After completing his entry at the reception, Noah was directed toward the changing area. The training center also provided clothes specifically designed for training.
Inside the spacious locker room, one corner was neatly arranged with multiple sets of sportswear in different sizes.
They were clean, well-maintained, and neatly folded.
Noah walked over and selected a set that fit him perfectly. It was entirely black—light, flexible, and comfortable against his skin.
After changing, he tied his hair back loosely and stepped out toward the training floor.
He entered an open training area.
Before touching any weapons, he began with basic stretching.
He rolled his shoulders slowly, feeling the joints loosen. He stretched his arms across his chest, then behind his back. He bent forward, stretching his hamstrings, then rotated his waist to warm up his core.
After that, he did light exercises. Push-ups, squats, and a short burst of jumping drills to get his blood flowing.
His breathing gradually steadied. His muscles warmed up.
When the stretching was done, Noah moved toward the weapon racks.
Rows of training weapons were displayed neatly.
'What should I try first?' he wondered.
He stood there for a moment, thinking.
Then his hand reached out.
Noah picked up a long sword.
The hilt felt cold against his palm. The weight was balanced, not too heavy, not too light.
'Let's practice both. I'll do sword basics first and then spear.'
He stepped into an empty practice zone and took a simple stance.
One step forward. His grip firm on hilt. He began with basic slashes.
He did horizontal cut first. Then vertical cut. Diagonal slash.
At first, his movements felt slightly stiff, as if his body remembered but his mind was still catching up. But gradually, something began to click.
The muscle memory of the previous Noah surfaced. He adjusted his footing. His wrist control improved. He repeated the basic forms again and again.
'This feels good!' Noah thought with smile.
He Slashed, then recover. Step forward. Turn to side. He also focused on his footwork. Not only sword basics.
Minutes passed.
Sweat slowly began to form on his forehead.
His breathing grew heavier, but he didn't stop.
He practiced thrusts next. It was precise forward lunges, focusing on control rather than speed.
After nearly half an hour, sweat was pouring down his body. His black training shirt clung to his torso.
Finally, he lowered the sword.
"Not bad…" he muttered, though he knew he still lacked refinement. He returned the sword to its place.
'But why i don't have any techniques despite being from a noble family? Was I not talented enough to learn one?'
He wondered as he reached for a spear.
The long shaft felt different—more reach, more control over distance.
He positioned his hands properly and stepped back into the practice area.
He did basic thrust. The tip of the spear thrusting forward horizontally, cutting the air cleanly.
The he withdraw it. Then taking a Step forward he sweep the spear.
He did basic forms again and again.
The spear movements felt smoother than the sword. His body seemed more comfortable maintaining distance rather than engaging closely.
He practiced forward lunges, low sweeps, and controlled spins to adjust his stance.
Sweat dripped from his chin onto the floor.
His arms started to ache slightly.
"Hah! Hah!" Only after his breathing became heavy did he finally stop.
Chest rising and falling, Noah wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
'That felt good. I feel more comfortable while using weapons the more I train.'
Noah kept the spear back on racks and then sat at one corner of the room. He could feel some eyes on him. Well it was natural because of his appearance
'Tch! Being good looking attracts too much attention for no reason. Though I don't hate it if its women who are looking at me' He thought.
He was sitting in cross leg position to circulate his mana and meditate.
He straightened his back. Then closed his eyes. Took a slow breath in and exhaled.
He focused inward. Soon, he felt it again.
Something warm stirred in his lower abdomen—near his dantian.
A gentle current.
It began to flow through his veins, spreading across his limbs, chest, and shoulders. Smooth. Subtle. Yet undeniably present.
Mana.
The source of everything in this world.
The more he circulated it, the more refreshed he felt.
'It's not that hard.'
For simple circulation, at least.
He guided the mana carefully through familiar pathways, following the faint memory left behind by the previous Noah.
The flow stabilized. His breathing slowed. His awareness sharpened more.
But he knew this was only the easy part.
'Now it's time for the harder part.'
Advancement of the Mana Core is not achieved through mere accumulation. A practitioner must first absorb the ambient mana of the world and refine it into a pure form, for the mana that exists in nature is raw and unstable for the human body.
Once refined, this mana is guided into the core, where it accumulates inside and forms condensed layers around it, gradually increasing its density and capacity. As the layers build, the core becomes saturated with energy, pushing it toward its limit.
Yet accumulation alone is insufficient. The layered mana must be compressed and fused together, expelling hidden impurities and stabilizing the core's structure.
Only when the core withstands this immense pressure and reaches perfect refinement can one break through to the next stage. At that moment, the core's color shifts, signifying its evolution.
Noah extended his senses outward. At first, there was nothing.
But soon he felt it.
Tiny particles like faint sparks drifting in the air around him.
It was raw mana in air. He began absorbing it slowly.
The moment the foreign mana entered his body, he felt the difference. It was rough.
It was unstable. It needs refinement to get adaptable for human body.
His brows tightened slightly.
He guided the raw mana toward his core and began refining it as he curculate it, making it adaptable to his body.
It wasn't smooth like circulating his own mana. It felt like forcing sand through narrow pipes.
His breathing became uneven. Sweat began forming along his forehead. The refining process demanded focus.
It needed precision. One mistake could destabilize the flow.
Then he imagined accumulating the purified mana around his core, forming a thin layer over it.
This process is for gradually increasing core density and capacity.
He tried to compressed the acummulated layer. Condensing it. Then ressing it tighter. The pressure increased. A dull ache formed in his lower abdomen.
His jaw clenched unconsciously. More sweat dripped down his neck.
His black training clothes slowly darkened with moisture.
'This… is harder than I thought.' The core resisted. The mana around it trembled.
At one point, the flow almost slipped out of control, causing a sharp sting inside his chest.
His breathing faltered. But he didn't stop. He steadied himself.
He Inhale, exhale. His focus was absolute.
Again, he refined. He decided to just refined and accumulate it in his core. Not trying to compress it.
Minute by minute, the condensed layer around his core grew denser.
His body grew hotter. Sweat rolled down his temples and fell onto the mat beneath him.
His hands trembled slightly, resting on his knees. The hour felt endless.
"Hah!...hah!" Noah opened his eyes. His breathing ragged.
'I guess this much is enough for today.'