You have vanquished [Grivaxian Alpha - lvl 35] - Valtite has been distributed amongst your party. You have gained +100 Valtite reserves.

‘DING’ Your valtite energy grows to level 10, empowering your stats and increasing your potential. +1 to each stat and +1 untrained point.

‘DING’ Valtite energy influx detected. Threshold reached: 'Trace' level. Stat amplification in process. Potential increase confirmed. Stat gain has increased to +2 to each stat and +2 untrained points.

[Valtite System Status: 1/3]

Ability Acquired: [Valtite Potential Harness (Trace)] - Enables conscious control over internal valtite consumption, preventing automatic conversion to untrained potential. This heightens valtite reserves, ensuring readiness for critical moments.

‘DING’ Affinity alignment now accessible. Valtite signature attunement unlocked. New abilities await exploration.

‘DING’ Significant achievement unlocked: Valtite can now be manifested. Prepare to wield your energy in a tangible form.

‘DING’ Your valtite energy grows to level 11, empowering your stats and increasing your potential. +2 to each stat and +2 untrained points.

‘DING’ Your valtite energy grows to level 12, empowering your stats and increasing your potential. +2 to each stat and +2 untrained points.

Brian jolted awake, his view flooded by mystical writing floating in front of him. He found himself still in the Grivaxian boss room. However, the chaotic atmosphere was gone. He saw Zarkon's black, draconic form lying motionless before him. His attention shifted to his comrades, and he sighed after noticing Mandrix, Serdna, Lana, and Ilex, all standing tall and unbroken.

He rose to his feet, noticing that his vitality was more than half full. His thigh no longer throbbed with pain, and the cuts on his arms were miraculously sealed. The relief was palpable as he took in the improved state of his condition.

Too many notifications had accumulated, but Brian decided to take a look at those later. I’ll be able to look at those later… right? He looked himself over, and then tried jumping up and down. "Wow, I feel surprisingly good!"

Lana chuckled and remarked, "At least you woke up happy this time."

Brian blushed a little as he remembered his previous dream. "Yeah, I feel great. Did I get an IV or something? Before I passed out, I was nauseous, had a terrible migraine, and could hardly stand. But now, I'm feeling fantastic."

Serdna approached, smiling, and said, "I healed you a bit, but take it slow. Your body still needs to recover on its own."

Meanwhile, Mandrix was calmly driving his sword through Zarkon's neck to ensure that he was truly dead when a mesmerizing display of sparks swirled nearby. A formidable old man with gray hair and a short gray beard appeared before their eyes.

Touching his face, the old man said, "Oh shit, I fucked up."

Ilex squinted toward the mysterious man. "Shinmu?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Shinmu replied.

Mandrix walked up to him, laughing uncontrollably. "Shinmu, welcome back!" He continued to laugh at the sight, then added, "Shit, you've aged like a fine wine. But at least you defeated a beta this time."

"What happened?" Lana asked.

Distracted, Shinmu reacted. "What?" He snapped out of his reverie, and continued, "I think I took the red grivaxian to the end of time, but then I noticed I was getting older and panicked, so I left him there and returned."

Brian tried to make him feel better. "Wow, that was really impressive. Your ability is really powerful!"

Terrified, Shinmu said, "No, this is terrifying. I ran out of valtite, and I'll probably die of old age in five phases or so."

Time manipulation gets worse every time, Brian thought to himself. “Na, you are not that old.”

Sylas then called out to Brian with a deep hiss.

“Wow, he was still here?” Mandrix questioned.

Serdna pulled out his lyre. "Seems there's one left."

Mandrix chortled. "Relax, that's Brian's buddy."

Cautiously, the group walked toward Sylas, their hands hovering near their weapons, ready to draw them at a moment's notice. As they approached the grivaxian beta, their attention was drawn to the Sovereign Core, which appeared unscathed amid the chaos. The core pulsated with an almost anesthetic rhythm, its active and vibrant energy an embodiment of its resilience.

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Shivering, Brian raised his hand and placed it on the ethereal object. Immediately, a surge of curiosity overwhelmed him, sparking an insatiable thirst for knowledge about the core. However, as quickly as the desire appeared, it was replaced by a more potent feeling. It made him recoil and yank his hand away as if the object had suddenly become scorching hot; Fear, raw and unnerving, eclipsed his initial curiosity.

[Sovereign Core] - This core has the power to amplify the wielder’s mind and instincts, magnifying their natural behaviors.

Brian looked up to Sylas, "So, what's going to happen to the grivaxians now?"

"I will rebuild our home. If you promise to keep your kind away, we will remain neutral. We will simply protect our territory and be ready for the calamity." Sylas answered with a series of guttural growls and hisses.

Mandrix was getting impatient, "What did Sylas say?"

Brian asked his companions, "Do any of you know what the calamity is?"

