Klein felt invigorated like never before.
The Elemental Rebirth had attuned his body to the elements further than any other method any Imeni or meibeast had.
Additionally, Void's attempt to purify the core pushed him to the point he could almost absorb spirit energy.
At that point, he would be the same as Null in regards to absorbing and applying spirit energy to his arsenal.
The barrier of such an ability was difficult to cross, but something like Superego could have an easier time facilitating.
Klein though was tired of not seeing tangible results from his research.
The problem with the research, however, was that he had a limited scope of knowledge.
This was the reason he failed to find a suitable organ for his nature mofei.
His case was special because while the Core Keepers had cores of their own, they were restricted to a single element.
When Null incorporated the beast cores within Klein's own, he could manipulate any element without restriction to his core.
What was a core in the first place?
Was it not just a concentration of mei veins that absorbed and contained mofei?
Even Theef grasped the concept let alone a scientist like Klein who spent most of his time researching mofei.
The problem Klein had that Theef did not was his tunnel vision.
It was like his innate connection to his eyes made things simplified for him what should have been hidden from normal perception.
Still, Klein was mostly ignorant of this as he was born with the special sight.
It was like giving a child used to old-school technology access to the latest technology without any instructions on its functions.
Klein tended to rely more on his familiarity with what he knew from his past life than the incredulous energy that was mofei.
'No longer will I cloud my judgment by basing everything on the knowledge of the past.'
Had Oregon not surpassed his previous mentality by accepting his new self?
Even Z'oelo was advancing with the help of a tutor in the form of Rage.
So what if he could comprehend multiple Universal Rules?
Sure, it was a feat currently unheard of my any of the crew, but just how strong were the others compared to himself?
He compared his flames to that of Edmond, noting the power of a spark and special properties.
What about the power of gravity that came with Barter's Ruler's Greed?
He wanted more out of mofei because he knew that he had barely scratched the surface.
He had never been much of a technology buff, but he had to at least familiarize himself with a plethora of devices to safely conduct experiments.
The worst part was that most of the technology he brought from the Wanderers Guild Headquarters had no response to the "magic" aside from certain recording devices like the magic reader that placed mofei at the top of the known energies.
At first, Klein's ignorance made him rejoice that he was able to manipulate such a thing.
After more research however, he realized that mofei was at least a couple levels separated from the highest grade magic.
It was plausible because even the slightest trace of mofei read as the maximum rating the device had.
'There should be higher powers out there other than the Wanderer's Guild. I can't shed one mindset for an equally limiting one. I've been to fucking space! I've seen monsters capable of breaking the laws of physics! I'll become- no. I'll surpass them with this superior magic!'
Roots had taken form inside of him where the mei veins once existed.
They spreaded from the vacant spot of the mofei core and were each resplendent with the elements.
They attached themselves to his organs and slowly crept towards his eyes.
His brain was connected at the stem and flooded with mind mofei.
As if a plant craving the slightest drop of water, the roots greedily absorbed the power latent in his eyes.
Finally, his body had a chance to channel the hidden strength and show their might.
With yet another enhancement to his mental faculties, Klein knew all too well the changes to his body.
'This is the benefit of nature mofei. Well, I guess it would be more intrinsic like life or vital mofei. Much like mind mofei, this element has branching abilities.'
With life mofei came nourishment much like spirit energy except with a less potency.
Instead, the life mofei stimulated the cells and made it possible to control their growth.
It was just a superficial understanding of the concept, but Klein had successfully grown magical roots that spread throughout his body.
His goal with manipulation had always been to use the tiniest energy to snowball into devastating spectacle.
Right now, he could feel the cells that comprised the roots and felt that they worked similar to Gea's morphing cells.
They naturally drew in energy that was ambient in even places that were devoid of mofei and converted it into pure mofei.
This energy was the lower grade magic that existed practically everywhere.
'This is what I've been missing! Mofei is too powerful as a standalone energy, but this magic exists at a state where it must accumulate to become more potent.'
He had expected to have to visit the Wanderer's Guild Headquarters to find more about the lower grade magics, but never would he thought he would grow his mei veins into magical roots that could absorb the ambient magic in the air.
As if to spite him, his eyes could not pick up on this magic, but honestly if they could he would be blinded by the sheer amount of it.
With all of this happening in the moments after Klein snorted the core, he focused back on the fight.
He paused and took a breath.
In and out.
Just as smooth as the breath, he appeared before Z'oelo.
"No more holding back! This feels too good to hold back any longer!"
His eyes literally glowed with fervor as he clawed at Z'oelo, the elements dancing around his hand.
'Time for action, boy! Full throttle, do you hear me?!'
Z'oelo's mind raced with the weapon mastery to find the most suitable weapon for Muni to become.
Right before the claw attack would reach Z'oelo's chest, Muni became a pair of tonfas that scraped against the magic weapons.
'Alright! Keep up the defense until he shows weakness! And what are you doing enjoying this?! Feel Rage! He should know better than to casually disregard your handicaps!'
Truthfully, Rage was nowhere near the forefront of Z'oelo's mind.
He only felt admiration.
Klein was going after strength with his own power.
He was still finding ways to advance despite not being given direct assistance and so far he was killing it.
It was as if Klein was embodying the air itself in order to become it.
Going back to Gea, specifically how she shifted from each mineral to the next, Klein was touching upon a state he could only feel during this high he had from the effects of the nature-infused core.
He did not even breathe naturally anymore as the air magic filled his lungs with oxygen as it gathered throughout his roots.
'Swifter. Gentler. Random. Present throughout at a constant rate without taking up much space.'
His space-infused fingernail began to dimly glow in resoncance with his air-infused one.
It was not quite transmutation, but the air seemed to flow as one with Klein making his movements swift as the wind, gentle as a breeze, and random like the heating and cooling of air that dictates the weather.
'This state must be coming about thanks to my affinity with the air. I can't wait to feel this with each and every element!'
Effortlessly, Klein persuaded Z'oelo to lower his guard and be taken in by his actions.
If not for the constant pestering from Rage, Z'oelo might have very well succumbed.
If not for his solid defenses, Klein would have already flown across any attacks and won the battle.
But no, Z'oelo would not allow it no matter how in awe he was.
He carefully tracked every movement on Klein's end and suitably blocked and avoided each attack no matter how elusive.
It was as if each breath Z'oelo took slowly allowed Klein to close in, each inhale drawing him in and every exhale allowing a quick retreat.
'Enough!'
After several exchanges, Z'oelo could feel Klein was not going to run out of steam any time soon.
And so, he released more of his aura and fueled the battle spirit with enough ki to expand into a domain of crimson.
Rage was pleased as he cheered, 'Yes! Was this so hard?! Feel it, let it consume you, and then fight until there is no more fight left in you! Once you do that, there will be no one left who can stand in your way!'
Z'oelo could hardly receive the message as Rage was letting out copious amounts of his volatile Emotion.
Inside the crimson domain, there was only the fate to be filled with Rage, yet Klein was unfazed.
His space and time fingernails glowed and his eyes responded in turn managing to shine even brighter than before.
'Fuck! Who let this kid play with the fabric of spacetime?! Hurry, boy! I didn't die for nothing just to be played with by some lucky fuckers who got the chance to see the cosmos!'
Z'oelo did not need an explanation as Rage's power flowed within himself.
How could the God of Rage who killed himself only to travel through the God's of Space and Time before reaching Null allow himself to fall to a fledgling.