Despite realizing that things would change for him from now on, mostly because of his volunteering quest’s FCP yield, Aven didn’t hurry up to find the answer regarding his new hourly gain by claiming his ongoing quest.

He only sent an eye at the quality control machines a few hours in to be convinced that his new stable energy wasn’t just “stable”, and was, in fact, also much more intense, resulting in his tech-enhancement being pushed to 427%, 1.5 times its old value.

It was as much as the theoretical gain he would get once his energy transformed from grade 2 energy to grade 3 energy, a gain that would be realized by relying only on a pure intensity difference.

The discovery of one of the meanings behind his energy having become stable had been a marvelous one, that was true no matter how he looked at it, but once again… Compared to reaching grade 3 proper, giving an identity to his energy and gaining his first energy specialization, it was only a major revelation, not a life-defining one.

Therefore, after getting over his initial shock, he simply continued his tour of the production area, resupplying the already infused 28 integrated production lines with energy he tried to push to its efficiency limit with more knowledge than ever.

Yet, same as how he had felt for the past few dozen cycles, seeing in real-time how his growth in efficiency had gradually decreased until it practically ceased to be… His grade 2 energy couldn’t seem to accept more knowledge no matter how he tried.

It was like he had reached a never reached before limit.

And such a theory certainly hadn’t escaped his curious mind.

“But it’s all going to be irrelevant soon…” Emptying his mind of all his worries about the limits of grade 2 energy he had probably reached with a breath, Aven focused inward as he speedily walked back towards his living quarters.

Aven Amias

Faction: Nation of Eland Military

Energy Grade: 2

Energy Cultivation: 1 000/1 000

Energy Affinity: Tech

Physical Talents: Basic Energy Furnace Cells, Basic Condensed Body, Basic Regenerating Body, Basic Inexhaustible Body, Basic Energy Immune Constitution

Energy Talents: Basic Tech Energy Affinity, Basic Energy Sense, Basic Natural Energy Growth, Basic Self Revolving Energy, Basic Seamless Energy, Basic Excitable Energy, Basic Equalizing Energy, Basic Energy Photosynthesis

Spiritual Talents: Inquisitive Spirit, Advanced Knowledge Integration, Basic Tireless Spirit, Basic Armored Spirit, Basic Enhanced Awareness

Universal Talents: Unawakened Fairy Ancestry, Creative Instinct, Essence Stabilizer

His body had reached… Saturation, there was no better way to say it.

Unlike when he was a grade 0 or grade 1, however, his energy sense was much more refined, and he had a whole load of other talents helping him fine-feel what was happening to him.

Opening the door of his quarters, he nearly rushed through it before crashing on his sofa after removing his shoes with an agile pulse of telekinesis.

Closing his eyes and entering a state of meditation to attune his senses even more, his sensitivity to his own energy increased massively, finally allowing him to “see” his real inner state.

“Woah…” The moment he started seeing what was taking place inside his body, he let out a breath of wonder.

His body was filled with more energy sparks than ever, completely obscuring everything else, and they were overflowing, not knowing where to find more places anymore.

His self revolving energy talent had lost all its hold and any semblance of order had fully vanished, leaving his energy to grow more and more chaotic with each passing second.

“Energy core… How will it go?” Both rapt with wonder and curiosity, Aven held his breath as best as he could, becoming nothing but a spectator to this spectacle of nature he didn’t have any control over.

Even his newly acquired legendary essence stabilizer talent couldn’t hold a candle compared to the force of nature that had taken possession of his energy.

Over the next few minutes, his energy kept becoming more and more chaotic, reaching a point where it appeared that a lightning storm was taking place inside his body, a literal lightning storm, not a figurative one at all.

His every cell seemed to be zapped by a current of energy that tried to find an exit, reestablishing its balance, but there was no such exit, so it simply continued to wander, growing and being amplified by every drop of additional energy his body was regenerating.

At some point, Aven started feeling physical feedback: He felt hot and started sweating.

