After the chaos finally settled, all that remained was a mountain of rat corpses.
Some of the surviving rats, realizing the futility of the situation despite their limited intelligence, wisely chose to flee.
When the coast was clear, Reign unsummoned the two and walked towards the nest, which surprisingly remained intact despite the chaos.
He noticed how the rats were careful not to disturb this area, showing just how important this particular spot to them.
Using his power, he incinerated the nest, revealing a hidden item beneath it.
There, lying in the ashes, was a small, glowing dark-red crystal.
It pulsed with a dark and red energy that resonated with his own powers.
'This thing is made of negative energy,' he pondered to himself, realizing that the crystal was infused with the same energy that he has.
Picking it up, he felt a surge of power flow through him.
This was no ordinary crystal; it was a powerful artifact, likely the reason for the abnormal size and aggression of the rats.
[Ding!]
[System: Detected Natural Crystallize Negative Energy. Would you like to absorbed it?]
"Natural Crystallized Negative Energy?" Reign inquired, unfamiliar with the term, (Natural Crystallized)
[System: Natural Crystalized Negative Energy is a different type of Condensed Negative Energy. It possesses the ability to mutate weaker and small creatures through prolonged exposure]
[But after the mutation, it reabsorbed back their negative energy to feed itself, making the mutated creatures unfit for farming EXP points ]
'So, this is like a different version of that thing,' he muttered.
He remembered the benefits he gained from absorbing Condensed Negative Energy back at the mental hospital.
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But unlike the previous one, this one was encased within a crystal, explaining why he hadn't detected anything until now.
'Absorbed,' Reign commanded.
The crystal gradually dimmed, its energy flowing into Reign's body.
However, rather than going directly toward his core, it dispersed elsewhere.
He speculated that the System might have absorbed it directly.
[Level up+1]
[Level up+1]
The intense friction and air resistance created by his fast movement demanded exponentially more power, straining his energy reserves.
Additionally, the lightning coursing through him had to work harder to keep up with his accelerating speed, further depleting his already limited second core energy.
Though he depleted one of his core pretty quickly, he retained his first core as a safety net, ensuring he wasn't left defenseless in case of an unexpected encounter.
Unfortunately, there was one problem aside from his core and energy: his stamina.
The reason was that he had pushed himself to stay awake for days on end while fighting almost all the time.
Now, mentally and physically exhausted, he wanted to just sleep. It was like his brain or his soul was yearning for it.
He leaned against the tunnel cold wall, allowing himself a moment to recover.
Unlike his energy reserves, his stamina don't regenerate when he was moving, so he needed to sleep from time to time.
What about his energy ?
His negative energy acted as an enhancer, but not a complete replacement for his stamina.
It was more like a drug, extending his stamina capacity beyond his limits, but still subject to eventual depletion.
No matter how much energy he could channel to supplement his stamina, his physical body still required rest to recover fully. .
With this knowledge in mind, he decided to find a safe spot and rest to recharge his stamina first.
After finding the perfect spot, he shrouded himself in negative energy, blending seamlessly into the darkness.
It served a dual purpose: hiding him from potential threats and keeping him alert in case of sudden attacks.
In this environment teeming with unknown creatures, caution was his best ally.
He slept soundly, unbothered by the surroundings, his trust in his abilities was just too high.
It was almost amusing how he remained unfazed in a place that others considered a nightmarish realm.
But for a monster like him though, this place wasn't so bad at all.
It was quiet, the air crisp and cold, and there was plenty of space for him to move around freely.
***
After three hours, he finally woke up from his deep sleep.
He felt refreshed and invigorated, his stamina fully restored.
Now, he could move his body for days without needing to rest again.
'It's time ' With renewed energy, he stood up and stretched his legs, ready to continue .
The brief break had done wonders for him, and he was now ready to continue his travel.