Theron exhaled a breath, his body feeling vibrant and comfortable. Continue reading stories on
His Bronze Core looked even more eerily similar to a Gold Core than before. On top of that, it had grown substantially in size, returning to its previous size of half a fist and showing signs of wanting to grow further.
Finally, Theron felt… full.
’So is this my limit? I can integrate two Echoes? One into my body and the other into my Core?’
He didn’t really understand, and he somewhat wondered if he had made the right choice.
If he integrated with the Blue Pufferfish first, would it have also integrated into his body like the Immortal Jellyfish had? Or would it have always gone to his Core?
If it was the former, then had he done it in the right order? Technically speaking, the Blue Pufferfish’s abilities seemed far better to integrate into his body, while the Immortal Jellyfish’s methods were far better for his Core.
The ability of the Blue Pufferfish to regulate the pressure in its body, adjust itself, and withstand the heavy load of water was obviously more of a Flux Mancer-like ability, though it was a Water Mancy beast.
By comparison, the Immortal Jellyfish’s ability to heal itself and live a long, extended life, even regrowing limbs and returning to its infancy at will… those seemed like things more akin to complex workings of Mana and should be integrated into the Core.
Could he reverse it?
Divesting from an Echo was possible, but the methods were excruciating, required a Spirit Mancer, and worst of all, would more than likely leave cracks in your foundation.
Theron took a breath and exhaled slowly. He closed his eyes, regulating his heart rate until he had calmed down completely.
Whether he was wrong or not, there was only one way to find out.
His hand wrapped around his necklace.
Now that he had integrated with an Echo, the path to Silver Mancy was wide open. All he needed to do was accumulate.
What Theron wouldn’t expect was just how much accumulation he would need with the changes to his body. His Bronze Core planned to take its new Blue Pufferfish abilities far too literally.
**
Theron rushed through the forest.
Normally, for a trip like this one, he would be wearing a large and heavy backpack, but this time, he was completely free, not carrying the slightest hint of anything.
Spatial devices were truly too convenient. It was almost a shame he couldn’t openly use them in the past.
Right now, he felt faster and more nimble than he ever had in his life. His body was pulling Water Mana in from the air all on its own, healing micro-tears in his muscles and adjusting his fatigue levels on the fly.
It didn’t even feel like he was a Water Mancer anymore. It felt like he had somehow become a Flux Mancer without even realizing when he hit the point of no return.
If he really had made a mistake, it would be a shame, but certainly not a disaster.
This felt too good.
Even ignoring the physical changes to his body, his Bronze Core right now felt like a fathomless abyss.
He was certain he had more Mana now than most Low-Tier Silver Mancers, and yet he still had more room to grow. It didn’t even make logical sense.
Just what was going on with his body? And if his family had such secrets… why hadn’t he known about them?
Was it because he was just too young and his parents never got the chance? Was he just an odd mutant and this had nothing to do with his family at all? Could it be that he was putting too much hope in the necklace giving him any answers? ꭆА𐌽ỘË𐌔
Everyone in his family was an Ice Mancer while he was the only Water Mancer. This was odd enough… who knew if there were other mutations triggered or not?
A tree branch bowed beneath Theron’s weight as he sprang forward. He calmly flipped through the air and landed on another branch, stopping there as his black robes fluttered.
“How long do you plan to follow me? Your breath is all over the place, your concealment methods are shoddy, and your killing intent isn’t well-concealed. You might just be the worst Silver Assassin I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across.”
Theron’s voice echoed calmly, but there was no response at all. Not even the slightest shift when he noted their assassin rank either.
However, Theron knew the danger was there.
You weren’t supposed to get the immortal abilities of the Immortal Jellyfish when you fused with it. So what did those that fused with this Echo normally get?
The Immortal Jellyfish’s danger sense.
Relying on polarity, the Immortal Jellyfish could imprint static electricity into the waters around it, allowing it to extend its sensory range a great deal.
Many jellyfish Mana Beasts grew to gain Lightning Mana abilities from this, but this was the original technique of their ancestor.
For Theron, with his level of control, this was akin to awakening a Quasi Third Eye of his own.
While it seemed he didn’t know where this assassin was, he knew exactly where they were. And the only reason he had spoken just now was because they were on high alert. A sneak attack would never work.
But if they thought he didn’t know where they were and relaxed just the slightest bit…
BANG!
A Water Bullet manifested in the air right in front of the hidden assassin. It hit them like a falling boulder, the weight of the water so heavy and dense it felt more like they had been sneak-attacked by an Earth Mancer instead of a Water Mancer.
This was the Echo ability of the Blue Pufferfish… to instantly increase or decrease the density of water.
As the Silver Assassin fell into a daze, Theron was already on the move.