The purple and silver blood glowed in the dim light, magical power flowing through them like liquid starlight.
[Magical Item: Dragon Blood]
[Description: Blood taken from a young Norwegian Ridgeback. While it's not as active and magically strong as an adult dragon's, it has the same potential.]
[Magical Item: Unicorn Blood]
[Description: Blood taken from an adult female unicorn. Contains huge life force. Drinking it can save the dying and delay death itself, though those who extend their lives will suffer a cursed existence.]
Holding both bottles, Adrian felt torn. These came from two of the most powerful magical creatures that existed, and fusing with either would dramatically boost his abilities.
"System, can I use both?" Adrian asked hopefully, though he figured he knew the answer.
Silence. His system didn't have the helpful voice that showed up in almost every story he'd read. Every function needed personal testing.
The blood samples would definitely clash with each other. Adrian wasn't stupid enough to risk killing himself after months of careful preparations.
After thinking about it for a while, he chose the Unicorn Blood.
Norbert was just too young. Despite having an adult dragon's potential, the magical power in his blood was way weaker. Who knew how long it would take to unlock that potential?
The unicorn blood's description mentioned a curse, but only when drunk directly to cheat death. Adrian knew unicorn blood was a key ingredient in many high-level healing potions without bad side effects.
As the silver blood mixed with the clear potion, the whole cauldron slowly turned a brilliant gray color. Without waiting any longer, Adrian drank the entire mixture in one gulp.
It tasted bitter but not too bad. Adrian licked his lips, wondering if anything would happen,
Then his body exploded in horrible pain.
A sharp itch spread through every nerve as his blood started to boil. His magical core expanded fast, power rushing through him in violent waves.
But instead of feeling happy, Adrian felt scared.
His magic, usually controlled and contained, broke free of all limits. Massive magical shockwaves spread outward like earthquakes.
Bottles and jars exploded all over the room. Tables and chairs flew through the air as reality itself seemed to bend under the pressure.
Adrian gritted his teeth, feeling the potion brutally rebuilding his body from the inside. Under the magical assault, he felt like he might fall apart completely.
He remembered now, The Origins of Blood had mentioned the fusion process was extremely dangerous. Most wizards ended up dead or turned into monsters. There was a reason traditional magic stayed mainstream.
Just as Adrian thought his body would totally collapse, the world suddenly changed. The pain faded, and his surging magic went from being like a tsunami to a gentle stream.
More importantly, his awareness seemed to expand with his magic, spreading to every corner of the room. Everything in this space fell under his control.
Within his magical range, he was all-powerful.
Adrian focused on the fallen table, trying to lift it a little. Without moving his wand or saying anything, the table rose with just a thought, then immediately smashed into the ceiling.
Adrian winced. He'd only wanted to lift it a bit.
Not bothered by this small problem, Adrian felt like a kid with a new toy. He poured more magic into the table, and when he reached a certain point, he could sense everything about it, every wood fiber laid out in his mind.
Using magic to sense an object's structure... Adrian remembered Professor McGonagall's transfiguration lessons as system notifications flooded his awareness.
[Skill increased: Transfiguration now Level 4!]
[Skill increased: Transfiguration mastery improved!]
Normally, Adrian would be thrilled. Right now though, he felt emotionally disconnected, sensing he could do way bigger things. True biological transformation, for instance, not the temporary object changes of regular transfiguration, but complete conversion of matter into living tissue.
The moment he thought this, the solid wooden table started to warp and twist. Under his magical influence, it became bendable like clay, shrinking and stretching over and over.
System notifications blazed across his mind, but Adrian blocked them out, focusing completely on shaping living matter.
Slowly, wood fibers transformed into flesh and blood cells. Soon, a beautiful creature with golden-red feathers and gorgeous tail plumage stood in front of him, a phoenix, or something that looked like one.
The creation wasn't really alive though. Its eyes had no intelligence, and only the occasional feather ruffle or wing flutter suggested any signs of life. It had no magical abilities, no healing tears, no rebirth through flame.
Adrian briefly wondered if he could swap it for Fawkes and see how long it would take Dumbledore to notice the difference.
Still not satisfied, Adrian tried to inject the fake phoenix with magical power, to transform it into a real magical creature.
The moment he formed this intention, overwhelming weakness crashed into his mind. His previously obedient magic fell into chaos again, and the carefully crafted phoenix was torn apart by violent magical forces.