Supreme Magus

Chapter 4071: Uncharted Waters (Part 2)

’If something goes wrong and my life can be saved, the Infirmary will find a way. If there is no way to turn back, at least Faluel will get extensive data about my failure. It’s a win-win situation.’ He thought as the violet nutrient liquid submerged him.

He could still breathe normally. Oxygen flowed into his nostrils on its own, getting in and out of the tank by itself.

’You can go now.’ Ajatar said via a mind link. ’There’s no point staring at me.’

Much to her dismay, Quylla had to leave first. One of the twins had just scored big time.

Lith and Solus left next, leaving only Morok and Faluel. The Tyrant waited until the first changes in the Drake appeared. Ajatar’s hind legs became longer than his forelegs, and his neck elongated a bit.

Then, he put his fist against the crystal, and Ajatar bumped it.

"See you soon, old lizard." Morok nodded and Warped out of the room.

"Are you sure you don’t want company?" Faluel asked.

"Yeah. This will be boring, but only until I get my Dragon Eyes." Ajatar replied. "At that point, I will be too busy studying my life force to be a company. I want to make sure I didn’t miss anything."

"I’ll leave you at it then." The Hydra knew that Ajatar had prepared plenty of ink and paper, but she left him enough materials to write an encyclopedia anyway.

***

After three days, Ajatar’s body had grown to twenty-three meters (76’) in height. His neck had become long enough to let him look behind without turning his shoulders, and small proto-wings rested on his back.

His limbs now properly resembled arms and legs, but they were still stumpy.

After six days, Ajatar had become twenty-six meters (85’) tall. His serpentine neck rivalled Faluel’s, and he had proper wings on his back. Yet they were too small to support his weight and seemed more like an atrophied organ.

His tail had grown as well, and his arms and legs had reached perfect proportions.

"Is it me or is he hot?" Fyrwal asked while staring at the quasi-Dragon.

"Mom!" Faluel said. "This is not the appropriate time and certainly not the place to make this sort of comments!"

"Silly child, I’m talking about literal heat." Fyrwal chuckled. "Can’t you feel it?"

Faluel reached for the crystal tank, finding it much warmer to the touch than it was supposed to.

The violet liquid masked the radiance that originated from Ajatar’s chest with each breath he took. Light seeped from between the scales on his chest, pulsing with colors that shifted from deep red to bright violet.

His lungs could already produce Origin Flames, but the amounts of world energy and life force they mixed were erratic. Too much world energy would dilute the Flames, while too little and it would injure Ajatar.

Luckily for him, it was an involuntary process that gave him first-degree burns at worst. He wasn’t trying to conjure Origin Flames. It was more like an experimental engine that occasionally backfired while trying to adjust to balance the intake of fuel and air.

"You’re right." Faluel mumbled. "He is hot."

"Told you so." Morok extended his open palm to Lith. "Even a nerdy guy becomes a chick magnet if he puts on some muscles. Pay up."

"That’s not what I meant, jackass!" Faluel blushed up to her ears.

"Wow, that’s cold." The Tyrant snorted. "The guy is risking his life for you, and you can’t even compliment him a bit. I was trying to stroke his ego. Make him keep a positive mindset and make a few last happy memories."

"Gods, if I hate you." Faluel snarled.

’Me too.’ Ajatar thought, staring at his apprentice. ’I’ll come out of here alive just to beat up your sorry ass, even if it’s the last thing I do.’

***

After the tenth day, Ajatar had reached twenty-nine meters (95’) of height, and every bit of him was worthy of a true Dragon. The horn on his snout had become smaller not to hinder his sight, and two long horns now covered the sides of his head.

Sparks of energy arched across his body, and Ajatar would have thought he had gained Life Maelstrom if only the color weren’t wrong. Whatever it was, the energy was sapphire-colored, not silvery.

’Whatever that bloodline ability is, I can’t try it while inside the Infirmary.’ He thought. ’If this is an offensive ability, I might damage the floor and interrupt the process. If I revert suddenly to a Drake, I’ll d-’

A sudden pang derailed his train of thought. The light of the Infirmary flashing red and his vitals spiking only confirmed his worst fears.

"What’s going on?" Lith and Solus reached the tower first, joined by Morok and Faluel in short order.

’I have no clue.’ Ajatar replied. ’We are in uncharted waters from now on.’

The Drake checked on his life force with Foresight and Dragon Eyes, but couldn’t find anything wrong.

’No new mana organs have appeared. There are no visible imperfections either, and my life force is growing stronger. Then why am I in so much pain?’ He thought.

Lith and the others had no better luck. All the readings of the Infirmary confirmed Ajatar’s findings, yet a few seconds later, his vitals spiked again.

Agony invaded his body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood that misted the nutrient liquid red.

’Okay, now I’m getting worried.’ Ajatar said. ’The pain is not abating this time. It’s getting worse.’

’Check if he can stop the procedure!’ Faluel yelled in Lith’s mind so loud that if she had used her voice, she would have burst his eardrums.

’We’re doing that already. Just give us a second.’

’Save it. I’ve stopped using my breathing technique after the first pang.’ Ajatar said. ’I wanted to halt the transformation until we understood what was going on, but it seems that’s not an option. We are past the point of no return.’

Ajatar had already accumulated all the energy and nutrients his body needed. Every mana organ was already developed, and his Dragon form was on the brink of perfection. Even if he had stopped circulating his mana, its remaining momentum kept pushing his evolution forward.

’Then try to understand what’s wrong!’ Morok said. ’Even better, find a solution.’

’We are trying, and it would be much easier if you guys stopped screaming in our head.’ Lith accessed the Eyes and Ears of Menadion to perform a full-body scan of Ajatar and the Hands to try and buy some time.

’Stop. Stop!’ Ajatar convulsed as he coughed up more blood, and small areas across his body burst open.

’Shit, I’m sorry.’ The wounds started to heal the moment Lith recalled the flow of world energy to the Hands.

’Don’t be.’ Ajatar panted as his body absorbed the nutrients in the tank and converted them into flesh and blood with a single breath of Foresight. ’It was brutal, but at least now we know what’s wrong.’

’He’s right.’ Solus said while sifting through the most recent readings of the Infirmary. ’There is no problem with the imperfections in Ajatar’s life force, and the development of his body is perfect. The problem is that it’s too perfect.’