The Intergalactic University seemed almost serene compared to the chaos outside, but the squad felt the weight of what they had just survived. Every bone ached, every nerve buzzed, and their minds still hummed with temporal echoes from their battle with Zerathion, Nyxara, and Kryvos.
Astro stretched, letting shadows ripple across his form. "Man… that fight… nearly shredded my brain. But something about it… I feel different."
Lyara floated beside him, aura calm but sharp. "You've just scratched the surface. Those stones you touched back in South Africa? They planted something inside you. Something that's gonna grow and it's going to make you stronger than anything this universe has seen."
Tenji cracked his knuckles, golden sparks flaring. "So those rocks weren't just trinkets? That explains why our powers fused the way they did. Crazy…"
Hunter adjusted his Omni-Grid, scanning lingering energy signatures. "The readings… they're off the charts. Whatever's inside us isn't just cultivator levels. There's another system… something way beyond what we thought possible."
Phantom's shadows twisted around him. "Looks like humans aren't as basic as everyone thinks. We've got something hidden, something the universe didn't expect."
Sōma Hoshigaki and the Secret Power System
The room shimmered as Sōma Hoshigaki the Living Anomaly appeared, casually leaning against a floating pillar, his grin calm yet menacing.
"Humans. Everyone underestimates you. The stones you touched activated Elysian Threads. This is the hidden system beyond the 12-level hierarchy that most beings can't even perceive. Only those with potential, resilience, and sheer will can access it."
Astro tilted his head. "So… this isn't just more levels. It's a whole new game?"
Sōma's grin widened. "Exactly. Thread resonance links directly to your essence. Strength, perception, aura, even thought itself becomes a battlefield. You'll grow nodes in your body, mind, and soul. Fuse them, and you'll unlock abilities beyond what normal cultivators or magicians can dream of."
How Elysian Threads Work
Sōma created holographic patterns, intricate and impossible, in midair:
Thread Resonance – Every human has a unique frequency. Align with it, and latent potential awakens.
Thread Nodes – Hidden points in your body, mind, and soul that amplify abilities exponentially.
Thread Fusion – Nodes can combine to create hybrid powers that break traditional systems.
Thread Evolution – Extreme trials and survival trigger metaphysical transformations. Physically human… but something entirely beyond it.
Trial Integration – Pain, mental strain, and ingenuity push the Threads forward. Without hardship, the Threads stagnate.
Lyara's aura pulsed. "This isn't casual. The Threads respond to danger, strategy, creativity. You can't cheat it. You have to survive everything it throws at you and grow smarter while doing it."
Astro's shadow-light aura flickered. "So the first trials? Just a teaser. Real work starts now."
Implications for the Squad
Astro: Threads could allow him to manipulate multiple temporal paths and shadow-light constructs simultaneously, predicting enemy reactions instinctively.
Tenji: Golden aura could resonate with the environment itself, turning battlefield energy into devastating attacks.
Hunter: Omni-Grid could fuse with Threads, letting him anticipate probability shifts and emotional intent across reality.
Phantom: Infinite Mirage clones could become semi-autonomous, learning and adapting mid-fight, while also projecting psychic influence.
Sōma's voice carried a weight that reverberated in every corner of the room:"Humans may look fragile. But with Elysian Threads, you rewrite the rules. It will take time, but eventually, your essence will evolve… something even I respect. That evolution won't come easy. Patience, pain, and persistence fail, and the Threads punish you harshly."
Foreshadowing Full Evolution
Lyara hovered close to Astro. "Those stones weren't just random. You touched them first. That's why your powers fused differently. One day, humans will look human… but what's inside will be something else entirely. Like Sōma. You'll get there, but it won't be fast. Expect suffering. Expect growth."
Astro nodded, shadows wrapping around him in a subtle smirk. "I can handle it. Let the universe throw what it wants at me."
Tenji, Hunter, and Phantom exchanged looks. All of them understood: full evolution is distant, painful, and mandatory.