- Initiating Sandoc's spiritual body transfer, 1, 2, 3... Begin!
...Spiritual body transfer complete! Arrived at planet SK-635, beginning environmental scan... The atmosphere is dense with spiritual essence, ideal for spiritual cultivation... Commencing absorption of spiritual essence. Requesting Sandoc to begin practicing the spiritual techniques of the Freyraja race.

I focus and meditate on the techniques imprinted in my consciousness. It feels as if I’ve read them thousands of times before. The incantations begin to flow naturally through my mind. After a while, I reach my limit and can no longer absorb more spiritual essence. I stop, and as I open my eyes, Syx suddenly reports:

- You have been cultivating for 4 days and 22 hours. Beginning assessment:

• Sandoc
  • Spiritual Body: 1.5
  • Branches: 11 (not yet awakened)
  • Cultivation Technique: Freyraja
  • Mutations, Regression, Evolution, etc.: Underwent one purification by the spiritual essence of planet SK-635, evolved a heightened spiritual sensitivity attribute, enabling absorption at 3.43 times the normal rate.
  • Evaluation: Good!

- Excerpt from the Akashic Grand Library:
If a spiritual body surpasses 11 branches but has yet to undergo its first transformation, it can cultivate two more branches to achieve a perfect spiritual body, three more branches to reach an exceptional spiritual body, four more branches for a transcendent spiritual body, and five more branches to evolve into the supreme spiritual body.
Recommended goal: Supreme first transformation spiritual body for Sandoc.

I stare at the numbers in confusion, scratching my head. I close my eyes—barely two minutes seem to have passed, yet nearly five days have elapsed here. Truly strange.

- So I just need to cultivate five more branches to begin my first transformation, right? Should I continue cultivating now?
- No. Recommendation: Sandoc should return and rest. Your spiritual body is too weak to withstand prolonged separation from your physical form. If your spiritual body remains detached for too long, you will either die or become comatose. Do you wish to return?

Reluctantly, I respond:
- Yes.

- Initiating return, 1, 2, 3... Complete!

As soon as I return to my body, blood starts pouring from my eyes, nose, and ears. My forehead feels cold, and my head aches like it's being split open. Through the pain, I ask Syx:

- What... is happening to me?
- Sandoc was in a state of "astral projection" for 28 minutes. Your spiritual body can only endure a maximum of 30 minutes. Exceeding this limit would result in death—this is your current limitation.

I’m shocked.
- So I can last longer if I become stronger?
- Exactly! But for now, I strongly advise you to rest. Your spiritual body is overloaded and needs a full week to recover before attempting "astral projection" again. Please take care.

I sigh, wash the blood off, and crawl into bed. Completely exhausted, I fall into a deep sleep, comforted by soothing music. After nearly five days without rest, I finally experience a truly peaceful sleep.

The Next Day – First Day of School

As I walk alongside Rachel, my head still throbs. She notices my exhaustion and asks with concern:
- Are you okay? Didn't sleep well last night?

Looking into her clear eyes, I feel a little embarrassed and reply:
- I-I'm fine, just a little carsick. Don't worry!

Rachel gives me a skeptical look and says:
- Hm, if you say so… Alright, let’s hurry up—we're almost late!

Grabbing my hand, Rachel starts jogging, pulling me along. She smiles as she looks back and teases:
- You’re too slow, Sandy!

Before I know it, we arrive—or rather, I get dragged to the entrance. How is she this strong? I wonder. Looking up, I see the name of my new school: Terafinn.

The welcome ceremony is dull, aside from the introduction of Terafinn himself—a legendary hero of humanity who reached the Seventh Transformation. He alone defended Earth when it collided with a strange, ominous planet filled with spiritual corruption and eerie energy. When the planet crashed into Earth's protective barrier, Terafinn released his entire spiritual body to reinforce the shield. The corrupted planet was destroyed just outside the atmosphere, but Terafinn himself fell. His spiritual body had completely transformed into a ghostly, cursed state. He could have continued existing as a warped entity, but he chose to die as a human.

That’s what he recounted before his passing. He was the only Seventh Transformation warrior ever nurtured by the Galactic Alliance—Terafinn, the Symbol of Human Might.

After the principal finishes his speech, they start showing battle footage of various heroes and the way spiritual cultivators fight. It’s interesting, but what captivates me the most is Terafinn’s battle scenes. So, there are ways beyond wormholes to enter this world… Watching these clips, I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking the same thing—Terafinn has become the ideal role model for all spiritual cultivators. Even the principal seems to be his most devoted fan.

Still curious, I ask Syx:
- Syx, can a Seventh Transformation warrior really not destroy a planet?
- They can. A Seventh Transformation cultivator trained in Esoteric Spiritual Cultivation could crush any dead planet.

I frown.
- A dead planet?
- A dead planet is one that once had spiritual energy but suffered a catastrophic event that halted spiritual evolution or caused regression. For example:

• Mutation: If an incompatible foreign spiritual energy mixes with the planet’s native energy, it gets rejected by the world's "rules." If only a few beings mutate, it's not an issue, but if the majority do, it leads to regression. When over 60% of the native species regress, the planet's core will self-destruct.
• Spiritual Contamination: If the strongest spiritual being on a planet spreads corrupted energy, it can pollute the world over time. When over 60% of the population becomes corrupted, the planet’s core will self-destruct.
• Loss of Planetary Core: If a planet's core is stolen, its "rules" can no longer suppress invaders. This allows other civilizations to invade and enslave its inhabitants. If a warlike planet discovers such a world, they see it as "a grand feast of blood and suffering."

Shocked, I ask:
- But didn’t you say not all species can absorb human spiritual bodies?
- Correct. They can’t absorb it fully. But if someone had a spiritual body of 0.2 and trained to Third Transformation with a rating of 32.4, their base transformation multiplier would be 30x. The remaining energy—(0.2 × 30)—would return to the Akashic Records as "unclaimed data" and could be absorbed.

I ponder.
- So, things like special traits, mutations, evolutions, or transcendence wouldn’t be absorbed, right?
- Correct.

My expression darkens.
- Syx, how much could I absorb?
- 100%.

Although I expected this answer, I close my eyes and ask:
- If I absorb 100%, does that mean I erase their existence from the Akashic Records permanently?
- Yes. Even if they had an indestructible Ninth Transformation spiritual body.

Curious, I press further:
- How can you do that?
- Spiritual bodies are linked to the Akashic Records. I can decode any spiritual body, no matter how strong it is. As long as it exists under Akashic, I can break it down.

Understanding Syx’s power now, I suddenly widen my eyes.
- Are there others like you?
- Currently, no. Humans focus on science and technology, while spiritual cultivation worlds lag in those fields. Earth, despite being underdeveloped spiritually, will naturally produce the strongest possible spiritual guardian for self-defense. That’s how Terafinn was born—and he won’t be the last. Seventh Transformation is the highest spiritual evolution Earth can currently achieve. Any more questions?

- How can we increase Earth’s limit?
- Either 60% of the population reaches Spiritual Level 2, or a single being surpasses Earth's natural limits and leads the planet to evolve. This would thicken the spiritual essence, and Earth would generate a rare new resource—Primordial Essence—which would further raise the limit.

Lost in thought, I feel Rachel nudge me.
- Let’s go, the ceremony’s over! Time to get our class assignments!

Breaking from my thoughts, I follow Rachel into the academy. Now that I’ve stepped beyond the scrapyard, I realize just how complex this world truly is. It’s overwhelming—but at the same time, exhilarating.

With Syx by my side, I can’t wait to see what the future holds.