Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven

Chapter 626: Chaos Mines and Chaos Stones, The Clone’s True Power

Grey took the badge and stored it away.

"Thank you." He said with a faint smile.

They left the counter and walked toward the bureau’s exit. Once outside, Alan spoke up.

"I need to find my clone now." He said. "I’ll be back in a bit, Master Grey."

Before Grey could respond, Alan vanished into the crowd.

Grey watched him go with mild amusement.

"Looks like we’re on our own." He said, turning to Alissa.

Alissa’s expression remained the same, but her hand reached out and grabbed his.

"There’s a lot to explore here." She said. "Should we look around?"

Grey smiled at her suggestion.

"Alright." He agreed. "Let’s see what the Central Hub has to offer."

They walked together through the glowing pathways, taking in the sights of the dimensional hub. Every corner revealed something new and interesting.

They passed a massive colosseum where beings from different universes competed in combat tournaments. The prize pools reached astronomical figures, attracting experts from across the 12th plane.

Further along, they found an auction house selling treasures from countless realities. Artifacts, techniques, rare materials, everything imaginable was available for the right price.

Grey noticed something important during their exploration.

Currency.

The beings here used a standardized form of exchange called Chaos Credits. Small crystalline chips that glowed with faint energy served as the physical medium.

"One Chaos Stone equals one hundred Chaos Credits." A merchant explained when Grey asked. "Chaos Stones are the base material, found in the chaos outside universes."

Grey listened with interest.

"There are chaos depositories scattered throughout the void." The merchant continued. "Fragmented spaces where chaos power condenses into solid form. People mine these stones from there."

"Do the mines ever run dry?" Grey asked.

The merchant laughed at his words.

"Never." He said. "The chaos is endless. These mines produce stones indefinitely, which is why Chaos Credits remain stable as currency."

Grey nodded with understanding.

"Of course." The merchant’s expression turned slightly bitter. "Most major depositories are controlled by the great factions. Independent miners have to settle for smaller, more dangerous sites."

That made sense.

Control over resources meant control over wealth. The major powers of the 12th plane had probably secured the best chaos depositories long ago.

Grey also learned that Chaos Stones had additional uses beyond currency.

They could power up universes, accelerate evolution, fuel massive formations, and serve as materials for crafting transcendent artifacts and is even used in alchemy. Their versatility made them valuable beyond simple economic exchange.

They continued exploring for another hour, visiting various establishments and learning more about how the Central Hub functioned.

Alissa remained by his side throughout, she was having a lot of fun with him.

Then someone blocked their path.

A young man in golden robes stood before them, his expression filled with arrogance. Behind him stood several guards, all radiating 11th rank auras.

"You." The young man pointed at Grey. "You’re the one who eliminated our Reality Ship fleet."

Grey looked at him strangely.

Reality Ship Fleet could only mean one thing, this dude was from the Eternal Dominion.

What was up with the Eternal Dominion?

Why did people from their universe keep appearing? He was starting to get annoyed by this constant harassment.

Part of him wanted to just eradicate their entire universe with the Thought-Demolishing Matrix. One thought and they would cease to exist.

But doing so would kill countless innocent people who had nothing to do with this conflict.

He couldn’t justify that.

Sighing, Grey turned to the young man with a bored expression.

"What do you need, lad?" He asked dismissively. "Move along. I only acted in self-defense because your fleet attacked our universe first. They wanted to turn us into a vassal state."

The young man’s face twisted with anger.

"You should have been grateful!" He spat. "If you had fallen under the rule of the Eternal Dominion, your life in the 12th plane would have been much easier!"

Grey stared at him blankly.

"But now." The young man sneered. "We’ll make sure you suffer. We might not be able to attack you directly anymore, but there are other ways to make things difficult for your universe."

Grey felt speechless.

How did people this stupid exist in every plane of existence?

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity.

"You still have time." The young man said condescendingly. "Submit to us now, and we might show mercy."

Grey shook his head slowly.

"Submit to your faction?" He asked incredulously. "Your faction lost to me, a complete newbie in this plane. How can you shamelessly come here and still complain?"

His eyes filled with mock pity.

"You people are actually stupid." Grey continued. "I’m starting to doubt whether you have any brain cells at all."

The young man’s face turned red with fury.

"What did you just say?!" He roared. "You dare mock my intelligence?! I am one of the most intelligent people in my entire universe!"

Grey looked at him with genuine pity now.

"If you represent the intelligence of the Eternal Dominion." He said slowly. "Then I feel bad for the rest of them. Maybe I was too harsh before. Perhaps everyone in your faction lacks brain cells."

He shook his head sadly.

"Now I feel bad for your mother as well." Grey sighed.

"You are going overboard now!" The young man screamed and lunged forward, his fist burning with golden energy.

But before he could reach Grey, a figure appeared between them.

Alan’s clone caught the young man’s fist effortlessly, stopping the attack cold.

The young man’s eyes went wide with shock.

"sixth level of the 12th rank..." He stammered sensing Alan’s power.

Alan looked at him with cold indifference.

"I’m sure the Eternal Dominion has more important matters to attend to." He said calmly. "If you make a scene here, the Central Hub Security Bureau won’t let you go easily."

The young man paled visibly at his words.

He glanced between Alan and Grey, then back to his guards. None of them dared move against a peak 12th rank expert.

"You’re lucky, kid." The young man glared at Grey. "This isn’t over."

He turned around and stormed away, his guards following quickly behind him.

Grey clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"How annoying." He muttered.

Then he turned to Alan and observed him more closely.