Chapter 105: I Want to Try!!

As soon as Veil stepped into the small valley, he felt as if his body had been buried in a heap of icy snow. A biting cold relentlessly crept through his frail frame. Though he had mentally prepared himself, in that instant he couldn’t help but shiver and then let out a fierce sneeze.

There was no avoiding it—such was the constitution of a mage...

Veil gritted his teeth, vigorously rubbing his arms with both hands. Within the sea of his consciousness, his fire-elemental mana flowed ceaselessly, circulating from within his body to the outside. A scorching heat radiated outward, tinting Veil’s skin with a faint, dusky pink hue.

Surveying the surroundings of the valley, Veil realized it was not actually small. Though its entrance was narrow, the interior expanded surprisingly wide. To be safe, he had already opened his senses and cautiously circled the perimeter. Only after confirming that no danger lurked nearby did he finally allow himself to relax slightly.

Looking up, he noticed the sky had gradually darkened without his awareness. Turning his head, he saw Scanori and Nassa by the cliffside, having discovered a relatively shallow cave. They waved for Veil to come over.

“We’ve been here twice before, so we know the underground layout pretty well. This cave was found back then,” Scanori explained as he pointed toward the cave.

Veil nodded and followed Scanori inside. The cave was small and narrow, barely spacious enough for the three of them. Due to the pervasive mist, the uneven ground was covered with puddles, and the muddy soil felt unpleasant underfoot. Yet the three paid no mind. Scanori naturally found a clean spot to sit and rest, while Nassa circled outside. When he returned, Veil noticed he was holding some roots of a certain plant.

Nassa brushed the soil off and handed a handful of roots to Veil. “Can you eat this?”

“Better than nothing, I guess,” Veil replied half-jokingly. The undead among them were especially sensitive to fresh blood, so since entering the misty zone they hadn’t hunted any beasts for food. Furthermore, Veil and Nassa had lost their rations during their fierce battle with Gurodo. This meant once Scanori’s food was gone, they would have to endure hunger.

At first, Veil hadn’t paid much attention to the roots in Nassa’s hand. But when he took them, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Isn’t this the root of the Ice Orchid? But shouldn’t this plant only grow in the northern snow mountains?”

Veil’s mind filled with questions, though after some thought he reassured himself. The Ice Orchid wasn’t a magical plant, but a precious medicinal herb valued for its healing properties. It naturally thrived in cold, icy environments. Coincidentally, the temperature here in the valley resembled that of the northern snow mountains, so it made sense to find such flora here.

“Come on, kid, don’t tell me you’re afraid to eat it?” Scanori teased, seeing Veil’s momentary hesitation.

Unexpectedly, Veil didn’t retort but grinned instead, biting off a sizable chunk of the slightly dry root. Chewing vigorously, he mumbled unclearly, “What a joke—only a fool wouldn’t eat such a treasure!”

Seeing Veil enjoy it so much, Scanori swallowed hard and glanced at his own handful of roots, shaking his head helplessly. Although edible, the taste was truly awful. The roots contained little juice, offering a faint sweetness but leaving a dry, rough sensation—like chewing on tree bark, as Scanori described it.

“This kid must be starving stupid,” Scanori muttered. To orcs, the Ice Orchid root was just another plant, but in the human world, it was worth a fortune—priceless on the market. The three of them feasting on such a delicacy recklessly was equivalent to wasting tens of thousands in gold coins. Even the wealthiest in the empire wouldn’t be so extravagant.

“Ahh...” Veil pretended to sigh, stuffing another root into his mouth and chewing hurriedly.

With his stomach somewhat filled, Veil wiped his mouth and sat down, closing his eyes to enter meditation and cultivation.

To fend off the bitter cold, Veil had to constantly circulate his fire-elemental mana throughout his body. While this consumed considerable mental energy, it was far more efficient than releasing it outward as flames for warmth, thus minimizing mana expenditure.

After circulating his senses internally a few rounds and finding no abnormalities, Veil finally relaxed and entered his sea of consciousness. His vast inner world had long since divided into two parts: one composed of special crystals formed from mutated fire-elemental mana, the other of ordinary mana.

The crimson fire crystals emitted faint red light, continuously releasing pure fire mana that flowed into every corner of his body.

Veil had been observing this mutation since it first appeared, and surprisingly, it seemed to bring no harm. On the contrary, he felt the fire mana had become purer, more intense. Compared to before, the mutated fire mana was fiercer, more explosive, constantly radiating a passionate fervor that stirred his blood like roaring flames. This sensation was entirely new to Veil.

What could this mean? Was it truly just the effect of consuming the Golden Flame Herb?

Veil’s mind churned with questions. He sensed a definite causal link between the mutation in his consciousness and the Golden Flame Herb. The herb was indeed a fire-elemental magical plant of the highest quality, primarily used for crafting magic scrolls. Yet no one had ever dared to ingest it directly—especially not a specimen two hundred years old!

Mutation, mutation, mutation...

Veil’s thoughts raced. He speculated that the mana mutation in his body resulted from a unique type of fire energy generated by the Golden Flame Herb. Although pure, this energy differed fundamentally from the fire mana he normally cultivated. Their interaction—whether through absorption or fusion—had altered both energies, producing the mutation.

If this theory held, might the same approach work with other elemental manas, enabling their respective mutations?

Suddenly, even Veil was startled by this bold idea. By fusing different but related energies with his native mana, he could enhance his power in various ways. This was no longer mere mutation—it was transformation!

A metamorphosis of mana, a change in essence, a qualitative leap!

The more he thought, the more amazed and excited he became. If viable, this method would not only boost his strength but also mark a groundbreaking chapter in the history of magic.

He had to try it!

Veil snapped his eyes open. Since arriving in this world, the blood that had long been calm within him now boiled fiercely for the first time.

[PS: I probably overslept this morning and accidentally submitted multiple times, causing one chapter to be uploaded repeatedly. The second chapter is finally updated tonight!]