LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 5 Transactions
Death is a serious topic for anyone.
Lin Yun did not fear death, but he understood the importance of respecting it. If possible, he did not wish for his life to end prematurely, even if his remaining days were not long.
Of course, he did not display such thoughts, so in Molu's eyes, he still appeared unruffled.
"Aren't you afraid? Young man, you could die."
The doll's face appropriately showed a puzzled expression, "I specifically brought up the most extreme consequences, and if you still have no reaction, our transaction will be difficult to carry out."
"You say these things not to frighten me, I presume."
Lin Yun folded his arms: "You mentioned this is a transaction, so let's start by discussing your price."
"Do young people these days not know how to bargain anymore?"
The doll behind the desk emitted a sigh like that of an old person: "Forget it, I'm really not good at this sort of thing, let's just talk directly about the help I can offer."
"First and foremost, I must make clear to you that damage caused by overexerting your powers is irreversible. The Magic Artifacts and Magic Power you've lost have vanished forever and completely ceased to exist in concept, so I can't help you regain that part."
"It's like a disabled person who has lost limbs through some mishap; after losing limbs, the wounds may scab over and heal, but the limbs won't grow back. That's the condition of your essence. You are an injured, disabled person right now, and even your wounds have not yet healed."
"So?" Lin Yun inquired.
"So, what I can do is to help you recover from your current injuries in this condition and safely use the remaining strength you have." Molu's voice came from the doll.
"...The remaining strength?"
Lin Yun frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with this answer: "This doesn't seem to meet my needs."
He was very aware of the level of his remaining Magic Power. In his opinion, even if he could use that small amount of power safely, it was insufficient to deal with truly dangerous enemies.
"Why do you think the 'Leaf-Level Magic Power' is all the strength you have left?" the doll suddenly asked.
"The current Magic Power... is not everything?"
This statement took Lin Yun by surprise, causing him to unfold his arms: "Isn't it? I cannot be mistaken about the amount of Magic Power I feel, and since I can no longer use the Marvel, it seems there is no more residual power in me."
"Marvel is Marvel, Magic Artifact is Magic Artifact."
Molu's voice floated ethereally: "Don't forget the essence of Marvel, young man. Magic Artifacts are born from Magic Power, Marvels are born from Soul Will; Magic Power corresponds to Soul Will, hence Magic Artifacts and Marvels are two sides of the same essence. Your Magic Artifact may be damaged, but it still retains a thread-like part, which means your Marvel has not vanished, it's just dormant."
"But I can't feel it at all." Lin Yun gently rebutted.
"That's normal. Just like a person instinctively curls up or covers a bleeding wound, your essence has its own protective mechanism. Your subconscious judges your essence as incomplete, fragile, so it doesn't want to expose its wounds," Molu explained. "If I'm not mistaken, even before this battle, using the Marvel was already very forced and painful, wasn't it? That's the reason."
"In short, you are now a person with a Magic Power disability, wishing to use your powers again which requires a complete rehabilitation process, even surgery."
"To use illness as a metaphor, I can offer you help in two aspects: First, to help you heal the wounds, recover from the injuries, replenish the damage to your essence, so you can stabilize your current condition; second, to provide you with a Prosthetic Limb that is sufficiently functional so you can resume normal activities after recovery."
"Your existing strength will become a new whole. As the wounds heal, you can stop the decline of your Magic Power and will even be able to unleash your Marvel once more."
The doll's face took on a somewhat smug expression: "Of course, it could be more than just the Marvel. You might even... regain your '繁开'."
繁开.
Lin Yun silently repeated the word in his heart, slightly clutching the Heart's Gem in his hand.
How long had it been since he last contemplated that concept?
As an ability granted to Magical Girls at the Blossom Level, 繁开 was an exceedingly important presence for every Blossom Level girl, so much so that the majority of their combat strength was comprised of 繁开.
As the trump card of a Magical Girl, 繁开 is a very special state; to put it in more common terms, the so-called 繁开 is a Magical Girl's "second transformation."
In the state of 繁开, a Magical Girl's abilities evolve, and both the Magic Power volume and Soul Will strength receive an unprecedented amplification. According to the records of the kingdoms, the most extreme examples of 繁开 could reach ten times the Magic Power before 繁开.
Such a terrifying amplification comes at no significant cost to the Magical Girl, only a period of weakness follows its use.
This is also one of the reasons why Blossom Level Magical Girls are leaps and bounds beyond Bud Level in terms of combat strength: even with frail Magic Power, a Magical Girl in 繁开 can easily surpass her peers in the power aspect.