Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 171: Train your new body a little.

"Hmm…" Eleonor brought a finger to her lips, her gaze thoughtful as she pondered Kael's question.

The two of them were seated at the main table in the hall, where a lavish breakfast had been carefully laid out. Exotic fruits, still-warm breads, aged cheeses, crystallized honey, eggs prepared in various ways, and even small jars of magical jams that floated gently above enchanted holders.

Kael, however, barely touched the food. His eyes wandered across the table as if they didn't quite know where to settle. Everything was so refined, so… far removed from the simplicity of his mother's kitchen. It had only been a few months since he'd stopped eating her warm, comforting meals — the transition was still too recent to feel natural.

"So…" Eleonor began, turning to face him again. "Now that your mana has been fully released, you can begin training in transfiguration."

She poured herself a small portion of dark tea, unhurried. "With that, you'll be able to cast a spell on yourself to maintain the appearance of an eleven-year-old child, if necessary."

Kael raised an eyebrow, surprised. "So I can't have my body back?"

"Not exactly back," she corrected, with a faint smile. "It's an advanced physical illusion. The transfiguration spell doesn't reverse time, but it reshapes your outer appearance. You'll retain your current body, your powers, your endurance... you'll simply look like you did before."

She paused, watching him seriously. "Time travel magic doesn't exist. And even if it did, forcing the body backward would be impossible without catastrophic consequences. What I did was push your body forward — a safe and necessary advancement. Now, the only way to 'go back' is through physical illusion."

Kael leaned back in his chair, his golden eyes lost in thought. There were so many implications in that simple answer. His adult body was now the new reality. Childhood, at least physically, was over.

"So… I can pretend to be what I was. But never truly be it again." He murmured, and Eleonor slowly nodded, saying nothing. It was a hard truth, but a necessary one.

"In any case," Eleonor said, in a tone both light and firm, "I recommend you stop by the young witches' training halls later. Your new body needs adjustment... and practice."

She watched him with that knowing look — the kind that said she understood far more than she let on.

"I know you've been neglecting the path of pure magic to follow that of a magic swordsman," she added, a hint of disappointment in her voice, though she still smiled. "But… keep at it. In less than ten years, you've grown strong enough to surprise me. Your aura… it's frightening."

"Aura?" Kael frowned, puzzled. "I don't feel anything."

Eleonor gave him a look that clearly said, "You must be joking." When he didn't respond, she sighed, slightly exasperated.

"Aah..." she murmured, nodding discreetly toward the witch servant standing near the exit of the room.

Kael followed her gaze. The young woman was pale, her body visibly trembling. Her legs wobbled, as if they were about to collapse.

"She's using six body-reinforcement spells just to stay standing," Eleonor explained. "And even then, she's on the verge of collapse. You really don't feel the air around you? You're releasing so much mana that the environment is being distorted."

Kael looked at her in disbelief, then closed his eyes for a moment and focused. When he opened them, he channeled his magical sight — and then everything became clear. novelbuddy.cσ๓

Magical particles in the air danced around him in a frenzy, like sparks drawn to a living furnace. He turned toward his grandmother. Inside her, billions of fragments of mana were perfectly contained, like stars compressed beneath a layer of steel.

Then he looked at himself.

Millions of particles were escaping his body in a continuous, uncontrolled stream — like a silent storm.

Instinctively, he took a deep breath and focused his will. The mana responded immediately, as if finally recognizing his authority. The particles began to retreat, gathering together like leaves drawn into a reverse whirlwind. Within seconds, everything was contained once more. Silent. Stable.

And then, the young witch collapsed to her knees, gasping loudly.

She had used all her mana just to withstand his presence. Now that the pressure had lifted, her strength simply vanished. Her body gave out.

Kael remained silent. What could he even say? He didn't understand the limits of what he had become.

"…I'm sorry," he said at last, in a low voice, before extending his hand toward her.

[Basic Healing], he cast.

A bright green light flowed from the palm of his hand, far more vivid and dense than he remembered. The energy enveloped the young witch like a warm mist, penetrating every cell, regenerating, restoring… revitalizing.

The gasping witch's eyes widened. Within seconds, she was on her feet — steady, alert… and nearly bewildered.

"W-what was that?" she whispered, looking down at her hands as if she couldn't believe the vitality she felt. "I… it's like I've slept for an entire week…"

Kael watched her in silence. It was the first time he truly realized how much he had changed. And this was only the beginning.

