During my last hibernation process, when I was cleansing my body of demonic energy poisoning, I was fully unconscious until the process was complete.

This time, it's a little different.

While my fully alert and conscious decision-making mind is asleep, my passive perception abilities and the absurd rise in power keep the back of my mind semi-aware of my surroundings.

The dark red plunderer aura grows in size, filling the entire boss room and seeping into the very fabric of the labyrinth itself.

Trillions of MP flow through my body every few seconds, drained from the entire 52-floor structure, and channeled directly into the activation of my mythic-grade hibernation skill.

Every few minutes, I feel the odd sensation of an entire labyrinth floor collapsing beneath me, its essence disappearing from reality, much like those dungeons out in the desert vanishing into thin air when I was farming them months ago.

There's an initial click that vibrates in my mind, like a breaking point, then a woosh as all the stored-up mana is greedily absorbed by my passive plundering.

While the quadrillions of MP flow through me, I'm not actively using this mana. Only a small percentage is being applied to my mana control. However, even that small percentage is enormous and will more than double the amount of mana control I gained during my entire battle with the true cores out in the desert's dead zone.

These calculations are an afterthought, as my mind is running on autopilot while the clicks and whooshes of floors being collapsed and absorbed race through my mind one after another.

I can't tell how much time is passing or how close I am to the final hibernation goal, but I know it's working, and there's no longer any reason to worry.

The rhythmic sounds echo in my consciousness as my body fills with a warm light, healing from the inside out with hundreds of quadrillions of MP.

Everything seems to be working perfectly—until the clicking and whooshes stop.

The final floor of the labyrinth is absorbed, yet the hibernation bar that continues to tick up is only at [238.40/276.95 Quadrillion MP], and the boss room itself begins to fade out of existence as my aura of plundering does not slow down.

[Use Absorption]

Skill: Telepathy

Upgrade: Mythic

[YES] [NO]

[Use Absorption]

Skill: Body Double

Upgrade: Mythic

[YES] [NO]

[Use Absorption]

MCP: 6,023,954,200,642

[YES] [NO]

As the labyrinth fully collapses, the demon linked as its guardian dies as a result, leaving behind only an Arch Demon's core with absorption text floating above it, waiting for me to accept.

I would instantly press yes on all three of these options if I were fully awake, but the only thing my mind wants to do right now is gather these last few dozen trillion MP to finish my hibernation process.

The red aura continues to grow outward, now centered in the dungeon hub of Vice City, and it starts to creep throughout the city, triggering catastrophic events.

All the mana-powered streetlights, crosswalks, and public transportation are instantly drained of the mana that keeps them running.

My aura seeps deep into the structure of the dungeon hub itself.

Countless tunnels of high B and A-grade mana shielding, which form the underground dungeon hub for tens of kilometers in every direction, simultaneously lose their buzzing sounds as mana is forcibly ripped out of them by my aura.

The large Vice City Association buildings, made of high-grade shielding, with bunkers and vaults full of mana crystals, are drained instantly as well.

All around the city, the air pressure drops as every last particle of ambient mana within a 100-kilometer radius is drained away, leaving everyone's MP bars, no matter their status, at zero.

Merchants at low levels and high C and B-class hunters try to resist the eerie red wave of light tinting the city, but it's futile.

All of the hundreds of dungeons scattered throughout the city and the surrounding forest regions are affected too.

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Every single dungeon within my aura drops by roughly 50% of its mana reserves in minutes. New dungeons begin to break from rapid destabilization, while others, previously on the verge of collapse, have their excess mana instantly cleansed and stabilize again.

No one knows what's happening...

First, three powerful surges ripple across the entire region. Then, from the epicenter of the dungeon hub, where the Vice City Labyrinth used to sit, a deadly aura drains half of the region's mana in minutes.

The ominous, all-consuming red aura finally stops spreading and disappears in an instant, allowing the blue sky to shine overhead once more.

At the same time, I finally wake up, gasping for air as I try to conceptualize the fractured memories rushing through my mind from when I was asleep.

[Emergency Mode Hibernation Complete!]

[276.95/276.95 Quadrillion MP Consumed!]

[Cured: Mana Fatigue (Jay Soju), Soul Energy Fatigue (Jay Soju), Divine Energy Fatigue (Jay Soju), Divine Energy Poisoning (Jay Soju), Divine Energy Internal Combat Injuries (Jay Soju)]

These words ring in my mind as I look down at the floor to find I'm standing on the frame of deactivated mana shielding.

I'm inside a small box, and I deduce that this is where the Vice City Labyrinth used to be...

I vaguely remember entering this room once. There was a large green spinning portal, locked away behind multiple armed guards and high-security doors.

