How did your hair turn green?” asked Kadyn when they arrived in her room.

 “I don’t know,” Elora replied. “When I woke up it was already like this.”

 “Already like this?” Kadyn frowned. When the change happened in his hand it was so painful and excruciating that he almost passed out, but she didn’t even realise it. “Do you feel… different?”

 “Well,” Elora hesitated for a moment before saying, “if I say that I feel stronger than before, will you believe me?”

 “Of course,” Kadyn nodded.

 “Will you really…” she stopped abruptly and her eyes widened.

 “What?” Kadyn felt as if something was amiss.

 “Your hair…”

 “My hair?” Kadyn touched his head, but he didn’t feel anything wrong. So he asked. “What do you mean?”

 “Your hair colour changed!”

 “Huh?” He frowned and went to get a mirror and when he saw his reflection inside, he left stunned. Elora was telling the truth, his hair had turned blue from silver.

 “It happened just now?” Kadyn turned towards her before asking.

 “Yes,” Elora nodded. “In the blink of an eye, your entire head changed its colour.”

 He was just about to speak when he noticed something. Observant as she was, his weird expression didn’t escape Elora. “What happened?” she asked.

 “Tell me,” he didn’t reply, instead asked a question, “what is the colour of my eyes?”

 Elora peered into his eyes and frowned. “They are still blue, but they are somewhat different. I think previously they were sky blue, but now…”

 “Cyan?”

 “Yes, cyan!”

 Kadyn took a deep breath and sat on the couch. Elora also seemed to understand something, and before she could pose any question Kadyn unwrapped the cloth of his hand.

 “What happened to your hand?!” she blurted in shock. The sight of his hand was shocking. Anyone would be left gobsmacked, Elora was no exception. As Kadyn thought she would be scared due to his change, Elora exclaimed. “This is so cool!”

 “Cool?” Kadyn looked at her weirdly. He thought she would be scared due to this change, who would have thought she would find it fascinating instead. He sighed and said. “Even though you don’t mind it, other people won’t think the same.”

 “What do you mean they won’t feel the same?” Elora said, dissatisfied, and went on. “Brother Slyff can turn his entire body into a beast, but no one finds it weird. Why would they think differently just because of your hand? Only jealous people would think that way. It’s so cool!”

 Kadyn was stunned for a moment but then he realized that he might be overthinking, He was in a magical world. Strange things happened here, and his hand might not be as strange as he thought of it. When he realized the truth of the matter, he sighed in relief. 

He looked at his hand and this time he didn’t feel repulsive. He found it cool like his sister. He remembered the games he played on earth. Weren’t those characters also had variations in their bodies and he fantasized about becoming just like them? Now he had become one!

“Thank you,” Kadyn said to Elora, and then went on. “By the way, your eyes turned emerald.”

“What?” Elora grabbed the mirror in his hand and indeed, her eyes had changed. “Why is this happening to us?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Kadyn replied. “However, I think I might have something to do with our parents.”

“Why do you think so?” she said. “Why can’t it be the system?”

“Well, if it was the system then others would have been also affected. But it’s just us,” Kadyn paused for a moment and then said. “And there is a single link between us, our parents. I can’t think of any different reason behind it.”

“Indeed,” Elora nodded in realization. Then she frowned and asked. “But if that is the case then why are our changes different?”

“That… I don’t know,” he shook his head. He was also thinking the same thing, but he had no clue so he could not arrive at any conclusion.

After a brief silence, Elora turned towards him and asked worriedly. “Do you think mom and dad are fine?”

“Of course, they are,” Kadyn replied without hesitation. “You might not have noticed it, but our old man seems no ordinary man.”

“Why do you say that?”

“A gut feeling,” he said. “Alright, let’s go. Need to open the shop.”

— — 

“Hahaha,” a peal of laughter sounded in a dark room. A man with red hair stood up as he looked at the wriggling worm in his palm. “I knew it was just a matter of time before you submit to me. Now you are mine, and your strength as well. Though I am just at the Fusion Rank, I can exchange blows even with the Creation Rank mages with my enhanced body.”

He grinned and then the worm vanished from his palm. He turned around and asked. “Did you find who killed my babies?”

The servant trembled before casting his head down and stammered. “Y-young Master, I tried to find the culprit, but he left no sign behind. I couldn’t trace him.”

“If you can’t even do just a simple task, then what’s your use?” sneered the red-haired man, and a small worm appeared on his palm. Though it looked similar to the last one, it was smaller.

“Young Master Fidomar, p-please, give me one… one more chance,” the man fell on his knees as he begged. “I won’t disappoint you.”

“There is no second chance for worthless people,” however Young Master Fidomar sneered at the servant’s pleading. He walked to him and grasped his face in his hand. The man tried to struggle but he couldn’t get himself free. Then Fidomar shoved the worm in his mouth.

The servant slumped on the floor, he trembled briefly, and then… he stopped. After that the worm crawled out of his nose, covered in slime, looking a bit bigger. Fidomar took the worm in his hand and then the worm vanished.. “Aaha! Soul of a Fusion Rank mage is indeed a lot stronger.”