The green finally expanded to his brain, and Howard could distinctly feel that as his brain was invaded, a vast consciousness began to awaken.

It was like a gigantic iceberg rising to the surface of the water, starting as a small white point and then expanding bit by bit, endlessly enlarging.

“Detection of a second-order crisis in base material, emergency measures activated! According to the ‘Cross’ regulations, reverse base material initiation, second secretary takes over second-level authority!”

…

“Hello, world.”

…

Howard opened his eyes.

It was an extraordinary sensation; although his eyes were clearly open, it felt as if another pair of invisible eyes had also opened.

The world remained the same, yet through Howard’s eyes, it had transformed entirely.

Observation now approached the essence, influence neared the core.

Mana was decoded, fully harnessed, leaving no secrets about the world’s composition hidden from Howard’s view.

This feeling was akin to divinity.

…

What had happened?

Nula watched as Howard suddenly closed his eyes, her consciousness still lingering in the previous moment.

She could distinctly sense that the limitations of the rune signage had been unlocked, like a sluice gate opening to release a flood, mana cascading into Howard’s body!

Initially, the situation seemed beyond redemption, the mana unstoppable, rushing directly towards Howard’s brain without any pause!

But, just when Nula thought Howard had failed, an abrupt change occurred.

The twist was as abrupt as a third-rate script, yet it unfolded with flawless logic.

Howard had reached the brink of death, and so it appeared.

This was a clear logic; Howard might still be unable to comprehend it, but Nula saw it clearly.

The unknown presence and Howard were not in a hierarchical relationship; from the beginning, they were a whole.

A symbiotic entity where neither could survive without the other.

This scenario is rare, as it seems the unknown entity and Howard are not on the same level.

Even if the unknown entity possesses only the mana level of a level 3 magus, it could easily kill Amriel or even Dorek.

Howard might have some talent in combat, but against Nula, his chances of victory are almost nil.

Even now, Nula doesn’t understand how the unknown entity does it.

A faint output of mana, yet achieving effects that directly touch upon the essence of the world.

“It’s actually quite simple, not any complex logic.” Howard’s voice echoed in Nula’s ears, startling her.

Her gaze fell on Howard’s face, and a mix of terror and panic seized her in that moment, as if she were a bug ensnared in a spider’s web.

The face was the same, but the eyes were not.

Howard’s eyes shimmered with a brilliant golden light, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

It wasn’t the coldness of a killer who views everything as beneath them but a kind of disregard.

Everything appeared the same in his gaze.

Whether it was a stone, a cat or dog, a person, or a spellbeast, all were equivalent.

Reduced entirely to their essence.

Looking into those eyes, Nula was reminded of a math joke.

To a mathematician studying graph theory, a donut and a coffee cup are equivalent.

Such were those eyes, as if all things in the world were the same to him—an absolute sense of equality where no individual stood out, and the value of all entities was assessed by the same standard.

“You’re daydreaming.”

Howard’s voice roused Nula from her shock, his tone unchanged, yet Nula felt something amiss.

“Who are you?”

Nula looked at the familiar yet foreign Howard, suddenly fearful.

If the Howard of the past was someone she couldn’t quite grasp, the Howard before her now was utterly beyond her understanding.

From his very existence to his manner of acting, she couldn’t accurately comprehend.

Thus, this cognitive barrier formed into fear.

Fear always stems from the unknown.

“Second secretary, you may call me ‘Two.’ Names don’t hold much significance to me.”

Howard…no, Two, glanced around, noticing mana still wandering through the air.

“This environment has a higher energy abundance than usual.” His gaze returned to Nula.

“Designing so many schemes just to awaken me. Woman, what is your wish?”

Are you Aladdin’s lamp?

Despite being caught between tension and fear, Nula tried to lighten her mood.

A moderate level of tension aids in battle, but too much can lead to erroneous judgments.

“I wish for you to eliminate all people here,” Nula said, looking into Two’s brilliant golden pupils, “by ‘here,’ I mean everyone in this underground structure, except for you and me!”

Two suddenly asked, “Then, what can you offer in return?”

“My actions aren’t without cost. Equivalent exchange is a universal truth in any world. Since you desire my assistance, you must pay a corresponding price. To be honest, I don’t concern myself with your quarrels. I can comprehend human morality, but it holds no specific meaning for me.”

If you want my help, show some sincerity.

“May I ask, what do you desire?”

Two posing this condition didn’t surprise Nula.

From their previous encounter in Lorinda, Nula and Dorek had inferred that Two, rather than being a complete personality, resembled a pure intelligence acting according to certain rules.

Therefore, possessing higher and more complete authority while also bearing the responsibility to protect Howard.

Ultimately, it still prioritized Howard above all else.

The reason remained unknown, but that was the outcome.

Two paused before saying, “Energy.”

“In your terms, that would be mana, mana, or even internal energy, kinetic energy, electromagnetic energy. Any form of energy would do, but the quantity must be substantial.”

“I need more energy to revive more functions.”

Does this imply Two isn’t in a complete state right now?

Even suggesting that Two’s functions haven’t fully awakened?

Then, what would a fully functional Two be like in terms of strength?

A god emerged in Nula’s mind.

That always-present kid in a small room, squatting in front of a TV, who loved peeking at every corner of the world through the mana ocean, that annoying brat.

Could it be that Two and that detestable child are on the same level? A god from another world?

“I’m afraid I can’t provide that much energy,” Nula shook her head, unsure if Two could sense the existence of the mana ocean.

Given Two’s previously demonstrated capability to absorb energy, it should be able to directly draw the mana it needs from the mana ocean.

Perhaps it refrains from doing so out of wariness towards the gods of the Avala Continent?

“Then, let’s use matter as a substitute,” Two’s gaze shifted from Nula’s face to the ground. 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚

“This surge of energy has awakened my function for matter-

energy conversion, a highly prioritized function. Though it operates with less than optimal efficiency, the input still exceeds the output.”

“Every bit of my energy is precious.”

“Any change in resources directly affects the value of numerous lives.”

It was as if he was talking to himself, yet also trying to explain something to Nula.

But Nula couldn’t understand, only forcing herself to remember.

Then, she saw Two kneel on one knee, pressing his right hand against the ground and holding his wrist with his left hand.

What was he doing?

Matter-energy conversion?

Was he going to “consume” this underground base?

“Wrap yourself in mana to avoid any harm from me; my control abilities haven’t fully recovered yet.” Nula paused, but immediately complied.

Clearly, whatever Howard was about to do, it wasn’t going to be safe.

As an entity that touches upon the fundamentals of a world, every action he took could cause significant upheaval.

Mana spilled over her skin, diffusing to form a sphere of light that enveloped Nula.

The moment the light sphere formed, Nula felt a vibration.

It wasn’t the ground that was shaking, but the world itself.

Two’s eyes dimmed, yet his soul began to awaken.

Much like the sea shakes when a leviathan rises from beneath, the awakening of Two’s soul caused global fluctuations.

Nula even suspected the mana ocean was affected.

This influence was profound, only perceivable by those with certain strength and over time.

Then, the mana started to vibrate.

Free-floating mana began to coalesce spontaneously, converging towards Two’s direction.

He was absorbing these free-floating mana particles, similar to how a magus draws from the air.

This act, seemingly as natural to him as eating and drinking, still caused a considerable stir.

The extent of Two’s absorption was unclear to Nula, and she guessed no one in the underground base had any idea, for it likely encompassed the entire facility—a feat beyond even special-level magi.

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