Observing the patterns of the abyssal energy, Grey noticed a spiral. A spiral identical to that of True Origin Energy.
No, it was not just similar. It was the exact same pattern.
"So this is the Abyssal Energy?" Grey was shocked for a moment.
But, he recovered from his shock just as quickly.
To him, this only meant one thing. Abyssal Energy was another fragment created when Heaven forcefully split Nexus Energy to conceal its existence.
It was energy born from the same origin, yet opposite in nature. True Origin Energy embodied birth and creation, while Abyssal Energy embodied decay and corrosion.
But before he could dwell on it further, the so called Necro Star trembled violently. Its surface rapidly turned blood red as a sinister miasma began spilling outward.
Just as quickly, grey froze.
"This... The cosmic energy of the outer world is fusing with the abyssal energy inside the corruption field?!"
Energy fusion.
To think he would discover the concept of fusion of energies here, inside a corruption field.
[By observing the fusion of Abyssal Energy and Cosmic Energy, you have gained understanding of Energy Fusion and comprehended the skill, 'Energy Fusion.']
"The corruption field is utilizing the cosmic energy and the abyssal energy born during the Necro Star's creation to form corruption energy."
He had never seen or heard about anything of the things happening right now in the textbooks or the histories of blue star. It was possible that no one in this world even knew Abyssal Energy existed in the first place.
Then, the necro star slowly begin to change.
It turned crimson and a viscous red liquid began to ooze from its glowing surface.
The liquid dripped down from the necro star, slowly pooling together before molding itself into monstrous forms.
The instant these monsters took shape, echoes from what appeared to be the hollowest parts of hell reverberated throughout the entire corruption field.
A strange, otherworldly language resounded in the air, drilling directly into Grey's mind.
Swish!
The monsters revealed themselves.
Their bodies were humanoid but it was twisted up in a strange way that made it look straight out of horror movies.
In the place of their head was a floating black globe covered in red miasma, like a miniature corruption field itself. At the very center of their chests was a massive hollowed out area.
Whoever made these creatures had made their intentions clear. These monsters were never meant to have hearts.
But fear never crossed his mind.
Nexus Energy coursed steadily through his body, and he had already confirmed the truth. Corruption Energy could not harm him. In fact, Nexus Energy was its natural bane. It was the bane of all energies. When Nexus Energy revealed itself, everything else was forced to retreat.
With that certainty, Grey charged forward. Judging from the lack of oppressive aura radiating from the monsters, he was confident he could handle them without issue, even without knowing their levels.
'I should probably create an appraisal skill in the future,' Grey thought as he closed the distance.
Sword energy immediately erupted from his blade.
Arcs of purple flames came crashing down on the corrupted beings without pause.
The humanoid monsters did not even have the chance to react before they were cleaved apart, their twisted bodies collapsing into fragments of corruption energy that disappeared and swept back into the Necro star.
Whoosh!
The two flying swords above Grey whistled forward like two shooting stars, they left behind a purple trail of flame as they spun and sliced through the monsters. With each movement, the monsters were completely shredded into bits.
BOOM!
The ground trembled and split as Grey dashed through the collapsing remains of his foes, his hands sped up unnaturally with circuit-like patterns forming across his hands as he brought down his sword unleashing a storm of violet slashes which tore everything in his part with perfection.
"Too weak." Grey's eyes glowed with the Nexus Overclock pattern as he advanced forward.
It did not take long for Grey to completely clear out all the monsters in the corruption field.
Soon, he stood directly before the Necro Star having defeated all the monsters.
"People of Blue Star call it the Corruption Core, but its true name is the Necro Star," Grey thought as he observed the thing up close.
This was the source. The thing that birthed corruption monsters. As long as it remained, new abominations would continue to spawn endlessly.
"The way it creates these monsters is by siphoning away the cosmic energy of Blue Star itself."
He recalled the countless theories he had read before, scholars and scientists alike debating why the density of cosmic energy had been thinning across the world's atmosphere. Now, the answer stood right in front of him. These corruption fields were devouring it all.
Eventually, the day would come when Blue Star's cosmic energy was completely drained from these Necro Stars.
Grey did not know what would happen when that time arrived, but one truth was certain. Aside from Immortals, martial artists, and Espers who cultivated special forms of energy, every other evolutionary path would wither away. The rise of evolvers, an era that belonged to the common people, would end forever.
Sighing, Grey slowly took the Necro Star into his hand. Immediately, it reacted violently, trying to suck away his energy and life force. However, the instant the Necro Star came into contact with Nexus Energy, it withered and exploded right in his palm.
Buzz!
The moment it shattered, the space around Grey thinned. The sky cleared back to blue, and the whistling of wind echoed in his ears.
He had officially eliminated a corruption field, even without having an official ranker's license.
Grey checked the time. It was almost 6 PM, the sun already dipping toward the horizon. Nights in the Outer Ring were far more dangerous than the day. Monsters prowled the darkness to hunt, and the activities of the Tiger Claw Gang would multiply once night fell.
Having killed three of their members, Grey knew he would be in deep trouble if they discovered the truth. After clearing the corruption field, he wasted no time and headed straight toward Nova City.
Nexus Energy surged into his legs, overlocking them, and he shot forward like a cannonball, leaving a trail of sonic booms in his wake.
With Nexus Overlock, his speed was incomparable, thousands of times faster than when he used Instant Recoil Step. In no time, the towering walls of Nova City came into view, and soon after, he stood at the entrance gate.
After queuing for nearly thirty minutes, Grey finally entered Nova City, paying a fee of fifty Union Credits.
He then headed straight to the Golden Chamber and bought a healing potion. His face and head were still aching from the earlier battle, and the last thing he wanted was for Richard to notice his injuries.
With Sector Six so close to the city's back gate, it did not take him long to return home. To his surprise, the house was empty. Usually, Alissa would be there, but this time, no one greeted him.
With nothing else to do, Grey freshened up, cooked some noodles, ate quickly, and went straight to bed.
As soon as he lay down, drowsiness overwhelmed him. In his passive state, Nexus Energy had already begun sending signals of metamorphosis throughout his body. The moment he drifted into sleep, a veil of purple energy wrapped tightly around him. His brain received a signal from Nexus Energy, triggering the release of powerful growth hormones. Nexus Energy fused with those hormones and spread into every corner of his body.
Grey was now officially undergoing transformation.