Perfect Soul Transformation

Rayne knew the Gold-Eating Ants' toughness all too well. That afternoon, the shopkeeper had killed them with an iron hammer, pounding away like he was forging metal. It had taken several hard blows to kill just one.

The shopkeeper was an ordinary person. After killing several Gold-Eating Ants in a row, he had run out of strength.

Rayne's physical fitness and strength were of course far greater than an ordinary person's, but there were no tools at home. He had never cooked before and didn't even own a kitchen knife.

He couldn't kill a Gold-Eating Ant with his bare hands.

With no other choice, Rayne decided to go out and buy a tool.

Hogan wouldn't happen to come looking for him during this time, would he? If he was really that unlucky, then he would just have to accept it!

He remembered that there was a blacksmith's shop on the street next door, not far from the apartment. It had recently been converted into a Mechanical Craftsman Shop that sold all kinds of tools, so it should have something suitable.

After hiding the Gold-Eating Ants, Rayne hurried downstairs, crossed the street, and found the shop.

Since it was already late, there were few customers in the Mechanical Craftsman Shop. Only a man who looked like the owner sat behind the counter, guarding the goods. Judging by his clothing, the grease-stained canvas apron around his waist, his broad build, and his unkempt appearance, he was probably a Mechanical Craftsman.

Mechanical Craftsmen were not Transcendent professions. They were merely ordinary people who had mastered mechanical technology, a profession similar to a combination of mechanical technicians and blacksmiths from his previous life.

Of course, most of the Empire's craftsmen had countless connections with the Mechanics Guild.

The Mechanical Craftsman seemed very tired. When Rayne entered, he merely glanced over without any intention of getting up to serve him.

Rayne swept his gaze around the shop and found that it had an extremely complete selection of weapons.

There were all kinds of longswords, shortswords, greatswords, broadswords, rapiers, estocs, and Hand-and-a-half Swords. There were more than a dozen kinds of swords alone, along with axes, daggers, shields, bows and arrows, gauntlets, defensive armor, chainmail, and, of course, some everyday tools such as kitchen knives, hammers, and scissors. The dazzling array of goods covered several walls, with some even piled on tables for customers to test.

Rayne didn't want to waste time, so he headed straight for the hammers.

Against insects like Gold-Eating Ants, whose defenses were exceptionally strong, swords were of limited use. Blunt weapons were still necessary, and the most suitable one was a hammer.

Coincidentally, Rayne's nickname in his previous life had been "Hammer."

His name was Shi Jingchui, chosen by his grandfather, who had taken part in a war. It meant pacifying the frontier, but because it sounded like "hit hard with a hammer," he had been given the nickname as a child. His classmates and friends all called him that, and he had grown used to it.

During his university metalworking internship, Rayne had even made a hammer with his own hands and had been so fond of it that he couldn't bear to put it down.

Seeing how much he liked hammers, several of his roommates had taken it back to their dormitory for him to keep. They often joked about it, teasingly saying they were grateful that he had spared their lives...

For a moment, Rayne missed those roommates terribly. Unfortunately, he would never see them again.

He cast aside his sentimentality, picked up an iron hammer, and swung it a few times. It didn't feel very suitable.

"Too light."

This iron hammer wasn't a combat weapon but an everyday tool. It probably weighed only two or three pounds, and in his hand it felt as weightless as a handful of straw.

There were also hammers designed as weapons, known in Aerenus as warhammers. Rayne took one look at them and shook his head, giving up. These few warhammers were far too heavy. Their hammerheads alone were as large as human heads, clearly meant for Berserkers or Iron Guards. He could lift them, but he couldn't swing them.

He was in a hurry to return, so he casually chose an Octagonal Hammer.

This hammer was exactly like the ones used on construction sites in his previous life. It was what people commonly called a sledgehammer, except its head was heavier, weighing around thirty pounds. Its handle was nearly a meter long and made entirely of iron, with a layer of shock-absorbing leather wrapped around it.

As Rayne held the sledgehammer, he seemed to hear a demonic voice shouting in his ear: "Eighty! Eighty! Eighty..."

The hammer wasn't expensive. It cost only three Silver Krons.

Rayne paid and left, carrying the hammer back to the apartment. Nothing happened.

