Day 32:
Progress has been going well.
But there's a problem.
MP: 1@0> [???]
Yeah… that.
When I asked the Dummy about it (yes, I've started calling it Dummy) it nodded, like it understood the issue.
At this point, it had already moved into the third layer, now sitting sixteen steps ahead of me. But after my question, it walked back to where I was and sat down right in front of me.
That's when I saw it.
A blackish-grey flame began forming at its Lower Core, slowly rising and merging with the mid-stage Blue Mana in the Middle Core—the heart.
It was demonstrating something. A fusion, a coalescence.
Then, it gestured for me to do the same.
So… here I am. Trying to replicate that process.
And failing. For six straight days.
Something must be off. Either in my flow… or understanding.
I asked Dummy again.
It repeated the same demonstration, but this time added something more, using its fingers to trace and guide the paths where the mana and aura were meant to merge. It was even mimicking my own Black Aura now. Perfectly.
But the problem remains.
How do I merge them?
Is it about co-existence?
Purity?
Quantity?
Or maybe all of them?
It nodded again. Helpful... but also frustrating.
But just when I was about to try again…
Ding
A system window popped up.
[SK09 wishes to message you. Will you accept the request?]
[Accept / Decline]
[Note: Accepting this will enable the Chat Function of the System.]
Wait.
Are you telling me I could've been using a chat function this whole time?
Okay. Calm down, Jacob.
"Accept."
A new panel slid open.
[SK09]: You have to make them co-exist. To do that, you must match your aura's wavelength with your mana.
[You]: Wavelength?
SK09 paused for a moment, then replied again,
[SK09]: It's like syncing the rhythm of two songs. Different melodies, but the same tempo. If you force one into the other, it breaks. But if they flow in harmony, they blend into something stronger.
[You]: So I have to harmonize them both. Okay.
I just hope I can learn to do that quickly.
Day 57:
It wasn't as easy as it might sound.
The first five days were all about understanding the harmony between my mana and aura—something I could only grasp thanks to Dummy. (I still refuse to call him SK09, no matter what the system says.)
The next fifteen days were… frustrating.
Attempt after attempt to combine them ended in failure.
Again and again.
But the last few days?
They've been the most productive of them all.
How productive, you ask?
Well… take a look:
Ding
[Congratulations! New Achievement]
[You have achieved Dual Harmony between Mana and Aura.]
[You have opened and connected your Middle-Lower Core Pathways.]
[Reward: Title – Magic Knight (New), 4000p]
Yep.
I'm officially a Magic Knight now.
Well, unofficially—but still!
Out of the 300 known Magic Knights in the Western Continent, I'm the 301st.
That alone makes every single failure worth it.
Also, check this out:
[Your Mana Stat (MP) has evolved into AETHER (AP)]
AP: 500 [???]
Aether.
It's no longer just mana. It's something more. Something higher.
But that [???] still bothers me.
Is the rank locked? Or is it... something else?
Either way, I'll figure it out in time.
That's all for today's record.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Day 65:
I've made it into the third layer.
But I've been stuck here for over a week.
I entered on Day 58, and the progress since then… has been agonizingly slow.
The Dummy now sits 23 steps ahead of me—still, always just out of reach.
But I'll close that gap. Soon.
Day 67:
I caught up to the Dummy's last spot.
Or so I thought.
Turns out, he's now in the fifth layer, skipping the fourth entirely.
Is he increasing the difficulty on purpose?
The pressure here in the third layer is easily three times heavier than what I've faced so far.
The requirement for passing into the fourth layer?
40% Mana Purity16x the Mana Quantity
My current Aether Points (AP) read 753. I figure I need to hit at least 800 to qualify.
Let's keep pushing.
Day 85:
Big update.
I'm just two steps away from entering the fifth layer.
I officially crossed into the fourth layer back on Day 72.
The Dummy? He's now lounging in the seventh layer.
Always ahead.
Also, a major milestone:
Art of Absorption → D+ Rank
Progress feels real now.
Day 100:
I made it to the seventh layer.
Funny thing—I think the tree looks slightly smaller now. Probably my imagination… or maybe it's some kind of perceptual shift the closer I get?
Regardless, here's my current data:
AETHER: 905 [???]
Art of Absorption (AoA): Rank C
The Dummy is ahead in the ninth layer, about 35 steps beyond where I stand.
Oh, and my mana color has changed twice in the last phase.
It's now a dark yellow—the third stage of mana quality.
The texture feels different now… thicker, almost semi-solid.
Day 115:
Progress Summary:
Me: 10th Layer Dummy: 15th Layer Aether Points (AP): 1135
And guess what?
[New Achievement: 1000 AP]
[Title Unlocked: Aether Master]
[Reward: 1000p]
That's not all.
Here's my current Status Screen:
[Status Screen]
Name: Jacob Amor de Vermont
Titles (3):Aether Master (Currently Active)
Rank (Level): C (18)
HP: 10,000 / 10,000
AP: 1135
STR: D- (35) AGI: E+ (26) INT: E+ (22)
Blessings:
• [???] Rank: [??]
• [Pure Mind] Rank: [??]
• [??? Art of Absorption] Rank: C+ / SSS+
Skills [▼] Traits [▼] (New)
Available Points: 5500
[Status Report] [Messages (23)] [Help? / Tutorial]
I also discovered I can swap out titles for buffs.
