Ether returned to his corner in the dormitory, his body trembling—not from fear, but from chemical exhaustion. He pulled out the (Twisted Motor Nerve); it was still twitching weakly, charged with the residual energy of the Rock Rat.
"Noble Arkon is at the 'Peak of Rank 2'... a level of power that makes the slaves here prostrate from a mere glance. But he doesn't realize that power without 'optimization' is just mass without a blade. By fusing this nerve, I will break the 'Early' barrier of Rank 0 and ascend to 'Middle' in a single night."
Ether had no anesthesia. He used the sulfur blade and sliced down the length of his right calf, exposing the weak human tendons.
"Conventional surgery on Earth feared tissue rejection... but in 'Izguldur', rejection is the fuel of transformation."
He embedded the spectral nerve directly over his Achilles tendon. His body screamed in protest, and electrical stings lashed his brain, as if someone were driving red-hot needles into his spinal cord. He began to apply the (Shadow Binding Technique); a method that uses psychological pressure to force the beastly nerve to submit to human will.
Meanwhile, Overseer Paul was pacing angrily in the outer corridor. "The collapse in Sector Three wasn't natural! The rock fell at a completely strange angle... as if someone targeted the rat's gland!" Paul roared, striking the tunnel wall with his whip.
Ether heard his voice and held his breath, while the violet nerve began to "fuse" with his flesh, altering his muscle structure to become more flexible and explosively powerful.
"Search, Paul... look through the stones. You won't find the thief, because you are looking for a powerful 'cultivator'. It would never cross your mind that a 'wound' in the leg of a filthy slave is where your lost treasure is hidden."