Building Interstellar Empire With Universal Synthesis

What was once a dark environment suddenly became clear, with several glittering lights appearing on the seabed.

​They were the lights coming from the energy stones.

However, the mana stones were blue in color, and he specifically needed those.

​Without delay, he swam forward, searching for a larger energy signature.

Following his initiative, the mermen also scattered around to find the rare ones, while a second batch of mermen continued to extract and collect the low-grade mana stones. Even if they were low grade, they were still valuable.

As Neo swam over the oceanic trenches, his newly acquired Spirit Eyes cut through the abyssal blackness, filtering out the chaotic murmurs of the ocean and focusing entirely on the glowing energy signatures below. The faint, flickering lights of F-grade and E-grade stones faded into the background as a sharper, more concentrated pulse of blue light caught his attention. It was buried beneath a layer of heavy volcanic sand near a thermal vent.

​Neo dove downward, his movements fluid and unhindered by the water resistance thanks to his passive aquatic adaptations.

He reached the seabed and began digging through the thick sediment, his fingers brushing against a smooth, solid surface.

With a firm tug, he dislodged a stone the size of a human fist. It pulsed with a dense, rhythmic luminescence.

​He ran a quick system appraisal on it.

​[Mana Stone (C)]

​Expands cosmic force by 100 to 200.

​Neo stared at the gemstone with a dark smile.

​’100 to 200 cosmic force from a single stone? The F-grade pieces are practically garbage compared to this. Extracting dozens of those lower stones requires a massive expenditure of time and physical labor from the mermen, but a C-grade stone completely bypasses that grind. If I can secure a steady supply of these, my internal energy reserves will skyrocket far beyond the limitations of normal human progression. This is what efficiency looks like. I am not going to waste my time picking up crumbs when the real wealth is buried in the dark.’

​Satisfied but far from content, Neo looked past the glowing cluster where the mermen were working.

His cold gaze drifted further down into the uncharted depths of the trench, where the ocean floor dropped off into a vertical abyss.

The energy signatures down there were sparser, but the light they emitted was far more intense.

He needed more power, and staying in the shallows would never satisfy his criteria for absolute dominance.

​Leaving the mermen behind to clear out the upper veins, Neo dove over the edge of the continental shelf, descending smoothly into the darkness.

​By the time he reached a depth of 500 meters from the sunlit surface, the ambient light of the upper ocean had completely vanished. The pressure here was immense, as if an elephant pressed against his eardrums and his chest cavity.

However, his [Water Breathing] passive skill adjusted his internal pressure, allowing him to withstand the hostile environment.

​He activated his [Spirit Eyes] again, scanning the rugged walls of the underwater canyon. Piercing through the dark, a vibrant azure light flared from a narrow crevice.

Neo swam closer, wedging himself between the craggy rock formations, and pried a crystal loose. It was twice the size of the previous one, radiating a chilling aura that actually lowered the temperature of the water around his hand.

​The system interface blinked before his eyes.

​[Mana Stone (B)]

​> Expands cosmic force by 500 to 800.

​’A B-grade stone,’ Neo mused, his mind instantly cataloging the value. ’The energy density is almost five times higher than the C-grade. Going deeper is definitely paying off. The world operates on a simple principle of risk and reward. The weak stay on the surface because they are terrified of the dark and the pressure, but the dark is exactly where the true resources are hidden.’

​He didn’t hesitate any longer. Instead of returning to the surface to store the prize, he pushed 5 B-grade stones into his storage pouch and looked straight down.

The abyss seemed like a bottomless black void that swallowed all sound and warmth.

​He kicked his legs, diving deeper and faster. 600 meters. 800 meters. 1000 meters.

​When his internal depth gauge marked 1250 meters deep, the environment became terrifyingly hostile. The ocean pressure at this depth was monstrous, equivalent to hundreds of atmospheres pushing down on every square inch of his skin.

His bones began to groan, and a sharp dull ache throbbed inside his ribcage. Even with his synthesized merman physiology, his human core was reaching its absolute physical structural limit.

The water felt as thick as concrete.

​But his stubbornness paid off.

Onto a wall of solid ancient rock, there was a magnificent crystalline cluster that burned with a light so pure it looked like a fallen star trapped under the sea.

​Neo approached the wall.

Then, he gripped the crystal and pulled with all his might, channeling his energy into his muscles until the stone snapped free from the bedrock.

​[Mana Stone (A)]

​> Expands cosmic force by 1200 to 1500.

Neo eyes shined.

​’Its an A-grade stone. The energy inside this single piece is enough to breakthrough multiple bottlenecks. But I can’t stay here. If I try to harvest more than one, my internal organs will collapse before the synthesis mechanics can even heal the damage. One is enough for now. I need to retreat.’

​Holding the precious A-grade stone tightly, Neo turned to ascend. His muscles ached, and his vision swam as he prepared to fight the crushing gravity of the deep to return to safer waters.

Booom!

​But just as he took his first upward stroke, an explosive eruption of light erupted from the absolute bottom of the trench, far below his current position.

​The light was so blindingly intense, so violently radiant, that it completely overwhelmed his Spirit Eyes.

Neo instinctively threw his arm up over his face, his vision turning completely white as a searing pain shot through his optic nerves.

Even through his closed eyelids, the luminescence burned like a miniature sun igniting in the absolute darkness of the ocean floor.

​He checked his map. The source of the light was located at a staggering 2000 meters deep.

​To dive that deep was an act of pure madness. At 2000 meters, a human body would be flattened into a broken mass of flesh and bone within seconds. The pressure was a death sentence.

​’But an energy signature that powerful... it shouldn’t even exist in a place like this,’ Neo thought, becoming suspicious.

But his cold ambition and driving hunger to reach the absolute pinnacle of power, completely overrode his survival instinct.

"If I walk away now, I might never get another chance to see what is down there. I didn’t come to this world to play it safe."

​Gritting his teeth against the agonizing pressure, Neo locked his gaze onto the blinding white beacon below.

​"Activate [Vellsing Transformation]!" he roared internally.

​

What could be waiting him at the abyss?