189: The core "gifts" and the "evolution" of capabilities

As the last chaotic ripples of energy within the underground cavity returned to calm, the Prophet Foundation's "Scavenger" team fled in disarray under the ancient core's furious strike. After the trapped prospectors were successfully rescued and quickly moved to a safe area, the entire massive underground space fell into a strange, post-battle silence. The air was still thick with the scent of dense energy, but it was no longer violent and oppressive as before; instead, it had transformed into a gentle calm and serenity, shimmering like a lake's surface under the afternoon sun.

The massive "core" suspended in the center of the cavity, composed of countless glowing crystals, no longer beat like a startled, racing heart. Its pulsations became slow, deep, and rhythmic, as if a giant organism had entered a peaceful sleep. The light it emitted was soft and steady, no longer aggressive, and even... faintly radiated an indescribable energy fluctuation carrying a sense of closeness and dependence, like a docile pet seeing its master return home, or an ancient instrument long silent, finally finding the only operator capable of awakening and communicating with it. This invisible energy field naturally contracted slightly around Excellence, forming a silent posture of protection and welcome.

Supported by Su Mu, Excellence slowly stood up straight. His small face was still pale, and the over-exhaustion of his mental power caused bouts of faintness and vertigo, but his eyes shone like the most brilliant stars in the dark night, filled with a massive sense of accomplishment and an unprecedented clarity that even fatigue could not hide. He became the unquestioned focus of the entire rescue operation. The eyes of all the team members converged on him, no longer with the curiosity or pity previously reserved for a "special child," but filled with heartfelt, almost reverent admiration and gratitude. It was this child who, with his incredible abilities, had resolved a crisis that even the most elite troops were helpless against, saving the lives of his companions.

Deep Resonance: Opening the Ancient Treasury

Under the excited and cautious remote guidance of Evelyn Li, transmitted through a barely restored communication channel still crackling with static, Excellence did not evacuate immediately. He knew that the preliminary connection established with this ancient "core" was extremely precious. He had to strike while the iron was hot and attempt a deeper "exchange," hoping to gain more information about it, the star map, and even the massive mystery behind it all.

He closed his eyes again, enduring his mental exhaustion, and slowly extended his Perception toward the calmed "core" once more. This time, it was no longer a "negotiation" full of confrontation and appeasement, but more like a careful, respectful "visit" and "inquiry."

As his Perception deepened, even greater waves rose in Excellence's heart! He gradually realized that the massive collection of glowing crystals before him was far from what he had initially imagined—it wasn't just a powerful natural energy source or some ancient machine. It was more like a... living, sleeping "biological hard drive" and "energy regulation hub" that stored an unimaginably vast amount of information! The refinement and complexity of its internal structure far exceeded his current level of understanding, but the basic principles of its operation and the underlying logic of its energy "language" shared a clearly identifiable, ancestral "bloodline" with the star map and the fluctuations emitted by those "singing stones"! However, the "core" before him was of a higher level and contained more information, as if it were one of the "matrices" or "sources" of the entire system.

As if to reward this "communicator" who had successfully passed the "test," or perhaps out of an instinctive recognition and acceptance of a "kindred" aura, the "core" responded when Excellence's Perception touched its outermost conscious barrier. It did not open its deep core database, which likely contained world-shaking secrets, but instead, like a kind elder to a bright junior meeting for the first time, it transmitted a stream of pure, gentle, and non-coercive energy.

This energy stream did not crudely inject power to forcibly raise Excellence's "energy level." It was more like a... top-tier, custom-made "life essence" or "system optimization patch." It quietly merged into Excellence's own energy circulation system, like the finest spring rain nourishing parched land, beginning to comb, optimize, and reinforce the subtle flaws and unstable Nodes within his body that might have existed due to rapid growth and occasional loss of control from a microscopic level. He felt every one of his energy meridians become tougher and clearer, and the efficiency and stability of the energy flowing through them underwent a qualitative leap.

Even more wonderful was that along with this energy stream, fragmented yet essential "basic knowledge" and "advanced concepts" regarding the use of energy were naturally branded into the depths of his consciousness, like a sudden enlightenment. This knowledge was not a specific skill manual but rather an inspiration akin to a "worldview" and "methodology"—about how energy and matter could more harmoniously coexist and transform, how consciousness could more precisely guide energy, and how to "read" the ubiquitous energy "texts" in the universe... This knowledge seemed to open up a clearer and broader "cognitive space" in his mind, causing his understanding of his own abilities to instantly leap to a brand-new height.

Emerging from the Chrysalis: Evolution of Life's Level

When Excellence slowly woke up from this state of deep "resonance," he had a strong feeling of being reborn. It was as if he were truly and completely "seeing" the world for the first time.

