Bzzz—
Like billions of metal locusts beating their wings, the blue nebula of nanomachines swallowed Leo whole in an instant!
Everyone in the square instinctively took half a step back, their faces filled with shock and fear.
Leo had vanished from sight. In his place stood a writhing blue metal cocoon.
Countless tiny arcs of electricity danced across its surface, crackling softly, as though some terrifying alchemy ritual were taking place inside.
"Did it melt him?"
"Is this a transformation or an execution?"
Whispers spread through the crowd. Everyone was on edge.
The sight of a living human being fused with cold machinery was beyond anything they understood. It stirred a primal dread.
David stared at the metal cocoon, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He wanted Leo to succeed and prove this path was possible. Yet he could not help feeling a little envious. Why hadn't he been the first to try it?
Only Season Star remained with her arms folded, watching with the focus and confidence of a creator appraising her work.
At the center of the storm, Leo was undergoing a transformation unlike anything he had ever experienced.
The instant the nanomachines enveloped him, he felt none of the tearing pain he had expected. Instead, there was an indescribable sense of intrusion.
Probes smaller than dust seeped through his pores and entered with every breath, spreading through his body to scan his blood vessels, nerves, and bones in exhaustive detail.
[Analyzing vital signs...] [Target: Leo. Age: 22.] [Physical condition: E- (severe malnutrition)] [Structural damage detected: old fracture of the left tibia; improper healing has caused permanent impairment...] [Damage to nerve bundles detected: 17 sites, concentrated in the lower limbs...]
The cold stream of data appeared directly in Leo's mind.
He felt like