Day 1:
This is the stone tablet given to me by Lady Lythera.
She said I just have to touch it and think, and it'll automatically record my thoughts. A direct imprint.
She also told me that I might be here for more than ten years. Ten whole years... just to reach that tree and move to the next domain.
Speaking of the tree—
That tree is something else. Not just big, but alive. It doesn't just stand there looking holy. It tests you. It checks both the purity and quantity of your mana before letting you pass.
Apparently, there are 100 layers of checkpoints. Each layer raises the required mana quality by 10%, while also doubling the necessary mana quantity.
That's terrifying.
Oh right, my status screen says I have 0 Mana. Not low. Not blocked. Just… zero. It even shows a unique symbol beside it.
Wait, can I input my status directly into this tablet?
Let me try.
HP: 10,000 / 10,000
MP: 0 [???]
Whoa. It worked! Though it included my vitality too. I'll have to refine how I think before imprinting.
No worries. I'll improve my thought control with time.
Now then, what has changed in this domain?
First, there's the strange dummy.
It's translucent, like glass, and shaped exactly like me—same height, same build, except for the face. It's blank. Featureless. Just sitting cross-legged on the grass, unmoving.
At first, I thought it was just decoration.
Then I noticed something.
From the center of its chest, a soft blue light begins to flow upward toward the neck. It splits in two, traveling down both arms and spreading across its upper body.
I think it's displaying the correct mana flow path. A visual guide, showing how mana is supposed to circulate after absorption.
Lady Lythera also explained something important.
Mana has both color and brightness.
The color represents quality, moving in this order:
Blue → Green → Yellow → Orange → Red → Pink → Purple → Black → White
The shade represents quantity.
The darker the shade, the less you have. The brighter the shade, the more mana has been accumulated.
Since I have no mana at all, I need to begin from the most basic step.
Feeling mana in the surroundings.
Day 2:
A whole day has passed.
Time flows here just like it did in Zhao Yun's domain. No irregularities. But what's strange is, I'm not sleepy. Not even hungry. I feel full of energy. Completely sustained.
The environment still shifts through day and night cycles, so the rhythm of time is present. Just... my body isn't bound by it anymore.
Now, back to the important part.
How do I begin this accumulation?
That was the first question I had today. I kept asking myself: where do I even start?
Then I remembered.
"System, open."
There it was, right in the Blessings section.
Let me record what it showed:
Blessings: [???]
Rank: [??]
[Pure Mind] — Rank: [??]
[??? Art of Absorption] — Rank: SSS+
There it is. Still a little cryptic… but it'll refine with time.
This Art of Absorption, I'll call it that for now. Seems like a high-ranked blessing. Probably the rarest thing I've got so far.
Its description was vague, but intriguing.
It read:
Mana, Spirit, Aura, Qi. All are types of energy. In the end, all are but one and the same.
The Art of Absorption eases the process of absorbing energy, while improving its quality.
Current Rank: E‑
Wait. E‑?
That confused me for a second. But then I realized,
That's the current operational rank, not its potential. It still needs to be developed.
Alright. So now I understand the theory.
But how do I use it?
The system answered that too, sort of. It said:
Think of sensing the energy you wish to accumulate. To do this, you must have experienced it before, or at least understand its nature and sensation.
So first step: sense mana.
But... how?
Lady Lythera would've helped, but she mentioned she might be unavailable for a while. Apparently, she's managing not just my planet, but eleven others.
That leaves me alone to figure this out.
Can't blame her, though. She's a goddess.
Still… I'm back to square one.
How do I sense mana?
I glanced at the translucent dummy. It hadn't moved since yesterday.
Then I thought, what's the harm in trying?
"Hey," I said aloud. "Do you know how to feel mana?"
To my complete shock…It nodded.
"What… how?" I whispered.
The dummy raised its arm slowly, pointing toward the great tree in the distance.
The tree?
I followed its gesture and froze.
'Of course. That pressure I felt… the mana that pushed me away…'
That was mana.
I have to recall that feeling.
To understand it. Memorize it. Feel it again.
I turned back to the dummy. It nodded once more, confirming my guess.
"Okay then…" I exhaled, clenching my fists.
"Tree, I'm coming."
Day 3:
Reckless behavior is a bad idea.
I've learned that the hard way today.
I tried walking deeper into the tree's layers. I can make it about twenty steps in… but anything beyond that, and I get launched back like a ragdoll.
Still, the question lingers—why twenty steps?
Does that mean my body can handle up to half the pressure of the first checkpoint layer?
Maybe. Maybe my physical foundation is strong enough for that much.
But past that point… it's like hitting an invisible wall made of pure force.
I can't take another step. I can't even focus. Let alone sense anything.
Still, I'm not stopping.
How many times will I get thrown back?
Ten? Twenty? Thirty?
Doesn't matter.
I'll try again. And again. And again.
