Exo Seeker: The Strongest Human Woke Up In The Future!

Inside the first version of the Level Up Pod.

Kael watched as intense light engulfed his vision. He had to close and squint his eyes a few times just to barely adjust to the brightness.

Once he could somewhat make out what was happening, Kael began observing the process of his Level Up. He looked toward the ceiling and saw particles drifting down from the small holes above.

Then came the sound of gears turning—followed by the crackle of electricity.

Kael looked down and saw that he was now submerged in a pool of white liquid. It had risen to his stomach and was steadily climbing to his chest with no sign of stopping.

Clearly, this liquid was one of the reasons behind a Primer's Level Up. Kael still didn't know exactly what it was, but after a bit of thought, he came up with a theory.

Just like the white mist in the new version of the Level Up Pod, this liquid behaved in a similar way. But unlike the newer version—where fluid is released in small doses through the tubes—this white liquid was a concentrated blend of all kinds of enhancers and stabilizers.

Kael scooped a handful of the liquid into his palm. It sparkled with different colors—like stars in the night sky.

As he stared at the substance, something clicked in his mind. It felt… familiar.

"This thing is similar to the Gene Enhancer Vial," Kael muttered, recalling one of the items from the Exo Primeval's reservoir room.

The Gene Enhancer Vial was often overlooked. The White Prime and the others never used it—because they didn't need to. It was one of those items that always got left behind on the shelves.

The Exo Primevals didn't rely on enhancers or liquid-based boosts to grow stronger—they were already at the peak of power. Using such vials would've been a waste.

Still, Kael remembered some of the inventory, and this white liquid—now rising to his chest—was strikingly similar to that enhancer.

The vial, once consumed, could give Exo Primevals a temporary boost in endurance and strength, but only for a few minutes. Probably one of the reasons they ignored it. However, if a normal Primer were to take the Gene Enhancer Vial meant for the Exo Primevals, they'd either die from the overwhelming energy… or gain immense, permanent strength—enough to rival the Red Fissure's Final Boss.

Just this 'basic' and supposedly negligible item, when viewed through the lens of normal Primers, could grant that much power. It showed just how massive the gap was between the average being and the five Aegis Primevals.

Kael watched as the white liquid reached his chin. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before his entire body was submerged.

Smiling, Kael let the liquid swallow him whole. And the moment it did, he felt his muscles spasm, his heart beat like a drum, and his entire body tremble violently.

Normally, the pain that came with using the first version of the Level Up Pod was mild. Most Primers were too distracted by the pleasure of their body growing stronger, more resilient, soaked in power by the white liquid.

When the first version of the pod was initially released, Primers were in awe. Even the pain that accompanied Leveling Up didn't faze them—some even welcomed the sharper pangs, believing it meant better results.

They would smile when the pain hit harder—because that pain meant progress.

But what Kael was feeling… was nothing like what they had experienced.

The Drakorite Techniques, the Breathing Technique, even the Speed Burst Technique—none of them had ever made him groan. They didn't even show on his face.

But this—this Level Up—was different.

It was so painful, it made Kael furrow his brows.

This is very uncomfortable, Kael thought as his body continued to shake violently. He could feel each piece of his skin being torn apart, as if thousands of swords were cutting into every inch of his body.

And these swords didn't just cut his physical form—they pierced his soul as well.

It was so painful that the consequences of using the Drakorite Techniques with his previously weak body now felt mediocre in comparison.

Kael didn't need to think to understand why this was happening. He had modified this first-version Level Up Pod—altered and rewired some of its internal systems to maximize his success rate.

If everything was going according to plan, then his chances of successfully leveling up using the Growth Orbs were at least 90%.

But Kael had to endure this pain to make it work.

With his eyes shut tight and a frown on his face, Kael braved through it. His body trembled, a grave expression carved into his features, but there was no panic—only the silent acceptance of letting the white liquid torture him as much as it wanted.

No matter how unbearable the pain was—pain that could kill any ordinary Primer—the feeling of getting stronger was undeniably there. Kael focused his mind on that instead.

His muscles and bones were being enriched by the white liquid, like countless nutrients rushing into them. He could even feel his skin hardening. The sensation was oddly satisfying—clearly one of the reasons why Primers craved strength.

At the same time, Kael began to hear the robotic voice around him, echoing even though he was fully submerged.

"Level Up Success!"

