BSI Chapter 174: Gold Existence
Chapter 174: Gold Existence
It was impossible to tell what Adam was thinking during that moment.
The question O-3 had asked was not one that could be answered lightly.
Humanity’s Savior, humanity’s Enemy?
Neither title was something he could casually choose between.
After a long silence, Adam finally spoke.
"I’ll think about it when the time comes."
His voice was calm as though he did not want to heavily dwell on the topic.
There was no hesitation, but there was no certainty either.
This was not a decision he could make based on assumptions alone.
He had seen too little and knew too little.
No matter how important O-3’s words were, Adam refused to decide the fate of humanity based on a single conversation.
He.. would have to consult a lot of the people that had followed him up to here first.
After all, this involved the fate of many human beings, not just his.
He was selfish at times, but he had never disregarded the lives of others.
O-3 stared at him for a few moments before shrugging.
"Fair enough."
To Adam’s surprise, the boy did not try to persuade him further.
He did not do any grand speeches or attempts to influence his choice. It was as though O-3 simply accepted that this was a path Adam had to walk on his own.
The childish expression returned to the boy’s face.
"Well, in any case, you still need to reach the Tenth Floor as quickly as possible."
He crossed his arms.
"Because Celestia violated the agreement she made with you when she attacked you, she’s currently suffering the backlash from breaking that contract."
A mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"She’s much weaker than usual right now. Hmm... you can probably handle her alone now, but I doubt you’ll be able to handle all three of the S-rankers at once..."
"But if one of the S-rankers is severely weakened, you might actually have a chance of dealing with them."
Adam quietly memorized that information.
O-3 stretched lazily.
"Anyway, I won’t pry into your thoughts anymore, my dear [Second Angel Candidate]."
"I’ve already said everything I wanted to say."
The endless white emptiness around them slowly began to crack as tiny fractures spread across the world like broken glass.
"Reality" had begun to seep back in right in front of Adam’s eyes.
Beyond those cracks, Adam could see faint traces of reality returning.
The Seventh Floor, the floating islands, and the endless dark sea below.
Everything was slowly coming back.
O-3 waved his hand.
"I’ll send you back now."
The world around Adam shattered into countless fragments.
Just before he disappeared, Adam turned around.
"Thank you for favoring me, O-3."
For a brief moment, the boy looked stunned.
Then he quickly turned his head away.
"Hmph!"
"Of course I favor you!"
"You’re my [Second Angel Candidate]!"
His voice grew softer.
"...Just don’t die."
The white world disappeared.
Then reality returned.
[Announcement!]
[The Storm Tyrant has been defeated!]
[All Stream Hunters on the 7th Floor may now freely travel to the 6th Floor!]
[Floor 7 Major Contributors: The Chosen Conduit, Arsenal of Combat, Keeper of Essence...]
[Floor 7 Cleared!]
[Distributing Rewards...]
[Hidden Condition: "Defeating the True Body" has been fulfilled!]
[Hidden Condition: "Alternative Objective" has been fulfilled!]
[Rewards have been upgraded.]
[+15,000,000 EXP]
[+700 Soul Cores]
[+1,000,000 Gold]
[Level 99 → Level 100]
[Calculating Soul Cores...]
[The amount of Soul Cores you possess is elevating your existence...]
[You Have Reached the Maximum Level for Your Current Rank.]
[Conditions for Rank Advancement Met.]
[The state of your existence has undergone an evolution...]
[Rank: Stone → Gold]
The moment the notification appeared, Adam felt something change.
This evolution was completely different from reaching Stone Rank.
Back then, the transformation had been physical.
Every cell in his body had been strengthened and rewritten. His muscles, bones, blood, and organs had all been reconstructed into something far beyond a normal human.
Gold Rank was different.
This evolution targeted something deeper than just a cellular evolution. In fact, it was something closer to the evolution of one’s state of existence itself.
Adam suddenly felt the world become clearer as though his "perception" of the world had begun to change.
The wind flowing between the islands and the movement of mana hidden within the atmosphere...
Even the distant heartbeat of injured Stream Hunters being healed could be heard by him.
Everything entered his awareness as though he had begun to truly "see" and "hear" the world around him.
