UNLIMITED POTENTIAL CH 18
The nanites moved with surgical precision, reducing the strain placed on Alexander's body while prioritizing the repair of critical damage caused by the Shadow Demon.
Using his mana as efficiently as possible, they initiated emergency repair protocols throughout his damaged tissues and mana pathways. The nanites drew directly from his own mana reserves to fuel their operations, increasing their output to match the severity of his injuries.
They rotated through active cycles, allowing individual units to conserve energy while others continued repairs. However, the internal damage was far beyond normal recovery parameters. Nearly every remaining ounce of mana within Alexander's core was diverted toward reconstruction and stabilization.
The others stood by helplessly as Alexander's mana continued to disappear. Distraught by his condition, they could do nothing except wait and hope he would wake.
No other person's mana could be used to replenish his depleted reserves. Every individual's mana possessed a unique frequency, and introducing foreign mana into another person's body would result in severe mana rejection. The recipient's body would treat it as a poison, causing unbearable pain, system failure, and eventually death. The only exception to this rule was the pure elemental mana of the Guardians, which they could safely share with their Arkons.
Kahawai and Kalani watched over Alexander under the Elder's command. He had left immediately to search for a solution. With a wide network of experts and high-ranked Hunters at his disposal, he would spare no expense to save his family.
Max remained locked away in his workshop beneath the estate, desperately working on a solution. After three hours of uninterrupted research, he suddenly announced that he might have found one.
"You think he's going to make it? I don't sense any mana from him, but he's still breathing. We'll need to find a seventh for the trial in a month if he dies." Kahawai nervously paced around the team room. The wooden floor beneath him had already become lightly indented from his uncontrolled mana. He bit his fingernails anxiously while scowling in distress.
"Would you please stop? You're giving me a headache every time you bump that chair. He trained too hard last night, that's all. He's our family, our ʻohana, and Akamai don't die easily. I expect him to pull through." She shifted on the couch, moving closer to listen to Alexander's breathing.
"He's gotten so much stronger over the past few months at an incredible rate. His combat ability, magic, and even his strategy have nearly reached mastery in only days. If a little hard training was enough to kill him, he wouldn't have had the strength to crawl back here. There's something special about him, even before all this training. At the docks, when a normal person would have run, he stayed and took the shot."
"Are you falling in love at a time like this, cousin? I'll remind you, he's family now, and that puts you in a difficult situation, eh. We need this win at the trial to secure our futures and save your brother. If he's as special as you say he is, then why is he still like this?" Kahawai grumbled.
"Could you two stop bickering in front of my patient?" Max rushed to Alexander's side, attaching a mechanical armband to his wrist.
"I am such a step above you lot that I can do more than complain about useless hopes and worries. The device I just placed on the subj—our friend's wrist will inject specialized nutrients directly into his bloodstream, similar to a magical IV. This will provide him with a stable recovery window."
As Alexander's breathing stabilized and color returned to his face, everyone released a breath of relief. The amount of mana he absorbed through respiration doubled, allowing the nanites to operate at significantly higher efficiency with the added supply of nutrients and energy.
The armband Max created enhanced the nanites' ability to repair damaged tissue and regulate mana circulation, tripling their overall efficiency. Processes that previously required crucial minutes were reduced to life-saving seconds as the nanites gathered mana and distributed it throughout Alexander's body like a magical power conduit.
The nutrients provided an alternate energy source, allowing the nanites to stop siphoning the mana they transferred throughout his body to maintain their own functions. With internal energy consumption reduced, more of Alexander's mana could be dedicated directly toward healing and recovery.
Alexander's Mana Core had increased in size, but the damage he suffered from the attack was far beyond what he could repair through normal methods like Synergy. With the additional nutrients now available, his Core began replenishing itself as the strain on the nanites decreased. His body gradually returned to a healthier state, and as his Core filled with mana, it began revealing his true progress.
Lunaris had been using all available processing power to manage the emergency. There was no longer enough capacity to suppress or conceal Alexander's actual strength.
"Feel that mana surging from him? He's close to a breakthrough! Scratch that... he's already gone through one!" Kahawai exclaimed. "You know, you're a genius sometimes, Max. How did that thing cause him to go from that to this? Can I get one?"
"My genius is old news. Although, I do enjoy hearing about it." Max adjusted his glasses proudly. "The nutrients I provided could never have caused a breakthrough. They simply allowed his body to recover enough for his natural progression to continue. He should survive now that he has received my world-famous Brainbooster Nutrient Band... or BBNB, for short. I'll perform a full scan when he wakes up."
Max grinned at the prospect of having a new test subject.
───
Inside Alexander's mind, as his body fought for survival, everything was dark and void of light. Mana raced around his consciousness in violent arcs as he floated helplessly within his own mindscape. He closed himself off, attempting to withstand the overwhelming force raging around him.
