My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 436: The auction begins
Previously on My attributes are increasing infinitely...
In the heart of the time field, Ethan remained positioned, the atmosphere continuing to hum from Erebus's recent vanishing.
His very being had turned into a riddle: a universe shaped like a human, made up of 10^{100} cells that evolved past mere biology into cosmic stellar drives.
The Law of Infinity, merely five centimeters in length, throbbed inside him like a pinpoint of unadulterated, intense dominion.
This thin filament carried more heft than the combined mass of every other law.
Even with such divine ascent, a chill unrelated to the body gripped Ethan.
It stemmed from total emotional void.
By detaching his Omega Clones—especially the one holding his joy—he had become an entity driven solely by reason and universal intent.
He gazed down at his palms.
The flesh formed a chart of starry patterns.
Beneath it, rivers of golden symbols coursed as his blood.
He grasped that returning to his family's world in this condition would make him an outsider.
He'd resemble a monument of reason, unable to offer the affection they craved after Zara's heartbreaking loss.
He knew power served to safeguard, yet feelings were essential for true existence.
"Yumiko," Ethan uttered, his tone level and stripped of its typical musical lilt.
"The clones."
[Master, they stand prepared. Your six leftover Omega Clones await orders. The Happiness Clone remains poised as well.]
Ethan flicked his wrist.
Out of the warped space's creases, seven forms materialized.
Each mirrored him perfectly, but embodied a distinct element of his essence.
The Happiness Clone positioned itself ahead.
Its gaze sparkled with life, its energy lively, standing in sharp opposition to the rest that embodied his cooler traits of law and intellect.
Ethan extended his arm.
"Merge."
The Happiness Clone offered no opposition.
It advanced, breaking apart into a haze of golden glow that poured straight into Ethan's torso.
A fierce wave of heat abruptly overwhelmed his core.
His mind's icy, machine-like computations were swiftly balanced by the resurgence of sentiments.
Recollections of Zara's devotion, the devotion to his kin, and the weight of his journey struck him like a star's implosion.
He drew in a sharp breath.
His gaze grew tender.
The mortal essence reclaimed the divine form.
At that moment, his attention shifted to the six lingering clones.
They loomed as guardians of raw might.
"You six hold no further role as distinct beings," Ethan whispered.
"Yet I possess a task for you all.
You will act as my extension in the Neutral Plane.
You will form the bedrock of the empire."
He motioned once more.
The six clones advanced toward one another.
Upon contact, the nearby space let out a deep rumble.
This fusion went beyond simplicity.
It involved layering dominions.
Six shards of an endless law were being compressed into one container.
Boom!
A blast of energy burst forth, restrained solely by Ethan's unyielding resolve.
As the brilliance dimmed, one silhouette remained.
This Mega Clone inspired dread.
Its aura felt so compact it drew illumination from the ambient air.
Ethan scanned the details right away.
[Combat Prowess: Grade 3 Absolute Continuum]
Ethan's eyes widened in true astonishment.
"Grade 3?
Its fighting strength exceeds my own by an entire tier."
The logic held firm.
Though Ethan grasped the Law of Infinity in its pristine, embryonic state, this clone served as a forged armament from six unified powers.
"Seize the Sword of Infinity," Ethan directed, summoning a weapon resembling a fragment of midnight heavens.
"Locate Erebus.
Secure our territory in the Neutral Plane.
Safeguard my sister-in-law.
Make the Human Empire's title resound across the emptiness."
The Mega Clone grasped the blade.
Next, it dissolved into a gateway ripping across realms, tracing Erebus's subtle path.
Ethan exited the space cube and materialized back in the Dragon World, right amid the towering peaks of his stronghold.
The mood weighed heavily.
Within the grand chamber, his relatives had assembled.
Rose, the sisters, and the rest formed a ring of sorrow.
Zara's passing draped over them like a dense veil.
Fresh tears marked numerous cheeks.
Ethan entered the space quietly.
His steps produced no noise.
Yet his arrival felt like a soothing dawn breaking through bleak cold.
"No need for concern," he assured, his words laced with solace.
"Lady Zara will come back shortly.
I've initiated processes that won't halt."
They lifted their heads, taken aback.
Rose brushed away her tears.
Her stare fixed on Ethan.
