage. Viron potency, production rate, and storage capacity have been greatly enhanced. Your Ultimates are now twice as effective. Attribute effectiveness enhancement raised by 30% (Total: 50%). 4th Mutagen slot unlocked.

  Just like that, everything clicked. Why the previous stage was called Assembly. Why his Viron had gathered in one place. Why it no longer flowed freely through his veins.

  A Core. Virus Core… he hummed, reaching toward the small orb beyond physical existence again. It pulsed at his phantom touch, igniting the blood in his veins. It didn’t hurt, though. No, it felt more like a reassurance, like a quick “I’m still here, partner.”

  Isaac chuckled under his breath.

  Great. First, a sapient weapon. Then my Origin starts whispering to me. And now… this. Nothing is ever simple in this new world, eh?

  Just then, a soft whisper echoed in his mind. “It’s only the beginning.”

  He smiled.

  “I know.”

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