Leaving Inner World

Grey wasn't certain if his suspicions were correct, but he sensed that time flowed differently within his inner world compared to the outside. He could feel a peculiar resonance of space and time magic, even though he had never directly experienced time magic before. The mana around him exuded a strange quality, one he couldn't quite place. Perhaps the concentration of his own mana was causing disturbances in the fabric of space and time.

Grey moved away from his mana galaxy and sensed the space around him shifting. His body moved with newfound ease.

"But why is this happening?" Grey wondered aloud. Is his mana so potent, or is there something intrinsic about it that warps space and time?

"Well, let's leave it for later," Grey decided, reluctant to dwell on the mystery now. What he wanted was to expand his mana reservoir.

Though he wasn't sure of his maximum capacity, the sight of his mana galaxy convinced him it was immense. He hadn't exhausted his mana reserves since he first learned to harness magic.

Grey returned to the center of his mana galaxy, and once again, a comforting sensation enveloped every part of his body. He sat down in a meditative position and began channeling mana in and out of his body. He hypothesized that his spiritual and physical forms were connected, so infusing mana into his spiritual body would also affect his real body.

Closing his eyes, Grey dismissed all unnecessary thoughts, focusing solely on his mana and breathing technique. With each passing second, his understanding of mana deepened and his proficiency improved. He continued to sit in this meditative position, circulating mana through every nerve, artery, and vein in his body. This process purified and strengthened his blood, causing impurities to evaporate from his body like water.

Hours turned into days, and days into weeks, yet Grey remained in his meditative state. His mana galaxy evolved into a vast, vibrant galaxy, with countless colorful mana stars revolving around it. Everything around Grey felt serene. This transformation was not only significant for his mana and body but also for his mind and personality. He was unaware of how much time had passed outside, but the 30 days he spent inside his inner world were incredibly fruitful.

During this period, although Grey did not move an inch from his meditative position, he enhanced all his abilities and even developed new magical spells for combat, healing, and other purposes. However, the most crucial aspect of his progress was his improved mana proficiency.

Grey wasn't concerned about his combat skills since Luna was training him, and he knew he had a natural talent for it. However, he was initially clueless about mana, as there was no one to teach him. According to Luna, the magic she used was beast magic, different from human magic. She could teach him about mana and magic, but Grey understood that magic was fundamentally about mana, the universal energy. He believed that all forms of energy were interconnected, with only the laws and rules governing them varying.

Grey's eyes flickered open as he sensed the space around him shifting. He now had an intimate understanding of the spatial dynamics. "So, the time has come?" he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips. "Now that I'm leaving, I also need to devise a plausible excuse for what happened to me."

Over the past 30 days, Grey had delved deep into the mysteries of his inner world, uncovering various secrets. He had also comprehended aspects of the laws of space and time, enabling him to detect changes in his surroundings effortlessly. As the space around him began to tremble, Grey stood up, and the environment transformed.

The first thing he noticed was that he was still in a sitting position. The second was that he was naked, with no clothing covering his body. Examining himself, he saw his muscles were well-sculpted, white, and developed. He glanced around and saw a strikingly beautiful woman with white hair and silver eyes smiling at him. Her presence made Grey smile in return.

She approached him with graceful steps, stopping in front of him with the same beautiful smile. "So, how was the meditative session, Mr. Grey?" she asked, her voice respectful as she gave him a deep bow.

Grey couldn't help but smile as he watched the enigmatic woman before him. "Quit joking, Lyra, and tell me how much time has passed since then?" he asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

Hearing him, the woman froze, looking at Grey with a shocked expression. "How... how did you know it was me?" Lyra asked, surprise evident in her voice.

Grey laughed heartily at her reaction, relishing the moment. It was a rare delight to surprise someone more powerful than himself. He stopped laughing and looked at her with a grin. "I can see through your disguise," he said, then added, "Or should I say shape-shifting?"

Just as the words left his mouth, the ground began to tremble, and cracks appeared beneath where Grey was sitting in his meditative position. Lyra, who had transformed herself into Luna had an expressionless face and moving from her place.

The surroundings fell into complete silence as Grey and Lyra locked eyes, Grey smiling and Lyra maintaining an emotionless expression.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Lyra vanished from her spot and reappeared directly in front of Grey, covering 20 meters in the blink of an eye, her hand clasped around his neck. Grey hadn't moved, as if he hadn't even registered the movement. It all happened in a microsecond.

Lyra's speed was so extraordinary that it seemed she had teleported. The most astonishing aspect was that despite her incredible velocity, there was no shockwave or any disturbance in the surroundings.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked calmly, tightening her grip around his neck. "What have you done to my little Grey, and why are you inside his body?"

Suddenly, the Grey in front of her shattered into countless mana particles, drifting away. Lyra's eyes widened in shock, her body trembling. Then she heard a voice that seemed to ease her.

"Lyra, calm down," said Grey's serene and melodious voice. "I am here. Nothing happened to me; I was always in front of you," he said as he slowly materialized out of thin air. "And remember, you were always watching over me, so how could I be harmed?" Grey continued, "And if you're thinking that my body has been possessed by someone powerful, you're mistaken."

Hearing Grey's words, Lyra finally released a deep sigh of relief. She turned to look at him, now wearing a striking black outfit with a white cloth belt around his waist, resembling a martial artist's uniform. His long hair fluttered, and his oceanic blue eyes gleamed.

Lyra sighed again and moved towards Grey, enveloping him in a tight embrace. Grey, now about 1.3 meters tall, found his face pressed against Lyra's soft, ample bosom. She held him tightly for a minute without saying anything. Although they hadn't known each other for long, they cared deeply for each other. If Lyra had any ill intentions, Grey would have sensed it, and he trusted both Lyra and Luna implicitly, feeling that they accepted him as family.

Lyra moved, bringing Grey's face out of her embrace. He felt slightly dissatisfied at not being in that heavenly place longer but had no inappropriate thoughts. Lyra looked down at his smiling face, raised her hand, pinched his nose, and said, "Now tell me everything that happened to you and how you're feeling."

Grey smiled, noting that she hadn't asked about how he discovered her shape-shifting. He looked at Lyra, who had transformed into her true human form.

"Nothing happened," Grey explained. "I just learned the breathing technique used by Luna and comprehended some mysteries of the mana around us, which took me a while. Additionally, I am now very proficient in magic, as you just witnessed with my illusion magic."

As she heard him, Lyra was taken aback that what he had just employed was illusion magic. Although Grey was unaware, Lyra excelled in illusion magic, so her surprise was warranted.

"You used illusion magic?" asked Lyra, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Um... yes," Grey responded slowly, finding her changing expressions amusing.

"But it didn't seem like ordinary illusion magic. I am well-versed in illusion techniques, yet I couldn't discern it," said Lyra, her confusion palpable.

"Oh, that. It wasn't solely illusion magic," Grey explained.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" asked Lyra, her curiosity piqued.

Grey chuckled and elucidated, "What I mean is that what I employed wasn't just illusion magic. I integrated space magic and, gradually, time magic with other spells. Initially, I manipulated the surrounding particles using space magic to create a solid structure for my body. Then, I incorporated time magic alongside space, rendering it impossible for you to detect my mana. Finally, I merged them with an illusion spell to craft an illusion that felt authentic. Though I had hoped that my illusion would become potent enough to obviate the need for external elements to create convincing illusions, it served its purpose, deceiving even you. Mwahahaha!" Grey concluded with hearty laughter.

After hearing Grey's explanation, Lyra could only think, "This boy is a prodigy. No he is a monster!"