Chapter 34 - 34 - System Storage Capacity

'I see…' Lucien lamented, ignoring the slight jab from the system at the end of its answer. 'One last question: Why did I gain the rewards the previous two times from the two critters, and why is it different now?'

The floating screen flashed upon him voicing his inquiry mentally, rapidly formulating the response.

[…::: The critters are a special category of creatures, they provide minuscule gains even upon full absorption. Apart from some special circumstances, the host can assimilate these gains directly without cultivating or relying on the system's Assimilation Process. :::…]

Although there were many other things to check, Lucien didn't want to waste more time here. He has completed what he wanted, his first task is now complete. To receive all the pending benefits, he now, due to the lack of a cultivation technique, needed to rest on it and let the system assimilate all the pending gains.

Thinking about it, he wanted to see how his details looked currently.

'System, please bring up the Status Screen.' He sent the mental command, watching the screen as it flashed, and swiftly brought up the requested page.

[…::: ℭ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ::: ???????????????????????? ????????????????????????????: 01 - 0% :::…]

[…:::

????????????????: ???????????????????????? ????????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: 11.03% - ????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????? ????????????????????: ???????????????????????????? ::: * ℜ????????k: 1 ::: 1.35% (Stored: 8.75%)

?҉?҉?҉?҉?҉:҉ ҉?҉?҉?҉?҉?҉

????????:: 12

****

????????????????????????:6.45 / 10 (ℭ???????????????????????? ℜ????????????: +0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????) -> (6.15 + 0.3 Regenerated)

????????????????????????:5.61 / 10 (ℭ???????????????????????? ℜ????????????: -0.01 / 10 ????????????????????????????) -> (5.91 - 0.30 (Regeneration)

****

:ђгɭ ฬﻮєฬгɭรภאɭ๔ ђภคɭ ภเ קฬєן קเ. ๓๓ςɭן รгєเɭן єןɭ

????????????????????????????????: 2.01 (Stored: +1.25)

* ????????????????????????????: 1.17 (Stored: + 0.70)

????????????????????????????: 2.25 (Stored: +1.52)

ฬ๔гɭร: ????

ђ๓รг๓ς: ????

???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ℭ????????????????????????????: 12.22% (8.75 Pure Energy + 3.47 Essence Mass)

****

????????????????????????:

???????????????????? ℜ???????????????????????????????????????????? (???????????????????? - ℜ????????????: 1)

???????????? ???????????????????? (???????????????????? - ℜ????????????: 1)

???????????????????? ???????????????? (???????????????????????????? - ℜ????????????: 1)

???????????????????????????? ℜ???????????? (???????????????????????? - ℜ???????????? 1)

:::…]

Looking at the screen, there were a few changes. However, what caught his attention was the new tracked category, the 'System Storage Capacity'.

'System, what does System Storage Capacity and that 12.22% mean?' In the next moment, he gave voice mentally to his concerns.

The system, just like him, was quick to formulate an already prepared response.

[…::: System Storage Capacity is the bank where all the currently not assimilated energy is stored. The percentage refers to the full capacity. Currently, it can store 100 units of energy, no matter how this would be made up Pure or already transformed, Essence Mass. The current capacity has a 1:1 ratio between these two forms. :::…]

Lucien didn't miss the way the system phrased its answer. The 'current capacity' suggested that either the ratio, the total amount that could be stored, or maybe both could be changed in some way in the future.

Although he would have gladly continued his mental conversation, he knew he already spent too much time, and had to come back to the real world. With his current task finished he wanted to get back to the cottage and spend a bit of time with himself to reflect on all the changes. He still had many updates that he wanted to check and understand, but they all had to wait until he was safe and alone once again.

Coming back to his senses, Lucien lightly shook his head, and stood back up. Turning around, he looked at Sera, who seemed to be patiently waiting for him. She had the same gentle expression coloring her jade-like face as she spoke up once she met the boy's gaze.

"Are you ready? Shall we continue? We still haven't touched the guns and the melee weapons…" She asked, pulling the bag in front of her.

Lucien, however, shook his head.

"No. We…" He coughed, fixing his phrase before continuing. " *khm*… I need to head back and rest. I feel… spent after this encounter."

