Building Interstellar Empire With Universal Synthesis

Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Exploration Of Treasure World

Neo and the two Hypermechs descended onto the surface.

​At first glance, they realized how complex this planet was.

​There were countless caves that looked like entrances to different dimensions, uncountable golden mountains that seemed to pierce through the heavens, and brown trees so massive that even phoenixes residing there would not be surprising.

​As they walked toward a towering cave, a figure was suddenly seen running up to them at a frantic pace, almost like a drunk imp.

​The imp was three feet tall, with the face of a forty-year-old man.

​Stopping before Neo, it fell to its knees and placed both hands flat onto the surface.

​"Welcome, Your Majesty! I was waiting for you!"

Neo stared down at the trembling creature. "Stand up. Explain exactly who and what you are. You do not look like a native beast."

​The imp swallowed hard and slowly got to its feet, keeping its head bowed low.

"I am not a beast, Your Majesty. I am an artifact given flesh. I am the Treasure Key. My sole purpose is to serve the master of this realm and grant him access to every single secret locked within."

​"A living key," Dr. Clark muttered in slight surprise.

​"Explain further. What exactly do you unlock?"

​"Everything, my lord!" the imp replied quickly. "The gold and mana you see on the surface are merely decorative. The true wealth of this world is kept completely hidden from common eyes. Without me, a trespasser could wander this planet for a million years and find nothing but empty rock. With me, you can open the dimensional seals guarding the real vaults."

​Neo looked at the towering, glowing caves dotting the landscape. "And what exactly is this planet? The auction house claimed it was a naturally forming treasure world, but my advisors clearly disagree."

​The imp let out a raspy, knowing chuckle. "Naturally forming? Nonsense! This entire world was forged by the hands of a True-God. It was never meant to be a simple treasury. It was built as a supreme proving ground. It was designed as a training facility for his most devout followers."

​The imp pointed a stubby finger toward the glowing caves.

"Each of those caves is a self contained dimensional dungeon. Inside them, you will find lethal trials, primordial beasts, and environmental hazards. But if you conquer a dungeon, you are rewarded with unimaginable resources. You will find divine weapons, magical skills, elixirs that can resurrect the dead, and World Cores that can power entire starships for millennia."

​Elena was amazed. "Incredible! It is a planetary scale training matrix. If the dungeons regenerate their contents, the resource yield would be statistically infinite."

​"They do regenerate, madam," the imp confirmed, bowing its head again.

"But the trials grow harder each time. It is a crucible meant to forge ultimate warriors. And it was always destined to fall directly into your hands, Emperor Neo."

​Neo narrowed his eyes. The cosmic force around him buzzed dangerously, causing the golden ground to tremble.

"Destined? I bought this planet at a virtual auction house. I paid for it with my own money. Do not speak to me of destiny. Who was this True-God? Tell me."

​The imp did not flinch from the overwhelming pressure.

Instead, it smiled warmly, looking up at Neo with profound reverence.

"He knew you would acquire the wealth to buy it. He set the exact circumstances into motion centuries ago. He left this world dormant, waiting specifically for the day your cosmic signature entered this sector."

​"Who created this place? Tell me now, Imp." Neo demanded.

​The imp dropped back to its knees. "His name was Novak, your majesty."

The name echoed Through the windy valleys.

​And Neo felt his heart stop beating for a fraction of a second.

​Novak.

​Novak Godson.

​That was his father’s name.

​Neo stared blindly at the glowing cave entrances, his mind racing at light speed.

His father was not just some ordinary man who had vanished from his life. His father was a literal True-God.

He knew that long ago. But hearing it, made him feel surreal again.

​"So my father planned all of this," Neo whispered, the realization hitting him like a physical blow.

​Dr. Clark and Elena remained completely silent, understanding the massive gravity of the situation.

​Neo clenched his fists.

The revelation brought more terrifying questions than answers. If his father wielded the almighty power of a True-God, capable of creating dimensional dungeons and predicting the distant future, what force could have possibly threatened him?

What enemy was so incredibly powerful, so terrifyingly dangerous, that a True-God felt the need to leave behind a planetary training facility just to prepare his son for the future?

​Whatever was coming, it was going to be beyond anything the Zenith Empire had ever faced.

After a while, Neo’s face hardened into iron resolve.

​"Elena, Clark. I have decided. I am going to partake in all of the trials and dungeons this world has to offer."

