Chapter 203: The Evolved Power

Chapter 203: The Evolved Power

< Chapter 203: The Evolved Power (2) >

"I was quite startled."

After telling Heavenly God I'd go in first, I hastily returned to the room. I stood in front of the mirror, letting out a sigh of relief.

"It's nothing special, but the effects are just too flashy"

It was simply the Adam's Mark changing uniformly from black to white. Why were the effects so dramatic?

I thought something had happened.'

Given that I had forcefully synchronized to the point of overload, there was also a possibility of additional side effects.

I wondered if it wasnt the side effects, then perhaps the Adams Mark had evolved.'

I couldn't believe it was either.

While I felt relieved, I also felt a sense of emptiness.

But, the fact that the after-effects were resolved in a day is good.'

Theres no need to feel emptiness. Its actually something to be glad about.

"In the future, when over-synchronizing with the artifact, I should also calculate the recovery time."

It's fortunate that only Heavenly God saw the Adam's Mark that was densely engraved all over my body glowing through my clothes. If many people had seen it, it would have been chaos.

My information could have leaked into the Demonic Realm, which would have been problematic in many ways.'

To prevent that, extra care must be taken when synchronizing.

Synchronizing now shouldn't be a problem.'

The current time is 1:12 AM, past midnight. If I over-synchronize at this time, Ill recover by tomorrow morning. No problem at all.

Alright. Let's synchronize.'

I immediately took out an artifact from the subspace.

It wasn't an artifact of the Angel Race.

I used all of the Angel Race's artifacts yesterday, and now only 6 of the Dragon Race's artifacts remain.

I wanted to grow the marks of both the Angel and Dragon Races equally, so I split them

Should I have first upgraded the Angel Races mark to a higher rank?'

Looking back, that might have been a mistake.

Wouldn't it have been better to promote one to the transcendent rank first?

In terms of combat power, that seems like the answer.

Of course, the mark of the Angel Race would have been weak when inactive, but perhaps that risk was worth it.

No, distributing to both instead of going all-in on one is better for unforeseen circumstances.'

Its also crucial to upgrade the Dragon Race's mark to the mid-level.

With 6 Dragon Race artifacts Itll definitely reach mid-level, right?'

Ive already used quite a few Dragon Race artifacts. With these 6 more

No, if I assume the overload is at the same level as yesterday, then 5?'

Anyway, synchronizing 5 more artifacts should definitely get it to mid-level.

With the mid-level Dragon Race's mark I can use all the general characteristics of dragons, including dragon eyes.'

Moreover, the effect of synchronizing with the Dragon Race's mark is an increase in magical talent. In many ways, its more versatile than the effect of the Angel Races synchronization.

Alright.'

Having sorted out my thoughts, I hesitated no more and grasped the Dragon Race artifact I had taken out earlier.

At that moment, my reflection in the mirror began to transform, accentuating the unique features of the Dragon Race.

"Ugh!"

The pain began.

A pain that felt familiar if it was familiar, and unfamiliar if it wasn't, began from the tips of my fingers and spread to my toes.

This it hurts too much right from the start!'

Although I've adapted to all sorts of pain, it wasnt unbearable, but it genuinely hurt like hell. It's surprising I didnt scream.

Moreover, the pain persisted for an overly long time.

When will this end!?'

I gritted my teeth and endured, enduring again and again. Minutes seemed to pass that way.

"Damn."

The pain began to gradually subside, and soon all the pain stopped.

"That was intense"

The intensity of the pain wasn't that strong, but it lasted too long. It felt like being pricked all over my skin with a needle.

It would be better if it hurt intensely for a moment and then stopped. This isnt even torture.'

Could the aftermath be worse because of the consecutive overload?

If so, grabbing the next artifact is a bit

No, its much scarier.

"Is this really just the first stage?"

If this is the first stage, how painful is the next?

I was genuinely marked.

"Should I postpone the synchronization with the other artifacts for now?"

I was having such weak thoughts when, perhaps because my mind cleared a bit, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

"Huh?"

At the same time, my pupils dilated.

On top of reptilian eyes, characteristic of them being slit, my hair changed to a darker black. It felt more like scales than hair.

This change was as expected. I wasnt surprised because of the change in my appearance.

"The mark"

The problem was that the marks engraved all over my body had turned back to black.

"I only used one"

Did I overload just by synchronizing with one artifact?

Why?

"Could it be the overload value accumulates?"

For instance, let's say this:

Suppose my body can handle a max synchronization of 5 pieces at once.

The recovery rate of this synchronization is 1 piece based on 24 hours.

