(Arin's POV)
The first thing to greet my consciousness was not pain, but a highly abstract pattern that I absolutely loathed.
On that pristine white ceiling, there was a yellowish water stain. Its shape resembled a rabbit with a broken ear. I knew that stain better than the lines on my own palms. It was the eternal decoration on the ceiling of the VVIP room at the Lion Academy Hospital.
"Ah," I sighed inwardly. "Hello again, Limping Rabbit. We meet again."
The sharp smell of antiseptic stung my nose, mingling with the faint scent of roses, most likely from a vase brought by Elena, and the aroma of rusted iron that somehow felt so close. I tried to move the fingers of my right hand. No pain. Then my left leg. It moved smoothly. What about my neck? Safe.
This was very strange.
The last thing I remembered, I had just swallowed molten metal that burned my entire nervous system alive. Logically, upon waking up, I should have felt like I had just been crushed by a stone Golem. Yet this time, my body felt incredibly light.
"Are you awake, Mr. Death-Seeker?"
That cold and sharp voice cut through my daydream. I turned my head slowly to the side.
The scene in the room was quite crowded. The entire Hexagon team was there. Erika sat in a chair beside the bed with swollen eyes, clearly having just cried. Elena stood near the window, hugging her own arms with a deathly pale face. Rose leaned casually against the wall while playing with her dagger, but her eyes never left me. Kars and Celia sat on the sofa at the far end of the room, looking relieved yet tense.
And right beside my head stood Doctor Edna.
Her dark green hair was a mess, sticking out in all directions as if she had just wrestled a hurricane. The bags under her eyes were so thick and black that she looked like a raccoon deprived of sleep for a full week. Her white lab coat was crumpled, stained with coffee on the collar.
The aura she radiated was not the gentle warmth of a healer, but the killing intent of a serial killer who had run out of patience.
"Hi, Doc," I greeted with a hoarse voice. I tried to flash the most innocent smile I could muster. "The weather is very bright today, isn't it?"
"Bright?" Edna hissed softly. Her hands gripped the medical clipboard so tightly that I could hear the wood cracking. "You were unconscious for three days, Arin! For three full days, I had to stare at your erratic heart monitor jumping around like broken jazz music! Do you think your life is a cheap toy? Do you think I can just keep stitching you back together every time you decide to blow yourself up for your crazy experiments?!"
Edna's voice rose higher at the end of every sentence. Erika gasped in shock, backing away slightly from her chair.
"Forgive me, Doc," I said sincerely. I knew she was angry because she cared deeply. She was the only adult besides Karim who knew my body's secret. "I had to do it. It was the only way."
Edna glared at me sharply. Her eyes welled up with tears born of accumulated frustration and exhaustion. She desperately wanted to hit me; I knew that for a fact. However, she held it back with all her might. She took a long, trembling breath, then exhaled it roughly.
"That is enough, Edna," Elena's calm voice intervened to break the tension. The noble girl walked closer, placing a gentle hand on the doctor's shoulder. "He is already awake. Being angry now will only raise your own blood pressure. You really need to rest."
Celia, usually so cold, nodded in agreement. "She is right. Get some rest, Doctor. Let us watch over him here. If he tries to drink poison again, I will personally smash his head with my mace."
Edna massaged her temples slowly, then looked at me with a gaze full of warning. "I am not finished with you. But for now, I need to sleep before I truly pass out."
After Edna moved to the sofa to close her eyes, I returned my focus to my own body.
There was something remarkably different.
I took a deep breath. My chest cavity felt much wider. The muscles around my ribs felt thicker and harder, as if a protective steel plate had been implanted right beneath my skin. But that was not the strangest part.
The most bizarre thing was the sound coming from within.
Inside the silence of my own body, I heard a completely alien rhythm. Usually, my heartbeat simply sounded like thump-thump, thump-thump. A monotonous, single rhythm.
But now?
Thump on the left, clack on the right. Thump on the left, clack on the right.
