Chapter 396: Expansion

Atlas arched an eyebrow before immediately sitting in a lotus position and focusing inward. His consciousness appeared within the inner world as it always did, surrounded by the seemingly endless darkness. However, the moment his eyes opened, he noticed something different. His gaze immediately settled on the massive tree standing in the distance.

’Those fruits... have they changed?’

’Look! Those fruits seem to have finally ripened!’

Atlas heard the second self’s excited voice just as he was observing the strange development. Turning to the side, he found the second self staring at the tree with an expression that was rarely seen on his face.

Atlas couldn’t help but smile at the sight, as even he was feeling strangely excited. After all, the tree had been growing ever since it appeared within his inner world, yet this was the first time its fruits had undergone such a noticeable transformation.

The two approached the tree, their eyes fixed on the massive fruits hanging from its branches. The rainbow-coloured shells that had previously covered them were nowhere to be seen. Instead, each fruit now possessed a smooth, round, pink exterior that glowed faintly, releasing an unfamiliar energy into the surrounding darkness.

It was difficult to determine what that energy was, but Atlas could already feel the immense vitality contained within each fruit.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. They simply stood beneath the tree, observing the fruits that had finally ripened after absorbing the World Core’s energy. Eventually, the second self broke the silence with a rather straightforward suggestion.

"We should eat it, right?"

Atlas turned toward him and stared at his face for a moment, seemingly wondering where the second self had gotten the idea that he would be eating it too. "...You aren’t thinking of eating it alone, are you?" the second self asked calmly, noticing the somewhat disappointed expression on Atlas’s face.

Atlas immediately nodded, causing the second self to freeze.

"That’s natural, isn’t it? I am the real one, and you are just a part of me. You eating the fruit would be the same as me eating it." He paused before turning toward the tree again. "More importantly, if you eat that fruit, who knows whether your consciousness can handle it? After all, you are just a small part of me. There could be all sorts of consequences."

As he finished speaking, his translucent figure shuddered slightly. One of the fruits detached from its branch and floated into his palm under his ’Will’. Even while holding it, its size was enormous compared to his body, and he couldn’t help wondering what would happen after he consumed it.

Unlike the previous occasion, however, his instincts weren’t warning him of any danger. If anything, he felt that the fruit was something he could safely consume.

"Tch, fine. I wouldn’t want to disappear in vain by eating a fruit." The second self turned away with a dissatisfied expression, earning another nod from Atlas. Both then fixed their eyes on the fruit in his hand, its unfamiliar energy brushing against their consciousness.

Even without consuming it, Atlas could sense the tremendous vitality contained within, along with something else that he couldn’t identify.

"It must be because the Black Hole absorbed that World Core. The vitality, life energy, and remnants of those laws were absorbed by this tree inside the Black Hole, and the fruits must have changed as a result," the second self explained. Atlas nodded, having reached the same conclusion himself.

With that thought, Atlas finally brought the fruit toward his mouth and took a bite. A large portion disappeared between his teeth, and a soft sensation spread across his mouth as he chewed. To his surprise, the fruit was also incredibly sweet, carrying a pleasant taste that he hadn’t expected from something containing such immense energy.

"Mhmm, it’s good—!"

He couldn’t even finish his sentence.

An overwhelming sensation suddenly erupted from within him, causing his entire body to stiffen. His knees struck the ground as an unbearable pain coursed directly through his soul, and the remaining portion of the fruit slipped from his hand.

"Khug!"

Atlas let out a strained sound, his eyes widening as he struggled to comprehend what was happening.

"What? What’s happening?!"

The second self immediately crouched beside him and tried to lift him, but his hands passed through Atlas’s body without being able to support him. His expression changed as he watched Atlas’s consciousness tremble violently.

"Main body! Can you hear me?!" he shouted, attempting to get a response. Atlas couldn’t answer. The pain had become so intense that even forming a thought was difficult, and he could only grit his teeth as an unfamiliar force spread through his existence.

