Assimilation System
[I am back, Dear Host.]
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling content with the results of my cultivation. No one in the world could match the speed of my progress.
What took others years of effort, I achieved in just a few days. If I were still at the Academy, I would have hidden this reality. However, my path had changed. With the Cog of Eternity stored in my cultivation base and abilities that surpassed my expectations, I needed to eliminate the anomalies and factors that triggered the disaster.
The Dragon Disciples were my top priority. They were responsible for the earlier demi-human attack, the revival of dragons expected in five years, and their plans had accelerated. There had to be an anomaly within their ranks. Even if there wasn't, I would still pursue them.
I didn't know their members, except for one I couldn't remember, but I would do whatever it took to hunt them down. They jeopardized peace and lives. But first, I needed to ensure my family's safety.
I stood up and activated a spell to detect the source of air inside the cavern. A faint breeze led me to a hidden passage.
"So, what have you accomplished?" I asked my cultivation base.
[Please call forth the Control Panel, Dear Host.]
I nodded and did as instructed. As I summoned the Control Panel, calling it out verbally, a bluish screen suddenly appeared before my eyes, hovering in my vision.
"What is this?" I murmured, taken aback by the unexpected display.
---
[Cog of #$%^&] + [Control Panel Artifact] => [Assimilation System]
Spells: None
Weapons: None
Gadgets: None
Artifacts: Cog of Eternity, Boots of Aurora, Mana Gather
---
[I have extracted the full potential of the Control Panel. It has adjusted to your conditions and integrated with me. From now on, you can call me not Cog of #$%^&, but the Assimilation System.]
"I don't understand," I said, my voice tinged with confusion. "What is this hovering image over me? It looks like the holographic image of a communication artifact but with the interface of a gauge artifact."
[I applied your unique ability of assimilation to any artifact, Dear Host. Then, I adjusted it to best assist you. With the Assimilation System, you can integrate and combine any artifact as long as it belongs to the same family line.]
"Family line? Are you referring to you and the Cog of Eternity as siblings? And the Boots of Aurora, could it be a distant relative? But, is this only limited to you, my cultivation base? "
[No need to worry, Dear Host. As long as an artifact is created by the Universe's Order, it belongs to the same family line. However, artifacts created from forced environments will be automatically rejected for integration. Furthermore, you cannot fully use an artifact's potential if they are not part of me. However, you could still combine and possess them in their physical form.]
I sighed, digesting this new information. Artifacts had categories, and there were different kinds as well. Could it be… my cultivation base type was among the top that it ended up having an ego with my "unique ability of assimilation to any artifact?" Though these ideas of my cultivation base were once mere legends, its words confirmed their reality. The existence of artificial artifacts was indeed true.
Combining artifacts opened up a world of possibilities. It meant I could create artifacts that had never existed before, each with abilities likely far surpassing their original forms.
"Are there limitations? And how does this really work?"
[My role as your cultivation was to provide advisory assistance, store artifacts, and protect you as long as conditions of life and death were met. However, now, with the Control Panel's integration, we are now one, I have enhanced these capabilities. You can now utilize your unknown ability as if it were a tangible matter. You can list spells you want to use without chanting, weapons, gadgets, and artifacts to store in your mana core. In essence, I have unlocked your potential and made it accessible to you.]
What the hell… This was something difficult to swallow. I couldn't fully comprehend what it just said. I was just a mere fighter mage.
However, despite feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the explanation, I managed to connect a few dots.
First, I had an assimilation ability of my unknown unique ability, something that hastened the process of integrating an artifact as my cultivation base and possible extracting its fullest potential. Second, I had the Control Panel, an artifact allowing me to control every other artifact manually without holding them. Lastly, I now had this Assimilation System, the result of the fusion between my cultivation base and the Control Panel.
[As for merging artifacts, you can only do so once per artifact, provided they belong to the same category. It's not possible to merge a 'new' artifact with an existing one or with another 'new' artifact.]
[By the way, please don't be confused by this. The Assimilation System comes from my own framework as an artifact. I used the same foundation to offer this kind of assistance.]
"Now, stop explaining things that don't really matter," I interjected, feeling a mix of impatience and excitement. "I know I can trust you. Even though I can't see you, I haven't felt any ill intent. And even if this situation makes me feel like I'm going crazy, I wouldn't be foolish about it since my cultivation has improved. Cultivation requires a calm mind, and I haven't felt any disruption to my progress."
[Thank you for trusting me, Dear Host. Now, I will assist you in using the system. Please summon it once more.]
---
[Assimilation System]
Spells: None
Weapons: None
Gadgets: None
Artifacts: Cog of Eternity, Boots of Aurora, Mana Gather
---
[Spells require time to activate. At your current cultivation stage, you can register up to 18 different spells.]
Some spells were impossible to cast without chanting. Even though there were techniques to shorten the casting time by compressing the phrases, it would still take time. However, with this feature, I could cast any Expert Spells as long as I registered them, right?
"Can I change the registered spells in case all the slots are taken?" I asked, my mind racing with the possibilities.
[Yes.]
As I heard the system's answer, I realized it was better to refer to this as a system. This wasn't just the artifacts' ability but mine as well.
The content hovering before me shifted, displaying a new set of options and details.
My heart pounded with excitement. This feature was a game-changer. I could bypass the lengthy incantations and cast powerful spells instantly. The potential was staggering.
---
[Spells]
[?] [?] [?] [?] [?]
[?] [?] [?] [?] [?]
[?] [?] [?] [?] [?]
…
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"I still don't have a specific spell in mind. Maybe... I should register Wide Range Explosion first."
[...]
I couldn't shake the feeling that the system was judging me. The silence stretched for a few seconds before it finally responded.
[You can register a spell by casting it. I will identify the spell and its process, then store it.]
"Alright..."
I was still inside the cavern, and it was impossible to use that spell here. I needed to get out before starting. However, I was confused about the presence of a room in this cavern.
"Hey, why is there a room here?"
[This place is the cultivation grounds of a certain family in a specific location. I apologize for the vague answer, as I had to rush to find a safe place to teleport you, Dear Host.]
Shit... So, all that rich mana was collected for a certain family's use? Damn... I must have trespassed! I couldn't let myself be discovered.