Volume One, Chapter 43: Return to the Plasma Galaxy

Zero soared ahead, vanishing from sight in an instant. Tregear did not choose to follow; his purpose was merely to confirm the coordinates of this universe. Now that he had arrived, all he needed to do was wait patiently for Noah to appear. As for Belial, he had no interest in meddling. Once the elements were gathered, any problem would cease to be a problem.

Tregear took out the plasma soul he had obtained earlier. Of all things since his rebirth, this crystal was the only one that truly fascinated him. It contained not only a power capable of strengthening monsters, but also a trace of elemental energy. To call it the universe’s supreme energy crystal would not be an exaggeration; if properly utilized, its value would be immeasurable.

“Since that’s the case, let me see just how far your limits can be pushed.” Tregear murmured to himself, his gaze drifting toward a distant monster passing by. With a flick of his finger, the plasma soul shot out, piercing straight into the creature’s body.

“Roar—!” The monster bellowed, eyes darting around as it searched frantically for the assailant. Yet as soon as it turned, it felt as though its belly were aflame, burning with agony. But then, a flicker of delight appeared in its beastly eyes; the energy was merging with it!

A triumphant roar burst forth, and the monster’s form began to change before the naked eye. Spikes sprouted from its back, while gemstones protruded from its chest, shoulders, and knees—the unmistakable mark of the plasma soul. Its aura surged, leaping from planetary level one directly to planetary level seven.

Tregear’s face showed a hint of surprise. “Just a tiny fragment and it jumps six levels. If I had more plasma souls…”

“…I could create star-level monsters in bulk!” If such words were spread, they would cause a sensation throughout the cosmos. After all, even the Land of Light, the guardians of the universe, boasted only a dozen or so star-level warriors, several of whom had only reached that rank in the last few centuries.

Reflecting on this, the value of the plasma soul was beyond dispute.

Tregear let out a cryptic chuckle, stepping abruptly before the monster. As their four eyes met, the corruption modification was triggered.

“Since you’re in this universe, you must know Belial,” he said.

The monster nodded dully, indicating its awareness. Of course—even a small monster could never forget the sole Galactic Emperor.

“Good.” Tregear continued, “I’ll be leaving for a while. Watch Belial for me.”

The monster nodded again and lumbered off in a specified direction. At the same time, Tregear vanished from sight.

When he reappeared, it was at the spectral comet of the Plasma Galaxy. Before him stood three familiar faces.

Seeing Tregear suddenly appear, Bareru, Garum, and Magna were stunned, then quickly retreated, their faces etched with caution. They would never forget that this Ultra Warrior had previously withstood Thunderstorm’s assault, and rumor had it he had escaped from Senior Zamsha as well. Such a formidable figure was not to be trifled with.

Since they dared not provoke him, their only option was to flee!

The three exchanged a knowing glance and turned to run. But as they fled, something felt amiss. Why was the ground gone beneath their feet?

Looking down, they realized they had somehow been lifted into the air by an unseen force, without even noticing when it happened. Shocked, their fear grew. They had no idea what this Ultra Warrior wanted with them.

As anxiety mounted, Tregear drifted before them, speaking leisurely, “Hand over all the plasma souls you have.”

The three froze, then wasted no time tossing their backpacks—each containing plasma souls—onto the ground.

So it was just a robbery—nothing more. Relieved, the trio’s tension finally eased.

Tregear frowned at the three heavy packs on the ground.

Bareru nearly died of fright and hastened to explain, “Sir, this is everything we own. Please, spare us.”

“Yes, sir!” Garum and Magna nodded frantically, desperate to convince the Ultra Warrior of their honesty.

Tregear said nothing, extending his fingers to release a wisp of flame. Instantly, the three packs were burnt away, revealing a substantial pile of plasma souls within.

Tregear looked up, slightly puzzled, “With so many plasma souls, why are your powers still at the planetary level?”

The plasma souls on the ground amounted to over a hundred—enough for the three to ascend to star-level. Yet their power fluctuations were unchanged from before, showing no significant progress.

This was odd. A single plasma soul could propel a monster six levels; even if the second had half the effect, and so forth, a hundred would surely allow all three to reach star-level. Not to mention, the last time he encountered these three, they were already collecting plasma souls. With so much time passed and so many souls amassed, their stagnation was truly peculiar.

Yet when Tregear posed his question, Bareru and his companions exchanged strange looks.

“Sir, do you not know what plasma souls are for?”

Tregear was silent for a moment, then nodded, “I do not.”

Until now, he only knew these crystals could empower monsters, granting them greater strength. As for other uses, he was completely ignorant.

Seeing him admit it, the trio finally understood and gave awkward chuckles.

But if he didn’t know the purpose of plasma souls, why rob them?

To be honest, despite their number, for a Karnay they were only enough for a month’s food expenses. The reason they collected them was purely for sale.

“Sir,” Garum explained, “Plasma souls only work when swallowed by monsters. For us cosmic folk, they’re utterly useless.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Tregear was genuinely surprised. It was the first time he’d heard that energy crystals were only usable by monsters.