The days following my core's formation were a study in forced patience. With Goodsky away at her Council meeting, the estate felt… larger. Emptier. I spent the time not in reckless experimentation, as she might have feared, but in meticulous analysis. I pored over the foundational mana theory texts in my room, cross-referencing them with the esoteric knowledge I possessed from my previous life. The System's new functions were a tantalizing distraction.
The [Inventory] was a spatial marvel—a void where items hung in stasis, accessible with a thought. I spent an hour just putting things in and taking them out: a book, a pillow, a training dagger. The spatial principles at work were fascinating, a field of magic that was notoriously complex but interesting.
The [Shop], however, was a different beast entirely. It wasn't a simple catalogue. It was an interface that seemed to tap into the very fabric of reality, offering items, materials, and even skills in exchange for a currency labelled "System Points." Currently, my balance was a resounding zero. The method of acquisition wasn't detailed, but a grim part of me suspected it involved killing monsters since their was no quest function.
My primary focus, however, was the [Refinement Authority (EX++)]. Its description was deceptively simple: 'Allows for the refinement of all things.' The implications were staggering. I started small, with a piece of fruit from my breakfast tray. Holding the apple in my hand, I focused my will, channeling a trickle of mana through the new, nebulous sense the Authority provided. The apple shimmered, its skin tightening, its color deepening to a more vibrant red. A single bite confirmed it; the flavor was more concentrated, the texture perfect, the nutritional value undoubtedly enhanced. I had refined a common apple into a perfect, peak-quality specimen.
Next, I tried it on a shard of beast core I'd convinced a servant to procure from the estate's alchemical stores—a low-grade, cracked fragment from a Rock-Tusk Boar. The process was more demanding. My mana drained noticeably as I pushed the Authority, visualizing the impurities as physical flaws to be smoothed away. The cracked, dull grey shard glowed with a soft, internal light, its fractures sealing until it became a smooth, polished pebble of concentrated earth-aspected mana. The quality had jumped at least two tiers.
'My morality, resources, and energy are my only limits,' I mused, staring at the refined core. The potential is… apocalyptic. Or divine. I could refine poisons into purer, deadlier variants. I could refine common ore into a higher tair with magical properties. I could refine a human's talent, or their very lifespan and in truth the basics of of refinement was MERGER which i had not touched upon as of yet. The thought of it all was chilling.. I decided then to not experiment with the full capabilities of its functions for now due to both a lack of resources and strength.
Four days after her departure, Cynthia Goodsky returned. I felt her presence the moment she crossed the estate's threshold—a familiar, potent, and calming mana signature that filled the void her absence had created.
I was waiting for her in the main study, the refined beast core fragment hidden away, the primary condensed core she had given me resting innocently on the table between us.
"I see you're still in one piece," she remarked, gracefully taking her seat. Her eyes, however, were sharp, immediately darting to the core. "And you've resisted the temptation to turn my home into a crater. I'm impressed."
"I live to exceed expectations," I replied with a faint smile. "The core was… enlightening."
"Oh?" She leaned forward, her gaze intensifying. "Enlighten me, then."
I took a steadying breath. This was the moment. "I awakened my mana core."
The air in the room stilled. Goodsky's casual demeanor vanished, replaced by the focused intensity of a master magus. "When?"
"The day you left."
"Show me."
I didn't need to be told twice. I closed my eyes, and for the first time in front of her, I let my guard down completely. I stopped suppressing the natural aura of my core. The air in the study hummed as mana, thick and tangible, radiated from me. The mana lamps flickered, their light bending towards my body. Books on the nearby shelves trembled faintly.
Goodsky's eyes widened a fraction, a rare show of outright surprise. "This density… this stability… so soon after awakening? It's unprecedented. And the color of the core's resonance… a deep, abyssal black. ."
"The theory for core creation and advancement you thought me was sound," I said, reining in my aura. "It just needed the right fuel and the right architect."
She stared at me for a long, silent moment, a complex mix of pride, concern, and sheer wonder in her eyes. "And your affinities? Have you managed to discern them yet?"
This was the other big reveal. I nodded. "Three. Fire, Wind… and Sound."
The concern on her face melted away, replaced by pure, unadulterated exhilaration. She shot to her feet, a brilliant smile gracing her features. "Sound! A rare and potent affinity! And with Fire and Wind to complement it… Adam, do you understand? Fire provides raw destructive power, Wind gives you mobility and control over the battlefield, but Sound… Sound is a trump card. It can bypass conventional defenses, influence minds, shatter formations. This is a magnificent combination!"
She paced for a moment, her mind racing. "We need to adjust your training immediately. Your foundation is already rock-solid, far beyond any novice. Now, we build upon it. Theory is one thing, but practical application is everything. I will oversee your general development, but for advanced elemental theory and application, you need a specialist."
True to her word, by the next morning, a new instructor had arrived at the estate. Professor Alaric was a tall, gaunt man with spectacles perched on his nose and a perpetually serious expression. He was a renowned theorist, a man who saw the universe as a complex web of mana and equations.
