The small mana crystals had finally disappeared completely from Ren's mana vision.
He observed with satisfaction how the last crystallized fragments dissolved in Zhao's circulatory system, converted back to their semi-ethereal state and absorbed by the processed tentacles.
The professor lay more relaxed now, his breathing less labored, the lines of tension in his face gradually softening.
The transformation was remarkable. Where before Zhao's mana channels had been clouded with crystalline obstructions, now they flowed with unbelievable ease. Each dissolved fragment represented another step back from the brink of death.
"Phase two," Ren murmured, wiping his hands before reaching for the transparent gel they had obtained from amphibian tissues.
