Lassim’s inner heart world swirled with the dynamic energies of his breakthrough. The crystal, having absorbed the majority of his mana pool and now soul, began to stabilize, glowing with a powerful, radiant light.
As Lassim’s physical transformation solidified, his consciousness drifted back to his companions, Mari and Zaphy, who were undergoing their own metamorphoses within the heart world.
Mari, the royal koi, was the first to transform. Her mana cocoon shimmered and pulsated with a golden light, encapsulating her in a protective rune covered shell. As the cocoon cracked open, a resplendent new form emerged.
Mari’s body had grown substantially, nearly doubling in size to an impressive two meters. Her scales, once mostly a brilliant blue with the signs of a few golden runes, now glistened with intricate patterns of gold, increasing her regal appearance. Large sections of scales across her koi body were now solid gold.
If you could inspect the scales at a microscopic level, you’d see a blanket of unique runic symbols woven together across their surface.
The most striking change was the addition of two majestic golden horns, similar to that of some sort of dragon, that spiraled gracefully from her head. They added a sense of ancient power to her presence.
Her fins had also changed to solid white and shortened, becoming more sharp like some sort of shark fin or a dragon’s spine in shape, yet still flowing with a delicate grace that belied their newfound strength and aggressive silhouette.
As she swam around Lassim’s heart world, the golden accents on her scales caught the light from the crystal, creating a mesmerizing display of brilliance and beauty.
Her transformation was not just physical but also imbued with a new sense of power that seemed to resonate through all of the water mana of the heart world.
Next was Zaphy, the thunderbird, whose transformation was equally dramatic. Encased in a cocoon of crackling lightning, Zaphy’s silhouette could be seen writhing and shifting within the stormy enclosure. When the cocoon finally shattered, Zaphy emerged with an aura of raw, untamed power.
Her golden feather crown plumage had fully developed, the feathers now longer and more pronounced, also giving her an even more regal appearance. The golden feathers that adorned her wings and tail had grown in both maturity and size too, their luster adding a fierce brilliance to her presence.
Zaphy’s body, once a formidable two meters in height with a three-meter wingspan, had now doubled in size. She soared through the heart world with newfound grace and agility, her expanded wings creating thunderous booms that reverberated through the realm.
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The lightning that trailed behind her left a dazzling display of violet and gold colors. Like fireworks, the charge of electricity surrounding her body was unrelenting and dramatic.
As the whirlwind of energies settled and Lassim marveled at the transformations of Mari and Zaphy, he felt an overwhelming surge of connection with his companions. Their bond, now stronger than ever, resonated deeply within his mind. He took a moment to absorb the changes, then addressed them, his voice filled with curiosity and affection.
"[Come out so I can get a good look at you both.]" He requested.
Then, with a quick flash, Marinelle materialized in the air and Zaphy followed, standing tall on her deadly looking talons in front of him.
"How are you both feeling after all that?" Lassim asked, his gaze shifting between the two transformed beings.
Mari, now shimmering with her regal golden scales and majestic horns, swam gracefully closer, her voice calm and nurturing. "I feel a profound sense of balance and strength, Lassim. This transformation has aligned me more deeply with the natural energies of our surroundings.
It’s as though I can sense the very heartbeat of all the water mana within the realm now." She smiled gently, her golden horns glinting in the light. "And you, my dear? You seem to have grown more mature and changed your features significantly as well."
Lassim blinked in surprise. With a head tilt, "What? I changed?" he asked, puzzled.
Mari summoned a disc of water and manipulated it to act as a mirror. "See for yourself," she said, positioning it in front of him.
Lassim gazed into the water mirror, shocked by his reflection. His hair, now a deep, velvety blue, moved gently and elegantly, as if caressed by the soft flow of a gentle stream despite the lack of wind to push it around. His eyes, once a dirt brown, now flashed bright violet, with occasional miniature bolts of electricity darting out.
As he absorbed these changes, Zaphy sniffed him suddenly, her expression one of curious delight. "I like your new smell too!" she exclaimed. "You remind me of a storm. You smell like fresh rain now."
Lassim chuckled, slightly bewildered. "Really? A storm, huh?" He took a deep breath, catching the faint scent of rain that now accompanied him. "Well, I suppose it fits, given the nature of our combined elements."
