"You don't need to finish the whole breakthrough—just convert a drop or two. That's enough to boost your combat power like crazy."

He nodded toward a thick tree trunk nearby. "I'll keep watch. You compress."

Axel didn't argue further. He trusted Millers.

They moved to the base of a towering tree, its roots knotted like old bones gripping the earth. Axel sat cross-legged, exhaled deeply, and entered the trance of inner vision.

> Body: 3112 / 3129 > Force: 3013 / 3017 > Spirit: 3018 / 3022

It lined up with his estimates. His uncompressed Force capacity already rivaled a peak fourth-level Awakener. He could practically feel the threshold cracking beneath him.

> Force Compression Technique: Activate.

He initiated the Whisper Syndicate's method he'd purchased at no small price. Instantly, a heavy pressure began building inside the Original Pool.

Force from the Abyss continued flooding into his body—but this time, it didn't go into the pool. It surrounded it, pressing down, condensing.

Inside, the energy began to tighten, fold, and twist into itself—beginning the painful, transformative process of becoming liquid Force.

Off to the side, Millers watched, his eyes sharp.

"This kid's fucking lucky," he muttered to himself, half in awe, half in envy.

He remembered his own first attempt to compress Force. It had cost him nearly eight million credits' worth of raw stones, pills, and gear—just to produce the first drop. That drop was the spark, the ignition point, that allowed the rest of the compression to follow.

Axel didn't need any of that. He had the raw Force of a living, wild land pouring into his body.

.......

A few kilometers away from the Infinite Cold Cave, two figures stirred at the same time.

"…Someone's breaking through," Zoey murmured. She'd changed into fresh clothes, but her face still carried the weariness of surviving in the Abyss for two grueling days.

Camden squinted toward the direction of the energy spike. "Who could it be? That's a hell of a commotion. Don't tell me it's someone from the Remington family?"

"Unlikely," Zoey said, shaking her head. "Jorvan's already at the peak of Level Four. He wouldn't dare try for Level Five here—not in the Abyss."

Camden nodded slowly. "Still… we should go check. If it's someone strong, we might be better off sticking together."

"Agreed."

And so they moved.

.......

In the opposite direction, Varek stood over the cooling corpse of a mutant beast, blood still dripping from the blade in his hand. His attention shifted immediately as he sensed the surge of Force in the air. He turned sharply toward the Infinite Cold Cave.

"…A breakthrough?"

He narrowed his eyes, lips curling slightly. "Did someone find something good?"

Without another word, he sprinted off, his excitement barely masked by the gleam in his eyes.

........

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Meanwhile, near the Infinite Cold Cave, Millers sat under the same tree, eyebrows furrowing in discomfort.

"…The Force feels off," he muttered. The air was thick with energy—but it was aggressive, erratic.

"I can't keep absorbing this. Shit, it's too volatile."

Millers stood, backing away slightly. One look at Axel, however, and he paused.

"Why the hell is he still so calm?"

Axel sat cross-legged on the thick branch above, still in a deep state of inner focus, breathing slow and even. He didn't seem affected at all.

But Axel was far from unaware.

Something's changed… he thought, the wild turbulence in the Force snapping him out of his focus for a moment. It's gotten more violent.

He gritted his teeth. This wasn't good. Force compression required total concentration, and if he broke off now, he'd lose the perfect window he'd been building toward.

But continuing under these conditions…

Just as he wavered, the small sapling beside the Tree of Life inside his inner vision suddenly stirred.

Its two white, baby-like roots moved delicately as it walked across the soil. Once it reached Axel's Original Pool, it released a faint, blue glow.

In an instant, the chaos inside Axel's spiritual realm was soothed, like tension draining from a clenched muscle after a deep massage.

Axel blinked, awestruck. This little guy is actually useful…

......

A minute later, voices broke the stillness.

"…It's him?!"

"Axel?!"

Zoey and Camden arrived on the scene first, shouting in disbelief.

From across the clearing, Millers opened his eyes—and his stomach sank. Varek was already there, eyes dark with murderous intent.

But Millers also spotted Camden and Zoey arriving from the other side. A rare sense of relief washed over him—not because they were allies, but because Varek was far less likely to act with multiple witnesses around.

Varek, meanwhile, cursed under his breath.

Why the hell is it Axel? His eyes burned. If he could, he'd cut the bastard down right now. But… with others present, he had to hold back.

Little did he know, Zoey and Camden were also far from happy.

"That bastard," Zoey hissed. "So he was compressing Force…"

Camden gave her a side glance. "He's a pain in the ass. Talented shit."

"Let's leave him be—for now," Zoey said through gritted teeth.

Camden nodded, though his eyes remained cold.

Millers and Varek heard it all. The glimmer in Varek's eye sharpened. He took a step forward and smiled in that wolfish way.

"Wait a second," he said, voice oily. "You two… have beef with Axel?"

Camden and Zoey didn't answer right away.

Varek's grin widened, and he pointed at Axel. "Funny coincidence. So do I."

Zoey raised an eyebrow. A quiet understanding passed between the three of them.

Then, slowly, all of them turned their attention—Millers.

"You can't be serious with this shit?! Fine! I'll take you all on!"

Millers' voice cracked with fury. In the blink of an eye, the mechanical gears on his suit whirred to life, and an armored exoskeleton clamped down over his entire body with a metallic hiss.

"Careful!" Zoey hissed, immediately backing off. Camden and Varek exchanged sharp glances. They weren't stupid—mechanical Awakeners like Millers might not have the strongest bodies, but their destructive capabilities were off the charts.

Before they could even reposition, flames erupted from Millers' boots.

Fwoosh!

He rocketed into the sky like a damn missile.

"Catch ya later, assholes!"

Zoey's expression darkened. Camden cursed. "Fuck! I thought this guy had balls!"

But then their attention snapped back to the ground—right where Axel had been sitting, a strange steel sphere had materialized, sealing him inside like a protective cocoon.

Something was wrong.

"Get back!" Varek shouted, eyes flashing with alarm.

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the forest floor. A brilliant burst of fire erupted outward, uprooting ancient trees and sending dirt and debris flying into the air like shrapnel from a battlefield.

The steel sphere covering Axel didn't move an inch.

Millers hovered above the wreckage, suspended in the sky by twin thrusters. His usual smirk was gone. What remained was cold focus and determination.

"Three-on-one… Dammit, Axel, hurry up. I can't hold them off forever."

He knew exactly how dangerous this was. If Axel was interrupted now—mid-breakthrough—the Force energy surging through his body could go haywire. It might not just delay his advancement… it could kill him.

That's why Millers didn't drag him out.

Instead, he made his stand.

"Son of a bitch…"

As the smoke cleared, Millers squinted down. Camden and Zoey had taken a hit but were still standing. Varek, tougher than he looked, coughed up blood but stayed on his feet.

Millers gritted his teeth. Luckily, he'd been preparing for this. Since Axel began his breakthrough, Millers had been laying traps—mechanical landmines, turrets, sensors—everything he had.

Now, it was time to let them loose.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

A symphony of explosions erupted across the jungle as a mechanical storm descended. Turrets hidden in trees opened fire, drones swarmed the canopy, and landmines exploded beneath the intruders' feet.

"Jesus Christ—!" Camden ducked behind a thick tree as flaming shrapnel sliced past him.

"This guy's an absolute lunatic!" He barely managed to dodge a missile.

"Pfft. He's not that great," Zoey growled through gritted teeth as she ducked behind cover. "Give me prep time and I could do the same damn thing!"

Varek, silent and deadly, weaved through the chaos like a ghost.

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