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After seeing Ruby evolve, Frank decided to go back home as it was getting too late by now. ​​

However, Orb didn't really want her new master to simply go away right after she became his Dungeon Core.

"Wait, Master, where are you going?! Y-You're just leaving me alone now?!" asked Orb.

"I have a very busy life, you know? I can't keep being in here forever… Don't worry, our souls are connected, I believe that much like Hades, you should be able to communicate with me through telepathy. Although not to the level of seeing everything I see like this skull head," said Frank.

"Hey, who are you calling a skull head?!" asked Hades.

Frank ignored Hades as he gentle smiled at Orb.

"But Master…" said Orb.

Orb had been isolated her entire life and had never held a conversation at all with no one else than herself.

Through so many years, she never experienced any kind of bond with anyone, not even with her creator and 'mother' Axitl.

However, due to her nature as a Dungeon Core, her emotions were almost null, and her nature was calm and computer-like.

Of course, after many years, she was bound to change.

However, up until now, she hadn't changed as much, and the changes that were occurring to her mentality and personality were pure because of Frank, who had shared his soul with her and had 'awakened' her.

In a way, through her connection with Frank's Soul, it was as if she was being given humanity.

Something very strange, that made her feel like things were becoming odd…

The emotions she had been saving up to this point were boiling inside of her, she wanted to talk for hours and hours and be with Frank.

Although she had experienced some fear with him, through the bond of Dungeon Core and Dungeon Master, Orb felt relaxed with Frank, and such thoughts quickly dissipated from her mind.

"There, there," said Frank, petting Orb's spherical body.

Orb was a crystal sphere filled with Divine Power, her entire body was cold and she lacked senses.

However, the warm hands of Frank seemed to warm her soul as well.

"Master… Do I have a soul?" asked Orb.

"What with that question out of nowhere…? I… Of course, you have a soul!" said Frank.

"E-Eh? Really? But I am… a Dungeon Core. I just realized that I am a mere tool, an item," said Orb.

"A mere tool would be so god damn annoying like you? And you are also so loud and childish, you are not an item at all! In fact, you sound like a spoiled brat," said Frank.

"W-What?! How can you say that?! You idiot!" said Orb embarrassed.

"Don't worry, we can talk as long as you want, but I gotta go, I have a lot to do. I will come after… a few hours, I am sure that you can wait a bit, right? Oh, how about this?" said Frank, opening his Item Box and revealing a purple-colored egg.

"Here, this little thing needs someone to take care of it, it might soon hatch," said Frank.

"Eh? An egg?" asked Orb.

"It's an egg I acquired through my System, it is an egg of the same species as the Boss I defeated, could you take care of it while I am out? I am sure that it will give you some nice company. It is different from conventional monsters, and these ones are named monster pets, they grow attached to the person they see first," said Frank.

"E-Eh?! B-But… I can't… This is…" muttered Orb.

"Don't worry, it can be… our monster pet. How about that?" asked Frank.

"R-Really?!" asked Orb.

"(Why does change how it sounds made her so happy? Did she found some kind of hidden meaning on it?) Yeah… Please take good care of it, alright?" said Frank.

"O-Okaay…" said Orb, as Frank finally walked out of the Dungeon, his new domain, which he could not completely play around with for now, as he felt incredibly exhausted, and sleeping in the dungeon would not be the best option for now either.

As Frank went back to Gwendolyn's home, Orb glanced at the egg resting on the cold floor.

"Maybee… you need something warm? Sigh… I am a sphere, so I am not warm at all… Hm, wait for a second…"

Orb quickly willed it, as she created a small pillow, which cost less than ten Divine Powerpoints, hoping for her Master to not mind.

She used her natural power, exerting a force similar to Telekinesis, which she used to move the egg above the pillow carefully.

"And… there! Hm… So… When will you hatch?" wondered Orb, grabbing the egg and the pillow, and moving it to her underground chamber, where she felt safer.

'Orb, can you hear me?'

Suddenly, within Orb's mind, the voice of Frank resonated.

"Ah! Master...! It's true, we can truly talk from far away!" said Orb.

'Y-Yeah, just make sure to not constantly talk to me all the time, alright?'

"Okay! So, what are you doing? The little egg is peacefully resting over a pillow! What do I do now? Oh! I wonder what name we should give to it!" said Orb.

'Well…'

Frank and Orb spoke for several minutes, deciding the scorpion's name while Frank walked back to Gwendolyn's home.

Then, Frank decided to use the Mana Core she grind in the Dungeon to breakthrough Middle Stage of Rank 1 of Mana Core Cultivation, sitting inside the nearby forest, he glanced at the pile of Mana Cores, the largest one was the Boss' Mana Core.

He wondered how much could it cost in money, and he estimated that at least a Gold Coin if not more…

Yet, he was about to consume it entirely so he can increase his Mana Core Cultivation.

