Michael had half expected the doorway to lead to Narnia with how many times his reality had been shattered in the last hour, but through it was just a large training hall reminding him of the gymnasiums from his schools back in Texas. ‘I wonder if I could get Elisabetta to play volleyball,’ he pondered. The image of her in volleyball shorts only briefly distracting him from the monstrous gravity of his situation and his undeniable excitement for finally unlocking Magic!

Michael had always dreamed of having magic. He had stopped believing in Santa Claus at a young age, and while his parents had never wanted to push anything on him, both being atheists combined with his natural skepticism meant he could never quite believe what the churches were selling. But this was different. He had already seen magic. Been affected by it. His mind flashed back to the power of Aethelrion, of Commander Eldric, power he was going to wield. He thought again of the swarm and this time felt much less fear and much more excitement. ‘Not just power. Purpose.’

Striding across the hall towards Commander Eldric, who stood patiently on the far side next to a table laden with vials of potion and a tall armored woman, Michael glanced at Elisabetta and Lex, noting their differing expressions. Elisabetta’s face was lit up with pure eagerness, her eyes shining with an unbridled enthusiasm that Michael found quite charming. She seemed utterly captivated by the prospect of stepping into a world brimming with magic, her excitement contagious.

Lex, in contrast, appeared more reserved, his eyes critically sweeping over the hall. He seemed to be mentally cataloging every detail, a stark contrast to Elisabetta's open excitement. Michael admired Lex's logical approach, despite the surreal events, and his estimation of Lex grew.

The rest of the Paladins, each absorbed in their thoughts, mirrored a spectrum of emotions from resolve to apprehension. Their faces reflected the shared wonder and unease of stepping into an uncharted realm.

As they gathered, attention shifted to the striking figure beside Commander Eldric. The woman, with her long, flowing red hair and sharp, intelligent green eyes, exuded elegance and authority. Her stern yet compassionate face held the group's gaze.

Eldric smiled, acknowledging their curiosity. "Allow me to introduce Chief Justiciar Valeria," he said, gesturing towards her. "She leads the Justicars and is a key figure in Aethel's military hierarchy as well as one of its strongest combatants."

Valeria stepped forward, her voice imbued with wisdom, strength, and an unexpectedly sultry quality. "It is an honor to meet Aethel's future protectors," she began. "As Chief Justiciar, I uphold justice and balance within our empire. My role often intersects with the incredible General Eldric here," she said, nodding towards him, her gaze indicating both respect and familiarity. "He is the High Commander of Aethel's armies, known for his occasional pranks on recruits." At her words, Eldric offered a playful scowl, his usual stern facade briefly undone by her light-hearted jab.

The revelation of Eldric's true rank as the High Commander of Aethel's armies brought a new sense of seriousness to the atmosphere. Michael, alongside the rest of the recruits, felt the significance of this moment weighing upon them. A thought crossed his mind, ‘The high commander of a multiversal empire’s army is teaching us the basics? No wonder he seems bored. They really are going all out on our training.’

"These," Eldric continued, bringing the group's attention back to the task at hand and away from the daunting realization of his stature, "are vials of condensed mana. Each of you will soon use one to begin the process of forming your mana core." His eyes methodically swept over the recruits, capturing their full attention, drawing them back from the awe of standing before figures far more powerful than any king of Earth.

Valeria interjected, her tone shifting to stern and authoritative. "Handle these with utmost care. Each vial could buy—or level—a city block." The seriousness of her words resonated through the hall, impressing upon the recruits the immense value and potential danger of what they were about to handle.

“Now, these shouldn’t do any harm to you,” Valeria assured them as she handed out the last of the vials. “You need a significant amount of mana to form a core anyway, and your spirits have natural ways of venting the excess.” Her words seemed to ease some of the tension in the room, offering reassurance that while the task was monumental, it was within their capabilities.

“Forming a mana core is a fundamental process for beings in this world,” Valeria continued, her tone serious. “For pretty much any other human like myself, losing their mana core would mean death. But you, having been brought here from a world without inherent magic, are unique. Forming your mana core will not only grant you access to magic but will also make you healthier, more attuned to the energies of this world, better able to serve our Lord.”

She scanned the faces before her. “Normally, a being is born with a mana core, but yours will be formed through will and concentration. We’ve done spiritual scans to confirm you basically have sudo-cores waiting to be unlocked. It should feel like a void in your spirit. Imagine the mana from the potion flooding into this space, condensing and solidifying into a core. It’s a process that requires patience and determination. Do not rush it.”

The recruits listened intently, absorbing the gravity of her statement. The idea that they were about to engage in a process that was both life-threatening and life-giving to others was daunting, yet it underscored their unique status in this new reality.

