Ether retreated to the deepest point of the "Abandoned Sector," where the sound of pickaxes and the breath of slaves could not reach. In his hand, the (Pure Essence Core) glowed with a pure blue light, like a miniature star fallen from the high heavens of Izguldur. This core was designed to upgrade Rank 2 Phantoms; for a Rank 0 slave to consume it was like trying to pour an ocean into a small bottle.
"Danger is the only price Fate accepts in exchange for power," Ether thought, placing the core between his palms. "Noble Arkon, at the 'Peak of Rank 2', possesses a body refined in gold and silk, yet he fears this core because his energy is unstable. I, however, forged my soul in the fires of Rank 7 for centuries; my body may be weak, but my will is the mold that will shape this brute force."
Ether began activating the (Great Shadow Rotation Technique). Suddenly, the core exploded in his hands, turning into a torrent of cold spiritual lava that rushed through his pores. Ether felt as if his ribcage were shattering under the weight of the energy. Blood began to seep from his ears and eyes, but his features remained as motionless as marble.
"Absorb... digest... rebuild. Do not let a single drop escape. This energy is not a gift; it is the spoils of war."
With every passing second, his thin body expanded and contracted. The leg tendons he had fused earlier began to glow with a muffled violet light, and the humming in his ears turned into a distant thunderous roar. In that moment, Ether broke through the 'Middle' barrier and stormed into (High Rank 0), approaching 'Peak' at a frantic pace.
Suddenly, the entire mine shook. It wasn't a mechanical tremor, but a massive "spiritual pressure" that made the slaves in the distant corridors fall to their knees, losing consciousness.
"He's here..." Ether's eyes narrowed.
In the main shipping corridor, Noble Arkon appeared. He wore a long cloak made of Earth Dragon hide, and from his forehead protruded the (Spectral Eye of Insight)—a Rank 2 Phantom that allowed him to see the flow of energy in the surroundings. Behind him, Overseer Paul trembled in terror.
"There is a disturbance..." Arkon said in a calm voice that carried the echo of death. "The Essence Core sent by the Raven family... its spiritual trace has vanished, replaced by a black void. Do you think I am a fool, Paul?"
"M-Master! The guard was impenetrable!" Paul stammered.
Arkon used the Eye of Insight. A beam of golden light began to sweep the walls and tunnels. The beam was approaching Ether's hiding spot.
"Peak of Rank 2... his insight can reveal any cultivator in the islands. But he is looking for a familiar 'energy signature'. He does not know the (Soul Strangling) technique I devised in my previous life."
Ether held his breath—not just from his lungs, but he strangled his "spiritual breath." He made his energy rotate in a closed loop within his veins, turning his body into a "black hole" that reflected no spectral light. The golden beam passed directly over him, but it saw nothing; it saw only a deaf rock and the frail body of a slave who looked dead from exhaustion.
After minutes of lethal tension, Arkon withdrew his gaze with an angry huff. "No one here has the ability to hide the core. Perhaps it dissipated due to a flaw in the refinement. But hear me well, Paul... if this happens again, I will feed your raven to the earthworms while you watch."
The Noble departed, leaving behind a pressure that gradually began to fade. In the darkness, Ether opened his eyes, and they glowed with a deep blue light before returning to black.
"Arkon... you were so close to ending my journey before it began. Your insight is sharp, but you lack the wisdom that comes from death and return. This core has given me the strength to reach 'Peak Rank 0'. Now, I need only one more thing to break into Rank 1 and craft my own Phantom... I need Overseer Paul's heart."
Ether smiled a pale smile. The hunt had begun, and the predator was no longer the Noble, but the slave hiding in his shadow.