Serum

Back when the potion was forced down his throat, Dirk immediately realized that it wasn't a normal potion. Usually he could isolate substances with the nanites, and he did indeed command his AI to isolate it, but this liquid diffused into his system uncontrollably, totally bypassing the nanites. After that, he was overwhelmed by the raging power held within that potion. 

The power of the potion surged through every single one of his veins and arteries. This power was pumped through his heart, putting that under pressure as well. After that, Dirk could feel his bones heat up, a searing pain coming from within them. He felt like everything was bursting at the seams as his blood violently increased in volume. The mana in his blood also started to explode out of control. It was like it gained a life of its own as it pulled in the surrounding mana, dumping as much of it as possible into his bloodstream. All these things threatened to obliterate his entire vascular system. However, he didn't just sit idly by and watch it happen. 

He had heard Sheng say that he needed mana suppressants. Secondly, this potion was supposed to do something to his blood source. That was likely the term for the vascular system, so Dirk gave several orders to his AI to reinforce his vascular system, especially the heart. That moment, all the nanites in his body flowed through his veins with his blood and did their best to prevent the surge from damaging things. But the results were limited. He still ended up vomiting and spilling plenty of blood. 

However, that was only the start. Dirk could feel the insane amount of mana rage through him. While the potion was destroying his vascular system, he could sense that it was indeed attempting to reforge him somehow. It was trying to reforge his entire vascular system into something different. It even seemed to burn his bones, the potion seeping into his marrow and tempering it. However, he couldn't handle it, and it would kill him before the process was completed. So he needed to take more measures. The biggest measure was getting the mana under control and preventing his blood from running wild. 

To do this, Dirk immediately forced the mana to concentrate in his heart. As blood surged inside of him, he sought to fill it with mana and diffuse it through his system. He employed the Mana Lungs technique and Mana Heart training technique to do this, and it had good effects. Dirk's blood began to absorb copious amounts of mana, and he was able to form something of a cycle, maintaining blood flow. However, for some reason, the potion inside of him continued to eject blood. It also continued to try and destroy his heart, veins, and even lungs. Not even his bones were spared. He could only hold on for so long. 

Over time, Dirk watched as his blood poured out of his body, emptying his vascular system. He felt his entire body and mind become hazy. His blood had been almost entirely expelled. At that moment though, his bones and body began to heat up greatly, and another liquid began to flow inside of him. Dirk felt something throughout him change.

[Warning! Undergoing genetic change! Employing Trait: Adaptable Genes.]

[Alert! Severe medical state detected! Activating Overdrive!]

With these two notifications, his body underwent changes and was reforged. Overdrive ensured that he would have the energy to stay alive in the absence of healthy systems. As for the Trait that was activated, Dirk had no idea. He had never known what the Adaptable Genes Trait was aimed toward or how it could be used. He had thought it was just... there, and never paid attention to it. 

Now though, it looked like his very genes were changing. Dirk became exhausted as he forced his fading mind to use two strenuous techniques.

His control over the mana inside him slipped after long. His heart was eroded away, and his veins continued to burst. On the outside, he was completely drenched in his own blood, and his skin had turned black and purple. When that unknown liquid flowed through his body though, he was slowly repaired.

First, his chest began to feel revitalized, and then his brain became lucid. His limbs were last to feel any semblance of healthy. Even then though, he was in pain all over. Thankfully, he could take it. 

This process lasted an unknown amount of time, and Dirk realized that he had fallen unconscious at some point. Despite that though, he retained some lucidity to circulate his techniques to help any way he could. He could feel the blood in him control the raging mana, and anything that couldn't be controlled was exhaled with the Mana Lungs. It was a cycle of controlling, intaking, and ejecting. The power within subsided.

After a long time, he finally felt safer. However, perhaps because of his weakness, all the mana quickly drained out of him. He would've felt like an empty husk if he had been awake. 

Thus, Dirk entered a deep sleep, his body's natural functions taking over to ensure his survival. 

.............

........

