'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.
The result was immediate.
Whoosh-!!
A whirlpool of mana roared into existence above him, spinning violently, dragging the ambient energy like a starving vortex. His hair lifted in the torrent, his body glowing faintly as the flood of essence poured into him.
Vaelith's voice reverberated in disbelief.
[Impressive… to think you would improvise something like this mid-formation. Your instincts… no, your logic, it's flawless.]
Ash tilted its little head upward, chirping softly, mesmerized by the whirlpool of light funneling into Bruce.
Bruce's mana pool filled to bursting in seconds. Without pause, he funneled it straight into his core, tightening his focus. The second ring solidified. Then the third.
His body burned. His heart hammered like war drums. Sweat streamed down his face in rivulets. But Bruce didn't falter.
Fourth ring. Fifth ring.
Vaelith's mental voice wavered. If he had eyes they'd be bulging with shock...
[Impossible...]
[He's still going!]
[I thought five rings was the limit... No, I always forget, he's Ex Class. I shouldn't judge him by normal standards...]
Bruce didn't stop.
Sixth ring. Seventh. Eighth.
Each one slammed into place with a thunderous boom inside his body, reverberating like the toll of divine bells. The weight of his aura grew, pressing outward in waves that made even Ash shuffle back slightly.
By the ninth ring, Bruce's body felt like it was going to tear itself apart. His core strained under the weight of too much power, pulsing violently as if on the verge of shattering. The pressure threatened to explode outward, threatening collapse.
But Bruce only gritted his teeth harder, his will unyielding. 'I didn't come this far to stop halfway. Not when I know—I know—this isn't my limit.'
Every nerve screamed. His lungs burned. His muscles quaked. Yet he drew in more mana, compressed it, condensed it, forced it into submission.
Then—
BOOM!
The tenth ring snapped into place.
SWOOSH!
A violent surge erupted from Bruce, a tidal wave of raw aura that blasted outward, scattering loose debris and shaking the very ground of Velmora's Core.
His presence was overwhelming, suffocating, and impossibly vast. It pressed like a mountain, thick with killing intent, sharp and suffused with life and death all at once. No one, no one, who felt that aura would ever believe it belonged to a healer.
Ash flapped its wings and let out a triumphant cry, its bond with Bruce thrumming in resonance with the newborn core.
The Akashic Codex stirred.
[Congratulations on creating your Mana Core.]
[You are now a genuine S-Ranked Awakened, Bruce Ackerman.]
The prompts glowed brilliantly in his vision.
Meanwhile, Vaelith's voice trembled with awe.
[Ten… ten rings. Impossible. The highest I had ever seen in Velmora was five. Even I… even I did not believe it could go beyond that. And yet, you stand at ten.]
[Now I see it clearly. The gap between an SSS-Rank Awakened and one who bears an EX-Rank Class… it is not a step. It is a chasm. A gulf that only you could cross. I made the right choice… in calling you my Champion.]
Bruce finally opened his eyes. His aura simmered down, still heavy, still oppressive, but now perfectly under his control. He wiped the sweat from his brow and allowed himself a faint smile.
"…Ten rings." His voice was quiet, almost disbelieving. Then his grin widened, sharp and feral. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Ash immediately hopped back onto his shoulder, chirping happily as if to share in his triumph. Bruce rubbed the dragon's smooth scaled head, exhaling softly. "We're just getting started, Ash."
[The next step is giving you a true weapon. Like I said before, I genuinely want success for both of us... And helping you gain more strength without giving you actual tools would be detrimental for us both when you begin to face the dangers of this world.]
Bruce looked up at the glowing crystal hovering in the air, its light rippling softly like a heartbeat. The words carried a weight that made him straighten unconsciously, it wasn't just a lesson; it felt like a rite of passage.
[Well, I'm not really good at explaining, but to get a true weapon you have to connect with the heart of mana. It'll communicate with your own heart and create a weapon that rhymes with the deepest wishes of your soul. There's a saying; a true weapon is designed specifically for one person, no other being can wield it. It shares your will, your emotions, your personality... your essence. Because of this, it rejects anyone else who dares to try.]
A faint spark flashed in Bruce's eyes, his lips curving into a small, amused grin.
"Isn't this like Thor's Mjolnir?" he asked, unable to stop himself.
The crystal pulsed, glowing brighter as if intrigued.
[For a mortal like you to know of Thor and his legendary weapon Mjolnir... your background is indeed not small. I was right not to underestimate you.]
Bruce felt an immediate urge to roll his eyes.
'Tf is all this!' he muttered inwardly. 'I know it from movies and some random Norse mythology snippets I stumbled on once...'
[What's Norse?]
Bruce's patience cracked. "I don't know! And stop reading my mind!" he snapped.
[Apologies. As the guardian of this world, I am entitled to read the thoughts of all within it. Though I choose not to most of the time, as that would be an invasion of privacy, I couldn't help but be curious about what went through your mind.]
Bruce narrowed his eyes. He wasn't letting that slide.
He had suspected something like this before but brushed it off during the contract phase. Not anymore. He called to reopen the contract terms, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The crystal gave a long, resigned sigh. Then it shimmered, its surface shifting like molten glass as the new clause was etched into existence, a binding term that prevented it from reading his thoughts without consent.
When the final mark burned into light and faded, Bruce exhaled softly.
'Finally, a little privacy in this damn mystical partnership.'
His gaze returned to the hovering diamond. Its light had softened, almost respectful now.
"So," Bruce said, voice firm but curious, "how do I get my true weapon?"