As Adam stroked the Kirin, a profound change occurred. Its shimmering horn began to glow with an intense, pure white light. With a soft click, the horn detached and floated gently to the ground in front of Adam, leaving a pristine, new horn already growing in its place on the Kirin's forehead.
Then, to Adam's astonishment, the Kirin pointed its newly regrown horn directly at his heart. A unique, intricate stream of mana flowed from the horn, piercing Adam's chest. Within him, at the core of his being, the mana pulsed, shifting through a kaleidoscope of colors, each hue vibrating with a distinct mana signature.
"Adam," Lyra's voice resonated with an almost reverent tone, "a powerful, unique mana signature has just been imprinted and merged with your heart. This is an unprecedented event."
The Kirin took a graceful step back, its form shimmering. The light from its horn intensified, blinding Adam for a moment, and when his vision cleared, the magnificent creature was gone, vanished as if it had never been there.
Adam looked at the old Kirin horn lying on the ground. He bent down and picked it up. It felt cool and smooth, radiating a faint, complex mana signature that even his enhanced vision struggled to fully decipher.
"Lyra, analyze this horn," Adam requested, holding it up.
"Analysis failed, Adam," Lyra reported, a rare admission of limitation. "This artifact's properties are beyond my current database. Its mana structure is highly complex and not aligned with any known materials or magic from this world."
"However," Lyra continued, "my speculation regarding the Kirin's action is that it has embedded a teleportation signature within your heart. Think of it as a unique 'key' or 'address' that the Kirin can use to locate and appear to you, or potentially, transport you to its location. There may be more functions tied to this mana imprint, but at this moment, I lack sufficient data to provide further information."
Adam, still reeling from the encounter, carefully stored the enigmatic Kirin Horn in his dimension. The brief, magical interlude had been astonishing, a reminder of the unfathomable wonders of this new world.
A New Obstacle Awaits
Shaking off the wonder, Adam refocused on his objective. He had finally reached the location of the next scattered item. However, the energy signature of the item was not the only thing radiating from the area.
As he peered through the foliage, his Mana Vision revealed a colossal mana signature, far larger and denser than anything he had yet encountered in the Red Zone. It was a formidable, silent guardian, its presence radiating immense power. A new obstacle, larger than any goblin, stood between him and the next piece of his survival.