Year 348 of the Great Sundering Era, 2nd Month, 14th Day of the Astral Reflux Cycle.
Inside his room, Magnus was lying on his bed, a hint of fear in his expression. Even though the rooms in the academy dorms maintained a perfect room temperature, there was sweat glistening on his forehead. That, along with the thumping of his heart, revealed his anxiety at this moment.
Okay, I've got this. I just need to stay calm and take it slow. I've practiced for this; I just need to make sure my nerves don't get the best of me.
[Don't worry, Master. If I detect that you're going to make an error, I'll be sure to interrupt the mental process and cancel out the action.]
Reassured by Basker's words, Magnus nodded and took a deep breath. Basker would act as his safety net, but it was still nerve-racking to operate on his own body.
"Alright, let's do this." Clutching the spell catalyst in his right hand, which already bore traces of his blood, he slowly lowered it to his bare chest. He was prepared to peer inside his own body.
But the moment the spell catalyst touched his skin, it felt as if his mind was suddenly being flooded by a sudden influx of information. An expansive yet intricately detailed image unfolded before him. It surpassed anything he had ever seen, with numerous moving parts seamlessly interwoven.
His mind struggled to cope; how could it even begin to?
Every nuance of his body's inner workings, every pulse, and every cellular motion were all translated into an image and crammed into his all-too-limited mind. Even when dealing with the bones, Magnus had to narrow his focus quickly to combat the nausea, but this was too much. He didn't even get a chance to tone down his point of view before his mind went into shock.
Even thinking was difficult, as his mind kept processing new information every time his body moved, even if it was just from taking a breath.
Luckily, though, he had his safety net, and although his mind was temporarily crashing, Basker was able to act just fine. Sensing the sudden shift in Magnus's mental state, they quickly realized what had gone wrong and began to exert their influence over his mind.
In an instant, the spell's catalyst focus began to narrow itself down to a single section of his body. Thanks to this adjustment, the flood of visual input rushing into Magnus's mind subsided, and slowly he regained consciousness, though he couldn't help but let out a groan of discomfort as he did so.
"Ugh... Ow..." Magnus muttered; his vision was still split between the outside world and the microscopic landscape within his own body. He rubbed his forehead from the overlap as Basker's voice echoed in his mind.
[Are you alright, Master?]
Magnus took a moment before answering. His brain felt as if it had just been rocked back and forth in his skull, while his eyes were being strained to the limit.
Yeah, I think so, but holy shit. I knew there would be a sudden influx, but I didn't think it would be so intense. The human body has way too much information for a single mind to process. It felt like I was stuck in a mental loop or something; I couldn't even think straight.
Ever since he started using the Command Console, Magnus had become painfully aware of the limits of his own mind and human imagination in general, and observing all the microscopic details of his body all at once was definitely pushing it.
He was fairly sure that no matter how much he practiced or trained, his mind would never be able to handle it; it was simply beyond the limits of its growth. That did raise the question of how high-level mages could handle things like this, but Magnus didn't dwell on that for long. As the pain subsided, he was reminded that he was technically on a timer when it came to using the spell catalyst.
Basker, in an attempt to help, had inadvertently focused the probing spell on one of Magnus's ribs. If he had to compare it to the bones he had gotten used to studying, they were nearly identical, though obviously, the bones in his own body were a lot more active and lively, but that was to be expected. Using that rib as a reference, Magnus traced the rest of his skeleton until he located the specific bone he needed.
He had already decided on the bone he wanted to operate on long before this point. This was risky after all, and there were no guarantees, so he wanted to start with a bone that wouldn't hugely impact his daily life if tampered with, and after considering his options, he settled on a bone in the tip of his pinky toe.
Even if something does go wrong during this, I should be able to walk fine. It'll be fine…
Magnus repeated words of encouragement to himself as he began to focus his mind. Despite being an extremely small bone compared to the ones he had worked on before, he could still recognize and discern all the intricacies of the bone being displayed to him.
And so he got to work.
In almost the very same instant he began using the Command Console to edit the bone, most of his anxiety unknowingly began to melt away. As he followed the familiar steps and made changes he had practiced countless times before, it was as if his entire mindset shifted in that very moment, and he had been set on autopilot. Everything flowed so smoothly that Basker didn't even need to intervene, and in less than a minute, he realized he had already finished.
Upon that realization, a look of disbelief appeared on his face.
Huh? That... was easy?
