To form my own mana core and complete Stage One, I’ll need to gather mana from the environment and make it my own.

There are three main ways to absorb mana:

First, by breathing it in from the air.

Second, through the digestive system by ingesting mana-rich potions or foods.

And lastly, through skin absorption. However, this last method is so inefficient it barely makes a difference compared to the other two.

For now, my focus is on breathing correctly.

“Yes, just like that, keep going,” Eris encourages.

I focus on my breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly, deeply. Yet, not every breath captures mana. Mana doesn’t obey the usual laws of physics; it doesn’t flow from areas of high concentration to low concentration like regular air particles do. One can’t simply inhale it like dust.

Instead, mana is attracted by three specific factors:

One, Intent and Willpower: Mana is highly responsive to a person’s focused intent and will. When someone concentrates on drawing in mana, their mental energy creates a magnetic-like pull that attracts mana particles. Strong intent, visualization, and even emotional energy act as beacons, similar to how a magnet attracts metal filings.

Two, Resonant Energy: Mana particles are drawn to sources of energy that harmonize with their own frequency, including their own type. For instance, individuals with certain elemental affinities, like fire or water, naturally attract mana particles of those elements. This resonance is also why elemental mana stones form in areas rich in a particular element. As mana of the same type condenses, it crystallizes into magical stones.

And lastly, Mana Core Presence and Density: Mana cores act as natural attractors for mana particles, especially as they progress through the stages of growth. A stronger, denser mana core exerts a gravitational-like effect on surrounding mana, drawing it in even more effectively.

But… I don’t have a core yet. I don’t even know what my mana attribute is. So, for now, all I can rely on is pure willpower—intention, visualization, and mental command. It’s all about focusing my mind to bring my will into reality.

This is why meditation is so essential. In a meditative state, the mind is at its most powerful, allowing me, in theory, to gather as much mana as possible.

Thus, I take a deep breath, watching the twinkling mana particles around me, attempting to match my breathing to their gentle rhythm. I picture myself as a magnet, pulling in mana from the air around me.

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At first, there’s little response; only a faint trickle of mana makes its way toward me. But gradually… it begins to build. A single particle drifts toward me, then another, and another. Soon, ten more follow, then a hundred.

Before long, I can feel the mana in the entire room swirling around me, forming a vortex. With each breath, mana flows into my mouth and down into my lungs, a steady, glowing stream filling me with energy.

My body begins to warm up. A gentle heat spreads through my chest, my heart pounds louder, and I feel a rush of energy, a clarity and euphoria unlike anything I’ve ever known.

Then, suddenly, I feel it—the mana inside me is condensing, gathering together. In one powerful surge, an explosion of energy bursts within my chest, signaling the birth of something new, something powerful!

“I can’t believe it! You did it!” Eris exclaims.

“R-really?” I gasp.

“Yeah! Your mana core!”

Even though I can’t see it, I still can feel its presence deep within me.

My mana core! The size of a tiny fish egg or half a grain of rice!

And it only took me ten minutes, completely shattering the record Eris mentioned, which was two hours!

Now that I think about it, while I’d love to believe I’m some kind of prodigy, there’s likely another explanation for this…

My body.

Or, more precisely, this catgirl body.

“Eris, could it be… that I already knew how to use mana, and I’m just… remembering how?” I ask.

“Oh, right!” Eris’s eyes light up. “Hmmm… that could be possible. But if that’s the case, shouldn’t you have already had a mana core without needing to form one?”

Right…

If this catgirl body already knew how to use mana, then I should have already had a core and been able to use magic from the start.

But I had no such core. The mana core I just formed is the only one I have.

“Or… could it be that your mana core was destroyed before? That might explain the memory loss,” Eris suggests thoughtfully. “There’s something called the Mana-Soul Theory…”

“Mana… Soul… Theory?” I repeat.

“Yeah,” Eris nods. “There was this crazy mage who once proposed that the mana core is linked to the soul, and that the soul itself is like a collection of memories. But… does the soul really exist? Argh! I don’t know, it’s all just theories!”

Hmmm… The Mana-Soul Theory?

It’s unproven, but not entirely unreasonable.

While I made up the whole memory-loss story, it’s the only explanation I have right now for why I could form my mana core so quickly, shattering world records by a mile, despite trying for the first time.

And furthermore… I know souls absolutely exist.

After all… I’m a reincarnated soul, living in someone else’s body.

This makes me wonder… did the real Felicia, the original soul of this catgirl body, once exist? And if she did… where is her soul now?

“Yeah, forget it! It doesn’t make sense. I’ve never heard of anyone surviving with a destroyed mana core!” Eris mutters, waving off the thought. “But, Felicia, when you meditated, did you feel anything strange? Did any memories resurface?”

“Uhmm… No…” I reply.

“I see…” Eris says. “Anyway, let’s keep going. I want to see what your attribute is!”

“Right! My attribute!”

Even though my mana core is formed, the true color hasn’t revealed itself yet.

Thus, I continue drawing in mana particles from around me, feeling my newly formed mana core working like a tiny reactor, converting those particles into my own mana. Gradually, it begins to produce mana unique to me.

My very own attribute.

But then, Eris’s eyes suddenly widen, her expression shifting to shock.

“What… is that color?” she murmurs.

“Huh? Is… is something wrong with my mana core?” I ask, suddenly nervous.

“No, your mana core is fine. But… it’s just… this color… I’ve never seen anything like it before.”