Metamorphosis and Invitation

A wave of inexplicable heat rose from within Rayne, and his soul began to shake violently. He sprang to his feet, sensing that a drastic transformation was about to occur.

The instant this thought arose, an invisible storm of energy whipped up in the room.

Rayne could not see this immense energy. The Rune Altar from the Soul Transformation Ritual had not increased his elemental affinity, yet at this moment, he could clearly sense himself surrounded by energy, standing at the very center of the storm.

He did not know what this energy was or where it came from. It seemed to have always existed around him, like air—extremely important to people, yet normally difficult to notice.

At this moment, Rayne seemed to turn into a magnet, disrupting the energy's peaceful state.

Surging energy poured into his body faster and faster. Guided by Soul Power, it rapidly cleansed his entire body. Every muscle, every bone, and every cell greedily devoured the energy, transforming his entire body from the inside out.

Rayne experienced an indescribable pleasure and could not help letting out a hum through his nose.

On the World Tree in his soul, the only three leaves flickered with golden light. The Element Runes upon them grew increasingly clear, and the entire tree slowly grew.

Crack! Creak, creak! Crack...

A series of faint sounds came from within his body. Rayne felt an itch on his skin, while a faint stinging sensation spread throughout his body. Then he realized that he seemed to be growing taller!

Not only was he growing taller, but his body was also becoming stronger and sturdier!

The process lasted for about half an hour. Finally, the energy stopped pouring in, and the invisible storm vanished.

Rayne exhaled and lowered his head to examine his somewhat unfamiliar body.

There was a full-length mirror in the room. He hurried over, and when he saw his transformed appearance, he was so astonished that his mouth nearly fell open. His eyes were filled with delight.

Overall, the person in the mirror still looked much the same as before. He had not become unrecognizable and was still just as handsome and dashing!

The greatest changes were that he had grown taller and stronger.

The shirt that had fit him perfectly was now stretched tight, nearly bursting from his muscles. His long pants had become cropped trousers, and his shoes had shrunk, making his feet feel cramped.

Rayne had already been close to six feet tall, though his build had been somewhat slender. Now he had shot up by nearly four inches, and his body had expanded by a size. Yet he did not look bulky in the slightest. Every muscle from head to toe seemed cast from iron. His shoulders were broad, his bearing steady, and his overall muscle definition exceptionally balanced, as if he had undergone years of training. Visually, his body possessed an immensely powerful beauty.

In addition, his skin was slightly darker than before. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to have undergone a matte treatment, giving it a metallic texture without appearing abnormal.

Rayne's worried heart finally settled.

He had been somewhat concerned that he would turn into an absurdly muscular brute. Fortunately, it was not that exaggerated. This degree of change was just right.

What pleased him most was that his facial features had also become more rugged, losing some of their delicate handsomeness and better matching his aesthetic preferences.

Of course, these were only superficial changes. The inner changes were more important.

Rayne lightly clenched his fists and felt the surging power within him. It was as if a wild beast were hidden inside his body, and he could kill any enemy with his bare fists alone.

He had not tested himself, so he did not know how powerful he was now. Judging by his sensations alone, his strength had increased by at least four or five times. Lifting something weighing two thousand pounds would be effortless!

"The enhanced Strength element is truly incredible." Rayne let out an admiring sigh.

His strength was formidable, but his defense was even stronger.

He pressed his hand against his arm. Under the pressure, his supple skin instantly became as hard as iron. Even the fingers pressing against it turned rigid, yet his movements were not affected in the slightest.

When he pressed down with slightly more force, a dull collision sounded from his arm and fingers, like two pieces of steel crashing into each other.

After testing himself for a while, Rayne gained a clear understanding of his body.

Body of Steel was a permanent state. His body had been completely transformed, so he did not need to deliberately maintain it under normal circumstances, and he looked no different from an ordinary person. However, the instant he came under physical pressure, his body would become as hard as iron. If he deliberately activated the element, its hardness would increase further, but his speed would decrease, and it would continuously consume Soul Power.

He tried activating Body of Steel with all his strength. His skin became dark and deep in color, his entire body seeming cast from iron. His steps grew heavy, his movements stiff, and his Soul Power was consumed at an alarming rate.

In this fully defensive state, his current Soul Power could probably sustain it for only five minutes.

But that was already enough.

Rayne was extremely satisfied with the result. He thought that Superb Element really was powerful. Among Transcendents of the same first level, it should be very difficult for anyone to break through this steel defense.

"Now I've truly become Iron Man!"

He happily rubbed his arm, then suddenly remembered that he also had the Metal Touch element. He soon discovered that it did not provide much help to his strength for the time being, so he decided to leave it alone.

In addition, Rayne noticed that after fusing with the Gold-Eating Ant's Demon Soul, his charge had increased—but by only two bars!

"Is that all?"

Rayne thought it over carefully, then felt that something was wrong. "Can one Gold-Eating Ant really increase the charge by that much?"

His Soul Power had now increased tenfold. Two bars of charge, converted to before the Soul Transformation, were equivalent to twenty percent of a full charge. Yet absorbing an ordinary person before had increased it by eight percent. The proportions simply did not add up.