Something about him seemed altered.
Still, he remained the familiar Ethan.
Ethan's focus drifted to Rose's arm.
He spotted the recognizable, faintly frayed bracelet.
To outsiders, it appeared as a basic ornament.
To him, it lay as a sleeping link.
"Lady Rose," Ethan spoke softly.
"Might I take that wristwatch of yours?
I offer any exchange you desire.
Resources, arms.
Just say the word."
Rose glanced at the item, then at him, confused.
"This?
Ethan, it's merely an aged keepsake.
It holds no strength.
If you wish it, take it freely.
I require no repayment.
You've aided us plenty already."
She removed the band and passed it over.
"Thank you, Rose," Ethan replied.
"Its value surpasses your understanding.
Moreover, on the 60th level, I've unlocked a dedicated marketplace.
It belongs to the tower's inner realm.
Guide everyone there.
Acquire anything that catches your eye.
Discover its marvels.
It should ease your thoughts."
Once they departed, Ethan withdrew to his secluded quarters.
He cradled the wristband in his grasp.
"Po," he murmured.
"Time to awaken."
He directed a tiny strand of the Law of Infinity into the gadget.
For an instant, silence reigned.
Then the alloy started to shine.
A digital image sparked to existence.
A plump, fuzzy form took shape.
A chubby, animated panda hovered in the atmosphere.
It rubbed its eyes and stretched its mouth in a big yawn.
"Morning so soon?
I said I wanted five extra minutes..."
The panda halted abruptly.
It stared at Ethan.
Its eyes bulged.
A shiver ran through it.
"Boss?
Is that truly you?"
Po, the artificial intelligence, behaved far from mechanical.
It released a cry of delight.
It leaped toward Ethan.
Through Ethan's law, its digital body acquired substance, feeling like a genuine plush panda.
It wrapped around his neck, nestling close.
"I missed you terribly!
It felt so pitch-black inside!
I figured you'd all abandoned me!"
Ethan grinned, stroking the panda's crown.
"I never forgot.
You had to slumber until my preparation was complete.
Now, I have an assignment for you."
Po drew away, turning earnest despite his round features.
"Whatever the Boss needs!
What's the plan?
Erasing a galaxy?
Breaching a deity?"
"Even greater," Ethan stated.
"I aim to build a simulated realm.
A duplicate of this whole trapped reality.
A space for connection, commerce, and life free from outer void's terror.
A nexus for all knowledge.
But to achieve it, you must advance."
Po rubbed his jaw.
"Crafting a realm so vast and vivid demands data.
Enormous amounts.
Boss, travel is essential.
We must collect intel from the universe's every edge."
"We shall," Ethan vowed.
"But initially, an auction calls."
Two days flew by amid frantic setups.
The Dragon World, formerly isolated and perilous, now served as the positive plane's hub.
The heavens no longer held blue hues.
They brimmed with gleaming casings of stellar vessels and radiant halos of airborne litters.
Rumors had circulated widely.
Ethan Hunt hosted an auction.
The event's magnitude broke all records.
The tower welcomed entrants.
Its initial 50 levels housed the visitors.
The 60th level stayed as a secluded haven for Ethan's companions.
Within the auction chamber, the air thickened with aged spice aromas and the buzzing might of countless elite cultivators.
Seating formed a vast arena.
Folded-space tech ensured ample room for all.
At the chamber's core, a stage waited vacant.
From his elevated suite, Ethan observed the screens.
He viewed the arrogant fiends.
The resolute giants.
The graceful bloodsuckers.
They remained unaware of dwelling within a consciousness capable of obliterating their essences with a mere whim.
"Ready, Po?" Ethan inquired.
The panda, clad in a tiny formal jacket, bobbed its head with zeal.
"System's operational, Boss.
Each offer.
Each utterance.
Every pulse in this venue gets logged.
This marks the ultimate data gathering!"
Ethan rose.
He donned no ornate plating or gaudy attire.
A plain dark suit covered him.
The entrance to the dais parted.
The buzz from myriad species ceased at once.
The chamber's tension plunged to nothing.
Not coercion, but his essence alone.
Ethan mounted the stage.
He surveyed the ocean of myths, divinities, and beasts.
"Welcome," Ethan declared.