"I told you not to call me master, and I can do without the sarcasm too."

I re-enter my meditation before Ruby can respond and turn my focus to the mana within the ice. After a bit of study I can tell there are two different types of mana and they are fighting. One is trying to keep the demon locked in which means the other is the demon's mana, if it can use mana this is going to be an even harder fight than I thought.

The problem is the mana is all in constant motion, there is no set structure for me to take apart. The only thing I can think of is to try to absorb the mana a chunk at a time until it weakens enough for the ice to break. I just have to figure out what to do with all that mana so it doesn't make my head explode or something.

Well first, I should probably empty my mana so I have room to absorb some of what I take from the ice. Maybe now is a good time to finally finish working on my mana veins, I've been meaning to for a while now.

So I turn my focus inward and take a look at my body, right now my mana veins just go every which way with no structure at all. After what I have learned from enchanting weapons I need to redo most of it so it is more like a tree sprouting from my core, with big branches to areas and then little branches off those.

I quickly get to work, what I wasn't expecting is how much it hurts to remove the old veins. I power through the pain and work until my mana hits zero, then I switch focus to the ice and reach in and grab a small chuck and pull it into my body.

The mana tries to resist me but my will proves to be stronger. As soon as the mana enters my body pain shoots throughout my being.

Core Upgrade Progress: 6%

'Ow! That hurts!'

I quickly burn off some mana by adding to my mana veins, after a while the pain stops. What just happened? When I pulled the mana in about ten percent of it disappeared and somehow my core upgrade improved?

But I didn't feel the mana go into my core, and why would mana going into my core improve it? I wake myself from meditation and look around, I spot Ruby off to the side practicing with her swords.

"Did you just get a rush of mana from me?"

Ruby stops and says "No, I didn't feel anything. Why?"

"Some of the mana I pulled from the ice vanished and I am trying to figure out why."

Ruby says "Well, I do know your sword is glowing."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I quickly draw Blitz and take a look, sure enough the blade is glowing. So the sword absorbed some of the mana I took? I drop back into meditation and take a close look at Blitz's core, sure enough there is a slight improvement. So the sword's core can upgrade too, that is interesting.

"Is it normal for a weapon's core to be able to upgrade?"

Ruby laughs and says "A weapon having a core isn't normal at all. How should I know what it can do?"

"Okay, you have a point. But as my familiar, I should be able to channel mana to you right?"

Ruby says "Yes, it should be possible. Why?"

"I want you to burn off all your mana then, when I next take a chunk from the ice I want to channel some into you so I don't overfill."

Ruby says "Alright. What do you want me to do?"

"Just throw fireballs at the ice until you are out of mana, then come sit over here and hold my hand."

Ruby smiles and says "Sure!" then proceeds to throw five fireballs at the ice.

Ruby comes over and sits very close next to me and takes my hand in both of hers. It takes me a minute to fight off the distraction and enter my meditation. Once I can focus I grab another chunk of mana and fight it free, the pain when I absorb it is a lot less with Ruby to take the overflow. I burn the mana by adding to my mana veins and then grab another chunk, I repeat this process three more times.

Core Upgrade Progress: 9%

*DING*

Congratulations! An ability has leveled up!

Magic Body

Level: 2

All Stats +10 HP +10/Hour

*DING*

Congratulations! An ability has evolved!

For having Endurance over 100 Superior Endurance has evolved into Supreme Endurance!

Base HP increases from 250 to 500.

With that my mana veins are complete! I stop and exit my meditation and look at Ruby.

"How are you feeling?"

Ruby says "Pretty tired to be honest."

"Yeah, me too. Let's get some rest and continue tomorrow."

Ruby says "Okay, but at least we are making progress."

"Huh?"

Ruby points at the ice, after looking for a minute I notice it, a small trickle of water. The ice has started to melt.

Ruby returns to the amulet to rest and I make the long trip back to camp to eat and sleep. I return the next day after breakfast, but before I summon Ruby I think about what else I can do with all this mana now that my veins are complete. I can work on upgrading my core, but I could also do some enchanting.

The problem is I don't really have anything I can enchant, my armor isn't high enough quality and I don't have any more Armatite to make anything. So I guess working on my core is my only option. With that decided I wake up Ruby and she quickly joins me sitting in front of the ice.

"Alright. Same thing as before."

Ruby says "Yes, master." and takes my hand in hers.

I enter my meditative state and look out at the ice from the inner world. I grab a chunk of mana and force it to cross over into my body, I channel what I can't handle to Ruby and then I start working on my core with the rest.

Core Upgrade Progress: 10% MP +100

'A hundred more mana? That is a nice bonus!'

So if I fully upgrade my core I get at least a thousand more mana? I could become a decent mage at that point. I stop woolgathering and grab another chunk of mana and repeat the process, after four more times I hit fifteen percent.

Core Upgrade Progress: 15%

Everything is going great, the ice is weakening, and I am improving my core. Then I make a mistake, I don't pay enough attention when I am grabbing mana, and I pull a chunk of the demon's mana into my body.