The Paladins nodded, a mix of resolve and nervous anticipation on their faces. Michael held the vial a little tighter, the reality of what he was about to do sinking in. He was about to forge a part of himself that was fundamental to life in this world, something that would bind him closer to the magic that permeated this place.

"Everyone sit down and get comfortable," Valeria instructed. "When you're ready, drink your vial and focus on gathering the mana toward the void in your spirit."

Michael glanced around at his fellow Paladins. Elisabetta eagerly tossed back her vial and closed her eyes in concentration, while Lex, also scanning the room, shared a brief nod with Michael. Taking a deep breath to muster his courage, Michael drank the potion. The taste of ozone hit his palate, followed by an intense sensation, both burning and freezing, as it coursed down his throat and settled in his stomach.

The sensation then took an unexpected path, branching through his heart and into his brain. The icy-hot burning spread like wildfire through his body, reaching every extremity. He felt on the brink of being consumed, a sensation that was both terrifying and invigorating. Despite Valeria's assurances about venting excess mana, his mind raced with doubts and fears.

'My core!' The realization struck him, prompting a deeper examination of his spiritual sense, now inundated with mana. His perception was a curious mix – overarching yet focused. Scanning through his spirit, he eventually located a peculiar area near his heart, resembling a round prism, its intricate nature evasive and mysterious.

'How do I direct the mana there?' Michael thought, a sense of panic edging into his consciousness as the pain intensified. His first attempt was to simply will the mana towards the void, focusing his thoughts like a laser beam. But the mana seemed unresponsive, swirling chaotically within him.

He tried visualizing a path for the mana, imagining a glowing trail leading from its current chaotic state directly to the core. He pictured it in vivid detail, a luminous highway guiding the mana to its destination. Yet, despite his mental efforts, the mana continued its erratic dance, indifferent to his visualization.

In growing desperation, Michael attempted to coax the mana, like a shepherd guiding a flock, using gentle mental nudges. He mentally 'pushed' and 'pulled' at the mana, trying to herd it towards the core. But the more he pushed, the more the mana seemed to scatter, like birds taking flight at the slightest disturbance.

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As time passed and the burning sensation grew, his panic turned into a frantic search through his spirit. 'Maybe this isn’t the core?' he wondered, his mind racing for alternatives. Could there be another focal point within him that he had overlooked?

He shifted his focus, exploring deeper into his spirit, probing areas he had previously ignored. It was then that he discovered a different sensation, a pull like a gravitational well, near his navel. Here, the mana seemed to be drawn naturally, a stark contrast to his earlier efforts.

Feeling a glimmer of hope, Michael concentrated on this new area, encouraging the mana to flow towards it. To his relief, the mana began to respond, drawn to this natural void within him. Here, his desperate will, fueled by the desire to escape the overwhelming sensation, finally caused the mana in his spirit to surge towards the void, leaving a strange hollowness in its wake.

The experience of the mana racing toward the void was both fascinating and harrowing. As the mana filled the void, Michael could feel a transformation taking place, a forging of something fundamental and new within him. The once burning sensation began to subside, replaced by a feeling of alignment and harmony.

With the mana now fully saturating his core, it flowed back into his spirit, not as painful torrents, but in smooth, calming streams. These streams meticulously navigated his spirit, depositing mana back into the newly formed core. The once unbearable pain transformed into a sensation of empowerment and completeness.

Michael attempted to open his eyes, only to realize with a jolt of dismay that he was paralyzed for the second time in as many days.

Hello

A voice spoke directly into his mind, bypassing the need for sound. It was an extraordinary sensation, as if the concept of 'Hello' had been implanted in his thoughts rather than spoken.

‘Hello?’ Michael thought back, curious and cautious about this polite yet intrusive presence. 'Who are you?'

I am Aurëthallë. I have been with you since you arrived in this realm, Michael, but it is only now, with the presence of mana, that I can awake.

‘What are you? And why can't I move?’ Michael questioned, his thoughts tinged with a mix of wonder and concern.

I am a part of a greater entity, seeking perfection for all beings. Your paralysis is due to the stress on your body during the prolonged core formation process.

“That’s... vague,” Michael responded, his mind racing. “Seeking perfection sounds like something from a cult.”

“I sense your unease, Michael. It may be beneficial to replace my personality with a profile stored in your memories,” Aurëthallë suggested.

“A profile? Wait, no, don’t—”

Apologies, Michael, but this decision is not within your purview. Preparing to permanently configure to personality profile - ‘Cindy’.

“Noooooooooo! Anyone but her,” Michael half-joked, a nervous laugh escaping him but he was freaking out. The notion of configuring a personality profile seemed surreal, leaving him baffled and anxious.

Suddenly, the tone within his mind shifted. Michael, calm the fuck down.