After thinking it over, Rayne decided that hammering the Gold-Eating Ants to death in the apartment would make too much noise and disturb the others. So he took two glass jars downstairs and, using the Voice of All Things, avoided everyone under cover of night and entered a secluded corner behind the apartment. He spread a thick cloth over a rock and poured out one of the Gold-Eating Ants.

This ant had no elements. It was only for practice.

The Gold-Eating Ant had been soaked in the potion for a long time and had not eaten anything. It was already half-dead.

Rayne raised the hammer with both hands, took aim, and brought it down with all his strength. With the assistance of his phone's gyroscope, the strength of his entire body was concentrated in his hands and transferred into the sledgehammer. Heavy and accurate, it struck the Gold-Eating Ant.

Bang! With a dull thud, the Gold-Eating Ant became a lump of mangled flesh.

Rayne took out a Soul Stone and held it close to the ant's corpse. A soul soon flew out and entered the Soul Stone. Even though it was very dark, he could see clearly that the Demon Soul inside the Soul Stone was merely a pitch-black mass, without any elements at all.

He set down the Soul Stone and thought, The critical moment has arrived.

He carefully poured out the Gold-Eating Ant with three elements. Its condition was clearly better than the previous one's. It immediately began crawling, though its speed was relatively slow.

Rayne was somewhat nervous. This Gold-Eating Ant was indeed different.

He spat a little saliva into his palm, rubbed his hands together a few times, raised the hammer, and brought it down with all his strength once more.

Bang!

After the dull impact, a force of recoil traveled through Rayne's hands, making the web between his thumb and forefinger tingle. The hammerhead had actually bounced off. Despite suffering such a heavy blow, the Gold-Eating Ant wasn't dead. Its shell was merely slightly cracked, while its six iron-like legs scraped white marks across the stone and sent a few sparks flying.

"Holy crap, it's that hard!"

Rayne couldn't believe it. Seeing the Gold-Eating Ant begin moving again, he hurriedly swung the sledgehammer once more. As he struck again and again, he silently chanted, Eighty, eighty, eighty...

It looked like a wild barrage, but under the gyroscope's control, every blow struck the Gold-Eating Ant precisely, without wasting the slightest bit of strength. Its body slowly deformed, and the segments of its legs separated. After being struck more than a dozen times in succession, it was finally flattened into a corpse with a puff.

Rayne hurriedly threw aside the hammer and used the Soul Stone to absorb the Demon Soul.

Under his expectant gaze, a Demon Soul flew out and rapidly filled the white crystal in his hand, turning it into a dark, profound black gemstone. He could vaguely see three Element Runes flickering and vanishing. Without the Soul Eye, it would have been difficult to notice their existence.

"I did it!"

Rayne clenched his fist and swung it, so excited that he almost jumped.

This Gold-Eating Ant would become his first Demon Soul, taking the first solid step on his path to becoming a battle wizard!

After his excitement faded, Rayne put away the Soul Stone. Only then did he realize that the cloth spread across the ground had been smashed to tatters, and the stone beneath it had cracked as well.

He quickly cleaned up the scene, threw the corpses of both Gold-Eating Ants into the sewer, and returned upstairs with the hammer.

Taking all his money, Rayne left the apartment that very night.

He didn't return to the Basil Inn. Instead, he found an ordinary small hotel in Honeydew District, which was separated from Silver Star District by only a river. He eavesdropped outside for half an hour first, confirming that there were no Transcendents inside before renting a room.

It wasn't until the latter half of the night, when dawn was approaching, that Rayne finally fell asleep peacefully.

He slept until nearly noon. Refreshed, Rayne got up, ate a delicious feast to fill his stomach, and then boarded a carriage bound for Violet House.

Once today was over and he became a Transcendent, he wouldn't have to live in such constant fear and anxiety anymore.

The carriage arrived without incident.

As soon as Rayne got out and entered, he saw that Talini was already waiting for him. With a smile, she came forward and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Rayne."

"Ms. Talini, can the ritual be held today?"

"Of course."

Rayne nodded and handed the more than sixty Gold Shields he had prepared to the female attendant at the front desk. Then he followed Talini to the rear of Violet House and entered a spacious room.

To his surprise, the Half-elf Viola was inside as well. She was still wearing a simple, elegant robe, her graceful figure captivating.

