The desert was silent again, save for the low hiss of cooling metal as the Silver Dragon touched down. Krish stepped out, his boots crunching against the scorched ground where the spirit beast had fallen. The air was heavy with smoke, and in the center of the blackened crater lay something glowing faintly—like a heart still beating after death.
Krish approached cautiously. The glow pulsed from a crystalline core, dark as obsidian yet threaded with veins of silver light. It radiated power, humming in rhythm with his heartbeat.
RC's voice came through the smart watch, calm but edged with curiosity.
"Analysis complete. Spirit stone detected. Grade: high-tier. Energy capacity: approximately thirty times greater than Silver Dragon's current core reserves."
Krish crouched, lifting the stone. It was warm in his hands, thrumming like a captured star. A grin tugged at his lips. "So this beast didn't just want to kill us—it carried the key to making us stronger."
"Correction," RC replied dryly. "It wanted to kill us. The upgrade is merely an unintended benefit."
Back inside the Silver Dragon, Krish placed the stone into the ship's core chamber. The walls lit up with arcs of silver-blue lightning as RC's systems adapted, conduits humming with raw power.
"Integration in progress," RC reported. "Warning: instability at thirty percent. Recommend manual calibration."
Krish strapped into the pilot's seat, fingers flying over the controls. Sweat gathered on his brow as he stabilized the energy flow. The ship trembled violently, metal groaning as if resisting the change.
"Steady… steady…" he muttered, adjusting power lines one by one.
The spirit stone's light flared, flooding the chamber with brilliance. Then—suddenly—silence.
The Silver Dragon's systems rebooted. RC's voice returned, but this time it carried a faint undertone, richer and more alive.
"Integration complete. Core efficiency has increased by two hundred percent. Shields upgraded. Weapons enhanced. Mobility… beyond all prior calculations."
Krish leaned back, staring at the glowing panels around him. The Silver Dragon felt different now—lighter, sharper, almost alive. He could feel its energy pulsing, as though the ship itself had taken a step toward evolution.
"Looks like you just leveled up, partner," Krish said with a small smile.
"Correction," RC replied, though there was something close to pride in his tone. "We leveled up."
Krish's hand tightened around the controls. His eyes gleamed as he looked toward the horizon. "Good. Because if one spirit beast carried a stone like this… there are bound to be stronger ones out there. And we'll need every upgrade we can get."
The Silver Dragon's engines roared back to life, brighter than ever before. What was once just a ship had now become a weapon of destiny—powered by the essence of a slain spirit beast.
---
Testing the Upgrade
Krish flicked a switch on the console. The hull shimmered, then dissolved into the air like mist. Outside, the ship had vanished entirely.
"Invisibility mode engaged," RC confirmed. "Duration limit: currently six hours before recharge is required. Energy stability… optimal."
Krish grinned. "Perfect. Let's test it."
The Silver Dragon soared into the sky, silent as a shadow, slipping between clouds like a phantom. Below, the desert stretched endlessly until it gave way to valleys of stone and rivers that glittered in the pale sun. For the first time since arriving in this world, Krish could fly without worrying about every predator spotting him.
Hours passed as he searched. Eventually, the barren landscape gave way to green fields, dotted with scattered farms. Smoke rose gently in the distance—thin trails that spoke of cooking fires and human life.
"RC," Krish murmured, eyes narrowing, "we've found civilization."
"Confirmed," RC replied. "Detected settlement approximately fifteen kilometers east. Estimated population: one thousand to two thousand. Architecture… primitive but organized. Data collection initiated."
The Silver Dragon hovered silently above the town. From this height, Krish could see stone walls encircling it, crude watchtowers on the corners, and narrow streets winding toward a central plaza. People in simple robes moved about, carrying baskets, leading ox-like beasts, and chatting in a language that sounded strange but melodic.
RC's scanners swept over the settlement, feeding information directly into Krish's console.
"Preliminary analysis complete. This world is structured around cultivation hierarchies. Energy signatures detected within individuals range from weak mortal-level to mid-stage spirit cultivators. Weapons: mostly forged steel, some spirit-infused blades. Governance appears local—possibly a town chief or elder council."
Krish leaned back, absorbing the data. "So it's just like the cultivation novels I used to read on Earth. Different realms of power, spirit stones as currency, and beasts as both threat and resource."
"Correct," RC agreed. "Historical records are fragmented, but traces suggest this world once housed an empire spanning multiple continents. Collapse occurred centuries ago, possibly due to resource wars involving high-grade spirit stones. Current civilizations are fractured into sects, clans, and small city-states."
Krish's expression hardened. "That means everyone is fighting for power. Which also means everyone's going to want what we have."
His hand brushed against the console, where the spirit stone now pulsed faintly within the Silver Dragon's core. He knew what it meant—it was both a gift and a beacon. Anyone strong enough would hunt him for it.
But Krish wasn't afraid. His smile was small, almost dangerous. "Then let them come. We'll grow faster than they expect."
The Silver Dragon tilted away, still cloaked in invisibility, soaring quietly back toward the horizon. The town grew smaller behind them, its people unaware that a ship from another world had just scanned every secret they possessed.
For Krish, this was only the beginning. Now he had knowledge of the world, a ship empowered by a spirit stone, and the will to carve a path no cultivator had ever walked.
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