He opened his eyes, and the scene in his vision had undergone a world-shaking change. It was no longer just the shapes and colors of the material world, but... a layer of incredibly clear, vivid, and meaningful "energy dimensions" was superimposed! In his eyes, the air was no longer a void, but filled with countless fine, flowing "energy light streams" as brilliant as a galaxy; the surrounding rock walls were no longer inanimate stone, but contained slow-flowing, steady energy representing the pulse of the earth; even every living person was like a lamp of varying brightness, emitting a unique energy glow representing vitality and emotional states. This energy was no longer a blur of interference but had become orderly "light characters" and "information threads" that could be intuitively "read" and understood! Before him, the entire world seemed to have transformed from an indecipherable heavenly book into an open, detailed, vast epic written in light and energy!

His control over his own abilities had also reached an unprecedented level of precision, one that could be described as following his every whim. Before, he needed to laboriously construct a simple "energy sentence" step by step, like a primary school student, and often made mistakes. Now, those complex energy structures and sequences seemed to have become his innate instinct. With a slight movement of his will, the required energy form was instantly completed, with a more optimized structure and extremely high energy utilization, while consumption was drastically reduced. This improvement was not a simple increase in quantity, but a fundamental leap in quality!

Even more surprising was that some brand-new, higher-order applications of his abilities, which seemed to have been buried deep in his genes, were now quietly awakened, emerging as naturally as breathing:

Energy Weaving: With a thought, he tried to condense invisible energy in his palm. He saw the free-floating energy light points in the air rapidly converge toward his hand, as if pulled by an invisible loom. In the blink of an eye, a half-meter-long energy blade with a clear and stable outline, radiating soft white light, was formed! Although this light blade only lasted for a dozen seconds before dissipating due to energy depletion, its instantaneous solidity and sharpness left the onlookers dumbfounded! He could also easily condense a translucent energy shield; though its defensive strength and duration were similarly limited, this marked a solid step for his abilities, moving from pure Perception and influence toward materialization and practical application!

Information Decryption: He developed an almost instinctive decoding intuition for the complex, obscure, code-like energy imprints and information flows within the star map, the ores, and even the "core" he had just contacted. Although he couldn't yet fully understand their deep meaning, he could vaguely perceive which information fragments were related and which structures were key Nodes, as if he had obtained the first key to opening a treasury.

Environmental Synchronization: He could more easily adjust the frequency and amplitude of his own energy field to achieve high consistency with the surrounding environmental energy background. When he stood still, he seemed to instantly "melt" into the environment. Not only was he difficult to detect with the naked eye, but even the most sophisticated energy detectors would find it hard to distinguish him from the background noise. This was an extremely powerful stealth ability.

The Composure of the Strong and a New Mission

"How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?" Su Mu, who had been guarding him with palms sweaty from tension, immediately asked urgently as she saw him open his eyes, handing him a water bottle. Her voice was full of concern and a barely perceptible tremble.

Excellence took the water bottle and slowly took a sip. He looked up at Su Mu, his eyes flashing with a light Su Mu had never seen before—a mixture of wisdom, calm, and the composure of a true powerhouse. It was no longer childish excitement or dependence, but a... stillness and confidence that came from having insight into some of the world's operating laws.

"Class Monitor," his voice was steady, carrying the fatigue of a massive transformation but filled with even more power, "I think... I've only just begun to truly 'see' this world." He reached out and casually swept through the air. A condensed and stable arc of light appeared, lingering for several seconds before quietly dissipating like a dying spark, handled with effortless ease. "Energy... is no longer something I have to carefully control. It's like... like a book written in another language. The stories and rules inside... I can read more of them now."

In the ground command center, Evelyn Li stared at the real-time monitoring data of Excellence's physiological indicators and energy field characteristics on the screen, her face filled with unbelievable shock and immense joy. The data clearly showed that the stability of Excellence's Energy Core had increased by several orders of magnitude, his control precision had reached the nanometer level, and his information processing bandwidth had grown exponentially! This was definitely not the result of simple training or quantitative accumulation! This was an... "evolution" or "leap" at the level of life's essence! It was his life form, under the combined effect of some external factor (the gift of the ancient core) and internal factor (his own potential and effort), undergoing a profound change toward a higher level!

The thrilling adventure in the underground cavern, though full of danger, ultimately turned into a blessing in disguise, becoming the most critical turning point in Excellence's growth. He not only successfully resolved the crisis and proved his value as a guardian but also truly stepped through the door of the strong, beginning a brand-new journey full of infinite possibilities.

And the deep connection he established with that ancient "core" also opened a door for Homeland to an unprecedented treasury containing endless ancient knowledge, advanced technological concepts, and massive energy secrets. Although they knew clearly that this earth-shattering discovery could not be kept secret forever, and that The Foundation or even other potential forces would eventually swarm in like sharks smelling blood, triggering an even greater storm—at this moment, holding this unprecedented "trump card" and witnessing Excellence's miraculous evolution, the members of Homeland were filled with unprecedented confidence and hope to face any future challenges. The road ahead was destined to be magnificent.