Chapter 92: A Fortune Forged in Stone
The silence in Ren's personal dimension was absolute, broken only by the low, resonant hum of the captured Garel vein. The massive sphere of liquid energy hung suspended in the void, a captured sun radiating waves of pure, potent life force. But it was a unstable sun, still bubbling and churning, its energy threatening to erupt in a cataclysmic explosion. The 10:1 time dilation of the space had bought him precious minutes, but the problem remained, a ticking clock in the heart of his greatest treasure.
*I have the ocean, but it's about to flood everything,* Ren thought, his mind racing. *I need to build a dam. Now.*
"System," he commanded, his voice echoing slightly in the emptiness. "The Garel vein is unstable. Its seal was broken. How do I suppress its rampage without sealing it away entirely?"
The system's neutral voice responded instantly in his mind.
***Analysis complete. The host requires a Stabilizing Matrix, an S-rank sealing array designed to contain volatile energy sources without fully restricting access. It will pacify the runaway reaction while allowing for the extraction of Garel Stones.***
"A matrix? And it won't lock the energy away? I can still draw from it?" Ren pressed, needing absolute certainty.
***Confirmed. The matrix suppresses only the volatile state, not the energy itself. Extraction remains possible.***
"Perfect. Exchange it."
***Ding! Item: 'Stabilizing Matrix.' Type: Sealing Array. Rank: S. Exchange Cost: 10,000 points. Confirm exchange?***
The cost was significant, a testament to the array's power. But it was a necessary investment.
***Ding! Exchange successful. 10,000 points deducted. Host's remaining points: 11,000.***
A brilliant, intricate pattern of light erupted into existence beneath the gargantuan Garel sphere. Lines of pure energy, glowing with a soft white luminescence, etched themselves into the fabric of his dimensional space, forming a complex hexagram. At each of its six inner points, ancient, unknowable symbols flared to life, pulsing with immense power.
The effect was immediate and profound.
The violent, bubbling churn of the Garel vein ceased. The terrifying pressure that had been building vanished. The sphere of liquid light simply hung there, placid and serene, its immense energy now humming in a stable, harmonious frequency. The threat was neutralized.
Before Ren could even savor the victory, another system chime echoed.
***Ding! Host has completed hidden objective: 'Seize the Source.' Reward: 50,000 points. Total host points: 61,000. Open exchange interface?***
A fierce, triumphant grin spread across Ren's face. The sound was music to his ears.
*Today is my day,* he exulted inwardly. *Not only do I hold the key to near-limitless power and life, but the points to unlock every other door as well! The Eternal Mangekyō... the Rinnegan... the Sage's body... they are no longer distant dreams. They are inevitabilities.* A short, sharp laugh escaped him, the sound swallowed by the infinite blackness around him.
"Later," he dismissed the system's prompt about the interface. First, he needed to see his prize up close.
With a thought, he vanished from his spot and reappeared directly before the stabilized Garel vein. It was breathtakingly massive, a captured celestial body over fifty meters in diameter, casting a soothing, azure glow that pushed back the oppressive darkness of the void. The Stabilizing Matrix beneath it pulsed gently, a silent guardian.
*Is the stone formed from this?* he wondered, reaching a hand toward the shimmering surface. The liquid energy felt cool and strangely viscous to the touch. He willed a portion of it to separate, and a globule about the size of his fist pulled away from the main body.
The moment it was free, the substance began to change. It lost its liquidity, hardening and solidifying in his palm in a matter of seconds. The light within condensed, focusing until he held a perfectly formed, brilliantly cut Garel Stone, radiating a powerful, condensed life force. It was heavy, nearly half a pound.
"So simple," he murmured, a note of awe in his voice. "No refining, no complex process. It just... becomes. Extraordinary."
He hefted the gem, feeling its immense potential humming against his skin.
"System," he asked, his voice tight with anticipation. "Appraise this. How many points is this single stone worth?"
***Appraisal complete. This Garel Stone contains a significant concentration of refined life-force energy. Exchange value: 10,000 points. Initiate exchange?***
Ren's breath hitched. *Ten thousand.* For a single stone. And this massive vein could produce hundreds, no, *thousands* of such stones. A fortune beyond imagining. A means to buy any power, any technique, any weapon he could ever desire.
A wave of pure, unadulterated avarice washed over him. The possibilities were utterly dizzying.
"HAHAHA! YES!" he shouted, the laughter bursting from him, raw and triumphant. "With this... with all of this... everything is within my grasp!"
It took a monumental effort of will to clamp down on the euphoria. He had to be strategic. He had to be smart.
Focusing on the vein, he extracted ten more stones, each larger than the first, their combined glow illuminating his determined face. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novᴇlfire.net
"System," he commanded, his voice now cold and decisive. "Exchange all of these Garel Stones for points. Now."
***Ding! Exchange initiated.***
A beam of pure white light shot from his chest, enveloping the eleven glowing stones. They didn't vanish instantly but seemed to dissolve into motes of light, which were then drawn into the beam. Within seconds, the last speck was gone, and the light retracted.
The system's chime was sweeter than any music.
***Ding! Exchange successful. 110,000 points acquired. Total host points: 671,000.***
The number hung in his mind, a staggering, monumental figure. Six hundred and seventy-one thousand points.
He stood alone in the dark, the colossal, placid vein of infinite potential glowing before him. He was no longer just a player in the game. He was the house. And the house always wins.
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