If that's the case, the horrendous pain I felt a while ago and the current situation make sense.

I hurt that much because I synchronized the artifact just before the overload.'

Upon closer reflection, the pain was similar to when I held the fifth artifact of the Angel Race yesterday.

I sighed deeply as if the ground beneath me was collapsing.

"Right. That makes sense. It was odd how things seemed too easy."

If I could synchronize with five artifacts a day, it would mean 150 in a month.

That seemed too generous. But as expected, there was a catch.

Given the unbelievably precise number, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

"Huh?"

I continued reading the information.

The surprise on my face deepened as I came across the next entry.

[Dragon's mark (Middle Rank): 01.22%]

"Middle rank?"

It had reached the middle rank? When? It was definitely at the low rank just before I showered

From that single artifact just now!?'

I placed the tablet on the table for a moment and rushed to the mirror. Turning around, I checked the large mark engraved on my back.

"It's true."

The Dragon's mark etched on my back had transformed into a much more impressive form.

The once immature-looking dragon now had an intellectual appearance, and its wings and body were more prominent.

Intangible auras that seemed to represent mana even surrounded it, fluttering about. The change was so significant it was immediately noticeable.

Its growth is faster than I thought?'

This was a delightful miscalculation.

At this rate'

A gleam appeared in my eyes.

* * *

Exactly 3 days later.

I was undergoing Aqua's physical check-up before starting the rehabilitation training.

"Yep. You've really improved a lot."

Aqua pulled her hands away from my body with a wide smile.

"So, I can finish the rehab training now?"

I moved my limbs here and there. The discomfort I felt just yesterday was completely gone. It definitely feels like I've returned to a normal state.

"How about your magic?"

"I met with Ini before coming here, and she said it's perfectly fine. In fact, she mentioned it's even better?"

It's quite expected since the Dragon's mark had evolved to a mid-level, strengthening my magical circuit. Naturally, it must have improved.

"Hmm. If Ini has vouched for it, then it's certain."

Aqua grinned.

"Yep. So, as of today, your rehab training ends. Congratulations on your full recovery."

"Thanks. I was able to shake off the aftereffects faster because of you."

Thanks to Aqua's intense rehabilitation training, my body recovered faster.

"Oh, come on. What did I even do? It's all thanks to your effort."

Aqua waved off with a bashful smile.

"You were busy as it is, yet you took time out every morning to help me. I'm truly grateful."

"Hehe."

Aqua responded with a simple, genuine smile.

"If there's ever anything I can help you with, just let me know. If it's within my capabilities, I'll help anytime."

"Really?"

"For real."

I really want to give something back in return.

"Then, can I ask for something right now?"

"Right now?"

"Yes."

Aqua scratched her head slightly, her face turning red. She kept glancing up at me and then looking down, repeating this several times.

I immediately understood what Aqua was thinking.

"Um since you're healed now if you're available"

"You want to spar?"

Aqua's eyes widened in surprise.

"How how did you know?"

To anyone else, her expression and gestures might seem as if she was making a confession.

But considering it's Aqua, it couldn't possibly be that.

The only thing that could make Aqua act like this and blush would be something related to physical activity.

Add to that her hesitancy, and it's clear she thinks she's imposing on me.

Considering all these factors, the favor Aqua wants to ask is Let's spar'.

"Just considering your personality, I kind of guessed."

There's no need to go into lengthy explanations, so I just skirted around it a bit.

"Really? Hehe."

It seemed another emotion, embarrassment was added to Aqua's expression.

Why is she acting like that?

Hmm. I don't really know either.

"I welcome sparring."

Since I'm not sure, I decided to change the subject back.

"Really?"

Aqua, returning to her innocent smile, lit up her eyes and leaned closer to me.

"Yeah. I've been feeling the need to check my body condition as well."

"Not only my physical condition, but I also felt the need to have someone to objectively compare my strength with.

With four stars, Aqua would be a good test opponent."

"Then, shall we start right after a quick warm-up?"

Perhaps it's because she hasn't moved properly recently, Aqua immediately conjured an ice sword and swung it around.

"I already stretched a bit earlier, didn't I? Let's start right away."

In truth, I also felt restless and eager to move.

I was impatient, wanting to test the limits of my strength.

I took out a necklace-shaped artifact from the void and put it around my neck.

It was the Angel' artifact I acquired yesterday.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a brilliant light burst from my body.

I wonder how powerful a high-rank angel's strength is'

The mark of the Angel race on my chest shone even brighter.

< Chapter 203: The Evolved Power (2) > End.