Michael forced himself to calm down.
In fact, everything he had seen wasn’t even the full extent of his gains.
For some reason, he felt it—there was more.
Taking a deep breath, he dismissed his panels and sat down, closing his eyes.
He didn’t know why, but he felt an urge—a strong pull to meditate.
The lingering sensation from consuming the Soul Pool Fruits was still there, giving him a feeling as if something within him had been unlocked.
Something he might lose access to if he didn’t grasp it now—while he was still sensitive to it.
As Michael closed his eyes and focused inward, something shifted.
It was subtle at first, like a gentle ripple in a still pond, but soon, it became undeniable—a pull, deep and resonant, leading him into the depths of himself.
The sensation felt familiar.
It was like when he was entering his sea of consciousness.
And then, he saw it.
His soul.
Michael couldn’t explain how he knew, but he just did.
Darkness surrounded him.
No—there was something within the darkness.
A glow.
A deep, vivid red glow.
Something was at its core.
Michael drifted toward it, drawn by an instinct he couldn’t ignore.
As he approached, the source of the glow became clear.
A cauldron.
A red cauldron.
“What is this?”
Michael wondered when, suddenly, his vision shifted.
He was still in a dark space, but darkness was no longer the dominant force here.
Below him lay a vast, black soul-ground.
Above him stretched a sky—or at least, it felt like one.
Dotted across it were dozens of shining lights, resembling stars.
For some reason, Michael immediately knew their exact number.
Fifty.
There were fifty stars.
“What does this mean? Where am I?”
Panic crept in, but he forced himself to stay calm.
That was when he sensed something—an unexpected feedback.
It came from the red cauldron he had just seen.
It told him it was inside it.
However, that wasn’t the most shocking part.
A fragment of information surfaced in his mind, passed to him by the cauldron.
Its name.
Primordial Evolution Crucible.
And its function.
It could evolve anything placed within it.
Immediately, Michael made the connection.
His talent—Infinite Evolution.
The realization struck like a storm.
“The cauldron… is my talent?!”
Yet, it made sense.
Talent was linked to the soul.
The cauldron existed within his soul. Which also meant… the space he had been in earlier was his soul.
Michael’s thoughts raced. “Then… what do the stars represent?”
Another wave of feedback came.
“They are your creation and the foundation of your power.”
The cauldron wasn’t very clear.
Though it provided information, Michael could tell it wasn’t truly alive.
Curious, he turned his gaze to one of the largest stars.
Immediately, it descended toward him.
Given its distance, he had expected it to be enormous, but as it neared, it shrank—becoming no larger than a football.
Though surprised, Michael instinctively reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed against it, the star shattered into light—taking shape before his eyes.
A figure emerged from the glow.
Michael’s breath caught.
It was familiar.
His Undead High Human.
Just as he was about to investigate further, a voice called out to him.
“Sir Mic? Can you hear me?”
Mage Lian?
Casting a conflicted glance at the glowing figure before him, Michael withdrew his focus—returning to the outside world.
—
Not far from Michael stood Mage Lian.
The smiling old man hadn’t grown any younger, yet something about him felt younger.
At the same time, Michael sensed an unfamiliar pressure radiating from him—something threatening.
It was the first time he had ever felt such a presence from the old mage.
Curious, he cast Detect on him.
[Lionheart Kingdom Grand Mage ????]
Michael could no longer see his level.
Before, it had always been Level 29, but now it was surely much higher.
Exactly how high, Michael didn’t know, but he suspected it was significant.
Mage Lian had also consumed the Soul Pool Fruit, just like him.
If Michael had gained a massive boost from it, then the old man, a true mage through and through, would have experienced even greater benefits.
His posture, his presence—it all exuded newfound power.
“Sorry for disturbing your meditation, Sir Mic.”
Mage Lian remained as polite as ever.
“It’s fine,” Michael replied. “I was just digesting my gains.”
“Ahh, I’m sure Sir Mic must have gained a lot as well.”
The old man let out a hearty laugh.
Though he had no idea just how much Michael had truly gained, Mage Lian could feel it.
Michael’s mana was now overflowing, practically leaking into the surroundings.
Mage Lian’s heart clenched.
This mana… it felt even more potent than his own.
And the ominous darkness woven into it only made it more intimidating.
Shifting his gaze, Mage Lian glanced at Lucky, who stood nearby.
It had been his first time witnessing the beast in battle.
And though he had seen Michael other undead wolf, this one was… different.
A terrifying aura had surrounded the beast in combat, something unlike anything he had encountered before.
Even now, though that oppressive feeling had faded, a faint trace of it still lingered in his senses.
And this wasn’t even Michael’s only summon.
Though Mage Lian hadn’t seen the Undead High Human, he had felt its presence during the battle.
None of this changed his attitude toward Michael—he had never intended to be rude. If anything, these realizations only solidified his respect.
Besides, he was truly grateful for Michael’s assistance.
The Soul Pool Fruit had given him even more than he had expected.
He owed Michael a lot.
“I wanted to inform Sir Mic that I’ll be leaving first. Rest assured, we won’t depart without you.”
“Thank you, Mage Lian. I’ll join you soon. As you can see, I haven’t fully digested my gains yet, so forgive me for wasting your time.”
“No, no, no, haha.Sir Mic can take all the time he wants! Even I’m just returning to the ship to continue digesting what I’ve earned.”