Ian studied the new function with great interest.
The Transmutation Tablet thoughtfully categorized the Pola Beasts as "Mutant Beasts," and killing them yielded various materials needed to synthesize armor.
The Monarch-class beast and its underlings from earlier had directly contributed a massive pile of materials, gathering everything needed.
He browsed the synthesis list: Flame Dragon Armor, Wind Eagle Armor, Black Rhino Armor... a row of familiar icons appeared.
"The Light and Shadow Church, the Lord of Light and Shadow... the script has practically been handed to me," he chuckled.
"It would be a disservice to Mr. Charles's hard work promoting me if I didn't go show off."
Ian grinned, a brilliant plan forming in his mind.
However, before that, he needed to fill his own tank.
A massive amount of EMC was the fundamental guarantee for a fun time.
Next, Ian swept the Transmutation Tablet across the area, selling all the items in the entire combat zone into it.
Then, he stomped his foot on the blood-mangled earth beneath him.
The ground seemed to melt, directly opening a bottomless, pitch-black tunnel leading straight to the planet's core.
Ian leaped, plummeting toward the planet's core like a meteor.
During his descent, his perception extended outward.
He then discovered that almost the entire surface crust had been riddled with holes, eroded by the twisted flesh vines of the Mana Ecology.
It was like a terminally ill cancer patient beyond cure.
These vines were like giant blood vessels, greedily draining the planet's last remaining life force.
Wherever Ian passed, these underground "cancer cells," along with the rock layers, were all broken down and absorbed by the Transmutation Tablet, converting into EMC.
...
Aboard the Lighthouse, a storm was brewing.
The debate regarding the "miracle" had reached a fever pitch.
Charles stood in the center of the council hall, arms wide open, his face filled with fanatical devotion.
"That is the grace of the Lord of Light and Shadow! It is His guidance for us lost lambs, the most merciful purification!"
Just then, Marc sent in the latest reconnaissance report.
The transmitted footage was projected onto the main screen—the entirety of Area 47 had been completely leveled.
Now, let alone the corpses of the Pola Beasts that had previously covered the landscape, not even a single piece of building rubble or a tiny mound of dirt could be found. The ground was as smooth as if it had been swept clean by some mysterious force.
"Look! Do you all see it?!" Charles pointed at the screen, his voice ecstatic. "This is divine purification! Not a single trace of filth was left behind!"
He turned around, facing all the terrified Lighthouse executives, and announced publicly.
"I have received a new oracle! The Lord of Light and Shadow is about to descend and save the world!"
"But before that, He will send down a true trial. Only the most devout believers will attain ultimate salvation!"
His words acted like a shot of adrenaline injected into the hearts of the fearful masses.
The prestige of the Light and Shadow Church reached an unprecedented peak at this moment.
...
On the surface, the former Area 47.
Bai Yuekui's squad appeared on this dead land.
Immediately, they were shocked by the scene before them. The hills and building ruins that were originally here had all vanished. The entire ground was left with nothing but patches of crimson glass, as if it had been scorched by extreme heat.
"Whoa! It's so pretty here! There's glass everywhere!" Xia Dou poked her head out from behind Bai Yuekui, staring at the scene in shock.
Bai Yuekui crouched down, her fingertips gently touching a piece of the vitrified ground, and closed her eyes.
Two completely different energies lingered here.
One was the chaotic, tyrannical Life Source Essence of the Pola Beasts, filled with the desire to devour.
And the other...
It seemed to be an extreme, pure power of destruction, containing the emotions of slaughter and war, as if it could annihilate everything.
"Boss, did you find anything?" Xia Dou asked curiously.
Bai Yuekui stood up, not answering.
She merely looked at this overly clean wasteland, falling into a long silence.
'This power is too terrifying!'
'Could an even stronger Pola Beast have been born here? If that's really the case, then the Lighthouse and our camp are in danger!'
...
The planet's core.
Ian was completely submerged in the molten torrent of iron and nickel, feeling as if he were soaking in a perfectly heated hot spring.
The Transmutation Tablet operated at full capacity, his EMC value skyrocketing at an unprecedented rate.
He then exchanged for items like the Cosmic Meatball, Ultimate Stew, Titan Potion, and Infinity Armor.
Soon, that familiar, overwhelmingly powerful sense of fullness returned to his body.
His strength had returned to its peak.
"Alright, let's get to work," he muttered.
With a thought, he began consuming EMC, exchanging it out of thin air for a massive amount of armor synthesis materials.
For a moment, deep within the planet's core, energy crystals of various colors, special metals, and biological materials piled up like mountains.
Then, the synthesis began.
In the blink of an eye, five uniquely shaped summoning belts floated quietly before him.
They were the Flame Dragon Armor representing the fire of the Five Elements, the Wind Eagle Armor representing wood, the Black Rhino Armor representing water, the Snow Mastiff Armor representing metal, and the Earth Tiger Armor representing earth.
But Ian didn't seem satisfied. His goal didn't stop there. These first-generation armors were nice for a collection, but if he were to wear them himself, they just weren't stylish enough!
Besides, given the chance to be an Armor Hero, who could refuse that set of armor?
He directly communicated with the Transmutation Tablet in his mind.
"Big boss, don't play dead. Come out and let's make a deal."
The Transmutation Tablet fell silent for a moment, seemingly calculating the pros and cons, before finally giving a response.
"How about using the subsequent Interdimensional Energy from this world to exchange for a few hidden variants?" Ian threw out his bargaining chip.
The Transmutation Tablet reacted immediately, and a deal was struck in an instant.
A brand-new exchange list unfolded before Ian.
[Emperor Armor], [Asura Armor], [Xingtian Armor], [Captor King Armor]...
One resounding name after another was impressively listed.
There was also an expanded list below, where he could exchange for the enhanced forms of each armor, as well as fan-made secondary creation forms.
It was just that the exchange conditions were followed by quite a few zeros, indicating the need for a massive amount of Interdimensional Energy.
"Now that's more like it," he chuckled.
Ian smiled in satisfaction. Mere Interdimensional Energy was nothing; if he wanted to, he could crush the Earth in the next second and earn who knows how much Interdimensional Energy.
He casually stored away the Wind Eagle, Black Rhino, Snow Mastiff, and Earth Tiger summoners.
He only picked up the entirely fiery-red Flame Dragon Summoner, tossing it lightly in his hand.
"Then, let's first try out this standard protagonist color!"
He raised the summoner in front of him, deep within the very core of this planet.
Using a deep and slightly chuunibyou tone, he recited that classic line.
"Flame Dragon Armor, Assemble!"