​Clark raised his hand. "Your Majesty, why would you do that when you already have access to all the treasures in this realm?"

​"Because it is the right way. My father undoubtedly intended for me to take this path. He believes in my fighting spirit, and I am going to prove him right."

​No one could object to that.

​What followed was a period of relentless training. Time passed slowly here, so there was no risk of missing anything on the outside.

​Neo chose to tackle a minor dungeon first. It wasn’t a standard zone where one grinds for EXP and loot; stepping inside felt more like crossing a gateway into an entirely different dimension.

​The inhabitants here resembled 3D pixelated cartoons. They all had heart icons hovering over their heads. If his instincts were correct, those represented the number of extra lives they had remaining.

Neo glanced upward, half-expecting to see the same markers over himself.

Sure enough, three pristine, ruby-red hearts hovered just above his own line of sight.

"So, three strikes and I’m out? Very Classic."

​The ground, made of perfectly square blocks of green turf and brown dirt. suddenly trembled beneath his boots.

The pixelated villagers scattered, their blocky legs churning in a blur of panicked animation as they let out high-pitched, synthesized squeaks.

​From the edge of a vibrant, voxel forest emerged a beast. It was a massive wolf made entirely of shadowy, shifting cubes, its eyes burning like red LEDs.

Above its blocky head floated an intimidating cluster of five hearts.

​Just then Clark’s voice echoed faintly in Neo’s mind,

"Your Majesty, the energy signature of that realm is highly structured. Your usual cosmic force output might be heavily restricted."

​Neo clenched his fists, immediately feeling the unfamiliar rigid physics of the dimension.

Clark was right. He couldn’t just nuke the area with his usual high-tier magic or rely on overwhelming stats. He had to play by this world’s rules.

​"Good," Neo muttered.

​He reached out, willing his cosmic force to adapt to the environment.

With a burst of retro sound effects and pixelated light, an 8-bit broadsword materialized in his grasp.

It felt lighter than his usual weapons, yet perfectly balanced for this strange reality.

​"I needed a warm-up anyway."

Awooooh!

​The voxel wolf lunged, opening a maw of sharp, square teeth in a heavily telegraphed attack.

​Neo dashed forward, letting his instincts take over.

He sidestepped the heavy pounce at the very last second and swung his blocky blade in a clean sweeping arc.

​Smack!

​The sword struck the wolf’s flank with a loud, retro impact noise. The beast flashed white flash for a split second, letting out a distorted yelp as it was knocked back.

​Neo immediately checked the space above the beast’s head.

One of the wolf’s five hearts had shattered like glass, dissolving into a shower of digital sparks.

​"Four left huh?? Let’s see if you can take even one of mine."

The voxel wolf snarled, its cubical fur rippling like a corrupted data stream.

Without warning, it split into three flickering afterimages.

Each one lunged from a different direction.

Neo’s pupils narrowed.

"Illusions huh."

He ignored the two phantoms and focused on the faint distortion surrounding the real body.

The genuine wolf cast the slightest shadow.

That was enough.

Neo twisted his body, allowing one fake to pass harmlessly through him before driving his sword upward.

Smack!

Another heart shattered.

The beast recoiled, its blocky frame breaking apart into hundreds of floating cubes before reforming several metres away.

Three hearts remained.

"So you adapt."

The wolf answered with a deafening howl.

Instantly, dozens of smaller cube wolves burst from the forest, each carrying a single floating heart.

They charged as a coordinated pack.

Neo grinned.

"Now this is more like it."

Instead of retreating, he sprinted directly into the horde.

His sword danced with astonishing precision.

Every swing was economical. Every step perfectly timed.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

With each strike, Pixelated bodies exploded into showers of glowing cubes.

He flowed through the pack like a seasoned swordsman rather than an overwhelming powerhouse.

Within seconds, the last minion dissolved into sparkling fragments.

Only the alpha remained.

The five-hearted beast lowered its body, crimson eyes glowing brighter than before.

The remaining three hearts suddenly merged together, transforming into a single enormous golden heart.

With that, a surge of pixelated energy erupted around its body as black cubes expanded into gleaming dark armour.

A retro jingle echoed throughout the dimension.

Boss Phase Two Initiated.

Neo slowly rolled his shoulders, an excited smile spreading across his face.

"So there are second phases too."

He raised his sword and pointed it at the transformed beast.

"Come then. Show me what Father wanted me to overcome."

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