Thunder Core's Fury

‘Kuuh.’

It was exhilarating. I shuddered as the thunder energy spread through my entire body. The power of the thunder core was far beyond imagination. My esophagus and stomach felt like they were burning and sizzling from the direct hit. Without thunder-attribute ether or Transcendent Regeneration, I definitely wouldn't have endured it.

Goooong!

Once I fully consumed the thunder core without leaving a trace, I could feel my ether core surging wildly.

Kwarrrung!

In the sea of ether within my mindscape, the sound of lightning storms raged continuously.

Kugrrr.

Soon, my body began trembling violently, like an earthquake. Far more thunder energy had entered than I could normally accommodate, making my thunder-attribute ether churn like it was about to explode.

‘Wind Thunder Qi Gong!’

I immediately sat cross-legged and circulated Wind Thunder Qi Gong at full power. Normally, it would have been safer to take only what I could handle and discard the rest. Absorbing all this thunder energy was undoubtedly dangerous.

But I couldn't bear to waste even a single strand. High risk, high return. The greater the danger, the greater the reward.

I had no intention of growing like a flower in a greenhouse. Even if it meant exposing myself to perilous risks, I'd choose the path that allowed greater growth. That was the only way to claim victory against the Administrator in the future.

Swaaa.

I lost track of time, immersing myself solely in reciting the incantation of Wind Thunder Qi Gong. After a considerable time passed, the wildly churning thunder ether began to calm.

‘……It worked!’

I instinctively knew I'd succeeded in integrating the thunder core into my body. I felt part of it settling as a rune within me, while the excess energy sank into my core.

This was thunder energy that should have been impossible to digest and would normally be expelled. Somehow, I'd managed to keep it all inside. Of course, consuming it bit by bit like Cinnamon would have worked too, but the thunder core, having lost its lightning tree host, was nearing the end of its lifespan and consuming energy in real-time. To maximize the gains, forcing it all in now was the right call.

‘Status window.’

‘Whoa!’

I cheered inwardly at the sight of the registered Thunder Core (S) rune. Even without ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠absorbing every bit, I'd gained a pure S-grade like Ultio's. Eager to test it, I drew my sword and channeled the thunder power from the rune.

Pajijijijijijjit!

Immense bolts of lightning erupted from the blade in streams! This was thunder on a level incomparable to before.

"Tsurririririt!"

Ultio flapped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her antennae wildly, crying out toward the ceaselessly flowing thunder. She must have sensed that the output of my energy had jumped dimensions.

‘At this level……’

With just the power of thunder-attribute ether, I could now face those in Maturity Stage head-on. At my current strength, I might even beat Cinnamon alone without Ultio's help, like before.

‘The efficiency of thunder attributes has skyrocketed insanely.’

The status window didn't detail it, but it felt like at least a tenfold increase. The boiling electricity in my body proved it wasn't an exaggeration.

‘So this is what it's like.’

This was my first time actually taking in essence runes like fire or thunder cores outside the game, so only now did I grasp their effects. From now on, any action involving thunder attributes would show insane efficiency. It was a must-have rune for those awakening thunder attributes. No wonder Cinnamon had gone so wild with excitement. I wanted to unleash this overflowing energy too.

I still lacked thunder-attribute attack skills, but once I reached Complete Body and awakened them in my mindscape—especially if I got a thunder swordsmanship—the synergy would be incredible. Or with Primal Jump already acquired, I could go berserk like Cinnamon, hopping around and scattering lightning.

‘Whatever it takes.’

I grinned, clenching my fist. This immense elation filling me with every growth spurt endlessly fueled my thirst for more.

Kurururung.

At that moment, the ceiling rumbled, sending down dirt and pebbles. The cave's foundation must have weakened from the battle's aftermath, or the lightning tree was starting new thunder core production.

"Guess we need ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to relocate?"

Looking up, it seemed the cave might collapse any moment.

‘I was planning to move base after getting the thunder core anyway.’

"Ultio, let's move somewhere else."

"Tsurririririt!"

I could only chuckle at Ultio's ever-innocent demeanor.

* * *

Far from the lightning tree, on the outskirts of the thunder forest. Ultio and I set up a temporary lair here.

"Looks good enough? What do you think, Ultio?"

"Tsurriririt! Tsurit!"

We'd dug a cave in this nearly deserted spot. Ultio seemed thrilled. No one would find her here for a while.

‘Digging through that rock-hard ground like tofu…… She probably didn't even realize she was burrowing through stone.’

