After hearing Ethan's guess, Blackie's eyes gleamed. Without hesitation, he absorbed and refined the few tiny energy crystals in his hand, the process so fast it was almost casual. The moment the crystals vanished, his expression froze, then his eyes widened in pure realization as his gaze snapped straight to the basketball-sized crystal in Ethan's grasp.
Ethan caught that look instantly. With nothing more than a thought, the large energy crystal vanished into his storage.
"Boss…" Blackie whined, staring mournfully at the empty air where the treasure had been.
"What?" Ethan waved his hand toward the endless swarm around them. "Look at all this. We split up and collect. Don't push forward. Fan out, clear these things, and meet back here."
Before Blackie could even begin to protest, Ethan chose a direction and shot off like an arrow, the circle of falling stars still hovering above his head as he vanished into the distance.
