Island God: Going From Level 1 To World Ruler-Chapter 112: Absorption
Midas had already figured out how he would attempt to use the Nine-Breath Circulation breathing technique to help him absorb the beast cores better.
Whenever he would use the technique, the mana in his core would be circulated through his meridians.
Meridians were tangible, vein-like pipes that were spread across one’s entire body. Midas noticed them whenever he would use the Nine-Breath Circulation breathing.
The meridians weren’t as numerous and complex as the vascular system. Instead, they were simple and neat. Only a few dozen meridian lines spread out from one’s core.
Whenever he used his breathing technique and circulated mana through his meridians, it would spread out the mana in his core significantly.
’The main issue with trying to absorb high-tier beast cores is that they contain a large amount of fortified mana. Normal mana is easily digestible, but any mana fortified by a living being is potentially harmful. However, if I can use the breathing technique to spread out this mana, I can use it to lessen the damaging effects of the cores and separately absorb them. It will be slower than letting my core do everything, but this way, the mana will be spread throughout my body, so the core will have much less stress on it.’ Midas thought to himself, fairly confident in this strategy.
Before that, however, he wanted to absorb the eloqi fruits. These would be the easiest, so he decided to start with them first.
Midas began chomping away, absorbing all the mana from within the fruits. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
There was no difficulty here, as the mana was completely natural and unfortified. It instantly melded into his core.
However, he quickly realized that it would simply take him far too long.
He could eat the fruits fast, but his stomach would fill up, and he would have to wait hours before attempting to continue again.
After a while of this, he decided to try to use his breathing technique to absorb the mana from the fruits without directly consuming them.
He closed his eyes, performing perfect first breaths.
As he did this, he could see an outline of his body in the third perspective.
After a minute or so, the eloqi fruit appeared in Midas’s vision as well. They were also outlined, and a tiny amount of multicolored mana was stored inside.
Midas continued breathing, and before he knew it, he noticed the mana slowly being pulled toward him.
It was like the mana was attached to a magnet. With each breath, it drew closer and closer.
Finally, the mana escaped the barrier of the plant it resided in and floated into the air.
As soon as the mana was in the air, it was easily sucked into Midas’s meridians with a single breath.
Midas continued, sapping all the mana from the eloqi fruits at once.
The amount of mana was great. It was too much to absorb all at once, even.
However, Midas used his breathing technique to circulate the extra mana through his meridians until it was ready to be absorbed as well.
*Ding*
[You have suddenly gained a high amount of mana.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
’Nice!’ Midas shouted in his head with a smile as his eyes flew open.
He saw the pile of fruits still in front of him. Now, however, they were no longer glowing. They looked no different from any ordinary fruit.
Midas moved on to the E-tier beast cores.
He did the same as with the fruits, using his perfect first breaths to absorb the mana.
At the start, he was faced with an immediate problem.
Even though he could circulate the mana through his meridians, if he took too much, there was a limit to how much his meridians could store as well.
However, this issue was quickly fixed.
Instead of absorbing the mana from all the cores at once, Midas absorbed the mana from a small bunch at a time. Naturally, this took him a while.
It took him a week to fully absorb the E-tier cores since he had to split them up into so many different groups.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
Next, he moved on to the D-tier beast cores. However, this came with its own array of problems.
Midas attempted to absorb ten beast cores at a time for his first go. Using his perfect first breath, it was surprisingly difficult to pull the mana out.
It was like his magnet was losing power, barely tugging at the mana now.
When it finally came out, the mana was concentrated and fortified. Much more so than before.
It entered his meridians like piles of bricks! The mana was heavy and dense, difficult to spread through his meridians as well.
Midas experimented for a bit and realized that he could only cultivate three cores at a time.
’This won’t do!’ He shouted inwardly, ’I won’t even get through the cores at this pace. I need to change how I am cultivating.’ He said.
He hadn’t found any reason to switch anything up until now, since it was all going according to plan, but it was time for a change now.
’Instead of my first breath, I will try to use my third breath. Since I don’t know how to use my second breath, I have no other choice.’ Midas thought, exhaling deeply.
He focused on revealing his inner self and bare consciousness before inhaling deeply.
It worked. His breath felt like it was aerating his brain and cells, and not just his lungs.
Using this new style of breathing, Midas was able to pull on the mana within the D-tier beast cores very easily! His magnetic pull was like that of the eloqi fruit now.
He found it much easier to absorb the cores and circulate them through his meridians.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
...
During the time that had passed on Star Island, Gool was yet to be found.
"Have you seen him yet?" Yemo said to bystanders passing by as he walked around the city, heading toward a specific location.
"Nope." A goblin replied.
"Nah." An orc said.
"Gool? I haven’t seen him in a while, now that you mention it." A mosquito buzzed.
"Who?" A troll said while scratching his butt.
Yemo was at a loss. Finally, he arrived at the main estate of Midas.
It was built larger than the rest of the homes, but still humble in appearance.
’I won’t shy out in having a large home when the time comes, but for now, I’d like to focus on other things.’ These were Midas’s words to his subordinates whenever they insisted on him living in a bigger estate.
Within the estate, Yemo spoke with Bzzrt, who was handling all of the complicated business that came with running a civilization.
"My soldiers have not found Elder Gool anywhere," Bzzrt said to Yemo after a short conversation. "I think this issue has progressed to the level that Lord Midas needs to know about it. However, he has forbidden us to enter his secluded cove unless it is to provide food."
"Hmm..." Yemo replied, his gaze riddled with concern. "Where did you go, Gool?" He muttered under his breath.
