704 Rebirth II

This feels different, Birch remarked, her voice coming from her new body as she emerged from the now-open medipod.

She experienced drowsiness and a headache, feeling unusually heavy, as if she needed more rest. Despite the discomfort, she was captivated by the sensations her new body provided.

While she could simulate these experiences in VR, they were never fully accurate due to differences in brain data and insufficient understanding of it.

Now, however, the experience was genuine, and she was engrossed in it, not caring about the drowsiness at all.

She realized she couldn't ignore or dismiss these feelings; her consciousness was fully integrated with this bodys brain, making her as vulnerable and perceptive as any human or Proximian, or so she thought.

Meanwhile, Cypress, though also adapting to her new bodys sensations, was focused on something else. She attempted to unfold her transparent wings, which were currently tucked against her back.

As she extended them, they revealed intricate, glowing golden veins running through them, adding to their ethereal beauty and making them distinct from typical faerie wings.

While Birch and Cypress were engrossed in their new sensations or exploring their wings, Crabapple's focus was more practical. I can sense the mana inside me, he said. With this body, I believe I should be able to use magic even in environments that arent rich in mana.

Aron, hearing Crabapple's observation, responded with a smile. Lets test that then.

Before anyone could react, the ambient mana in the room began to vanish. Within moments, the room was devoid of mana, as if it had never contained any at all.

Despite the complete absence of ambient mana, the tree folks didnt experience the suffocating sensation they had anticipated. They felt comfortable and capable of using their magic without any difficulty.

Crabapple and the others began activating their magic cycles. As they drew mana from their bodies, they performed the activation process repeatedly. With each iteration, they grew more accustomed to the sensation, and their casting speed increased beyond their initial capabilities. They soon reached a point where their activation speed surpassed their physical capacity to keep up, demonstrating a marked improvement in their ability to use magic even in mana-depleted environments.

Aron observed their progress with satisfaction, knowing that the data collected from their tests would be invaluable. He allowed them to continue at their own pace, confident that their experimentation would provide further insights into the effectiveness of their new bodies.

How are you feeling? Aron inquired as they took a break from their magic cycle experiments.

Personally, I feel tired, and I think I need to sleep, Birch responded.

I feel tired too, but more than the tiredness I felt when I woke up, Cypress added.

Tired as well, but I think its because of the lack of external mana, Crabapple said, noting a sense of weakness as he opened and closed his hand.

Thats because youre depleting the mana within your bodies without any external source to replenish it, Aron explained calmly. Also, since this is your first time using these new bodies, the fatigue is more pronounced. With time and training, youll adapt and get used to it.

He offered reassurance, understanding that transitioning from their ancient, mana-rich forms to these new bodies was a significant adjustment.

Does that mean this weakness will persist as long as were in a mana-less environment? Crabapple asked. It seems like this ability would be quite limited if were left weakened after a short use, which would be counterproductive if we need to keep these bodies functional.

Dont worry about that, Aron said with a reassuring tone. You dont need a mana-rich environment to replenish your mana. Try this, he added, presenting three bottles filled with a mysterious liquid.

The tree folks drank the liquid, and within seconds, they felt the weakness they had been experiencing start to dissipate.

Why didnt I sense any mana in this liquid, and how did it replenish our mana? Birch asked, surprised at the rapid recovery.

Thats a nutrient-dense liquid, Aron explained with a chuckle. Your bodies are designed to convert any unused nutrients into mana, which helps replenish whats been lost. Its a reliable way to restore mana in environments where ambient mana is scarce. If youre ever in a pinch, you can also rely on consuming food found in the area to help with replenishment.

All the tree folks stared at Aron in surprise, having never encountered or heard of such a system during their extensive information gathering. Their astonishment grew as they realized the level of sophistication required to achieve that.

Over the next few hours, Aron meticulously continued basic testing of the various aspects of the newly created bodies. He focused on validating every detail on his checklist to ensure the bodies' functionality and effectiveness before moving forward.

By the end of this rigorous basic testing period, Aron had addressed all necessary basic aspects, preparing for the subsequent steps in their development process.

Okay, lets conclude our basic tests for today, Aron said. I need to assimilate the necessary knowledge for your bodies so they can become fully functional rather than just meat bags. Since your bodies aren't fully reinvigorated yet, theyll use this time to replenish and complete their calibration. You should be ready by the handover ceremony.

The tree folks didnt resist and laid back down as Nova initiated their bodies into deep sleep. They began assimilating the prepared knowledge while their main consciousness returned to focus on the happenings of their new bodies. However, they were initially met with darkness due to the lack of mana.

This darkness lasted only a moment before mana was replenished in the lab, allowing them to see clearly. With the immediate needs addressed, Aron left the lab to review the data and check on his wife, who had immersed herself in VR for research following her inspiring conversation with Crabapple.

They could also be said to be waiting with anticipation and eagerness for the handover ceremony because they were eager to reunite with their new bodies, as they had become somewhat attached to the sensations and capabilities of their newly created forms.