It was a first for him. Pure energy didn’t have a tangible interaction with regular matter, and until now, his energy had never caused him physiological problems, as if his energy and body belonged to 2 different realities despite being superimposed.

This state of energy influencing reality without being mobilized or asked to was something he theorized should only happen later, maybe grade 5 or 6, but absolutely not so early.

He wasn’t worried though, he knew that what was taking place inside his body was natural, he even knew that this precise natural transformation was one that split supers between 2 categories, “Grade 3 is the end of the early stages… Of course the transformation would be violent enough to make energy spill into reality to show off its might.”

Relativizing, Aven maintained his spectator approach, appreciating the spectacle of his transition to a new stage of life for what it was.

After half an hour, a relatively long time even for him, the energy current wandering inside his body finally seemed to have reached its breaking point.

Miraculously, it started breaking apart, and all the spent energy which had lost all its vigor began gathering somewhere in his torso, around his heart.

There, it started mixing, condensing into something that didn’t look or act like a spark anymore, it looked like a ball of inoffensive, tame, and smooth energy.

It looked pure, untainted, and it also felt like that.

After all the energy inside his body had gathered inside this pure-looking untainted amalgamation, knowledge began spontaneously appearing inside his mind in a strangely familiar manner.

That familiarity could nonetheless be simply explained after thinking about the fact that it wasn’t the first, second, or even third time something like that had happened, it was the fourth time.

As for the content, it could be split into 3 individual parts, with 2 of them Aven already learned through his shop.

The most expected and important part was, of course, his grade 3 innate ability upgrade, as for the other 2, one was teaching him how to choose an energy specialization, and the last… It was a knowledge that his energy was transmitting him, a natural understanding that…

It was time for him to decide on his identity.

His energy identity.

Reporting his new grade 3 innate ability upgrade for later, Aven focused on the present that couldn’t be avoided.

“Sigh… It’s here…” Not willing to decide yet even though he knew there really was only one option for him, Aven opened his status.

Aven Amias

Faction: Nation of Eland Military

Energy Grade: 3

Energy Cultivation: 1 000/10 000

Energy Identity: None

1st Energy Specialization: None

Physical Talents: Basic Energy Furnace Cells, Basic Condensed Body, Basic Regenerating Body, Basic Inexhaustible Body, Basic Energy Immune Constitution

Energy Talents: Basic Tech Energy Affinity, Basic Energy Sense, Basic Natural Energy Growth, Basic Self Revolving Energy, Basic Seamless Energy, Basic Excitable Energy, Basic Equalizing Energy, Basic Energy Photosynthesis

Spiritual Talents: Inquisitive Spirit, Advanced Knowledge Integration, Basic Tireless Spirit, Basic Armored Spirit, Basic Enhanced Awareness

Universal Talents: Unawakened Fairy Ancestry, Creative Instinct, Essence Stabilizer

“10 000… The court of the big ones, right?” Initiating his life as a grade 3 super with a sarcastic comment, he didn’t procrastinate any longer.

“No chance there’s a talent that allows me to have multiple identities, is there?” Pushing the sarcasm even farther, he allowed himself this joke as he knew that he wouldn’t derogate the rules of the world and had to choose an identity.

If he didn’t, then he would forever remain locked where he was, his energy unable to find a way to progress, crippled in a body full of various talents.

Following the knowledge he had “just” gained, he very carefully began mobilizing his energy, fearing an unredeemable mistake, and a controlled, nearly mechanical vibe, the characteristic tech energy system vibe, slowly started exhibiting from him without control.

The martial energy system emanated an intimidating vibe, inspiring the core principle of life, that of natural selection, a brutal battle putting a single life against an entire hostile world.

The psy energy system emanated a cold vibe, a vibe that let others get a glimpse of a different side of reality that they shouldn’t have access to, the spiritual side.

The elemental energy system emanated a lively vibe, telling of the potential of nature and the elements, showing how energy could take on any form and be anything.

The pure energy system emanated a sacred vibe, it was self-sufficient and didn’t need any help, its origin was itself, it relied on no one but itself, and needed no one else but itself.

