Reborn as God: The strongest system

Esdras continued to walk around the lab, inspecting its many facets. The contents of this lab could truly be considered a treasure trove without a doubt.

According to the pharaoh, many magic formations were expertly inlaid within the structure of the lab itself. The magic formations had numerous effects to aid in experiments and even served other functions.

However, most of the magic formations were destroyed; only the cloaking magic formation was still active. That was the sole reason the energy of the mana reactor had not been depleted all this time.

More than half the remaining energy was used so that Celine could go to the shadow realm…

Esdras tried to keep himself busy by inspecting the lab and the alchemy ingredients that were preserved.

"This is more than half of the ingredients that we were looking for," the pharaoh laughed in delight. "What about the rest of the stuff I told you about? Did you get them?"

"Of course not. I don't have that kind of money right now. I put in the order, but don't expect anything soon – the things you asked for are too rare."

After signing the contract with Meeralah, Esdras could do many things as a semi-official member, such as commissions. Unfortunately, the alchemy items the pharaoh wanted were too rare, and he didn't have much merit points to offer, so he had to put on 5 low and 15 lowest level mana stones to compensate.

Although even with that, it still would take at least a year for these items to be found and delivered.

"The faster you get the items, the better. But at least in the meantime, we may be able to 'scout' the great void with what we have here now. The energy in the reactor and everything here has cut down the time needed by so much. You're a lucky bastard."

Lucky? Esdras smiled bitterly and wondered if that was really true. Maybe it would have been better if he never found this place…

No, he had to stop thinking like that. It was for the best. The best thing for him to do next was to move forward.

"Hold on, didn't you say it was impossible to get void shards and astral iron?"

After seeing the research of the elves, the pharaoh, who belonged to a civilization of equal or even greater advancements, only needed a glimpse of that knowledge for his mind to put several pieces together.

The pharaoh began to think of a way to make his own world gate instead of relying on chance to find a perfectly intact one. So he demanded that Esdras collect several items that he thought might work to construct the world gate.

However, he soon bumped into a problem: two of the main items needed were impossible to find because they only existed in the great void.

"Ah, about that, actually we do have the Void shards and the Astral iron. With the equipment in this lab, I can process them for our needs," the pharaoh said casually.

"We do?"

"Yes, remember when we first met and you tried to make me fight that Dimensional Shambler? That thing actually traveled through the great void, and its body is made up of Astral iron. The 'hole' it made in the world to get here leaked void shards, which I captured. We have more than enough to start exploring the great void and look for a suitable world!"

Esdras was reminded of the mess that happened to him after clearing the dungeon and was enlightened. Yes, that creature that wanted to eliminate him because he was a Planeswalker.

"Wait, how are we going to take all these things? My spatial ring is not big enough. Besides what are we going to do about the more structural aspects, using force is pointless for things like that…"

"And let you destroy this lab? As old and redundant some of the technology here is, it's all we have. I'll just take the whole thing into my castle."

"Your castle? Since when do you.." that was when Esdras remembered the pyramid, the pyramid changed shape and even size. It was back when the pharaoh was mad with negative energy and tried to possess Esdras.

Before he did that the pharaoh absorbed the castle to his forehead. Esdras had completely forgotten about that.

"We'll use some of the energy in the reactor since I don't have any, I just need you to build a bridge between me and the reactor using your negative energy."

Esdras thought about the other options available to him like giving the lab to the tower in exchange for merit points that he could use in many ways but he ultimately decided against that. It wasn't much of a choice anyway, it was merely a passing thought.

"Go back to the broken gate, you need to make as much distance between you and the laboratory. The bridge I am talking about is just a two way connection between me and the mana reactor. You will be the conduit so the connection must be sturdy. If it breaks in the middle, it will be bad for everyone, for you most of all."

Esdras took these words to heart, he had no intention of being careless. The negative energy he had at the moment was more than enough but he still took his time just to make sure of the durability of the bridge.

Finally, it was the pharaoh's turn, above his sea of consciousness the blob that was the pharaoh started emitting a strange energy and the mini castle emerged above the sea.

It was not very stable as it's form flickered in and out of reality, that gothic aesthetic and dark presence gave it a charming aura. It seemed to phase between material and immaterial form.

A surreal air began to diffuse around him and smell similar to lilacs and wine spread around him, he found himself intoxicated by the smell, his mind drifting off into unknown places. Perhaps he was affected because his mental state was terrible at the moment.

The lab around him started to twist and turn as it it was a mirage, finally there was a strong tug and a crash as the lab shook from its very foundations.

And yet the mountain around him didn't show any signs of collapse as if this whole thing was happening in another world that defied the laws of physics.

Finally in a matter of minutes the entire laboratory disappeared without a trace.

"Hahaha! That's good! Now then… don't disturb me from now on I will be busy doing the most crucial part of our operation."

"Alright, I won't call for you unless it's an important matter so focus on the matter at hand and leave things outside to me. I will prioritize increasing my rank while you do that."

Esdras was planing to quickly increase his rank as soon as possible in the meantime.

"Idiot. Prioritize increasing your rank? What a joke! You haven't mastered any true spells yet!" The pharaoh yelled suddenly.

"I'll learn some spells for sure but mastering them? I'm already the strongest in my rank I should hurry up and move up." Esdras was sure that as he was now he was unstoppable at rank 2.

"You ignorant monkey!" The pharaoh scolded, "that's where you're wrong. This is a common mistake of ambitious idiots. You shouldn't just aim for a higher rank blindly, that will end up crippling you."

"But I already set up a solid foundation before why waste time and energy on level one spells when I should become a Great mage?" Esdras was frustrated at his low rank and wanted to be done with it quickly.

"That depends on what level you're aiming for? Do you want to stop at rank 3? Rank 4? No? Then shut up and do as I say! Master everything you can at every rank if you want to become a real powerhouse.

You're just a baby why are you rushing to the point of messing up your own potential?!"

Esdras nodded unwillingly, he knew he was in the wrong but it was just that he wanted to get stronger quickly.

"You're right, I was impatient." Esdras acknowledged his mistake, if not for the pharaohs he might have done something stupid, "thanks pharaoh, you always save the day."

"Damn right I am. Tsk, this is why it's easy to control short lived beings… always rushing."

Esdras smiled, this guy will never be humble, he probably didn't know what that word even meant.

With that the pharaoh disappeared and in his place the place floated above his sea of consciousness.

Esdras didn't have any objections, since he had no more things to do he decided to head to the beacon tower and pass the test.

He could not shake off the sense of unease at the back of his mind. It was probably because what Celine said back then, the change was going to happen today…

He had to put his affairs in order and quickly before he got dragger into anything troublesome. No, it was strange…

Why was he so worried? It was a big deal but it's not like he wasn't prepared. He wasn't going to participate in anything for the time being, in fact his life will probably get very boring for some time.

So why did he have this feeling? Like a shadow looming over him he couldn't see the origin of the shadow.

He had done what he came here to do and now things have to calm down. Did Esdras miss something? What could it be?