After Drik fell unconscious and stabilized, the people around him sighed in relief. Hervet, the man who was treating Dirk, sat back on a chair tiredly. Master Sheng also relaxed. However, the Duke and Ryker were nowhere to be seen. 

They were having a chat with Garel.

"You son of a bitch! Give me a good reason why I shouldn't destroy your soul this instant!"

"...I truly deserve to die, Sir Strider."

Garel was kneeled with his head on the floor in front of Ryker. Ryker had blue flames surging around his hands, increasing the ambient temperature to that of an oven. Luckily, all the students had been dismissed. 

Contrary to his expectations though, Garel didn't try to plead innocent or deny his guilt. After seeing what had happened, he genuinely felt horrible and even wanted to take his own life. Hillshire had stopped him, but with him acting like this, it made it difficult to find a way to deal with him. 

Garel had Dirk drink the potion out of pure goodwill. While he had forced it, this actually wasn't the first time he'd done this, as evidenced by how skillfully he forced the liquid down Dirk's throat. All the other times though, the potion had really been for healing, and Sheng could have his anger subsided with a bit of remuneration. Now though, it came close to ending with the death of Ryker's son. This matter was sensitive.

Hillshire was the one who was most conflicted. Ryker wanted to have Garel butchered, but he couldn't be killed so easily. He was still a Tier 6. He was a valuable asset to both the empire and the academy. Unlike what many students believed, Garel was a genius when it came to teaching the dark element. There wasn't anyone better in the academy, and Ryker had actually arranged for Garel to teach Dirk's class personally. Garel had also taught Rita, his daughter. To think things would go this way was out of anyone's expectations. 

But this time, Garel was just too chaotic for his own good. Hillshire had to think things through carefully. 

"...Ryker."

"Speak."

"Leave him alive."

"..."

Ryker was quiet as his hand itched to tear out Garel's heart. Hillshire spoke.

"He's valuable. You know that. Even if you didn't want him here anymore, he would still be able to fight some battles for the empire. More than that though, your son still needs to learn the dark element. He's the best one for the job."

"If my son will even be capable of training mana anymore."

"Hervet said he's not sure, so we can't jump to conclusions. We'll need to wait. So regardless of what you feel right now, nothing can happen to him at this moment."

"...I understand."

"Thank you."

"But there won't be no punishment."

Saying that, Ryker flicked his hand. The Duke's eyes went wide, but when he saw Garel's arm fall off at the elbow, he sighed and just turned around. Ryker also turned and walked out, leaving Garel who was now gritting his teeth in agony. Afterward, some guards came in and took Garel away to prison.

"By the way..."

As they walked out, Hillshire patted Ryker's shoulder. 

"Please talk to your wife. I don't need to receive a report tonight of any assassins breaking into the prison."

"Don't worry, you won't."

"Hehe, I see."

Hillshire chuckled wryly as Ryker walked off. 

That night, muffled screams echoed eerily throughout the prison. 

.........

....

"Mmm..."

A low groan was heard as Dirk opened his eyes. Seeing the unfamiliar white ceiling, his body tensed up and slipped out of the bed he was in, quickly crouching out of view. He completely disregarded the shooting pains that caused. 

'Status.'

[Currently located inside a medical room. 3 days have passed since potion ingestion. Current state: Combat capable, 91% healthy.]

'Medical room? So I was treated...'

Dirk calmed down as he processed things. The next moment though, the AI came back with a notification.

[Alert! Changes have occurred to bodily systems. Magical statuses have also been affected. Constructing host model...]

---

[Host Model:

Age: 12 years

Blood type: ???

Skeletal structure: Organic iron composite

Muscle structure: High power compacted fibers 

Sensory organs: High sensitivity organic receptors 

Self-replicating nano-robotic maintenance and repair systems: Online, 58% capacity

Final Stand weapon system: Offline

Overdrive systems: Online, 11% capacity

Current bodily state: Combat capable, 91% healthy]

[Alert! Final Stand weapon system under construction. 64% complete. Insufficient mineral reserves.]

[Intelligence systems fully functional. Awaiting host orders.]