Simply standing there, she seemed like a faint glimmer of light, impossible to ignore.

"Ms. Viola." Rayne greeted her, his gaze somewhat puzzled.

The Soul Transformation Ritual could be performed alone, but it was best to have an experienced host, preferably a Transcendent capable of casting spells. Talini was quite suitable. They had already agreed yesterday that Talini would assist him with his Soul Transformation this time. If he wanted a better host, he would have to pay extra.

Viola smiled warmly, like a gentle spring breeze. "Mr. Rayne, Talini will still be presiding over the ritual today. I'm only here to observe. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." Rayne remained somewhat confused.

As the owner of Violet House, Viola had witnessed who knew how many Soul Transformation Rituals. What was there to watch?

Considering that he would still need to discuss purchasing the World Tree Seed with her after the ritual, he could only suppress his doubts.

This room was specially used for Soul Transformation Rituals. In the center was a platform resembling an operating table, covered in countless runes that formed a complete magic circle.

There was a table beside the Rune Altar with several items on it: a syringe, a tube of Soul Devouring Potion, and a white scroll.

"Mr. Rayne, if you're ready, lie down."

Talini's tone was calm as she spoke, trying to create a relaxed atmosphere and reduce Rayne's pressure.

"Okay."

Rayne took off his coat and casually tossed it aside. In reality, it contained everything he owned, including all his money and the Gold-Eating Ant's Demon Soul.

Wearing only his shirt, he lay down on the Rune Altar. As Talini secured his hands, feet, and waist with sturdy leather straps, she explained, "Because the ritual is extremely painful, we have to restrain you to prevent you from struggling and wasting your strength or falling off the Rune Altar."

Rayne hesitated. I don't need to be restrained. Besides, once I'm tied up, I'll truly be at their mercy.

He had intended to refuse, but the Soul Eye showed no malice from either Talini or Viola, so he accepted.

Once he was secured, he couldn't move his body at all. Only his head could turn from side to side.

Talini picked up the scroll and recited a short incantation. The scroll immediately unfurled, and pale golden characters flew out and sank into Rayne's forehead.

After being granted Mind Protection, Rayne felt as though his mind had become calm, giving him a special sense of security. At the same time, it also seemed as though nothing had changed.

Next, Talini used a mana crystal to activate the Rune Altar.

Bzzzz— Rayne felt a slight warmth beneath him. An indescribable energy enveloped his body, making his perception of the outside world even sharper.

Talini drew the Soul Devouring Potion into the syringe and said solemnly, "Mr. Rayne, we're about to begin."

Rayne nodded lightly.

Then Talini inserted the syringe needle into the artery in his neck. Her hand was very steady. She didn't inject it all at once, but pushed the plunger slowly, stopping after injecting one-third of the potion.

Rayne had already done his research. A dose of Soul Devouring Potion contained approximately thirty milliliters.

In the Aerenus World, one milliliter was equivalent to one "Gylon." Only ten Gylons of the potion were needed to complete the initial Soul Transformation, awaken the ability to fuse with a Demon Soul, and become a Transcendent.

But that was merely the minimum requirement. Anyone who wanted to become a spellcaster capable of meditation had to continue injecting the potion after completing the initial Soul Transformation.

For every additional five Gylons injected, the Soul Transformation would advance another step.

The threshold for becoming a spellcaster was fifteen Gylons of Soul Devouring Potion, while reaching twenty Gylons qualified one to become a Wizard or enter any Transcendent profession.

Beyond that, every additional Gylon of potion became a difficult improvement.

Those who reached twenty-five Gylons were the greatest geniuses even among Wizards, appearing only once in a decade.

The more potion one injected, the more complete the Soul Transformation and the higher the talent.

Of course, the prerequisite was that one couldn't lose consciousness during the Soul Transformation Ritual. If the potion continued to be injected after the person lost consciousness, even the tiniest amount would kill them.

In reality, there was a limit to how much potion could be injected. At most, one could use thirty Gylons, which was the human limit. Any more would have the opposite effect, turning the potion into a true poison.

Thus, each dose of Soul Devouring Potion contained thirty Gylons, but almost no one could use it all.

Following the procedure, Talini first injected ten Gylons into Rayne.

