In the gloom of the mine, Ether's fingers moved with a steady rhythm as he wove the fibers of the (Strangling Weed). There was no tension in his features, only a chilling stillness—like the surface of a stagnant pond hiding sleepless monsters beneath.
"In this world, emotions are impurities that disrupt the clarity of calculation," Ether thought, watching the toxic weed. "Ordinary humans pant after justice or love, but for me, there is only 'Benefit.' Power is the only currency recognized in the Bank of Fate."
He paused for a moment, conjuring memories of his second life in Izguldur. His discovery of "Spectral Alchemy" wasn't mere luck; it was the result of three hundred years of lethal patience.
"The cultivators in these islands are mere sheep calling themselves wolves," a cold smile played on his lips. "They follow the traditional Rank System as if it were a sacred text, while in reality, it is a 'biological prison' for those without insight."
The Anatomy of the System: The Machine of Excision
1. Rank (0) - Mortality: The state where a human is merely "food" for the higher ranks. Ether is now at its peak—not because he is strong, but because he has cleansed his "vessel" of human filth to be ready for his first tool.
2. Rank (1-3) - Incarnation (Mutual Slavery): The cultivator grafts a spectral organ (wings, eyes, claws). In Ether's view, this isn't evolution; it is "parasitic colonization." The organ grants power but devours the cultivator's lifespan. Noble Arkon at "Peak Rank 2" is nothing but a bloated insect thinking he owns his phantom, while the phantom owns him.
3. Rank (4-6) - Sovereignty: Where the soul becomes capable of suppressing nature.
4. Rank (7) - The Aberration (Ether's former rank): The moment a cultivator shatters the "Cosmic Protocol" and becomes both creator and creation.
"Why did I fail last time?" Ether wondered, his eyes gleaming with microscopic brilliance. "Because I tried to 'harmonize' with the laws at the last moment. This time, there will be no harmony... there will only be 'Subjugation'."
The True Cheat: Genetic Alchemy
In Izguldur, 60% of a phantom's energy is wasted due to "Spiritual Immune Rejection." But Ether, using his surgical knowledge from Earth, sees "rejection threads" as coding errors.
"With my Spiritual Microscope, I will 'hybridize' the phantoms. I will not graft Paul's raven into my body; I will dismantle it into basic energy units and rebuild it within my nervous system. It won't be an external phantom; it will become a 'biological function' in my blood."
Ether looked toward the corridor where the crack of overseers' whips echoed. He didn't see humans; he saw "moving resources."
"Paul is not an enemy; he is a 'resource chest' carrying a raven I need. Arkon is not a tyrant; he is a mobile 'energy bank' I will withdraw from later. Returning in time granted me the greatest treasure: liberation from moral illusions."
He finished weaving the trap. Tonight, Overseer Paul would fall. Not because of Ether's spite, but because his death achieves a greater "benefit" in the equation of immortality.
"The universe is cold, dark, and indifferent to the cries of the weak. To survive, one must be colder than the darkness itself."