Pale particles of light erupted the instant Ian touched the Light Vortex, surging straight into his body.
In an instant, heart-rending pain tore through him, as though every muscle in his arm were being ripped apart strand by strand and then crushed to pulp. The boy sucked in a sharp breath. This time, he truly could not endure it. This thing hurt even more than being struck by an alchemical shell. It even locked his throat, leaving him unable to scream.
Visible to the naked eye, the pale beams of particles seemed alive, transforming into streams of flowing light that sank beneath the skin of Ian's left arm, like silver-white etched circuitry or blood vessels forged from metal.
The living metal covering his left arm as a bracer also seemed catalyzed by the power of the Fireseed Furnace Core. It wriggled continuously along with the pale beams of light, then slowly fused with Ian's left arm, seeping deep into its muscles and bones.
—This was a modification... one similar to taking a Half-Potion!
Because Ian had already taken the Fairy Wings Half-Potion once, he knew exactly what this sensation was. It was the process of forcibly shaping an entirely new Origin Matter Structure within an Origin Matter Structure that had already taken form.
And this time, the Fireseed Furnace Core had no connection whatsoever to his previous structures. It was forcefully carving out a domain within his body that belonged solely to "it."
Morien Steel was one of the materials of this newly born ascended organ. This was not a bad thing—indeed, it was an enormous stroke of luck. Having material was better than having none, at least. As long as the Morien Steel could be put to use, it was not wasted.
The problem was—it hurt too much!
**"Ah!