"Okay..." Magnus muttered to himself, arms crossed. Surrounding him was a multilayered mana barrier, its transparent walls revealing an endless expanse of molten orange beyond.
Well, if there’s any upside to this, it’s that the plan worked. Seeing as the Nullfang hasn’t attacked me yet, it must’ve rushed to the surface the moment its home collapsed.
With that thought, Magnus glanced again through the barrier. Everything seemed stable enough. The [Velocity Breaker] he had unleashed hadn’t just obliterated the magma chamber—it had disrupted the natural cycle of magic in the area. This place could still technically be called a mana well, no amount of physical destruction could change that. But as for being a magical location? That was another story.
Maybe, in a few centuries or millennia, a new magma chamber would start to form here, and the site might regain its magical properties. But that was far off. Magical locations were freak occurrences, and the odds of another one forming in this exact spot were less than a fraction of a percent.
Honestly, though, I’m still surprised focusing [Velocity Breaker] through spatial manipulation worked as well as it did.
His gaze dropped to his left arm.
[Indeed, Master. Redirecting the strike’s force by bending space greatly reduced the damage your arm sustained.]
Previously, using [Velocity Breaker] required him to generate hundreds of compactly layered barriers to shield himself from the aftereffects. Even then, the arm that delivered the punch—the least protected part—had been left mangled and burned almost to the bone, its flesh charred beyond recognition. But this time was different. Space itself had acted as a funnel, channeling the energy outward and away from his body. The attack wasn’t just compressed and focused into a precision strike; the warped space also absorbed some of the backlash.
This time, barriers weren’t even necessary. And while his left arm had still been incinerated, it wasn’t stripped to the bone. Thanks to [Perfective Regeneration], his arm had recovered in just a minute instead of several.
Now, what should we call this combination? Maybe something simple and scientific, just tacking it onto [Velocity Breaker].
[In that case, perhaps [Velocity Breaker—Lance] would suffice?]
A bit simpler than I had in mind, but considering you named the ability to begin with, sure.
He took a deep breath out of habit, shifting his focus. Now it was time to figure out how to get out of here. With who knew how many tons of molten and solid rock overhead, he needed to carve a path back to the surface.
Well, this is going to take a while, better get started.
Unfolding his arms, he clapped his hands together, mentally piecing together a plan. But before he could begin, something interrupted him.
[Master, perhaps we can use this as an opportunity before we leave.]
Magnus raised an eyebrow.
Hmm? What are you talking about?
[This environment is highly pressurized and extremely hot. While your body is resistant to both, it’s not to an extreme degree. Instead of leaving immediately, using this environment to sublimate your body could be beneficial.]
Magnus brought a hand to his chin, considering Basker’s suggestion.
So, you’re suggesting I throw myself into the magma? Pretty sure that’d kill me, Basker. Also, it’d hurt like hell—I’d literally be burning myself alive. It’s already sweltering, even with the barriers and me using ice elementrix.
[Of course not, Master. This is a controlled environment. You could gradually adapt by slowly reducing the layers of your barrier and shrinking them. Though, you’re correct—it will be a painful process.]
Basker’s words echoed in Magnus’s mind as he mulled them over. Up until now, he had treated [Perfective Regeneration] as more of a passive fallback, something that kicked in when he was injured rather than an ability to push himself with. He initially tested and improved it with normal tools by deliberately hurting himself, but after Celia walked in on him that one time he slowed on doing that. On the other hand, using magic on himself had always felt risky. And purposely putting himself in harm’s way during a fight? Even worse. But this situation was different. Here, he was alone, with no interruptions, and could recast his barriers at any time if things went south.
[I should also point out that if you succeed, reaching the surface will be significantly easier—and faster.]
Magnus nodded.
Fair point.
If he didn’t need to maintain a constant barrier to shield himself from the magma, he could maneuver through it just like he did through water or kicking off the air. After a moment of deliberation, he sighed—a slow, resigned exhale that spoke volumes about how much he wasn't looking forward to this.
This is going to hurt like a bitch...
With that thought, Magnus sat cross-legged on the searing ground. The instant his body made contact, the heat bit into him, and he let out a sharp groan, teeth clenched. His high pain tolerance was already being tested—and this was just the beginning. With a moment of hesitation, he stopped visualizing the ice elementrix maintaining the barriers’ internal temperature. The change was immediate. Suffocating heat pressed down on him like a tangible weight. If he had needed to breathe, Magnus was certain that inhaling would feel like swallowing flames.
"The things I let you talk me into, Basker," Magnus muttered through gritted teeth as he began dispersing the layers of mana barriers around him.
[I’ll help you keep your thoughts in order. That should counteract the pain to some extent, but you’ll need to stay focused throughout the process, Master.]
Yeah, yeah, I got it.
Basker’s influence could prune away stray thoughts and distractions, keeping Magnus’s mind sharply focused on his task. But if Magnus fixated on the pain, there wasn’t much Basker could do except nudge him back on track. At the end of the day, Basker was more of an assistant than a driver. He could suggest the best route, program the GPS, and offer advice, but Magnus was the one steering the car.
