Chapter 200: The Slow Death Of The Planet, The Danger Of Mana And Spirit Reactors

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Because large sources of Spiritual Energy remained rarer than Mana Springs, at least within this particular region of the planet, the development of Spirit Technology had largely halted and still struggled to reach a true global scale. Africa and Asia possessed plentiful places rich in these energies, yet those lands were constantly raided by powerful elites and forcibly occupied so that the precious resource could be drained from the earth.

Over time those once-vibrant areas were reduced to barren wastelands. With proper Spirit Tech, some researchers even theorized that traveling through the stars might become possible one day. That distant dream had driven Claymore, Frostbane, and several other major families and elite groups around the world to invest heavily in its development.

"Even phones run on Mana right?" Daniela wondered aloud, her green eyes bright with curiosity. "I heard the newest models already have spirit stones inside them!"

"Wow," Carlos said, clearly surprised by the idea.

"Hm..." Riven sighed deeply as he considered the larger picture. "Our dependency on this energy has become ridiculous over the last few decades. That dependency has led to its self-destructive privatization, and it could eventually bring about the end of the world itself. We not only have to stop that process from continuing, but we also have to save the planet before it is drained completely dry of its own Mana and Spirit Springs. Those springs only re-awakened with the appearance of the Gates."

"Eh? The planet will run out of energy???" Daniela asked, her voice rising in concern. "Wouldn’t that never happen because the Gates keep bringing more and more Mana and Spirit Energy into the world?"

"Not necessarily," Riven explained carefully. "Eventually the Gates will begin to fuse with the planet itself, and the surplus of power they bring will slow and then halt. I believe what humanity must do is learn to work together to improve the planet without bringing about its own destruction. I know it sounds repetitive, but as things currently stand, humanity will be the only force capable of causing its own downfall."

"Well, we have to do something for sure, but... that can wait for much later, can’t it?" Elisa wondered from her wheelchair, her tone gentle yet practical.

Riven nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I was just talking. Don’t worry about it too much right now. There are still three years left, but... beyond that point I honestly don’t know what will happen. It’s better not to worry until the initial challenge is finally overcome."

"But seriously, how do we even qualify for Ascension?" Kagehisa asked. He and his ninjas had already been informed about Riven’s "dreams of the future," and they had rationalized it as him possessing some kind of Oracle Ability.

"I’ve heard a few clues..." Riven looked toward Label for a moment, recalling how the Goddess of Alchemy within her had spoken about gathering over a hundred Dungeon Gate Cores and synthesizing them into a single "Philosopher’s Stone." Even he was not entirely certain that was the ultimate solution to their problem. "But we’ll figure things out as we move forward. I believe the core issue is that humanity as a whole remains too weak. At least seventy percent of the population needs to be awakened and reach a certain rank. We are not competing as individuals. Ascension is something an entire race and its planet must achieve together. Becoming the strongest person alive will not solve anything on its own. We have to help the whole population grow stronger."

"In only three years?!" Kagehisa coughed in disbelief. "That’s complete bullshit. It’s impossible!"

"I know..." Riven sighed, the weight of the deadline pressing on him. "But we must still try. That is all we can do right now—try with everything we have, without ever giving up."

Kagehisa and the others nodded slowly in understanding. They finished their breakfast in relative quiet before finally returning to the house. Once inside, the order Riven had purchased the previous night finally arrived.

A clear system message appeared in front of him, written in elegant golden letters.

[Your Delivery has finally been sent. Do you wish to bring it outside here? A large, clear area is recommended due to the sheer bulk.]

Riven gave a short nod and walked out into the open garden.

"Drop it here."

A golden portal opened within the system message, connecting directly to the Hunter Market. The market was not a human-made institution but a worldwide forum where people could speak freely and sell products. Items were teleported across vast distances with ease.

In this way humanity could never completely take control of the system, yet the powerful families still privatized as much as possible and created countless laws to prevent ordinary people from buying whatever they wished too easily.

Still, Riven possessed useful contacts from his previous life, and those contacts had provided every product he requested.

Suddenly more than thirty enormous wooden crates dropped heavily onto the grass in front of him. Each crate was covered in layers of paper seals designed to keep the noxious components sealed safely inside and prevent any dangerous materials from spilling out.

[Thank you for your purchase in the Hunter Market! Have a great day!]

The golden message faded away with a soft chime, leaving Riven alone with the large collection of crates.

"What are you doing?" Daniela asked, peering curiously from the doorway.

"Stay away for now, Daniela," Riven warned, his voice firm. "These are dangerous products. If you get too close you might get hurt or poisoned, okay?"

"O-Oh. Okay..." Daniela nodded, stepping back while looking from the door.

He carefully unpacked the first crate. Inside lay a pile of poisonous monster carcasses. None of them were larger than a dog, yet each one was a monstrously ugly insect with sharp limbs and glistening, toxic-looking shells.

"Poisonous Insect Monsters?!" Daniela screamed while watching from a safe distance, her face twisting in disgust.

"Yeah... my favorite," Riven forced a thin smile as he stared down at the repulsive, still-bleeding corpses. "Ugh... eat it."

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