As the dust settled, Alaric witnessed Rowan sprawled on the ground unconscious. His body was bloodied and wounded. For a moment, he was worried after seeing his condition.
Did I unleash too much power in the mana blast? He shook his head. No, it’s better that he suffered a major defeat here and learned from this experience than be unprepared when he joined a guild.
Alaric had simply intended for his friend to experience how it felt to be caught in an unexpected situation where the battle could take a complete 180-degree turn. However, he was also quite impressed with Rowan.
He realized Rowan was still adjusting to his new power-up after advancing to Tier 2 and integrating the new skills and abilities he had learned into his fighting style.
For instance, Rowan had been focused fully on practicing close-ranged melee combat all his life, but now he had to learn to master long-ranged elemental skills.
He would slowly refine his skills as a fighter, but for now, he would have to go through a period of adjustment, which meant unlearning a few fighting habits. It was likely the same case with Therin.
Alaric scanned his condition. His body was wracked with wounds, especially his legs which absorbed the brunt of the attacks. Almost half of his mana was drained from his core. Rowan really did a number on me. He chuckled.
If he didn’t possess the two evolved skills, Rowan would’ve won the fight. Despite the pain he endured, he was happy for the good fight.
Captain Aldric dashed into the ring and snapped his fingers. A green shimmer of energy enveloping the whole training ground flickered for a moment before vanishing. That must be the special restorative field.
The runic sigils etched into the ground surrounding the training field radiated an eerie green, and a wave of energy cascaded over everything.
Alaric’s vision wavered for a moment, and just like that, all the damage inflicted on the sparring ground was magically undone, as if it had never occurred.
A bubble of excitement burst into his chest. His whole body was healed fully, and his mana was replenished completely. However, a sense of weariness still clung to his mind and body.
Rowan awakened with no sign of damage on his body, but he still appeared drained.
Captain Aldric turned to him with a glare but eased into a smile and showed him a thumbs up. Phew! That’s one less thing I have to worry about. With that out of the way, he checked his notifications.
Skills:
[Zen Flow lvl 10 -> Zen Flow lvl 12]
[Mana Shield lvl 8 -> Mana Shield lvl 10]
[Mana Strengthening lvl 5 -> Mana Strengthening lvl 8]
[Mana Blast lvl 4 -> Mana Blast lvl 6]
[Mana Scrambling lvl 4 -> Mana Scrambling lvl 6]
Common skills could be leveled up to 10, while uncommon and rare skills could be leveled up to 15 and 25 respectively. Only after that would one get a choice to evolve them into a better version. So, he was thrilled to see that he had finally succeeded in evolving his first uncommon skill - Zen Flow - past level 10.
On rare occasions, a cultivator could instinctively acquire an evolved skill starting from uncommon and above if they possessed sufficient insight. That’s why Alaric was able to seamlessly attain two uncommon skills and one rare skill without undergoing the skill evolution process.
It was this requirement of acquiring sufficient insight into a skill that prevented Tier 1 cultivators from evolving common skills even when they leveled them up to max.
Alaric achieved significant progress, but what truly exhilarated him was the insight he gleaned from the fight.
Ding! Insight detected for the skill [Mana Solidification lvl 10] (Common). Skill evolution options available - Mana Hardening (uncommon), Mana Crystallization (uncommon), Mana Shaping (uncommon)
He dismissed the notification. It was crucial to research and analyze the available skill upgrade options before committing to any of them.
Alaric had obtained the insight after observing Rowan reinforcing his sand barrier. He had already contemplated a few ways to advance the skill, and the last bit of insight did the trick.
Additionally, he could feel a stirring in his soul, confirming he had already attained substantial insight into the three foundational skills.
Since his [Mana Manipulation] ability was maxed out, all he needed to do was dissolve it into the respective skills, and he would unlock a few skill upgrade options.
But he opted to wait until he acquired his last mana skill before proceeding with the plan. Before that, he resolved to evolve his [Vital Mana Flow] skill, which had already reached level 10.
Alaric released a sigh and strode over to his friend. He was excited to discuss the battle.
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***
Therin’s POV
Therin couldn’t fathom how the battle had completely shifted. One moment, Rowan was aggressively cornering Alaric, and victory seemed within his grasp. The next, Rowan lay sprawled on the ground unconscious while Alaric emerged victorious.
He had personally battled Rowan and his strength was no joke. In fact, Rowan’s final attack had reinforced that belief. Yet, somehow, Alaric managed to remain unhurt through it all.
Therin couldn’t discern exactly what transpired during the final moments. The dust and chaos obscured his vision.
However, he was certain there was no feasible way for Alaric to evade, withstand, or counter the attack. It was too overwhelming and encompassed a vast area. So, how did he do it?
Judging by Sir Baldwin's expression, he was thoroughly impressed with the fight. As were the other adults. They seemed to comprehend what had actually unfolded during the battle.
Therin knew Alaric possessed power beyond his age. He was the third strongest kid in the mansion. However, he had never considered him competition.
Only Rowan took that position. Now that Alaric had managed to defeat Rowan, he wasn’t sure what to think. It was extremely unlikely for Tier 1s to compete with Tier 2s, let alone defeat them.
Suddenly, he felt a ball of emotion well up in his chest. He clenched his fists and inhaled sharply, watching Alaric from afar as he conversed with Rowan and Captain Farrow.