---

Seeing this model, Dirk's eyes were immediately drawn to his blood type. Before, it had been AB+. Now the AI couldn't understand what it was. 

Everything else seemed normal though. Since overdrive had been activated, it didn't have a full charge. It would take a bit to recharge. It also looked like his nanites were damaged. Seeing how much blood he lost though, that was natural. Lots of the nanites had been in his blood.

After checking that, Dirk opened his profile.

---

---

"Are you kidding me?!"

Dirk shouted exasperatedly. His Tier had gone down from Tier II- to Tier I+. While it wasn't a lot, he would have to start over on his Mana Heart. He had put in so much effort for this to happen?! It was unfair!

Dirk really didn't like losing progress. He had done so much to finally get the heart to start taking form, but when he looked inward, he couldn't see anything. Even his blood seemed to have lesser mana saturation. 

He eventually accepted it though. It wasn't like he couldn't start over. At the very least, he could sense and control mana still. That meant that this treatment hadn't disabled him. However...

'Interface.'

[Awaiting orders.]

'What still needs to be healed? What's the damage?'

[Internal vascular system is still healing. Approximately 10% still has yet to be repaired. However, since your vascular system has undergone changes, the nano-robotic maintenance and repair systems are currently unable to assist in the repair process. Deep scans are underway to adapt to new parameters. It is advised that you remain unmoving until fully healed.]

'Ah, I see.'

Dirk nodded, proceeding to get back up and slip into his bed again. He felt comfortable laying down as his heart sent tremors through his bed. 

'So what's different about my vascular system?'

Dirk asked after he got comfortable. If anything, his body didn't feel weird. He actually felt fantastic. His brain felt refreshed and body vigorous despite his not being totally healthy.

[Three primary changes have taken place on both the physical and genetic levels. All blood cells have been enhanced. Blood cells, per unit, are now capable of passing on 40% more nutrients and energy than before. Blood vessels have changed to accommodate this, and blood vessel density has increased by 34%. Lungs have been altered to process atmospheric gasses quicker and more thoroughly to accommodate blood cell enhancement. The heart has also been reformed and is 15% larger. Its strength has increased by approximately 65% to allow higher maximum beat rates and accommodate increased blood circulation.]

'...So in short, my stamina has gone up.'

[Your lifespan may also be increased due to these changes as your vascular system has been strengthened as a whole, decreasing chances of heart or lung disease and defects.]

'Right. So why can't the nanites assist in repairs?'

[Deep scans must be concluded to ensure proper integration and cooperation with all cell types and functions. Genes are currently being analyzed. Estimated completion time: 46 hours.]

'Hm, interesting. I guess I can take a break for a couple days.'

Dirk smiled and took a deep breath. He felt like he could run a hundred miles with how much energy he had. And honestly, that might not be far from the truth. He felt his face the next moment. From his touch, he found that his face had mostly healed. He could do another destruction cycle by the time he was totally healed. 

Until then though, Dirk decided to get started on retraining his Mana Heart. He was pissed about losing progress, but there was nothing he could do now except do it again. Feeling the mana around him, he began breathing earth and metal mana in and out. His body was surprisingly accepting of all the mana, and he could immediately feel his mana saturation increase. With this, he wouldn't need to take a long time to get back to Tier 2. 

He did breathing cycles for around half an hour, but even then, he felt nothing. No tiredness, nothing. It really was like he was normally breathing. This made him more excited and he simply continued to breathe. 

However, after around an hour, someone came to his bed unexpectedly. Dirk stopped his breathing suddenly as a nurse laid eyes on his conscious self.

"Y-you're awake?"

"...Yes?"

Dirk tilted his head at the nurse's shock. She stumbled around a bit before going to his side, putting her hand on his forehead and feeling his wrist for a pulse. 

"Steady pulse, no abnormal temperatures. Relax and let me do a checkup."

Saying that, a white string of light came out of her finger and streamed into his arm. Dirk could feel this power scan around his body for a bit before coming back out. The nurse nodded, though her surprise didn't lessen. 

"Almost totally healed, except for some light damage. You'll be good in a couple days, it seems. Rest here for a bit. Mr. Hervet will be here soon."

