Chapter 430: Transformation
At the same time, Axel, who had been waiting nearby, stepped closer, both of them helping her sit upright.
Axel’s brows were tightly furrowed, concern evident in his eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked quickly. "Do you need water? How are you feeling?"
The questions came one after another, almost without pause.
Lana blinked, then let out a soft chuckle despite the dryness in her throat.
"I’m fine," she said.
Even as she said it, her voice sounded weak, slightly hoarse, as if it had been scraped raw from enduring too much.
Mr. Crow clicked his tongue lightly, clearly dissatisfied.
"You don’t need to take an herb for every breakthrough," he chided, folding his arms. "Skipping it once won’t kill you."
Lana shook her head slowly.
"No," she replied, her tone calm but firm. "Ever since I started taking oaths... I realized something."
She lifted her hand slightly, staring at her fingers as if recalling something important.
"At every stage, I gain something... like a hidden reward."
Her eyes flickered faintly.
"At Earth Rank... even though it wasn’t obvious... my senses were enhanced."
Mr. Crow froze.
’She... gained something back then?’
When Lana had first reached Earth Rank, she hadn’t mentioned any changes. He had assumed she hadn’t awakened anything special.
But now, enhanced senses? That alone was a remarkable gain.
"What about this time?" he asked, his curiosity rising.
Lana clenched her fists slightly, feeling the subtle surge of power flowing beneath her skin.
"I’m not completely sure," she admitted. "But... if I’m not wrong... my senses have been strengthened even further."
Mr. Crow almost raised his hand in approval.
’Good... very good...’
At the same time, a subtle thrill ran through him.
Because of his connection with Lana, his own cultivation had risen alongside hers. Every time she broke through, he benefitted as well.
’Choosing her as a host was the best decision ...’
Meanwhile, Lana’s eyes sparkled faintly. "I want to test it." ..."
She shifted slightly, about to stand...
"Stop."
Axel’s voice cut through her thoughts. Even though it wasn’t loud, it carried authority.
"Just because your breakthrough succeeded doesn’t mean your body has fully adapted," he said. "Give yourself at least a day."
Lana sighed softly, a hint of helplessness appearing on her face. ’He really worries too much ...’
Still, she nodded. "Alright."
After all, he was her only uncle.
As that thought crossed her mind, her gaze turned toward him, curiosity flickering within her eyes.
"Were my parents mystic cultivators too?" she asked.
Axel fell silent.
For a brief moment, something unreadable passed through his eyes.
Then he smiled faintly. "You’ll know when you meet them," he replied.
Lana waved her hand dismissively.
"I’m not interested in meeting them," she said bluntly. "I just want to know... am I a born genius... or is it inherited?"
Her tone carried a hint of narcissistic confidence. Axel and Mr. Crow both fell silent.
’This girl ...’
They didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.
The next day.
After resting properly, Lana made her way to the training grounds dedicated to mystic cultivators.
Recently, the principal had decided to invest more resources into the department, granting them a private training area.
The space was vast.
Equipment of all kinds filled the ground: archery targets, reinforced dummies, weighted punching bags, and more.
Lana walked forward, her footsteps steady. She stopped in front of a 50 kg punching bag.
Without hesitation, she punched. Boom!
The bag exploded instantly, fragments scattering across the ground.
Lana blinked. ’That... was too easy.’
She moved to the 100 kg bag. Another punch. Boom!
It burst apart just as easily. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Then, 1000 kg. The massive bag loomed before her. She inhaled slowly... then struck.
BOOM!
The bag exploded... but not as completely as the others. The resistance was noticeable.
Lana stepped back, flexing her fingers slightly. ’As expected... after this point, my strength starts to taper off.’
Even so, a smile spread across her lips.
’This is more than enough. If those monsters from Almond families try to provoke me... one punch will be enough.’
A faint, almost wicked laugh escaped her. From a distance, Betty and Layla watched the entire scene.
They exchanged a glance. ’She thinks she looks scary ...’
In reality...she looked more like an excited little mouse.
Layla shook her head slightly before turning to Betty.
"Is she really going for the assessment next week?" she asked.
Betty nodded confidently. "Of course."
Layla frowned, concern evident in her expression.
"I hope the principal has made proper preparations... otherwise it might be difficult for her to come out unscathed."
Betty waved her hand dismissively.
"You’re underestimating him," she said. "As long as the principal steps in, no one will dare to..."
Layla fell silent. ’You don’t understand ...’
She knew better. There were forces in this world, powerful, hidden, ruthless.
Some people would never accept someone like Lana rising to the top. Especially not a child from an unknown background.
’They won’t hesitate to eliminate her ...’
.............
Meanwhile, Lana was still immersed in her excitement.
’Let’s try something else.’ ...’
A thought crossed her mind... Lucian.
In the next instant, her body shimmered.
And she transformed into a small silver kitten.
At the same time, Betty and Layla turned back toward her...only to freeze.
Lana had disappeared. In her place...a silver kitten stood quietly.
Before they could even react, the kitten vanished.
Gone. As if it had never been there. The air fell silent.
Both of them stood frozen, their minds blank. A full minute passed before they finally snapped out of it.
Betty’s lips parted slightly. "Holy... what just happened?" she muttered.
Layla stared at the empty space, her heart still racing.
"How did Lana just disappear... and that kitten appear... and then vanish too...?"
Betty slowly shook her head.
"I don’t know..." she murmured, her voice faint, almost dazed. "But whatever that was... it felt... mesmerizing."
Meanwhile... Lana reappeared silently, her small silver form landing softly onto Lucian’s lap.
The moment Lucian felt the sudden, familiar weight, light, warm, and impossibly soft, his body reacted instinctively.