Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 408 - 51.【Echoer】

Chapter 408: 51.【Echoer】

Liue’s statement caught Li Aozi off guard as he had never before heard about the impact of Sequential Arcane Energy.

"Gravity" is a relatively mild Arcane Energy, even if it goes out of control, it is much better than other types of Sequential Arcane Energy."

Liue stopped her work and asked seriously:

"I thought you possessed the same Arcane Energy as I do, but it turns out you also hold other sequences... Kid, are you seeking a fate worse than death?"

"Take it easy, Mr. Liue," Li Aozi soothed, "There’s nothing wrong with Arcane Energy as long as it’s well controlled, there won’t be any problems."

"Hmm, right. Nuclear energy is also not inherently bad, would you run around with nuclear waste?"

Liue’s sharp response hit the mark before Li Aozi had a chance to argue. She turned and walked toward her workstation, pacing back and forth for a moment before asking Li Aozi:

"What did you want me to find out in the end?"

"Why suddenly ask... "

Li Aozi murmured aloud, his thoughts stirring.

—Finally, the plot was triggered.

"You think I would let you leave the lab in this condition?"

"Well," Li Aozi pulled out a justification he had prepared earlier: "My pathway has come to a standstill, no matter what I do, I can’t advance any further. I happened to hear the members of the Life Commune have researched further development of Arcane Energy, so I came to find you."

"Good, you also want to stay alive."

Liue said coldly:

"If it were any other Arcane Energy, I really couldn’t save you—but I have researched Gravity Arcane Energy for forty years. If you are willing to trust me, maybe you still can find a new way out. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise?"

"Otherwise, just wait to die."

Liue spread her hands:

"You’re nearly at Gamma Rank now. It’s not obvious yet, but your Super Gene will gradually collapse inward, the internal information merging into a singularity. This singularity will grow bigger and keep devouring everything within you."

"When you advance to Delta Rank, if you still cannot make any progress on your pathway, you’ll turn into a small black hole that absorbs everything around it."

"You’re not joking, are you...?"

"You might not believe it, but the fact will show you the answer."

Liue pointed at Li Aozi’s eyes:

"Have you noticed that every time you use Arcane Energy, it changes the color of your eyes?"

Li Aozi honestly answered:

"When I use Gravity, a golden halo spreads out at the bottom of my eyes."

"Not bad."

Liue nodded:

"Unlike other Arcane Energies, Gravity requires more information as nourishment. So its permissions reside in your brain, gradually and subtly devouring it, causing your head to collapse first. You’ll first become a slave to its permission, but your body will still be alive, instinctively seeking energy, thus absorbing objects around you and eventually turning into a black hole."

"So I’m really..."

"But the invasion of Gravity’s permissions isn’t unmanageable, watch this."

Liue lifted her hand, a gesture of Gravity spread outward, immediately creating ripples in space, constantly interweaving. Then, from the fluctuations, she slowly grabbed a glass jar.

"Just like this."

Liue spoke calmly, placing the glass jar in front of Li Aozi. It contained a middle-aged woman’s head with golden eyes calmly observing Li Aozi.

The old woman in the jar slowly began to speak, Liue’s voice echoing through the space:

"Cut off your head, place it in the spacetime cage twisted by Gravity. This way, you can save your life."

The spatial fluctuations on Liue’s cybernetic neck slowly resonated, like colorless flames, impossible to ignore.

"This is gonna kill someone, right!"

Li Aozi, aware of the procedure, still intentionally grimaced and complained:

"Can I refuse? Isn’t there another way?"

"No, holding on to Gravity and even other sequences, there’s no way around it, no one can change your fate."

Liue turned, putting away the glass jar and sighed:

"That’s a pathway too. If the commune’s research could have continued, this pathway might have led to a new way of Ascend to Godhood...using Gravity as the core to affect and interfere with the ultimate reality of the Cosmic."

"Isn’t there any other option? My body is already enhanced with Implant Gear," Li Aozi tentatively inquired.

"No—you didn’t notice my body is also enhanced with Implant Gear?"

Liue tapped her chest:

"Speaking of which, you’re walking into a trap. If you don’t choose this path, I can only keep you confined, continuously observed."

Li Aozi kept silent, subtly starting to check his own status.

Signal emitters were blocked, with the abilities of Liue and that old man named Zhuo, Flana wouldn’t be able to come over, he really wouldn’t be able to break out on his own.

Not only that.

Li Aozi looked up, Zhuo had already silently spread personal pressure, the surging atmosphere like ocean waves, instantly covering the whole underground lab, the air filling up like gel and mercury, almost impossible to inhale.

The Eye of Truth activated, Li Aozi immediately saw Zhuo’s information:

——————————

Name: Zhuo (Warning! Extremely Dangerous!)