Saying that, the nurse left. Dirk only waited for a few minutes before a man walked over.

"You're a rather tenacious child, aren't you? Tell me, Dirk, how much do you remember?"

A man in red garments came over and sat down, staring at Dirk with curiosity. Dirk thought about things some before answering his question. 

"I remember being carried by someone to a bed, but my vision wasn't so great so I didn't know where I was taken. I then felt the mana within me calm down over time and I was able to take control of my situation better. Once things were settled though, I passed out. That's about all I remember."

"Mm, so you really were lucid for all of that."

The man, Hervet, nodded as he sat back in his seat. He let out a light breath, seemingly exhausted.

"I must say, even I didn't expect you to actually be able to survive that ordeal. Every drop of your original blood was drained from your body and replaced. Your heart was reformed, as were your blood lines. Any normal kid would have died once he lost most of his blood, or at the very least have gone into shock. But not only did you resist shock, you actually took control of the raging mana inside of you to save your life. If not for your employing that technique of yours, you would've died a blood-soaked mess. While it couldn't have been done without my assistance in dispersing a lot of the mana, you still saved your own life. I applaud you, Dirk. You've truly impressed me."

"...Thank you."

Dirk thanked the man, though inwardly he was wondering why this man was praising him so much. 

The doctor saw Dirk's weird expression and chuckled a bit.

"I'm only saying these things because I've never dealt with a situation quite like yours before. Both the situation and you are very interesting. You're a strong kid. Anyway, it looks like you've come back stronger than ever. I expected you to be in a coma for a week or two even with our treatments, but it looks like you'll be back up and running in no time. However, I hope you'll let me do some tests. I just want to make sure there isn't anything unobvious hiding in wait to come back and bite you later."

"Alright. I actually have a few questions though."

"Ask away."

Hervet welcomed Dirk's curiosity. 

"You said my blood was replaced. What kind of blood do I have now?"

"A good question."

The doctor smiled as a string of light was produced from his fingertips, entering Dirk's body not unlike how the nurse did earlier. 

"Master Sheng, that fat little elf, was experimenting with a potion that could modify and enhance blood source. Blood source is the marrow within your bones that produces your blood. In order to accommodate the new blood source, all of your blood had to be expelled and replaced. Your veins, lungs, and heart also had to be changed accordingly. Sheng had taken several ideas from dragon physiology and was attempting to make something that could replicate their blood and blood source. Not exactly of course. Just enough to improve on a humanoid's blood source. The result was the experimental potion you drank. The fact that it was experimental was also the reason for it being so violent, though in actuality, Sheng had reduced its rampant effects since he himself was going to take it and he doesn't train anima. It was supposed to be resisted by using magic. If it weren't for that, your body would have been thoroughly broken down.

"Now technically, experimenting with dragons and attempting to make something from their biology is illegal within the empire, but Sheng bent the rules enough to get away with things. There are thousands of alchemists who try to experiment with dragons all the time just like him. Anyway, you could say that your blood and blood source are now that of a dragon's, only watered down. According to Sheng, your blood should now be more accepting of mana. It's also more efficient, and you should see your physical abilities improving very soon. Your ability to recover is now also greatly increased. So all in all, you've turned this catastrophe into a boon. While it isn't exactly giving you wings, you're still getting a bit of a boost. I'm interested to see what happens when you begin dungeon diving."

When the doctor was done speaking, the strings of light retracted from Dirk's body, and he began writing things down on a piece of paper. Dirk though had more questions.

"I see. Will anything change for me? In terms of day to day living."

"Hmm, I don't think so. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure about every effect that potion has instilled on you. It was still an experimental potion after all. Unfortunately, you're going to have to wait and see. That's why I'm advising you now to come and see me should anything out of the ordinary happen. I've also heard that you're a very active kid. Do be sure to exercise when you're able to understand your new body."

"Sure."

"Good. I have everything I need. Your parents should be here any minute now, so I'll take my leave."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

Bidding goodbye, the doctor left. Not long after, Dirk could see his parents rushing over to him.