The acquisition of the Seed Core sent shockwaves through the hidden echelons of the capital.
For the Vanguard High Command, it was an unmitigated disaster. To lose a priceless asset was one thing; to lose it to an unknown entity that bypassed Black Omega security and utterly humiliated their top operatives was a direct threat to their sovereignty. Paranoia swept through the military ranks. Inquisitors began turning their crude Mana-detectors inward, tearing apart their own command structures looking for a mole that didn't exist.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the Aegis Preparatory Academy, the architect of their misery was conducting a physics experiment.
Same sat at a heavy steel workbench in the deepest, forgotten sub-basement of the Archives. The room was shielded by layers of lead and a complex matrix of Origin Qi barriers he had painstakingly woven into the walls. In the center of the table sat the open containment box.
The Seed Core pulsed, casting sharp, shifting shadows across Same's seven-year-old face. The spectral starlight crown rotated slowly in his dark eyes as he analyzed the crystal's composition.
"Fascinating," Same murmured softly.
His perfect comprehension allowed him to see the core not just as a battery of magic, but as a masterpiece of structural engineering by the universe itself. The Higher Realms didn't just dump monsters onto Earth; they seeded dimensions. This core was designed to embed itself into the planet's tectonic plates, gradually altering Earth's fundamental physical laws until it became hospitable for the Top Ten races.
It was a terraforming engine.
Same reached out and touched the core. His immortal soul and physics-defying body effortlessly negated the radiation that would have melted a normal human's bones.
He didn't want to terraform Earth. He wanted to drain this engine and use its raw materials to accelerate his own plans. But consuming the energy directly was inefficient; it was too chaotic. He needed a conduit—a weapon that could bridge the gap between his bottomless internal Origin Qi and the physical world, something that wouldn't shatter under the sheer pressure of his power.
Same closed his eyes. His photographic memory flashed through thousands of Vanguard weapon schematics, ancient mythological texts, and the deepest mechanical engineering principles he had unlocked.
He began to channel his Origin Qi into the Seed Core, forcibly dominating the chaotic energy within. The octahedron vibrated violently, letting out a high-pitched whine that threatened to shatter the concrete walls. But Same's will was absolute. He crushed the core's natural resistance, forcing it to melt down, transmuting it from a crystal into a pool of hyper-dense, liquid starlight hovering above the table.
For the next four hours, Same acted as a cosmic blacksmith.
He didn't use hammers or anvils. He used telekinetic pressure and microscopic structural manipulation. He folded the liquid energy over itself thousands of times, aligning the atomic structure into a flawless, unbreakable matrix. He cooled it, not with water, but with the absolute void of his own energy.
When the light finally died down, a single object rested on the steel table.
It was a ring.
It appeared completely unassuming—a simple, smooth band of matte-black metal, devoid of any jewels or runes. But beneath its surface, it contained the compressed mass and energy of a Class-A Seed Core, tamed and bound by Origin Qi.
Same slipped the ring onto the index finger of his right hand. It automatically resized itself to fit his small finger perfectly.
Instantly, his connection to the ambient energy of the world expanded tenfold. He could feel the heartbeat of the academy guards sleeping three floors above. He could sense the sluggish flow of Mana in the training arenas miles away. The ring wasn't just a weapon; it was a physical extension of his will, a focal point that allowed him to manipulate reality with terrifying precision without having to physically exert his own body.
Same stood up, a small, cold smile touching his lips.
The first phase was complete. Eclipse Logistics was firmly established and heavily funded. Corvus was a flawless proxy. And now, Same possessed a tool capable of executing high-tier cosmic manipulation while maintaining his disguise as the Linley family's crippled null.
It was time to escalate the game.
He activated his quantum-entangled receiver. "Corvus."
"Master," the immediate reply came, crisp and alert despite the late hour.
"The Vanguard is distracted by the loss of the core. Their internal security is focused entirely on finding a high-tier traitor. They have left their underbelly exposed. It is time to assert dominance over Sector 9."
"The Undercity, Master? The Silk Road Syndicate runs that territory. They have thousands of enforcers and Vanguard politicians on their payroll. They won't bow to a logistics company."
"I do not want them to bow, Corvus," Same replied, walking towards the heavy steel door of the sub-basement. "I want you to cut off the head of the snake and take the body for ourselves. We need an army, and the Undercity has plenty of angry, abandoned souls willing to fight."
"Understood. How do you want to proceed?"
Same raised his right hand. The matte-black ring drank the dim light of the room. "In two days, the Syndicate is holding an auction for a massive shipment of illegal beast-tech at the old subterranean gladiator pits. All the major bosses will be there. You will attend the auction."
"And when the bidding starts?" Corvus asked, a vicious anticipation bleeding into his tone.
"When the bidding starts," Same said, his eyes flashing with starlight, "you will close the doors, and Eclipse Logistics will execute a hostile takeover. I will be watching."