Blood Assimilation

Despite his efforts to resist the encroaching drowsiness using sheer willpower and even employing his psionic powers, the overwhelming sensation proved irresistible. Holy Knight Randy found himself unable to fend off the overwhelming fatigue that had begun to build up in his body. Soon, he succumbed to unconsciousness, tumbling into the arms of the green-clothed young woman.

The green-clothed young woman was none other than Sylvana. Randy encountered her during his assignment for the Dungeon Hunter Society when he ventured into Meistic Forest after defeating the two demons.

Unconsciously, Sylvana caught Holy Knight Randy as he fell headlong in her direction. However, soon, she looked at him with a frown, dropping him to the ground with a disgusted expression. Holy Knight Randy fell unceremoniously onto the hard ground, his Holy Knight armor creating a dull metallic sound.

[What are you doing to your savior?] A voice spoke in Sylvana's mind, startling her. Realizing the source of the voice, she calmed down, but her expression became solemn.

"What are you saying? Who is my savior? You don't mean this disgusting human before me?" She inquired with a revolted expression, her voice echoing in her mind, directed at the voice that reprimanded her.

[If you had accepted my blessings completely, you would've been able to tell the identity of the man before you.] The owner of the voice helplessly said and then added: [Anyway, I'll tell you. This person is someone you're familiar with. Right now, for whatever reason, they have taken on this appearance.]

"You mean this person is not Zolat Grant from the Grant Family?" Sylvana frowned and proceeded to scrutinize the unconscious armored Holy Knight on the ground, determining that he unequivocally looked and had the same aura as Zolat Grant, whom she had met a few times in the past.

Realizing this truth, she became curious about the identity of the impostor and wondered who among her associates had such an ability to take on the appearance of others impeccably. Finding no one who fit the description in her memories, she inquired.

"What is the identity of this person? I don't recall having any associates with a transformation skill, much less one of this level."

[It is that young man who aided you in defeating the magical beast horde in Meistic Forest. At that time, if you had used my power earlier, you wouldn't have found yourself in such a predicament.] The owner of the voice answered, recalling the time Sylvana almost lost her life because she was hesitant to accept its blessings.

Sylvana was dumbfounded by the answer she received, her mouth slightly agape. Quickly regaining her composure, she sought confirmation.

"Are you certain it's that young man?" She asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

[Of course. Why would I lie to you, you silly child!] The owner of the voice retorted, clearly offended by her doubtful query.

[I must say, this human's transformation skills are almost impeccable. Sadly, he couldn't completely mask his soul signature, so I could still recognize him. Now, do you understand why you couldn't tell the difference? If you want to confirm yourself, accept my blessing.] The owner of the voice commented and urged Sylvana.

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Ignoring the remark made by the voice, Sylvana bent to briefly examine the apparently fake Zolat Grant, her mind swirling with questions. Disregarding most of her thoughts, only a few thoughts became the focus of her curiosity.

'How could it be him? If it's him, why the disguise? Was he being pursued? Since he assumed Zolat Grant's appearance, does that mean the real Zolat Grant is dead or held hostage? What is his true identity? I'll have to ask him when he wakes up.' She pondered before reaching a decision, disregarding the potential peril Zolat Grant may have faced at the hands of the young man before her.

With confirmation that the Zolat Grant before her was indeed Randy in disguise, Sylvana hoisted the unconscious but hefty Holy Knight Randy over her shoulders, carrying him away under the watchful eyes of many pedestrians passing by.

She took him to Luxurious Inn, the one behind them, booking a room on the lower floor and letting him sleep. Once assured of his comfort, she left the building to attend to her affairs.

…

In the Safe Room...

A vortex of mana particles was gathered at the center of the chamber, drawn toward Randy's body as they permeated his pores, infusing themselves with his flesh, cells, and bones. The ethereal glow of the white light on the surface of Randy's skin made him appear as though he was a being made of light.

Randy had been making progress in his meditation, attuning his body to mana and increasing his affinity with the magical particles. As he immersed himself in meditation, he completely lost track of time. He didn't bother to ask the system, as it was irrelevant.

