"Fine, think whatever you want," Ben muttered, changing his focus back to their surroundings. The grotesque wall around them began to collapse, revealing a dim blue light filtering in from above. The digestive liquid was now evaporated, allowing them to land gently on the solid ground.
Yet, despite being safe, Elvira still hadn't released her hold on him. Ben glanced down at her, but before he could say anything, more of the worm's crumbling remains peeled away, exposing a breathtaking sight above them—an entire ceiling lined with glowing stalactites, shimmering in the soft blue glow.
His gaze swept around the place, wondering what else is there. Then, something caught his eye. A shimmering object floated in the air, its fractured, deformed. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before—jagged, riddled with cracks, yet somehow still intact while giving out a starry aura. It's like looking at a star. "Elvira... you seeing this?"
"That... that looks like an Empyrean Crystal," Elvira said, raising an eyebrow. She finally released her embrace on Ben and stepped toward the floating crystal, her eyes locked on it with fascination.
The crystal hovered exactly where the worm had been moments ago. "This thing must've been inside the worm," Ben muttered, recalling the clanging sound from his earlier strike. "So, what's this crystal used for, anyway?"
Even without a system notification, he could feel the sheer amount of energy radiating from it. But since his pickaxe couldn't harvest it, he doesn't know the item use.
Elvira didn't take her eyes off the crystal as she explained, "Each clan in the higher layers has one of these. They use them to create large-scale barriers—giving their territories the protection they need."
"I see…" Ben said thoughtfully, watching the faint glow emanating from the cracks. Then, something she'd said earlier nagged at him. "By the way, you mention Aetherian both as a clan and a race sometimes. Does that mean your clan includes multiple races? Or do other clans have Aetherians too?"
Elvira nodded, crossing her arms. "Yes. Each race has its own specialty—like the Brakarim, with their brute strength making them excellent fighters, or the Grumlok, whose insane regeneration makes them almost unkillable. Every major clan is made up of different races, playing to their strengths." She shot him a curious look. "Why ask this now?"
Ben shrugged, his gaze lingering on the fractured Empyrean Crystal. "Just curious."
The King Ant, the Hell Worm, and now this crystal... It was all a harsh reminder of how little he truly knew about this world. Even with his system and seemingly cheat-like abilities, there were countless ways he could still end up dead. His priorities shifted in that moment—before anything else, he needed a safe place, a foundation to learn more about this world before even considering helping Elvira achieve her goals.
Elvira sighed, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "It's unfortunate this crystal is broken... Otherwise, we could've built our own clan."
Ben blinked. "Wait, what? Is this thing really that good?"
Elvira turned to him with a serious expression. "Yes. Even in both of my past lives, I've never found an Empyrean Crystal. The barrier it creates doesn't just protect an area—it forms its own domain, allowing you to establish rules within it."
"Rules?" Ben echoed, intrigued.
She nodded. "Yes. Inside the domain, it's like being a god. For example, you could set a rule where anyone who lies will be struck by lightning—and it will happen. Of course, there are limits. The effect is weaker on those of the owner's bloodline, and it won't work on anyone stronger than you. But for clan management, this crystal is a godlike tool."
Ben's mind raced with possibilities. "Can you fix it?"
Elvira shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line. "No. This thing is beyond our understanding. Honestly, I don't even know what kind of energy is locked inside it. The fact that it was inside a Hell Worm is baffling in itself."
Ben scratched his chin. " Hm. What if it's produced by the Hell Worm? All that junk it eats has to go somewhere, right? Maybe this crystal is the result."
Elvira's eyes widened with excitement, her face lighting up like a child discovering a new toy. "You mean... this is man-made?"
Ben shrugged. "It's possible."
Elvira's mind raced at the implications. If this crystal could be created, then there had to be a method—lost or forgotten, perhaps—but not beyond reach. If others had made it before, she could figure out a way to craft her own version. "That's... fascinating," she whispered, eyes gleaming. "If we can figure out how to recreate it, imagine what we could achieve…"
'I wonder if this thing is like a diamond... forming under immense pressure, condensing all the leftover junk until it finally becomes something valuable. Just like how diamonds are really just compressed dirt—practically worthless on their own.' Ben let the thought linger, his eyes locked on the fractured Empyrean Crystal.
Of course, the process must have required an absurd amount of pressure and energy. He recalled an article he'd read once—about how such forces could reduce a dinosaur to mush in seconds. Even steel wouldn't stand a chance under that kind of pressure. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much it would take to form something like this crystal.
CLANG!!!
Without thinking, Ben swung his pickaxe again, hoping for a different outcome.
[Please upgrade the pickaxe to harvest this material.]
The same frustrating message blinked across his vision, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Elvira snapped, stepping closer with an exasperated look. "Even if we can't use it to make a clan, it's still an Empyrean Crystal! I'm sure we can find some use for it."
Ben shrugged, handing the crystal over without a second thought. "Then you take it."
Elvira's eyes lit up, her excitement barely contained. "For real, my beloved? No backsies, you know! Once it's in my hands, it's mine!"