Moving his toes around slightly, he checked for any discomfort and felt nothing. Sitting up from the bed for a second, he reached down and touched the toe directly, squeezing it to see if it was really fine. But, when he found there really was no issue, his puzzled look slowly morphed into a playful smile.
This smile was directed solely at himself. He'd been so anxious, but everything had gone so smoothly that it almost felt comical.
Still, that single success was all Magnus needed to feel his confidence surge. He then turned his attention to the small bone in the pinky toe of his other foot. This time, he completed the modifications even quicker and without any problems. With each successful adjustment, his hesitation lessened and his speed increased. For the smaller bones, it only took a few seconds, and even the larger ones took no more than a minute or two.
As for his joints, they were even easier to modify.
For the next hour, Magnus meticulously altered the structure of hundreds of his bones and other body parts, only taking the time to slow down when he reached more delicate areas like his vertebrae. Even with all his confidence, he maintained absolute caution when it came to the bones around his spine and neck.
It was only after he was done that he took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
To an onlooker, his body looked the same. Even Magnus saw no change, which was good. The Command Console had worked perfectly, leaving no discomfort or need for adjustments. As he sat up and got off his bed, he knew everything had gone exactly as he had hoped.
His body didn't feel hindered at all; in fact, it felt better than ever.
Back when he was fighting the twins, he had to rely on using Rokshaata just to keep himself from being overwhelmed. Although his eyes and other senses could keep up with their speed, his body had been another matter.
Just trying to block a single strike from them would have likely fractured or outright broken his arm if he didn't use an ability on top of it. That aside, there was no way his body could have handled moving at a speed that would let him keep up with an unranked knight. But were things are different.
With his changes, even though it was only his skeleton, his body's durability had officially reached a superhuman level, far beyond what any normal person could hope to achieve.
As he was now, even if he only used [Self Body Puppetry], he was fairly confident he could take on both of the twins with his bare hands alone, though winning might still be a challenge. As for even weaker opponents, like the men Zeth sent after him? He doubted he'd even break a sweat.
Now then. As great as it feels to know that I'm not a glass cannon anymore…
His vision panned down as the realization once again dawned that he was standing naked in the middle of his room. It's not like anyone other than Celia came to his room, but it was still something he needed to deal with.
Come to think of it, it's been just over a week since I last visited Hisel, so my first batch of clothes should be ready, right?
He hadn't left the academy grounds for quite a while since he had been so busy. Well, that and because he didn't want to risk being attacked by people from Zeth's organization without being prepared, but that was no longer an issue. So, after thinking about it for a moment, Magnus decided to head out.
In less than an hour, he was dressed in his uniform and walking out of the academy, making his way towards the Lower City.
Stepping out into the city after being cooped up felt refreshing. Although the academy was large and pretty much designed so students never had to leave its walls, it could get stifling, especially with all the noble students around. It might not have been obvious to an outsider looking in, but nearly everyone at the academy wore a false persona of some sort.
In Magnus's opinion, Luden was a prime example of this.
Compared to that, being in the company of ordinary people and hearing the chaotic yet rhythmic clatter of the streets was a welcomed change. More importantly, he looked forward to receiving his clothes from Hisel so that people would stop steering clear of him when they saw him.
As great as the perks of being a Takerth Academy student were, he really wanted the option to blend in and not draw attention to himself. Still, maybe it was because Magnus was so busy observing his surroundings as he walked that something caught his eye from the corner of his vision.
Huh?
He paused, coming to a brief stop, and glanced behind him. Across the street, a little ways back, he was almost certain he saw someone peeking out from an alleyway. The figure had retreated too quickly for him to get a clear image for Basker to retrieve, but one thing was sure—they were definitely not a normal citizen.
Hmm. I know the Major General has people watching me, but judging by that person's reaction, I doubt they were one of them. In that case, there's only one other group that would be interested in me, and that's the organization Zeth was a part of.
The Major General's letter had warned him about the organization's growing influence in Arlcliff City. However, Magnus hadn't expected them to pick up on his trail so soon after he left the safety of the academy.
Their organization must have a lot of members if they managed to spot me so quickly.
Arlcliff City was massive, after all. Even if someone knew what you looked like, a single person managing to actually find you would be nearly impossible. With that in mind, he knew simply trying to avoid them wouldn't work, so instead, another idea began to spring into his mind.
Hmm, well, I did just finish upgrading myself. And if Zeth is going to keep sending them my way, I might as well send a message back, right?
