A familiar fluctuation caused the Telekinesis surrounding him to sway and tremble, and an instinctive desire to devour surged forth.
Among the five Spirit Element Runes, there was actually a Lv. 5 Telekinesis Rune.
’I’ve struck gold.’
Su Chen could barely suppress his joy.
That elite, cave-exploring squad had suffered heavy casualties, if not been wiped out entirely. Furthermore, considering this was near the altar, there were bound to be other adventurers who had received Spirit Element rewards only to be brutally murdered.
The sheer number of severed limbs nearby was enough to tell that the victim count was high.
The fruits of many days’ labor, all gone in an instant, had been fed to this fungal consciousness.
After being combined and pieced together, they had naturally all become High Level Runes.
It would have been difficult for them to be anything but.
Soon, Su Chen devoured and absorbed it without hesitation. The Rune broke down, transforming into a stream of pure energy that fed the original Telekinesis Rune in his Sea of Consciousness.
After the information updated...
Upgrade Requirements: 16/16 Telekinesis Runes, 3/5 Spiritual Dust Sand, 1/1 Spirit Marrow Crystal
’And there’s another surprise.’
Su Chen was surprised, but he immediately realized that this Rune, stripped from the modified human, had already been fused with an entire Spirit Marrow Crystal and three portions of Spiritual Dust Sand.
’What a massive windfall!’
The original owner had quietly completed most of the preparations for the Lv. 6 upgrade, and now, all their efforts were his to reap.
He couldn’t help but feel a secret thrill at the realization.
’That must have really pissed it off.’
Su Chen found it rather amusing. No wonder the hive mind was so furious; it was as if its rage had unlocked its linguistic centers, making its insults so articulate.
He was almost certain that if he hadn’t launched a timely raid and forcefully interrupted the incubation, he would have had to face four ridiculously powerful fungal monstrosities.
The arms race was still on, and the situation remained critical.
His phobia of insufficient firepower was flaring up again.
’First, I’ll finish upgrading Telekinesis.’ Su Chen had three portions of Spiritual Dust Sand in reserve, so he could easily complete the final step.
A moment later, within his Sea of Consciousness, the core of the Telekinesis Rune began to vibrate violently. The intricate patterns on its surface flared with a dazzling light, momentarily overwhelming the glow of the surrounding Runes and even the small spiritual tree rooted in the center.
The Rune’s framework began to extend and restructure, with countless new branches expanding outward, creating a deep Resonance with his own Spiritual Power.
[Telekinesis] has successfully advanced from Lv. 5 → Lv. 6!
Enhanced Traits: Perception Range, Object Manipulation, Spellcasting Efficiency, Strong Will Impact
Upgraded Trait: Telekinesis Barrier
(Telekinesis Barrier: The Spellcaster’s Telekinesis shield can block external damage. When it detects mental hazards such as a spiritual scream, it will activate an inner layer of defense to shelter the Sea of Consciousness.)
[Telekinesis] (Lv. 6): The Spellcaster’s spiritual will can perceive the outside world, control objects, generate force fields, and release a Strong Will impact.
Upgrade Requirements: 0/32 Telekinesis Runes, 0/7 Spiritual Dust Sand, 0/3 Spirit Marrow Crystals
’Not bad.’
After inspecting it, Su Chen found the main addition was the new Spiritual Shelter trait, which could also be triggered passively.
So far in his encounters, only the sonic damage from the Screaming Skill formed any kind of spiritual impact after piercing his eardrums. But since the sound waves could be blocked by Water Mirror Refraction, it wasn’t a major concern.
Still, considering future possibilities, having Spiritual Shelter as a safeguard was an excellent addition.
Additionally, his omnidirectional mental Perception had extended to over 60 meters, and its ability to penetrate materials was much stronger. While it still wasn’t as effective as his personal Elemental Resonance trait, the latter fatigued his will with overuse, whereas the former only consumed Rune Energy.
In certain environments, especially within a city, the former would be more practical.
After a simple test, he found that the creative efficiency of his intangible Telekinesis Weaving was also faster. His fine control over objects now allowed him to snatch up more than thirty small pebbles at once.
The strength of his Strong Will impact still needed further testing, but in any case, the intensity of the will he could project was clearly much stronger than before.
As a form of Spiritual Energy capable of carrying all elemental fluctuations, the Telekinesis Rune was undoubtedly one of his core foundations.
Increases in his personal Intelligence and Perception Attributes would also indirectly boost the Rune’s power.
Without thinking too much about it, Su Chen looked at the other four Spirit Element Runes. Since they didn’t have the three-element composite structure, it took some effort to identify them.
He could confirm one was a Lv. 4 Spiritual Detection Rune and another was a Lv. 4 Insight Rune, but the effects of the other two were unknown.
’Not very useful.’ He had no intention of absorbing them.
He already had a surplus of detection and Perception-type abilities; adding redundant ones would just be a waste of his Magic Slots.
Thanks to the unique nature of this incubation ground, Su Chen suspected there might be Heavenly and Earthly Treasures hidden below. However, after a patient search, he discovered that the source of the geothermal vents was completely beyond his current capabilities.
He could only give up.
He didn’t waste any time. After leaving the pit, he immediately began the next round of his search. To Su Chen, this Flesh Mill, a veritable portrait of a bloody Hell, was nothing short of a treasure trove.
He had to capitalize on the advantage his new profession gave him, leveraging this generational gap in combat power to viciously crush the fungal consciousness.
This was a rare window of opportunity.
Otherwise...
If his opponent managed to parasitize and control a host of Rune Professionals, there was no telling to what extent it could evolve.
As the saying goes, it’s not god-like opponents you should fear, but pig-like teammates.
Once enough people had fed themselves to it, allowing the fungal consciousness to snowball its Rune Level to an absurd degree, the city would inevitably be overthrown. At that point, he wouldn’t be able to fight to the death; he’d have to pick his moment and flee.
「Two hours later.」

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