Then suddenly, the darkness surrounding them began to tremble.

The massive tree responded first. Its branches shook, and the pink fruits hanging from them released increasingly intense waves of light. A faint glow travelled down its enormous trunk, spreading into the roots that extended beneath the seemingly empty ground.

The second self turned toward the tree, his eyes widening as he noticed the same energy that had entered Atlas beginning to circulate through its entire structure.

At the same time, Atlas felt something changing within his soul. It was as though an invisible structure that had existed inside him for countless years was being dismantled and rebuilt. Every fragment of his soul seemed to be undergoing refinement, with the fruit’s energy spreading through its very foundation rather than simply strengthening one particular aspect of it.

His consciousness felt as though it was being compressed from every direction before gradually settling into a more stable state. It was an excruciating process, but beneath the pain, he could sense something fundamentally changing.

The second self stared at him before trying to touch his hand gently, only to suddenly feel a burst which blasted his hand away, "What...exactly is this fruit doing to you?" he muttered, his gaze shifting between Atlas and the tree.

Just as he was wondering, a deep vibration passed through the entire inner world.

The seemingly endless darkness began to recede. It wasn’t disappearing; rather, something was pushing its boundaries farther away. The space surrounding the tree expanded, and the distance between its trunk and the edges of the inner world grew wider.

New stretches of darkness emerged beyond what had previously been the limits of their surroundings, while the ground beneath the tree extended alongside them.

The second self slowly stood up, watching the transformation with an astonished expression. "The inner world is expanding...?" he murmured.

However, the expansion wasn’t the only thing happening.

The massive roots beneath the tree began to glow, revealing countless structures that had previously remained hidden beneath the darkness. The second self lowered his gaze, and his expression changed as he noticed shapes forming along the enormous roots.

They were similar and different from the fruits hanging above at the same time.

Their surfaces were rougher, their colours varied, and their sizes were considerably smaller, with some appearing almost incomplete. They resembled tiny, rounded spheres, each possessing a faint glow of its own.

"What in the hell are these...?" He only questioned, not daring to touch it as it was better to observe than interfere as always. More importantly, these structures seemed to be connected to the roots themselves.

Before he could investigate further, another wave of energy spread from the tree.

The roots withdrew slightly into the darkness, and the strange formations dimmed, as though the tree had temporarily concealed them again. The second self narrowed his eyes but didn’t pursue the matter.

Whatever those things were, they weren’t going anywhere, and he had something far more urgent to attend to.

Atlas.

The second self turned back and found Atlas still kneeling, although the violent trembling of his consciousness had begun to subside. The pink glow surrounding him gradually faded, and the overwhelming energy that had been circulating through his soul started settling into its newly established structure.

Several moments passed before Atlas finally raised his head.

His breathing was uneven, and his expression remained strained, but the unbearable pain had finally disappeared. He looked down at his hands, then slowly clenched his fists. Nothing about his appearance seemed different, yet he could feel a remarkable change deep within himself.

His soul felt denser, more stable, and considerably more resilient than before.

"What... was that?" Atlas asked, his voice still slightly hoarse.

"That’s what I was about to ask you!" the second self immediately replied. "You took one bite and suddenly collapsed. I couldn’t even touch you, and then the entire inner world started expanding. Do you have any idea how confusing that was?"

Atlas didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and carefully examined his current condition, "It...feels like my soul is strong somewhat? I don’t know..."

He could feel the difference clearly. His soul was no longer as fragile when subjected to the immense forces he wielded, and its stability had increased considerably.

Atlas slowly opened his eyes. The improvement wasn’t an entirely new ability, nor had he gained some strange technique that he could immediately use in battle. Instead, it was a fundamental enhancement to his soul itself.

"...I feel like my mental capacity also increased by multiple times." More importantly, the expansion of his inner world seemed to be directly connected to that reinforcement.

"Doesn’t that mean...?"

Atlas smiled and answered...