Here's the new title in detail:
[Title: Aether Master]
Once upon a time lived a Great Knight who under the guidance of an Archmage, discovered a way to combine Aura and Mana—creating a new energy he called Aether. Later in his life, he came to be known a Great King. This title grants a 15% reduction in Aether requirements for energy-based abilities.
[Passive Buff]
Today, I decided to finally spend some of my stat points.
Turns out, I also unlocked more info about the POINTS system.
I saved 3000 and spent the rest:
800 points in STR 800 in AGI 900 in INT
The results?
Massive stat jumps—8 to 9 ranks increased in each stat!
Updated Status Screen:
[Status Screen]
Name: Jacob Amor de Vermont
Titles (3):Aether Master (Currently Active)
Rank (Level): B (14)
HP: 10,000 / 10,000
AP: 1135
STR: B+ (35) AGI: B (26) INT: B+ (22)
Blessings:
• [???] Rank: [??]
• [Pure Mind] Rank: [??]
• [??? Art of Absorption] Rank: C+ / SSS+
Skills [▼] Traits [▼] (New)
Available Points: 3000
[Status Report] [Messages (23)] [Help? / Tutorial]
One more insight I had—
100 points in a stat = 100% proficiency for that rank.
And it seems each Rank jumps only once you hit 100 points in the current tier.
Interesting system.
But enough theory for now.
Time to rest, refocus, and charge forward again tomorrow.
Day 116:
Big news.
My entire body changed overnight.
Muscles leaner, more defined. My frame stronger. Every movement feels synchronized, like my body is responding to its own evolution.
It must be the stat points I distributed. If so… that's incredible.
But it's also causing a new issue.
My Aether-circuits have evolved too. That means I need to retrain—adjust to the new energy flows and pathways. Until then, my circulation isn't as smooth.
Of course, SK09 adapted as well. I noticed that during the night cycle, the dummy's structure also changed—replicating my new form.
Always mirroring me. Always watching.
Day 119:
Made it to the 15th Layer.
And SK09? It's already in the 23rd.
Still, this jump in pace after my body's transformation is unbelievable.
If this is the result of B-rank stats… I can't imagine what A-rank will bring.
Here's my current data:
[Status Screen]
Name: Jacob Amor de Vermont
Titles (3):Aether Master (Currently Active)
Rank (Level): B (31)
HP: 10,000 / 10,000
AP: 1225
STR: B+ (57) AGI: B (52) INT: B+ (78)
Blessings:
• [???] Rank: [??]
• [Pure Mind] Rank: [??]
• [??? Art of Absorption] Rank: B / SSS+
Skills [▼] Traits [▼] (New)
Available Points: 3000
Day 150:
Current Layer: 22nd
Every step forward feels like carrying a mountain on my back.
The pressure is suffocating. I've decided to activate Art of Absorption more intentionally—using it to expand my circulatory channels.
Let's see if that helps.
Day 213:
Current Layer: 27th
It worked.
I've expanded and reinforced the channels inside me. The flow of Aether feels smoother now, and the pressure's bearable.
Still... I'm staying put in this layer for a bit. Let my body adapt.
SK09 is already in the 40th Layer.
Also, my Aether color has changed—
Now it's light orange, on the verge of turning into dark red—the fifth stage of mana quality.
AP: 1459
I noticed something odd.
Even though Aether is a fusion of aura and mana, its color still matches my mana's evolution.
So I asked SK09.
Chat Log:
[You]: Why is my Aether color still matching mana instead of aura?
[SK09]: Your aura purity hasn't caught up to your mana purity yet.
True Aether manifests in three major colors—Purple, Black, and White.
Until your aura evolves, you'll only see the mana-based coloration.
That explains a lot. I'll continue circulating and refining.
Day 276:
Current Layer: 35th
Two huge milestones today:
AP has crossed 2000. System rewarded me with 1000 points. Rank up! I went from B (31) to A (31).
Stat Distribution:
STR: +300
AGI: +400
INT: +300
Updated Status:
[Status Screen]
Name: Jacob Amor de Vermont
Titles (3):Aether Master (Currently Active)
Rank (Level): A (31)
HP: 10,000 / 10,000
AP: 2098
STR: A+ (55) AGI: A+ (53) INT: A+ (79)
Blessings:
• [???] Rank: [??]
• [Pure Mind] Rank: [??]
• [??? Art of Absorption] Rank: B+ / SSS+
Skills [▼] Traits [▼] (New)
Available Points: 3000
I've been feeling it for a while… but now it's clear. I'm no longer the same boy who entered this domain.
I should try something new tomorrow.
Day 289:
I. Am. A. Genius.
Today, I decided to enter the next layer while keeping AoA active.
The result?
I passed right through—no pressure backlash. No resistance.
The ease of absorption rate also increased by a lot. At least five-times the actual.
So, that's the trick.
That's how SK09 always stayed ahead of me.
It never stopped using AoA while walking.
It must've been slowing down intentionally… waiting for me to catch on.
So I sent a message:
Chat Log:
[You]: I'm coming for the 52nd layer.
[SK09]: So you finally understood the pace. Very well. Catch up quick.
Is this because my proficiency with AoA has increased?
Possibly.
I'll ask him later.
Right now, this rush—this momentum—is electrifying.
I won't stop here.
I stepped into the 37th Layer, heart pounding.
My goal?
The 52nd Layer.
Let's go.