Vaelith was silent for a while, then it spoke, it's voice rumbled softly, like a tide rolling through his skull. [You move quickly, Bruce. To be on the verge of S-Rank this soon… even I did not anticipate it, it makes me curious about your trial and it's difficulty]
The crystal's glow sharpened, its words slow and deliberate. [Anyways… this is perfect timing. You stand in the very heart of Velmora. There is no better place to forge your Mana Core. Here, the flow of essence is untainted, the density beyond anything found elsewhere. Use it… and your foundation will be unshakable.]
Bruce exhaled through his nose, thoughtful. So that was it—perfect timing, perfect place. His surgeon's instincts stirred; this wasn't just cultivation. This was an operation. A procedure that would determine the strength of his body, his mana, his future.
On his shoulder, Ash stirred, letting out a soft kyuuu~ before curling closer against his neck. The little dragon's warmth grounded him, its trust as absolute as breath itself. Bruce's hand rose unconsciously, brushing its scaled head as his eyes hardened with resolve.
"Good," he said quietly, more to himself than to anyone else. "Then let's make this count."
The crystal pulsed, its voice resonating deep in Bruce's mind.
[Listen well, Bruce Ackerman. In the path of evolution, this step is among the most critical you will ever face. The creation of the Mana Core.]
The words carried weight, like truths carved into the fabric of the world itself.
[The Mana Core is more than a vessel. It defines the depth of your mana pool, the stability of your foundation, and the purity of your future growth. Depending on its quality—and the number of Mana Rings you forge around it—your strength will not just increase, but multiply by leaps and bounds.]
The crystal flared once, casting long streaks of light through the endless sea of color.
[Understand this well: the gap between an A-Ranked Awakened and a true S-Rank is the gap between a pond and an endless sea. A genuine S-Rank can face down a million normal A-Rankers and not even break a sweat.]
Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold thrill running through him. "A million, huh? Interesting."
Vaelith ignored his remark, the tone steady and patient. [This place—the Core of Velmora—is saturated with essence. The mana here is denser than anywhere else in this realm. Here, you can craft a Mana Core of unmatched quality. As long as your will does not falter, your foundation will be unshakable.]
Bruce let the words sink in, his heartbeat steady but strong.
[Now, listen carefully. Draw in the mana of the atmosphere. Guide it through your circuits. With focus and precision, condense and solidify it at the center of your being. At the very heart of your mana circuit lies your true core.]
"Condense it into my center… understood."
Without another word, Bruce lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged. Ash, perched on his shoulder, gave a soft 'kyuuu' of concern, then curled against him like a living anchor. Bruce reached up, brushing the little dragon's smooth scales. "I'll be fine. Just watch me."
Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. His trait—Observe—flared to life. His perception turned inward, peeling away layers of flesh, veins, and nerves, until he could see the flowing lattice of light that was his mana circuit. It coursed like rivers of luminous threads through his body.
He guided his awareness deeper. There—his heart. The pulsing center of his circuit, glowing faintly, waiting.
'Focus.'
He drew in the mana around him. Immediately, the atmosphere trembled. Like a greedy void, his body pulled in streams of essence. The swirling sea of colors bent toward him, funneled through unseen gates into his being.
His veins burned with it. His lungs struggled to keep rhythm. But Bruce's jaw clenched; he did not falter.
One by one, he gathered every thread of mana from his pool. Slowly, deliberately, he forced it toward his center, compressing it above his heart.
The pressure was immense. Sweat trickled down his brow, rolling down his temple. His muscles trembled, his body groaned under the weight of condensed power—but his mind remained sharp.
A surgeon's focus. A scalpel's precision.
'This is no different from an operation,' he thought. 'Except this time… the patient is me.'
Ash stirred, letting out a soft cry, its tiny claws gripping Bruce's sleeve as if to lend him strength. Bruce smirked faintly, even with his body under strain. "Don't worry, Ash. I won't fail."
The mana swirled tighter, denser, the threads converging into a single, glowing knot at his center. The pressure mounted—his chest felt as though it might split open—but Bruce's concentration never wavered.
Bit by bit, the formless gathered into form. The first glimmer of something solid. The first spark of his Mana Core.
And Bruce pushed harder.
Meanwhile, Ash leapt gracefully from Bruce's shoulder, landing beside him. The little dragon sat still, its crimson eyes locked on Bruce with an almost human-like curiosity, as though it understood that something monumental was about to take place.
Bruce's breathing steadied. His body trembled slightly as he pushed the liquid mana within him to converge. The pressure built, higher and higher, until finally—slowly—it began to condense, solidifying into the outline of his first ring. From there, the ball of energy in his core pulsed, forming toward a second ring.
But then came the problem.
His mana pool was nearly dry. What little remained wouldn't be enough to finish the second ring. And if he relied solely on natural regeneration… his pace would falter. His control would slip. The entire process would collapse.
He grit his teeth. "Not happening."
He remembered something from his research. Mana flowed in and out through pores—small channels of absorption. What if…
'Heal.'
Bruce directed the last wisps of his mana toward his pores, multitasking on a microscopic level. He healed them—not in the ordinary sense, but reconstructing them to their peak condition, the most efficient state for absorbing mana possible.