Upon hearing the voice's explanation, Tom's initial excitement began to wane, replaced by a profound sense of disappointment.
It was crucial to understand that monster cores were exceptionally rare, especially for lower-level creatures. In such a case, how on earth was he supposed to gather enough cores to fill this counter?
Even if he managed to obtain such cores, could he resist the urge to absorb them directly and instantly gain more power?
The final results promised by filling the counter were undoubtedly tempting, but the task ahead seemed incredibly daunting. Was it really worth sacrificing 200 cores, even if they didn't match his astralum, when they could make him stronger in their own right? Was it genuinely worth it?
A whirlwind of questions swirled in Tom's mind, but before he could voice them, the voice spoke again, sounding weaker this time.
[Ask your questions quickly if you have any because I fear our conversation is nearing its end,] it said.
Tom realized he had a vital question that needed answers. "How do I fill the counter once I have a core?"
[You'll absorb the etherium within the core," the voice replied, "but instead of channeling it into your core, you'll guide it towards the patterns around your body. Once the counter is full, those patterns will release an etherium infused with the properties of the astralum you aimed to enhance within your core.]
'I see,'replied Tom. He was about to ask another question, but the voice told him in a whisper-like tone:
[I'm afraid we're out of time. I believe I've explained the essentials. For the rest, you'll have to discover it on your own.]
'Wait, just answer these questions,' Tom said, taking a moment before asking. 'Why do I have two Astralums? Why did I need to awaken my bloodline for you to help me? Finally, why are you helping me?'
The voice remained silent for several seconds, making Tom believe it had disappeared. However, it spoke again, its voice faint and distant.
[I can't answer those questions right now because you are currently weak. If you want answers to your questions, become strong, become very strong. At that time, you will get answers to all your questions. Until then, take care, Thomas Black.]
These words were the last Tom heard from the voice. He didn't need to check to know the voice was gone. He found himself sitting silently for several hours, gazing into the void and reflecting on everything he had just learned. It was a lot, it was enormous.
On the horizon, the sun began to set, and Tom continued to sit there even after nightfall.
"Strength... why does everything seem to be connected to strength?" Tom wondered. After all, his whole life and world had changed, and the one thing that seemed to bring some semblance of order or chaos was always strength. He remembered the words his friend Leon had told him just a few days ago.
"To be respected, you have to be feared, and that means being stronger than others."
It was in a different context than now, but it always came back to the same word: "strength."
When Leon had uttered that phrase, he was in complete disagreement. He genuinely believed that everything could be resolved if both parties involved decided to sit down and talk calmly.
"How naive," he muttered. His perspective hadn't changed; he still believed that dialogue was the best solution. However, he was starting to think that having strength was also necessary to force both parties to sit at the same table.
One could say that the voice's words had left a mark on him. He couldn't even get answers to his questions just because he was weak. If that were the only issue, it would be manageable, but due to his weakness, he had to flee to another world – or dimension – just to protect himself.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Yet, he quickly calmed himself down. After all, what would the anger of a weak young boy change? Nothing.
So, he decided to follow the advice of the voice and become strong.
"Before that, let's start by getting familiar with my current resources," Tom thought, summoning the floating screen in front of him.
[Name: Thomas Black
{Astralums}: {Time}; {Deconstruction}
{Number of Subordinates}: 1
{???}: ???
{???}: ???]
Seeing the section {Astralums}, Tom was struck by a realization. How could he have forgotten?
He possessed two Astralums, which meant that all the disadvantages that came with having a Deviant-type Astralum would be canceled out.
You see, an Astralum was like both a key and a guide. To move from one level to another, one had to train to use their Astralum. The more mastery of the Astralum increased, the more one passed through sub-levels until reaching the final sub-level. At that point, they gained knowledge of where their second seal was located.
So, having two Astralums was synonymous with having two keys. If, due to his Time Astralum, he couldn't access the next level, he could through his Deconstruction Astralum.
Tom was filled with excitement as he tapped on {Deconstruction}. However, what he saw was different from what he had expected.
The good news was that the type of his Deconstruction Astralum was not Deviant.
The bad news, or rather, the multiple pieces of bad news, were that he had no idea what this type meant:
Type: Genesis
And as if all of this wasn't enough, the number shown on the screen's counter was downright absurd:
[0/1000]
What made it even worse was that there was another type of counter as well. In total, this is what he could see for his Deconstruction Astralum:
[Astralum: Deconstruction [0/1000]
Type: Genesis
Unlocked abilities: 1/3]
"What the hell is this?" Tom wondered as he examined the information about his Deconstruction Astralum.
Unfortunately, the voice was no longer there to provide explanations, he was going to seek answers on his own now.