Our sessions were grueling. We spent hours deconstructing the nature of elemental mana.
"Fire is not merely combustion," Alaric droned, drawing complex mana constructs in the air. "It is rapid oxidation, yes, but on a magical level, it is the embodiment of passionate transformation, To master it, you must understand its ability of immediate environmental change."
He turned to Wind. "Wind is the element of force. It is not merely moving air; it is pressure differentials, it is the transfer of energy through a medium. A master of Wind does not push the air; they convince the atmosphere to move for them."
And finally, Sound. "Ah, the most subtle of your trio. Sound is vibration, a wave propagating through a medium, be it air, water, or solid matter. It is information and force intertwined. To wield Sound is to manipulate the very fabric of perception. A whisper can become a roar; a roar can become a silent, internal shockwave."
Under his tutelage and Goodsky's more practical guidance, my training began in earnest. The next four years became a blur of focused, relentless effort.
Age 6
My first successful fireball was not a ball at all. It was a sputtering, unstable wisp of flame that singed my eyebrows. Goodsky watched, her expression unreadable.
"Control, Adam. You are forcing it. You are a conduit, not a pump. Feel the mana's desire to become fire, and simply… allow it."
I closed my eyes, letting Professor Alaric's lessons flow through me. Passionate transformation. I didn't command the mana to burn; I invited it to. A sphere of stable, crimson flame bloomed above my palm, its heat contained and focused.
Age 7
Wind came more naturally. It was like an extension of my own body. I practiced not by throwing cutting gales, but by trying to pluck a single leaf from a tree across the courtyard using only a focused stream of air. It took three weeks of daily practice. The day I succeeded, I didn't cheer. I simply observed the leaf's trajectory, noting how the Wind mana had cradled it, precisely overcoming its weight and air resistance.
Age 8
Sound was the most challenging. For months, all I could produce were focused whispers or disorienting hums. The breakthrough came during a meditation session. I stopped trying to create sound and started listening to the sounds that were already there—the hum of the mana lamps, the rustle of leaves outside, the rhythm of my own heartbeat. I learned to resonate with those frequencies, to amplify them, or to cancel them out. I created a bubble of perfect silence around myself, a void so absolute it was unnerving.
My physical training advanced in tandem. My body, though still that of a child, was a well-honed instrument. Mana Reinforcement became second nature, a constant, low-level enhancement that doubled my strength, speed, and durability. My bones, reinforced by a steady flow of mana, could withstand impacts that would shatter steel and added my physiology from my race mages from my level would find it difficult to do lasting damage.
My weapon training, however, began to show a divergence. The dagger, a weapon of precision and subtlety, felt like an artist's brush in my hand. I could weave it into my mana flows, using Wind to accelerate its strikes or Fire to superheat its edge for a split second. My [Dagger Arts] skill rank soared, progressing from a lowly (E-) to a respectable (B++) as I integrated my elemental affinities, creating a fluid, unpredictable style.
The spear was different. I had achieved a high degree of technical proficiency with it. My forms were flawless, my thrusts precise, my defense impenetrable. But it had stagnated at (S-). I could execute any known technique, but I wasn't innovating. The spear was a weapon of kings and generals, demanding a kind of overwhelming, dominant presence that, for now, my child's body and more nuanced approach to combat couldn't fully embody. I didn't see it as a critical failure—my spearwork was still leagues beyond any peer—but it was a noticeable plateau.
The most thrilling development was elemental combination. It started with a simple idea: if Fire mana superheated the air, and Wind mana directed it, what would happen if I combined them not sequentially, but simultaneously?
I stood in the training yard, a practice spear in hand. I focused, drawing on both affinities. I didn't cast a fire spell and then a wind spell. I willed the mana to become something more. A spark of crimson lightning crackled at the tip of my spear. It wasn't true lightning—that was a different affinity altogether—but it was a true imitation. A fusion of Fire's transformative fury and Wind's impossible speed that simulated lightning to a high degree.
"Divining Flame: Ember Flash!"
I thrust the spear forward. A jagged line of red-and-orange energy, sizzling with heat and moving with the speed of a thought, lanced across the yard. It didn't travel; it appeared at the target dummy fifty feet away. There was no explosion, only a silent, instantaneous hole bored through the reinforced training construct, the edges glowing molten orange.
Goodsky, who had been observing from a balcony, was silent for a long moment. "A attack that mimcs lightening power while keeping winds speed though the use of combustion and high wind movement," she finally said, her voice soft with awe. "Born of Fire and Wind. I have never seen anything like it quite intresting."
My core and heart were not idle during this time. The [Refinement Authority] became my most potent tool for cultivation. Every night, I would use it on myself, on my own mana pathways. It was an agonizing process, like using a metaphysical file to sand away the microscopic imperfections in my channels, compressing and purifying the mana within my core. My black Orbit Core began to brighten, shifting until it stabilized at a vibrant, pulsing orange. The mana density within it had increased tenfold.