Now, all that's left is a large black slab of rock that gives off no aura at all.

It was where the demon lay motionless when I reached the top of this labyrinth in a severely injured, brain-fogged state.

I instantly accept the two mythic-grade skill upgrades and the extra mana control, then open a small spatial magic portal to let the Arch Demon core and mysterious slab of rock into my storage.

At the same time, I look down at my body in awe.

"It worked..."

I have no idea how much time has passed or the true extent of the destruction my mindless plundering stunt caused in the Vice Region, but my body is completely healed.

My True Core is cycling energy perfectly, and not a single thread is out of place in my body.

I feel as good as new... If not, better. The hundreds of quadrillions of MP that used me as a vessel to power my hibernation skill may not have all directly added to my mana control, but it feels like my ability to absorb and control immense amounts of energy has risen exponentially.

I've never handled that much energy at once before, but now that my body and mind have experienced it, it feels far more natural. Even at a fraction of that scale, utilizing this power in offensive or defensive maneuvers during battle could elevate me to a whole new level.

I feel incredible. Like I've slept for months, and my muscles and bones have healed and become stronger.

I've only slept a few hours a month for the last few months, training to become strong enough to defeat the Lich King, then preparing for the B-Class exams, and even during the exams themselves, staying on guard and leveling up inside the Divine Construct.

I had small respites, but never a full reset.

My mind feels completely clear, and my body is as light as a feather.

I instantly take advantage of my two new mythic-grade skills, activating stealth and walking right out of the deactivated mana-shielded labyrinth room.

The streets and association workers are in chaos as I activate a telepathic link with all of my doubles simultaneously.

"I'm going to need a large amount of mana crystals farmed and a team from the Crimson Army to help restore the Vice Region. I've left quite the mess here..."

No further explanation is needed, as with my new mythic-grade body double perk, all memories are instantly shared between my main body and my other three.

There's no longer any time lag or mysteries between us. It's like my consciousness is split into four parts, and I can choose which ones to focus on or put on the backburner.

My double, currently in the Apex Region with Rodrigo and Bri, replies.

"On it, we were just finishing up here. I'll notify the army right now. Plus, it's been almost two hours since you left. I'll be happy to notify our teammates of your successful healing process."

I then activate the second new perk of my mythic-grade body double upgrade—the ability to use teleportation magic to instantly swap places with any of my three linked doubles.

In an instant, a flash of white light in the Apex and Vice Regions simultaneously blinks, and I find myself in one of the isolated A-Class-only resting suites at the Apex Region's Association Headquarters.

Bri and Rodrigo stare at me with confused looks as my mana control vanishes from the room.

I grin and look down at the stacks of papers and plans we've come up with in the last few hours, letting the memories of my double rush in so we can continue our meeting.

—

Meanwhile, far off to the west, thousands of kilometers away, Raven flies high in the air. She's carrying an important package that was picked up from the lobby of the Apex Region's headquarters amidst all the chaos.

While my double, Bri, Rodrigo, and all the higher-grade hunters were off subjugating the breaks all throughout the region, the beautiful white statue of a dragon in the main hall was stolen by a woman using a divine stealth ability.

It rests safely in her item box as she flies through the skies at speeds far exceeding anything someone without a true core could hope to reach.

Every ten minutes or so, she drinks one of the bright green potions gifted to her as the divine energy-imbued wounds begin burning into her body and soul.

The mythic-grade potions are enough to temporarily stave off the pain, but even she knows they won't be enough to heal her completely. The thought at the back of her mind is that the 200 yellow fragments from delivering this package should be enough to treat her wounds.

However, after the first cough of blood spreads through the air following her final potion, doubt creeps in.

She approaches a large white mansion deep inside a jungle, with no other villages or civilization for hundreds of kilometers in any direction.

The mansion has hundreds of windows and a long, white central walkway cutting through a cleared out portion of the jungle, leading to the entrance of the mysterious mansion.

As Raven descends into the jungle, she deactivates her stealth ability and begins slowly walking down the white pathway. Along the path, numerous art pieces line the way.

Massive ogres holding axes, long-tailed serpents with venomous fangs, an army of stone golems, a humongous minotaur, and even smaller creatures like goblins, wolves, and slimes.

They all share the same lifelike appearance and shimmering white color just like the dragon statue Raven holds in her item box.

Every hundred meters along the walkway, there's a statue missing, where it seems the collector is waiting for a new masterpiece to display.

Raven's slow, rhythmic footsteps echo closer and closer to the four massive cylindrical pillars in front of the staircase leading up to the mansion's entrance.

She coughs blood again, holding her mouth shut so as not to ruin the pristine displays, and the two massive front doors creak open.