Flashes of his life appeared throughout the darkness, assaulting his subconscious with memories he could barely process.
He sank deeper and deeper into his own mind as the flood of mana crashed into him like a tsunami. Tossed and battered by the force, he drifted farther from himself, dangerously close to becoming catatonic. The battle between his expanding Core and the unstable mana drained his consciousness and willpower as he struggled to maintain control.
Pain erupted from his Core like burning coals, spreading throughout his body as mana flooded into it. What should have been a gradual expansion had become an uncontrolled acceleration. His Core absorbed more mana than it could contain, forcing itself to expand rapidly before it reached the point of collapse.
'Warning. Damage to your mana system has reached critical levels. I cannot regulate the influx without compromising your physical recovery protocols. Please endure.'
A warm, bright light appeared within his mind like a small sun. The familiar voice echoed through the darkness, reminding him that he was not alone and urging him not to surrender.
'I'm not weak anymore! I can't let my story end like this. I clawed my way from nothing to get here, damn it! This is my body, and I am in control!'
Alexander stopped his descent and faced the raging storm of mana head-on. Blow after blow, he crawled back from the edge of destruction, forcing himself to reclaim control.
'Yes. Stabilization detected. Continue controlling the mana surge.'
The turbulent elements of mana surrounding him began to weaken as Alexander rose higher. The violent storm that once tore at his consciousness transformed into focused streams of energy as he wrestled the power under his command.
'This is my mind. I am in control. You will obey.'
Alexander began assimilating the unstable mana back into himself. Threads of mana connected to his Core as Synergy calculated the most efficient pathways for absorption and circulation. His mana circulation increased exponentially as his Core endured the pressure of advancement, pushing him toward D-rank.
Alexander's Core radiated brighter and brighter until cracks began spreading across its surface.
The fractures expanded.
The Core shattered.
Instead of disappearing, the fragments transformed into pure mana and reconstructed themselves into something greater.
A new, larger Core formed.
The newly created mana circuits hummed with power as his expanded mana circulatory system activated. More mana flowed through his body than ever before, and the overwhelming potential of his newfound strength was intoxicating.
Mana flooded through his body in unfamiliar ways. His bones and tissues absorbed the energy, becoming denser and stronger. His thoughts became clearer, and his senses sharpened with predator-like precision.
Alexander opened his eyes as a burst of multicolored mana erupted from his body.
The wave of rainbow-colored energy surged outward, but the formations surrounding the room activated instantly, preventing the explosion from destroying everything nearby. The mana collided against the barrier, swirling within the enclosed space before rebounding back toward Alexander and throwing him onto the floor.
"Argh! Who did that?" Alexander groaned, his eyes faintly glowing with mana.
"Where did you go last night? How did you even end up like this? You disappeared so quickly, and when you walked in, you looked like death." Kahawai questioned with concern, searching Alexander for injuries. He found none, but something about him felt different. "Did you get taller?"
"Yes, I... I was training in the forest when a monster appeared and attacked me. It nearly killed me, but I defeated it first. No big deal." Alexander quickly looked down at the device on his arm. "What's this thing?"
'They're asking way too many questions that I can't answer right now. How am I supposed to explain that I'm a Guardian and that I need to become stronger to protect the world? It sounds crazy even to me. Why would they believe me? Ugh... this is driving me insane.'
"Don't change the subject, Keikikān. What attacked you? Are there more?" Kalani's voice became serious. "You should not leave the estate alone at night. These grounds have become more dangerous recently. Even our scouts have been returning with strange reports."
His arrogant exterior faded, replaced by the stern but caring expression of a father. Among the elders, his experience with children was unmatched. He knew when to listen, but he never forgot when discipline was necessary.
Alexander found himself trapped between an impossible explanation and the truth he could not reveal. How could he explain that, as a Guardian, he was destined to fight creatures like this?
In the end, he told them about the monster, leaving out everything involving Guardians.
"This has gotten out of hand. First, the increase in Gates not being handled by the Association, and now strange creatures appearing around my family's home. This has gone too far."
"Elder, please do not act too rashly because of this. Alexander is safe, and the monster allowed him to reach D-rank." Kalani reasoned, making a case for the Elder not to interfere. Doing so could create complications for their Hunter trial.
Ignoring the commotion around him, Alexander opened his system window—the one he couldn't access while fighting for his life the night before.
'What's this? Looks like I got quite the haul this time.'
//Mission: Defeat the Enemy — Completed!!
Rewards Granted.
• Reached D-rank — Quest Complete
• 10× (D) Mana Crystals
• Skill Scroll: Darkness
• Ring of the Firstborne — Upgraded//