He was walking down stone stairs leading into the heart of the mountain. Deep in this place was Lanthim being brought for testing. The purpose he did not know was that his mother did not object to his going, so Lanthim kept walking. He followed the maid who was leading him now. The only light he could see was from torches lighting the way.

"How much further till we get to our location?" [Lanthim]

Lanthim could feel his little body struggling down this ungodly, unending flight of steps into the mountain's depths.

"Not much further, young master. We are just about to arrive."

The maid's answer was kind, but she kept pace, not stopping momentarily.

"Where is it we are going? That we would have to travel so far to get there?"

His feet hurt like mad, his legs even more. Truthfully, he had it more challenging than she because of his shortness and needed help to make the steps easily. Strange, this maid didn't just carry him; it might take less time. From the beginning, the situation looked to Lanthim as she had been instructed not to assist him.

"There is a pool in the heart of the mountain. It is here that your testing will take place."

Still keeping her pace ahead of him, she answered. As they continued, the stairs' end came into sight. A flat that on either side was a sheer drop into the dark depths of the mountain itself. A door on the other side of this flat surface could be seen. There stood two maids dressed differently than the one he had been following.

"I am here to present master Lanthim Fornost for testing."

The maid that had brought him announced his purpose. Even though he did not know what it meant, the other two looked at each other, slightly confused, when one of them spoke.

"Does he have permission from the mistress to enter?"

Neither looks that impressed with the idea of letting him through.

"I have the orders for his testing right here."

The maid who brought him bowed before the other two witches. Being as small as he was, the ledge became uncomfortable. Not too far from where he was standing, he preferred to be on the other side of the door than here—time passed by slowly while all the issues for entry were dealt with. Aside from the glances he was given when he entered, everything went well.

As they moved forward, he could sense something he had not in many months. Excitement filled him with the joy of feeling Natural mana again. However, he was stopped before entering the room with the most abundant mana.

"Young master, you can not enter that room before you have changed into the proper attire."

Stolen novel; please report.

It was not the maid that stopped him this time, but a woman dressed more like a witch. With long robes, she wore the crest of her clan on her left shoulder. They were expected of a witch who was not married. Being submissive was likely the best policy here. A person could never tell what a witch would do when provoked needlessly.

"I thank you. Where may I change?" [Lanthim]

Asking politely, he gave a bow and waited for instructions.

"This way, follow me."

So, like before, he was led away to a room with the proper clothing so he could change. It took less time than he had expected. Some sandals and a single-piece robe were all he needed. Closing the door behind him, the witch from before had waited for him to come out.

"You are prepared. I see that is good. Now we can proceed."

She quickly observed as they both walked back, stopping at the door.

"Whatever happens, do not forget yourself. When you are in the pool, the natural mana is in a dense state. What you are about to experience is not something many ever had the chance to survive."

This warning fell on Lanthim's tiny shoulders. There was a possibility of death doing this.

"I understand. I will make sure to be vigilant." [Lanthim]

Opening the door before them, they both entered a large cave. Within this cave sat a pool of water. There were also at least six other witches present. All of which were equally spaced around the pool.

"You may enter the pool. If anything happens, we will be here to assist you."

The one who spoke did not matter to Lanthim at that moment. All that mattered was the mana. It felt so relaxing to him, so cleansing. Slowly, he lowered himself into the pond. It was not all that deep, only up to his knees. He could feel the density increasing as he moved further into the center.

He could feel it entering his body and moving, purifying almost instantly. Then, immediately being drawn into the seals, however, the amount of natural mana. It was so great, even with this small amount of purified mana. He could do something about the smaller seals on his wrists.

The natural mana in the cave began to react to his purpose slowly. He would prod at the seals using the natural mana to try and find what it was that could break them. For thirty minutes, he stood in the pond probing, fiddling, and then saw what he wanted. The smaller seals acted like the large ones on his back. It was taking all purified mana and sealing it away. They also worked in reverse, allowing him to use a set amount of mana.

Since this was the case, he managed to overwhelm these smaller seals. With a massive amount of purified mana, they would likely disperse due to overload. Standing as still as possible, with both arms stretched out, he started his gamble.

Without warning, the entirety of natural mana in the cave began to circulate within Lanthim. He could feel the mana entering like an endless stream that would not stop. Over time, the amount being purified was such that it looked like his very being was glowing. Still, he could not break the seals. He needed more, much more. As time passed and his strength weakened, he could feel the seals buckling under the stress. He was no better off. The experience was taking a massive toll on his body.

"Young master, you must stop this madness. You will kill yourself if you don't stop."

He knew not who spoke. Only that their concern was genuine, but his course was set, and he would prevail. So, with one final massive pull, he drew every speck of natural mana into himself. Like a gigantic cocoon, it encased him. All the witches that were present looked at this with fear. Never before had this happened.

None knew what it meant or if the young master was okay. For four hours, they waited there standing, waiting for some sign. The looks they bore were of fear, for if he had died, then by some other hand, so would they. Suddenly, a sound like a great crack was heard from the cocoon as it fell apart, exposing little Lanthim within. He opened his eyes as if he had just woken from a dream and looked at his wrist. The seals were gone, well and truly gone.