It had been a week since the incident, and Victor had finally begun to sort through the mess of books. He still couldn't quite believe that he was inhabiting the body of someone named Victor Drakonis. His new reality was a jarring contrast to the familiar chaos of college. Though not by much…

Occasionally, memories associated with this body would emerge, but most were fragmented.

His status had also not changed, but he hoped to address that soon.

Name: Victor Drakonis

Stage: Mana Condensation

Cores:

* Mortal Core - Blank

* Spirit Core - Blank

* Earth Core - Blank

He was now the young lord of House Drakonis, a title that felt daunting as hell. In his previous life, Victor had struggled with leadership roles, preferring to stay in the background. Now, he was thrust into the heart of one of the four great houses of the Blackhorn Kingdom.

Victor's parents, in turn, were the youngest Dukes in the kingdom.

In ten short years, their newly established House Drakonis, quickly ascended to become one of the four great houses. Not only are they famous in the Blackhorn Kingdom, they’ve even earned a reputation beyond the borders.

But that was all ancient history. Three years ago, his parents went missing during the Noble’s War, and ever since then, House Drakonis had grown much weaker.

For a house that made their name for their martial prowess, this was a major blow to their power.

And, from what he had gathered, there’s currently a lot of dissent within House Drakonis itself. In the future, it might even break apart. He doubts he’ll be the young lord for much longer.

As for the acting head, she is the close door disciple of his parents and his fiancée.

Victor had many questions. There were so many questions that he wasn’t able to answer. But that was all that he had learned during these days from the covert information gathering, but he instructed Mr. Butler to provide regular updates to keep him better informed.

The letter was also put on hold until his memories returned. The situation with his fiancée surprised him, but he dismissed it as typical noble behavior.

Memories were slowly returning, so there was hope that mystery number three would solve itself.

However, there was one thing that he was very excited about.

Magic.

The starting book painted a vivid tapestry of people wielding fire from their hands and effortlessly demolishing mountains with a flick of their fingers—all powered by a mystical energy known as mana.

As he absorbed these tales of extraordinary prowess, Victor's thoughts raced with curiosity and excitement, eager to put these newfound theories to the test through rigorous experimentation.

A new world had opened in front of him, and he was dying at the thought of doing magic.

Other than the tales, there was also the basic method of controlling the mana.

However, there was two ways that was mentioned. Mostly the book detailed the first method of controlling Mana.

Harmonious Breath Mana Draw

The method is to meditate in the highly concentrated zone of mana, where you could try to activate your sixth sense.

Children with cultivation potential could easily perceive the mana using the first method. Their sixth sense is already half opened from birth, making it easier for them to cultivate.

The second was blocking all of the five senses. This method is for the body practitioners, but the academy books didn't go into details about those.

At least the house had the resources to provide a secluded place for him to practice.

Victor sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, books spread out around him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the ambient mana in the air. The instructions in the book were clear: relax, clear your mind, and feel the energy around you. A breathing technique that was easy to follow.

Simple enough if you are in a mana concentrated area.

He took another deep breath and tried again. This time, he caught a faint trace of a gentle breeze, barely noticeable but definitely there. Encouraged, he concentrated harder, trying to draw it towards him. Yet after hours of practice, he could only sense it like a gentle breeze of wind brushing past his body.

The second method was not very detailed, but he could speculate on how to enhance the perception of mana using sensory deprivation techniques.

He reached for a blindfold and earplugs he had prepared earlier. Combining the two methods will hopefully heighten one’s awareness of mana by blocking distractions from the physical senses.

With the blindfold securely in place and the earplugs muffling all sounds, Victor sat back down in a cross-legged position. The darkness behind the blindfold was absolute, and the silence created by the earplugs was profound. He could hear his own heartbeat and the rhythmic pattern of his breathing, creating a meditative atmosphere.

"Focus," he reminded himself once more. "Feel the mana."

He began to breathe slowly and deeply, allowing his body to relax completely. Without sight and sound, his mind started to stretch out, searching for the faint traces of mana he had felt earlier. It was a peculiar sensation, like reaching out with invisible tendrils, feeling for something just beyond the edge of perception.

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In the silence, the ambient mana became more apparent. It was a subtle, flowing energy, almost like a soft current in the air. Victor concentrated on this sensation, letting it wash over him, trying to attune his senses to its presence. He imagined the mana as a mist surrounding him, and he was a sponge, absorbing it into his very being.

As he continued to focus, he felt the mana starting to respond. It was as if the energy was drawn to his will, slowly but surely. The sensation grew stronger, more defined. It was no longer just a faint breeze; it was becoming a tangible force that he could feel enveloping his body.

The book had mentioned this stage as a critical point in mana sensing. Something he was aware of if he focused but would otherwise pass unnoticed.

Now that he could feel the mana more clearly, he needed to guide it. Victor visualized the mana flowing into him, circulating through his body, and gathering in his core. It was a delicate process, requiring both concentration and control.

He could distinguish the path it was taking: entering through his skin, moving through his meridians, and circulating within him. However, he realized with a growing sense of unease that there was no core he could perceive in his body.

With each breath, he imagined the mana being pulled inward, directed by his will. It was a slow and steady process, but with patience, he felt the energy accumulating within him. The more he practiced, the more natural it became. The hazy memories of this body's previous life started to clear slightly, and he began to understand the basics of mana control.