An ordinary person's soul was clearly stronger than a Gold-Eating Ant's. Two or three Gold-Eating Ants were only equivalent to the soul of one Fallen One, yet the charge they provided was vastly different. The Gold-Eating Ant instead increased his Soul Power by much more.

Could it be because the methods of absorbing souls are different?

One involved fusing with a complete soul, while the other involved directly devouring a soul. Was their charging efficiency different?

Rayne made a guess. Fusion was the better method: it provided more Soul Power, produced a greater increase, and also granted the soul's element. Devouring souls, on the other hand, was inefficient, like crushing a soul into pieces and absorbing everything inside by brute force, regardless of its element. It was swallowing without chewing, and in reality, most of the Soul Power was wasted.

He made a rough estimate. With the same soul, the Soul Power obtained through the two different methods differed by nearly tenfold!

"What a terrible loss."

Rayne was quite helpless. At this ratio, if he wanted to fully recharge himself now, he would have to devour the souls of at least a hundred ordinary people or more than thirty Transcendents!

"If I really killed that many people, I would be completely deranged."

He secretly shook his head.

Even if devouring souls was highly inefficient, it was still much faster than increasing Soul Power through cultivating a Meditation Method or taking potions.

This was a shortcut leading to the top of the world. If someone with a slightly weaker will encountered it, they might be unable to withstand the temptation and would eventually become a bloodthirsty madman who slaughtered innocents.

Rayne silently warned himself that he absolutely had to hold on to his bottom line and never set foot on the wrong path.

He came back to himself and thought:

"From this moment on, I am a Wizard—a first-level Combat Wizard."

Rayne straightened his clothes. They barely fit without tearing, so he left the room, walked down the corridor, and returned to Viola's office, intending to bid her farewell.

After knocking and entering, Viola immediately noticed the changes in Rayne's appearance.

"Rayne, you fused with the Demon Soul so quickly?" She rose and carefully examined Rayne's body, as if admiring a beautiful work of art. Her eyes shone brilliantly.

"Yes, I'm a Combat Wizard now." Rayne did not hide it. Such a drastic change could not be concealed, and he also wanted someone to share his joy with. He said happily, "I couldn't have done this without your help. I'll pay you back as soon as possible."

Viola congratulated him. "Congratulations on becoming a member of the Wizards."

As she wondered what kind of Demon Soul Rayne had fused with to produce such a transformation, she smiled and said, "You don't need to rush to repay me. Just follow the terms of the contract."

Rayne nodded silently, simply engraving this gratitude in his heart.

He took the contract and was just about to say goodbye when Viola suddenly asked with a bright smile, "Rayne, are you free the night after tomorrow?"

Looking at the Half-elf's breathtaking smile, Rayne's heart fluttered, and he replied, "I don't have any plans yet."

Unable to resist, he secretly activated his Soul Eye and observed Viola. He discovered that the color of her soul shifted back and forth between yellow and orange, indicating that her current emotions contained anticipation and a faint excitement. She was not nearly as carefree as she appeared on the surface.

Viola spoke as if it were nothing special. "The night after tomorrow, Violet House will hold a small-scale trading session. Everyone attending will be a Transcendent. If you're interested, you can come and take a look. I'll introduce you to some friends."

Rayne immediately understood her meaning. She wanted to bring him into her circle of friends.

As a Wizard who ran Violet House and possessed a mysterious background, Viola's circle of friends was naturally different from that of ordinary people.

Those qualified to associate with her were either the powerful or Transcendents. They were certainly part of Longsand City's highest social circles. Joining them would greatly benefit his future development.

Rayne naturally would not refuse Viola's kindness, but he was also somewhat puzzled. Why was she so attentive to him?

Even if she intended to befriend him, it seemed she was acting a little too quickly.

Combined with Viola's true emotions at that moment, Rayne suddenly felt a little pleased with himself. "Am I really this handsome? Even an unparalleled beauty like her has fallen for me?"

He wanted to test the waters, so he agreed. "All right, I'll definitely come. But I have no experience attending this kind of trading session. I don't know the rules or etiquette, and I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself."

"It's fine. I'll help you." Viola's eyes were filled with amusement, and she seemed very happy that Rayne was coming. "Arrive here half a day early. Just follow my arrangements then."

"Then I'll be troubling you."

Seeing how proactive and enthusiastic Viola was, and how genuine she seemed, Rayne's heart grew warm as well.

Which man did not like beautiful women?

Especially a super-beauty with such astonishing looks!

Rayne could not tell how old Viola was. The Half-elf had a beautiful face that looked to be in her early twenties, yet she also possessed the mature allure of a woman in her thirties. Her bearing was graceful and noble, her figure perfect and alluring, and she carried an exotic charm. She was practically the ideal lover every man dreamed of!

Perhaps her true age was quite advanced, but Rayne did not care in the slightest.

If he had the chance to kiss her and, while he was at it, cling to this long, powerful thigh, he would gladly endure being called a pretty boy living off a woman!

Even living off a woman required talent, all right? Some people wanted to and still could not!

Rayne was practically bursting with joy. All kinds of tricks for courting women flashed through his mind, yet his face remained calm as he bid Viola farewell. When he walked out of Violet House, he felt as if he had crossed into another lifetime.