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At six years old, a year after successfully forming his mana circuits, Judas sat in a meditative pose surrounded by a colorful aura.
"Come on, everything must be precise."
With his impeccable mana control, a swirling ball of mana formed inside his chest.
"Condense."
When everything seemed right, he clasped his hands together and a bright glow engulfed the room.
When he opened his eyes, he could feel the mana core embedded deep within his chest.
If mana circuits symbolized a trainee's first step to becoming a mage, then a mana core represented their official status.
The core acts like a heart or battery, generating and storing mana. It's the nexus where all mana circuits converge.
Forming a mana core would normally be a cause for celebration, but Judas simply frowned.
"Ninety-five percent density and less than three percent impurities," he muttered, shaking his head.
"Not enough."
With a wave of his hand, the mana core inside him slowly vanished into tiny motes of light.
"I'm aiming for absolute perfection. Anything less isn't good enough for me."
This had been his routine for over a year.
Judas was constantly creating and dispelling mana cores that didn't meet his standards.
In Estelon's world, a mana core with over 70% density and less than 10% impurities was the mark of a genius.
Achieving 90% density and less than 5% impurities earned the title of "genius among geniuses."
Even a 95% density and less than 3% impurities was enough to be considered the greatest genius of an entire generation.
"But why should I compare myself to those little brats?" he scoffed.
"If I can't surpass them by an overwhelming margin despite inheriting Estelon's memories, that would be embarrassing."
Like a man possessed, he spent most of his time in an endless cycle of creating and destroying mana cores.
One month later...
"Let's see, 97% density and less than 2% impurities... this is... garbage! Again!"
Two months later...
"98% density and less than 1% impurities... not enough!"
Three months later...
"99% density and less than 0.5% impurities... close, but no cigar!"
Four months later...
"99.5% density and less than 0.1% impurities... not bad, but not good enough."
At the five-month mark, he stopped making progress. Half a year later, he finally realized he had hit his limit.
"99.9% density and less than 0.01% impurities."
Assessing his mana core, Judas frowned in frustration.
"Is a perfect mana core actually impossible?"
There was no doubt his mana control had reached an extreme level, far surpassing even senior mages.
"According to Estelon's memories, only three people in history have had perfect mana cores," he recalled.
"The First Mage, the Legendary Hero, and then the Demon King."
He scrunched his face at the last name.
These were powerhouses who could stand against gods.
"How did they do it? Even Estelon failed... is this truly my limit?"
Judas racked his brain, ruffling his hair.
"Screw it. I've spent too much time on this. I'll see this through to the end, no matter how long it takes."
He spent another six months trying to obtain the perfect mana core.
At seven years old, Judas sat on his bed with bloodshot eyes, clearly exhausted.
"Again!"
Despite months of no progress, Judas remained persistent. It had become an obsession.
Three more months passed without a breakthrough.
"Are you kidding me? I beat all the Souls games and even Sekiro without getting hit... this is nothing compared to that!"
He continued for another three months.
In his latest attempt, he finally saw the way forward.
"Hahaha! This is it, finally... 99.99% density and absolute purity."
Wiping blood from his nose, he detected zero noise or chaotic mana, which could only mean he had achieved absolute purity.
"My efforts never betrayed me. Reaching 100% density is right around the corner."
Judas wanted to laugh out loud, but realizing it was the middle of the night, he didn't want to wake his parents.
"Calm down. You've got this."
Taking a deep breath, exhaustion finally took over, and he collapsed onto his pillow.
It was the best sleep he had in a long time.
Feeling invigorated, he continued for another six months.
Judas had grown taller, and while a bit of baby fat remained on his youthful face, those who saw him knew he would grow into a handsome man.
His room was no longer just a bedroom but a workshop, decorated with papers covered in magic circles and runes—knowledge he had gained from Estelon's memories.
But his focus was elsewhere.
Creating a standard mana core, once a long and arduous process, was now as simple as breathing.
He vaguely felt the breakthrough he was aiming for was within his reach.
The air around him vibrated, faint ripples spreading as his body trembled.
Deep within his chest, a whirlpool of raw mana spun faster and faster.
"Steady."
The first layer formed quickly, a pale mist in the cavity of his soul.
It was fragile, full of leaks—the kind most would settle for.
He clenched his teeth.
"Not enough. Denser. Tighter."
The core shrank. The pale fog became a translucent blue, mana knitting together with fewer gaps.
A more stable core.
A lesser mage would have stopped here.
Blood seeped from the corners of his eyes, and his ribs ached, as if something inside wanted to burst out. Still, he compressed.
The glow deepened, the blue sharpening into a crystal-like sheen.
The core began to refract light like a gem, every pulse of mana beating like a second heart.
A crystallized core.
It was near perfect, completely pure.
He exhaled shakily, his vision swimming.
Any more and the strain on his body and mana circuits would increase. But in that moment, he felt the edges of something more.
The mana within him fractured into prismatic shards, colors shimmering as though the world itself bent around him.
For an instant, his chest blazed with shifting hues—crimson, azure, emerald, violet, all blending in a dazzling spectrum.
The pressure nearly killed him. His body screamed, veins bulging, blood dripping from every pore.
Then... silence.
The light dimmed, leaving behind only a faint, radiant sphere pulsing at his center. Stable. Unyielding. Perfect.
He collapsed forward, coughing blood, yet a wild grin pulled at his lips.
"I did it!"
At eight years old, Judas became the fourth person in history to achieve a perfect mana core.
On this day, he could officially call himself a mage, a little monster quietly growing in a world that had no idea what was coming.