Chapter 628: Innovation
With Alaric’s Nascent Spirit cultivation, there was no one else who could match his strength and his speed.
The drops of Soo were getting claimed left and right, with no one else to stop him.
The crowd, and even Barnaby was starting to prepare his announcement for the inevitable end of the auction.
Even the orange-haired female merman clicked her tongue in disappointment.
"Aw... I was really rooting for the little guy," she said. "But it looks like the auction is finally over. Let’s go."
With her cue, the Mernem started their preparation to leave the VIP rooms.
...
...
...
With blood dripping out of his mouth, and his legs twitching and barely able to move, even Michael was starting to accept that he was going to lose the other drops.
He obtained three drops anyway, which was already a bonus that he wasn’t even supposed to obtain. He was supposed to be the last one to get a chance at the drops, but he still got three drops despite the obstacles in his way.
He should be satisfied with that. He should be content.
But there was something in his heart that just wouldn’t quit. It kept thumping, urging him to move his body and get those drops that he very much deserved.
[Kukuku, that’s right Michael. Move.]
As he delved down into the void of his own mind, it was as if time itself stopped as he looked up at the giant figure of Harbinger, with most of his body still shrouded in a dark cloud.
[Is this your limit? Are you willing to accept defeat in the face of someone stronger?]
With such a large gap between their strengths, no one would even be questioning his decision to give up. Alaric’s Nascent Spirit cultivation was something that he couldn’t overcome, even with all the advantages he had over others.
His ’Quantum Step’ seemed like a leisurely walk in front of Alaric, his ’Quantum Slash’ nothing but a scratch.
The difference between them was thoroughly obvious.
Yet, Michael didn’t want to accept his defeat.
He wanted to fight. He wanted to obtain those drops.
Give me strength, Harbinger, he said, pleading.
But this time, Harbinger was silent. It looked at him with a solemn face, as if it was nothing more than a mere statue.
Michael sighed, knowing that Divas weren’t almighty that could create a miracle with a single snap of a finger.
He opened his eyes, and saw Alaric obtaining another vial, making his total into four drops.
His heart dropped, feeling jealous of something that wasn’t even his in the first place.
And it was in that moment that a thought flashed through his mind.
He remembered the moment when he was face to face with Alaric, when he grabbed the ’Quantum Slash’ with his own hands.
Being so close to Alaric made him feel the Aubility Power emanating off of his body.
Back in the heat of the moment, he felt a strange familiarity with it, as if he had seen it all before.
But it was only in this moment where the links finally aligned and he grasped the truth.
He looked down at his own wrists, realizing that he had been doing the same thing.
Alaric was using his Aubility Power to empower his physical strength beyond that of a normal human.
His ’Quantum Step’ and his ’Quantum Slash’ worked exactly in the same way, altering the reality of his own body instead of altering the reality outside his own.
The techniques Harbinger taught him were something that only ’Nascent Spirit’ cultivators could do!
[Kukukuku... you’ve finally realized it. Took you long enough.]
His mind was blown. No wonder they cost a lot of Aubility Power. Those were techniques meant for when he advanced to the next realm of Diva cultivation!
You were teaching me something above my own realm? You can do that?
[I told you. This is our advantage against all those other soulless Divas. They have to pave the way, while I show you the way.
But it’s not only because of me that you were able to perform those techniques. I didn’t teach you how to gather enough energy to execute them. You learned it all on your own.]
Even with Harbinger’s teachings, everything would have been useless had he not figured out how to create the battery.
[You say you want strength, then get it yourself. Think Michael. These innovations, these breakthroughs... When does it happen?]
Harbinger’s words made him remember back to the moments when he first awakened his Aubilities.
For the Switch, it was only when he was pushed to the brink with his fight against Blazelle did he finally awaken his first power.
Then during the auction, he learned how to use his switch to create the Unity Saber and the Unity Cage.
Fighting against Beau, losing to her, forced him to awaken his second Aubility, the Reverse Graphite Block.
And in these last two games, he fought against Maugnetics three to four stages above him, forcing him to improvise and learn new techniques. He had to, if he wanted to survive.
All the things these moments had in common was the fact that he was pushed to the brink of defeat, with seemingly no way out. It was the times when he needed to get stronger or else risk failure or even his life.
Necessity is the mother of innovation, he realized.
Harbinger’s mouth glowed with a bright smile under the dark fog, illuminating his face for a brief moment.
[Exactly! Ask yourself this question. Why did humans evolve to become the greatest species in the world?
It’s because they advanced. They adapted.
When humans needed food to survive in the wild, they found a way to make their own with agriculture.
When nature itself became inhospitable, they carved cities out of mountains, they built land that reached the skies. They built civilizations.
And when their land became too crowded, they braved through the toughest seas and conquered new frontiers.
And when that wasn’t enough, they took to the stars and transcended their own mortal fates!
That is what the future is all about, Michael.
When our powers are not enough, we have to adapt! We have to change! We have to be better!
WE ARE THE HARBINGERS OF THE FUTURE!]
Michael opened his eyes, with a gaze filled with clarity and understanding.
Finally, it made sense as to why Harbinger kept pushing him to fight Maugnetics much stronger than him. It’s because Harbinger knew that it would only push him to become better. And he did.
The same could be said now.
He looked up and saw Alaric moving towards his next target. He had just obtained his fifth vial, and was about to go for his sixth.
He saw no way of ever defeating Alaric with his cultivation.
Speed, power, Aubility, none of those he could overcome.
He was thoroughly outclassed in every way right now.
But what about in the future?
He reached down into his pockets, retrieving the Reverse Graphite Block from his inventory.
He looked at its cassette-like structure, with one spool of tape on the left side and one on the right.
Atop the left spool was the button for his Reverse Aubility.
And atop the right one, was completely empty.
Until right now.
A new button emerged, made entirely out of graphite.
With one swift move, he clicked it.
CLINK!