Reincarnated as a step-dad in a fantasy world

Chapter 336 : The effects of the tear of knowledge (2)

Chapter 336 : The effects of the tear of knowledge (2)

"What the..." Alex and Maya gasped in shock as they watched Amelia's hand begin to expand.

Freya, standing next to them, observed the same scene. Although she seemed surprised, she wasn't as shocked as the other two. That was because she didn't fully grasp what Amelia was truly capable of, unlike her daughter and Alex, who knew very well that Amelia had never been able to do such a thing before.

She stared at her hand for a second and nodded to herself. The next instant, her hand returned to its initial size.

'The tear of knowledge is taking effect, alright,' Alex mused to himself. What he couldn't understand was the mechanism by which Amelia was able to increase and decrease the size of her hand. If she could do at will what she had just done a moment ago, then—Alex was certain—just this new ability alone was enough to say that the tear of knowledge hadn't been wasted. After all, having the ability to increase and decrease one's body size at will was an incredibly valuable skill.

'Wait, if she can enlarge any part of her body, then...' A perverted grin spread across Alex's face. '...We're going to have so much fun in the coming days,' he thought, salaciously licking his lips.

Sensing his gaze, Amelia tilted her head, stared back at him, and smiled. The instant he met her smile, Alex subconsciously shuddered.

That... that creepy smile. He recognized it—it was the same smile his daughter Scarlett wore whenever she found something that piqued her interest. And that smile always meant trouble.

"Say, brother," Amelia began, her shining gray eyes gleaming as her smile widened slightly, "can I have a sample of your blood?"

'I knew it!' Alex exclaimed in his head.

A bead of sweat glided down his forehead as he nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He might have sounded relaxed, but inwardly, he could only hope that her demands would stop at just a blood sample.

"Excellent." Amelia clapped her hands in satisfaction before turning around. "Please be quick about it," she added, waving back at him while walking toward the towering shelves.

Alex stared at her swaying, curvaceous body for a moment before remembering that Freya and Maya were still around.

Taking a step toward the matriarch, he whispered in a concerned tone, "Say, the tear of knowledge wouldn't change its user's personality, right?"

"From my understanding, no," Freya whispered back, though she wasn't sure why they were whispering in the first place. "However, it wouldn't be far-fetched to expect someone who has consumed the tear of knowledge to act differently from their usual selves," she added.

"Why is that?"

"Take your sister, for example," Freya said, glancing at Amelia. "Right now, her entire life and choices are probably being put into a different perspective than usual. Thanks to that, she can reach different conclusions and make decisions she might not have considered before. More than that, her mind is now operating on a completely different plane from ours. That alone could make us think she's acting strangely. In any case, though, the effects of the tear of knowledge will only last a few days. So, even if her personality seems altered for now, once the effects of the treasure wear off, she will return to who she once was."

"Let's hope so," Alex muttered, though his mind was far from at ease. After all, they were discussing the possibility of his wife's personality being altered. 

Maya's voice pulled them back to reality. "Uhh, why is she heading there?" she asked, pointing at Amelia, who was making her way toward the shelves containing books about mana—its theories, various applications, levels, and many other related topics. "I thought she was supposed to focus on human anatomy and medicine before anything else?"

Alex frowned slightly, watching his sister, but in the end, he just shrugged. "Leave her be. I guess she knows what she's doing."

Instead of worrying about her, he retrieved an empty vial and a small knife from his space ring. Without hesitation, he brought the knife down to make a small cut on his hand. At least, that was the plan. However, the moment the blade touched his skin, it cracked and immediately shattered into small fragments.

"Oh," Alex muttered in surprise. 'It seems my body has become too sturdy for such weapons,' he thought to himself, a barely concealed, prideful grin forming on his lips.

Unfortunately, his body wasn't completely immune to weapons, as proven when the second knife he used actually managed to pierce his skin, allowing his blood to drip into the empty vial.

His body was too durable for mundane or standard weapons to harm him, but if those weapons were coated in mana, they could still break through his defenses.

As he filled the small vial with his blood, per his sister's request, Amelia had just selected her first book. She stared at the shining little orb for a moment before glancing at Maya. "How do I proceed?"

"Just press it to your forehead and try to absorb its content," Maya explained.

Amelia complied, placing the orb against her forehead. The instant she did so, a flood of information surged into her mind. The sensation was bizarre—it was as if this knowledge had always been a part of her, yet at the same time, it felt foreign, like an invading force attempting to integrate itself into her consciousness.

"Don't fight it!" Maya suddenly called out when she noticed the deep frown on Amelia's face. "Just let the information enter your mind naturally," she urged.

Amelia did as instructed. As the transfer continued, the orb gradually shrank, its glow dimming until it completely vanished into thin air, signaling the completion of the knowledge absorption.

Closing her eyes, Amelia immediately began sorting through everything she had just learned in the span of mere seconds.

"I wonder how long it will take her to process all that information," Maya mused, her expression thoughtful. "For me, it can take up to hours, depending on the amount of knowledge received, but with the tear of knowledge enhancing her mind, it might take her significantly less time,perhaps around—"

Maya abruptly stopped speaking as Amelia opened her eyes barely a minute after closing them.

A small smile graced Amelia's divine features, and she nodded to herself before turning away from the shelf. Without paying any attention to the other books still lined up, she began walking through the library once more, as if searching for something specific.

Before long, she found what she was looking for.

"Human Anatomy"—that was the name of the section where Amelia finally came to a halt. This shelf housed an extensive collection of books dedicated to the study of the human body. However, it wasn't just limited to basic anatomy. There were also volumes covering related subjects that explored how an in-depth understanding of the human body could enhance various disciplines.

For example, one book delved into the relationship between human anatomy and mana control, explaining how a deeper knowledge of one's own body could improve the efficiency of mana circulation. There were also books discussing the medical applications of mana.

This very shelf was where Amelia was originally supposed to start before moving on to other sections.

She ran her fingers along the wooden shelf, her gaze sharp as she searched for something specific. The sheer number of books on the shelf was overwhelming, with dozens upon dozens of volumes detailing various aspects of human anatomy, magical physiology and many other topics. It took Amelia nearly a dozen minutes of meticulous scanning before she finally found the book she was looking for.

Just like before, she placed the orb to her forehead and initiated the process of information transfer.

Seconds later, the transfer was complete, and Amelia began processing the flood of knowledge. After her first experience, the process had become even more intuitive for her, allowing her to absorb and organize the information with greater efficiency. This time, it took her no more than half a minute.

Nodding in satisfaction, she turned away from the shelf and made her way back to her companions. As she approached, she noticed their odd expressions—Alex, Maya, and Freya were all staring at her with a mix of confusion and disbelief, unable to comprehend her seemingly erratic decisions.

"The sample," Amelia extended her hand to her brother as she stood before him.

"Ah, yes," Alex muttered, snapping out of his daze as he handed her the vial filled with his crimson blood. "Would that be enough?"

Amelia simply nodded, snatching the vial from his grasp with little ceremony.

Without hesitation, she uncorked the vial and let a single drop of blood fall onto her palm. Holding her hand steady, she stared at the droplet with unwavering focus for more than a dozen minutes. 

Then, without warning, Amelia did something that left everyone utterly stunned.

Lifting the vial to her lips, she tilted her head back and, in a single gulp, downed its entire contents!