After identifying the ideal point, Ren carefully slid toward the center of the bowl. His movents were precise, calculated, every second counted now.
With efficiency, he began arranging the crystals in formation. The hydra plate was placed at a specific angle, positioned to concentrate the reflections directly onto the crystals.
The effect was imdiate. The crystals began to glow with an almost blinding intensity, absorbing the pure mana from the environnt. Before they could grow or stick to the bowl's crystal, he stored them one by one in shadow stalker skin, while maintaining the plate's projection with his other hand.
After a few minutes, Ren took the first potion. Sweat ran down his forehead, even with his new level, being a double tar and the dicine… The mana saturation here was still difficult to handle for too long.
"Are you alright?" Liora called from the edge, noticing his tension.
"Yes," Ren responded while adjusting a crystal's position. "I just need to finish the process, we'll leave soon."
His mushrooms pulsed faster now, working to help him process the excess mana. It was a delicate balance, he needed to keep the crystals exposed long enough to absorb the correct amount, but not so long they beca oversaturated.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was only minutes, all the crystals reached the perfect point.
"The half hour's almost up," Liora warned, looking toward the tunnel they'd co through.
"I know," Ren stored the last crystals in his specially lined backpack. "Taro must be worried."
He took a mont to ensure everything was properly packed. These crystals were crucial for the two next ranks of his hydra's evolution; he couldn't afford any mistakes in handling them.
"Was it worth it?" Liora asked as Ren joined her at the edge.
Ren smiled with satisfaction while touching his backpack. "Definitely. These crystals have exactly the pure mana I need for my cultivation."
Liora observed Ren with growing curiosity. There was sothing in his way of moving, in how he seed to read the tunnels as if they were an open book. In the certainty with which he acted...
"You know?" Liora whispered, keeping her voice barely audible, "I hadn't realized everything you could do without even using your beast despite spying on you constantly..."
"Technically I was using it… Also I too hadn't realized it was you, I thought it was Luna who was spying on until Larissa told it was you," Ren admitted quietly, scratching the back of his neck.
Sothing changed in Liora's expression, a shadow of disappointnt crossing her face before she could hide it.
"Why did you think it was her?" she asked, trying to maintain a casual tone.
"I guess the blue hair and that your mana marks are kinda similar," Ren shrugged. "Plus Luna... She always seems to be watching in class so..."
'I don't bla her, you really are interesting,' Liora thought. 'The way you understand all this... your way of acting is different. The other boys our age seem so immature...'
"We better hurry," Liora forced a smile. "We don't want Taro having a nervous breakdown."
Ren nodded, though he paused a mont to look at the deposit one last ti. It was an extraordinary place.
"Ready for the return trip?" Liora asked, already adopting the stance for the silent step she'd learned.
"Ready," Ren confird. "But I'm not the one you should worry about... try not to trip over your own feet."
Liora gave him a push as they began moving.
Ren laughed. "Sorry, the guys have gotten into bad habits."
"I'll let you off this ti," Liora nodded. "But you should know that girls aren't rude to each other when interacting."
'He's a boy like all the others after all... But he apologizes and accepts his mistakes so easily... How can he be so honest yet so mysterious at the sa ti?'
"The mana always shines white when you speak, as if you really enjoy expressing yourself truthfully, but still... You're different, you know?"
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Ren's mushrooms pulsed softly while considering her words. "I can see mana too and... You're also sincere and different, I like that," he pointed out.
Liora blushed slightly and, distracted by the conversation, montarily lost the rhythm.
Ren also didn't notice and continued. "You learned very quickly and I like that you're curious like..."
A nearby and familiar sound interrupted his words. The sa one Ren had faked several tis.
The sound resonated through the tunnels and Ren's mushrooms pulsed with alarm. "Don't move," he whispered urgently to stop Liora dead in her tracks.
But it was too late. A Deep Assassin erged from the shadows, its proboscis gleaming threateningly. Liora had stopped poorly positioned, off balance.
Ren had so contingency options... he reached for one of the large rocks in his pocket, planning to throw it as a distraction, but Liora involuntarily took another step as she failed to regain her balance.
The Assassin lunged toward her.
"Jump behind !" Ren shouted, throwing the rock simultaneously.
The Assassin was surprised to find nothing where Liora had been and received the rock's impact. The projectile hit with unexpected force, creating a small crack in its carapace.
'My strength...' Ren realized while his mushrooms pulsed intensely. 'Of course, 160% extra and now that I'm a double... A Bronze beast isn't so far from my reach, especially one that sacrifices so defense for speed and attack.'
Liora manifested her will-o'-wisp and her body set afla, bathing the tunnel in blue light.
But Ren stopped her.
"Don't move!" He ordered while manifesting his hydra in his body. The claws grew, amplified by the new light veins and the girl fire's light, his armor gleaming with the sa blue tone as Liora's fire.
"Close your eyes!" Ren shouted upon seeing the Assassin's proboscis raised in front, preparing to attack.
Liora reluctantly obeyed, part of her wanting to continue observing the beautiful light display of Ren's armor.
The Assassin launched itself toward where Liora had landed a few ters behind Ren, its proboscis extended like a deadly lance. But Ren, still interposed between them, created a blinding flash and with his now even more enhanced claws...
The movent was fluid, the result of countless hours of training with Lin. The long claws deflected the proboscis toward the adjacent rock, where it buried deeply. Without losing an instant, Ren took advantage of the beast being trapped and chained several precise cuts to the monster's head.
The claws, empowered by the double light resonance, cut through the Assassin's defense despite the rank difference.
Ren maintained the assault, his movents precise and lethal, until finally the monster's head separated cleanly from its body.
Silence returned to the tunnel as the Assassin's body collapsed.
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