Chapter 131: Dibs

Adam hovered in the river, crystalline fragments dissolving around him.

He stared at the space where seventy River Lions had just existed before Stone Cold expanded once and immobilized them.

Then the notifications began.

[+4 Existence]

[+4 Existence]

[+4 Existence]

The notification repeated sixty-six more times.

Adam blinked slowly.

“They’re dead… just like that?”

The river resumed its flow, broken carcasses drifting downward as Adam immediately summoned his panel.

╭───────────╮

〖Name: Adam〗

〖Rank: Profound Apprentice〗

〖Cultivation Talent: G〗

〖Special Talent: Equip ❖ Connect ❖

Analyze ❖ Fuse〗

〖Affinity: Wind ❖ Death〗

〖SLOT〗

↳ SOUL (5): Rapid E ❖ Stone Cold E ❖

Cultivation D ❖ Mind Control E ❖

Bone Generation D

↳ BODY (6): Empty

╰───────────╯

[Star Power: 30+]

[Existence: 4114]

[Martial Spirit: Profound 3 Star]

Only his Existence had increased but everything else remained the same.

Adam narrowed his eyes.

When I fought Remedy… it wasn’t this effective.

The thought lingered before he nearly cursed himself.

That was the mistake. I used her as a gauge.

Remedy’s had a Star Power of 31, an SSS cultivation talent, a Divine bloodline and a Supreme three-star spirit.

Against her, Stone Cold had to struggle through equivalent scale.

But against these River Lions with star powers between 18 and 20 while he stood at 30+ wasn’t a fight, it was suppression.

Talent potency scaled with Star Power. When the gap widened, the effect amplified.

Stone Cold hadn’t just trapped them, it had compressed their internal structure beyond survivable limits.

Instant structural collapse and difference of scale, that was all.

He exhaled slowly, as the last crystalline shell cracked apart and the water returned to normal pressure, before Adam swam toward the nearest floating body.

He reached out and grabbed the plated hide of a fallen River Lion.

****

Adam gripped the drifting carcass and activated Analyze and Information streamed in.

[River Lion — Mob Unit]

[Special Talent: Charge E]

[River Lion — Elite Unit]

[Special Talent: Charge D]

The descriptions followed soon after.

[Charge E: Gives the bearer a modest electrical boost]

[Charge D: Gives the bearer a substantial electrical boost]

Adam didn’t linger on the wording, be it modest or substantial it was the same vague nonsense, so he dismissed the descriptions regardless as he tried to equip Charge E from the mob unit, despite his soul slots being full, but he didn’t care.

He had a hunch and a notification appeared the next moment.

[Your slots are full]

Then…

[Compatible for Fusion: Rapid E and Charge E]

Adam’s lips curved slightly.

There it is.

He didn’t hesitate and activated Fuse and almost instantly, a burning sensation ignited in his chest.

This was different from equip, Equip was warm.

This…

This felt like his soul was being rewired.

He clenched his teeth, as the two frequencies Rapid and Charge collided, not increasing in intensity but restructuring.

Their wavelengths overlapped and their patterns twisted, merged and recalibrated, as the new frequency stabilized.

Becoming stronger and more refined.

Pain spiked one last time, then stopped.

Adam exhaled sharply and summoned his panel.

╭───────────╮

〖Name: Adam〗

〖Rank: Profound Apprentice〗

〖Cultivation Talent: G〗

〖Special Talent: Equip ❖ Connect ❖

Analyze ❖ Fuse〗

〖Affinity: Wind ❖ Death〗

〖SLOT〗

↳ SOUL (5): Rapid Charge D ❖

Stone Cold E ❖ Cultivation D ❖ Mind Control E ❖Bone Generation D

↳ BODY (6): Empty

╰───────────╯

[Star Power: 31]

[Existence: 4114]

[Martial Spirit: Profound 3 Star]

His Star Power had jumped from 30+ to 31. It was a one-point increase… just from fusion. He flexed slightly underwater, electric currents flickering faintly along his limbs as speed and voltage surged.

Rapid’s movement amplification combined with Charge’s electrical propulsion.

His movements weren’t simply faster, they were now explosive.

Adam’s eyes sharpened.

This… is efficient.

****

Adam swam back toward the vessel.

The bone armor dissolved as he approached, fragments breaking away into the current.

The hatch opened automatically and he climbed inside and dropped into his seat, water dripping from his clothes.

Remedy glanced sideways.

“You’re wet.”

Adam leaned back.

“Are you jealous? It seems like you want to get wet as well.”

Remedy shook her head calmly.

“I’ll pass.”

She then pushed the thrusters and the submarine surged forward again but the river didn’t stay quiet.

More monsters appeared.

Unranked Level 2 and Level 3.

A few unranked Level 4 sea predators.

Nothing was organized or coordinated but Adam didn’t care either way.

Rapid Charge D activated and he shot out like a bolt. Electric current laced through the water with him.

One strike.

Voltage surged through a serpent’s body.

[+2 Existence]

A second and a Bone scythe cleaved it clean.

[+3 Existence]

A third tried to ambush.

But Mind Control made it sink.

[+2 Existence]

It wasn’t difficult.

His new fusion felt smoother with faster acceleration and sharper burst, giving him more control in water.

Rapid was good. Rapid Charge was far better. Eventually, the attacks stopped, the water grew calmer and the vessel continued forward undisturbed.

Remedy relaxed slightly at the controls.

“Luckily, we won’t have any uninvited guests.”

Adam sat soaked, staring at her.

“Why didn’t you go out to fight?”

Remedy didn’t look at him.

“You called dibs.”

He paused.

Fair.

She added lightly, “And don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it. You could barely hide your smile whenever we got attacked.”

Adam coughed.

“I was just asking. You didn’t have to take it seriously.”

Remedy smiled faintly.

Silence returned.

Then Adam spoke again.

“By the way… what are we doing about my identity?”

Remedy kept her eyes on the viewing glass.

“Identity?”

“…”

Adam stared at her.

“You’re joking right.”

She chuckled.

“Yes. I expected you to laugh though.”

He didn’t.

“So what’s the plan?”

He leaned back slightly.

“It defeats the purpose of faking my death if I’m seen walking around next Tuesday.”

Remedy’s hands remained steady on the controls.

“Don’t worry. We already prepared for that.”

Adam studied her for a second, before relaxing back into his seat.

If she said it was handled, then it was handled.

The submarine continued north.

Calm waters ahead.

Mid-tier region approaching.

****

‎Adam felt a firm tap on his shoulder and opened his eyes immediately. Remedy sat beside him, posture relaxed.

‎”We’re here.”

‎He turned toward the viewing glass. It was dark outside, but that did not matter because the thing that registered first was the essence in the air. Compared to the low tier region, the essence was thicker and it pressed faintly against his senses.

‎The low-tier regions had always felt diluted but this did not and it made Adam wonder how the higher regions would be compared to this one.

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