Mari smiled warmly. "You have grown, Lassim. These changes reflect the power and harmony within you. Embrace them."
Zaphy fluttered her wings excitedly. "Yeah! You’re like a living thunderstorm now! We’re both like two big ol’ lightning clouds! Zap Zap! Our next enemies won’t know what to do when we start to Zip and Zap at them!
Like this—Zip, zip, zap, zap, zap!"
Her wings thrusting outwards like goofy little punches with every "zip" and "zap". She even lifted one of her legs trying to throw out an awkward ’kick’, before she lost balance and fell over into the snow beak first.
Lassim chuckled at Zaphy’s exuberance. "[I’m glad to hear that. Both of you look incredible as well. I like your new horns a lot Mari, and Zaphy you’re definitely not a baby Thunderbird anymore. You’re so big that I could probably easily ride on your back now! This breakthrough has truly brought us to a whole new level.
I can’t wait to try it out and see how much stronger we’ve gotten compared to others.]"
Mari’s eyes glowed softly as she responded, "[Indeed, Lassim. We should be more able to face whatever challenges come our way. With our combined strength, I believe we can cleanse this realm more easily and get back home sooner. Though, as long as we don’t interrupt whatever that sleeping behemoth is.]" Her fins lightly shuddered as she remembered that titanic presence.
Zaphy chimed in, her voice filled with excitement, "[Yeah, I’m tired of the cold. Let’s get out of here sooner]" She gave a playful flap of her wings, sending a ripple of lightning energy through the air into the sky.
She jumped backwards a bit as the lightning bolts that shot out surprised her a bit. With a shy head tilt she uttered, "Teehee," as those powerful bolts caught her off guard and were unintended.
As Lassim watched his companions in awe, he felt happy with the insanely fast progress they were making with their cultivation.
The breakthrough into the Spirit Transformation stage had not only elevated his own abilities but had also transformed his companions and him into even more formidable allies, ready to aid him in their shared quest to cleanse the realm and get back home.
With the breakthrough finished, the insanely massive lightning in the clouds above began to disperse. The clouds stayed, but the electrical energy charging them and releasing thick bolts across the sky connecting them began to die down.
The area the lightning covered was surely going to be noticed by the village back home, and Lassim just hoped it didn’t cause too much concern or worry.
Taking a deep breath, Lassim started his journey back to the village.
Almost immediately, he realized something astonishing: he could travel almost as quickly as a bolt of lightning.
With each step, trails of violet-colored lightning propelled him forward, leaving a crackling path in his wake.
He marveled at his newfound speed but found it challenging to control. Several times, he stumbled and fell, the sudden bursts of speed catching him off guard.
Each time he hit the ground, the impact was cushioned by the snow that would suddenly surge and protect his fall almost instinctively. Like the lightning was passively increasing his speed, it seemed his affinity for the water mana in the snow also passively aided him.
"[Whoa! This is incredible!]" Lassim exclaimed, pulling himself up after one particularly spectacular tumble. He brushed the snow off his thick leather and fur lined clothes, shaking his head in disbelief. "[I need to get the hang of this before we get back.]"
Mari, swimming alongside him in the air, offered gentle advice. "[Focus on controlling the flow of your energy. Let it flow through you like a stream, but don’t let it overwhelm you. It’s a part of you now.]"
Zaphy swooped overhead, her vibrant feathers crackling with static. "[Yeah, it’s like riding a storm! You’ve got to let it carry you, but stay on top of it! You’re doing great brother!]" She then demonstrated with a flap of her wings how she did basically the same thing he was doing, but the lightning jutting out of her wings and enhancing her speed that way instead.
Lassim shook his head though as a wing flap was extremely different from just walking or running on legs.
With their moral support as the biggest factor, rather than their odd advice, Lassim gradually adapted to his enhanced speed. His steps became more fluid, each stride more confident as he harnessed the lightning coursing through him. The journey, which would have taken hours before, now seemed to pass in a blur of violet light and electric speed once he finally got going.
As he neared the village, the familiar structures came into view. Lassim slowed his pace, carefully managing the energy surging within him. He didn’t want to alarm anyone with his sudden appearance or the crackling aura that now surrounded him.