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, each shaking their head in response. Everyone spoke simultaneously, “No idea.” “Never heard of that.” “No.” “Probably a government takeover.” “Say again?”

At that moment, a sneeze from behind the large polished rock block that supported the Sovereign Core startled them. Apprehensively, they all peeked over to see what caused the commotion. The sight of a voluptuous, naked brunette left them in shock.

Without a second thought, both Mandrix and Serdna rushed to help her up. Mandrix asked, "Baby, are you okay?"

Serdna stepped slightly closer, "If you're lost, I can help you get out of here."

[Human (Trace) - lvl ???]

[☜︎☼︎☼︎⚐︎☼︎ ☜︎☼︎☼︎⚐︎☼︎ ☜︎☼︎☼︎⚐︎☼︎]

Taking a step back, Brian blurted out louder than intended, "Sophia? From accounting? What–?"

He looked at his cloak, but it was all tattered and barely usable. I hope Mandrix doesn’t get mad. Then he stared at Lana’s velvety emerald green mantle, "Can I borrow your cloak?"

Lana, still processing the scene, hesitated before responding, "Yes, of course."

Brian took the cloak from Lana and draped it around Sophia. "What are you doing here?" he asked again.

Sophia wrapped the cloak tightly. “One moment I was taking a shower and the next I was in this creepy cave. Then the ugly iguanas held me captive, I don’t know what’s going on," Sophia said, shivering.

Brian, now frustrated, turned to Sylas, "Why were you holding her?"

"I've never seen her before. Zarkon must have captured her," Sylas replied, looking genuinely confused.

A sudden commotion echoed through the long hallway leading to Zarkon's chamber, drawing the group's attention. They stared with anticipation as four figures emerged, drenched in purple from head to toe. Grivaxian blood dripped with each step they took, it became apparent that this was Bull and his crew, barely recognizable beneath the vivid liquid.

“I must leave.” Sylas hissed.

“Wait, what is the calamity?” Brian pleaded.

“Remember our promise and we may perhaps fight it together.” In the blink of an eye, Sylas vanished without a whisper.

"Well, well, it looks like you took down the big one," Bull said, shifting his gaze away from Zarkon's battered body. "But it seems there are a few more losers than I remembered." He glanced at Lana and winked, "Not you, Lana."

“And it seems like you have one less prick than I remembered”

Bull spat on the floor, “Yeah, we fought and killed fifty grivaxians. Grald died, but no biggie, we had two of 'em," he shrugged. "Who's the old geezer?"

Grald frowned at Bull's dismissive remark. He, the surviving Grald, was the older brother.

“Lana, how can you be friends with this fucker?” Mandrix gasped.

Shinmu stared at his aged hands. "What happened? Who, me?... Hey, I'm only 22!"

Bull nearly toppled over. “What the fuck? 22? Are you are stupid? How the hell did that happen?”

Shinmu began to approach Bull. "Come here, I'll give you a firsthand demonstration."

Ilex tried to hold him down. "Old age has made you grumpy?"

"Ilex, don’t start. Do you want a sneak peek of the future too?"

“Anyway, we will take the Sovereign Core back to headquarters.” Bull said as he made his way to the core.

Mandrix frowned and stepped in front of him. “Negative. We found it and we killed the alpha. You didn’t do shit.”

“Fine, I’ll buy it from you,” Bull flashed a toothy grin. "Well, I'll take it to the government, and you know what that means? Prestige, my friend! You'll be famous!"

Mandrix leaned against the wall, polishing the Sovereign Core in his hands. Bull swaggered up to him, a smug grin plastered on his face. He snorted. "Fame? You think I give a fuck about fame? Talk about Solars!"

Bull feigned shock, clutching his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Mandrix! Isn't the admiration of the masses enough for you?"

"Nope. I prefer admiration of the masses of Solars in my pocket," Mandrix retorted, smirking. "So, how much are you willing to pay?"

Bull hesitated, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Alright, how about 100 Solars? That's quite a sum, you know."

Mandrix burst into laughter. "100 fucking Solars? Are you kidding me? For 100 you can take one of the alpha’s arms. You're gonna have to do better than that."

Bull rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. 500 Solars, but that's my final offer."

Mandrix shook his head, still grinning. "You must think I was born prevlum. 1500 Solars, and not a Solar less."

Bull's eyes widened, and he sputtered, "1500? That's highway robbery!"

"Well," Mandrix said, casually tossing the Sovereign Core into the air and catching it, "take it or leave it. Fame doesn't pay the bills, but 1500 Solars, I can split them between my group."

Bull groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Fine, 1500 Solars it is. But you better remember this when the government makes me your boss!"

Mandrix chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be too busy counting my Solars to care."

“Can you not stand so close, you smell like puke, You are going to make–” but Mandrix had taken another step…