That dual sound echoed clearly in my ears. It was absolutely not an echo. These were two independent sound sources. One heavy and familiar beat came from my left chest, and another beat that felt sharper, faster, and slightly metallic came from my lower right chest.
My eyes widened broadly. My hands trembled as I felt my own chest.
On the left, I felt my original heartbeat, long modified into the Piston Heart. But as my hand shifted slowly to the right, right below the fifth rib... there was another pulse there. Incredibly strong and constant.
"Two..." I whispered in disbelief. "There are two."
"You finally noticed it," Edna's voice muttered from the direction of the sofa, her eyes still tightly shut. "Congratulations, Arin. You are officially no longer human."
"What exactly happened, Doc?" I asked. I continued to feel my right chest with overwhelming awe.
Edna opened one eye, staring at me lazily. "You experienced an extreme mutation. The Mana Void inside your body did not merely absorb the raw energy from that Silver Wolf serum. The Void also devoured its genetic blueprint."
Edna sat upright, her professional doctor mode reigniting. "Silver Wolves possess two hearts to support their regeneration process and weather manipulation abilities. Your body, empty and perpetually hungry, decided that organ was very useful. Therefore, your body grew it on its own."
"Grew a new heart? In just three days?" Kars asked, his face filled with horror. "That is absolutely disgusting."
"That is called a medical miracle, you fool," Edna corrected sharply. "That secondary heart grew from stem cell tissue forcibly stimulated by the serum. It has connected to your nervous system and blood vessels naturally. Your left heart pumps red blood for oxygen needs. Meanwhile, your right heart seems to function specifically to pump serum and mana to all muscle tissues."
I fell completely silent. Dual circulation.
One to sustain life, another purely for power.
"A Stereo System," I mumbled softly. A wide smile slowly carved itself onto my face. "This is far better than I expected."
I threw off the white blanket and stepped down from the bed. My feet touched the cold floor.
The sensation was truly bizarre. My body felt incredibly light, as if the gravity in this room had been reduced by half. Yet, when I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my muscle mass had clearly increased. My shoulders were broader, my chest more expansive. The muscle definition in my arms looked incredibly sharp, like high-quality carved marble.
"Let us test this," I said.
I turned toward the medical table beside the bed. A surgical scalpel lay neatly on a silver tray.
I picked it up.
"Arin, what are you going to do?" Rose asked with a wary tone.
"Just confirming a theory."
Without the slightest hesitation, I dragged the razor-sharp blade across my left palm.
Slice.
No blood came out.
In fact, no wound was even created.
The scalpel merely left a thin white line on my skin, as if I had just scratched the surface of a very hard rubber tire. My skin had become exceptionally tough. Far tougher than before.
"Steel wire," I murmured in awe. "My tissue elasticity has increased drastically."
"Try using Aura," challenged Erika, who was already very familiar with my crazy experimental habits.
I nodded slowly. I channeled a little Junior Aura into the scalpel blade, making it shine with a thin glow. Then I sliced my palm once more with added force.
Slash.
This time, my skin was successfully torn. Fresh red blood immediately spurted out.
However, just a second later...
Hssss!
The sound of hissing hot steam was heard clearly. Thin white smoke billowed directly from the gap of the wound.
Before our very eyes, the blood that had escaped seemed to be pulled back inside or simply evaporated. The exposed flesh began to knit itself back together with highly illogical speed. Within three seconds, the wound closed tightly. Within five seconds, only a faint red line remained as evidence.
"Mid-Tier Regeneration," analyzed Edna. Her voice now carried a tone of admiration she seemed very reluctant to admit. "Your cellular metabolism works hundreds of times faster than a normal human's when you are injured. The heat generated from that extreme cell division process is what created that steam."
"Incredible..." Kars immediately stood up, stepping closer to see my hand from a short distance. "You truly have become a monster, Arin. With a body like this, you could definitely take a direct hit from my mace without breaking any bones."
"You had better not test that right now, Kars," I replied quickly.
However, there was still one more thing.
I felt something vibrating in the air. Not a smell, nor a sound. But a pressure.
