BUILDING MY OWN EMPIRE - My Journey from Nothing to Overwhelming Power Chapter 150 148 — A New Evolution

My footsteps froze.

The giant dolphin's body…

Was floating motionlessly on the water's surface.

Its shining blue skin…

Had completely lost its luster.

Even the vibrations that always filled the area…

Had vanished.

I landed beside it imdiately.

I extended my hand toward it.

Cold.

No pulse.

No energy.

"Damn it!"

I shouted violently.

Waves burst outward in every direction.

"How did it die?!"

"How can a Greater Catastrophe Beast die like this?!"

I quickly began examining its body.

No wounds.

No traces of battle.

No poison.

Nothing.

Then…

I stopped.

I narrowed my eyes.

Its belly…

Was strangely shriveled.

Even the energy inside it…

Was almost completely empty.

"No."

I whispered slowly.

"Don't tell …"

My eyes widened.

"Was obtaining the belly fat… the final stage of the dolphin's life?"

I whispered.

I shut my eyes tightly.

"Damn it."

I muttered quietly this ti.

It wasn't just a beast.

It was…

An entire source of resources that had suddenly collapsed.

Silence filled the area for several monts.

Even the water itself…

Was unnaturally still.

Then…

Suddenly…

The dead dolphin's body trembled slightly.

I imdiately stepped back.

"Hah?"

In the next mont…

Its belly slowly split open.

Booosh…

Water burst outward.

Then…

A small glowing blue sphere erged from inside it.

It trembled weakly.

Releasing faint vibrations.

I slowly approached.

At that mont…

The system's voice rang out.

{ Greater Catastrophe Beast Core Discovered }

{ Vibrational Dolphin Core }

"So that's why."

I whispered.

"That material is considered so rare."

"But…"

I narrowed my eyes.

"This leaves facing a new problem."

"I still have a large remaining quantity."

"But… because of my agreent with the Ice Lord, it will inevitably decrease if I'm not careful."

I sighed slowly.

Then looked toward the tiny dolphin core.

It flickered weakly within the water.

"Damn it."

I whispered.

"I was treating you like nothing more than a golden cow."

I extended my hand.

Then carefully transferred the core into an isolated area inside the cave.

I slowed ti there to the absolute minimum possible.

Rushing things might damage the core.

Then I placed several healing flowers around it.

"Live."

I said quietly.

"Or at least… don't die yet."

I spent the next hour thinking.

Then…

I could no longer remain there.

Later, I used the ti to further refine my attacks and control.

I moved between training…

Rest…

And analyzing previous battles.

The Air Shield.

The tiny blades.

The silver spears.

The Fla Art.

Everything…

Was slowly improving.

After three days…

I jumped up from my bed during the night.

{ Unique Armor Received }

The system's voice echoed out.

My eyes widened in surprise.

Then…

A smile appeared.

"So the first armor is finally complete."

I whispered.

I imdiately opened the system.

{ Unique Armor — Firm as the Mountains }

My breath halted for a mont.

Then I pressed it instantly.

Suddenly…

The armor appeared before inside the cave.

Booooosh…

A massive body crashed onto the stone floor.

The impact alone…

Made the ground tremble.

My eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell is this?"

I whispered.

The armor was enormous.

Dark black in color, crossed with brown stone-like lines.

The shoulders were gigantic.

And the gauntlets were terrifyingly thick.

Even the boots…

Looked like mountain blocks.

I slowly approached it.

Extended my hand.

Then touched it.

In the next mont…

The entire armor trembled.

My energy instantly fused with it.

{ Master recognized }

{ Compatibility: Excellent }

Then…

A huge stream of information flooded my mind.

{ Main Armor Trait: Mountain Stability }

{ The more firmly the master stands in place, the greater the defensive durability becos }

{ Impacts can be stored within the armor and later released }

{ Accumulation Consumption: Low }

My smile slowly widened.

"Hah."

I laughed lightly.

"So this is what ca out of my ideas?"

Previously…

I had chosen the ancient defensive weapon—

( The Mountain That Never Rusts )

—as the core component of this armor.

It was a purely defensive weapon.

Literally possessing no offensive power at all.

In exchange, all its strength was focused entirely on defense.

It never suited .

But I never traded it away either.

A weapon like that could beco a problem if used by a master belonging to a major group.

The mont I learned about armors…

One of my first ideas was to place The Mountain That Never Rusts inside one of them.

I also added several healing flowers…

To give it regenerative properties.

But it seed the materials…

Had chosen sothing else.

Shock absorption.

Sothing more suitable for my battles.

Sothing…

That would finally allow to survive direct hits.

I looked toward the armor once more.

Then…

I rembered sothing.

"Wait."

I whispered.

"This… is only the first one."

I smiled.

"This world… really is vast."

I said.

The following day…

My entire focus shifted toward testing the armor.

I headed directly toward the Fla Unicorn.

It was the strongest Catastrophe Beast I possessed.

