The Origin Core Shard

Chapter 71 — The Origin Core Shard

Aether stood over the defeated beast.

The black shard in his hand pulsed faintly.

It wasn't like the fragments they had encountered before.

Those fragments carried a strange, unstable quality.

This one was different.

Dense.

Pure.

Almost as if countless years of Origin Energy had been compressed into a single object.

Aether examined it carefully.

[Origin Core Shard detected.]

[Compatibility: 94%.]

[Direct assimilation may cause physical instability.]

[Recommended: Controlled assimilation.]

Aether glanced at Seris.

"Can you help stabilize my body?"

Seris immediately nodded.

"I can try."

Lyra frowned.

"You're really going to absorb something that the system itself says could hurt you?"

Aether smiled.

"If I didn't take risks, I wouldn't be here."

Aria crossed her arms.

"That's not exactly reassuring."

Aether looked at her.

"You worry too much."

"Because you keep giving me reasons to."

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For a moment, Aether had nothing to say.

Lyra quietly laughed.

"She's got you there."

Aether shook his head.

"Fine. I'll be careful."

He sat down.

Seris placed her hands against his back.

Silver light spread through his body.

[Moonlit Life Physique activated.]

[Life Essence circulation established.]

Aether closed his eyes.

The Origin Core Shard touched his palm.

Immediately—

BOOM!

A terrifying amount of energy surged into his body.

His muscles tightened.

His Origin Core shook.

Aether gritted his teeth.

"Steady!" Seris shouted.

Aether focused.

Instead of forcing the energy into his Origin Core, he guided it through his meridians.

One section at a time.

Slowly.

Controlled.

The violent energy became manageable.

The shard began shrinking.

Aether's Origin Core absorbed the first portion.

Then the second.

Then the third.

A faint black-and-silver pattern appeared around his Origin Core.

The system flashed.

[Controlled assimilation successful.]

[Origin Core strengthened.]

[Origin Energy capacity increased.]

[Physical body reinforced.]

[New ability detected.]

Aether opened his eyes.

[New Ability Acquired: Origin Sense.]

[Effect: Allows the user to sense abnormal Origin Energy fluctuations.]

[Current effective range: 30 meters.]

[Restriction: Detection becomes less accurate against targets significantly stronger than the user.]

Aether stood.

The world suddenly felt different.

He could sense the Origin Energy inside Lyra.

Aria.

Seris.

Even the stone beneath his feet.

Then he focused farther.

"There's something behind that wall."

Everyone turned.

Aether walked toward the eastern wall.

He placed his palm against it.

Origin Sense spread outward.

There.

A hollow space.

Aether gathered his strength.

BOOM!

The wall shattered.

Behind it was a narrow passage.

Lyra stared.

"You could sense that?"

"Thirty meters."

Aria looked impressed.

"That's useful."

Aether smiled.

"Very."

They entered the passage.

It ended at a small stone chamber.

Inside was a pedestal.

On it rested a metal plate covered in ancient markings.

Seris studied it.

"There are six symbols."

Aether looked closer.

Each symbol was different.

Wolf.

Serpent.

Moon.

Flame.

Crown.

And an unfamiliar spiral.

Below them were six empty circles.

Then Aether noticed something else.

One circle was glowing.

The same pattern as Kael's crystal.

The system appeared.

[Origin Key Network detected.]

[Current activation: 1/6.]

[Six Origin Keys are required to access the central reservoir.]

Aether's expression became serious.

"So the fragments aren't random."

"They're keys," Aria said.

"And someone has already collected at least one."

Lyra looked toward him.

"Kael."

Aether nodded.

But then another line appeared.

[Warning.]

[Current Origin Key has been damaged.]

[Network stability: 16%.]

Aether frowned.

Six keys.

One damaged.

And the mechanism was already operating at sixteen percent stability.

Someone had been using this system.

Recently.

Aether looked toward the passage they had entered through.

"Blackridge wasn't the first group to find Greyfall."

Seris understood immediately.

"They were following someone."

Aether smiled faintly.

"Now we're following them."