Building Interstellar Empire With Universal Synthesis

While the mermen were busy detecting and extracting the mana stones from the seabed, Neo decided to experiment with his Universal Synthesis ability.

If he could successfully synthesize his own eyes with the genes of a Blue Tide merman, he might be able to awaken the Spirit Eyes for himself.

​To initiate the synthesis, however, he required a physical catalyst. Smaller parts of their biological bodies would do fine.

​As such, he returned to the village hall, where Chieftess Marlene was resting, and flatly demanded a few strands of hair from a member of their lineage.

​The village elders and guards present in the hall instantly became shocked by the bizarre and unsettling demand.

​"A-a strand of hair?" Eros stammered nervously. "Lord Neo, our people are already yours to command, but... what could a human possibly want with our hair? Is this some sort of primitive curse or an external ritual?"

​Marlene’s shrunken face darkened with deep concern. She looked into Neo’s unbothered, cold eyes, trying to read his intentions.

"Lord Neo, if this is a test of our absolute loyalty, I assure you we have already submitted to your authority. But our biology is different from yours. Our hair carries the trace elements of the deep sea’s mana. Giving it to an outsider is strictly taboo."

​Neo didn’t care.

"I don’t care about your taboos, and I don’t have the patience to explain my methods to you. I asked for the hair. Either you give it to me willingly, or I take it by force. The choice is yours, Chieftess."

​Before the tension in the room could boil over into absolute panic, the little mermaid standing beside Marlene stepped forward.

​"I’ll give it to you, Big Brother!" Mumu said happily, her watery eyes sparkling with awe rather than fear.

​"Mumu, no! Step back!" Marlene reachef out her trembling hand to stop her, but the little girl was already moving.

​Mumu reached up, grabbed a long lock of her own vibrant, sea-blue hair, and pulled hard. With a sharp snap, she plucked a generous bundle of strands from her scalp and held them out to Neo with a bright, innocent smile.

​"Here you go, Lord Neo! If you use these to get super strong and beat up the mean Red Tide tribe, you can have as many as you want!"

​Neo looked down at the little girl, Impressed by the little girl’s courage.

He took the blue strands from her small palm, saying: "You’re a brave girl, Mumu. Thank you."

Mumu face became bashful.

​"Hehe, just remember to find Grandpa’s secret weapon later!"

She added with a playful wink, earning a harsh warning glare from her grandmother.

​Neo ignored the old woman’s panic.

​From there, he headed to a secret spot where, holding the strands against his chest, he began the synthesis at once.

​[System Notification: Synthesis Initiated — Human + Blue Mermaid Hair]

​[Progress: 1%... 7%... 56%... 99%...]

​The pain was minimal this time. The synthesis was over within a minute.

​[Success!]

​[You have gained a new active skill: Spirit Eyes (E)]

​Description:

Allows the user to see through illusions, perceive hidden mana veins, and gaze directly into the soul or secrets of a target.

Note: Higher-ranking targets or those with powerful mental defenses may resist or detect the user’s gaze.

Range: 100 meters (Can be improved)

​[You have gained a new passive skill: Water Breathing (E)]

​Description: This passibe skill grants the user the biological ability of aquatic species to extract oxygen directly from water. The user can breathe seamlessly underwater, completely unhindered by aquatic pressure or depth.

After looking throught the description, and feeling the interncal changes inside him, Neo smiled a little.

It turned out better than expected.

He got water breathing skill as an extra. And now he could dive long and deep like those mermen.

"I should go diving and check if I could find something big," he muttered.

However, when he was about to dive under the clear morning sunlight, Zestia quickly stepped forward and stopped him, a look of genuine concern on her face.

​"Neo, wait," she said, catching his arm. "What do you think you are doing? Humans cannot breathe underwater for very long, and the depths where the mana stones are located are entirely too dangerous for someone without gills."

​But Neo simply looked back at her,

"I am not like other humans."

​He looked out over the sparkling expanse of the ocean, then turned his gaze back to her.

"In fact, why don’t you come along too? The water is clear today."

"Huh! You want me to join you?"

​The sudden invitation caught her completely off guard, sending a shock through her system. Neo had always been cold, distant, and entirely focused on his goals, making himself almost impossible to approach. She had never seen him act so accessible before.

​For a moment, she hesitated, but agreed at the end.

"Fine," she murmured, nodding. "Give me a minute."

​She vanished into a nearby tent and returned a short while later, having changed into a revealing bikini that left very little to the imagination.

Her toned physique, sun-kissed skin, and sharp curves were fully on display under the bright sunlight.

Only then Neo noticed how big her boobs were.

​She looked impossibly hot.

​Even with his usual stoic composure, Neo found himself completely mesmerized for a brief moment as his eyes ran over her before he quickly turned back toward the rolling waves.

Zestia smiled mischievously. She stepped forward and pulled his hand firmly against her side.

​Feeling the soft, bouncy contour of her chest against his arm, Neo went completely stiff. Still, he managed to maintain his cold composure, looking down at her as he asked slowly, "What are you doing?"

​Her red lips curled into a playful smile. "Nothing. I just wanted to make sure I stay safe down there. You wouldn’t turn down a delicate maiden, would you?"

​Seeing her seductive look, Neo let out a quiet sigh. Without another word, he gripped her hand firmly and dived straight into the crashing waves with her.

Splash!

​However, he had no idea what waited for him in that dark, freezing depth.