Although the White Prime doesn't pay much attention to Fissures, he knows what a Growth Orb is.
Growth Orbs are found inside the creatures of Fissures—whether living beings or robots, they all have the potential to contain these orbs. However, not every creature possesses one. It's purely by luck that Kael managed to acquire two of them this time.
With Trey's frantic screaming in the background, Kael's thoughts wandered to a time when he had killed a Fissure creature thousands of miles long. Inside, he had discovered a Growth Orb the size of a continent. It had been so massive that, when he recounted the event to his team—the Aegis Primeval—even they had been in awe.
Still, that gigantic orb had been useless to him. Kael had left it behind in the planet-sized Fissure. Neither he nor his team needed it, not with their star-shattering strength.
The orbs now in Kael's hands, though much smaller, were one of the reasons why Fissures were so popular among both ordinary people and aspiring Primers.
"It's small, but it'll do," Kael muttered, staring at the two tiny Growth Orbs. "But how am I supposed to use this?"
This was his first time using such an item, and he was clueless. If he still had his White Aegis Suit, he could have simply scanned the orbs and immediately learned how to use them and their properties.
The Aegis Suit had countless features, including the ability to absorb any form of energy to enhance his strength—exactly what Growth Orbs were meant to do.
Kael raised his Status Band and held the two orbs near it, expecting something to happen. Seconds passed, but nothing changed.
Confused, he turned toward Trey, who was now lying on the ground with the Mechanibbit bearing down on him. Sparks flew as its metal teeth snapped repeatedly, trying to reach him.
Trey was using the high-frequency sword to push against the rabbit's robotic chest. The sound of vibrating mechanical parts filled the air.
"Hey, how do I use these orbs?" Kael shouted at the young man.
"Why… don't you help me… first?!" Trey's voice was filled with frustration and fear.
"You're holding out well! Keep it up, and you'll find the answers you're looking for," Kael said with a grin. "Now, how do I use this?"
"F*ck you, man…" Trey cursed through gritted teeth, his arms trembling as the rabbit's sharp teeth came within inches of his face. If his strength gave out, he knew he would die.
I have to get out of here! Trey thought desperately. Get out!
Repeating those words in his mind, a surge of adrenaline coursed through his body. With a shout, Trey shoved the half-living, half-robotic rabbit aside. Fueled by desperation, he sprang to his feet and began slamming the vibrating blade down on the Mechanibbit with all his might.
"Take this, you f*cker! I hate you! Die!" Trey yelled. Each strike sent mechanical parts flying as he vented his fury on the monster.
Kael's earlier fight replayed in Trey's mind. As if time had slowed, he began to notice how the Mechanibbit reacted to the attacks.
Each time the blade struck the rabbit, its metallic body vibrated violently. Combined with the force Trey used, its parts began to loosen and fall away.
The grotesque cries of the machine mixed with the clattering of metal fragments hitting the ground.
Trey didn't know how many times he had struck the creature, but with one final, furious blow, the Mechanibbit let out a shriek before collapsing into a heap of robotic scraps.
"I… I did it?" Trey muttered, sweat dripping down his face. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, unable to believe what he had just accomplished. He stood and stared at the monster, its flickering eyes finally dimming as it died. Holding the sword in front of him, he noticed his hands trembling—not from the activated high-frequency blade but from the rush of emotions coursing through him.
Fear was gone, replaced by a thrill unlike anything he'd ever experienced. "I did it!" he shouted, raising his hands triumphantly to the sky.
"Alright, you did it. Now, how do I use this?" Kael's impatient voice cut through the moment from behind him.
"You need to enter a Cryopad, but it's not worth it with just two Growth Orbs. The chances of advan—wait, didn't you see? I just defeated a Mechanibbit on my own! I did it, dude! I f*cking killed it!" Trey began explaining, but his excitement took over. His eyes sparkled as he waited for Kael's reaction.
"Cryopad? And chances?" Kael muttered, ignoring Trey's enthusiasm entirely. "Where can I find a Cryopad?"
"Inner Street—come on, dude, at least say something! I figured out how you did it!" Trey exclaimed, his excitement waning.
"Great job," Kael said casually, his tone utterly unimpressed. "Inner Street, huh? So, this chance you mentioned—what is it?"
Hearing Kael's nonchalant reply, Trey's excitement deflated. He realized he had been overly dramatic with the wrong person.
He sighed heavily, the reality of his situation sinking in. He had risked his life, knowing that one misstep could have left him ripped apart. Yet, the man who had put him through such a trial seemed utterly indifferent.
Trey didn't know what to feel. On one hand, he had discovered a way to kill the Mechanibbits without relying on high-penetration bullets or an Exoskeleton suit. As long as he had a high-frequency sword, he no longer needed to fear the mechanical rabbits. On the other hand, if he had died, it would have been no different from Kael killing him outright.
Conflicted emotions churned inside him, but in the end, Trey decided to treat the ordeal as a harsh lesson from a lunatic.
"To use Growth Orbs, you need to enter a Cryopad in the Inner Street," Trey explained. "Growth Orbs can strengthen your body by leveling you up, but each orb has a different success rate. Smaller Growth Orbs usually only give you a 0.1% to 8% chance of leveling up. So, you either need a ton of them to compensate for the low success rate or get insanely lucky." He paused, simplifying further. "You probably won't see your level on your Status Band yet because you're still at Level Zero."
"I see," Kael nodded, processing the information. He had heard of such systems before. On certain planets, Level Systems were used to strengthen Primers, even those without access to Aegis Suits.
Kael recalled that these Level Systems were knockoffs inspired by the original systems used by the first Aegis users. While planets had adapted the concept to suit their own purposes, such systems were irrelevant to the Aegis Primeval, whose abilities transcended those of ordinary beings.
But that was a hundred years ago. Now, without his Aegis Suit, Kael would have to rely on this knockoff system to grow stronger.
"So, if you're planning to reach Level One, you'll need to hunt at least a dozen more Mechanibbits—or something stronger," Trey added.
Kael didn't need to deliberate. His decision was clear, though first, he had to rescue the old man. Now that he understood the limitations of his weakened body, he felt more confident venturing further into this place.
"Do you know anything about an old man getting swept into the Fissure?" Kael asked casually as he began walking in a specific direction.
"Yeah, everyone knows about it," Trey replied, following close behind after ransacking the Mechanibbit he just killed, unfortunately he didn't find a Growth Orb. "Why?"
"Out of curiosity. Do you know where they usually end up?" Kael glanced back at him.
"Spawning points are random. It's hard to say." Trey answered while trying to keep up. He had just fought a deadly battle and his breathing is still heavy but Kael seems like he doesn't care about him at all.
Kael frowned. This is going to be difficult.