Smiling inwardly, Magnus altered his path as he continued to walk, maintaining his cool demeanor as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Now that he was aware he was being watched and followed, he slowly noticed that the number of his pursuers was gradually increasing.
Initially, it was just one person shadowing him, who soon vanished, only to be replaced by four others tailing him discreetly. Still, Magnus continued to act unaware and kept walking until he reached a quieter part of the city where the usual city noises faded away, leaving only his footsteps and the now barely concealed movements of his followers audible.
The group trailing him had long since noticed that Magnus was leading them somewhere quiet, which they had no issue with; it would only work in their favor, after all.
It wasn't until Magnus was sure there were no bystanders nearby that he stopped and turned around, wearing a cunning grin. About eight men were directly behind him, and as he halted, five more emerged from the shadows of nearby alleys, effectively cutting off any escape route.
"You know, there's no need for you guys to do all this. I have no intention of running, at least not from you guys," Magnus said casually. His words seemed to annoy the grunts, causing them to reach for their concealed weapons—small knives, daggers, hatchets, anything they could hide beneath their clothing.
"If I were you, I'd watch my words, kid. You've pissed off someone you shouldn't have, and now your head's worth a pretty penny," one of the men threatened ominously.
"Oh, so that's why there are so many of you after little old me? Fair enough, money talks, and can be quite the motivator, I can relate. But at the same time, I had no idea Zeth was such a vengeful person. All I did was blow a hole in his stomach, and now he's put a bounty on me," Magnus chuckled, which only made one of the men shout in frustration.
"Don't act like you're not worried about being surrounded, and don't think we're afraid of you just because you can use magic either! We know you can't handle all of us at once," one of the gang members blurted out. Magnus simply shifted his focus to the speaker and smirked.
"You know it's funny. You guys remind me of the last group that tried this; they had me surrounded too, and they thought they knew what I was capable of. But that didn't really last long. If I had to guess, they're having a pretty rough time in jail right now, considering their bodies are broken and all. Though I guess one difference between you and them is that they were at least confident they could win," Magnus retorted, causing the man to clench his teeth.
"What the hell are you talking about? You think we're afraid of you!?"
Magnus scanned the group slowly before replying, "Oh, please, I can tell just by looking at you dumbasses. You're all way in over your heads. If you really weren't scared of me, you would have attacked by now. But instead, here you all are, hesitating, waiting around for someone else to make the first move; it's pathetic if you really think about it."
Shaking his head, Magnus chuckled briefly and went on, "Let me guess what happened. You all heard about the bounty put on some random boy's head, and without questioning it, thinking it would be easy money, you came rushing in, hoping you could get to it first. But as soon as you heard about what I can do—or more precisely, what I've already done—you got cold feet. Now the only thing giving you guys the courage to stand in front of me is the hope that your numbers are enough."
As he spoke, the atmosphere grew thicker, but no one even tried to rebut him. By the end of his speech, Magnus's grin had morphed into a knowing smile as he surveyed the crowd.
"How was that? Am I close?" He knew that question was unnecessary; their expressions said it all. Their wariness mixed with tension, and Magnus sensed that one more insult might push at least one of them over the edge. Raising his arms in the air, Magnus pretended to stretch while letting out a yawn.
So, casually, he stretched his arms above his head and let out a big yawn, looking completely at ease.
"Hmm, alright, fine. I do feel a bit bad for you guys, so I guess I'll let you go. It would be pretty embarrassing if I went around beating up a bunch of grown men down on their luck who can't even muster the courage to take on a kid they have cornered." With those words, he turned and started walking towards the group of five blocking the street, intending to just stroll past them as if they were invisible.
At that moment, something inside one of the grunts snapped, and rage consumed him.
"You fucking brat!" Without warning, he rushed forward; his voice seemed to trigger a chain reaction among the others, like a damn had broken open.
"Screw it!"
"I've heard that mages are weak physically anyway! All we have to do is land a single hit, and that money is ours!" The bandwagon effect took over, and soon, the entire group rushed forward all at once, adrenaline pumping. Of the thirteen there, only two decided to stay back, while the rest were lost in the frenzy.
"So easy," Magnus whispered to himself, a grin spreading across his face as he watched the chaos unfold. His heart was pounding, but not from fear like it had in past encounters with enemies like Kryle, Zeth, or the Titan Soldiers.
No, instead he felt something new, something he'd always been too weak to experience before—the excitement of a fight he knew he'd win.