Worrying about the elapsed time each session would only serve as a distraction, affecting his mindset. However, due to the time discrepancy between the outside world and the Safe Room, he could spend more time in meditation to increase his mana pool without concern for the passage of time.

From his connection with his new incarnation, only a few days had passed since he sent it to venture into the territory of the Long-eared human tribe. However, inside the Safe Room, several weeks or perhaps even a month had passed.

Regarding concerns about the time elapsed affecting his body, he had confirmed with his home world system that his physical appearance wouldn't be affected. The system stated that the cells in his body were essentially placed in stasis as they were nourished by the effect of the Safe Room.

The fact that his cells weren't losing energy implied that he would maintain his physical appearance, regardless of how much time passed.

Based on his estimates, he would soon achieve a body perfectly attuned to mana, allowing him to significantly increase his mana pool within his Mana Vessel without relying on meditation, as his body would naturally draw in mana faster with the help of his Myriad Energy Devouring Physique.

Though the process was extremely slow and tedious, as the mana particles continued to fuse with his body, he found that his body acclimated to his meditative state without feeling any suffocation brought by the initial discomfort.

Waves of pure mana particles were drawn much faster as he progressed, thanks to his unique physique, leading him to wonder if his physique could still improve, potentially expediting his meditation.

As he contemplated this possibility during his meditation, he suddenly felt a disturbance in his consciousness, his eyes snapping open in bewilderment. Previously, he could split his consciousness as he meditated, allowing him to ponder multiple thoughts to pass the time, but at this moment, he felt like he couldn't maintain that state of mind, causing him to lose concentration.

Randy examined his state of mind as he pondered what had happened.

"What's going on? Ah!" Before he could ponder any further, he felt his consciousness being yanked by an unstoppable force. Randy broke out in a cold sweat as he wrestled with the irresistible force in an attempt to break its influence on his mind. With no other recourse, he turned to his trusted system.

"Hey, system, do you know what's going on?"

[[Be patient, it's a favorable opportunity]] The system stated in response.

"What do you mean it's a favorable opportunity? Are you the one doing this? Why didn't you inform me ahead of time?" Randy retorted, his voice sounding impatient.

[[You'll find out soon]] The system replied cryptically.

"What the hell…"

Randy was peeved by the system's response, but he couldn't do anything to help his situation. As he couldn't resist the infallible force anymore, his consciousness left his body while he was still in meditation. Luckily, he was in a stable posture, so he didn't fall over and instead looked like he fell asleep while sitting.

…

After an unknown time, Randy could feel his consciousness returning, but not fully. He felt his vision darken one moment and brighten the next. This continued for a while. As he tried to focus his 'gaze', he saw a blurred but familiar starry space, filled with celestial bodies varying in shape and size.

He could infer that he was passing through the void of space, but it was at an extremely fast speed, making him wonder if he was being forcefully transported back home due to the space-time fluctuation mentioned by his system upon his arrival to Acruxia. While Randy entertained that possibility, he suddenly noticed a shocking scene pass by.

He saw glittering cosmic rays and then clusters of galaxies. Simultaneously, as he tried to turn his head, he felt a strange sensation in his 'body', almost like he was lighter than usual. He also noticed that he was somehow in some membrane shielding him from any cosmic radiation and the deadly cold temperature in space.

Thinking to observe his hands, he looked down. He realized he was somehow in his spirit form, a personified image of himself, as he traveled through the vast expanse of space inside the translucent membrane. Even though he was moving at an extremely fast speed, crossing many light-years, his spiritual body wasn't obliterated by the terrifying force of the speed.

Under the embrace of the protective membrane, Randy drifted through the boundless expanse of space, navigating the cosmic currents with precision. He passed by shimmering stars, swirling galaxies, and ethereal nebulae, witnessing the unfathomable beauty of the universe.

Occasionally, the protective membrane slowed down as it reached galaxies, maneuvering around and allowing him to catch a glimpse of the celestial bodies held within. Randy marveled at the beauty of the varying galaxies he encountered as he moved through the expanse of space.