"One hit. Instant kill."

-----

-----

"So this is a goblin warship, huh? Damn, it's huge."Holding down the hood of his dustcoat, Riku stared at the steel behemoth lying quietly in the ruins and let out a sigh.

On this planet, goblin tech was top-tier. Airships, laser weapons—all just basic stuff to them. Even nukes weren't a big deal in their eyes.

Sure, goblins weren't great in one-on-one combat, but give them some gear and they could obliterate humans without breaking a sweat.

Ding! Goblin warship wreckage detected. Can be recycled. Value: 5000 exchange points. Recycle now?

The system's notification popped up as Riku approached the warship, making him grin. As expected, it was recyclable—and worth a lot. This trip was totally worth it.

"Not yet," Riku muttered. "Not until I'm done here."

Please let all the goblins be dead, he thought while standing up on a high ledge, pulling out some rope and other gear.

After tying up his horse, Riku activated Celestial Step and began stepping through the air, sneaking his way into the wrecked warship from above.

If someone from Earth had seen this, they'd probably shout something like, "A powerhouse cultivator! So badass!"

Feeling the odd sensation of walking on air, Riku couldn't help but think how weird it all was.

He moved carefully through the wreckage, not daring to relax. Even though the ship had been destroyed a while ago and the goblins inside were probably long dead, "probably" didn't mean "definitely."

Besides, with demon-types running rampant all over the world, it wouldn't be strange to find one or two had stumbled into the warship.

It wasn't until Riku grabbed a goblin-made telescope and yanked out its elven power core—then tossed it into his inventory—that he finally breathed easy.

That was his "official" mission for this trip. Now that it was done, he could move on to other things.

"System, recycle the goblin warship wreckage," Riku said steadily. With the treasure chest hidden somewhere inside, recycling the whole ship first was the fastest way to find it.

Plus, there were other things he wanted to do afterward.

Ding! Recycling warship... Value: 5000 exchange points. Recycling complete.

"System, use 5000 exchange points. I want a deluxe treasure chest," Riku said calmly.

Ding! 5000 points consumed. Deluxe treasure chest obtained.

Right in front of him, a glowing green chest materialized out of thin air.

Feeling excited, Riku put his hand on the chest.

With a click, the chest opened—and a glowing white orb floated out.

Ding! Congratulations! You've obtained a Mid-Tier Chaos Energy Core.

Mid-Tier Chaos Energy Core: Once absorbed, it plants an energy seed inside the host's body, allowing them to naturally absorb energy from the environment and grow stronger. It can also store energy. Plus, once the host understands any one type of energy, Chaos Energy can be converted into that type at will.

Ding!Chaos Energy Core detected. Value: 10,000 exchange points. Recycle now?

"Don't recycle. I'll absorb it," Riku said with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, this core was worth way more than just a treasure chest. Sure, selling it would net him enough points for two more chests, but who knew if he'd get this lucky again?

Besides, something that could boost his strength and be useful across different worlds was exactly what he needed right now.

"Understood," the system replied, immediately executing the command with its usual emotionless tone.

In a flash, the white light merged into Riku's body. A massive wave of power surged through him—even his spiritual energy, which was usually negligible for humans, suddenly became much stronger.

"Hahh… damn, this is the good stuff," Riku murmured with a satisfied hum, floating midair and feeling the energy course through him.

"So this is what spirits feel like…"He reached out a finger, gathering the surrounding spirits into a glowing green light and smiled in awe.

"But still, even though I'm stronger now, I don't have any real skills. It's like having power but no way to use it," he said, shaking his head. No cockiness—just honest assessment.

"Looks like I'll have to find a way to learn magic from the Forest Elves," he said with a grin, already locking in his next goal.

Meanwhile, the Forest Elves were still living their peaceful lives, having no idea that the human they'd once treated like a monkey was now planning to come knocking on their door.

"But first, let's test out how strong this energy really is."Riku stood midair, looking down at a mountain troll roaring in frustration at the empty spot where the warship used to be.

Yup—turns out there had been a demon-type hiding inside the wreck.

Feeling curious, Riku walked down from the sky, stepping in front of the towering troll—three times his size, with a face only a mother could love.

The troll couldn't handle that level of provocation. With a roar, it charged straight at Riku, ready to tear him to pieces and eat him alive.

"Pfft——!"

But before the monster could attack, Riku's figure blurred into an afterimage and reappeared right in front of the mountain spirit. His fist, infused with powerful spirit energy, smashed straight into its gut, sending it flying like a ragdoll. The creature burst apart midair, flesh and blood splattering everywhere.

One hit. Instant kill.

"....."