{Argus's POV}
"And that's all what happened, Master! I apologize for letting my brother almost get killed by a weakling!"
The "weakling" Astrea referred to was the special-class monster, the mama bear she had tortured to death. Of course, Astrea didn't tell Argus the gruesome details of how she killed the bear.
"You're strong and courageous, aren't you, Ying Zhu?"
Argus remarked, acknowledging his Soulbounds abilities. Though he couldn't shake off a bit of skepticism about Ying Zhu going berserk during the fight, he decided to check his status window. To his surprise, he saw that Ying Zhu had learned a new skill.
[Your Soulbound Ying Zhu Learned A New Skill]
«Battle Intent Lv.1»
•Rank: Unique Passive
•Increases all stats by 1% per second, up to 100%
•Remove the fear from the user and make them fight any target they deem to be an enemy.
As Argus read the new skill on Ying Zhu's status window, one eyebrow shot up in surprise. The skill was clearly powerful.
"It's like a berserk skill but not so much side effect. Berserk on the other hand is a double edged skill. However, I plan to get berserk skill for a while now..."
Argus had been contemplating this for a while. He had some understanding of what his Sovereign's Apathy skill could do, and he believed that combining a berserk skill with this innate ability could create a formidable combination. The thought of enhancing his already high stats with a berserk ability seemed like a perfect fit, and he began to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of such a decision.
Argus's mind wandered as he considered the implications of adding a berserk skill to his arsenal. He envisioned the potential benefits and risks, mulling over how it could fit with his current abilities.
Astrea, noticing Argus's distracted demeanor, scolded him sharply.
"Do not praise him, Master! Aren't you also reckless like him? Facing a mini horde of beasts on each floor. Aren't you more reckless? I think you're the only one who could come up with such an idea for someone in the Beginner Realm."
Argus, feeling the sting of Astrea's words, avoided her gaze and looked elsewhere. He didn't meet her eyes, fully aware of the reprimand directed at him. Ying Zhu and Sylvan, witnessing the scene, exchanged sympathetic glances toward their Master. They understood the discomfort Argus was feeling and felt a pang of pity for him.
Sensing their sympathetic looks, Argus's mood shifted to playful irritation. He shot them a mock glare, his annoyance tempered by a wry smile.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
He said with a hint of exasperation. His attempt to lighten the mood brought a slight easing of tension among the group.
Astrea noticed the tense atmosphere she had created and sighed. Realizing the effect of her scolding, she softened her stance slightly. Sylvan and Ying Zhu, observing the interaction, came to a firm understanding.
Their Master, despite being the Master, could not match the power of their eldest sister. They resolved to avoid getting on her bad side in the future, knowing that the consequences of her displeasure were not to be underestimated.
The tense atmosphere gradually softened as the group chatted about trivial matters for a while. The light conversation helped ease the earlier tension, and the mood lightened considerably.
After their discussion, Argus recalled Ying Zhu into his Soul Sea, allowing him to recover more quickly.
Once he felt sufficiently rested, Argus turned to Astrea and asked.
"Can you guard me once again? I'm ready to begin forming my core."
He was eager to start this next critical step in his cultivation journey and needed Astrea's protection to ensure his safety during the process. Astrea of course easily accepted it.
The tense atmosphere gradually softened as the group chatted about trivial matters for a while. The light conversation helped ease the earlier tension, and the mood lightened considerably.
After their talk, Argus immediately recalled Ying Zhu into his Soul Sea, allowing him to rest and recover. After half a day inside the Soul Sea, Argus released Ying Zhu, as he was fully recovered. He then took a full day to recuperate, ensuring he was at his best.
Argus decided to let Ying Zhu level up again, considering it a waste of time to remain idle in the cave with Astrea supervising once more.
Seeing that everyone had left and he was alone, Argus brought out all 20 dungeon cores.
'To think I cleared 20 dungeons while still in the Beginner Realm is very unexpected. Sigh'
Shaking his head, Argus focused on the task at hand. He then retrieved two pieces of paper, each covered with a complicated formation. One dark colored paper and and the other is a crimson colored paper.
Even with the information he had received, Argus couldn't make sense of the complex engravings on each piece of paper. He carefully arranged the 20 cores in circles. 10 Undead Dungeon Cores to his right and 10 Life Dungeon Cores to his left.
Placing the formation papers in the center of the circles, he positioned the dark paper to the left and the crimson paper to the right.
This setup followed the information he had received. The next step was to activate the formation. A gate-like structure should appear, releasing energy that Argus would need to absorb into his body.
He would then use this absorbed energy as a medium to form his core. However, there was an important aspect of the information that he had misunderstood, which he remained unaware of.
Argus began to calm his mind and focus deeply.
Sovereign's Apathy
His mind entered its optimal state.
"Activate Formation."
As soon as he spoke, the two papers illuminated with their respective colors. A vast amount of Mana surged from the dungeon cores, enough to potentially crush Argus. Despite the overwhelming Mana, Argus remained unafraid, knowing what to expect next.
Just as the immense Mana was about to overwhelm him, the two papers began to shine brightly, lighting up the entire cave. The massive influx of Mana was swiftly absorbed by the two small papers. Tiny runes, numbering in the tens of thousands, slowly started to glow.
Once all the small runes were lit, they began to float around Argus, rotating slowly at first before accelerating. The Mana released from the dungeon cores increased drastically, but Argus remained unaffected.
Throughout the process, Argus observed calmly.
Argus felt an immense pressure building around him. Hr looked to his left and right and saw that all the runes had disappeared. In their place were vortex-like gates leading to the unknown. Argus knew that the formation was fully activated.
Sovereign's Intuition
Argus felt the pressure from the two swirling vortexes. To his right, he sensed an extreme aura of death, and to his left, an extreme aura of life. His intuition warned him not to touch either gate, and he already knew that doing so would result in immediate death.
As the vortex gate whirred and crackled with raw energy, a crimson wisp and a dark wisp emerged, swirling together in a mesmerizing dance.
According to the information the crimson wisp bathed in a blinding red light is a type of life energy. It pulsed with an overwhelming vitality, its intensity so great that it threatened to disrupt the natural order with rampant, uncontrolled growth.
In contrast, the dark wisp, a deep, inky black, exuded an oppressive weight that seemed to suffocate the very essence of existence, its force so potent that even the undead can crumble into dust under its relentless pressure.
Argus stared at the crimson Life Qi and shadowy Death Qi with a blank expression. For a Beginner Realm Awakener, absorbing just one of these two wisp of energies would mean certain death if you have weak body.
Even Argus faced grave danger, as absorbing them into his own body could also kill him. However, he had a formula that would help him form slightly control this two dangerous energies unti he form his core and survive the process.
Without this formula, he would never attempt such a risky task, as it would lead to immediate death. To absorb these energies safely, a person would need at least 350 vitality attributes. This is the minimum required to survive these wisp of energies. Argus faced the challenge of absorbing these wisps until he could form his core. However, he didn't know how many wisps he would need to absorb to complete the process and create his core. Without knowing the exact number, he could only proceed with caution, aware of the risks involved.
After thinking for a while, Argus began to absorb the two energies into his body. As the crimson and dark wisp energies entered, he was hit with severe pain. The energies felt like unruly children, causing havoc inside him and making the experience extremely uncomfortable. Determined to avoid mistakes, he quickly focused on running the formula in his mind. Once the formula started working, the two wisp energies calmed down and began to behave like well-mannered children.
Even though Argus kept a stoic expression, his face was still covered in sweat, the intense pain he experienced lasted just a few seconds. While the pain was extremely sharp and discomforting, it was not as unbearable as the sensation of having his soul devoured.