Aaron growled in frustration, watching as his core continued to collapse. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he forcefully pushed more mana into his center, refusing to give up. Taking steady breaths, he searched inward for anything he could think of to help.

He could see a raging storm of ambient mana swirling into his body, funneled to his center, and swallowed by the ominous eye of the spinning vortex. Peering closer, the mana streaming into the storm began to appear like strings that were being stretched.

Concentrating, he noticed one stream stand out from the rest, seeming to vibrate in his vision as if resonating with him in some way. Following his intuition, he connected mind, body, and soul, much like in his martial exercises, and reached forward, attempting to grasp the streams of mana.

Aaron’s heart raced when they reacted but fell again when they vanished into wisps of essence. They weren’t something tangible, or even really strings, and couldn't be handled in such a way. There was a familiarity, however, to the fading mana, and he knew deep down that it was the mana spilling from the Mother Tree, which is why it resonated with him so deeply.

Attempting to activate [Domination], while still connected in a state of trinity, he reached forward again ever so gently, almost losing focus when the skill activated. Being a part of his bloodline, it took little if any mana, as he had hoped, but it was a wild gamble. Pulling gently, he felt the mana in his surroundings react, and a single thread began to form.

Elated, he pulled at yet more strings and nimbly began braiding them, feeding them into the vortex. Ever since his deadly encounter trying to string a bow, Nara had made him practice the art of making ropes and baskets with the community. She said the braid represented unity with both oneself and the world.

One thread for each: the mind, body, and soul. A thread for oneself, one’s family or friends, and a thread for the world they shared. Aaron had been thrilled with what she taught him because it matched his own belief in their connectedness.

‘This had better work’ Aaron prayed, hoping he hadn’t already gone too far.

He looked inward and saw the braids wrapping around each other as they were pulled into his center. Feeding yet more braids, they began to pick up Runes, binding them in their folds as they formed a single large braid resembling a rope. It began wrapping around the eye of the vortex, slowly interconnecting, forming a large knot of braided mana.

As the twisted knot covered the last vestige of the vortex, a ripple shot through his body, spreading outward. Aaron reeled, struggling to stay conscious, his breath coming in gasps as Runes appeared in his vision.

[Unique Core Formed] Braided Core "A Core Formed from Braided Mana"

Aaron tried to roar in triumph but passed out with a groan, waking sometime later lying upon his rock. His body was stiff and roared in protest, as he sat up, noticing Cornelius standing to the side.

“They found you snoring at the bottom of a crater,” Cornelius explained.

"How long was I out?" Aaron groaned as he rose, working the stiffness from his limbs.

"A few days," Cornelius answered, looking over Aaron closely.

'No wonder I feel like crap,' Aaron grumbled silently.

“I can see that you were successful.” Cornelius pressed, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

Aaron smiled wide, feeling the mana now spilling from his center. He could feel his core’s reserves had grown significantly, but it was the purity of the mana that took his breath away the most. Though he was excited, he was also still shaken by what he had experienced.

“It was dangerous, brother,” Aaron replied, looking at Cornelius with worry. “I almost messed this one up,” he sighed, remembering the feeling of his core being torn apart. “The process forcefully collapsed my core, and a new one had to be formed.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Form a new core?” Cornelius scoffed, his brows furrowed, as he processed Aaron’s words. “There must be a better way. It shouldn’t be such a difficult task,” he furthered before pacing, mumbling to himself in thought.

Aaron shrugged. “I’m as new to this as you are.”

“How did you do it?” Cornelius asked, coming to a stop.

Aaron explained what he had done and the troubles he had faced as Cornelius continued to pace. His brother’s scowl showed how worried he was, as they couldn’t all do something so dangerous and hope to succeed.

“Regardless of the methods used, our Insights should show us a way,” Aaron reasoned. “They are a part of our inner selves. What better way to build upon our cores than to use our very nature?”

“I agree… but how many will fail?” Cornelius asked. “It shouldn’t be this difficult,” he swore, clearly annoyed.

The humans had honed their methods over generations, and wild beast cores formed naturally over time. They were too new to the world and were still unsure of so many things that could only come with time or trial and error.

“You’re the genius,” Aaron chuckled but fell silent when his brother glared back. “Your guess is as good, if not better than mine,” he continued, ignoring his brother's frustration.

“I need to discuss this with the others. Maybe someone can find a better path,” Cornelius replied sullenly as he turned to leave.

Aaron sighed, watching his brother leave the cave, still lost in thought. He had no way to help further as his method was extremely dangerous, and he wasn’t so sure it was the best way. He walked to a small shelf sitting to the side of his cave and picked up the training manual he was working on, smiling at the cover.

The Way

of

The Firstling

Aaron Firstborn

He was still working on his first manual and felt it could help some of his siblings prepare and train. He wanted to share his methods of reaching a baseline with those wishing to further their training with the blade. It was only one of many ways, but he felt it could be useful.

Plus, it was great because he wrote it.

Aaron was surprised to find that when he signed the book, it had affected his soul. He opened his Gift looking over the new set of Runes beside his name.

Name: Aaron Firstborn Race: Firstling Class: Prince (E) Core: Braided Core (U) Blessings: Firstborn Titles: -- Insights: Integration (Middle) Authority: -- Attributes: Bonded - Mother’s Will - Golden Sight Skills: Deadly Hands - Deadly Strike - Dance of Death

Dismissing the Runes, he left the cave, heading to the training area. He was still amazed at how well the entire settlement was coming together. The sun was just beginning to rise, mixing with the glow from the Mother Tree giving it a surreal atmosphere. Combined with spiraling terraces, it left a scene that moved his heart.

Coming to the training area, Aaron noticed some of his siblings sparing but ignored them, taking a separate area for himself. He sat cross-legged in meditation, slowly going over the changes to his core. He was thrilled by the sight of what was nestling in his center.

His core was now a large knot, with Runes rippling as they weaved through its surface, bound by its threads. The golden aura billowing from its center was far deeper and flowed more easily. He circulated mana through his body, feeling his hair stand on end as energy rippled through his limbs. He reversed the flow and then began pushing and pulling in odd ways, marveling at how effortlessly it answered his call.

Aaron started circulating the mana around his center as he pondered something that had bothered him for a while now. Why could he manifest his mana through his projection while in his Soul Space but not with his soul? His soul should be connected to his body more intimately than his mind, he would think, but that wasn’t the case. Mind and body were naturally connected, but what was the body without the soul?

Why did his soul resist connecting to his core?

Aaron entered his Soul Space standing over his Soul Flame as he raised his projected hand, watching as golden sparks danced across his fingertips. It wasn’t just a projection, as he could feel the mana coursing through his body, reacting to his mind's calling.

But why not the soul?

His soul rose and stood before him, mimicking his actions but without the golden sparks. Aaron sat down and stared at his soul as it reflected his actions, staring back. Slowly, he pushed on his soul with his mind, but this time not to exercise but to exert his will.

Grunting from exertion, he eventually gave up, knowing that brute force wasn’t going to help. Exiting his Soul Space, he looked at his siblings, still sparing, as a fiendish smile spread across his face.

‘Time to have some fun!’ He chuckled, heading over to join them.