Inside the cave, Chris finished upgrading smoothly, stepping into Tier 35.
Ethan, meanwhile, pushed all the way to Tier 35 peak.
Then he pulled out that Stage SS crystal core, swallowed hard, and—without any more ceremony—tossed it straight into his mouth.
A surge of power flooded his body.
The core melted into pure energy, rushing through his veins like molten lightning. In his mind, the sixth star ignited completely—
And Ethan's consciousness was yanked back into that familiar void.
The endless emptiness.
The sea of densely packed light-points.
But compared to when he'd been Stage S, there were fewer now.
Not few—just… less overwhelming.
Ethan didn't waste time. He swept forward through the lights at high speed.
No question: every Stage SS light-point was strong.
But "strong" didn't mean "equal."
