Kicked Out, I Rose as the Strongest Support

Chapter 2: Purr of the Life Crystal

"Crush his skull and devour his flesh!" the scavenger beast roared from the dark.

The monster’s spiked, massive jaws snapped down like lightning. The foul stench of dense acid and lethal poison blasted Darian right in the face.

Darian squeezed his eyes shut, accepting the dark fate awaiting him at the bottom of this toxic abyss.

Yet even amidst the soul-crushing despair, Darian refused to loosen his grip. His limp left arm remained locked tightly around the tiny crystal fox.

Darian used the last embers of his breath to shield the helpless creature. If he had to die in this horrific place, he at least wouldn't let this little fox get crushed first.

The scavenger monster closed the distance in a fraction of a millisecond. Its razor-sharp fangs grazed Darian's neck, ready to shatter his skull into splinters.

In those critical milliseconds separating life from death, a single drop of warm blood seeped from the gaping wound in Darian's chest. Fresh blood trickled slowly between his trembling fingers.

The drop slid down and landed directly on the cracked crystal embedded in the fox's forehead.

Ping.

A delicate chime echoed through the damp cavern.

In the blink of an eye, the drop of Darian's blood was completely absorbed into the deep fissures of the crystal. Instantly, time around them seemed to freeze.

The giant jaws about to tear Darian's throat open halted midair. Something ancient and incomprehensibly dangerous had just awakened inside the little fox.

The dim blue crystal on the fox's forehead vibrated violently. The cracks across its surface mended at blinding speed. The fading blue light burst into a scorching flare, morphing into a brilliant, dazzling aura of pure gold.

Purrrrr...

A soft purr rumbled from the small fox's throat against Darian's chest. The sound was so gentle, warm, and adorable. But its effect defied all reason.

BOOM!

A ring-shaped wave of gold and blue energy detonated from the fox's forehead. The pure light bloomed spectacularly, like a gigantic sunflower blossoming in the pitch-black abyss.

The nearest scavenger monster's eyes widened in sheer horror as the ancient golden wave slammed squarely into its massive snout.

Before it could even let out a screech of agony, the beast's heavily armored body shattered instantly into millions of sparkling Aether dust particles.

The purring shockwave didn't stop there. The golden ring surged outward in every direction, sweeping clean through the subterranean cavern corridors.

Dozens of scavenger monsters surrounding Darian were wiped out in a single heartbeat. Their bodies dissolved into shimmering dust that glittered in the air.

In just one second, the lethal terror lurking at the bottom of the pit transformed into a quiet, serene sea of light.

Darian slowly opened his eyes.

His heart pounded in sheer awe. He watched golden particles floating gracefully around him like stars in the night sky.

Yet the true miracle was only just beginning.

The little fox squirmed gently against Darian's chest. Its transparent crystal wings fluttered gracefully, releasing a soul-refreshing fragrance of ancient Aether.

The tiny creature pressed its glowing golden forehead directly over the mangled wound on Darian's chest.

Whoosh...

A warmth like liquid gold trickled down into Darian's skin. The scorching agony in his lungs vanished instantly. A soothing, incredibly comfortable coolness washed through his entire nervous system and joints.

Darian felt his broken ribs shift and snap back into alignment. The severe fractures in his shoulder blade and collarbone knitted together seamlessly, leaving not even a lingering trace of pain behind.

Click! Snap!

The sound of his bone structure remending echoed clearly in his ears. Every cell in his body regenerated instantly, wiping away the crushing exhaustion weighing down his soul.

Not only that, but the deepest parts of Darian's energy pathways—the Support circuits Bram Sterling had branded useless—suddenly trembled violently.

The warmth from the fox's crystal forced its way into the core of his Aether circuits. Darian's Support pathways, once narrow and brittle like dried thread, were forcibly torn open and expanded.

His energy pathways expanded exponentially. His old circuits shattered, reborn as a dual-layer golden circuit array radiating from his chest all the way to both wrists.

The Infinite Potential Blooming Circuit.

Darian exhaled in relief as he felt his newly mutated circuits awaken. No longer was there a suffocating bottleneck on his support output. No longer were there red-line energy leak warnings like when he strained himself to shield Bram.

Darian pushed himself up, sitting on the cavern floor. He touched his chest with trembling fingers. His shirt and armor were shredded to rags, but the skin beneath was completely intact — smooth, clean, and unblemished.

The crushing pain had been replaced by a surging, vibrant vital force.

In his lap, the little fox bounded lightly. It was so nimble and adorable, the fine fur-like crystal textures on its body emitting a mesmerizing blue-gold radiance in the dark cave.

"Yip!"

The tiny beast tilted its head, gazing at Darian with round, crystal-clear eyes. It scrambled up into Darian's lap and began nuzzling and licking his cheek with warm affection.

Its soft little tongue licked away the lingering blood and grime from his face.

Darian froze.

His chest tightened as a sudden tidal wave of emotion overwhelmed him. A single warm tear slipped down his cheek. He looked down at the tiny creature cradled in his arms, overcome with profound emotion.

For two years, risking his life at the Astral Vanguard Academy, Darian had given everything for others. He had endured insults, accepted being treated like a trash battery, and suffered relentless pain all for the sake of his team's victory.

Yet the moment he ran out of energy, the very people he fought for trampled him underfoot and cast him into the abyss of death without a second thought.

The human world was cold, treacherous, and rotten with lies.

And yet, down in this dark, isolated pit, a tiny creature he had only just met was willing to sacrifice its entire life force to save him.

"Thank you..." Darian whispered, his voice hoarse and trembling.

He gathered the warm little fox close to his chest and gently kissed its glowing crystal forehead.

"Thank you so much... you saved me..."

The little fox purred softly in response, rubbing its snout against Darian's neck while happily fluttering its transparent wings.

Darian wiped his tears away. The grief and betrayal that had broken his spirit transformed into ice-cold, iron determination. He would never again be a stepping stone to be used and discarded.

Darian stood up tall on his steadying legs. The refined composure of a master strategist shone clearly across his features. He raised his right hand into the air, focusing his mind on the flow of Aether pulsing in his chest.

Szzzt!

A surge of warmth rushed from his core down to his palm. A brilliant aura of pure gold burst from the pores of his skin. Darian could feel the energy surging like a boundless ocean.

No fatigue, no breathlessness, no suffocating cap on his Aether output. This was an absolute potential amplifier — capable of awakening and harmonizing the hidden talents and circuits of anyone around him.

"This power... is incredible," Darian murmured softly, staring at the golden glow radiating from his fingers.

The little fox bounded up effortlessly, landing smoothly on Darian's right shoulder. It fluttered its transparent wings lightly, tucked its paws in, and nestled comfortably on his shoulder as if it were a throne built just for it.

"Yip!"

The tiny fox pressed its golden crystal forehead directly onto the back of Darian's right hand.

BZZZT!

The resonance of ancient Aether hummed loudly, echoing off the abyss walls. Glowing golden circuit lines hovered in midair, forming intricate, majestic patterns before him.

Every line vibrated in harmony, synchronizing Darian's heartbeat with the pulse of the fox's crystal.

Perched on his shoulder, the little fox threw its head back and let out a crisp bark that pierced the dark cavern. Along with that clear cry, a wave of ancient resonance reverberated deep in Darian's mind, echoing words that set his soul ablaze:

"The Infinite Potential Blooming Circuit has fully awakened... Show the world who true power belongs to!"