The mont I stepped into its domain…

The area was filled with scattered flas and drifting smoke.

The unicorn was lying atop a pile of fire.

The instant it sensed my presence…

It leapt up in alertness.

Previously…

Fighting it had been easy.

Remain in the sky.

Avoid its ranged attacks.

Then crush it with stronger attacks from above.

But…

The mont you touched the ground, its strongest attack activated.

"Fla Horn."

I whispered uneasily.

I closed my eyes.

"Equip."

I whispered.

Invisible threads instantly spread out.

I couldn't see them.

But I felt them.

They wrapped around my entire body.

It felt as though a new robe was being woven over .

Quickly…

The massive armor ford perfectly over my body.

And most importantly…

It was light.

As light as sleepwear.

I landed on the ground.

The heat was intense and burning.

But today…

Under the Unique Armor — Firm as the Mountains…

The environnt felt completely normal.

The unicorn gave no ti to think or analyze.

It charged forward, striking the earth with powerful steps.

Flas ignited over its horn.

Then suddenly, the horn turned black.

Its charge sounded like war drums.

I looked toward it.

Waited.

Nervously.

Then…

It was suddenly right in front of .

BOOOOOOOOM…!

I was blasted back dozens of ters violently.

I gasped…

Then crashed into the ground.

"Aaah…"

I whispered.

I stood up.

A wave of dizziness hit suddenly.

Then…

It disappeared.

I looked down.

I was fine.

No injuries.

Nothing.

Just…

The force of impact.

"So that's how it works."

I whispered.

"I need to withstand the impact myself… while the armor provides protection."

The beast charged again.

I stood firm.

Then…

Hours later…

I finally left.

It had been truly exhausting.

But…

I smiled.

"Extrely good."

I said.

I slowly removed the armor.

Its layers vanished from my body like smoke.

But…

Even after it disappeared…

I could still feel a strange heaviness in my limbs.

A comforting heaviness.

As though my body itself…

Was beginning to grow accustod to enduring.

I sat near the entrance to the domain.

Watching the unicorn from afar.

It was breathing heavily.

Clearly, the prolonged battle had exhausted it as well.

"Even a Greater Catastrophe Beast…"

I whispered.

"Couldn't pierce it easily."

At that mont…

The system screen appeared before .

{ Armor Compatibility Increased }

{ Unique Armor — Firm as the Mountains }

{ Current Compatibility Rate: 13% }

I narrowed my eyes.

"Compatibility?"

I whispered.

Then…

I quickly understood.

The armor wasn't rely a tool.

It was sothing that required harmony with its user.

The more I used it…

The stronger it would beco alongside .

My smile widened.

"So."

I stood once more.

And looked toward the unicorn.

"We're going to spend a long ti together, you bastard."

Several days passed…

The Ice Lord requested to et .

I declined.

Then…

Three new armors arrived.

I wasted no ti…

And imdiately began using them.

Then…

Two weeks passed.

I had not appeared in the arena during all that ti.

Not even for the loser matches.

But…

Today.

My steps were calm and calculated as I walked toward the palace hall.

"You must attend… today is the day the rewards for the first victory are distributed."

The Ice Lord had said in his ssage.

Rewards?

Of course I would go.

No one knew what I might receive.

I advanced through the palace.

The corridors felt different than usual.

Quieter.

And far more luxurious.

Tall white pillars.

And a red carpet stretching all the way to the main hall.

At last, I arrived before the hall.

A gigantic gate…

Slowly opened.

Then…

I entered.

My eyes widened slightly.

"What is this?"

I whispered inwardly.

The hall was enormous.

Circular in shape.

And around its edges…

Many masters were seated.

All of them Fourth Rank.

"Don't stare too long."

The Ice Lord's voice ca from beside my ear.

I turned toward him.

He stood there with his usual smile.

But this ti…

He seed more serious.

He approached .

"Today."

He whispered.

"You won't only receive rewards."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What do you an?"

He sighed lightly.

Then looked toward the distant platform.

"Today… you'll also learn who your opponent in the next round will be."

"Why the sudden change?"

"Perhaps to give the masters ti to prepare."

He answered.

"And the major factions…"

He added.

"Have already started competing."

"I don't understand."

I said.

"Today… new masters will be added to the tournant."

He paused briefly.

Then added with a faint smile.

"There are five new masters."

I didn't answer.

But my gaze shifted toward the platform.

At that mont…

A massive sound thundered through the hall.

BOOOOM…

The ground trembled slightly.

Then…

A gigantic man entered.

Wearing a heavy black cloak.

Around his neck…

Hung the fangs of enormous beasts.

And the mont he entered…

The entire hall fell silent.

Even the Ice Lord…

Lost his smile for a mont.

"Who is that?"

I whispered.

He answered quietly.

"One of the leaders of the Black Hunt Guild."

"A Fourth Rank master…"

He whispered.

Then…

His eyes narrowed.

And he added:

"One of the most dangerous people who could set his sights on you… he's on the verge of advancing to the Fifth Rank."