23 Book 3 Chapter 19 (2/2)
Everyone collapsed to the ground, except for Jason, Amara, Shenlong and Roy. Shenlong's absolute control over his body allowed him to stand on his feet like the champions.
Only after a moment did Zhen Hu put away the core. ”Let's go get the m-serum.”
As they left, they rescued the enslaved humans and brought them back to the sanctuary, earning them a decent amount of reputation. Only Shenlong and Peter followed Jason to Cable's lab while the rest waited on the bottom floor. Upon arriving, Jason handed Cable the core. ”Is this it?”
”Yes, this is a bonafide quantum energy core. Give me an hour.” Cable grew solemn as he took the core and got to work.
An hour later, Cable handed Jason a syringe containing glowing silver liquid. ”To whoever takes this, I highly recommend you find a safe location. You'll be unconscious for about a day.”
Jason turned to face Shenlong and Peter. If either of them were missing, they would never have acquired the m-serum. Peter and Shenlong's guild were indispensable, as well as Dubaku, Amara, and Ebba. Each of them desired the m-serum, yet they only had one to share.
Just as Jason was about to open his mouth, Shenlong raised a hand. ”I know what you want to say.”
Peter nodded. ”Don't worry about us. You can have the first m-serum.”
Jason didn't know what he should do. ”What about the others?”
”Amara, Dubaku, and Ebba agreed as well. They will wait.” Shenlong answered.
Jason felt guilty, but even more so, gratitude. ”Fine. I'll use all my power to help acquire the rest.”
Full of anticipation, Jason directly teleported to the community floor and locked his home. Now nobody was able to disturb him. Expecting pain, he held his breath and pierced the syringe into his arm. If even a rare-grade serum knocked him out, then what about an m-serum?
Surprisingly, and much to his relief, what he felt wasn't pain, but bliss. He casually looked down only to find his arm melting. Horrified that death was imminent, he chugged his strongest healing potion, but it was useless. As seconds passed, the pleasure he felt traveled through his shoulder and spread to the rest of his body. The contradiction between bliss and his melting body left him screaming in terror, until finally, he fell unconscious.
News of Hector's death spread rapidly. Information about his loot was classified, but nobody complained. The fact that ascenders defeated a mutant - a monster capable of growth - was exhilarating and bolstered their pride to new heights. Peter even fanned the flames to reinforce his guild's prestige.
As ascenders celebrated, Jason was undergoing what Aros and the other gods would consider a miracle. Every cell that made up Jason's body dissolved into nothingness, leaving only the m-serum behind.
Although the anchor for his soul was destroyed, the m-serum prevented natural law from taking effect. Instead, it carried out one of the universe's most revered techniques: it bound Jason's soul to a new object. While it was true that many powerful beings could do the same, they always made mistakes.
A soul was a delicate thing. Deep understanding of universal law and countless rare ingredients were required to rebind the soul, and if there were any complications during the process, only trouble followed. Reduced lifespan and mental instability were considered satisfactory results. Compared to the complete and utter destruction of the soul, what was wrong with a little madness?
However, as inconceivable as it was, the m-serum bound itself to Jason's soul so naturally not even the universe could do better.
Not long after, the pool of liquid began to ripple. It converged together, slowly forming the shape of a human. Countless hours later, a bare Jason slept on the ground like a sleeping prince. Next to him lay Tank curled in his arm. Their appearance was unchanged, yet infinite possibilities now existed within them.
”Mm.” Jason opened his eyes, feeling more invigorated than ever. He looked down at his body in confusion, only to jump to his feet in realization. ”I'm alive!”
Now that the fear of death had passed, the m-serum was all he could think about. He quickly inspected his status and frowned. ”Hey, hey, nothing changed! Is this a scam or what?”
Only after checking everything did he find a new skill. As he read the simple description, he couldn't help but gasp.
Amalgamation of Existence
Absorb from your experiences and grow from your actions.
Most skills can now level based on your understanding. Stats can now increase based on your actions. No limit.
Jason's heart beat so fast he felt lightheaded, all due to the potential of the skill. This wasn't an overpowered attack, defence, or buff skill. No. This was a godlike support skill with no equal. For example, what if Shenlong had this skill when he entered the tower? With his deep understanding of the spear, any related skill would practically jump entire grades.
As for Jason, how many decades did he spend fulfilling the role of a tank on the battlefield? Five? Six? He understood many skills on a fundamental level, even ones he hadn't acquired yet.
Just that alone made Jason's new skill one of the best, and yet that wasn't all it. Although he couldn't estimate how many stats his actions would give, more stats was always a good thing. And then there was the icing on the cake: no limit. That basically meant as long as Jason lived, he would always grow. Always evolve. From now on, his potential was infinite.
A high pitched squeak came from behind. Jason turned and saw Tank yawn as she wobbled over to him. Noticing her silver eyes, he picked Tank up. ”You changed too, huh?”
When Tank bobbed her head up and down, Jason inspected her status, finding the exact same skill. ”Hmm. I guess we're more connected than I thought.”
Setting Tank down, he quickly got dressed and checked his communication necklace. It was now of higher quality and allowed voicemails and texting. After not checking it for a day, numerous messages filled his inbox. Roy, Olivia, Cheslov… everybody asked if he was okay. How could he make them wait any longer? He immediately called for a meeting.