Raven's eyes lit up. The stronger Bardi became, the happier she felt. She no longer wished to leave his side. The two had formed a deep bond, and in her heart, she already considered herself to be his.
"What kind of innate magic is that? Show me!"
Raven asked excitedly, her anticipation evident.
Bardi nodded. He steadied himself, closed his eyes, and began to fully channel his innate magic.
He had always possessed an extraordinary awareness and control over his own body. As his magic power surged, it coursed through his cells like a river, gathering naturally and manifesting his innate ability.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. Dark muscle-like patterns appeared around them as his magic surged, his skin faintly radiating dark energy. His pupils became deep and abyssal, as though they held the endless darkness of the void.
Then, two dark rays erupted from his eyes. The beams, so dense they seemed to absorb surrounding light, pierced through the air and struck a gray-white rock about the size of an adult's arms.
The dark energy poured down in full force. The rock's surface darkened instantly, taking on a muddy hue as it emitted an unusual scent.
In just a few seconds, Bardi had released an overwhelming magical reaction, his innate magic, unleashed through his eyes.
The dark beams lasted for two seconds.
Bardi then ceased the output of magic power, abruptly shutting his eyes. He inhaled deeply, his broad, muscular chest rising and falling. The sudden surge of his innate magic had drained a significant amount of his energy, leaving him unable to fully control it yet.
Only after exhaling, regulating his body's magical energy, and restoring his internal balance did he slowly open his eyes once more.
A rich, sweet aroma filled his nostrils, teasing his senses.
His expression stiffened. His eyes widened in shock.
The gray-white rock had transformed into… chocolate.
A solid chunk of chocolate rock, radiating an unmistakable, rich cocoa scent. The entire vine-covered space was now filled with the overwhelming fragrance of chocolate.
---
A heavy silence filled the vine-covered barrier. Outside, strong winds howled faintly, bringing thunder and heavy rain that pounded the ground before seeping into the quiet enclosure.
Inside, the air was thick with the sweet, enticing scent of chocolate. Every particle in the air carried a rich cocoa aroma.
Zatara and Raven stood frozen in shock.
Neither of them had ever witnessed such a bizarre innate magic.
Turning objects into chocolate???
Zatara had seen countless forms of transmutation, people turning others into sheep, pigs, or dogs. He had even seen transformations into chairs, scrolls, flowers, plants, and trees. Rarer cases involved people being turned into pillows, clothing, cloaks, souls, or even inexplicable spiritual entities lost in the void.
But in every case, such transformations required an ongoing supply of magic to maintain their structure. Without a continuous stream of magical energy, everything would eventually revert to its original form.
Yet what truly astounded Zatara about Bardi's magic was that the transformation wasn't temporary—it had completely rewritten the atomic structure of the material itself.
In other words, this wasn't an illusion or a magically sustained form. The rock had truly become chocolate, down to the molecular level.
That was terrifying.
Raven, however, was focused on something entirely different.
The overwhelming chocolate aroma filled her nose, tickling her senses. Pressing her fingers lightly against her nose, she took a moment to adjust to the scent before stepping forward, wide-eyed, toward the transformed rock.
As she got closer, the sweetness intensified, seeping into her lungs with every breath.
"This... is real chocolate!"
Amazed, Raven stretched out her hand from beneath her cloak and touched the chocolate rock.
It was soft. At the warmth of her fingertips, it began to melt slightly. She applied a bit of pressure and easily broke off a piece, which immediately started melting in her palm.
Holding the small chunk of chocolate close to her nose, she inhaled deeply. The aroma was so strong it almost made her sneeze.
Her dark purple lips parted slightly, revealing a glimpse of her delicate pink tongue as she licked the chocolate from her fingers. The smooth texture melted against her tongue, coating it in a thick layer of rich, velvety cocoa.
Then, as the taste fully registered.
A surge of pure sweetness exploded in her mouth, flooding her senses. It was as if her entire being was bathed in warmth, the rich flavor wrapping around her brain in an intoxicating wave of happiness.
At the same time, a faint pulse of magic entered her body, subtly replenishing her energy.
Stunned, Raven blinked. Without hesitation, she took a bite from the melting chocolate in her palm.
The instant she did, an even stronger rush of pleasure surged through her spirit. The warmth filled her mind like a comforting embrace, and—bit by bit—her magic power was gradually restored.
This chocolate…
It could restore magic energy.
And it made the eater feel euphoric.
"Bardi! This chocolate is amazing! It restores magic power and gives the eater a spiritual shock of happiness!"
Raven turned to Bardi in astonishment, her voice filled with excitement.
This discovery was incredible!
This chocolate was unlike anything else in existence. It was delicious, filled with mystical properties, and capable of bringing an almost intoxicating joy.
Of course, the magic-restoration effect only worked on Raven and Bardi, as the two shared a magical blood connection.
Zatara, upon hearing Raven's reaction, curiously broke off a piece and took a bite. While it didn't replenish his magic, the euphoric sensation washed over him as well, filling his mind with an uplifting, almost blissful happiness.
There was no denying it, this was incredible chocolate.
But as Raven and Zatara marveled over the discovery, Bardi's expression grew increasingly grim.
His eye twitched.
His face stiffened.
He couldn't believe that his innate magic… was turning things into chocolate.
