Capítulo 26: Battle (final)

The monsters usually couldn't develop cores until they reached level three. However, as previously explained, not all level three monsters could form cores. Some monsters couldn't form their cores even at level five, and occasionally, certain level six monsters lacked cores.

Earthlings didn't know why some monsters had cores while others of the same level did not. What they did understand was the significance of these cores to an Etherian.

A monster's core was, in reality, a mass of pure Etherium. Earth's Etherians also didn't understand how this was possible or how monsters could possess such a pure quantity of Etherium.

Nevertheless, what they did know was the importance of these cores, and for many Etherians, that was enough, because since monster cores were a pure mass of Etherium, they could be absorbed by Etherians.

Absorbing a monster's core could allow an Etherian to purify the Etherium circulating in their bodies. Contrary to what one might think, the Etherium within humans wasn't pure.

As an Etherian progressed on their path to become stronger, they learned to control Etherium better and purify the Etherium that entered their bodies.

When a level one Etherian absorbed atmospheric Etherium, this Etherium passed through their core, which purified it and distributed the purified Etherium throughout their body.

This purification could be thought of as a kind of filtering. The better the filter used, the better the filtered product. In this case, the better the purification ability, the better the Etherium obtained. The purer the Etherium, the stronger the person.

This was precisely why monsters with cores were generally more powerful than those without cores, who used unpurified Etherium.

This was also one of the reasons why a monster's core was precious to an Etherian. Not only did it allow the Etherian's core to purify the Etherium more effectively, but it also enabled smoother Etherium circulation in their body. Moreover, a monster's core could even allow an Etherian's core to store more Etherium!

All these reasons made a monster's core something extremely valuable to Etherians.

However, despite the importance of all these reasons, what truly made a monster's core invaluable was its effect on an individual's Astralum!

As explained, there were various types of Astralums, not just for humans but also for monsters and animals. Moreover, multiple individuals could possess the same type of Astralum. It wasn't uncommon for a human to have the same type of power as a monster.

Let's consider an example of a human with an Astralum allowing them to control fire, and a monster with the same power. If this monster happened to have a core, and the human managed to seize and absorb that core, something extraordinary occurred.

Once the human absorbed the Etherium from the core, they gained all the advantages mentioned earlier - greater Etherium purification capacity, improved Etherium fluidity in their body, and expanded Etherium storage capacity. However, due to the fact that the nature of the human's Astralum was the same as that of the monster, something extraordinary happened.

The human, absorbing the monster's core, experienced an increase in their affinity with their Astralum. They began to acquire knowledge about certain aspects of their Astralum that they hadn't even suspected.

It's important to note that there are several sub-levels between consecutive levels, and in order to unlock the seal of the next level, one must pass these sub-levels. Understanding one's Astralum is crucial to passing these sub-levels, so the fact that a monster's core can provide knowledge about one's Astralum is significant.

Additionally, if the core in question comes from a monster of the same level or higher, sometimes an individual can unlock multiple sub-levels simultaneously, although this also depends on the individual and their level of comprehension.

The only disappointing aspect is that to gain this latter advantage, one must possess the same Astralum as the monster from which the core originated.

Continuing with the same example, if an individual with the ability to control water were to acquire the core of a monster with the power to control fire and absorb it, they would receive all the different boosts for their body and core.

However, their understanding of their water-based Astralum would not increase in the slightest.

That's why Etherians preferred to have a core from a monster with the same power as theirs. However, they would still be content with any core, regardless of the power it contained.

After all, they could still use it and even decide to exchange it with someone who had the same power as the monster from which the core was taken.

All these reasons explain Tom's excitement when he saw that the creatures he was fighting possessed a core. Even with his influence, Vista, the leader of one of the three largest guilds in their city, couldn't find a monster core for him. This proves how rare monsters cores are on Earth.

That's why Tom, who initially wanted to kill the crystal creature just to defend himself, now wanted to kill it for a completely different reason.

Tom regained the concentration he had lost, and he was even more focused than before. The cautious look he had at the beginning of the fight had completely disappeared, replaced by a sharp gaze. His eyes now resembled those of a hunter rather than a prey.

'It's time to finish this battle,'Tom thought as he finally managed to outmaneuver the creature once again. He wanted to end this fight that, in his opinion, had lasted for far too long.

The creature, which had been continuously firing crystal projectiles while chasing Tom, seemed even more transparent now. Its blue color had faded, indicating that the creature was exhausted and had run out of crystal ammunition.

Tom approached the creature without fear of being bombarded. He knew that the creature was also at the end of its tether, and this was the perfect moment for him to counterattack after enduring so much.

Once he reached the creature, Tom shifted the distribution of etherium from his legs to his arms, increasing the strength of his muscles. Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful blow with his right arm.

Crack

The incredibly hard crystalline skin, which had once shattered his sword, fractured slightly, and the creature trembled. However, the crystalline skin was far from breaking.

Sensing the danger coming from behind, the creature tried to turn and seize Tom with its pincers. Unfortunately, it had become even slower now that it was exhausted.

Tom took advantage of the creature's sluggishness. After his first blow, Tom delivered another powerful strike with his left arm.

Crack

Another sound of fracture echoed as Tom prepared to land another blow.

The creature trembled once again and attempted to turn and get rid of this pest that was now a serious threat to its life. However, once again, it didn't have time to turn before Tom's next blow struck.

Crack Crack Crack Crack

Tom unleashed a torrent of powerful punches on the creature. With each blow, he felt like he could finally release all the anger and frustration he had felt throughout the battle. With each punch, a demonic smile manifested and grew.

Tom continued to rain heavy blows on the creature's crystalline skin, which fractured with each strike, until...

CRACK