"Spent?" Sera smiled upon hearing his words as if she saw behind the small lie. Still, she decided not to push about it any further and simply nodded her head, as she pulled the zipper up on the bag and closed it before throwing it back on her back. "Sure, no problem, let's go back then. We can always continue tomorrow, there is no need to hurry."

Taking a moment, she looked up at the sky, as if she wanted to see through the thick canopy of the trees, before squinting her eyes and sighing.

"We still have around a week before we would need to leave this place. You should spend that time to the best of your abilities."

Then, she turned around and looked towards the direction she came from.

"Come, Lucien, let's go back then. Rest up in the afternoon as I still have something to show you tonight." A bit of melancholy could be heard in her voice, despite her best efforts to hide them, push it back down, Lucien could still feel it.

After all, such negative emotions, feelings, and depressive thoughts were basically home territory for him.

He looked at the girl with interest, however, he did not ask anything. He silently nodded, only muttering a curt "Uhm" as he walked up to her right side, keeping up with her pace as they left the forest and ended their first little venture.

There was a lot to process and check, Lucien was content with his first adventure, already looking forward to what tomorrow could bring. He wanted to focus on stronger beasts from now on, and not waste time and energy on these almost worthless critters. Besides giving a new page in this still unexplored 'Creature Library' and the bonus EP he gained through the full consumption, they gave basically nothing.

Apart from that, he had two new skills to check and learn how they worked beside the newly unlocked 'Essence Pool'… There were many objectives to investigate besides assimilating the gains. His afternoon was looking to be quite busy!

—

"Hmm… It seems that he was rescued, they escaped after pushing the boss' Enhanced Elite Team back."

Sitting in front of a laptop, Dr. Frida was watching the video recording of Lucien's last 'meeting' between her ex-boss, Mr. Jacobson, and his squad of Enhanced Soldiers.

These warriors were all from the first generation, they all received the same first version of her serum. Although it did provide them enhanced physical traits, it turned them into these cold, emotionless shells. They had no, free will at all, they were more like simplistic flesh-made robots, a sort of androids, following simple directives, obeying their master's every order without hesitation or needless questions.

Whilst this all sounded more than awesome, as it essentially created the perfect super soldier, there was one slight issue with it. Among deriving the subjects of their free will, it also corrupted their nervous system. They lost all sensations, touch, pain, sense of hot and cold…

At the same time, tests showed that the serum acted as a malignant tumor, a type of cancer; it continued to destroy the healthy cells in the subject's body, gradually eating up its health, and ultimately killing it. This process was irreversible, and uncurable, causing these soldiers to die prematurely, giving them a 'relatively low expiry date of 2 years.'

Still, Dr. Frida didn't care about them. In her eyes, they were failed products, early stages in her grand research, expendable objects, nothing more than merchandise.

Her second version, the upgraded, improved formula that was aimed to resolve these critical issues were never completed. At least not officially, she never handed the completed work over to the boss, she kept it to herself.

Looking at the screen paused on the unknown blonde woman, surrounded by the majestic holy, white light, Dr. Frida was smirking. She wasn't concerned, no, on the contrary, she was elated, gleeful.

Whilst focusing her attention on the rough image of this newcomer on the cat and mouse game she was about to start with her dear little test subject Lucien, she held a vial of dark, purple-colored liquid, swirling it in her delicate hand, as a subconscious action.

She was in a messy, run-down, disgusting room. The wallpaper was hanging like the leafy branches of a sad willow, holes, and grime of unknown substances decorated it. Beside the wooden table and chair, a single squeaky bed was the only piece of furniture.

There was a single squared window that gave little-to-no sight, overlooking the neighboring building, you could only look at the top-right edge of the bright red neon sign of the adjacent structure.

Despite these cruel conditions, Dr. Frida didn't mind it one bit. Her only focus was to catch up and reunite with her little escapee and resume her research. The shelter didn't really matter to her, as she only needed it temporarily.

Tonight, she would rest in this pigsty, no matter how disgusting it was, and tomorrow she would descend to the dark underworld of the Big City and find herself a new base of operations.

After all, if she wanted to continue her life's work, she needed a suitable place…

As for the many dangers that the darkness, hiding below the surface could hold… Well, they have yet to meet the true terror, a real demon.

"Mafia, thugs, and whatnot… Hmpf! We'll see who should be wary of the other!" She smirked, raising the vial in front of her mouth and swiftly gulping its contents down.