Lindarion began to perceive everything around him on a microscopic level.
The tiny, restless movements of insects scurrying across the ground.
The soft chirping of birds. The whispering melody of the wind threaded through the trees.
It was a phenomenal sensation.
Then, his blood ignited. It surged through his veins like molten lava, bubbling violently inside him.
He bit down on his lip, stifling a scream, the metallic tang of blood filling his mouth.
'I have to… I can't give up.'
He pushed forward, piecing the core together in his mind like a puzzle—except the stakes were his very life.
The pain was beyond anything he had ever experienced. His head spun wildly, thoughts crashing into his mind like an unrelenting storm as he desperately tried to fit the fragments together.
Blood trickled from his ears. His nails dug deep into his palms. He stood at the precipice of his mental breaking point, convinced this was it.
But even then—he refused to yield.
[Warning: Host's life signs are weakening!]
Mana crackled violently as the core inside him took shape.
Then, golden strands of ethereal energy appeared around him, drawn to his struggle as if coming to his aid.
He shut his eyes, unable to see them, but he could feel them. They wrapped around him, weaving a cocoon of warmth, gradually easing the searing pain in his body.
The golden strands seeped into him, accelerating the formation of his Mana Core like a bolt of lightning, surrounding him in an ethereal glow.
The core began absorbing the golden threads—no, devouring them like a starving beast, pulling in the surrounding mana as well.
And then, all at once—something clicked.
Everything locked into place.
His eyes snapped open, and the world looked utterly transformed.
Tens of thousands of mana threads stretched around him, intertwining through the air like living currents.
'I did it… Unbelievable! I actually did it!'
He wanted to jump up, to shout in triumph—but his body refused to move. Exhaustion crashed down on him like a collapsing mountain, paralyzing him where he lay.
He had no idea how much time passed before the bleeding stopped, the pain faded, and the mana particles that once surrounded him slowly sank into his body.
Gingerly, he stretched out his limbs. He felt… lighter. Weightless, as if he were a feather caught in the wind.
Quest: The Beginning of Power - Completed!
??? → New Skill: Pure Mana Shield!
??? → New Skill: Mana Shot!
??? → New Skill: Accelerated Regeneration!
Bonus Reward: Mana Core Formation!(+10 Free Stat Points)
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully completed the quest and formed your Mana Core!]
"Finally." He exhaled deeply.
'Now, show me my status window.'
Mana Thread Manipulation (New!) Mana Sense (New!)
Accelerated Regeneration (New!) Mana Shot (New!) Pure Mana Shield (New!)
'Not bad… I'm finally getting stronger.'
He scanned through his stats, unable to hold back a chuckle at his newfound power.
'The blessing finally showed up. So, it must be a passive ability.'
'Yeah, I figured that out on my own.'
The system seemed mildly offended by his response. Lindarion couldn't help but laugh a little.
"All that meditation finally paid off."
He tilted his head back, gazing up at the clear blue sky. Flocks of birds chirped as they soared above the garden, unbothered by anything below.
Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground, gathering his strength.
"Time to test my new power!"
He looked around for the perfect target—
A tree! Standing perfectly still, just waiting to be struck.
He got into position, clenched his fist, and pulled his arm back. His stance was flawless.
"Let's see what I can do!"
He threw a punch at the tree… and—
Absolutely nothing happened.
Except for him screaming in pain.
"Ahhh! That was a terrible idea!"
He gritted his teeth, staring at his fist as blood slowly trickled from his bruised knuckles.
"Yeah… Fantastic idea, Lindarion…"
"Accelerated Regeneration!"
He shouted like a complete fool, only to watch the small wounds on his knuckles close up almost instantly.
[Host, you only need to think about the skill… You don't have to yell it out loud.]
The system sounded like it was holding back laughter. And honestly… he felt pretty damn embarrassed.
'You could have told me that earlier…'
[But then it wouldn't have been as fun.]
'You always say that. It's getting old, System.'
With an exasperated sigh, he dusted himself off and made his way back toward the palace.
Seraphine had been following the prince ever since he left the palace and entered the garden.
'Where is he rushing off to?'
Moving from shadow to shadow like a phantom, she concealed her presence with mana, ensuring she remained undetected.
Then, he suddenly stopped. Right at the stone circle. He sat down and… started meditating?
The next thing she saw nearly drained the color from her face. Her pupils dilated, and her blood boiled with excitement.
'A Mana Core! The prince is forming his Mana Core!'
She gritted her teeth and prayed he would succeed. If anything went wrong, he could suffer severe consequences—she had to be ready to step in at any moment.
She could feel it happening. His core was slowly taking shape… and then—out of nowhere—it accelerated.
And just like that, it was complete.
'Unbelievable… this little monster.'
She watched as he gathered his thoughts—thoughts she honestly didn't want to know at this point.
'Wait… what is he doing now?'
He walked up to a tree, took a perfect stance… and threw a punch.
To absolutely no one's surprise, nothing happened.
Seraphine had to physically stop herself from laughing as she watched him heal his bruised knuckles.
'Interesting. I need to report this to my lord.'
Silently, she melted back into the shadows, slipping away unseen as she made her way toward her master's office.