The physical upgrade of the upper realm was truly absurd. To harvest a core, he would execute a series of precise, practised motions: with a swift wave of his sword, he cleanly cut open the thick hide on the monsters' backs.
The cores were located in a peculiar anatomical position, nested snugly right next to the upper segment of their spines. It was an unusual, highly specific location for a mana centre, but biologically, it served an ingenious purpose.
By being positioned directly against the spine, the core could supplement the monsters' physical bodies with an immediate, uninterrupted flow of spirit power, routing it directly to their most vital nerve centres and motor pathways. This direct injection method entirely eliminated the need for the creatures to channel spirit power through a complex network of internal meridians.