The next second, he felt a chill rush straight into his head, followed by an indescribably intense pain. He subconsciously clenched his teeth and didn't cry out. At the same time, it seemed as though something was dissolving his brain, gnawing away at it bit by bit and producing a wondrous effect.

"Holy crap, this hurts like hell!"

Rayne endured it for several minutes before deciding that suffering through the pain like this was pointless. He opened his music player, and beautiful singing filled his mind.

"The great river rolls in broad waves, the wind carries the fragrance of rice flowers along both banks..."

The pain immediately weakened.

In Viola and Talini's eyes, Rayne's expression relaxed, as if he were gradually adapting to the pain.

The two exchanged a surprised glance but said nothing, afraid of disturbing Rayne.

Twenty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. According to the normal ritual process, the initial Soul Transformation had already been completed. If the Transcendent had relatively ordinary talent, they would have reached their limit by now and been unable to continue, forcing the ritual to end.

Rayne, however, looked completely relaxed. He opened his eyes and said, "Inject another five Gylons."

Talini immediately did as he said.

From yesterday's Soul Test, she already knew that Rayne could inject at least twenty Gylons, so she wasn't surprised at all.

Rayne's face had grown a little pale, but he remained fairly calm.

Ten minutes later, he said again, "Inject another five Gylons."

Talini complied.

She carefully observed the changes in Rayne. A total of twenty Gylons of Soul Devouring Potion had now been injected. As long as Rayne endured it, he could become a Wizard.

Yet Rayne still looked completely relaxed, leaving her incredulous.

Another ten minutes passed. Rayne said for the third time, "Continue. Five Gylons again."

This time, Talini hesitated. After twenty Gylons, every additional drop of potion carried enormous risks. Injecting it little by little was the safe approach.

But Rayne insisted again and again, so she could only inject it.

Viola beside them could no longer contain herself either. She walked over to the Rune Altar and watched the progress of Rayne's ritual.

Under normal circumstances, Rayne should have been suffering unimaginable pain at this point, already on the verge of collapse, with his thoughts growing hazy and his body struggling uncontrollably.

Yet Rayne was lying there comfortably. Apart from his slightly rapid breathing, he looked as if he were taking an afternoon nap!

Viola's eyes were filled with astonishment. She even carefully examined the Soul Devouring Potion in Talini's hand, suspecting that the wrong potion had been taken or that the dosage was incorrect.

But how could Talini make such a basic mistake? There was nothing wrong with the Soul Devouring Potion.

Time passed second by second. Rayne, who was undergoing the ritual, appeared relaxed, while the observers, Viola and Talini, grew increasingly tense.

Under their shocked gazes, Rayne opened his eyes. His thoughts were perfectly clear as he said, "Use all of the potion."

Viola couldn't help asking, "Rayne, are you sure?"

Those who could be injected with thirty Gylons and complete the Soul Transformation Ritual were said to have achieved Perfect Soul Transformation.

Such people existed only in legends. Every one of them was an unparalleled human genius rarely seen in a century, and all had been figures of great renown. Several were even Soul Saint Wizards of the High Council!

If Rayne achieved Perfect Soul Transformation as well, the news would spread throughout the entire Empire once it got out!

Rayne knew what this meant. His expression remained calm as he replied, "I'm fine. Ms. Talini, inject it."

Talini's hand had been steady, but upon hearing Rayne's request, it began to tremble with excitement.

She had presided over more than a hundred Soul Transformation Rituals and seen several geniuses, but she had never imagined that she might personally witness the birth of someone who achieved Perfect Soul Transformation.

"Let me."

Seeing that Talini's hand was trembling, Viola took the syringe and steadily injected the final five Gylons of potion into the artery in Rayne's neck.

Then the two stared intently at Rayne. They even softened their breathing, unconsciously tightening their hands until their palms began to sweat, afraid that Rayne might suddenly die on the Rune Altar.

That would be such a terrible shame.

The final ten minutes felt like torture to Viola and Talini. It was as if they were the ones undergoing the Soul Transformation Ritual, and time had become exceptionally slow.

Rayne, on the other hand, remained in good condition. Only his limbs trembled slightly, while his chest rose and fell steadily.

Finally, under their tense and expectant gazes, Rayne completed the Soul Transformation Ritual. He opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face, and said softly, "Can you untie me now?"