No, I’m not scared of you. Therin glared. I’ll find out just how strong you are tomorrow during our match. Suddenly, Alaric locked eyes with Therin, and he felt the hairs on the back of his head prickle.
Therin had never felt this intimidated by any other kid, not even Rowan. Fortunately, Alaric made his way to his friends along with Rowan, leaving him to his own thoughts.
***
On The Solar Plexus Chakra Island’s Meditation Grounds
Alaric clenched his teeth as he struggled to absorb as much mana as possible into his mana core. Now that he had a liquid mana core, it was far denser. Thus, forcing more mana inside it demanded much greater effort.
Cycling the solar plexus chakra managed to ease the strain on his mind and accelerated the progress, but he was trying to push through to the next sub-stage of the mana core.
His two evolved skills consumed far more mana than he was comfortable with. And as he continued to evolve all of his skills, the demand on his mana core would only escalate.
There was no point in evolving skills if he was bottlenecked by the capacity of his mana core. That’s why he resolved to solve that problem as soon as possible. If only it were as easy as forming his mana core.
Unfortunately, forming a solid core would take a long time. However, there was another way to increase the capacity of one’s mana core — expanding it.
As he tried to absorb the ambient mana inside his core, it felt like somebody was drilling a hole into his body.
The boundary wall of his mana core stretched and expanded by a few millimeters every couple of minutes. However, as he persisted, the pain and torment intensified even further.
The strain on his mana core felt akin to the tension in the cheeks when one forcefully puffed them. Only it was far more excruciating and accompanied by a gut-wrenching agony.
The rate at which he was expanding his mana core could be considered quite fast, especially without a special resource. However, the main limitation when expanding the mana core size was the capacity to tolerate pain during a single session and for how long.
Sure, there were drugs and elixirs one could consume to numb the pain during their sessions. But prolonged use of such products wasn’t advisable in the long term since they often led to undesirable side effects.
Alaric refrained from cycling his sacral chakra to dull the pain since he wanted to fully experience the process. He wasn’t in any life-threatening danger now, so it made no sense to waste such a valuable resource.
Besides, anything could happen during a battle, and depending on the powers of his chakras for every minor challenge would ultimately weaken him.
And, the more pain he swallowed now, the purer the energy of the sacral chakra would become—energy he would harness at a later date when he truly needed it.
As the size of his mana core swelled, the amount of liquid mana it contained diminished in relation to the core’s size. At the end of his meditation session, he had successfully enlarged his core from the size of a small marble to that of a walnut.
About one-fourth of his now housed liquid mana while the rest held thick, foggy mana. It would take a while for his body to replenish the liquid mana inside his new core, but the primary objective was accomplished.
He checked his notifications.
Mana Core Stage: Liquid Core (Early -> Mid) - Clear Liquid
Alaric released a sigh. This is okay for now. He had a strong feeling that he would need a significant amount of mana for his fight with Therin tomorrow. Therin had yet to reveal all of his skills in his match with Rowan.
And he had undoubtedly kept his trump card hidden. However, Alaric was certain of one thing — Therin possessed formidable defensive techniques. He wasn’t sure if he could penetrate Therin’s defenses with ordinary mana bullets.
Alaric clenched his fists, and a smile crept over his face. He couldn’t wait to unleash his new mana core in the next match.
***
Alaric inhaled deeply as he stepped into the library. It felt great to be back. He quickly navigated to his destination and retrieved a book titled, ‘Popular Mana Skills and Their Evolutions.’
Hopefully, he would uncover descriptions of the skill options the system had presented to him within this book. As he flipped through the pages, he found all three skills listed.
Mana Hardening was the direct upgrade of the mana solidification skill. It was widely favored by healers and blacksmiths since it enabled them to forge denser mana constructs with greater efficiency.
Generally, this skill was best suited for creating long-term mana constructs, but it also required significantly more time to form such durable constructs. Thus, it provided durability at the expense of speed.
Mana Crystallization was preferred by warriors who wielded mana-based armaments such as swords, needles, lances, spears, and more — essentially, anything with a sharp edge. It sacrificed durability in favor of sharpness.
Hmm, perhaps I was offered this upgrade because I wielded a mana gauntlet lance and javelins. Alaric wondered whether Rowan had the same skill since he wielded an exceptionally sharp mana sword.
There were very few documented cases of individuals possessing the mana-shaping skill. It prioritized precision over durability and allowed cultivators to craft mana constructs with far greater detail.
Basically, it granted more flexibility when forming mana constructs, and Alaric was intrigued by that prospect. He enjoyed experimenting and devising new applications for skills, making mana shaping the most appealing option for him.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Mana Shaping] (Uncommon).
[Mana Shaping lvl 1]
Mana Shaping - You can mold mana into various forms, adjusting its density, flexibility, and potency at will. This allows for the creation of intricate constructs, from rigid weapons to pliable or fluid-like structures. Higher skill levels enhance precision, stability, and complexity, unlocking advanced applications in crafting, reinforcement, and spellwork.
Alaric used his newly evolved skill to mold a ball of mana on his palm. He immediately noticed the difference. The whole process felt more efficient and easier, but now, he could do something he hadn’t been able to before—he could generate flexible, physical mana constructs.