Chapter 591 - 230: So, He Has Always Been Here

Survival Points: 123,230

’One upgrade costs ten thousand Survival Points...’

Wei’en closed his eyes, concentrating as he recounted the value in the talent section of his panel.

He finally had to accept it. It was definitely a one followed by four zeros!

Based on the multiplier for skill upgrades, the next level would require one hundred thousand Survival Points. The level after that, going from Adept to Expert, would be a million Survival Points...

’Skills have a tenfold increase, but a talent shouldn’t also have a tenfold multiplier for upgrades... right?’

Wei’en looked at the "0/10,000" next to Spiritual Conversion, then reconfirmed that his Origin Power had reached one thousand, meeting the upgrade requirement...

’Time to try upgrading!’

Spiritual Conversion, Entry-Level (1/10,000)... (10,000/10,000).

[Spiritual Conversion, Entry-Level (10,000/10,000). Upgrade?]

[Upgrade.]

[Congratulations, your talent: Spiritual Conversion has been upgraded from Entry-Level to Skilled. Effect: You can convert your Resilience Level, Spirit Level, and Origin Power into one another. The conversion ratio between Resilience Level and Spirit Level is one-to-one. The conversion ratio of Resilience Level, Spirit Level, etc., into Origin Power is eight-to-one, and one-to-eight in reverse.]

[Note: Spiritual Conversion (Skilled) upgrade requirement: Origin Power must reach two thousand.]

As his Spiritual Conversion talent reached the Skilled level, Wei’en could sense a dim space deep within his mind where his previously imperceptible Origin Core resided.

A dim space...

The next moment, he heard a gentle voice emanating from that dim space, from the location of his Origin Core. It seemed to be reciting something, yet it also sounded like meaningless, whispered murmurs.

"Apu, Luno, Rexi..."

Hm?!

Wei’en frowned sharply. The words were familiar...

’It can’t be, can it?’

’No, it shouldn’t be...’

Then, his consciousness focused on the Origin Core in his mind, trying to peer through the profound, dark membrane—a barrier that couldn’t be seen with eyes—to glimpse the scene within.

"Tollo, Yu, Te."

Heh heh, are you looking for me?

Wei’en felt his Spirit, which had sunk into his mind, suddenly pierce through that illusory, deep membrane and enter the place where the Origin Core was located.

’Th-This is!?’

After his Spirit entered the Origin Core’s space, it slowly coalesced into an illusory face that hovered above, looking down upon everything below.

In that seemingly boundless void, there was a continent of black soil. At its center stood a colossal, withered, and sturdy tree.

The great tree’s trunk was dry and cracked. Its branches were a jagged, sprawling mess, stretching menacingly from the ground and piercing the sky. Even from his current vantage point, he couldn’t see the top of the tree.

At the base of the giant tree, a familiar figure appeared before his eyes.

It was, shockingly, the same monster with a face on its abdomen that he saw in the "glass" space every time he upgraded his Meditation Technique.

"Yo, you’re here."

The deformed figure, bound by the branches of the giant tree, had tentacles for limbs that were wrapped around the base of the massive, withered trunk. Crimson eyes on the tentacles, some open and some closed, pulsed in a steady rhythm.

And on its abdomen...

Wei’en stared at its abdomen, his eyes flying wide open.

"One, two, three... thirteen... Thirteen?"

It was no longer just one face, but thirteen... thirteen faces that looked exactly like his own!?

"Ah, you found out. My apologies, my apologies."

On the abdomen of that twisted, bizarre figure, thirteen faces looked up at him in unison. Their expressions were uncannily identical, like the sheepishness of being caught doing something wrong, mixed with a hint of secret delight and even a touch of mockery.

It was as if they were saying to him, ’You’re too late, and it doesn’t matter that you’ve found out’.

"You..."

Wei’en stared intently at its body. "You’ve been in my mind this whole time?"

"Of course. I came here the moment you opened that Meditation Technique Scroll."

The towering abomination shifted its body, as if trying to make itself more comfortable within the tree’s bonds.

"I told you, I am you. And that we would meet again soon. You haven’t forgotten, have you?"

"So that’s when..."

Wei’en looked down at the bizarre figure and fell silent for a long time before asking, "So, what exactly are you? And don’t try to fob me off with that ’I am you, and you are me’ nonsense again."

The crimson pupils on the thirteen faces of the towering abomination’s abdomen looked up at Wei’en, who was positioned at the top of this illusory space. A trace of confusion and astonishment flickered in their eyes.

"You’re not feeling any fear? No fright at all?"

"Why should I be afraid? Because of you?" Wei’en looked at it calmly and continued, "Since I know you’re in my body, there is no fear."

"Oh?"

"Do you know what the first thing I learned after coming to this world was?" Wei’en didn’t explain further, instead posing a question of his own.

"What was it?" the thirteen faces on the towering abomination’s abdomen asked in unison.

’Tsk, that’s loud. Is there an echo?’

Wei’en glanced around before saying coolly, "A Wizard only fears the unknown. And you, coincidentally, are now known."

’It seems this bizarre figure won’t tell me anything more.’

However, since it came from that Meditation Technique Knowledge Scroll, it wasn’t difficult to deduce the possible origin of the figure under the giant tree.

One possibility was a god who wanted to use him as a vessel, like Tina. But judging by the fragility of the space it broke through at the beginning and the abomination’s intelligence at the time, the likelihood of it being a god was extremely low.

The second possibility was a Wizard from the Ghost Soul School of a previous era, one whose level was at least beyond Legendary.