Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

Chapter 59 Awakening

The room seemed to grow quieter, the air heavier, as Parker prepared to start absorbing energy for whatever came next. The faint hum of energy around him felt almost alive, pressing against his senses, waiting to be claimed. He could feel it building—the tension, the potential, the shift in his journey.

Before diving in, though, he needed clarity. Parker leaned back against the bedpost, his mind spinning. "Alright, System. How does this power thing even work? There's gotta be levels, right? Lay it on me."

[Ding! Processing information...]

A sharp pulse in his head made him wince, and then knowledge flooded his mind in vivid clarity.

Ether was the raw essence of life, the backbone energy of every magical power and force in existence. It was both infinite and personal, resonating with each individual's soul. The concept governing it? The Soul Resonance System.

This system didn't just measure raw strength. It defined a person's ability to harmonize their soul with universal forces like Ether, encompassing emotional stability, mental discipline, and sheer willpower.

The stronger the resonance, the more aligned they became with the Ether—and the more powerful they could be.

Soul Resonance System Power Levels were!

Awakened (Tier 1)

The Spark of Power

Description: The entry-level, where individuals connect to their Ether and unlock basic abilities and awakening of the first superpower.

Abilities examples: Minor physical boosts, energy sensing, basic elemental control. Abilities depends on the superpower one awakens.

Example: Parker sensing Ere's shadow energy or detecting divine presences.

Harmonic (Tier 2)

The First Step to Mastery

Description: A deeper alignment with Ether, granting the user greater control over their energy.

Abilities examples: Enhanced combat skills, basic weapon treasure control and mastery, stronger superpower manipulation.

Ethereal (Tier 3)

The most important one.

Description: At this level, users begin to resonate with higher dimensions of energy in existence and must choose a path tied to their superpowers or destiny.

This is the most crucial stage of power ranking and it determines how powerful one would become in future and the nature of the individual.

It's like a stage of being reborn and the most difficult to g

Abilities examples: Dimensional sight, shadow travel, advanced energy projection, and defensive techniques like energy shields.

(Abilities depends on the superpower one awakens not all beings had same abilities)

Ascended (Tier 4)

The Elevation Beyond Mortals

Description: The soul becomes a beacon, harmonizing with the greater forces of existence.

Abilities examples: Spatial distortion, large-scale attacks, creating independent constructs (e.g., shadow clones, energy weapons).

Primal (Tier 5)

The Unleashed State

Description: Resonance with raw, chaotic universal forces amplifies power to destructive levels.

Abilities examples: Summoning storms, unleashing catastrophic energy, or decimating entire armies effortlessly.

Immortal (Tier 6)

The Semi-Divine Realm

Description: The soul reaches a divine-like state, breaching mortal limits.

Abilities examples: Self-healing(for those who don't have this power in their arsena), bursts of infinite stamina, temporary invisibility to gods, and minor time manipulation.

Transcendent (Tier 7)

The Legend Made Real

Description: The user's existence intertwines with universal laws, granting control over space and reality itself.

Abilities examples: Rewrite minor elements of reality, exist in multiple locations, manipulate divine energy at will.

Eternal (Tier 8)

The Revered Cosmic Force

Description: Level for most gods and other ungodly souls of this level who rival gods, embodying creation, destruction, and life itself.

Abilities examples: Travel across realms, manipulate life and death, and immunity to mortal and divine attacks (to a certain level for the latter.)

Omnipotent (Tier 9)

The Absolute Pinnacle?

Description: The soul merges entirely with Ether, becoming a universal entity.

Abilities examples: Absolute mastery over time, space, and reality, with the power to create or annihilate worlds.

????

****

Next on the learning curve was the;

Power Progression

Energy Absorption: Consuming ambient Ether, divine fragments, or artifacts boosts resonance.

Soul Tempering: Trials, emotional growth, and mental fortitude are crucial for ascending tiers.

Fusion: Bonding with entities like Ere or using relics can provide temporary boosts or unlock unique abilities.

Threshold Tests: Each tier demands Parker to survive intense challenges that test his body, mind, and soul.

****

As the knowledge settled, Parker inhaled sharply. He could feel it now—the pulsing Ether around him, the sheer potential waiting to be tapped into.

"Ether, huh?" He smirked, looking at his hand as if it held the key to everything. "Time to see what I've got."

With that, he sat cross-legged on the bed, his breath steadying, the world falling silent again. The Ether around him began to stir, vibrating like a symphony waiting for its conductor. Parker was ready to take the first step, to draw the energy into himself.

What he didn't take into consideration was that, Parker didn't pull just the Ether but all magical energies thanks to his Celestial Threads.

The air around Parker seemed to pulse, heavy and alive, as energies began to swirl and seep into his body. He focused, drawing them in, feeling it rush through his veins in a way that was almost... addictive. This wasn't just one type of energy—it was everything. Ether, ambient magic, stray divine remnants, even bits of who-knows-what from the universe around him.

The room seemed to thrum with an unseen rhythm, the air crackling with invisible energy. He reached out mentally, feeling the threads of power that surrounded him—and then it happened.

The energy didn't just flow into him—it surged, like water breaking through a dam. A kaleidoscope of sensation hit him all at once, a dizzying mix of warmth, cold, and something he could only describe as pure electric adrenaline.

And damn, did it feel good. Like, really good. The moment it hit, he felt like he was tethered to something infinite, something way bigger than himself. It wasn't the overwhelming kind of power he expected, but this natural, almost lazy flow, like it had always been there, just waiting for him to notice it.

Squeezing his eyes tighter as his body adjusted to the torrent. He felt... connected. Like he wasn't just Parker anymore but part of something massive, cosmic, and a little bit terrifying.

[Ding! Host has absorbed magical energies!]

"Cool, thanks for the update, system," Parker muttered, barely paying attention. Apparently, his Celestial Threads were doing their thing, not just pulling in Ether but all kinds of magical energy around him. That sounded amazing at first—faster growth, right?—until the next notification dropped.

[Ding! Energies absorbed have been turned into raw Omni Energy suitable for host's body!