Since I opened my eyes, I felt as if the air in this room obeyed me absolutely. Every time I moved, small gusts of wind followed my movements, feeling much stronger than normal air displacement.
I raised my right hand slowly, then opened my palm.
I began to focus my Senior Aura. Not channeling it into my muscles, but projecting it outward. Into the atmosphere directly around me. I imagined my new heart pumping a heavy pressure into the open air.
Vwoom!
Suddenly, the air pressure inside the room plummeted drastically.
The window curtains flapped violently even though all the glass was shut tight. Medical report papers on Edna's desk flew wildly into the air, swirling around my hand resembling a miniature tornado vortex. The glass of water on the table shook violently, its surface rippling uncontrollably.
"Kyaa! My skirt!" shrieked Erika in surprise, hurriedly holding down her skirt which was blown by a strong wind from nowhere.
"Atmospheric Pressure..." whispered Elena with eyes sparkling in awe. "You did not create wind using elemental magic, Arin. You are purely manipulating the weight of the air around you. That is an absolute hereditary ability of the Silver Wolf!"
I immediately clenched my fist tightly. The gale died instantly. The floating papers immediately fell scattered back onto the stone floor.
"I cannot summon blizzards or lightning strikes yet," I said while analyzing the sensation I had just felt. "But I can control the wind within a two-meter radius. That is more than enough to deflect the trajectory of arrows or simply disrupt an enemy's balance."
This power, this was a perfect evolutionary leap.
"Do not celebrate just yet, Mr. Mutant," Edna cut in with a voice as cold as ice, ruining my euphoric moment without mercy. She tossed a thick document right onto my lap.
"Every power demands a price. And your bill this time is extremely expensive."
I picked up the document. Post-Mutation Metabolic Analysis Report.
"What is the meaning of all this?" I asked.
"It is bad news," answered Edna while crossing her arms again. "First, the oxygen issue. You possess two hearts now, Arin. That means you require twice as much oxygen supply. On land at normal altitudes, you might be fine. But if you sprint or fight at full power, your human lungs will never be enough to supply air for those two engines."
Edna pointed straight at my chest.
"You will experience Hypoxia, or acute oxygen deficiency, far faster than before. From this second on, you must carry pure oxygen tanks or those artificial breathing capsules of yours wherever you step. If you are negligent, you could pass out mid-battle simply because your body forgets how to breathe."
I nodded my head in understanding. The logic made perfect sense. A large-capacity engine naturally required a massive air intake as well.
"Second," Edna continued her explanation, her face now looking increasingly serious. "The calorie issue. Your super regeneration and steel skin desperately need fuel. Your body now burns energy exactly like a hellfire furnace. Based on my calculations, you need a minimum of four thousand to five thousand calories per day just to sit still without doing anything."
"Five thousand?!" shrieked Erika in shock. "That is the equivalent of five adult meals at once!"
"And if you fight or are forced to use regeneration," Edna added with a cruel tone, "your caloric needs could spike sharply to ten thousand calories. If you are late to eat, your body will undergo Autocannibalism. Your new heart will begin to consume your own muscles and fat just to keep beating. You will devour yourself from the inside out until only bones remain."
I swallowed hard with great difficulty. So, I had to eat continuously? Or at least carry super calorie-dense rations in my pocket at all times.
"So, the conclusion is I indeed became very strong, but I am a gas guzzler and demand high maintenance costs," I summarized while smiling wryly, laughing at myself. "A truly typical prototype product."
"And there is one more thing," said Edna, her tone slightly softer this time. "Regarding the ability to reflect magic..."
I looked at her hopefully. That was the most terrifying ability possessed by the Silver Wolf.
Edna shook her head slowly. "The result is nil. Your skin has indeed become incredibly tough, but it possesses no Mana Mirror properties whatsoever. That reflective trait exists only in the structure of the wolf's original fur and scales, not in its heart or blood. So, I am warning you, do not try to block a fireball directly with your chest. You will still burn to ashes."
Disappointment washed over my heart for a moment. What a pity. I had already imagined myself as a walking anti-mage on the battlefield.