Alright, let’s do this...
Soon, all but one barrier separated Magnus from the molten magma around him. Mana barriers didn’t block heat directly but diluted it, much like a physical object might. With only a single layer remaining, the interior of Magnus’s barrier began to feel like a superheated oven. His body, already resistant to extreme heat, held out for a while—but everything had its limits. It wasn’t long before the outermost layer of his skin began to react. Small bubbles formed, particularly on his legs where they touched the ground. Moments later, his skin peeled away in large flakes, revealing cracked, blistered flesh beneath.
Finally, everything charred over, blackened by the relentless heat.
The damage wasn’t limited to the surface. Internally, his body temperature was climbing rapidly, reaching levels that would have been lethal for anyone else. Cells were dying en masse, and his blood vessels expanded, visibly straining beneath what remained of his scorched skin before popping.
Magnus gritted his teeth, baring them as he fought to suppress any sound. The urge to scream was overwhelming, but he knew that once he started, he might not stop. His entire body felt like it was unraveling, tearing apart at the seams. But through sheer will, he kept his focus, using the magical artifice on his chest to monitor his body’s deterioration in detail. He observed how it was breaking down—burning, decaying, and failing—and at the same time, visualized how he could rebuild it. That focus, combined with Basker’s steadying influence, was the only thing keeping him grounded.
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Through that laser-like focus, Magnus pinpointed the first change he needed to make: his skin.
Human skin... it’s too inefficient. Its entire design needs to be reworked. And for that, I’ll need more resources...
His mind raced, visualizing his body producing what it needed. Just as he could create blood for himself, he could use similar visualizations to generate other resources. By layering those visualizations, he could effectively multiply his body’s supply of raw materials. It wasn’t a solution for everything but for this?
It was enough.
Slowly, Magnus began piecing together a visualization focused on restructuring his skin.
He started by altering the keratin structures—the proteins found in skin, hair, and nails. These structures served as the skin’s first line of defense against everyday hazards like UV radiation, environmental stresses, and diseases. While they had done their job well enough in a typical human body, Magnus needed something more. He envisioned a denser structure with interwoven channels throughout his skin, acting as natural thermal insulators.
Next, his focus shifted to the dermis—the deeper layer of the skin. In his mind’s eye, Magnus used the Command Console to compress its structure into an almost unbreakable, reinforced lattice. He sacrificed the elasticity and flexibility typical of human skin for raw durability. At the same time, he fortified other parts of his body to ensure they could withstand the increased density and strain from these changes.
Externally, it was as if Magnus was undergoing a grotesque transformation. His skin bulged and popped in some places, collapsed, and died in others. Layers peeled away and burned, only to be replaced by something slightly more resilient. The process left him looking less like a person and more like a monstrous, amorphous being in the throes of a chrysalis phase.
Through it all, Magnus endured the agony of his nerves screaming as they were exposed, scorched, torn away, and then regenerated. His entire body felt like a battlefield. Grimacing through the pain, he mentally spoke to Basker.
Create... a visualization. Have the Command Console- ugh, this hurts... j-just keep applying and editing the skin formation we came up with. E-Every time it fails, have the Command Console make adjustments and retry. Put it on a loop until there are no issues.
[Yes, Master.]
With that, Magnus shifted his focus to his bones. His reinforced skeleton was one of his greatest creations, a lifesaver countless times over. But now, it wasn’t enough. The issue wasn’t the structure or design—it was the material itself.
The bone matrix I have now is excellent, and near-perfect. But it’s still too organic. That’s the flaw.
He considered his body’s other improvements. He no longer needed to breathe, could produce his blood cells, and managed his immune system independently of his body. In the midst of these thoughts, Magnus felt the skin on his face melt away. His entire body tensed, a heavy grunt barely suppressed as the pain surged.
Ugh! Focus, focus... Th-There are still parts of my bone marrow I need, but I can remove the redundant sections so I have more room to work with.
Magnus visualized how his bones could not only be altered but also enhanced. He imagined hyper-dense layers of calcium infused with trace materials—elements his body either never used in bone formation or used in far smaller quantities than he had planned. Every second, he went deeper, creating entirely new structures for his tissue, bones, and muscles. He replaced the standard proteins with heat-stable and conductive variants, using the Command Console to manually implement loops.
If his body couldn’t make a design work, he would force it to function himself.
He even toyed with the idea of using elementrix to line his internal systems, almost like a protective suit for his organs. Many vital systems, including his brain, couldn’t operate under such intense heat even with modifications. While Magnus wasn’t ready to edit his brain just yet, he realized he could use ice elementrix to keep it and other critical organs cool—a temporary but effective solution.
As time passed, the mana barrier continued shrinking, exposing Magnus more and more to the surrounding magma’s searing heat. The external changes to his body began to stabilize as the heat’s effects diminished. His skin now absorbed and dissipated heat with incredible efficiency, glowing faintly as small flames flickered across it. Even his hair appeared to burn, giving the illusion it was partially made of fire.
Thermal radiation had initially posed a significant challenge, causing mutations throughout his body. But he quickly adapted, upgrading his immune system to handle the increased workload.