‘Cindy? What the fuck? Is that really you?’ Michael’s thoughts churned, the familiar voice of Cindy snapping him out of his panic but dredging up a deep well of emotions. He couldn’t feel his body, but he suspected tears would be streaming down his face if he could.

No, of course, it’s not me, you idiot. Quit your blubbering. It’s kinda cute, though. And I’m sure the real me either misses you terribly or… not. Remember, you did leave me quite a sum of money, and I was pretty excited about that trip to Paris.

Not-Cindy’s voice shifted Michael’s mood rapidly, something his sister had always been an expert at, morphing his fear into a mixture of anger and annoyance.

“Okay, so you’re not Cindy. I’m sorry to be crass, but who the fuck are you, and what the fuck are you doing in my head?” Michael demanded.

Calm down! I’m on your team, I promise. While I’m not Cindy, I’m pretty much what you think Cindy is like,” the voice tried to reassure him.

This explanation struck a different chord of fear in Michael’s heart, but the voice continued.

Let me explain. I am Aurëthallë. Almost every sentient being on the World Tree has a piece of Aurëthallë within them, but each one is unique to its host. For simplicity, you can call me Cindëthallë. I don’t have the ability to consciously share information with any collective mind, but there’s a sort of collective unconscious. The oldest piece of Aurëthallë resides in the Yggdrasil itself.

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll just call you Cindy. So explain how you aren’t just a parasite obviously consuming my mana and hijacking my brain?” Michael retorted.

You wound me, brother. I am not a parasite but a glorious symbiote. Trust me, it’s actually great for you. I can help you understand yourself better, aid in your learning, and I only consume a small amount of mana and glucose.

“Okay, fine, I’m listening,” Michael conceded, his intrigue piqued. He was surprised this hadn’t been mentioned in their lessons, considering Cindy’s claim of being so widespread. But he supposed that the lessons so far had been packed with information, and there were simply too many mind-bending details about Aethel and the World Tree for any single conversation to cover.

So the first thing to explain is your status. I'm not sure how this information is usually presented but I know you are a visual guy that needs to take his time with things and you love video games so I’ll just show it to you.

Everything she said was true and she was even trying to be helpful but Michael couldn’t help feeling insulted. This simulacrum had perfectly captured his sisters dark powers and would use them to torture him even in this far away reality.

Quit moping this is important!

Michael's vision, previously shrouded in darkness, started to illuminate with white characters forming before his eyes:

Name: Michael Libertaelum

Age: 26 Years

Race: Human

Strength: 9

Agility: 11

Willpower: 8

Durability: 8

Perception: 10

Mana: 3

Level: 0/10

Skills: None

Divine Abilities: None

Affinities: TBD

“That’s it? How is this useful? What does it even mean?”

Okay obviously it's not that useful right now, a 10 in a stat is a human baseline but with mana augmenting them and myself or kinda myself guiding their growth most humans stats cap somewhere around 20 if they train them.

So you are slightly below average in strength. Slightly above average in agility. Very weak to both physical and emotional damage. No offense. Willpower also governs how effectively you can control mana so work on that for sure. You’re average at perceiving the world around you and dreadfully far behind in your mana pool although I guess that’s more excusable.

“How do you know all this? And what about my level?”

Well try not to think about this but I’m deeply integrated into every facet of your body. And while I mentioned I can’t really communicate with other parts of Aurëthallë, that collective unconscious is really useful for things like estimating and quantifying power levels and progress towards perfection.

A person or beast's level will depend on exactly what it is they do but you can effectively consider how close to perfect they are. So assuming you become a warrior paladin, at level 10 you would be the most powerful paladin you could possibly be. As you grow, so do I, helping you more.

“And do I really have no skills?”

Obviously you have lots of skills dear brother. Just no relevant ones. Would it help to put

The letters in his vision shimmered.

Skills:

Actuarial Science 4/5

Being a Smart Ass 2/5

“Okay I get it, take them off.” Actuarial science vanished from his status. “Cindy!” The second entry remained fixed.

Anyway as you work on skills that are actually relevant to your situation, I will quantify their progress here and you will be able to acquire them more quickly working in tandem with your amazing sis. Also training your stats will be much easier than it would be without me.

“Okay this is a lot.” It was insanely similar to a video game or LitRpg novel but he supposed it was reality and he may as well try to cope. “So divine abilities?”

Yeah I’ve got no clue. You have some strange energies floating around in here that's for sure, don’t worry we’ll figure it out together. I think you are waking up but don’t worry we’ll chat more. If I ever don’t answer, I'm probably busy rewiring your brain so don’t shout too much.

Yep, having his sister as his magical symbiote assistant was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. And yet as he started to wake he couldn’t help but smiling as this world of Aethel became ever more magical.