'25,884 biomass... not bad. Now, how should I go about this?'
Ben glanced up at the crystal formations, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He had a few options. He could manipulate his arm to stretch and reach the stalagmites, but that method wasn't practical. The longer his arm extended, the harder it would be to maintain control. Another option was to lift himself up by creating platforms with his carapace armor, but again, the height was too much, making it inefficient.
'I wonder... could I create wings? Float up there instead?' His thoughts drifted to their last encounter with the Hell Worm. Without Elvira's help, he would've been done for. The acidic digestive liquid would have melted him down to nothing. A disturbing thought crept into his mind. 'What if it had actually eaten us? Would it have evolved again?'
It was unlikely, though. In its long lifespan, the worm must have consumed creatures far stronger than them. If not for the salt, they'd have been doomed. He let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. 'A creature of that caliber brought down by something as simple as salt... and here I am, a Hive Sovereign and a twice-regressor, barely scraping by.'
Thinking of how many powerful beings and magical materials the worm had devoured over its lifetime made him sigh. 'Alright, focus. Getting distracted again. Flying is the real solution here.'
Ben than started mentally reviewing the different types of wings he knew. 'Insects have membrane-like wings that beat at incredible speeds, while birds rely on flapping motions powered by their bones... The insect wings seem simpler. Probably easier to replicate.'
The problem was, his knowledge was basic at best. He understood the general concept—wings flapped up and down, with insect wings doing so at an almost imperceptible speed. But he lacked the finer details of how they actually worked.
Taking a deep breath, he channeled his biomass, feeling the familiar surge of energy flow through him. His back tingled as the carapace armor shifted, reshaping itself. Slowly, a pair of translucent, insect-like wings emerged.
Ben flexed his back muscles, feeling the newly-formed wings twitch in response. Taking a deep breath, he focused on moving them the way he imagined an insect would—fast, steady beats.
Buzz. The wings flapped, sending a small burst of air beneath him. Excitement bubbled inside him, but before he could celebrate—
BAM! He tilted awkwardly to the side, crashing onto the rocky floor with a heavy thud. Dust scattered around him as he groaned, pushing himself up.
'Okay… not as easy as I thought.' He dusted himself off and adjusted the wings, concentrating on their movements again. This time, he tried controlling each wing separately, hoping to balance himself better.
Buzz-buzz.
Another attempt. For a split second, he felt his body lift an inch off the ground—only to immediately spiral sideways, his left wing flapping harder than the right. He hit the ground again, harder this time. "Damn it…" Ben muttered, rubbing his aching side.
Despite the failure, he wasn't about to give up. He took a moment to reassess the problem. 'If I can't control the speed equally, maybe I need to work on my coordination first.'
He decided to experiment step by step. First, he slowed the wing beats to a manageable pace, flapping them in slow, deliberate motions—just enough to feel the lift without losing control. He tried pushing off with his legs first, letting the wings provide additional lift instead of relying on them entirely.
Buzz... buzz... He felt himself hover—barely, shakily—but it was progress. Encouraged, he adjusted his posture, spreading his arms out for balance. The lift was uneven, shaky, but he managed to stay airborne for a few more seconds before wobbling and fall again.
'Alright, better. Now I need speed control.' Next, he experimented with adjusting the angle of his wings. He tilted them slightly forward, then backward, attempting to find the right balance between speed and control. The first few tries ended with him either spinning in circles or being flung backward.
After several frustrating attempts, Ben finally found a sweet spot—his wings buzzing steadily, his feet gradually lifting off the ground without the chaotic spinning from before. His body hovered a few feet above the rocky floor, swaying slightly but holding steady. The buzzing sound spread through the cavern, loud enough to make his ears ring. 'Way too loud… but at least it works now.'
Buzz... buzz...
Ben slowly ascended toward the glowing crystal stalactites, with painstaking effort. Seconds dragged into minutes, and frustration gnawed at him. 'This is taking forever... Fuck it!' With an irritated grunt, he pushed his wings to their limit, increasing their speed.
BZZZZZZ!! The sound roared through the cavern, echoing off the rock walls like a swarm of angry hornets. The sheer volume was deafening, and the massive, empty tunnel only amplified the noise further, making it almost unbearable. Ben grimaced. 'If I had a normal glass here, it'd probably shatter from the vibrations alone...'
Despite the relentless buzzing, Elvira remained completely unfazed, hovering mid-air, her focus locked onto the Empyrean Crystal. She's very focused completely in her own world.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Reaching the crystal, Ben start using his pickaxe. Each strike chipping away at the crystal. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as tough as the Grimslate.
[Ding! You obtained 1x Eldergleam!]
***
Eldergleam Block x1
Type: Block
Use: Crafting material, building, lighting
Understanding: 0.001%
Max Stack: 9999
Rarity: Uncommon
A luminescent rock that emits a soft blue glow, found in ancient caverns and sacred groves. It remains illuminated as long as it is infused with mana, making it an ideal source of natural lighting for enchanted dwellings.*
***
'Damn it, it's not a mana crystal... but it does say it contains mana. Can I absorb it?' Ben furrowed his brows, gripping the Eldergleam shard as he closed his eyes and focused. He tried to draw the energy into himself, willing it to flow through his body. Nothing happened. Frustrated, he opened one eye and muttered, "Hey, system, can I absorb this or not?"
[…]
Ben's eye twitched. "Seriously? You can't just give me a simple yes or no? How hard is that?"
Still, no response. "…." His annoyance flared. "Fine! You wanna act like you can't answer? Do whatever the hell you want!" He huffed, shoving the crystal back into his inventory. Shaking his head, he looked down at the rocky ground below. "Guess I'll focus on the Grimslate for now."