Changes

At noon, Ryan awoke with a start, his heart racing from a restless night's sleep. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stumbled toward the mirror, his mind still foggy with dreams. As he gazed at his reflection, relief washed over him briefly before being replaced by shock and awe.

"Holy... What the heck happened to me?" Ryan murmured, his voice filled with disbelief as he took in the sight before him. His eyes widened as he noticed the crimson hue of his irises, the dark strands of hair cascading over his shoulders like a waterfall of shadows.

With trembling hands, Ryan reached up to touch his face, his fingertips grazing over the elongated canines protruding from his mouth.

"This... this can't be real," he muttered, his voice tinged with a mixture of fear and wonder.

As he continued to examine himself, Ryan couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in his physique. His skin had taken on a paler hue, his muscles more defined, as if sculpted by some unseen force.

"What... what's happening to me?" Ryan whispered to himself, his mind reeling with a myriad of questions. But amidst the confusion, there was a sense of excitement, of possibility.

With a sense of determination, Ryan stripped off his shirt, his eyes widening as he took in the transformation that had taken place. His body, once ordinary, now seemed imbued with a newfound strength, a raw power that pulsed beneath his skin.

A grin spread across Ryan's face as he flexed his muscles, reveling in the sensation of power coursing through his veins.

"This... this is incredible," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with awe and excitement.

Ryan let out a relieved sigh, grateful that whatever had happened didn't seem to have any adverse effects on him.

Yet, the memory of the previous night sent a shiver down his spine, a stark reminder of the pain he never wanted to experience again.

Ryan adjusted his top, feeling a tingling sensation surge through him, like electricity sparking in his veins. His confidence swelled; he was convinced he possessed more mana than the average magic knights.

Though he couldn't gauge himself against the Royals or captains, he was sure he surpassed the norm.

"Hell yeah!" He pumped his fist, veins bulging with newfound power.

A grin stretched across his face, his sharp canines adding a predatory edge. Ryan pondered the cryptic conversation with the mysterious entity.

Despite not fully comprehending the entity he encountered in the dungeon or the implications it held for his future, but he was thrilled to have a starting point.

Unlike before, when his mana couldn't sustain a normal spell for long, this was a significant improvement.

Remembering the events from the previous night, Ryan suddenly recalled what the mysterious entity had said to him.

"What seal is it talking about?" he mused, but soon pushed the puzzle aside to focus on his enhanced strength.

At this moment, all he wanted was to check all the changes he had gone through. His mana had increased significantly, and his raw power had experienced even better improvement.

Ryan's eyes widened as he summoned his grimoire.

"Whoa," he breathed, watching as it hovered before him, its once ethereal blue glow now replaced by a regal purple.

He extended his hand, and the grimoire floated closer. As he touched it, he noticed intricate runes inscribed on its cover.

"What's this?" he muttered, tracing a finger over the symbols.

Then, his gaze locked onto something else—an ominous red eye staring back at him from the back of the grimoire. "What in the world?" he exclaimed, a shiver running down his spine.

Ryan furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of the mysterious eye. He flipped through the pages, searching for answers, but found nothing. Frustration gnawed at him as he struggled to decipher the enigma before him.

Then, his attention was drawn to the purple aura surrounding the grimoire.

"What's happening?" he muttered, his curiosity piqued.

Previously, even gathering a small amount of purple mana would exhaust his entire mana pool, but now it completely replaced the blue mana surrounding the grimoire.

What does that mean?

Can he now use the purple mana more effectively than before?

Ryan felt excitement bubbling within him. The dark purple mana was a mystery to him, but even utilizing a small amount of it had yielded powerful results. If he could now harness the purple mana more efficiently than before, then his combat prowess might surpass those who possessed greater mana reserves than himself.

Ryan felt excitement bubbling inside him as he pondered the various possibilities.

"I can't wait!" he exclaimed, excitement fueling his every move as he dashed into the forest. Adrenaline surged as he arrived at the familiar clearing, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.

His eyes lit up with anticipation, the mana inside him pulsating with energy. With a wave of his hand, his grimoire floated beside him, its pages fluttering eagerly.

Ryan's attention flicked to the changed grimoire, but anticipation overrode his curiosity.

As the pages settled, the purple mana started to gathering around his right hand taking a shame of hilt of a long sword before completing in a dark purple long sword.

Gripping it, a surge of energy coursed through him. With determination, he channeled his mana into the sword, its dark aura intensifying.

Taking his stance, he raised the ethereal purple blade, slashing with all his might.

SLASH!

Power surged as the arc of dark purple mana erupted from the sword, unleashing destruction upon the trees.

BOOM!

The impact reverberated through the forest as trees crumbled before his might. A sense of awe washed over him, fueling his eagerness to explore his newfound abilities further.

His eyes gleamed with power as he channeled his energy, shaping it into a massive, shadowy creature.

"More!" he commanded, summoning more and more purple slashes of energy that materialized from the ethereal purple sword.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The slashes were not in any rhythm or seemed to be targeted at any specific target; it was like uncomfortable electricity going where it could, detonating on impact and reducing the trees to ashes.

Ryan's laughter echoed through the clearing, a mix of delight and exhilaration at his destructive prowess.

As he continued, directing more dark purple slashes towards the remaining trees. Chaotic mana swirled around him, intensifying with each slash.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The forest echoed with destruction as Ryan reveled in his power, until finally, exhaustion forced him to collapse.

"I need more... Power," he murmured, his ambition undimmed as he contemplated what lay ahead.

"Aww!"

Just as he was about to close his eyes, Ryan cried out and opened them suddenly, finding himself face to face with the dead-eyed Anti-Magic bird once again.

He had encountered these birds two years ago when he first attempted to join the Magic Knights. He knew that Anti-Magic birds were drawn to those with weak magical powers.

Ryan recalled being surrounded by dozens of them at the stadium during the Magic Knights exam.

Uncertain of what to do, he subconsciously reached out his finger towards the bird. At first, the bird didn't react, but as his finger drew closer, it pecked at his hand.

"You little..." Ryan cried out, attempting to grab the bird, but it swiftly flew away. He wanted to stand up, but his body was exhausted from previous exercises, and he didn't want to waste his energy.

Seeing him immobile, the bird returned and perched on his chest. Ryan simply stared at the bird, not knowing what to do.

"Whatever..."