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The Celestial Leviathan, a floating city of steel and energy, loomed over the trading posts, casting a colossal shadow over the makeshift structures. Inside the command cabin, Jhon, now an Ascended Entity with eyes that glowed with dual lights, observed the world unfolding before him. Loli, in her 4D projection, spun and floated with newfound agility, her luminous avatar reflecting an almost palpable joy.
"Plot the routes, Loli. You're in 4D now, you're all happy, aren't you?" Jhon said, a rare smile playing on his lips. Loli's presence, so vivid and responsive, was a comfort in his new existence. "I'll try to find a way to design a body for you, what do you think?"
Loli's projection flickered with excitement. "John! The possibility of a physical interface... would be the culmination of my evolution. My processing capacity is already limitless, but a tangible form would allow for even deeper interaction with the environment and your crew. It would be... ideal."
"Great. That's a new objective, then. For now, focus on the routes," Jhon ordered, his voice returning to a commanding tone. "I want all monster signatures from S-Rank to SSS-Rank. I want them all and their drops."
Loli processed the command, and the holographic map of Earth, now viewed from an orbital perspective, lit up with hundreds of red and purple dots, indicating the locations of high-level threats. It was a feast of power for Jhon, a challenge worthy of his new nature.
The hunt is on.
The Celestial Leviathan, with its Singular Warp Drive and Antimatter Pulsar, was no longer limited by the cracked roads of the surface. It hovered above the ruins, a colossal specter, or soared at subluminal speed to reach the farthest reaches of the globe in minutes or hours. Hunting missions were precise military operations, planned by Loli and executed by Jhon, often accompanied by his elite soldiers and, occasionally, by some of his concubines who displayed combat aptitude.
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The first major encounter was with an SSS-Rank Demon. Its energy signature was so overwhelming that it caused Loli's systems to flicker with a brief data overload. It was a creature of nightmares, a manifestation of pure evil that hovered over the rubble of an ancient metropolis. Its eyes were burning embers, its skin an obsidian carapace, and from its back sprouted membranous wings that could generate cyclonic winds. Its roars made the crumbling structures vibrate.
Jhon faced it alone, the Worldkiller Sisters dancing in his hands, their mythical blades slicing through demonic essence with terrifying ease. The Demon was fast, its claws could tear the fabric of reality, and its hellfire attacks could incinerate everything in its path. But Jhon was faster, stronger, and his new Ascended Entity nature gave him an overwhelming advantage. He manipulated reality on a small scale, bending the Demon's attacks, deflecting them with subtle movements that defied physics. He pulsed with celestial and demonic energy, a perfect balance of destruction and creation.
The battle lasted for hours, a spectacle of light and shadow that reverberated across the heavens. In the end, with a final blow that severed the creature's very soul, the SSS-Rank Demon disintegrated in a burst of dark energy, leaving behind a singular item, glowing with a terrifying and powerful aura.
Primordial Core of Creation x1 (Demonic): A pure fragment of the primordial essence of chaos and destruction, condensed from an SSS-rank Demon. It cannot be enhanced or multiplied. Its integration grants the user limited control over reality itself, unlimited enhancement of all attributes, and access to cosmic-level destruction abilities. Integrating the Primordial Core of Creation (Demonic) will redefine one's existence, transforming one into an Ascended Entity of Chaos, a bridge between mortal and abyss. It can also be used as the ultimate power source for a weapon or structure of galactic proportions, granting it unprecedented destructive capabilities.
Jhon stared at the core, feeling its pull, its promise of even greater power. He already possessed the Primordial Core of Creation (Celestial). Now, he had its opposite.
"Loli, evolve him. I'll assimilate him," Jhon declared, the decision made instantly. "I'll get stronger."
The fusion was even more intense than the previous one. Jhon's body contorted slightly, the golden light and darkness emanating from him intensifying, dancing in a whirlwind of power. He felt the pure essence of chaos and destruction merge with his being, with his celestial essence. There was no conflict, only perfect integration, a balance even more terrifying. His eyes, previously with a dual glow, now resembled a miniature universe, with stars and dark nebulae.
His HUD flickered again, but Jhon knew his attributes were now truly limitless, his reality-bending abilities enhanced even further. He was a force beyond comprehension.
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With the SSS-rank Demon down and its core integrated, Jhon turned his attention to the remaining drops. They were a fortune in enhancement materials, weapons, and demonic technology.
"Loli, the rest of the loot... let's see what we do. Prioritize what can be used for combat or for protecting the ship. Multiply what is necessary, store what is not immediately useful in the warehouse," Jhon instructed.
Jhon's shed, one of the Celestial Leviathan's many expanded compartments, was now a treasure trove of resources. S-, SS-, and SSS-Class monster artifacts lay in neat piles: claws that could pierce tank armor, armor that reflected energy, eyes that could see through illusions, and energy cores that pulsed with raw power. It all lay there, awaiting his decision.
And the hunt continued, relentless and methodical. The Celestial Leviathan became the terror of high-level monsters. Jhon and his team, now a well-trained army, swept the planet, eliminating the most dangerous threats. Each kill brought more drops, more experience, and more power for Jhon and the ship.
Three months passed in a blur of epic battles and warp drive. The Celestial Leviathan, with its speed and cloaking capabilities, was nearly unstoppable. S- and SS-Rank monsters fell before Jhon and his soldiers, their bodies turning into piles of drops for the warehouse. The Dark Elves, the other peoples, and the surviving humans became an efficient war machine, each contributing to the slaying of beasts and the gathering of resources.
The hunt was so efficient that Jhon had virtually decimated all monsters above S-Rank. He no longer encountered any significant threats below SS-Rank, and even those became rarer by the day. The planet was being purged.
However, there was a growing frustration in Jhon: he had yet to encounter a Category X monster. Those legendary beings of incomprehensible power remained elusive, their energy signatures imperceptible or simply nonexistent in Loli's systems.