Levi stared at the beating heart, feeling its overwhelming presence. Then he looked at the information for his [Primordial God Slaughtering] technique—the cultivation thod he'd obtained that was specifically designed for absorbing and utilizing god-tier hearts.
He could use this heart for that technique instead. Feed it to the God Slaughtering thod, absorb its essence to enhance his combat abilities without the risk of failed integration.
But Levi hadn't survived six months in the Hellfrozen Abyss by making safe choices.
The tournant was in two weeks. The secret realm expedition would happen shortly after. If he wanted to compete, he needed to break through to Fiend Warrior realm.
And if he was going to undergo an irreversible transformation that would define his entire future path, he might as well use the absolute best heart available.
Even if it there's a chance it might kill him.
He had regeneration abilities refined by constant near-death experiences in the Abyss.
The survival rate might be less than 10% for typical Peak Genetic Soldiers.
But Levi wasn't in anyway a typical person
-----
The first step was acquiring a proper gene matrix.
Gene matrices were specialized formation arrays designed to safely extract bloodline essence from beast hearts while suppressing the residual consciousness that could drive a practitioner insane during integration. The quality of the matrix directly determined the success rate of the transformation.
For a Common-grade heart, a basic matrix purchased from the academy would suffice. For a Mythic-grade heart…
Levi accessed the academy marketplace again, navigating to the "Formation Arrays & Matrices" section. He scrolled past the cheap options—Basic Gene Matrix (5,000 credits), Standard Gene Matrix (15,000 credits), Advanced Gene Matrix (45,000 credits)—looking for sothing more substantial.
There. Near the bottom of the available listings:
[Supre Gene Matrix - Custom Formation Array]
[Price: 250,000 credits]
[Description: Master-crafted gene matrix designed for high-grade beast heart integration. Includes quintuple-layer consciousness suppression, bloodline purity enhancent formations, ergency stabilization protocols, and adaptive resonance matching. Suitable for hearts up to Legendary grade. Custom attunent to practitioner's specific Astra signature included.]
Two hundred fifty thousand credits. Levi's current balance was only 75,000.
He frowned, then began going through his spatial ring inventory, calculating the value of items he could sell quickly. The Type I items would fetch decent prices. Various trinkets and minor relics. Dinsional beast materials he'd collected in the Abyss.
After ten minutes of evaluation, Levi had identified items worth approximately 200,000,000 credits if sold at market rates.
Combined with his existing 75,000, that would give him just enough to purchase the Supre Gene Matrix with a massive amount left over for other necessities.
He spent the next hour listing items for sale on the academy marketplace, pricing them competitively to ensure quick purchases. The Type 1 sword sold really fast, apparently soone had been desperately searching for exactly that type of weapon.
The other items sold more gradually, but by early evening, Levi had accumulated 287,000,000 credits in his account.
He imdiately purchased the Supre Gene Matrix.
[Purchase confird. Supre Gene Matrix will be custom-attuned to your Astra signature. Delivery in 24 hours. Installation and activation instructions included.]
Twenty-four hours. That gave him ti for other preparations.
Levi spent the rest of the evening gathering additional supplies: high-grade nutrition pills to sustain his body during the multi-day transformation process (5,000 credits), dical ergency formations in case sothing went catastrophically wrong (8,000 credits), consciousness-stabilizing incense to help resist the beast's residual will (12,000 credits), and specialized blood-drawing equipnt needed for the initial matrix setup (2,000 credits).
Levi returned to his apartnt late that evening.
He went to his room, set multiple alarms on his holo-watch for the next day's delivery, and went to bed early. He'd need to be well-rested.
-----
The Supre Gene Matrix arrived exactly twenty-four hours later, delivered in a large sealed case that required biotric authentication to open. Levi pressed his thumb to the scanner, and the case unsealed with a hiss of escaping pressure.
Inside was the matrix itself.
It looked like a complex mandala made of interconnected tal rings, crystals, and formation plates—each component precisely positioned to create the overall array structure. The entire assembly was roughly two ters in diater when fully expanded, with adjustable supports that would allow it to be positioned at any height.
A data chip included in the case contained detailed instructions for setup and activation. Levi plugged it into his holo-watch and spent an hour studying the procedure, morizing every step.
The matrix required a significant amount of his blood to attune properly—approximately one liter, which was enough to make most people dangerously lightheaded but manageable for a Peak Genetic Soldier with enhanced regeneration.
Levi set up the matrix in the center of his training chamber, following the instructions precisely. He positioned the tal rings in their designated configuration, aligned the crystals according to the specified angles, and activated the formation plates in the correct sequence.
Then he used the blood-drawing equipnt to extract one liter of his blood into a specialized container. His head swam slightly from the loss, but his regeneration kicked in imdiately, beginning to replace the missing volu.
He poured the blood into the matrix's central reservoir—a bowl-shaped depression in the middle of the mandala. The blood flowed along carved channels, spreading through the entire array structure and activating dormant formations.
The matrix humd to life, glowing with soft blue light as it processed Levi's genetic information and attuned itself to his Astra signature.
[Matrix attunent in progress…]
[Estimated ti: 3 hours]
Levi sat on the Gladine stone and ditated as he waited.
Three hours later, a chi from the matrix indicated completion:
[Attunent successful]
[Supre Gene Matrix ready for beast heart integration]
[Place heart in central chamber to begin extraction process]
This was it.
Levi retrieved the Mythic-grade heart from his spatial ring. It had remained in perfect stasis inside the ring's preservation field, unchanged since its transformation.
Then he placed the heart in the matrix's central chamber.
Imdiately, the matrix's glow intensified. Additional formations activated, creating layers of containnt around the heart.
A holographic interface appeared, showing preparation status:
[Heart detected: Primordial Godblood Void Dragon Heart - Mythic Grade]
[WARNING: Heart grade significantly exceeds recomnded safety paraters]
[Survival probability estimate: 7%]
[Proceed with integration? YES / NO]
Less than 10%. Even the matrix's advanced calculations gave him barely any chance of survival.
Levi's hand imdiately clocked yes.
[Integration process initiated]
[Phase 1: Bloodline Essence Extraction - Duration: 5 days estimated]
[Practitioner must remain within matrix boundary at all tis]
[Movent will destabilize formation and result in matrix collapse]
[Beginning extraction in 60 seconds…]
Levi settled into a ditation position on the Gladine stone. He lit the consciousness-stabilizing incense, filling the chamber with smoke that would help protect his mind. He activated the ergency dical formations, setting them to trigger automatically if his vital signs dropped below critical thresholds.
The countdown reached zero.
The matrix pulsed, and Levi felt it begin its work.
The Primordial Godblood Void Dragon heart began to beat in rhythm with the matrix's energy flow. Slowly at first, then faster. The formations surrounding it glowed brighter, beginning the process of breaking down the heart's cellular structure to extract its pure bloodline essence.
Levi closed his eyes and focused on maintaining absolute stillness.
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