Instead, he needed to coax it gently, guiding the energy to follow its natural course while subtly directing it where he wanted. It was akin to navigating a river— using the natural currents to his advantage rather than fighting against them. However, there was no final destination.

Amidst his search for the core, fragments of Victor's memories began to emerge, clouding his thoughts and jarring his focus. The experience was disorienting, to say the least.

This unexpected revelation left him puzzled, yet it hinted that accessing the core might unlock his lost memory. This possibility fueled his determination, providing a new layer of motivation.

The books and memories that he sorted suggested that mana should gather in a core, typically located near the navel. But in his case, the mana seemed to diffuse throughout his body without forming a concentrated center. And new memories kept surfacing whenever he tried to reach the core.

It was both perplexing and concerning. But he had no idea how to overcome it.

Why can't I sense the cores?

He continued his practice, trying to guide the mana more purposefully. Despite the lack of a core, he could still feel the energy coursing through him. It flowed along pathways, responding to his will, but without a central focus, it felt incomplete.

After what felt like hours, Victor finally opened his eyes, removing the blindfold and earplugs. The room seemed brighter and more vibrant, as if his senses had been sharpened by the experience, but it soon returned to normal.

Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door broke his concentration. His eyes flew open, and the swirling mana around him vanished into thin air.

"Young lord," a familiar voice called from the other side of the door. "It's time for your daily report."

How Mr. Butler always managed to time his interruptions perfectly at the conclusion of his meditations remained an unsolved mystery. Victor sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "Coming."

With a final glance at the scattered books around him, Victor rose to his feet, the coolness of the polished stone floors creeping through the soles of his shoes.

The door opened, and Mr. Butler stepped aside, carrying a stack of papers. "I have the latest updates on the estate and the situation in the city."

"Alright, let's hear it in the office." The echoing sounds of their footsteps filled the corridor as they made their way towards the heart of the estate.

Upon entering the office, Victor was greeted by the familiar sight of the large oak desk that commanded the room. It was a fortress of order, strewn with scrolls and maps that delineated the sprawling estate and the bustling city.

He settled into his chair, the leather creaking under his weight, his attention now sharpened on the papers filled with updates.

As Mr. Butler began to read the report, Victor couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. House Drakonis's future was uncertain, and he didn't know where to even start.

The reports detailed the declining influence of their house, the growing dissent among the vassals, and the increasing pressure from rival houses.

Each piece of news was a reminder of the precarious position they were in. But the most pressing was the gradual decrease in their market share of Tiance Province.

"Young Master, the situation with House Xian has worsened," Mr. Butler continued, detailing the update on the issue he had heard for the past week. "Their forces are tightening their grip on our markets, and there are unsettling rumors that they may soon make a move to seize control of the northern shops."

Victor frowned. Nothing he could do about it. There were already others handling the issue, so he was only being a bystander.

But the most pressing was about the poison. "And the state of our estate?"

Mr. Butler hesitated, a slight tension creasing his usually composed features. "Apart from the recent poisoning incident, everything else appears to be stable. It is most likely that you were poisoned outside the estate during your daily activities."

Victor exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern on the desk's smooth surface, a sign of his underlying anxiety. "Ensure the servants understand that their loyalty will be recognized—and rewarded. We cannot afford internal threats."

The assurance that the recent attack might have originated from outside the estate was little comfort. Victor needed to solidify loyalty within his walls first and foremost, hoping to deter any collaborators who might be tempted to aid an external aggressor.

"Yes, Young Master," Mr. Butler replied, bowing slightly.

As Mr. Butler meticulously continued delivering the report, Victor's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to his earlier training session. The mystery of his missing mana core nagged at him, a puzzle he couldn't afford to solve amidst the pressing need for the memory.

After hearing about the shocking fact of him having a fiancée, mastering mana control was merely one facet of the intricate web he now found himself entangled in.

He needed to find a way to unify House Drakonis and strengthen its position. Otherwise, he couldn't enjoy his laid back life. The stability of the house is proportional to how much he could relax and relish his privileges.

Amid the fragments of memories he struggled to piece together, Victor found himself increasingly reliant on Mr. Butler's counsel. Still, he didn't know his name.

A week had passed since his arrival in this unfamiliar world, and each day brought new problems. He would at least have to maintain his previous state, or he would be exposed.

The mana technique book he had been studying was actually four years old, so he had four years of life to catch up on in a few weeks. Deciding to bite the bullet, it was time to ask Mr. Butler about the core. It was the answer to both his problem with magic power and his memories.

Victor straightened in his chair, his gaze meeting Mr. Butler as he ended the reports. "There's something I must understand," he began, his voice calm but insistent. "I've been attempting to sense my mana core, but I seem unable to locate it. What does this signify?"

Mr. Butler's expression shifted to one of confusion. "Young lord, don't you need Five Sense Sealing Pills to sense your core?"

Victor perked up at the mention of the Five Sense Sealing Pills, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Five Sense Sealing Pills. From the name, it may be related to the second method of sensing mana.

Leaning forward slightly, he decided to forgo asking about their effects. From the tone of Mr Butler, he should have used them before so there should be no detrimental effects. "Do we have any? And how effective are those?"

Mr. Butler cleared the reoprts, as he thought about it. "I believe we have a few in our household stores, Young Master. As for their duration, each pill typically provides sensory suppression for about an hour, ample time for you to sense and comprehend your mana core."

"Send one over after dinner." Maybe he would get all the memories tonight.