A few hours later, Kael was walking through the winding corridors of the Scarlet Tower, guided only by the memory of Eleonor's instructions. Magical stained glass windows bathed the marble floor in hues of purple and gold, and the enchantment-laden air seemed to whisper in forgotten tongues.

He stopped before a large arch carved with ancient runes. Above it, inscribed in living silver, were the words: "Halls of Magical Disciplines – Training Core of the Young Witches."

The door opened on its own with a low creak. As soon as he stepped inside, Kael felt the atmosphere shift. The air was dense, pulsing with latent energy. It was like walking into the heart of a dormant volcano — raw power, waiting to be shaped.

The main hall was vast. A circular space with a domed ceiling, where floating panels displayed arcane diagrams, and elevated platforms slowly rotated in the air, carrying students practicing spells under the watchful eyes of veteran mentors.

Some of them stopped when they saw him enter.

Kael felt their stares like blades — silent questions left unspoken. With his new body — tall, muscular, crimson hair cascading to his waist — he looked nothing like a beginner.

"Your arrival was announced, Your Majesty," said a woman with silver hair and crimson eyes, walking up to him. She wore a dark armor embroidered with lunar symbols. Her presence was calm but intense."Welcome to the Halls."

Kael gave a slight nod, trying to ignore the eyes still fixed on him."I'm just here to exercise, please don't mind my presence."

"Understandable." The woman offered a faint smile. "But allow me a word of advice. Your magical core is… unstable. Not from lack of control, but from excess latent power. Your mana pulses like a raging sea. You need to learn to shape it, not just contain it. And to do that… you must feel your body again — as if it were for the very first time."

Without waiting for a response, she turned with a subtle gesture and guided him toward one of the floating platforms. As soon as they stepped onto it, the structure rose smoothly, carrying them to an isolated area — surrounded by reinforced barriers and containment seals pulsing with ancient energy.

"Here, you may release your energy freely. No witch will be affected. And you won't be harmed either."

Kael took a deep breath. The floor beneath his feet responded to his presence, and a network of golden runes lit up, as if greeting the new power he now carried.

The woman stepped back a few paces, maintaining a firm posture."I'll leave you to it, Your Majesty. If you need anything, I'll be in the lower hall."

She turned and walked to the edge of the platform, descending with the same grace with which she had arrived.

Kael remained silent for a moment, observing the lines of power surrounding him. The silence here was dense, charged with expectation. It was as though the space itself awaited the first move.

He raised his hand — and the mana responded instantly, vibrating beneath his skin."Time to see how far I can go…"

Kael stood still for several seconds, feeling the space around him mold to his presence. The runes on the floor pulsed in golden hues, as if answering the growing tension within him.

He took a deep breath.

And then, simply… released it all.

The mana surged from his body like a seismic wave — invisible at first, yet felt in every atom of the surrounding space. A muffled roar filled the hall — not a normal sound, but a magical echo that thundered through flesh and bone.

The walls of the chamber responded, the barriers lighting up at full force. Ancient seals flared in the air, activating defenses designed to contain mass-destruction spells.

And even so… the tower trembled.

From the foundations to the highest spires, a deep shudder rippled through the structure of the Scarlet Tower. Chandeliers swayed. Objects toppled. Some witches screamed — not in pain, but in sheer fright.

At the center of the training hall, Kael stood unmoving, eyes closed, head tilted slightly back. His aura expanded like a reverse hurricane — not merely filling the space… but dominating it.

Mana poured out in dense spirals, like ethereal flames of purple and gold, dancing around him with barely restrained violence.

From afar, the silver-haired woman watched from the lower balcony, eyes wide in silence.

"By the Old Gods…" whispered one of the instructors behind her. "Is that pure mana?"

"No." murmured the commander. "That… is a mana core overloaded by years of seals and restrictions. Now… finally free."

Up above, Kael opened his eyes. The energy swirls calmed instantly, like soldiers obeying a general. With a single thought, he called all the mana back — and it obeyed.

The pressure vanished. The barriers stopped burning. The ground quieted.

The platform became still again. And Kael… remained at the center, panting softly, a light sweat on his forehead and a fierce gleam in his eyes.

He smiled.

"Alright. First phase complete," he murmured."Now... I can finally begin training."