To advance, Adam needed something new.
It had to be something smaller, something purer. Something that represented not what he possessed, but what he could become.
His consciousness enveloped the Core.
And then, he began the final compression.
The entire ethereal sphere suddenly contracted. A tyrannical pressure erupted within his body as the Core collapsed inward. The immense existence that had accompanied him for almost a century began shrinking at a rate far beyond anything he had attempted before.
Adam's breathing remained steady. He didn't know how much time had passed outside, as all of his attention was focused on the transformation taking place within him.
The Core continued to collapse. It became smaller, denser, more concentrated. The mana within it screamed as it was compressed beyond its previous limits.
Then, just when it seemed that the Core could no longer withstand the pressure… a tiny crack appeared across its surface.
