Three days later, deep within his private quarters in the nascent Amazonian underground base, Richard Santamo sat cross-legged on the cool, carbon-alloy floor. The ambient hum of Lina's relentless construction was a distant, reassuring thrum.
A faint silver aura pulsed around him, a visible manifestation of his focused psionic energy. He closed his eyes, centering his thoughts, stabilizing his turbulent mind before embarking on the next crucial step. The secrets of the universe, and the tools to wield them, lay within his grasp.
He drew a deep breath, focusing his will, then slowly reached out. Before him, arranged meticulously on a small, shimmering plinth, were the eight Knowledge Crystals retrieved from the Marcos family's ancient treasury. Each one pulsed with a soft, shifting rainbow light, beckoning him.
A familiar holographic prompt materialized in his mind's eye.
[ Absorb 8 Knowledge Crystals? ]