And finally, the tech energy system emanated a controlled vibe, symbolizing its restriction and dependence on reality’s firm and unbendable laws to exist.

The controlled vibe intensified with each passing second, and a few minutes later, his energy initiated its transition slowly, really giving him as much time as he wanted to retract his choice and embark on a different path.

But Aven held strong, the tech energy system had so many positives for so few negatives in his case that the second candidate, the pure energy system, was so far behind that there wasn’t even a comparison to make.

A quarter of an hour passed, and finally, the last bits of identity-less energy transformed.

When they finished transforming, his energy condensed into a smooth, seemingly solid tech energy core instantly with a slight pulse he was the only one to feel.

“And… That’s it, right?” A slight smile appeared on his face, there was no going back in his mind, so he opened his status.

Aven Amias

Faction: Nation of Eland Military

Energy Grade: 3

Energy Cultivation: 1 000/10 000

Energy Identity: Tech

1st Energy Specialization: None

Physical Talents: Basic Energy Furnace Cells, Basic Condensed Body, Basic Regenerating Body, Basic Inexhaustible Body, Basic Energy Immune Constitution

Energy Talents: Basic Tech Energy Affinity, Basic Energy Sense, Basic Natural Energy Growth, Basic Self Revolving Energy, Basic Seamless Energy, Basic Excitable Energy, Basic Equalizing Energy, Basic Energy Photosynthesis

Spiritual Talents: Inquisitive Spirit, Advanced Knowledge Integration, Basic Tireless Spirit, Basic Armored Spirit, Basic Enhanced Awareness

Universal Talents: Unawakened Fairy Ancestry, Creative Instinct, Essence Stabilizer

Even his status confirmed that his transition to grade 3 was now complete, or nearly complete if he was nitpicking, “I’m now locked out of the elemental, psy, and martial energy systems… Goodbye easy sleep, goodbye easy morning, I’ll miss you more than you think~”

Trying to use his energy according to his knowledge about hundreds of different applications, all those belonging to the elemental, psy, and martial energy systems were now unresponsive.

His energy had become unable to follow the way those 3 foreign systems operated, only the pure energy system still vaguely answered him, but it was very vague and forced, unwilling.

“At least I didn’t lose the best thing… Sigh…” Making his remote levitate with energy telekinesis, he sighed in relief, “It’s even smoother than before. Grade 3 energy is really different.”

Thinking about all the things he had lost for a few more minutes, he then moved on to the new things he had gained, more precisely, one thing he had gained, “Now, for this energy specialization…”

Having claimed a knowledge that was exclusively about this precise field that was the energy specializations, his mind inadvertently went over the thousands of energy specializations that were thoroughly researched.

‘The ability to make the previously impossible into something possible, the ability to transform something demanding into second nature, the ability to push a basic property beyond the scope initially intended by nature… I have so many choices, but only so few that correspond to the path I choose.’

Debating with himself, all the fantastic energy specializations that tech supers could use flashed before his eyes, reminding him of all the other alternative paths that existed.

From taking the kinetic amplification energy specialization, transforming his every bullet into lethal beams and every vehicle into their racing version.

To taking the same atomic bond strengthening energy specialization as Alin had, becoming an unstoppable tank, or making a true tank more than unstoppable.

Passing by taking the electricity intensification energy specialization, touching upon physics-defying phenomena and using electricity to fuel devastating gears.

Without forgetting taking the matter regeneration energy specialization, opening a new field of possibility that he couldn’t help but want to dive into.

Every natural phenomenon could be amplified, and new phenomena associated with reality could be created, all these were possibilities that could be easily reached as long as he gave up on his one true path.

“What was it again though?” A grin appeared on his face as he thought back to what one of his mentors thought about all these dreamy energy specializations, “They’re all travesties? Yeah, that was it. They’re all travesties that need us to even work correctly! Hehehe~”

Dismissing all the dreamy energy specializations that were the stuff of which dreams were made of, he focused on the energy specializations that were suitable for his path, the path of being a production tech super.