"It does not matter," I said while clenching my fist again. "This physical strength and regeneration capability are honestly more than enough for my combat arsenal right now. At least I won't die a foolish death."
I swept my gaze over my friends.
Rose stared at me with an envious look that she did not try to hide at all. "You are truly cheating, Arin. Having two hearts? Instant regeneration? You make my sword talent look like a child's toy."
"Do not be easily jealous, Rose," Kars chimed in, laughing freely. "Didn't you hear he has to finish ten plates of food a day? He will surely go bankrupt just paying for lunch."
Celia merely smiled thinly hearing the joke, but her eyes radiated sincere respect. She knew exactly how agonizing the process I had to endure to obtain all this.
"So," I said as I picked up a red apple from the table and devoured it in one large bite. I truly felt ravenously hungry right now. "The process of upgrading my body is officially complete."
I chewed the crisp apple quickly, thoroughly enjoying the sensation while my stomach continued to scream demanding more food.
My eyes then slowly shifted to look at Kars Benzzi.
The young man was sitting casually, still chuckling with Rose. His right arm, which had been severely broken before, was now completely healed thanks to the efficacy of the expensive elixir.
I stared at him directly. Not with the gaze of a friend. But with the gaze of a Scientist who had just found a new experimental subject.
Suddenly, a wild idea flashed quickly through my mind. An idea born from Elena's secret notebook regarding the Old Blood of pure noble families.
"Kars," I called softly.
Kars turned his head with a smile still lingering on his lips. "Yes? Do you want to ask me to treat you to lunch?"
I walked toward him with slow steps. The smile on my face gradually changed its form. It became a smile exactly like the one I wore when I dissected the wolf in the middle of the forest. A smile that usually successfully made Edna shiver in terror.
"My body is sorted out," I said in a low voice while standing towering over him. "Now, it is your turn."
Kars's smile vanished instantly. He saw my eyes gleaming with pure madness. The young man backed away slowly until his back pressed tightly against the backrest of the sofa.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kars asked, his voice trembling slightly, radiating panic. "Whose turn?"
"The power of your Old Blood," I explained while looking him up and down, as if I were measuring a fresh cut of meat at a traditional market. "The Berserker ability belonging to the Benzzi family. That power is indeed extraordinary, but highly inefficient. You only destroy your own body every time you are consumed by anger. That is a very poor biological design."
I bent over, bringing my face right in front of his.
"What if we tried to dissect it a little?" I whispered like a demon offering a pact. "I really want to experiment. I am incredibly curious as to what exactly makes your blood boil every time you get angry. And perhaps, we can make it far more efficient. Without requiring you to go insanely out of your mind."
Kars swallowed hard. His face turned deathly pale. He looked frantically at Edna, desperately hoping the doctor would step in and forbid me.
But Edna, she actually held her chin with one hand, looking deep in thought, seriously weighing the idea.
"Hmm," Edna mumbled softly. "In medical theory, researching blood samples of ancient lineages does sound very interesting. Perhaps we could find a way to separate the adrenaline-pumping factor from the madness factor."
"Edna! Never support him!" shouted Kars in panic, defending himself.
I gripped Kars's shoulder tightly. My grip now felt immensely strong, far stronger than before thanks to my new muscles.
"Come on, Kars. Do not act so stingy," I coaxed with an ever-widening smirk. "This is all purely for the sake of science. And also for the sake of your own strength. You really want to defeat Karl decisively, don't you?"
Hearing Karl's name mentioned, Kars's eyes blinked slowly. His buried ambition began to be lured out. Yet, his fear of my scalpel could not be hidden either.
"But, you will not use a bone drill, right?" he asked with a weak voice full of despair.
"We shall see about that on the operating table," I answered with a mysteriously threatening tone.
In that warm room, under the awestruck gazes of my friends, I felt the wheel of fate spinning rapidly once more. My entirely new body, my vastly greater strength, and a perfect experimental target were already right before my eyes.
"Prepare your mind well, Kars. Tomorrow morning, we enter the laboratory."