My Mana Heart, the secondary core I had created, underwent its own revolution. I didn't just add more circuits; I redesigned the entire architecture, inspired by the orbital rings of my primary core. I forged a single, brilliant ring that started at black now a red ring of mana that orbited the core of my Mana Heart, a stabilizer and amplifier that increased its efficiency by fifty percent currently. The plan for eight more rings, culminating in a perfect white stage, was ambitious, but the foundation was laid.
While my "level" in a conventional sense hadn't increased, the quality of my power had skyrocketed. My stats, a representation of my physical and metaphysical capabilities, saw dramatic improvements. My strength, agility, and intelligence all saw a roughly 70% increase from the relentless training and self-refinement. My defense, however, had doubled, a testament to the constant Mana Reinforcement and the refined durability of my Lunarian physiology.
Present Day - Age 8
The training session was a symphony of controlled chaos.
I stood in the center of the spell-shielded training hall, my practice spear a blur of motion. Three automated mana constructs, glowing orbs that shot low-grade elemental projectiles, zipped around me.
I didn't move from my spot. My feet were rooted, my body a pivot.
A gout of fire shot towards me. I didn't block it. I swept my spear in a wide arc, weaving a curtain of Wind mana that caught the fire, spun it, and refined it with a touch of my authority, hurling it back as a dozen concentrated fire needles that peppered the construct.
Another construct fired a spray of ice shards. I stomped my foot, and a wave of mana pulsed out, not as force, but as Sound. The specific frequency I emitted caused the ice shards to vibrate violently, shattering into harmless powder before they reached me.
The third construct charged me directly. I met its charge, my spear tip glowing with the red lightning of my Divining Flame. I didn't thrust. I tapped the construct. The Ember Flash didn't pierce; it discharged internally. The construct shuddered, its mana matrix overloading in a shower of harmless sparks before it deactivated and clattered to the floor.
I lowered my spear, my breathing even. The session was over.
Later that evening, over dinner, Goodsky broached the subject I knew was coming.
"The Silver fall Auction is in two days," she said, sipping her wine. "The most prestigious event of its kind on this continent. Nobles, guild leaders, and retired adventurers will be there, selling and buying artifacts, weapons ,armor and much more items ."
I looked at her, intrigued.
"You mentioned a few years back your desire to become an adventurer before attending xyrus academy," she continued. "I believe it is a sound plan. Theory and controlled practice can only take you so far. True power is forged in the crucible of real conflict. I intend to equip you properly for that journey."
My heart beat a little faster. The adventurer's life—the freedom, the challenges, the opportunities to gain System Points—it was all within reach.
"So," she said, a sly smile on her lips. "We are going shopping. Be prepared to see some of the most exotic, dangerous, and expensive items in the world. And be prepared to tell me exactly what calls to you ."
I nodded, a plan already forming in my mind. I needed a proper weapon, not a practice spear. I needed artifacts that could complement my unique abilities. And I needed materials. Materials I could [Refine].
As I retired to my room, I pulled up my Status Screen, a satisfied smile gracing my lips. The path was clear, and I was striding down it with ever-increasing speed.
[Updated Status Screen]
[Name]: Adam Goodsky (Kael Lunaris – Previous Life)
[Title(s)]: Reincarnated (S), Genius Prodigy (A), Cynthia Goodsky's Protégé (A), Orbit Core Pioneer (S)
[Mana Core]: Orbit Core (Orange Light Stage) / Advanced Mana Heart (1st Red Ring)
Traits:
Ancient Lunarian Physiology (SS+) – Significantly enhanced durability, latent flight, and innate fire manipulation. Strengthening with age and refinement.
Genius (EX) – Unparalleled proficiency in combat, magic, crafting, and theoretical application.
Soul Resonance (A) – (New) A heightened sensitivity to spiritual and soul-based energies, a side effect of advanced Soul Authority training and core refinement.
Stats:
Strength: 48 (+20)
Agility: 60 (+25)
Intelligence: 110 (+45)
Defense: 160 (+80)
Charisma: 38 (+5)
Luck: 55
Skills & Authorities:
Mana Manipulation (S-) – Masterful control over mana, allowing for complex spell-weaving and fine-tuned environmental control.
Soul Authority (S+ / Growth) – Can perceive, influence, and manipulate souls. Capable of minor soul healing and spiritual pressure application.
Shadow/Death Authority (???++ / Sealed) – Restrictions remain.
Refinement Authority (EX++) – Can refine objects, materials, and energy to their conceptual peak. Personal self-refinement is now a primary training method.
Spear Arts (S-) – Technically masterful but experiencing a period of stagnation. Lacks a defining, personal insight.
Dagger Arts (B++) – Highly proficient, effectively integrated with elemental magic for swift, devastating attacks.
Mana Reinforcement (A+) – Constant, subconscious enhancement, effectively doubling physical capabilities.
Elemental Magic (Fire: A, Wind: A, Sound: B+) – Proficient in individual and combined applications. Signature Technique: Divining Flame: Ember Flash.
System Functions:
[Shop] – Unlocked. (Balance: 0 SP)
[Inventory] – Unlocked.
[END OF CHAPTER]