{Argus's POV}
Time passed...
Argus's red core began to crack once again, revealing an orange light shining between the cracks. It didn't take long before the red shell completely peeled away, leaving an orange core. But Argus paid no attention to it, his focus solely on absorbing the energies from the vortexes.
He lost track of how much time had passed, his concentration on the relentless absorption.
From orange core to silver core...
From silver core to golden core...
From golden core to black core...
From black core to violet core...
Even as his core turned violet, Argus didn't stop. He continued until, at last, he felt his violet core was full. The core, no longer absorbing energy, reached its limit.
'Is this my limit? That is not possible. Why do I feel that this is not the limit?'
Argus calmly analyze his current situation. His three cores had stopped absorbing the vortex energy, but Argus refused to accept this as his limit. He ran the cultivation formula in his mind, focusing on the cores, willing them to take in more energy.
He tried to force the energy into his cores, but they rejected it as if already satisfied. Their ravenous hunger from earlier had disappeared.
But Argus didn't give up.
'If you won't take any more, then I'll shove this energy in myself.'
Gathering the volatile Yin and Yang energies, he also called upon his Mana, which he had deliberately kept separate from the cores.
He prepared to forcefully merge the energies, recalling the pressure he felt when forming his cores. Back then, the three energies. Yin, Yang, and his Mana spun so fast that they nearly merged, creating a vortex of energy so powerful it could have torn his body apart if he hadn't solidified it in time.
Argus wanted to recreate that same process, but on a smaller scale. He knew his body couldn't handle that much energy again, not in its current state. But first, he needed to heal. His body had been pushed to its limits, and though his regeneration was strong, it was tied to his stamina, which was running low. He felt exhaustion creeping in, but he couldn't afford to rest now. If he stopped, the opportunity to upgrade his core might slip away.
His body was nearing collapse, and his mind was fraying. Sovereign's Apathy, his innate skill, was draining his mental energy, leaving him worn down both physically and mentally. His usual stoic expression was replaced by a sleepy, fatigued look. His eyelids drooped, though his will kept his eyes alive. He refused to deactivate his skill, knowing it was the only thing keeping him focused. Sheer willpower was all that kept him awake.
Without wasting any more time, Argus began. He brought a single wisp of Yin, Yang, and his Mana together, carefully controlling their approach. Then, as before, he made them rotate faster, using the cultivation formula to speed up the process. The energies spun rapidly, forming a tiny vortex, and with a burst of energy, much stronger than any single wisp of Yin or Yang, the vortex was ready.
Argus directed this small, yet powerful, vortex toward his middle core. He watched intently, his focus unbroken, as the vortex sped toward the core. For a moment, nothing happened when it made contact.
Then...
Click!
A tiny sound, almost imperceptible, echoed within his internal space. Argus was about to reconsider his approach when he heard it, the faint cracking noise. He focused harder and noticed the tiniest crack on the surface of his core. It was so small that without the stillness of his body, he might not have heard it at all. But now, there it was the first sign of progress.
A very tiny amount of different shade of violet light peaked, a darker violet color light comes out through the small crack in Argus's core. He was glad that his plan had been successful. Wasting no time, he began to form another batch of vortexes. As soon as the first one was created, he sent it toward his core, immediately forming another, then another.
Argus tested his limit, discovering that his body could handle a maximum of three vortexes at once. Knowing this, he began to synchronize his efforts creating three vortexes at a time and directing them toward each of his three cores simultaneously. Every time a vortex struck, he could feel his cores tremble under the pressure, accompanied by the familiar sensation of pain, each hit forcing the cracks wider.
But Argus did not stop.
As the cracks in his cores continued to widen, a sharp, searing pain coursed through him originating from deep within his core. It was a pain that felt almost equivalent to having his soul devoured, a feeling that brought him to the edge of consciousness. Yet, despite the overwhelming agony, he forced himself to continue, knowing that stopping now would mean all his efforts had been in vain. However, thanks to this his mindand body became more awake.
The light from the cracks grew brighter with each vortex, signaling that his cores were on the verge of breaking through to the next stage. But the deeper the cracks, the more unbearable the pain became. Still, Argus's will remained unbroken.
Argus lost count of how many vortexes he had summoned.
Crack!
The cracks on his core spread further, covering it completely, yet it still refused to peel away. The pain intensified, nearly overwhelming him, but Argus did not relent. He continued his relentless cycle—create, send, create, send...
The cracks widened, the core straining under the pressure, until at last...
Boom!
A new core emerged. It was a darker shade of purple, so deep and rich that it seemed to absorb light. The color of the core was mesmerizing, with intricate patterns that pulsed and shifted, casting an aura that felt almost alive. The darkness of the purple seemed to hint at unfathomable depths, a majestic and almost otherworldly hue that promised immense power and resilience. The core, now more formidable than ever, radiated a powerful energy, signifying a profound transformation and an ascent to a new level of power.
Argus was about to deactivate his skill when he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of impending danger. It was as if an invisible force had ensnared him, locking him in place.
Without warning, a red panel materialized before his eyes:
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[??? is intervening!]
[??? is intervening!]
[Error!]
[Error!]
[Error!]
[The System would temporarily shut down for Awakener Argus]
[Awakener Argus... SURVIVE]
The warnings flashed urgently, signaling an imminent threat. Argus's stoic expression twisted into a frown despite his Sovereign's Apathy skill. He glanced up at the cave ceiling, sensing that someone above had locked onto him. Quickly, he turned his gaze away and surveyed the area, spotting Astrea and the others in battle positions, clearly on high alert.
"Ying Zhu, Sylvan, return for now."
Argus ordered, recalling them into his soul sea without waiting for a response.
Turning to Astrea.
"Astrea, what's the maximum range distance your space hole can cross currently?"(Argus)
"About 20 meters, Master."(Astrea)
"20 meters, huh? How many times can you cast it?"(Argus)
"With my current mana, I can do it 200 times."(Astrea)
'That should be enough distance.'
Argus thought, considering their options.
"Let's go. We need to move far away from here."
Argus's mind raced as he and Astrea swam to the surface. Once they broke through, Astrea immediately transformed into her True Beast Form, a majestic white wolf with an eight-pointed star mark on her forehead.
Without hesitation, Argus mounted her. As soon as he was on her back, Astrea conjured a space hole. They leaped through it, vanishing from their location. Moments later, 20 meters away from the initial space hole, another one materialized, and Astrea, with Argus still riding her, emerged from it.
Astrea quickly created another space hole after they exited and jumped through it, repeating the process as they moved farther away from their previous location.
Argus felt the danger intensify as they moved further away. The sensation of being locked onto grew stronger with each space hole Astrea created. They continued jumping through the portals until Astrea was left with only a pitiful amount of Star Energy, barely enough to create a single space hole.
Despite her weakened state, Astrea kept her composure, not showing any sign of fatigue or vulnerability to her master.
Astrea morphed back into her Demi-Human form, her body glowing faintly. Argus draped a blanket over her as the light faded, revealing a pale but still beautiful humanoid Astrea.
"Good job, Astrea. You can return for now."
"But Master, the danger has become even more intense! I feel that it's already locked onto you. I want to stay and protect you!"
Argus, maintaining his stoic expression, gently patted her head to reassure her.
"You can't help me this time. Only I can face this. Just trust me."
Seeing the confidence in Argus's eyes, Astrea reluctantly nodded. Argus then recalled her to his soul sea.
Now alone, Argus stood in an open space in the forest, a region typically home to F-Rank and above monsters, but now eerily empty.
"Now, then. Why don't you come down now?"