Chapter 282: Fusion

The Tower was quieter than the Guild Hall, but it wasn’t silent. A faint hum resonated even from outside, a steady vibration of concentrated mana circulating through its very structure.

The outer walls were adorned with carved channels that pulsed softly with light, channeling energy upward through each level.

Sage entered without announcement.

Immediately, he felt a shift in the air, a denser, heavier atmosphere filled with controlled mana that pressed gently against his skin. The first floor featured a wide circular hallway connecting several stone cultivation rooms. Each door was thick and reinforced.

Beside every door, a rune carved into the wall glowed red if the room was occupied. Almost all the runes on this floor burned steadily, lining the corridor like quiet signals of effort and focus.

Adventurers weren’t here to spar or practice techniques; they entered these stone chambers to cultivate, sitting, breathing, circulating mana, and strengthening their cores. The Tower wasn’t a training ground; it was a sanctuary for growth.

A few Adventurers stood outside empty rooms waiting for their turn. Upon noticing Sage, they stepped aside respectfully.

“Guildmaster,” one of them whispered.

Sage nodded slightly. “Continue,” he replied calmly.

He walked past the occupied rooms, faintly sensing the steady pulse of mana circulation from within. The red runes glowed bright and constant, indicating active cultivation.

On the second floor, there were fewer empty rooms and noticeably increased mana density. Here, the glow of the red runes deepened in intensity, reflecting stronger mana pressure within. Sage strolled slowly along the corridor, observing patterns of occupancy, nearly all chambers were in use. The Guild’s recovery had not dulled ambition; if anything, it had sharpened it.

The third floor offered more tranquility; only half of the stone rooms were occupied yet shone with greater intensity from their red runes. The mana flowing through these walls felt thicker, like an undercurrent beneath solid stone.

By comparison, the fourth floor felt almost still. Only a handful of red runes glowed along its corridor while others remained dark, indicating vacant chambers reserved for higher-rank Warriors where mana density pressed firmly against one’s body.

Sage continued upward.

The fifth floor felt nearly isolated; as soon as he stepped onto it, he noticed an immediate difference, the air was heavy yet clean and saturated with refined mana drawn directly from the Tower’s core formations. This corridor was short with only a few stone chambers carved into thick walls; among several doors present, only one rune glowed red while others remained dark.

He walked to the end of this corridor and stopped before an empty chamber where the rune beside it was dark as well. Placing his palm against the stone door recognized him instantly; it opened inward with a low grinding sound.

Inside, the chamber was stark and unadorned. The walls, made of reinforced stone, were faintly etched with patterns designed to guide mana. At the center of the room lay a circular Mana Formation carved directly into the floor, its lines glowing softly, poised to activate as soon as a cultivator took their place within it. There were no decorations or furniture, only an enveloping silence filled with concentrated energy.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

As soon as the door sealed shut, the ambient noise from outside faded into a distant echo. The chamber became still and isolated. The soft glow of the array beneath his feet pulsed gently in response to his presence.

Sage moved toward the center and lowered himself into a seated position. He crossed his legs comfortably and rested his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes for a moment, he allowed his breathing to settle into a slow rhythm.

Church. Vault. Nobles.

These words drifted through his mind not in panic but with purpose and calculation.

The Holy Church had already made its move once; they would not hesitate to act again. The Vault would not linger either, once it appeared, chaos would ensue as factions vied for power. The Guild could not afford any signs of weakness.

Slowly opening his eyes, he noticed a faint shimmer materializing before him, familiar and steady. The system notification screen popped up infront of him.

[ Host, integration ready.]

The words floated calmly in front of him.

Sage maintained an outward composure while internally grappling with rapid thoughts. This wasn’t just a casual choice; integration would transform him, enhancing his strength to a ridiculous level. Pain would accompany this change; reconstruction was inevitable.

[ Mana density within chamber optimal.]

He inhaled deeply, recognizing that this was indeed the safest spot within the Guild for such an undertaking. The Tower’s formations would help stabilize any fluctuations during the process, and those thick walls would contain any potential surges of energy.

He recalled Pax’s warning about the Vault’s imminent appearance. He remembered the chaos that unfolded inside the Guild Hall, the slaughter that shook them all.

He couldn’t face what was coming without being prepared.

[ Integration will begin upon confirmation.]

Sage briefly lowered his gaze to focus inward, feeling the steady flow of mana circulating around him in anticipation.

Exhaling slowly and deliberately, he lifted his head once more to meet the hovering projection’s gaze.

“Begin.”

——

The moment Sage said, “Begin,” a palpable silence enveloped the stone chamber, as if the very air was holding its breath. The Mana Formation beneath him flared to life, glowing brighter and deepening in color as the tower responded to the rising energy at its core.

The mana within the fifth-floor chamber, already thick and steady, began to stir, not with an explosion, but like a calm lake disturbed by a gentle breeze.

As the movement intensified, the air grew heavy against his skin. Sage remained seated at the center of the array, back straight, hands resting on his knees, eyes unwavering and focused.

A faint shimmer appeared before him. Without hesitation, he reached forward and retrieved the Divine Grade Soul Expansion Potion.

Though small in size, the vial contained liquid that glowed with a vibrant light that seemed almost alive. For a fleeting moment, he stared at it blankly before lifting it to his lips and downing it in one smooth motion.

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