More precisely, a modern production tech super, one that wanted to focus on working with integrated machinery, machines that allowed for the energy being infused in them to be so much more complex.

“At least, now with my knowledge, I can’t help but think that they were completely right from the start, integrated machines are the future of tech-production,” giving his honest opinion on the matter, his grin was then replaced by a natural face, “It’s really unfortunate that I’m born at the dawn of such an era… But what can I do about it? Cry?”

In his mind, the few, very few, energy specializations that he and other modern tech production supers considered as being universally production-focused appeared.

“Production strengthening, undivided infusion, massive infusion, overloaded infusion… So very few, but at the same time, what specializations can be applied to a whole integrated production line? Specializations are specialization, not generalization,” lamenting the absence of choice by stating the obvious truth of what an energy specialization was, Aven mentally reviewed each of these 4 specializations.

He first started with the one he had no chance of taking.

‘Production strengthening, definitely no for grade 3, surely yes in the future, it’s arguably the most production-focused energy specialization ever, but it gives… Nothing else. And I need something else, I’m not at the top of Green. Yet.’

Then proceeded to the one that he couldn’t take yet.

‘Overloaded infusion, it would have been a candidate if the circumstances were different. However, for now, I think I’ll do without breaking an entire integrated line just to produce a few massively tech-enhanced products. Massive potential, but the cost is too high.’

Followed by the 2 real candidates, the same candidates that his 2 mentors had opted to take for their grade 3. Strangely, he was now standing in the position they must have been in a few decades ago.

‘Undivided and massive… The two are suitable. Either I focus on only infusing one machine at a time in exchange for a massive bonus, or I optimize my energy for being infused in machines much bigger than me.’

“Sigh… Each has its pros and cons, but I think my choice was made a long time ago…” He acknowledged the choice he had made long prior to actually reaching grade 3, “I’m sorry Rival, but my path isn’t just your average production tech super path. The situations and circumstances I’ll find myself in will not always allow me to have a freaking massive-sized tank with me to put to profit my massive infusion energy specialization…”

Exposing both arrogance and wisdom far surpassing his young age, Aven closed his eyes and entered into a transcendental meditation state where he willed his energy to become able to do more, to become more.

And his energy echoed his thought, starting to vibrate, as if trying to harmonize itself with his thoughts on what precisely was the specialization he wanted.

This was the process through which energy acquired its specialization, and it had appeared in his mind only a few minutes ago, with the knowledge about how to make his energy get an identity and what was his grade 3 innate ability upgrade.

Maintaining his state, he kept the same thought in his head without thinking about anything else for 10 minutes straight.

Until finally…

His energy found the perfect harmony and started transforming without displaying any fancy show, no spilling into reality, no majestic pulse of controlled vibe, it was purely and simply an internal silent transformation that only Aven would ever know about.

“And with that…” He brought up his status.

Aven Amias

Faction: Nation of Eland Military

Energy Grade: 3

Energy Cultivation: 1 000/10 000

Energy Identity: Tech

1st Energy Specialization: Undivided Infusion

Physical Talents: Basic Energy Furnace Cells, Basic Condensed Body, Basic Regenerating Body, Basic Inexhaustible Body, Basic Energy Immune Constitution

Energy Talents: Basic Tech Energy Affinity, Basic Energy Sense, Basic Natural Energy Growth, Basic Self Revolving Energy, Basic Seamless Energy, Basic Excitable Energy, Basic Equalizing Energy, Basic Energy Photosynthesis

Spiritual Talents: Inquisitive Spirit, Advanced Knowledge Integration, Basic Tireless Spirit, Basic Armored Spirit, Basic Enhanced Awareness

Universal Talents: Unawakened Fairy Ancestry, Creative Instinct, Essence Stabilizer

“It’s time for this quality of life grade 3 innate ability upgrade,” he closed his transformed, in a very good way, status, intent on moving to the last matter of this grade 3 transition.