Megan smashed the two beast cores together, then using a combination of core energy and her own waning strength, she cupped the released volatile energies threatening to explode between her fingers as they mixed together and raised her hands to her mouth. Megan grimaced at the sight of the energy she held as a battle for dominance started between the energy. The same thing that was occurring throughout her body and soul at this very moment. Megan failed to notice that when she had smashed the cores together a strange violet mist was now rising from the four columns stretching from the corners of the pyramid and collecting above her head in a cloud as lightning continuously hit the tip of the structure above, causing arcs of electricity to race down the ramps on the sides of the pyramid. This electricity also had an additional benefit of mercilessly killing every scorpion or snake that is touched indescribably. On top of all this the bodies of the beasts appeared to decay into dust and convert into a strange energy that would be absorbed into the pyramid for unknown purposes.
Megan was unable to notice any of this. She was too busy keeping the rampant competing energies attacking each other and not her! A battle that had started from the first moment a snake had managed to inject its venom into Megan a battle had started in Megan's body from the surface of her skin down through her muscles, ligaments and tendons, then passing her organs and mostly ending up in a intense confrontation surrounding her core. Pure core energy whipped the two combatant energies together, goading them on and making them focus on each other. As the two energies attacked and counterattacked yet another energy was released in Megan's body. This energy, no longer detrimental to her, joined with her own energies and assisted in simultaneously keeping the two energies going at each other as well as healing her and improving her.
Normally, that would be it. If this is all that happened, then Megan would have a fantastically strong foundation and would burst into the Core Compression stage most likely with a handy poison resistance added into the mix.
That was until the ancient energy formation built into the very framework of the pyramid gained enough power to activate. Reality trembled, dormant processes not seen for many millennia restarting, scanning and taking action. Additionally, for this time since its last activation the pyramid had been slowly accumulating energies, banking them deep in the dungeon's storage. So long had passed in fact that this storage had long since reach the capacity it could contain and the pyramid had been storing the energies wherever it could, so for many years it had been converting the energies into grains of sand that currently overflowed in the desert outside. Each grain held centuries of accumulated energies, just waiting for a time just like this.
Megan sat on the pedestal in the centre of the pyramid completely oblivious to the roiling, convulsing and world-shattering energies accumulating around the pyramid, all of the scorpions and snakes had retreated, at least the ones that could, they were running in the opposite direction from the pyramid, all enmity with each other forgotten in the moment as absolute terror enveloped them all. As the last beast disintegrated into pure energy and joined the rest the grains of sand all around the pyramid started to tremble, the rise into the air and release those accumulated energies into the now deep purple cloud just above the tip that was above Megan, arcs of pure energy in the form of massive lightning bolts swirled around and through the cloud, thunder rumbled and crashed. At the very tip of the pyramid four triangular sides now lowered into recessed positions and a dark hole could be seen but not seen into. Out of this hole rose a flawless black coloured crystal orb. Deep in the centre of this orb a small light was seen to appear, with the presence of this light a massive pressure descended on the area as more and more sand lifted from the sides of the pyramid and as one started to spin in an orbit around the dark purple cloud. More and more energy was released into it but didn't appear to make the cloud any bigger, no, exactly the opposite was happening as the massive cloud shrunk down, condensing tighter and tighter. Soon, it became apparent that where the cloud touched upon that black orb it was being drawn into the orb itself, in fact, the draw was increasing so much that this was causing a tight spiralling whirlwind of pure power which was in turn causing all the sand converting into energy to spin around the pyramid, blasting the sides like a high pressure sand blasting hose.
It turns out the black pyramid wasn't as black as originally thought, it appears the colour was actually a pure white jade material. As the sand blasted the sunburnt accumulation of dried scorpion/snake and blood/venom from the pyramid this jade shined forth with a pure unadulterated beauty not seen for eons of time.
The orb above Megan absorbed these energies quicker and quicker, the light in its depths intensifying, growing brighter and brighter until even cultivators would have to look away lest it damage their eyes. Reaching its normal capacity the orb continued to absorb, all its limiters had decayed away long ago so instead of stopping to accumulate, purify and condense the energy to assist in a cultivator's normal breakthrough this orb went beyond all limitations for safety and control and allowed this vast number of energies surrounding it to be included too!
