Chapter 242: New Spiritual Core Multiplied By x10,000!

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The ground beneath him broke into spiderweb-shaped cracks as his muscles bulged and moved on their own. Every single one of his cells responded with massive amounts of power pulsing through his whole being. His psionic aura grew and expanded rapidly, and suddenly his Psionic Avatar’s power surged outward until it resembled a towering giant that loomed over the grassland. He felt his bones growing even denser and harder than before. His blood flowed through his veins with such intensity that it began to boil, turning his entire body pitch-red and releasing thick clouds of steam into the cool evening air.

And then, as he gritted his teeth and endured the painful process of assimilating everything, burning horns pushed outward from his forehead. Red scales spread across large portions of his skin, followed by a long, powerful scaled tail that ended in a glowing, burning tip.

And then... silence. Everything settled down at last. The steam slowly faded. The ground stopped trembling. New Skills and Talents were born within him, their presence settling into his Status like fresh brands of power.

Slowly, Riven inhaled and exhaled, carefully converging these wild energies within his body and spreading them evenly across every inch of his being. He forced the chaotic power to stabilize, guiding it through his meridians and into his core so that nothing would be wasted.

His physique started growing stronger with each controlled breath. His Titan Mana Heart continued beating powerfully, pulsing with denser and richer mana that flooded every corner of his body. The heart felt heavier now, more refined, as if it had taken another solid step toward true evolution.

It was not enough for a full Rank Up yet, but he could clearly feel himself getting closer with every major meal he consumed.

"It’s done..."

His aura slowly dissipated into soft wisps of multicolored smoke, revealing Riven’s form having somehow become slightly more refined. His skin looked even more youthful and completely devoid of imperfections. His eyes glowed with a mysterious multi-colored light that shifted between deep crimson, gold, and faint violet. His long hair glistened with an obsidian metallic sheen that caught the fading sunlight like polished black steel.

As he slowly got used to his new strength and the unfamiliar weight of the fresh skills settling into his soul, the system notifications began to appear one after another in front of him.

Ding!

[Genesis-REBIRTH fully consumed.]

[Dragon-Blooded Kobold King fully consumed.]

[Kobold Soldier fully consumed.]

[Kobold Warrior fully consumed.]

[Kobold Priest fully consumed.]

[Mad Locomotive fully consumed.]

[Mutant Rat fully consumed.]

[Mutant Rat King fully consumed.]

[Giant Cockroach fully consumed.]

[...]

[Talent Devourer: Success.]

[Skill Acquired: [Spiritual Core – Level 1]: You manifest and crystalize a powerful core of spiritual energy within your chest that allows you to connect your body and senses to the world Spiritual Plane and several other Supernatural Planes inaccessible by mortals through common means. Your Mana and Spirit Energy Recovery Quantity and Speed increases by over ten times and you can more easily conjure Spiritual Arts and rapidly evolve and adapt them against your opponents or surroundings. Spirits are more prone to befriending you and thinking you’re one of them. Spiritual Avatar and Spiritualization are accessible as well.]

[x10,000 Reward Multiplier Activated!]

[Skill: [Spiritual Core – Level 1] has been multiplied by x10,000!]

[You have learned the Skill: [Divine Spirit Heart – Level 1]: Your Spiritual Core has evolved into the Heart of a Divine Spirit at its infancy and will be able to rapidly develop as you consume Spiritual Treasures, Absorb Spiritual Energy and Cultivate it, and by developing Spiritual Arts and bonding with Spirits. Within your Divine Spirit Heart you can "store" all the Spirits you’ve befriended and formed powerful contracts, where they’ll be able to rest and gain power, or even revive if destroyed after some time. Your Bonded Spirits will grow along with you and become stronger the more your Divine Spirit Heart grows in cultivation. Naturally, you can not only connect your senses to the Spiritual Plane (and other connected Supernatural Planes such as the Netherworld, Hell, or the Soul Sea) but momentarily even visit it in the flesh, with more chances and extended periods of time the more your Spirit Cultivation advances. Your maximum Mana and Spiritual Energy quantity and recovery rate increase by over 10000% and you can master almost every Spiritual Art you learn almost instantly, while also being able to rapidly master your own flow of Mana and Spirit through the "Inner Spirit Mana Sea" within your Divine Spirit Heart. Spirits that get a sight of your Spiritual Aura will instantly befriend you and follow you and may even become your subordinates automatically. You can also manifest from your Spirit Energy a Divine Spirit Beast Avatar that is the combination of all your Spiritual and Magic Power. Spiritualization of all Magic-based skill and spells is possible and easily mastered.]

"..."

Riven was left completely speechless the moment he finished reading the new Skill he had obtained from Genesis-REBIRTH. It did not seem alien-like at all. Instead it felt pure, ancient, and astonishingly powerful. It was as if he had fully consumed the spirit fox, which left a small pang of sadness in his chest. Yet at the same time the spirit itself had clearly survived. A soft, glowing presence suddenly manifested in front of him, as if reacting directly to the crystallization of spiritual power now beating inside his body.

"So that pain in my chest was from this...!" he thought, carefully feeling a hardened crystal heart sitting right next to his Titan Heart. The two cores pulsed in different rhythms yet somehow remained in harmony. "Interesting... Oh? Are you interested in this?"

"Gaaauh!"

The little white fox spirit appeared fully in front of him. Its fur shone with soft starlight, and its eyes held a calm, knowing intelligence. Without hesitation it rubbed its face affectionately against his own, then suddenly leaped forward and pierced straight through his chest, phasing harmlessly through flesh and bone before entering his newly formed Divine Spirit Heart.

FLUOSH!

"?!"

For a single moment Riven felt the world around him twist and dissolve. He was suddenly teleported elsewhere, finding himself standing within an endless sea of bright yellow, blue, and green colors that constantly shifted and flowed like liquid light under a vast rainbow sky.

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