I laid there for a while, just staring at the ceiling. No reason to rush. My body was buzzing like it had downed six espressos. Every heartbeat echoed with quiet strength, steady and full.
Eventually, I pushed myself up off the floor. The wood groaned under me again, and I winced. Right.
I need to learn to control my strength soon.
I stumbled to the bathroom, trying to get my bearings. But then—something caught my eye.
In the mirror.
I blinked. Stared harder.
I wasn't imagining it. My hair, which had always been a pale blonde, was now… white. Not platinum. Not silver. Pure, snow-white.
"What the hell?" I muttered, running a hand through it, half-expecting it to be some weird trick of the light. But no. It was real. My hair had changed, and not just a little. It was stark. Brighter, even in the dim bathroom light.
My heart skipped a beat. Was this part of the whole "dragon's blood" thing? Was my new, majestic core trying to assert itself with a makeover or something?
I stared at my reflection, fingers still tangled in my now-white hair. It didn't feel any different. Same texture. Same length.
But damn, it was still weird. It didn't look bad, per se. Just… different.
I could already hear Hayama's silent judgment coming my way. He probably wouldn't even comment on it. The guy didn't say much. But my parents? Eh. They'd probably ask something like "Is this a new look for you?" and I'd shrug it off with a vague, "Yeah, just trying something new," and leave it at that.
Maybe the whole white hair thing would even become my thing now. Who knew?
"Guess I'm not the golden boy anymore," I muttered, trying to laugh it off.
Shaking my head, I ran water over my hands, focusing on getting a grip. My skin, too, felt strangely… firm. More resilient. Like my body was actively resisting anything less than perfect condition.
I dried my hands off, staring at the veins under my skin. They pulsed with faint blue light before fading back to normal, but the glow was unmistakable.
I didn't know exactly what to make of it all yet. My reflection was showing me someone… different, but still me. Maybe this was the first sign of the changes that came with the dragon's blood. Mana core, white hair, enhanced strength and senses…
Am I already turning into an edgy isekai protagonist?
A part of me wanted to test it right then and there. Burst through a wall. Leap across rooftops. Punch a car.
But… maybe later. After I figured out how not to blow up my own house.
Besides, I wasn't sure what Mana Burst felt like yet. According to the data I'd built it off, it should've been simple—infuse my limbs or a weapon with mana, control the flow, and boost strength or speed based on how much I pushed.
Then I noticed it.
No hunger. No fatigue. No ache in my limbs. I hadn't eaten since yesterday, and I didn't feel a single thing. I don't need to eat anymore
Then came the second realization.
I can't age anymore. I forgot about that part when I designed it.
I was more worried about the need to get stronger.
But I'm sixteen.
Frozen at sixteen forever?
Hell no.
"…I'll fix it," I muttered, sitting up slowly.
I glanced at my arm. Focused.
And just like that, the mana obeyed.
A soft hum buzzed under my skin, light pooling around my forearm like mist under glass. It didn't hurt. It didn't even feel hot. It just felt… right.
I reached for a nearby dumbbell on the shelf—something solid, something mundane.
Flicked my wrist.
The thing launched across the room like it had been shot from a cannon, punched a hole through the drywall, and embedded itself halfway into a steel cabinet.
"…Okay," I said out loud. "That was definitely something."
The glow faded. The core was stable. Mana generation was stable. Body synchronization? Perfect.
I was officially something else now. Not quite human, not quite dragon. Just… me, version 2.0.
I grinned.
The hard part was over.
Now came the fun part: figuring out just how far I could push this.
And maybe finding a better place to train than my living room before I ended up kicking a hole through the ceiling.
I snapped myself out of my thoughts and grabbed my phone off the counter. If I was going to avoid accidentally turning my house into rubble, I needed to find a proper place to train.
I pulled up a map of Kuoh Town and scanned it quickly. Most of the places I could think of were either too public or too risky. But there was one spot that caught my eye.
I tapped the map and zoomed in on the outskirts of town—just outside the main residential area. There was an abandoned warehouse district out there. The perfect place. Not many people went out that way, and even fewer cared about what went on there.
"Yeah, that's my spot," I muttered, nodding to myself.
I grabbed my jacket, slipped on my shoes, and stepped out of the bathroom.
"Time to take this show on the road," I said, stretching a bit as I walked toward the door.
I wasn't sure how long I'd be gone or what I'd get up to, but there was something exciting about it. The unknown. Pushing myself beyond the usual limits.
The real fun was about to begin.
