Reflecting on my past self, I had indeed been a bit reckless in my pursuit of strength. "If I hadn't touched the Eternity Core back then, would I have achieved the power I have today? It's a pity for that consciousness entity! My sheer thirst for power led me to take the fruits of its labor, and even resulted in the destruction of its consciousness. I feel somewhat indebted to it."
Lucifer explained, "You don't need to feel indebted to anyone. The universe operates on the law of the jungle—the strong prey upon the weak. If the three of us hadn't been protecting you while you absorbed that power, you certainly would have died. As you were concentrating on absorbing the energy, you were completely incapable of shielding yourself from its consciousness obliteration."
"Although anyone can absorb the power of the Eternity Core, if it had been someone else at that exact moment, it might not have reacted at all. But the very first person to die once it finished its own operations would have been the one absorbing its power."
Chapter 174