Silas had no way out of this situation, in a strange world where he had come and without any knowledge kicked out of the household.
The cold air bit into his skin as he wandered the unfamiliar streets, his breath visible in the moonlight. The cobblestones felt unforgiving beneath his boots, each step a reminder of his fall from grace.
"I can't even do mercenaries work with this body," he muttered, flexing his fingers. His muscles ached from the duke's guardsmanhandling him, and his clothes were torn from the struggle. Even with the past life knowledge, he couldn't do anything without a body capable of harnessing mana.
"I have to search for herbs to gather mana in the body even if a bit," he reasoned, though doubt lingered in his voice. His stomach growled, a sharp contrast to the grand halls and full bellies of the Thalassiel estate.
Silas began walking towards mountains where he could gather herbs. The path was uneven, and the scent of pine filled his nostrils. On the way, he was recognized by some ruffians.
"What are you doing, you spoiled brat?" one sneered, his breath reeking of ale.
Silas glanced at him for a moment and ignored him, continuing his trek. The man's laughter followed him, harsh and mocking.
"Did this fucker just ignore me? Let him come towards the estate at night. He'll regret it," the ruffian muttered to his companions, but Silas paid them no mind.
Fortunately for Silas, he reached the mountains quickly as they weren't far. However, it was night time. At night, the monsters are most active. It's common knowledge among people, but for someone like Silas who has never encountered such beasts, he'd never known.
The moon hung low, casting long shadows through the trees. Silas stumbled over roots, his vision adjusting to the dim light.
"Oh, the herbs here have quite substantial mana," he observed, crouching to examine a cluster of glowing plants. Their faint luminescence danced in the darkness.
Silas had a premonition that if he wandered deeper in the forest, he could get herbs on par with Millennium Ginseng. Although with Mana Insensitivity, he could barely gather any energy from it.
While gathering herbs, he spotted a cave. The entrance was partially obscured by vines, but the cool air emanating from it was inviting.
"That could be a fine place for cultivation," he said to himself, brushing away the foliage.
He walked into the cave and found a large pond. The pond wasn't blue but white with a hint of red in the middle and emitted a soft, ethereal light.
"This world is strange indeed," Silas whispered, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'm witnessing things which I never thought I would."
hiss hiss
Silas froze. A giant black serpent, ten meters in size, was glaring at him with its red eyes. Its scales shimmered under the cave's light, harder than Thousand Years Cold Iron.
sighs
Silas lost all hope. If there was something called luck, just know it wasn't for Silas. An outcast trash with mana insensitivity who's exposed to a giant snake. What could describe bad luck better than this?
Silas without any delay began to run, trying to run out of the cave wasn't an option with the way blocked by the Serpent. He ran towards the lake with all his might.
duppp
He dipped into the liquid, causing ripples on the surface. With his fragile body, even holding breath for half a minute was a burden, but overtaken by the survival instinct and the adrenaline surging through him, he was willing to do anything.
It was a foolish thought after all—the serpent could swim in water too. However, running out of the cave was impossible anyways.
The serpent frantically jumped in the water, to search for his prey. Silas watched its movements from beneath the water's surface, his lungs burning.
Perhaps, by the mercy of gods. A monstrous wolf entered the cave, its size wasn't any less than the serpent if anything it was bigger.
The snake noticing its presence, shot upwards the surface of water to confront the wolf.
In mere moments, the wolf lunged at the snake and tried to bite the snake while avoiding its jaw. The wolf began attacking with its claws but could only scratch the serpent's scales.
Both ferociously started to rampage in the cave, the cave was holding its own against the two monstrosities. Silas noticing that the snake was in a battle with wolf. Tried to reach the surface for air but he was already too late. His vision started to fade.
gurgle gurgle
Silas became unconscious.
---
cough cough
"What happened?"
Silas found himself in another cave. Torches were lit up in here as if marking a pathway. The flickering light cast dancing shadows on the walls.
Silas made up his mind and began to explore the cave, after minutes of walking he found a ruined altar.
"A strange structure," he muttered, his footsteps echoing in the cavern.
He suspiciously walked towards it with caution. There were scriptures in another language. The language was unfamiliar to both Silas and Ryu-Hajin.
In the middle of the altar was a black orb, emitting a revolting darkness. Silas's hand seemed drawn to it, moving of its own accord. Without conscious intent, he reached out and made contact with the orb.
The moment his skin touched its surface, the crimson dark smog began to seep out, and cracks formed on the orb's surface.
Silas's body convulsed, his veins protruding from his skin as his eyes turned bloodshot red. Blood started flowing from his nose, mouth, and eyes.
He tried to pull his hand back, but it was stuck, as if bound by an unseen force. The smog reacted with the water in his stomach, causing his blood to darken and his consciousness to falter.
On the brink of collapse, Silas's lips began to move, chanting strange, arcane words that seemed to come from a place beyond his control.
As Silas's consciousness solidified, he became aware of his new surroundings and his own... alterations.
His gaze fell upon his body, and he noted the absence of any attire, but his mind didn't linger on the triviality of clothing.
Instead, he assessed his new form with a detached curiosity.
The lean physique, chiseled with lithe muscle, the majestic hairstyle – his dark hair cut to frame his face, with longer strands sweeping down to the nape of his neck – and eyes that shone like molten rubies, their deep crimson hue evoking the vibrant color of freshly spilled garnet.
All of it seemed... optimized. He flexed his fingers, feeling the subtle play of muscles beneath his skin.
As Silas's mind began to clear, a cascade of questions flooded his thoughts: What exactly had transpired during his transformation?
How had the black orb affected him, and what was its true nature? What were the full implications of his new form, and how did it differ from his previous existence?
Had he merely evolved, or had he become something entirely new? What lay ahead for him now, and how would his newfound abilities shape his path?
His thoughts unfolded with deliberate precision, each inquiry building upon the last as he methodically dissected his situation, seeking clarity and understanding.
"My body has changed, no. It's entirely different, as if I'm a different person," Silas observed, his gaze lingering on his new physique.
"The Qi Pathways are clear, and my physical capabilities are enhanced. At a glance, it's visible that this body doesn't lose its own against the Heavenly Martial Body – perhaps even surpasses it." He murmured to himself.
"Quite a harvest." His voice was deeper than before, a testament to the transformation.
"If not for this change, it would've been hard to transcend the 1st Class Warrior realm." A faint smile played on his lips as he continued,
"I can start gathering mana now." Silas sat down in the lotus position on the floor, his mind serene as he began to explore the intricacies of his new form. He thought back to the black orb, and a sense of connection formed in his mind.
"Well, these changes don't seem to bring harm... at least, not yet," he mused, his expression contemplative.