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"Spirit… Bomb?" Holding the scroll, Aventurine looked at Sylvester with curiosity. "The Strategic Investment Department's business spans the entire cosmos. I've seen many different kinds of power before—most of them are just local names for Path-based power, though there are also a few genuinely peculiar energies. But no matter which case it is, the term 'Spirit Energy' is something I've truly never heard of."
"Oh, that one? I hear it all the time." Qingque chimed in from the side.
Although Aventurine's earlier burst of good luck had given her—someone who upheld the creed of "scientific gaming, probabilistic gambling"—a small shock from mysticism, her naturally laid-back personality quickly compensated for it, letting her return to her usual carefree attitude.
She casually waved a finger. "The Master Diviner is always saying I'm too lazy and need to replenish my spirit energy, work harder for the Divination Commission, and all that."
She spread her hands proudly, saying with great confidence, "Well—though I've never actually listened to a word of it."
Hearing this, an awkward yet polite smile appeared on Aventurine's face. "Ahaha… Miss Qingque really knows how to joke."
What he didn't say was that if someone at the Corporation dared to act like that, even without invoking the Talent Motivation Department's rewards and punishments, the most basic last-place elimination system alone would be enough to make them hurt badly. After all, cutting the year-end bonus of the bottom 10% of employees was more than enough to force grassroots workers—who could only afford shared housing—to "voluntarily resign."
But that sort of thing wasn't exactly something to be proud of. What he cared about more was the curio in his hands. Turning his head, he asked, "Shopkeeper Sylvester, these two kinds of 'spirit energy'… they just happen to share the same name, right?"
Aventurine had spoken with confidence, but when his gaze landed on Sylvester, he found him pinching his chin in thought.
Recalling his previous experiences, Aventurine couldn't help but feel uneasy. This… can't be, right?
Noticing Aventurine's strange look, Sylvester laughed. "Haha, Mr. Aventurine, there's no need to worry. This [Spirit Bomb] is absolutely not some gimmicky trick—it's a genuine killing move. As for this 'spirit energy,' well… it does have a tiny bit of connection to what Qingque mentioned."
After a brief pause, he continued. "The so-called spirit energy can roughly be equated to the energy of life, but it's not the same as vitality. People with little spirit energy feel weak and listless, but as long as they rest properly, they can recover it in a very short time. The fluctuations of a person's spirit energy throughout a day more or less follow this principle. Unless too much is taken at once, it's very hard to reduce one's lifespan—let alone endanger life."
"So that's how it is." Aventurine nodded. It really did have a slight connection to what Miss Qingque had described.
But at the same time, a new concern surfaced. "But energy with such a low cost… can it really be powerful?"
"Of course it's powerful!" Sylvester replied without hesitation. "Human spirit energy is an extremely efficient form of energy, and the [Spirit Bomb Technique] compresses it to an incredibly high density. You only need to gather a tiny bit of spirit energy from everyone on a planet, condense it into an unremarkable sphere, and it's enough to blow up the very planet they live on!"
Hearing this, Aventurine's pupils shrank sharply. "It can be that strong?! A power that can be regenerated on such a massive scale—its destructive force can reach this level? That's already far beyond the intensity of an ordinary person's Path power, isn't it?"
Although sheer numbers were indeed a factor that couldn't be ignored, the idea that humans could, by paying only a tiny cost—perhaps just a single meal's worth of recoverable life energy—destroy their own planet was still far too astonishing.
Sylvester was very satisfied with his reaction and smiled. "Many hands make light work. Of course, while there can be many people lending their spirit energy, the maximum amount that can be gathered still depends most heavily on the user."
"As for the specific usage of the [Spirit Bomb], once you read the scroll, you'll naturally learn it. Roughly speaking, you raise both hands, then shout to all living beings, 'Please, lend me your spirit energy!' If those who are willing also raise their hands, they can release their spirit energy and form a massive energy sphere above your head. Once it's completed, you just throw it at the enemy—smack them right in the face!"
"Borrowing spirit energy from all living beings?" Aventurine pondered carefully and asked, "Does that take a long time?"
Battles between top-tier experts were always decided in the blink of an eye. He didn't just know this—in fact, not long ago, he'd experienced it firsthand.
In Penacony, that Emanator of Nihility called Acheron was terrifyingly strong. The slash that sent him flying into Dreamflux Reef had practically appeared right in front of him in an instant.
Forget dodging—he hadn't even thought to dodge. And even if he had, he probably couldn't have.
In response to his question, Sylvester nodded and chuckled softly.
Worthy of one of the Ten Stonehearts from the Strategic Investment Department—his insight was indeed sharp. Even without personally using it, he could still grasp the key point.
"That's true—it does take some time to gather the energy. However, once you cultivate it to a sufficiently high level, that time can be reduced almost without limit. And this scroll comes with the 'Mastery' level built in. To gather enough spirit energy to destroy a planet, one minute is more than enough. What's more, its upper limit is far beyond just a single planet."
Hearing this result, Aventurine was very satisfied. "Mm! As expected of a purple curio! If we look at it on the scale of interstellar warfare, this amount of time really isn't long at all. Even a planet-destroying cannon takes much longer to charge. Besides, I wouldn't be stupid enough to face such a powerful enemy alone."
He paused, then muttered softly, "Unless I wanted to."
After the initial shock faded, a pleased smile tugged at Aventurine's lips. He casually let out a whistle, "Fiuu~~" and laughed. "What a haul. Just this one curio alone makes the trip more than worthwhile."
As he spoke, he tightly clenched the scroll in his hand, his heart burning with excitement.
Across the cosmos, there was probably no force better suited than the Corporation to fully unleash the power of the [Spirit Bomb].
The IPC governed countless planets—how large its population truly was could practically be considered a mathematical problem.
If a broadcast were sent across those star regions to borrow spirit energy… it might just blow the entire known universe into oblivion.
Ah—of course, before that happened, the chances of him being crushed to death by the overwhelming spirit energy would probably be even higher.
Then he laughed loudly again and asked, "Shopkeeper Sylvester, are there any other key points I should know?"
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