Chapter 260: Apex Body Evolution
I exhaled slowly. With the skill now out of the way, I turned my attention to something else I had planned to check before confronting the Phantom.
My gaze shifted inward—toward the Null Heart.
Its rapid spinning had ceased. Now, it simply floated in place at the center of the generator core, calm and motionless once more.
I checked my status.
[Status]
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Name : Billion Ironhart
Race : Executor(Human)
Class : Primordial Executor – Transcendent (Mythic)
Laws :
Minor Law of Absolute – 40%
Awakened Weapon: Executor’s Staff
Rank: Master
Level : 133
Talent :
– Generator Nexus 2
– Essence : 90/90 (+90)
– Soul Shackle : 2
Attributes :
– Strength: 904
– Constitution: 700
– Dexterity: 597
– Psynapse : Alpha (1247)
– Essence : ∞
Skills:
– Essence Engine (Innate) Level 5
– Psynapse Fracture (Max)
– Seismic Burst Level 5
– Havoc Sfera Level 3
– Blitz Hakai Level 3
– Spatial Shield Level 2
– Absolute Domain Level 4
– Revert Level 3
– Fractured Unity Level 1
– Space Lock Level 1
– Sanctum of Judgement Level 1
– Singularity Beam (Weapon Skill)
Abilities:
– Apex Body – I (Passive)
– Trait Acquisition
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– Soul Shackle : 2
I had gained another soul shackle, and once again, my Essence storage was full.
Without wasting a moment, I focused and poured all of that stored Essence into Constitution. The stat jumped up, permanently increasing to 790.
I closed my eyes, steadied my breathing, and began refilling the storage again in silence.
Time passed.
As soon as the storage filled up, I redirected all of it into Dexterity this time, pushing it to 687.
Then I repeated the cycle.
Again, the Essence gathered. Again, I pushed it into Dexterity. The number climbed sharply—now at 777.
The sudden flood of stat points hit me hard. My body began to shift in ways I couldn’t control. I could feel my muscles stretching, tightening. Bones rearranged themselves beneath my skin—subtle, rapid, almost like they were squirming to keep up with the changes.
It hurt. But not enough to stop.
I knew I was getting close.
The first time I had unlocked the Apex Body, it had been when all my stats crossed 50. The second time was when they all surpassed 200.
If the pattern held true, then the next evolution would come once all stats crossed 800.
Strength was already past that point. So was Psynapse. That only left Dexterity and Constitution.
I waited.
Finally, when the Essence storage filled up once more, I split the pool. Ninety units went to Constitution, pushing it to 835. The remaining ninety, I channeled into Dexterity.
It rose to 822.
I pulled up the description of Apex Body and its two existing abilities.
[Passive Ability : Apex Body – I]
[Stage I Unlocked: Adaptive Skeleton]
[Your bones can now adapt to any environment, granting increased durability, flexibility, and impact resistance. Damaged bones will reinforce upon healing, becoming stronger against similar injuries.]
[Stage II Unlocked: Tensile Musculature]
[Your muscles are now formed with high-tension fibers. You can adjust their tightness, store strength, and release it when needed. Recovery speed increased.]
The ability was still in its first stage—Apex Body – I.
I couldn’t help but wonder what the second stage might bring. But even at this level, the passive had already proven itself countless times.
All the reckless fights I’d thrown myself into… all the moments where I forced Essence through my body or pushed myself past my limits—it had only been possible because of this passive quietly working in the background.
I sat still, eyes closed, breathing steady.
A calm pulse of Essence stirred deep within me, weaving through my veins like liquid light.
Slowly, that pulse began to spread—rippling through my nervous system, intertwining with every nerve ending and synapse.
I felt a gentle warmth, not burning but alive, humming quietly beneath my skin.
Essence flowed seamlessly into my neural pathways, tuning each signal to flow faster, sharper.
My mind seemed to expand—thoughts syncing effortlessly with muscle, instinct sharpening like a blade honed to perfection.
The world around me brightened. Sounds, sights, even the faintest vibrations reached me with unprecedented clarity.
It was as if every sense had been upgraded, every reaction refined.
Without any effort, I sensed Essence dancing beneath my skin, ready to surge through my limbs on command.
[Stage III Unlocked: Neuro-Essence Convergence]
Your nervous system has adapted to high-speed Essence conduction and signal transfer. Reaction speed, coordination, and elemental flow efficiency are vastly improved. You can now instinctively channel Essence through your body with minimal delay, and gain partial resistance to paralysis, overload, or energy disruption.
But before I could even begin to enjoy the new changes, another transformation stirred within my body.
The first to respond was my skeleton. I felt the familiar sensation of bone fibers subtly realigning, growing denser, stronger—like roots anchoring deeper into the earth.
But this time, the change was different. It wasn’t just adaptation; it was integration. Each bone connected more intimately with the surrounding tissues, flexing with newfound flexibility without losing an ounce of its reinforced durability.
Next came the muscles. High-tension fibers within me tightened, then relaxed, weaving themselves into perfect harmony with the shifting bones.
The tensile strength wasn’t just physical anymore—it became fluid, storing energy with every beat of my heart, ready to unleash at will. I could sense the stored potential humming beneath my skin like a coiled spring, each fiber responding to the Essence flowing within.
Then, almost imperceptibly, the transformation reached my nervous system.
Essence surged through my neural pathways with unprecedented speed, linking every bone and muscle with the rapid-fire precision of thought.
Signals zipped effortlessly from brain to limb, reflexes sharpening, coordination refining. It was as if my entire body had become one seamless circuit of power and control.
A soft glow emanated from beneath my skin—runes of Essence tracing along my spine, bones, and sinews, pulsing with a quiet rhythm.
Another notification rang.
[Apex Body – II]
Your body is now fully harmonized—bone, muscle, and nerve. Every system functions in perfect synergy. Physical and Essence-based actions are executed with peak efficiency. Resistance to extreme environments, internal strain, and foreign interference has drastically increased. Your body becomes a vessel worthy of Absolute power.
I flexed my fingers, feeling the raw power humming in my veins. My heart raced—not from exertion, but from the Essence flooding my core and spreading like wildfire through every fiber.
I had pushed myself to the edge, repeatedly transferring Essence into my constitution and dexterity, watching my physical limits expand.
The Adaptive Skeleton had reinforced my bones beyond any normal limits, and the Tensile Musculature allowed me to store explosive power in my muscles, ready to unleash at a moment’s notice.
[Strength + 100]
[Dexterity +100]
[Constitution + 100]
[Psynapse + 100]
Suddenly, a subtle warmth bloomed along my spine. It started as a faint glow beneath my skin, right in the center of my back.
Slowly, the warmth spread and concentrated. I felt a tingling prickling sensation, as if tiny needles traced a path down my vertebrae.
I opened my eyes just in time to see the first rune appear.
It was etched in a faint, blue light, glowing softly between my shoulder blades. The rune pulsed once, then a second time, as if acknowledging my presence.
The light didn’t fade.
Instead, two more runes manifested, carving themselves downward along my spine in perfect alignment.
Each rune was distinct—each one radiated a different hue, a subtle reflection of the power within me.
The top rune shimmered with a pale blue glow, calm yet potent. The middle rune glowed emerald green, steady and vibrant. The bottom rune blazed with a fiery orange light, fierce and unyielding.
I ran my hand over my back instinctively, feeling the faint heat of the runes beneath my skin, the subtle energy vibrating like the strings of a tightly wound instrument.
Then the runes pulsed again, brighter this time, and the first system notification rang clearly in my mind.
[Skill Gained]
Creation is hard, cheer me up!