{There are various realms of cultivation, or as it is generally referred to, levels of strength,} the fairy explained, her voice soft yet clear. {The first is the Star Core Realm. The others include the Cosmos Realm, the Galaxy Realm, and so on. However, those are far too distant for you right now.}
{From the S-grade ability, you should have condensed a core,} she continued. {By continuously nourishing this core, you can gradually increase the amount of mana it can contain, and simultaneously enhance the range, intensity, and effectiveness of your abilities.}
Her words drifted off into silence, but Modret's eyes widened in shock.
'This was possible?' he gasped inwardly, a spark of excitement blooming within him. His heart thudded faster and for a moment, the suffocating frustration he had felt began to loosen.
Without hesitation, he closed his eyes and focused. He let his breathing steady, the sounds of the world around him fading.
Within moments, wisps of mana began to stir gently in his surroundings, brushing against his skin like a cool breeze. His aura changed subtly, almost unnoticeably, but the ripple it created was caught by someone nearby.
In the next room, Anna's eyes snapped open. Her brows drew together in a frown.
"Is someone cultivating nearby?" she murmured, puzzled. She could sense the change in mana, but she could not determine where it was flowing or who was drawing it.
Within his own world, Modret felt something shift. A glowing black core pulsed gently in his chest.
At some point during his cultivation journey, he had discovered a method of entering a unique mental space. Within this strange place, he could observe the state of his mana core directly.
Now, immersed in that mental space, he noticed the change.
The core had grown slightly larger.
Modret's eyes snapped open, filled with wonder and a spark of triumph. With barely contained excitement, he raised his hand and summoned his ability.
A sudden wave of black flames burst forth, wrapping around him like a dark, hungry veil. The temperature in the room surged, the air becoming hot and stifling. His breath caught in his throat from the heat, and after a second, he hurriedly withdrew the flames.
The fire vanished, and Modret staggered slightly, a wave of exhaustion crashing over him. His body swayed, and before he could stabilize himself, he drifted into sleep.
The night passed without incident. Outside, the stars slowly moved across the heavens. And when morning came, Modret awoke to the first light of dawn filtering through his window. As he prepared for the day's classes, something unexpected happened.
His shadow twitched. Then, it expanded and shifted, forming into a humanoid figure.
Modret's eyes narrowed slightly as the silhouette solidified. It was Xara.
'Come to think of it… I did send him out last night in my anger. Did he actually follow through with the order?' Modret mused, curious.
Xara's figure was fully formed now, but his appearance was haggard. His once neat clothes were torn and his body was covered in cuts and bruises. Yet, despite the wounds, not a single drop of blood flowed from them.
'Is that because he's already dead? Or do shadow servants feel no pain at all?' Modret's curiosity deepened.
Xara bowed slightly and spoke, his voice hoarse. "Lord, the little creatures have been gathered in the shed."
Modret raised a brow. "All twenty of them?" he asked, trying to recall the exact number he had ordered.
"Yes, Lord," Xara confirmed, nodding firmly.
Modret paused to think. After a brief silence, he gave a small nod. "Good. Unsummon for now and rest. In a few hours, I will need you to gather more."
With the command issued, Xara's form slowly faded back into the shadows.
Modret turned his attention back to preparing for class. Once ready, he hurried to the shed. He didn't want to stain his uniform, so he simply raised his hand and summoned the black flames.
The fire roared to life and engulfed the cage. Just as the creatures inside opened their mouths to scream, the flames overwhelmed them, dragging them into hallucinations. Within seconds, they fell into a trance-like state. In the blink of an eye, their bodies were reduced to ashes.
The heat was so intense that even the metallic cage began to melt slightly.
Modret winced as a wave of dizziness hit him. He stumbled backward, pressing a hand to his forehead.
'This must be due to mana overuse. Based on this, I can use my ability for just under two minutes before depletion,' he concluded silently.
He sighed and touched the melted cage, frowning.
Without delay, he summoned Xara again. "Aside from gathering as many rabbits as you can, also find a replacement cage," he said.
Xara nodded and vanished once more.
Modret turned and departed quickly, heading to his class. On the way, he ran into Axel. They exchanged light-hearted banter, and Modret finally got to know a bit more about Axel's background and family.
Just like that, a week passed in the blink of an eye.
By then, Modret had gathered more than enough for his third roulette spin.
[Shadow Fragments: 400/1000]
[Shadow Roulette: 1]
In between his hunts, Modret had also killed numerous insects, using them to restore his shadow fragments to manageable levels. Through persistent effort, he had finally earned another roulette spin.
But this time, he had delayed using it. He had a theory he wanted to test.
'I wonder if the spins can be stacked,' he thought. 'If they can, then I could save them for the future when I really need something. And if I save up a hundred spins, surely at least one of them will be SSS-grade.'
He smiled to himself, the idea both wild and strangely satisfying.
Before testing his theory, he entered cultivation once more. After a full week of absorbing mana, he felt confident enough to attempt breaking through to the third stage of the Star Core Realm.
Sitting cross-legged, he focused his thoughts and began the process.
Gradually, streams of mana flowed into his core. With each passing minute, the glow within him intensified. Deep within his soul, something shifted once again.
His core pulsed.
Then expanded.
The process continued through the night, his breath steady and unwavering.
By morning, the transformation was complete.