Chapter 211: Power Source
Chapter 209
The moment Van realized that the beasts reacted primarily to sound, he stared intently at his hand, which remained encased in the complex, metallic contraption.
Though the spiders were a direct extension of his innate ability, they didn’t operate solely through his meta-force.
These mechanical arachnids possessed a variety of distinct uses.
He could manipulate them with his mind to navigate treacherous environments without having to physically enter them.
For him, distance was not a significant barrier; as long as the spiders remained within a reasonable range of his location, he could control them and even perceive what they saw... or felt.
Simply speaking to electronics or dormant machinery wasn’t the extent of his power.
He vividly remembered what Ray had told him once—that the ability currently seemed limited, but Van needed to use his vast intellect to devise a practical application for them.
And he had done exactly that.
By constructing additional mechanical spiders and utilizing them to forge various devices, he could adapt to different situations.
One of those inventions was the hand cannon he had just used to destabilize the monsters.
There was truly no limit to what he could create with them; the only real boundary was the reach of his own imagination.
However, since his ability was still considered a relatively low grade for now, he was unable to command a large swarm of spiders, which was why only a single arm was covered at the moment.
The significant downside to this arrangement was that the contraptions required his own meta-force to function—energy that was currently completely depleted.
He had long expressed a desire for an external source to power his gear, but he hadn’t yet discovered what would do the trick.
Now, he was forced to watch his best friend battle three deadly, Advanced-ranked beasts entirely alone.
’If only I could find a power source so...’
Clink—!
As he shifted his weight, he heard something clinking sharply in his pocket.
This prompted him to reach inside and pull out three Advanced-ranked cores.
These were the very same ones he had harvested from the stone golems earlier in the day.
Due to his contribution in finishing the crippled beasts, Ray had insisted on splitting the spoils equally.
Since they had secured six cores in total, Van had received three, leaving the Tribrid with the remainder.
Van had originally intended to absorb these cores once they returned to the safety of the barracks, but unfortunately, they had been swallowed by the earth and sent into heaven only knows where.
Staring at the gleaming, crystalline orbs, Van’s mind began to spin rapidly as he caught his own reflection in the cores’ surfaces.
"A power source...." he muttered silently to himself.
Gripping the cores tightly, a small smile formed on his face as he experienced a sudden flashback to a lecture with Instructor Sony.
It had been a detailed lesson regarding the versatile uses of beast cores.
’.... They are used to increase a meta-human’s meta-force pool, utilized in the creation of beast weapons and, most especially, used to power almost all of our modern technology.’
Van looked up to see Ray standing still for a brief moment, a soft, restorative glow appearing on the hand he had placed against his side.
’Power our tech.’
Without a second of hesitation, Van immediately shoved two of the cores back into his pocket and focused on his mechanical arm.
The contraption began to shift and reconfigure itself with mechanical precision.
Within mere moments, a small housing was fashioned—compact enough to hold whatever the Aspirant was about to slip into it without it wobbling loose, yet large enough to accommodate the egg-shaped core.
Instantly, a low, high-pitched whirring sound resonated through the air as Van rose to his feet, a confident smile spreading across his face.
It was finally time to assist in the struggle.
It was time to stop being a weakling—a frightened human who always hid behind the strength of his friend.
It was time to grow a spine and place himself on the frontline from now on.
***
Unaware of his best friend’s sudden character development, Ray had just smashed the beast’s head into the ground, kicking up a gritty cloud of dust.
Lifting his gauntleted hand high, he hammered it back down, further deepening the cracks on the creature’s skull.
This caused the monster to growl loudly, the sound echoing through the cavern as if it were calling for reinforcements.
And it truly was; the other two predators were already back on their feet, prepared to charge toward the boy with renewed fury.
Uncaring of the approaching threat, Ray continued bashing his fist into the pinned beast’s head, raining punches on it continuously.
Seeing that it wouldn’t be able to easily escape the human’s iron grip and likely wouldn’t survive much longer, the creature’s tail immediately thrust toward his head at full speed.
Without even looking in its direction, a circular shield materialized in view, absorbing the impact from the stab and holding the tail firmly in place.
Growl—!
The other two beasts now charged toward the youth at full velocity.
’Come on, come on, fucking shatter already!’ Ray bellowed inwardly as he lifted his hand once more.
This time, he let go of the beast’s body and quickly clasped his hands together tightly, like someone about to offer a desperate prayer.
Then, without delay and before the monster could slip through his grasp, he hammered his hands downward.
The blow hit the exact same spot he had been pummeling with hits just a few moments ago.
Crack—! Shatter—!
It sounded like heavy glass splintering under a massive hammer.
The skull shattered completely while Ray’s hands continued their descent until they reached the fleshy interior, reducing it to a bloody pulp that sent black ichor splattering across his face.
"Ew."
[Congratulations; you have de....]
He didn’t even have time to be disgusted by his stained face or check his system notifications.
The remaining two beasts were just an inch away from him, their tails slashing his way at a blazing speed.
’Shoot.’
Quickly, the boy fell backward, making sure to lay flat on his back just in time as the tails sliced through the air above his body with a low, menacing whistle.
Before he could stabilize himself, one of the remaining two predators leaped above him, deciding to fall directly onto his body to impale him with every jagged spike on its frame.
Ray could have rolled over to the side to avoid certain death, but before he could even blink, he heard a voice.
It didn’t come from his mind space, but from the cavern itself.
"Die," Van whispered.
He pointed his cannon hand forward; from the muzzle, a bright beam could be seen glowing with intense energy.
Then—
BOOOM—!
A sound far more thunderous than any of the times before echoed out, violently shaking the crystals embedded in the walls that lit the cavern.
A ball of concentrated energy rushed forward at lightning speed.
In a heartbeat, it collided directly with the head of the beast hovering above Ray.
For a second, it seemed like time froze, and so did the beast.
Then—
Crack—! Crack—! Crack—! Shatter—!
BANG—!