Ultio's tangible growth was impressive. The speed and absurdity she'd shown digging put the past to shame.

‘As an ancient species, even as a larva, her first instar growth is insane.’

I couldn't lag behind. The system message that had just appeared before my eyes:

The effects of the tyrosine elixir had finally kicked in. With Elixir Absorption (S) successfully upgraded and my molt progress nearing 80%, consuming ether elixirs through it should let me molt to Maturity Stage without issue.

"Ultio, I'll get stronger too, so wait here a bit."

"Tsuririt, tsurririririt!"

* * *

"Here it is!"

Meanwhile, Katt, who'd gone to meet Merini, finally reached her lab.

"Hm, from Chung Hak Gwan?"

Fortunately, Merini welcomed Katt despite the long journey. Like most ladybug folk, she had a very gentle personality. Thanks to that, Katt got to meet her more easily than expected and even tour her lab.

"Whoa…… Are all these ancient species fossils?"

The materials room was packed with countless fossils and specimens. It was truly the lab of the top expert in the field.

"These are the research materials I've collected over my lifetime."

"Amazing, really."

As Katt's eyes sparkled, scanning every corner—

Flinch!

"Th-that one……."

"Pretty scary-looking, right? This is an ancient primal spider species called Arachne."

"Whoa…… If we'd run into one of these, we'd all be dead."

Even just the restored specimen exuded overwhelming ferocity—a colossal spider. Katt etched ‘Arachne’ into his mind, shuddering. It was the kind that could haunt dreams.

"Huh, and these folks…… what are they?"

Interestingly, the lab wasn't just ancient species specimens. There were also materials on common species forms.

"Presumed common species from the ancient era, now called ancients."

"Ancients?"

Merini nodded at Katt's question.

"It's not fully clarified yet, but the prevailing opinion is they're ancestors to current common species."

She explained she'd long researched ancients alongside ancient species, as they were inseparably linked.

"Like ancient species, they were likely far stronger than today's common species. From the records, partial primalization was possible even from Maturity Stage."

The idea that ancient species and ancients outclassed modern primal and common species was intriguing. Ancient records were scarce, as if deliberately erased.

Merini's current focus: What happened to leave no records at all?

"Now that you mention it, that's weird."

"Right? There has to be something. Oh, you came for Megaera Mantis materials? Perfect timing. I'm the one who first discovered a Megaera Mantis fossil. No one has more data than me. Ho ho."

"Ooh! Impressive!"

"Follow me then."

Katt followed Merini and got access to Megaera Mantis-related materials.

"Jackpot……."

He gasped upon seeing the materials room. Discovery sites of Megaera Mantis fossils. Current storage locations. Presumed habitats. Even minutiae—all compiled into vast data.

‘Plenty to tell Aleck.’

He muttered inwardly, eyes gleaming.

* * *

Bam!

"You call that a report?"

Craig, lord of the Amar King Centipede clan, spat in fury.

"M-my apologies."

"Hoo……."

Craig frowned at the groveling Kuremlin. He was furious enough to devour his head on the spot, but no one else could handle the tasks, so he endured with superhuman patience.

"Getting backstabbed by that wench Kiria."

He muttered in disbelief, recalling the report. Not only had Kiria, sent on a mission, snuck back unnoticed, but she'd raided the lab and fled with an experiment subject.

"Where'd the info leak?"

"We're…… investigating now."

"Heh heh heh heh."

Craig chuckled incredulously. Instead of exploding in rage, this laugh chilled Kuremlin more—it only emerged when his anger crossed the limit.

"Capture her now. Or kill her. Put her on the hit list. Just bring back the experiment subject alive."

Hit List. The kill-on-sight roster by the four great lords. Once listed, you were as good as dead—infamous for it.

"And proceed to Plan B for the Thunderwing."

"P-Plan B…… Yes, sir! We'll prepare immediately."

Kuremlin widened his eyes then bowed. Plan B involved bloodshed to seize the Thunderwing fossil. They'd avoided it to prevent linking back to Amar King Centipedes, but if Craig insisted, they had no choice.

"I'll go now."

No other way now. They had to prepare more thoroughly to achieve their goal.

* * *

"Hmm."

Back at Chung Hak Gwan, I picked up the Megaera Mantis fossil fragment and elixirs, heading to my private training room. Upon entering, I faced a small dilemma.

‘Which to consume first?’

After brief contemplation, I decided and reached out.