He had spent a massive amount of magic power just to transform a rock the size of an adult's arms… into chocolate.
Raven, completely unaware of Bardi's growing frustration, was still beaming in excitement—until she noticed the look on his face.
The second their eyes met, Raven froze.
Bardi's expression had darkened.
His piercing gaze locked onto her, filled with silent fury.
Raven's excitement vanished in an instant. She quickly retracted her hands into her cloak, pulling it tightly around her body like a protective shield. She stood rigidly, pressing her legs together, rubbing her knees anxiously as an uneasy feeling crept over her.
"Why… why is my innate magic like this?!"
Bardi's jaw clenched, his voice filled with disbelief as he glared at Raven.
This was ridiculous.
Completely absurd.
He simply could not accept this.
He imagined himself facing Jor-El in battle. Jor-El would activate his heat vision and declare:
"Take my heat vision!!"
And he, Bardi, could only respond with:
"Chocolate Ray Impact!!"
Or worse—
One day, if he found himself standing before Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips, the tyrant would unleash his Omega Beams, declaring:
"Omega Rays!!"
And Bardi…
Would have to glare back and shout with all seriousness:
"I will turn you into chocolate!!!"
The thought alone made his skin crawl.
It was like some absurd parody—as if he had become Majin Buu.
Was this his fate?
Goosebumps prickled his skin. His mind screamed in denial.
No.
No, he refused to accept this.
He was a serious person. A warrior. A force to be reckoned with.
How could he possibly have such a ridiculous, laughable ability?
"Well… this… should… probably be… like this…"
Raven shrank further into her cloak, her voice faltering. She stammered, tucking her chin into her hood, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Over the past seventy years, she had made too many mistakes. And after all this time, she had developed an almost instinctive awareness of Bardi's moods.
She knew when he was annoyed.
She knew when he was furious.
And right now—
He was definitely angry.
But deep down, Bardi already had his suspicions about the cause of this absurdity.
When Raven had used Trigon's blood energy to construct a magic circle to stabilize his body, something else had happened.
His soul had played a role in shaping the result. His sheer willpower had preserved his Kryptonian genes while integrating them with his newly formed magical body.
His muscular physique was a direct reflection of his subconscious desire for strength.
The black cloak that had appeared naturally around him? That was his perception of how a magician should look, an image he had unknowingly imprinted onto his own magical body.
But unfortunately…
Raven's blood had still played a part in his transformation.
And not only had she merged her magic with his.
She had unknowingly projected her own subconscious desires onto him.
For her, the idea of happiness had always been tied to one thing.
Chocolate.
The first time she had ever felt true warmth, true comfort, was the day Bardi had given her a piece of chocolate.
That moment had been burned into her heart.
And as time passed, it became so deeply embedded in her subconscious that it had unknowingly influenced his magical talent.
In the end—
That one piece of chocolate…
Had created his chocolate-based innate magic.
With heavy, deliberate steps, he approached Raven. He raised his hand as if to strike her on the head—causing Raven, who was curled up in her cloak, to shrink even further. Her arms and legs instinctively pressed tightly against her delicate frame.
His fury was justified.
He imagined himself facing Jor-El, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Nightwing, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Huntress, Doctor Manhattan, Trigon, Yuga Khan, Zeus, Odin, The Spectre, Lucifer, celestial beasts, cosmic gods… and all sorts of other powerful beings.
And what would he do?
Would he grab their legs, slam them into the ground—only to turn them into chocolate and have Raven eat them all!?
Absolutely ridiculous.
Of course, no matter how angry he was, he could never actually harm Raven.
Instead, he simply tapped the top of her hood lightly with the back of his hand.
Even so, Raven still trembled in fear.
His voice was cold. "Take the chocolate rock away. You can eat it later."
Raven blinked, momentarily stunned. Then she looked up at Bardi's stern expression.
Despite his cold demeanor, warmth filled her heart.
Just like the past seventy years, no matter how many foolish things she did, Bardi would always react the same way—angry, yet still taking care of her.
Seeing Raven's lips curl into a small, amused smile, Bardi's glare darkened.
Her smile vanished instantly.
Hurriedly, she tucked the chocolate rock into her personal storage space, saving it for later.
Meanwhile, Bardi remained deep in thought.
His innate magical ability was undeniably powerful—it could alter the atomic arrangement of matter itself. However, it had no defensive properties.
It couldn't counteract energy-based attacks. It wasn't a weapon for direct combat.
At best, it could be used to create problems for his opponents during a battle. At worst, it was only useful after a fight, when he could turn defeated enemies into chocolate.
How unfortunate.
If Raven had gifted him heat vision back when she altered his magic, things might have turned out differently.
With magical heat vision, under his control, he could have easily triggered nuclear fusion and nuclear fission—even replicating nuclear explosions at will.
He might have been able to harness the strong nuclear force, unleashing unparalleled destruction.
But if she had done that, perhaps she never would have entered his spiritual world to save him.
She never would have confronted Trigon at his side.
The chain of events would have been completely different.
Causality was impossible to predict.
Bardi exhaled, a faint smirk playing at his lips.
He was satisfied with where things had led him.
But even so, his innate magic still made his face twitch in frustration.
The matter of Trigon's projection was now settled.
And next—
Jor-El.
Your time of death has come.
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.