After the excitement of the battle had died down and the remnants of the tree monster were reduced to ash, Xavier and Aji found a quiet spot to recover their strength. The eerie silence of the dungeon forest still surrounded them, but for the moment, the tension had eased. Xavier leaned back against one of the dead trees, staring at his hands. Something felt different inside him—his mana core pulsed with a new kind of energy.
"Hey, Aji," Xavier said, his voice was confused. "I feel like something's changed with my core. I mean, I absorbed part of that Snake-leaf tree monster's power, but it feels… strange. You think we should take a look?"
Aji, always the curious one, nodded. "Yeah, show me. You absorbed a pretty powerful core, so there’s bound to be a change. You know mine changed too a