The shining white pyramid, three times as big as it was before, sitting at the bottom of a large crater lined with scorpions and snakes standing witness, a massive black energy storm above all being sucked down into a small shining orb, brighter than any sun and Megan, sitting on a pedestal below this maelstrom of energies, trying to stay alive as two conflicting venoms ravaged her body, vulnerable and weak.
Everything appeared to reach an equilibrium for a while, Megan cultivated in her attempt to breakthrough to Core Compression, letting energies she had captured from the battle raging in her body to nurture her spinning core, increasing its size and intensity.
This building up of energy appeared fast but due to the amounts of power being utilised was not actually a process that would end soon.
Things stayed this way for a little over 4 days as Megan sat cultivating. The breakthrough to Core Compression occurred and Megan sat, assessing the gains and the damage to her body which was in the bearable range for now. A large crackling noise mixed with a huge clap of thunder roused her from her internal contemplation and Megan finally opened her eyes.
The initial vision of what she was looking at completely confused her. All around her beyond the gaps between the massive white (weren't those black before?) columns stretching up above her was a swirling black and purple coloured whirlwind, strange, multi-coloured lightning crackling through it as though caught up in the winds. Megan's eyes dilated, goosebumps flashed up over her entire body and her mouth fell open in astonishment. What happened, her venom baptism was nearing the end but why are these thick clouds of energy surrounding her, where did all the scorpions and snakes go?
Before Megan could contemplate these questions another crack of thunder pealed out from above her and as the pyramid began to tremble, Megan looked up.
At first Megan had no idea what she was looking at. There was light, a very bright light. There was also darkness, a deep impenetrable darkness.
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*
A message scrolled across her vision, the sender unknown.
BRACE YOURSELF MEGAN, THIS IS GOING TO HURT... DO NOT DIE.
What?
There was a flash.
The power descended from above and Megan... ceased to exist.
Pure raw primal power filled the space on the tip of the pyramid. Everything within was contained, stabilised, analysed and categorised. Ancient but overpowering runes of control and creation flashed into being and pulsed, then pulsed again and again. The pulses settled into a rythym of a heartbeat.
*Thump*
*Thump thump*
*Thump*
*Thump thump*
In the centre of the space there materialised a very familiar cultivator core. Megan's core.
The pyramid trembled and quaked, barely managing to contain the power, even built for this purpose. Ancient but sturdy analytical machines flared to life within the structure, reaching out with cold intelligence, guiding processes and setting parameters.
SUBJECT: Female, race *error*
AGE: approximately 16 standard years.
RESULT: Infinity Core detected. Alpha protocol enacted.
The powerful energies within the apex of the pyramid shuddered and shifted colours as the core spinning in its centre began to draw in the essences surrounding it. Every now and then a controlled lightning bolt would strike the core, each bolt containing different energies specific to what the core needed as it reformed, compressed and tempered. Waves of concentrated soul nourishing vapour was released and soon, shining metallic strands of crystal erupted from the core and grew upwards a small distance where in a flash, a golden heart burst into being beating in time to the pulses of power. From the heart more crystal pathways burst forth in multiple directions, each strand ending in very specific positions that took Megan's silhouette of a head and a torso with two arms and legs. These pathways glowed with a strange violet light that sparked and crackled with energies not seen in the universe for many, many years. One by one each of Megan's organs burst into existence with a flash of golden light the same as her heart. Veins and arteries twined themselves around Megan's new pathways almost like an afterthought compared to the absolute majesty that was inherent in those pathways. Starting from the top of her skull on top of the electrically charged brain that had appeared there could be seen slowly coming into being the beginning of bone, the marrow of which shined with inner strength and the bone itself appeared to be similar in composition to the white jade of the pyramid, extremely tough and durable but with enough flex to bend and not impede movement.
Next winding, conforming and connecting everything together came metallic looking muscles, attaching them to bones with steel-like ligaments and tendons.
After this from within Megan's body a golden hued blood started to flow and be directed by Megan's heart to all over her body, the lifeless organs and muscles taking on a healthy glow as they began to complete their normal functions.
