"Oops. How am I supposed to test the next one if you're falling apart after a single hit?"
I glanced at the crumpled puppet, waiting to see if it would get back up.
When it didn't move right away, I sighed.
"I should've picked a stronger one."
Still, the result was better than I expected. And that gave me an idea.
I reached inward, drawing more Essence from my core.
As soon as it left, I channeled it toward the spinning purple sphere.
The sphere's glow deepened, shifting into a darker, richer hue. The sphere expanded slightly, its rotation growing tighter, more compact. The pressure around it thickened, making the air hum with energy.
I kept my focus locked onto it.
Then, slowly, the puppet pushed itself up. The red glow in its eyes reignited, and in the next instant, it charged straight at me.
I narrowed my gaze. The green sphere had delivered both erosion and impact, two layers of destruction working together. But I wasn't done testing yet.
It lunged forward, a silver fist swinging toward my ribs. I twisted my body, letting the blow sweep past me.
Another strike followed, a sharp jab aimed at my head. I ducked, feeling the force of the air shift as the attack missed by inches. Before I could counter, the puppet pivoted, launching a kick toward my chest.
But, every attack flowed too slow for me.
I stepped back, dodging just in time. Its leg shot past, and before it could retract, I seized my opening.
My hand, already holding the spinning purple sphere, shot forward. I moved fast, slipping behind the puppet in a single, swift motion. Then I struck.
The sphere of Sovereign-marked Essence met metal, pressing against the puppet's back.
The effect was immediate. The metal caved inward, the same way it had before, but this time the damage was worse.
The dent deepened faster, the erosion carving through the outer shell like a drill cutting through stone. A low screeching sound filled the air as the metal broke down under the strain, Essence eating into its surface.
Then something strange happened.
Even after the attack landed, I could still feel the Essence.
My mind reeled. The sphere should've dissipated upon impact, but instead, the Essence remained inside the puppet.
It was faint, but unmistakable. A presence still under my command.
A sudden idea struck me.
I reached for that lingering trace of power, feeling it respond instantly, waiting for my command.
I clenched my fist.
"Burst."
A muffled explosion rocked the puppet from within.
Its chest bulged outward violently, as if something inside was fighting to escape.
Then, with a sharp crack, its torso split open. Shattered fragments of silver metal burst outward in all directions, the force tearing through its internal structure.
The red glow in its eyes flickered once, then died out completely.
The puppet collapsed.
Silence filled the training room, the scent of scorched metal lingering in the air.
I looked down at my hand, then at the remains of my opponent.
My heart pounded.
The difference was clear.
The green Essence was destructive upon contact, eroding, breaking, forcing its way through.
But the purple Essence was something else entirely. It was an extension of my will. As long as a single particle remained, it would follow my command and stay under my control.
A slow grin spread across my face.
"I'm going to have fun with this."
I deactivated both [Psynapse Boost] and [Essence Shaping], letting out a slow breath as the tension drained from my body.
My senses dulled slightly without the heightened perception, but the lingering energy of the fight still thrummed in my veins.
Turning toward the control panel, I selected the repair option for the training puppet. The screen flickered as the system registered the damage, and with a final glance at the battered remains of my opponent, I stepped out of the training room.
I headed to the living room, sinking onto the sofa and grabbing the remote. The TV blinked on, flooding the room with light as the news played in the background.
I barely registered the words.
My thoughts were still occupied with the exercise I had just completed.
I needed to turn that technique into a proper skill. It had potential, but it lacked structure.
If I refined it, I could activate it based on whatever Essence I had access to. If my generated Essence ran out, I could still use the normal Essence, though it would be harder to control.
I checked my remaining Essence. Only 10 units left. The purple sphere had cost 10, which meant I needed a way to ensure I wasn't wasting energy on unnecessary attacks.
There wasn't a clear measure for it, no precise way to gauge the power output against a target's strength. I had essentially thrown my strongest attack at a training puppet that couldn't even defend itself properly.
And then there was something else I had noticed, controlling the purple Essence, my generated Essence, was much easier than controlling the normal Essence in the environment.
Condensing it took far less effort, and it responded to my will more fluidly. That difference was crucial.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"So many things to figure out. Where do I even start?"
I sat there for another five minutes, trying to sort my thoughts into a plan, but no clear answer came.
Eventually, I gave up and decided to do one thing that I was undeniably good at, smashing things.
I stood up, stretched, and made my way straight to the combat wing.
I ran across the compound, weaving through groups of unit members moving toward different areas.
Some were in pairs, others in squads, their conversations blending into a low hum of activity. As I sprinted past, I caught several people glancing at me with puzzled or curious expressions.
I ignored them and kept moving.
Reaching the combat wing, I headed straight for the Abomination Training Area, a massive warehouse-like structure at the far end of the wing. Its steel-reinforced doors loomed ahead, and I stepped inside without hesitation.
At the reception desk, June sat casually, her chin resting on her palm as she watched me with a knowing smile.
I smiled back.
"Didn't expect to see you here, Vice Commander."
June shrugged.
"Wasn't planning on it. Only came after I saw you heading this way."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? I didn't know you were into stalking people, Vice Commander."
She scoffed.
"Dream on, kid."
Then, her eyes flicked toward the entrance.
"So, are you here to enter, or just looking around?"
"I'm here to fight," I said. "Just got my class and want to see where I stand."
Her expression shifted slightly, eyes widening in mild surprise.
"Oh? You got your class already? That's fast."
Before I could respond, a voice sounded behind me.
"You got your class?"
I flinched.
"Shit."
Turning quickly, I found Arkas standing there, his sharp gaze fixed on me.
"Did you get your class?" he repeated.
I nodded.
"Good. Let's go."
"Huh?"
Before I could even process what was happening, the world around me blurred and twisted. A weightless sensation overtook me, and the next moment, my feet hit solid ground.
The air was different. Heavy.
I found myself standing in a training room similar to mine but it was much bigger in area. Rows of puppets stood at the end of the room.
I turned to Arkas.
"Where are we?"
He met my gaze and answered.
"In Training Arena - 07. No need for you to fight Abominations just yet. I'll take you to a nest next week. You can grind your levels there. For now, you'll train here," Arkas said. "But first, tell me the details of your class."
I nodded and explained everything, my class name, its description, the stat bonuses, and the exercises I had done with both types of Essence.
Arkas stayed silent for a few seconds, processing my words before finally speaking.
"To think you'd get a legendary class as your first choice. That's impressive, Billion. It means we can actually put effort into pushing for a Mythic class for your next evolution or maybe at your level 100 advancement."
I blinked, caught off guard.