Many would think of this as a complete waste, but wasn't this the intention of most Adventurers anyways, to get money so they can grow even stronger and survive better through their lives?

At the end of the day, Adventurers risked their lives and gathered money to live more comfortably, to eat another day, and well, to get stronger through Mana Core Cultivation.

What Frank was doing was skipping most steps, which were selling the Mana Core, using the money wisely to buy cultivation materials, craft cultivation resources, and finally apply them to his Mana Core and body to slowly break through the stage where he was.

By simply touching the Mana Core and absorbing it, he skipped all those annoying steps, it was truly quite the cheat.

Frank began to think that the whole system was made so he could easily absorb all kinds of energies, which in the end made it easier for him to strengthen himself.

However, the intention of making it easier to absorb any external energy was so he could transfer them to Gaia, which he seems to do automatically.

Even when he absorbed Mana Cores, a certain part of that power was transferred to Earth, nourishing its dying Origin Core and slowly healing Gaia, the personification of the planet.

Ding!

[Mana Cores have been detected]

[Required World's Source Energy to break through Mana Core Cultivation of Rank 1 Middle Stage: 000/200]

Ding!

[Do you wish to absorb the Mana Cores?]

[>YES NO]

"Yes."

Flash!

Absorbing the pile of Mana Cores alongside the big one, Frank felt a rush of power covering his entire self, as his Mana Core trembled as if it was harmoniously devouring all of this energy.

The energy crossed through his body, nourishing even his veins, muscles, and bones.

This seemed to reflect that Frank was getting better at using the energies of this world to cultivate not only his Mana Core but also his physical body.

Although he really did not learn any technique or anything, it seems that the System did it automatically for him, and in the end, his body learned to 'cultivate' these energies by reflex.

Ding!

[You gained +602 World's Source Energy (Terra)]

[World's Source Energy (Terra): 602/200]

[Congratulations, you have broken through Rank 1 Middle Stage, ascending into the Upper Stage!]

[All of your stats have increased]

[Skill Proficiency Bonus Earned]

[The Levels of the [Dirt: Level 4], [Light Ray: Level 2], [Basic Magic Martial Arts: Level 2], [Ice Spears: Level 2], and [Overseeing Light Eye: Level 2] Skills have increased!]

[Required World's Source Energy to break through Mana Core Cultivation of Rank 1 Upper Stage: 602/400]

Ding!

[Congratulations, you have broken through Rank 1 Upper Stage, ascending into the Peak Stage!]

[All of your stats have increased]

[Skill Proficiency Bonus Earned]

[The Levels of the [Lesser Self-Regeneration: Level 3], [Herculean Strength: Level 3], [Mind: Level 2], [Enhanced Five Senses: Level 1], [Soul Materialization: Level 1], [Exorcism: Level 1], [Light Clone Technique: Level 2], [Gray Magic (Innate): Level 3], [Dirt: Level 5], [Sewing: Level 2], [Body Aura: Level 5], [Bronze Skin: Level 5], [Instant Domain Creation: Level 2], [Light Ray: Level 3], [Basic Magic Martial Arts: Level 3], [Light Soul Martial Technique: Level 3], and [Fire Soul Martial Technique: Level 3] Skills have increased!]

[Required World's Source Energy to break through Mana Core Cultivation of Rank 1 Upper Stage: 002/800]

When Frank opened his eyes, his body was radiating with new power…

This was the level of power that those a Rank 1 Peak Stage held.

And he got even stronger, as the System rewarded him for his efforts with Skill Proficiency, leveling up a bunch of Skills, and overall strengthening him even more.

As long as he kept his Stealth-related skills on, he should be capable of masking this radiating presence a bit and keep a secret from the masses that he had advanced so fast.

"Brat, you just got a lot stronger out of nowhere!" said Hades.

"Yeah, this is Terra's Mana Core Cultivation," said Frank.

"I only need around 798 more Energy Points and I can finally break through Rank 2… Well, this fast progression is a bit scary… Luckily, I can mask it through the masquerade of a Hero…" said Frank,

"You're quite the cunning kid, aren't you? …I like that!" said Hades laughing maliciously.

"Just shut up already," said Frank.

"Who are you telling to shut up?!"

"We are going back Earth now… Well, I will bring Nezhit, Ruby, and Zhulong. By the way, the time that goes in here is slower when I go back to Earth, and vice versa," said Frank.

"Oh? Is that so? That's an even more convenient tool… Eh?! Wait, are you some kind of Time God now?! How can a mortal do such a thing?! You are delaying the whole time of a world?! How's that possible?!" asked Hades.

"I don't know and don't ask me… Maybe one day we'll find out," said Frank.

Walking inside Gwendolyn's home while bringing his allies inside of his Shadow through the Shadow Storage Spell, Frank finally traveled back to his homeworld, completely unaware that a certain Goddess almost killed him, alongside wiping out the entire Westwind nation with him…

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