The power surged and the energies shifted and churned as Megan's newly built body was bombarded with a multitude of differing cosmic radiation that forced it to grow a highly resistant and adaptable skin that would protect, reflect and absorb better than anything the universe had seen in living memory. For some reason the pyramid even forced Megan's skin to automatically grow a skintight suit of metallic fabric sourced from her very core energy and previous items and clothing she previously had, not much compensation for losing everything but ah well. It would not likely protect from attacks but would certainly keep her warm and dry as well as clean if given enough energy so it was more as a cleanliness and modesty feature of her newly built body than for defence.
Normally in this process that would be the end. But the pyramid had only used the barest fraction of the power available, this was after filling its energy storage to overcapacity and using everything it had that was safe for Megan to take. But safety measures put in place long, long ago had failed to operate. That was not to say the non-sentient intelligence of the pyramid wanted Megan to die, far from it. After deliberating with itself for at least two whole seconds (an extremely long time for a machine of this calibre) before a decision was reached. Alpha protocols were enacted after all was said and done and releasing this energy into the environment could have unexpected consequences.
Decision made, the pyramid acted.
Megan knew or saw none of this. Her world had retracted down into one feeling and one feeling only.
PAIN
No matter which way you described it. Pain, suffering, agony, torment, hurt, ache, prickling and stinging. There were no words that could accurately reflect what Megan was going through. Megan felt so much that her consciousness decided to ultimately change the way pain affected Megan's mind. No longer would Megan feel pain in the same way as right now. Megan's mind calmed as the changes took effect. She found herself able to acknowledge the pain, understand what the cause and effect was of that pain, but the pain could no longer make her unable to act, unable to move.
Just when Megan thought it was over, until 2 seconds later ominous rumbling could be felt from the pyramid. Then the pain came again, but even more intense. Fortunately, although Megan could feel the pain, it no affected her the same. Megan found she could study in great detail what was happening to her, not that she understood anything. First, energy was shoved violently into every cell of her being, every single tiny component of her being was being filled, compressed, tempered then filled again. Over and over this process continued, her soul was hammered together with her material being, the energy reaching unimaginable heights honestly never seen before in reality. It was as if every molecule that made Megan was being turned into a miniature version of her own cultivator core. But instead of becoming a being in its own right each and every part of her still functioned the same but at a new level of existence, superior in every way. Perfect.
Still, power flowed inward, everything was saturated, there was no room for more, but the pyramid had much more to give. It couldn't store the excess; it had no more capacity. Nothing was stopping it from forcing the energy into the being before it, why would no more energy go in? So, the pyramid pushed more, and more.
It was at this point Megan realised what was wrong. This was too much; she would never survive this. Her body would explode into its component atoms if this kept going. Megan began to panic, but there was nothing she could do. She tried calling out, reaching out with her senses, tried to release the power safely, nothing was working.
Megan who couldn't feel physical pain the same way as similar beings anymore felt a worse sensation than pain. Megan screamed at the sensation; she couldn't help it. It was like her mind was being tortured, strung out, stabbed and gutted then compressed and battered with sharp objects.
Her mind was collapsing; Megan lost all thought and feeling.
******************************************************************************************************
Megan's eyes opened again and they had once again been replaced with swirling galaxies within them. Megan's hand raised and within her palm a small golden bead was brought into reality.
Next all the energies within the pyramid switched to being absorbed by the bead. It didn't change shape or form, but all the energy absorbed disappeared without any indication of where it went.
More and more, faster and faster the energy swirled and spun, sinking into the golden bead which for some reason had no limit on how much it could absorb. When all the energies had been absorbed and the swirling clouds of energy were no more, a silence descended on the scene. The silence was broken by a sudden crack as the crystal orb on the very top of the pyramid broke up and scattered into dust which drifted away as the pyramid closed up and everything went dormant again.
Megan stood, tall and proud, silver skintight suit shining, an arm held up where still in the centre of the palm of her outstretched hand there resided a small golden orb which was now slightly pulsing in time to Megan's now unheard heartbeat.
For a few moments, Megan held this pose until, like a puppet with its strings cut, she fell to the ground, unconscious.
As the scorpions and snakes started forward down the crater leading to the now exposed white pyramid which was now 3 times the size it was before Megan's body slowly sank through the floor she was lying on and disappeared.