Neo's faint grin on his face as he responded to the system's question.
(The system is about to start the creation of the Spirit core. Does the creator approve?)
Neo answer inwardly "Yes."
His spirit veins thrummed to life as the System fully maximized every pathway, drawing in spiritual energy from the surroundings. The absorption wasn't dramatic like Pandora's awakening, but to Richard's eyes, it was incredible. Where others struggled clumsily, Neo absorbed energy at a smooth, Mid Rank 1 speed on his first attempt.
Neo focused on the flow, feeling the energy channel through his spirit veins toward his chest. There, it compressed steadily into a core. When it finally solidified, a warm burst of energy flooded his entire body, enhancing it inch by inch as his senses grew significantly.
He opened his eyes, already seeing System notifications flashing. Before he could read them, Richard stepped into view.
"Hey, kid!!. Tell me something...." Richard said, his expression had shock written all over it. "Were you the son of a god?" He shook his head, amazement taking over. "Because come on—twenty minutes? And on your first try? My eyes must be messing with me!"
Suddenly, he bent to Neo's height, surprisingly agile. He tugged his beard, a dangerous glint in his eye. "Maybe we should just cut you up a little. It'd be a great contribution to the Empire. What do you think?"
'What do you think?!' Neo screamed in his head, his calm expression nearly breaking—especially when he saw Pandora mimicking Richard's posture right in front of him, stroking her chin.
"I mean, you don't think I'd actually agree?" Neo said, with his head tilted. "Besides, I think I'm worth a lot more than contributions, I'm thinking gold coins?" He said with a genuine questioning look.
"Hmm…" Richard's greed instantly outweighed his grim curiosity. "You might have a point there." He straightened up. "Alright, I'll leave you here. Take a while adjusting to your senses. Congratulations—you're an Ascendant now."
As the door closed, Neo finally exhaled and turned his attention to the waiting System messages.
(System Reinitializing…)
(Creator has unlocked the Full System Functions.)
(Necessary optimizations will be applied following deep analysis.)
(Status Updated.)
(Initiating deep analysis of Relic: Pandora's Forge…)
Neo waited. While the system scanned the Forge, he re-familiarized himself with his spirit veins. The memory of the System using them to form his core was vivid, almost like muscle memory. He decided to try cultivating on his own, pulling spiritual energy toward his nascent core.
"Amazing…" he muttered, maintaining the flow. His personal efficiency was about half of the System's optimized rate, but that didn't bother him. Using his spirit veins felt instinctive, like moving a limb—a familiarity granted by the System's perfect demonstration.
As he sank deeper into the sensation, he became aware of several subtle connections woven from spiritual energy. The most prominent was the link to Pandora. He focused on it, grasping the thread—
And found himself hovering above an endless blue ocean. Below him, Pandora's true form—the colossal, intricate cube—floated serenely in the air. He noticed something: occasional drops of a glowing golden liquid falling from the cube into the spectral sea below.
"Finally visiting your soul domain, huh…?" Pandora's voice echoed. Her avatar zipped around the true form in energetic circles.
"Hey, what's that golden liquid? Is that, like, liquid rust or something?" Neo asked, distracted by the sight.
"No! That's Creation Energy. *Liquid rust?*" Her flight path stuttered. "What the hell did you just call Creation Energy? Like my glorious self would ever rust! You insult me, Pervy Creator."
Neo tilted his head. He noticed something about Pandora as her tone was different—still playful, but with a new, subtle sharpness. She hadn't referred to herself as 'Pandora' that time. It was as if she'd matured a fraction, though her blue form remained unchanged.
"Creation Energy? What does that mean?" he pressed.
She paused, thinking. "I'm… not entirely sure. I just know that's what it's called."
Neo's disappointment was immediate. Why'd he expect a straight answer? "Let me guess. You heard someone say it once."
"Hey! Don't insult my greatness." She suddenly smirked, a flash of knowing in her eyes. "You should show me a little more respect. I just remembered some important things you'll really want to know."
Neo was taken aback. "How?"
"It just… came back after absorbing some of your spiritual energy, but first I need to check on something!" With that, her avatar vanished.
'Sigh.' Neo released the connection, returning to the physical world. A system notification greeted him.
(Analysis of 'Pandora's Forge' complete. Only basic information could be retrieved. Pandora resists further analysis.)
Curious, Neo summoned Pandora and touched her side, stepping into the Forge's interior space. Pandora was already there, her avatar moving with uncharacteristic quietness, her expression a mix of surprise, amusement, and deep contemplation as she examined the five silent altars. Seeing her focus, Neo held his questions.
Instead, he mentally commanded the System: 'Show me.'
(Displaying identified altar functions: Soul, Element, Form, Spiritual Energy, Creation Energy. Cross-referencing suggests the Creator requires all five corresponding to Forge Relics. Further analysis is impossible; Pandora's core remains impenetrable.)
"That's it?"
(Yes Creator)
Neo glanced at the system screen still in his thoughts before leaving the Forge for the Storage World.
The sight that greeted him was serene yet lively: the obsidian katana, 'World Split Blade', hung motionless in the air, while the 'Spatial Key' zipped around it like an excited firefly. They sensed his arrival. The Key settled on his shoulder with a soft chime; the katana drifted to hover before his face.
Neo grasped the scabbard. Instantly, his vision shifted—he saw 'into' the relic, perceiving layers of impossibly complex energy patterns for a single, staggering moment before a spike of pain lanced through his skull.
"What was that?!" he gasped, his voice tight.
(Response: The Creator utilized innate True-Sight. Warning: Do not attempt to analyze high-tier relics without sufficient mental capacity. Risk of damage to your soul space.)
"Yeah, no kidding," Neo winced, making a mental note to be careful with his "eyes." He focused, pulling the blade from its scabbard.
The obsidian edge caught the light, its surface shimmering with a deep, water-like texture. It was beautiful and palpably deadly. He gave it a few experimental swings. It felt unnaturally natural in his grip—a paradox. Back on Earth, his fantasies ran to guns and explosives, not swords. Yet holding 'World Split Blade', he felt an intuitive sense of its contained power.
He walked to a nearby tree—this Storage World was a genuine, living ecosystem. Selecting a thick branch, he took a stance and sliced.
The blade passed through without the slightest resistance. He'd used no spiritual energy, barely any force.
Emboldened, he targeted the main trunk. He inhaled, focused, and on the exhale, put his weight into a horizontal cut.
'Shick.'
The blade cleaved cleanly halfway through the dense wood, stopping only because Neo's swing lost momentum. If Vaughn could see his successor using the legendary 'World Split Blade' as a lumberjack's tool, he'd have collapsed on the spot.
Neo just stared at the perfect cut, then at the blade, a slow grin spreading across his face.
'This… is definitely overpowered.'