Species: A1 Luca Type Aliens

Gender: Biological Male

[Age]: 388

[Template]: Battle Maniac NPC (Damage Output Rate +300%, ignore hierarchy effects)

[Faction]: Life Commune (Dissolved)

[Total Level]: lv.120

——[Main Profession]: Destruction Type—[Lord of the Absolute Blade].lv.120 (MAX)

——[Secondary Profession]: None

[Hierarchy]: Zeta (ζ, the sixth Greek letter)

——————————

With a pure main profession at level 120, this guy’s combat power is terrifyingly off the charts. With his template, no one in the same hierarchy could probably survive against him.

Especially the [Lord of the Absolute Blade]... The ultimate pathway for this profession is the [Twilight Sword Saint], possessing absolute suppressive power in one-on-one fights.

[This old man was definitely a mad dog of the Life Commune back in his days!]

Although Zhuo carried no weapons, given such a large suppression in level and hierarchy, taking down a Beta Rank was as easy as squashing an ant.

They were both serious.

Liue seemingly gave him a choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all.

By showing this stance, she really planned to keep him under house arrest indefinitely.

Notice Liue’s wording: she only said ’If you don’t choose this path, I can only put you under house arrest and keep observing you.’ She never said stepping into the Echoer pathway would allow him to leave.

Even if he advanced, Liue probably wouldn’t let him go easily.

Liue’s willpower was extremely firm; her Charm and Intelligence were also high. The scholarly approach of persuasion and enlightenment through Charm had no chance.

However, Li Aozi had been prepared for this from the start.

He subtly reached into his coat, and under that cover, spent 30,000 point tickets in the Mall to purchase a bottle of fine beverage from Olavir—[Fury of the Wind].

[Name]: ’Fury of the Wind’ Fine Beverage

[Category]: Consumable/Pay-to-Access

[Introduction]:

"I’ve tasted the blowing gales, the icy cold rage in my mouth..."

In his early travels across the cosmos, Mr. Olavir befriended a charming wind elemental lady. They instantly clicked and enjoyed each other’s company. However, not long after, her kin were enslaved by a mage, and in a state of profound grief and pain, she transformed into a hurricane and perished along with the mage.

Rain fell on the magic stone pavement, and looking up, he saw no old friend.

[Effect]: Grants 99% immunity to physical damage, 50% increase in movement speed, lasting for 350 seconds.

[Price]: 30,000 point tickets

————————————

This time, he was not stingy at all; he spent another 19,800 point tickets from Glina’s location and purchased a [Dragon Blood Amber].

It wasn’t of much use, except that it could summon an Amber Dragon that could replicate his own attributes, skills, and battle mode.

The key part was it had sufficient Health Points, which with Li Aozi’s attributes, could stack to over one hundred thousand.

That could definitely allow him to withstand a bit longer.

Having made these preparations, Li Aozi felt more confident. He looked up at Liue, who with her arms crossed, gazed back at Li Aozi:

"Have you decided? If you choose to embark on this pathway, there’s no turning back."

[/////Task Updated//////]

[Current Task: "Star Realm Echo"]

[Settlement Conditions]:

A."Pessimistic World"—Ald Medcag Liue’s research concerns the essence of Arcane Energy, this mysterious power, which is actually the creator’s permission, how ludicrous. Your body cannot bear this power and you must choose to temporarily decapitate yourself to prevent your head from being altered by the Arcane Energy’s gravitational authority.

This power is so immense that even after decapitating your head, you would not give it up. Fortunately, Liue offered a way: to develop the Gravity in a different direction and bring forth ripples of spacetime. Only then can you truly ascend to transcendence.

Reward: The Mutant will change profession to Echoer

B."Wings of Freedom"—Although Liue’s demeanor is proper and she has the whole universe’s best interest in mind, deciding to sacrifice a small cost to protect universal safety is regrettable: you are that cost.

To live under house arrest or to break out and face this unfortunate destiny with your own strength?

You chose to rely on yourself, even if the future holds only hardships you must bear alone, you still choose to confront this cruel fate.

Reward: 5 million experience points. (Settled upon successful escape)

C."Serial Pursuit"—Liue, being a former member of the commune and a top figure in the Scholarly Faction, has an energy you can’t imagine. If you choose to escape, you will face several powerful pursuers in the days to come.

Collect as much information as possible to prepare for contact and battle with Liue’s disciples.

Reward:

If information completeness reaches 50%, you receive 50% damage reduction and 50% damage increase when facing Liue’s disciples.

If information completeness reaches 80%, you can use the disciple’s weak points as leverage, reducing the number of students coming to hunt you down.

If information completeness reaches 100%, Liue’s disciples won’t act against you.

————————————

"I’ve made my decision,"

Li Aozi said:

"I choose to step into the Echoer pathway."

Liue nodded, and immediately gravity compressed around Li Aozi. Activating the machine, her bio-mechanical arm rapidly moved, securing Li Aozi’s neck, checked his bodily data, and then injected him with a specially formulated anesthetic.

"A wise choice."