Arriving at the warehouse district a bit later, I felt an odd satisfaction at the sight of the rundown buildings. A perfect setting for testing out this new "me."
I walked to the center of the district, finding a spot with enough space to move without crashing into a rusty, decrepit wall. As I stood there, I took a deep breath and centered myself. Time to see what this core of mine could really do.
With nothing but open air in front of me, I took a few practice swings with my arms, feeling out the mana still swirling inside me. It wasn't like I needed to warm up, but it helped me get used to the constant hum of power.
I took a few more steps back, giving myself enough space to work with.
I flexed my fingers, focusing on the mana flowing through my body. It was like I could feel it, every pulse, every surge beneath my skin.
"Alright, let's do this," I muttered to myself, the adrenaline already starting to kick in.
I focused on my forearms, visualizing the mana flowing into them, waiting for the hum to kick in. It didn't take long. A soft mist of blue mana swirled just beneath the surface of my skin, faint but present.
I cracked my knuckles, then let out a breath and raised my fist. My target: the old, rusted metal barrel a few yards away.
I wasn't sure how much force I'd need, but I wasn't exactly holding back.
I shot forward, channeling mana into my right fist, feeling it build, flowing down my arm like liquid energy. The world slowed. My vision sharpened. My legs moved faster than I thought possible, carrying me right to the barrel in a blink.
The punch hit.
CRASH!
The sound was deafening. The barrel exploded in a cloud of rust and metal shards, like I'd punched through a wall made of cardboard. I didn't even feel the impact. My hand connected, and everything else just… gave way.
I stood there, stunned for half a second, my hand still outstretched. The barrel was gone. Completely obliterated. There wasn't even enough left to be considered "remains."
I stared at my fist. Then at the mess I'd made.
"Well, that was… unexpected," I said, blinking in disbelief.
A grin tugged at the corner of my lips. This was insane. But it was just the beginning.
I stepped back a few paces, then cracked my neck, getting ready for round two. It was time to test the next level. The speed.
I concentrated on the mana gathering in my legs. My body felt lighter, faster—like I could take off at a moment's notice.
I bolted forward in a blur, my foot digging into the ground as I surged forward. I reached the other side of the warehouse in less than a second. When I stopped, I barely had time to register the fact that I'd just crossed what would have normally been an impossible distance in the blink of an eye.
I grinned to myself.
"That's more like it," I muttered.
I did it again, this time focusing on my upper body. Channeling mana into my arms, I started throwing punches at the air in rapid succession.
I could feel my strength building with every strike, my movements faster, more precise, more natural.
I let the mana flow into my legs again, feeling the surge of power building. Without thinking, I dashed forward—this time launching myself up into the air.
For a brief moment, I soared. I was flying. Not for long, but the sensation was enough. I was weightless, a blur of motion, before gravity caught up and I landed with a roll, barely touching the ground before I was back on my feet.
I couldn't help but laugh. This was what it was all about.
But I still had one more thing to try—the Mana Burst.
I stood still for a second, letting my body calm, letting the mana settle in my core. I needed to focus.
The goal was to transfer the mana into my muscles and weapons, giving me a temporary boost in speed and strength. But I wanted to see how much I could really push it.
I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing slowly, feeling the mana build. I concentrated on my legs first, visualizing the energy pushing out from my core and into my muscles.
Then, I did it.
The world around me practically exploded in motion.
My body shot forward like a rocket. The ground cracked under my feet as I reached blinding speed.
The air rushed past me, a blur of sound and sensation.
I slammed into a nearby concrete pillar.
BOOM!
The impact was so forceful, the pillar cracked in half, the concrete shattering like glass. The debris rained down around me.
I stood there, panting, but exhilarated. That… was insane.
And it felt damn good.
How would I fare with the supernatural?
I paused, hands still glowing faintly with mana, and stared at the mess I'd made.
Sure, I was strong now—way stronger than before. Faster, tougher, and with mana practically flowing through me like a second lifeblood.
But this was just the beginning. What about the things I couldn't just punch? The world of magic, demons, angels, and whatever else lived in the shadows of Kuoh Town? How would I measure up there?
I couldn't afford to be cocky. There were definitely people in this town who could probably rip me to shreds without even breaking a sweat. But at the same time, I wasn't about to let that stop me. I wasn't just some random bystander anymore—I had power/
Still, I didn't need to rush. I just needed time.
I glanced over at the Workshop.
The possibilities. The tools. The creations.
Yeah, I'd get there eventually. But for now, I could take my time, prepare, and play it cool. After all, as powerful as I was getting, I was still just a rookie in this crazy world.
That meant caution was key.