Hearing the system's announcement, Elric froze for a moment.
Then his expression shifted into one of disbelief — followed by a slow, knowing grin.
[Ding — System Notification: "Magma Fruit has fully ripened."]
He muttered under his breath, "So it's finally ready…"
And then came the next alert —
[Reward from Elsa's Deep Sync: 20 Fully Loaded Desert Eagles.]
Elric raised an eyebrow. "A gun reward, huh?"
He opened his system space, and sure enough — rows of black, gleaming Desert Eagles appeared on metallic racks, every one of them pristine and loaded.
In a world where most people fought with knives, pipes, or broken tools, this was a treasure trove.
"These will do nicely," he murmured, running a hand over the cold steel.
Firearms were still extremely effective against normal humans — and even some lesser mutated creatures. If used right, they could mean survival.
He thought briefly about arming Natasha, Grace, Jenna, and Elsa. They all needed ways to protect themselves. But his eyes narrowed slightly.
"No… not yet."
He wasn't naïve. Even allies could panic — or turn desperate. Giving a gun to someone who didn't have absolute loyalty could easily backfire.
"Raise an eagle, get pecked by one," he thought dryly.
Elric exhaled slowly, pushing the thought aside. His attention turned to the far end of the system space, where a towering tree of crimson crystal stood.
Its trunk glowed faintly — 30 to 40 meters tall — and on one of its branches hung a fruit like burning stone.
The Magma Fruit pulsed with fiery light, viscous liquid heat swirling across its skin like living lava.
He reached for it.
"Not exactly appetizing…" Elric muttered, grimacing.
Elsa, standing beside him, tilted her head curiously. "Is that… one of those power fruits you mentioned? The kind that grants new abilities?"
Elric gave her a small smile. "Something like that."
Without another word, he closed his eyes, braced himself, and bit down.
Instantly — he regretted it.
"Ugh!" His face twisted in disgust. "This thing tastes like burning metal mixed with sulfur!"
It was even worse than the last one — the Surgical Fruit — and far beyond the bitterness of the Glare Fruit.
Elsa covered her mouth, half in surprise, half in amusement. "You okay?"
Elric didn't answer. The moment the fruit's essence hit his core, his entire body erupted in heat.
Flames surged beneath his skin — not burning, but reshaping. His veins felt like molten rivers.
Then came the System chime again:
[Ding — New ability detected: "Magma Fruit."][Updating host status panel…]
A transparent screen unfolded in front of him, data scrolling in clean digital text:
System Status
Name: ElricPhysical Strength: 155 (≈ 10× average human)Mental Power: 10 (normal adult level)
Fruit Abilities 1. Surgical Fruit — Level 2 (4/20)
[Room]: Create a 500-meter radius spherical operation zone.
[Scan]: Detect every lifeform and object within the Room in real-time.
[Swap]: Instantly exchange positions between targets within the Room (up to 4× Elric's own weight or mental power).
[Telekinesis]: Manipulate inanimate objects freely within the Room — from blades to debris — limited by stamina.
[Scalpel]: Infuse weapons with surgical energy to "cut" targets harmlessly, separating parts without killing.
[Reassembly]: Reconnect or recombine separated parts — even between different bodies or materials.
2. Vision Fruit — Level 1 (1/10)
[Clairvoyance]: See up to 5,000 meters away with precise detail.
[X-Ray Sight]: See through solid matter; smoke and fog provide no cover.
[Emotion Sense]: Detect emotional states of nearby humans — white for goodwill, black for malice, blue for neutral.
3. Magma Fruit — Level 1 (1/10)
[Magma Generation]: Produce molten rock at will. Volume scales with physical strength.
[Magma Fist]: Channel magma through limbs to unleash explosive, long-range attacks (max reach: 10 meters).
[Elemental Form]: Transform into pure magma, rendering physical attacks useless — only Haki-type forces or energy manipulation can affect the user.
Elric closed the panel with a thought, exhaling a plume of faint steam.
The air around him shimmered from residual heat — the walls of the system space glowing dimly orange.
"So this is it," he murmured, flexing his hand. Lava flowed between his fingers before cooling into rock.
A slow, dangerous smile crossed his face.
"With this… I can burn down anything in my way."
Elsa watched from a short distance, awe flickering in her eyes. "You really are something else, Elric."
He turned to her, his tone calm but resolute. "No. I'm just adapting faster than everyone else."
Outside, thunder rolled across the darkened city skyline. Somewhere beyond the ruins, more survivors — and more monsters — were stirring.
And deep in his mind, the System whispered again:
[New Evolution Path Unlocked — Fire Sovereign Sequence.]
Elric smirked. "Guess I just leveled up."
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