Using my index finger to follow the words, I gained some interesting additional information, specifically on how mana reserves became a well-known and useful facet over the centuries. Engrossed in the book, I read aloud, highlighting key aspects:
"Long ago, during the early days of this world's civilization, mana itself was largely unknown and in a raw form. People who had mana weren't even aware they were using small bits of it to excel in certain areas, like fire resistance when touching heat an individual could place their hands on hot surfaces for extended periods of time. In other cases, individuals who excelled at swimming, a task that also required mana, demonstrated its use. Over time, the understanding and knowledge of mana developed and revolutionized its usage. Initially, mana wasn't culturally viewed as an everyday application but rather as a means of combat. Especially during wartime, individuals honed their skills and knowledge, and over time, it became a common strategy to always need to absorb mana to perform a move, task, or spell."The book then gave an example, which I read to Astraya. It used two specialist mages who both wanted to perform a grandmaster-level water magic spell called "Water Dragon Bite."
Mage A wants to perform the spell but isn't aware they can store mana within their core. They will constantly have to absorb mana from the outside to fuel their actions, creating a massive delay as they gather the required amount.
Mage B, on the other hand, has stored up mana and also absorbs it simultaneously, saving them all the delays needed to rebuild their reserves.
The book explained that it was during continuous battling that some mages realized mana could be stored and used from within the body. By simultaneously absorbing and using mana, they made the performance of spells, intentions, and other forms of mana manipulation and control much more seamless and faster.
I thought to myself that this was a problem I could relate to. Thinking about it, this was probably why the battery revolutionized electronic devices in my previous world. Always needing to charge before using a phone or gadget would have been hell. But I wondered, wouldn't this mean I could just absorb mana as fast as I used it for powerful attacks? I hoped this was where a "glitch," per se, could be.
That thought was immediately shot down in the next passage. It stated that the process of absorbing mana and recovering reserves is a slow and steady one. While simple tasks like eating and sleeping were known to aid in speeding up absorption, recovery was generally essential to replenish stored mana from the external environment. The art of "on-the-go" mana usage was noted as one of many lost techniques, and while it wasn't as effective as storing mana, one couldn't help but wonder what new information could have been gained from it.
Part 2
My attention drifted to my prior deductions about core types, just as we were about to read about dual-affinity cores. My sister then coughed, snapping me back to attention.
"Astraga, hello? Next one, please. You're spacing out a lot today, brother," she said.
It was clear to me that she wanted to know what was distracting me, and I knew she was likely thinking the same thing I was: shouldn't a dual-affinity core be considered among the best, or even better than a specialist?
"Once we read this, I'll finally decide which is best," she expressed. She then yawned slightly and stretched, as it was time for her power nap. "I wonder, Astraga, wouldn't that be the best core type? I mean, two is better than one, right?" she said aloud, confirming my own thoughts on the matter.
And honestly, it made sense. In many games I had played as a child, having more than one skill set saved you a lot. That thinking was sound: the more elements you could control, the more spells or manipulations you could cast. All you'd need was a large enough mana pool and enough training. Right?
I flipped to the next page and understood that this was further from the truth.
Staring at the pages, I watched as the afternoon light began to dim into a golden-orange hue and heard the birds chirping. Time had clearly passed us by, and before we knew it, and in a few hours Father would be back from his patrol.
The book explained how the absorption mechanism of mana worked, which was quite interesting. My father was very clear on this matter, giving a grounded explanation: In dual cores, mana attunement is divided. The core's absorption happens due to a phenomenon called "Mana Saturation." From what I could deduce, this was similar to a law of physics that explained how mana absorption in cores worked and functioned but they only could explain how it worked but unable to explain why it worked that way.
It stated that the Mana Saturation law implied there was a limit to how much elemental diversity a core could handle before its level of absorption and control started to decline. This gave me a straight answer: the core itself wasn't good at absorbing and storing multiple types of mana at their highest purity or proficiency.
Astraya, with her hand on her chin, was clearly following along as she began to understand why specialists received so much praise in the previous chapters. "So this means if any mana user finds themselves below dual affinity, they would definitely struggle?" she asked.
I used my best strategy for context, rereading the section on "Dual-Affinity" cores. As the name suggested, the individual's mana core was capable of absorbing two mana types. Placing my hands on my thighs, I stared at the contents of the passage, trying to understand why this shouldn't be considered better than a specialist core. In theory, it made sense: the more mana you could absorb, the better you were, provided you had a large enough mana pool to perform at advanced levels of both elements. Right?
I then read aloud, with a heavy tone, "Listen to this, Astraya."
"Dual-affinity cores can have elemental ratios such as 50/50, 60/40, and in rare cases, 70/30, depending on the individual's natural affinity and the environment they grew up in. While single-element users (specialists) can achieve 75–100% proficiency in their element, dualists can never reach the same peak in either of their elements."