Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 120 - 097. The only Mutation

Chapter 120: 097. The only Mutation

[Supernatural Capsule Activation]

[Arcane Energy extracted from the target]: [Proliferative Metamorphosis]

[Rating]: Epsilon (ε, the fifth Greek letter)

(This arcane energy is highly compatible with your body and has been automatically optimized.)

[Active Effect]: At the cost of 4 months of lifespan, cells divide wildly for extreme self-healing, restoring 40% Health Points. After use, cells require 50 minutes to restore their activity before it can be used again.

[Passive Effect]: When your Health Points increase, effects such as dismemberment and disability will be rapidly healed.

Note: When the [Charm] attribute is higher than 40 points, you will not experience the negative effect: disorderly cellular overgrowth.

[Current Development Level]: Perception Level, at this development level, the Arcane Energy consumption rate is—110%

[Your Supernatural Capsule is now full of Arcane Energy.]

[You can choose to release an arcane gene or contain it in the gene sequence within your body, which can significantly increase the probability of rarer options appearing in the next mutation.]

[Arcane Energy contained in the capsule will not impose a burden on your genes, but you will only benefit from the active activation effect, and the development difficulty will be higher.]

[You can promote its evolution by repeatedly containing the same arcane energy, or choose to crush the gene sequence of this arcane energy and feed it to other arcane energies.]

Li Aozi chose to crush [Electric Shock], a Beta-Rated arcane energy with little potential for development.

[You have torn apart a weak sequence with the will of the Sovereign.]

[You have obtained Gene Potential Fragments (small amount), which can serve as nourishment for other arcane energies. Please select the arcane energy to feed:]

Core Arcane—[Gravity] Omega Rating (Ω, the 24th and final Greek letter)

Subordinate Arcane—[Severing Life] Sigma Level (∑, the 18th Greek letter)

Subordinate Arcane—[Inscription Saint Swordmaster - War Spectre] Cauchy Level (Ξ, the 13th Greek letter)

Dominate Arcane:

——[Directed Blast]

——[Iterative Movement]

——[Midday Splendor]

——[Proliferative Metamorphosis]

Without much hesitation, Li Aozi immediately fed the gene fragments to Nomi’s [Proliferative Metamorphosis].

[Proliferative Metamorphosis] evolution degree: 74%

"It will be able to level up soon, Nomi."

A familiar and comforting warmth spread through his body. Li Aozi nodded slightly, with a hint of light purple flashing in his eyes before fading away.

He grinned and looked at the transparent glass beside him, faintly feeling his teeth seemed a bit sharper.

As the extraction of arcane energy completed, Jian Neriya trembled, took two steps back. Raising her head, her complexion seemed to have improved and her demeanor was much more relaxed.

"Why do I feel no pain or side effects..."

Jian, looking at her hands with surprise, noticed her skin was even healthier in tone. She clearly felt her breathing was much smoother, as if a burden had been lifted.

Her incredulous expression struck Li Aozi as comical as if she were an indigenous person seeing a spaceship for the first time.

"Of course."

Li Aozi retracted his tendrils and said:

"Because the arcane energy you possess was never truly yours to begin with."

"Is it because it belongs to ’Nomi’?"

"No, that’s not the reason. Including Qiu Ran, the arcane energy you all have isn’t something innate to yourselves."

Qiu Ran, who had been silently grieving beside them, suddenly looked up, her gaze filled with confusion.

"My power... isn’t mine..."

"Not only that, those warriors armed with Ersha technology don’t genuinely possess their own arcane energy either. You have merely been artificially implanted with it; it just so happens that the arcane sequences match your bodily organs, and you were lucky enough not to die from genetic collapse."

Li Aozi tapped his temple, sensing the timing was about right, it was time to explain the truth about Mingji to Qiu Ran.

He wasn’t very clear about the crimes committed by Mingji in his previous life, but the path set by the Mingji Professor was, to an extent, the correct one; that much was true.

The recent deception and the anger and sorrow it provoked in Qiu Ran made Li Aozi decide to tell this naive big sister the truth so she wouldn’t remain in the dark.

"The Professor can’t distinguish between the energy of arcane users and Transcendents—not surprising, since ancient people also thought the Sun revolved around Azure Star. A limited technological environment can’t immediately reveal the real world. She used Ersha to create weapons, thinking they were useful."

Li Aozi said:

"The Mingji Professor doesn’t understand what this implies; she always believed Ersha Virus was the trigger for the emergence of Transcendents. In the old era of Azure Star, there were no Ersha clouds, so she concluded: Ersha is the reason why Transcendents appeared."

"She is wrong, but not entirely so."

"It’s just that there is no relationship between the emergence of Transcendents and the Ersha clouds."

"Ersha is not a virus—at all; it’s not even a material substance—it’s more akin to a phenomenon. A phenomenon capable of transmitting specific pieces of information."

A phenomenon?

Neriya and Qiu Ran were dumbfounded.

"Red Arrow People have already researched to this extent?" Neriya felt a sense of urgency.

Qiu Ran, still in a daze, couldn’t grasp this concept: "What do you mean by ’phenomenon’... If it’s not a virus inside me, then what exactly altered my genes?"

Li Aozi pondered; the theory behind Ersha was exceedingly complex, difficult for the players of the past to accept.

So, he carefully chose his words:

"It was Ersha that altered your genes, but it was crudely cobbled together... Your arcane power, in essence, is a weapon that Ersha bestowed upon you. The reason you were able to awaken to arcane energy, is because your genes had a vacant section that perfectly accommodated the gene fragments brought by Ersha."

"I don’t understand... What is Ersha, exactly?"

"Well, if the scientific explanation is too hard to grasp, let me put it another way."

Li Aozi thought for a moment, then said:

"Ersha is like the mumblings of an ancient god sealed in the old days. Through this phenomenon, It selects and spreads information from Its own body. Those with talent are the chosen ones, bestowed with the ultimate power known as ’arcane energy.’ Once the number of bearers of Ersha’s arcane power reaches a certain magnitude, It could, at any moment, bring Its indescribable and unspeakable sanctity back to this world and destroy the entire planet in the blink of an eye—see, isn’t that easy to understand?"

Qiu Ran forced a smile:

"...Could you, perhaps, switch back to the scientific explanation?"

"In short, the Ersha concoction has the ability to bestow arcane energy, but it is not your body’s own doing; it’s a gift from Ersha to you."

"The most direct example is—when you use too much arcane energy or when emotions run high, your bodies and minds are eroded by arcane energy, leading to a rejection reaction."

"Red and black eyes signify a loss of control for you, and can even transform you into a mutated, disfigured monster; but for me—it’s merely a sign of mental excitement."

Li Aozi said:

"For the time being, apart from me, there will not be a second person on Azure Star who truly dominates their own arcane energy."

"Only I, my genes have evolved arcane energy on their own."