As DK and Lucy ventured deeper into the mana ore cavern, the air thickened with raw energy. Every step forward made the weight of the mana more tangible, pressing against their bodies like an invisible force. DK, however, found himself feeling strangely invigorated, as if the energy itself was weaving into his Nexus Core, easing the wear and tear of battle. It was unlike anything he had experienced before—an almost euphoric sensation of renewal.
The walls of the cavern glowed brighter the further they went, veins of raw mana twisting through the rock like lightning frozen in stone. DK reached out and touched a mid-sized cluster, waiting for the familiar system prompt to appear.
SYSTEM ALERT
Mana source detected. Would you like to absorb?
Yes / No
DK selected Yes, his breath held in anticipation. A faint warmth pulsed from the stone into his hand, a whisper of energy filtering into his body. But then, the notification updated.
Warning: Insufficient for stabilization. Absorption impact: 0.00%
DK frowned. He tried again with another deposit, a slightly larger crystal embedded in the wall.
Absorption impact: 0.002%.
Barely anything.
He kept moving from one ore to another, testing different sizes and formations. No matter what he absorbed, the rate remained depressingly slow, nothing more than a trickle of energy into his Nexus Core. Even at this rate, it would take a lifetime to fully stabilize his Nexus Core.
Lucy watched him, unimpressed. "You see now? Whatever you're trying to do, this isn't the way to do it. You'd be better off finding a dungeon core or an artifact designed for stabilization. This method will take forever."
DK clenched his fist. "Then I just need to find a bigger source."
Before Lucy could protest, he started walking deeper into the cavern, past the areas that had been properly mined and secured. The ground grew uneven, the walls darker, less refined. There were no more torch-lit paths, no signs of miners—just pure, untouched mana ore forming deep jagged veins across the stone. It was clear that this area had not yet been sanctioned as safe.
Lucy's steps faltered behind him. "DK, this is a bad idea. The miners don't go past this point for a reason."
"Which means whatever's down there is untapped." DK's voice was filled with conviction. "And I don't have time to play it safe."
Lucy clicked her tongue in frustration. "You're impossible."
The deeper they went, the more erratic the mana became. DK felt waves of fluctuating energy pressing against him, sometimes pulling, sometimes pushing, like a tide that had no rhythm. The atmosphere was heavier, charged with an almost unstable force. Then, suddenly, they arrived at the source of it all.
At the center of the cavern was something DK had never seen before—a Nexus Vein.
Unlike the mana ore veins they had encountered so far, this one wasn't just glowing—it was alive. Pulsing like a beating heart, the energy within it swirled violently, shifting colors between deep blue, radiant white, and an ominous shade of violet. The air around it wavered like heat rising from scorched earth.
Lucy stiffened, her body going rigid. "DK. Do not touch that."
DK ignored her, stepping closer, his breath shallow. His Nexus Core was reacting wildly, a deep pull from within him, like his very existence was being called to it.
He reached out.
The moment his fingertips brushed against the Nexus Vein, a shockwave of energy surged through him.
The cavern trembled.
DK's vision exploded into a flurry of colors, his mind thrown into chaos. Unlike the gentle absorption of normal ore, this was raw, uncontrollable—like a floodgate had been broken. His Nexus Core drank in the mana, not at a slow 0.01% rate, but at a devouring pace.
—
SYSTEM ALERT
MANA ABSORPTION RATE: CRITICAL
Absorbing 5.2%... 10.4%... 17.8%...
Nexus core stabilizing: 60%...62%....65%,,,,
—
DK is happy despite being in pain that his nexus core is stabilizing and he can finally get rid of all the corruption and instabilty, but then he is immediately prompted with another system message.
—-
SYSTEM
Warning: Excessive mana influx detected.
Nexus core is absorbing corruption
—
Pain struck through DK's chest like lightning, forcing him to his knees. He gasped, feeling his veins ignite with raw power. His core wasn't just stabilizing—it was expanding, mutating in ways he couldn't comprehend.
And then, the corruption returned.
Dark tendrils of mana oozed from his body, black veins crawling up his arms like living entities. His pupils shrank into piercing slits, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The energy was too much—unstable, chaotic.
Lucy rushed forward, gripping his shoulders. "DK! Stop! You're absorbing too much!"
DK tried to pull away, but his body was locked in place. He could feel his Nexus Core shifting, something awakening inside it.
The system screamed another alert.