"Level Up Success!"

"Level Up Success!"

Kael was torn between savoring the pleasure of getting stronger and trying to count the number of Level Ups he had just achieved. Caught between both, he lost track, and so he gave up counting altogether—choosing instead to focus on the sensation of evolution.

He didn't know how long it lasted. Maybe a few minutes. Maybe ten. But eventually, the fun came to an end as the white liquid stopped churning.

Slowly, it receded, returning to the holes it came from—revealing the full body of Kael Draven.

His hair and clothes weren't even wet. There were no signs that he had ever been submerged. Kael opened his eyes and looked at his body—his figure still appeared the same. He raised one hand and clenched it into a fist.

No change in strength.

It was as if the entire experience had been a dream—a wet dream.

But when he glanced down, he saw the white liquid vanishing into particles of light. That confirmed it: everything that just happened was real. The feeling of getting stronger was real, even if the physical changes weren't visible yet.

Fortunately, Kael already knew this was just part of the Level Up process, so he wasn't surprised.

After checking over his body, he turned his attention to the holographic panel in front of him.

Immediately, the number of Level Up successes displayed on the screen caught his eye.

"Twelve? This is better than I expected," Kael muttered, slightly amazed. He glanced down at the Growth Orbs, now dissolving into particles of light.

Kael took a moment to confirm everything before he closed the hologram and stepped out of the Level Up Pod.

The moment he did, Trey ran toward him, sweat beading down his forehead.

"You… you're alive!" Trey said, eyes wide and shining.

"Of course I am. What? You didn't expect the great Kael Draven to survive something so puny?" Kael raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Trey scratched his cheek, looking away. Kael was right. When that intense light had exploded from the pod, Trey honestly thought the lunatic was dead.

Messing with the Level Up Pod to increase one's success rate? That's suicide! People had tried it before, but the outcome was always the same—they either got toasted down to their bones or completely liquefied.

If anyone could just alter their success rate, then everyone would be as strong as Black Fissure's Final Boss. That's why only those with a death wish would even think about trying something like this.

But seeing the lunatic Kael walk out of the first-version Level Up Pod alive and kicking, Trey was shocked—and amazed. No one had ever succeeded in doing this… but Kael? He actually did it.

"But h-how?" Trey stammered, realizing that every time he was with this lunatic, he always ended up wondering the same thing—how, and why?"You succeeded… how?"

"That's because…" Kael trailed off, his words hanging in the air.

"Because???" Trey perked up, ears wide open and eyes gleaming in anticipation.

"I'm handsome and a genius," Kael said casually, handing a bag of tools to the young man before walking past him.

Trey held the bag, stunned—and then completely speechless. Catching up, he muttered, "I'm surprised you didn't say it was because you're the legendary White Prime."

"Oh, that too. Thanks for reminding me," Kael nodded sincerely.

Trey let out a bitter smile, then remembered to ask another question. "So how many levels? If you really succeeded, I bet you're at Level 7 or eig—"

"Level 12," Kael interrupted, pulling up his Progress Scanner via his Status Band, though it only displayed his current level.

Progress Scanner:

[Name]: Kael Draven[Race]: Human[Rank]: Rank 3 (10 is the requirement to wear Aegis Prime)[Level]: 12

Core Attributes:Health: 100/100Endurance: 100/100Energy Reserves: 0

[Status Points]: 12

Physical Stats:Strength: 9Agility: 8Vitality: 10Reflex: 7

Skills:None.

"It's true… you really reached Level 12," Trey said, even more surprised after seeing the proof.

Kael gave a light nod, eyes locked on his Progress Scanner. As the owner of the Status Band, he could see his full status in detail.

Changes had appeared—besides the level and the increase in status points, his Rank had also changed from Unranked to Rank 3.

"This Rank on my screen... What's its purpose, aside from showing I'm eligible to wear the real Aegis Prime?" Kael asked, curiosity in his tone.

"Oh, right! You're at Level 12 now, which means you're Rank 3," Trey replied, turning to Kael."Rank… it's like a title—our standing as a Primer. Well, to most Primers, it doesn't really matter. Most of them believe they'll never reach Rank 10 anyway. Wearing even a Half-Aegis is already a dream."

"Them? So you believe you can reach that rank?" Kael asked.

Hearing the question, Trey's expression grew serious.

"Yes… I'll make sure of it."