No shortcuts. No complaints.
Let's go.
Day 4:
146 times.
That's how many times I've been thrown out of the first layer.
It reminds me of when I used to play with Jasper as a toddler.
He'd try to push me over, huffing and growling like a little beast, but he never managed to budge me. Then he'd cry out in frustration, and I'd just smile.
...Wait, why am I thinking about that now?
Focus.
Maybe this tree sees me the same way—as a toddler. Weak. Inexperienced. Not ready.
But just you wait, old tree.
I will sense mana. Even if it takes me hundreds more tries.
Day 5:
Ugh.
Not today.
Day 6:
526 times.
You damned tree.
Why can't I still sense anything?
What am I doing wrong?
Day 7:
The world looks a little better today.
The sky is flooding with clouds. It feels... calm.
Still, no mana.
Day 8:
Why?
Why!?
Why can't I sense MANA?!
Day 9:
It's been eight days since I arrived here.
Eight long days.
And I still haven't grasped the most basic part of mana accumulation.
What am I missing?
Should I ask the dummy?
No.
Not yet.
Let's try again.
Day 10:
983 attempts.
And nothing yet.
Day 11:
I'm not writing today.
Everything hurts.
Day 15:
1,304 times.
I've tried entering and sensing mana more than a thousand times.
Fine.
I give in.
Let's ask the dummy.
"Hey there... Can you show me how to sense mana?"
It nodded.
That simple gesture... I've never felt so grateful in my life.
It stood up slowly and walked toward the tree's first layer.
Step by step, it entered the pressure field and kept going—until it couldn't anymore.
I watched it in disbelief.
Nineteen steps.
That's what I had managed too.
Though... one step less than my record.
But still, why did it stop there?
It knelt, placing its hand gently on the ground, then sat down in its usual cross-legged position.
Ah.
I get it now.
I ran and sat across from it, mirroring its posture.
It raised a finger and pointed toward its chest.
No blue light.
Just stillness.
I realized—it's replicating my body. And since I have no mana... its heart is empty.
But then I noticed something.
Its nose began to pulse, very subtly.
And then—its chest. A slow build-up. The faintest glimmer of blue light forming near the heart.
That's it.
That's the answer.
The pressure from the tree... it's not just some force.
It's mana—flowing downward, like a river crashing through space. That repelling sensation is simply mana refusing to enter what it can't flow through.
So I emptied my mind.
No fear. No frustration.
Just intention.
I reached out—not with my hands, but with my will. I tried to accept the pressure, not fight it. Let it pass through me.
And then, I heard it.
Ding
[Congratulations!]
[You have sensed Mana for the first time]
[Bonus: Mana Accumulation Rate increased by 20%]
[??? Art of Absorption rank increased to E]
[You can now absorb mana more freely]
I froze.
Then I smiled.
I finally did it.
But my day wasn't over yet.
I chose to remain there a little longer.
To feel the mana.
To welcome it.
Day 17:
The Art of Absorption is incredibly helpful.
Since sensing mana, I can feel my reserves growing cleaner and denser with every breath.
The mana pressure no longer pushes me out like before. I can remain in the field, steady and unshaken.
Though... I still can't enter the second layer.
I'm close—just two steps short of reaching it. But even those two feel like a cliff I can't yet climb.
The dummy has continued to assist me. Today, it revealed something new.
It showed me my mana quality.
Blue.
A medium shade.
That means the purity is basic, yet stable. Not bad for a beginner, I guess.
Afterward, it demonstrated the next phase—how to circulate the absorbed mana through the body.
It visualized the flow, tracing the path from the heart through the limbs, across the torso, and looping back. Every movement felt natural, like veins carrying life.
Now I understand.
Accumulation is only the first step.
Circulation... that's the beginning of real control.
Day 18:
I noticed something new about the dummy today.
It matches my progress with surprising accuracy.
Whenever I circulate mana correctly, it begins to glow—soft, steady light flowing through the same paths I followed.
But if I make a mistake, the glow dims instantly and resets the entire process.
At first, it was frustrating. Over and over, it would reset, and I'd have to try again.
But now... it feels more like a guide than a test.
It's become so much more comfortable to use.
Almost like a silent mentor.
Also, my refinement skill, Art of Absorption, has officially ranked up to E.
I'm so happy with my progress.
Even this small achievement feels like a milestone.
For the first time in a while, I feel proud of myself.
Day 25:
Sorry for not recording my progress daily.
A lot has happened.
New achievement:
I've crossed the first layer and entered the second.
That barrier that once threw me back over a thousand times… now lies behind me.
The dummy has moved as well. It now sits ten steps ahead of me, deep within the second layer. Almost like a silent mentor, waiting—challenging me to catch up.
I'm two steps inside the second layer now.
I'm closer than ever to catching it.
Let's keep going.
Let's see how far I can reach.