His senses expanded far beyond what they had previously been capable of.
It was as though the world had been covered by a veil his entire life, and that veil had finally been removed.
The way his brain processed his thoughts became faster and his perception became sharper.
Even his connection to mana felt more natural.
The energy around him no longer felt like something external, but like an extension of himself.
Adam slowly opened his eyes.
Golden particles drifted around his body before gradually fading away.
The sensation was difficult to describe.
It felt as though he had taken a single step forward— Yet that single step had created a distance that ordinary people could never cross.
A Gold-Rank existence...
Adam quietly looked at the notifications in front of him.
In his previous life, reaching Gold Rank had been one of his greatest achievements.
It had taken years of struggle, countless battles, and the deaths of many companions before he had finally reached this level.
But now, he had achieved it before even reaching the Eighth Floor.
The feeling was strange....
Part of him felt relieved and aother part felt uneasy.
He had become stronger far faster than he should have...
That strength was built upon countless opportunities, future knowledge, the support of his viewers, and the trust of the people around him.
Most importantly, it was built upon the sacrifices of others.
Adam took a slow breath before calming himself.
There was no point becoming arrogant over power.
Power was only useful if it could accomplish something.
And right now, humanity was still walking toward destruction.
His thoughts were interrupted by another notification.
[Certain privileges have been unlocked.]
[Due to Overqualification of Soul Cores, Your Evolution Has Been Altered.]
[New Ability Has Been Changed...]
[The Conduit’s Understanding] (A)
[You are able to fully maximize the capabilities of your abilities for a few minutes. Every skill you use performs at the absolute peak of what your current existence allows.]
Adam stared at the description.
His expression immediately became serious.
Fully maximize the capabilities of his abilities?
What exactly did that mean?
Would it affect abilities such as [Authority of Invincibility]?
What about [Authority of Disconnection]?
And if it worked on those abilities...
Would it also affect [Permanent Copy] and [Temporary Copy]?
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying the ability seemed.
For a brief moment, his blood began to boil in excitement.
However, Adam quickly forced himself to calm down.
There was no point making assumptions before testing it.
Besides, this evolution was not entirely unexpected.
His existence had been elevated by the enormous amount of Soul Cores he possessed.
His achievements had spread throughout the Stream System and his reputation as [The Chosen Conduit] had continued to grow.
Naturally, the abilities tied to that existence would also evolve.
The world around him suddenly blurred.
A moment later, reality returned.
The sounds of conversation, healing magic, and distant movement entered his ears once more.
[You will be teleported to the next floor within 2 hours.]
[Time Remaining: 1 Hour 58 Minutes.]
Barely any time had passed.
Adam immediately got to work.
Instead of celebrating his advancement, he spent the next hour helping the injured Stream Hunters scattered throughout the islands.
Using [Crimson Dominion], he carefully manipulated blood flow, accelerated healing, and stabilized those suffering from internal injuries.
The healers quickly noticed his assistance.
With Adam supporting them, their efficiency increased dramatically.
Many Stream Hunters who should have required days of recovery were already standing again within the hour.
After finishing his rounds, Adam made his way toward Xel’Shaar and Guin.
Guin was currently asleep.
Her face was pale, but her breathing was stable.
Throughout the battle against Zephiron, she had repeatedly pushed her defensive abilities beyond their limits to protect one of the islands.
Her physical injuries had already been healed.
Unfortunately, mana overload was not something that could be solved through ordinary healing.
The strain placed upon her mana circuits would require time and rest to recover properly.
Adam quietly observed her for a few moments before turning toward Xel’Shaar.
The former Floor Boss stood nearby, silently guarding the area.
"She’ll recover," Xel’Shaar said.
Adam nodded.
"I know."
His expression became serious as there was no time to waste.
The Eighth Floor was approaching.
And according to O-3, it would be far more dangerous for him than it would be for anyone else.
Adam looked toward Xel’Shaar.
"Go and contact these individuals in preparation for our Eighth Floor climb."
A list of names immediately appeared before him.
This time, Adam intended to prepare properly.
Because unlike the Seventh Floor...
The Eighth Floor was not a challenge that could be overcome through strength alone.