Problems that had once seemed insurmountable became manageable, even trivial. As the barrier closed to mere centimeters from his body—a thin veil separating him from the molten sea—his continuous edits improved every facet of his form. His mind, with Basker and the Command Console’s assistance, raced faster and faster, analyzing problems and cycling through solutions like a computer.
During this process, Magnus also learned how to reinforce his nerve endings after seeing them burn so many times dulling his pain perception. While this reduced his sensory feedback, it was a necessary compromise.
Finally, the barrier stopped shrinking, as small as it could possibly get. At that moment, Magnus exhaled deeply, releasing the last of the air in his lungs.
Well, here goes nothing.
With a single thought, the barrier collapsed, and the pressurized magma rushed in, engulfing him completely.
The instant the magma touched his skin, there was a burning sensation, but compared to what he had endured so far, it was negligible. Instead, his body seemed to adapt in real time. His skin smoothed out, becoming even more resilient as the intense pressure and heat compressed every fiber of his being.
This... the pressure from the magma is actually helping improve all of my structures?
The realization caught Magnus by surprise but was a welcome one. The compression from the magma was chaotic and unstable, yet with the Command Console, he could stabilize the changes, turning the pressure into an advantage. His skin, which had already begun slowing its reaction to the intense heat, now shimmered faintly. Only the outermost layers of his cells were dying off, while the rest of his body steadily adapted to the extreme environment.
His bones strained under the crushing weight but held firm, refusing to break. Anything that couldn’t function properly in a biological body was supported by the passive loops he and Basker had created through the Command Console and repeated visualizations.
Basker, any issues detected through the artifice?
[No, Master. All bodily systems are fully optimized and stable. Your internal temperature is being regulated effectively through its new heat dispersion and the layers of ice elementrix in place.]
So, we did it then?
Although he couldn’t see or rely on his other senses while submerged in the magma, Magnus could feel. As he moved his arms and legs, standing on the floor of the molten lake—its surface slowly melting under his feet—he felt good. The pain lingered, a reminder that he was still burning, but it was no more than an uncomfortable ache.
[Indeed, Master. Congratulations on successfully improving your body.]
The words brought a small smile to Magnus’s lips.
Thanks, Basker. Though this was a team effort. We’ll save the pats on the back for later. First, we need to get out of here and check on Mia and the others.
[Of course, Master. With your current state, reaching the surface will take a fraction of the time it would have before your transformation.]
Magnus nodded inwardly.
Right. Now that I think about it, with this body, I might finally be able to pull ‘that’ off.
Tilting his head upward, Magnus focused on the direction of the surface. He bent his knees slightly, preparing himself, before launching into a powerful jump. The force of his movement caused the molten ground beneath him to ripple, bending under the sudden pressure. A heavy shockwave surged through the magma as his figure drilled upward, cutting through the molten sea with precision despite the immense pressure bearing down on him from every direction.
On the surface, the massive kilometer-wide volcanic crater left in the wake of Magnus’s attack had begun to cool. The flames had subsided somewhat, though isolated patches of fire still burned here and there. The black molten rock was solidifying, forming strange, ripple-like patterns along the outer rim. Ash and dust in the air had started to settle, allowing sunlight to pierce through once again. However, the orange glow of the magma still lingered.
At the crater’s center, the molten core remained a bubbling, chaotic mess, the cracks in the earth connecting the remnants of the underground magma chamber to the surface.
From that liquefied chaos, a low rumble emerged, growing louder until a figure suddenly blasted upward, launching into the sky. Magma sprayed outward in every direction from the force of their ascent, trailing and dripping from them as they rocketed hundreds of meters into the air. At last, Magnus came to a stop, hovering roughly three hundred meters above the ground. For the first time since his transformation began, he opened his eyes.
Even though he didn’t need to, Magnus took a deep breath of fresh air, savoring the sensation before exhaling with satisfaction.
He ran a hand through his hair, brushing away the magma and flames still clinging to him. Molten rock slid off his entire body, dripping away like water after stepping out of a shower. His appearance at this moment seemed almost alien—sleek, with a metallic sheen that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. His skin bore no blemishes or imperfections, while his nails glinted like glass, and his hair looked unnaturally well-groomed despite everything he had endured.
Glancing down at his hands, Magnus frowned slightly, flexing his fingers as if testing them. Then, shaking his head, he turned his gaze outward, scanning his surroundings until his eyes settled in a specific direction.
“Mia and the others should be that way.” His body slowly rotated in the air as he spoke to himself—not like when he usually stood in the air as though it were solid, but with an effortless motion, as if it were moving on its own. Then, as he leaned forward slightly, his figure blurred. A thunderclap echoed through the air as he broke the sound barrier, leaving a sharp shockwave in his wake. Magnus’s hair whipped back as he soared through the sky, his focus locked ahead.
His body, now tougher and more refined than ever, had shed its previous limitations; restrictions that once bound him were gone. He no longer needed to rely on momentum from his kicks to achieve high-speed movement.
Now, he could fly—his speed, direction, and trajectory dictated solely by his mind.