When Kisha consumed her hundredth crystal core, she paused to catch her breath. A heavy exhale escaped her lips, releasing a faint steam laced with spiritual residue. Her body flared with heat for a moment before her temperature gradually cooled.
Duke mirrored her actions, exhaling the same way, and then the two of them continued consuming more crystal cores. With every bite, they could feel their spiritual reserves expanding. Once full, those reserves could then be pushed further, allowing them to level up and grow stronger.
But when Mike happened to pass by and saw Kisha and Duke snacking on crystal cores as if they were nothing, he froze in shock. He, too, was an awakened ability user, and he knew firsthand how difficult it was to direct and filter the tainted spiritual energy inside the crystal core.
Normally, it required painstaking effort and long hours of refinement before it could be safely absorbed into one's energy core.
