“Huuuufff…”
Lucavion breathed out as he opened his eyes, the battlefield coming back into focus, feeling the cold, eerie mana swirling around him. He could sense it clearly now, the energy emanating from the lifeless bodies scattered across the battlefield.
It was a power he had never imagined himself capable of wielding, but now that he had discovered it, he felt an overwhelming urge to absorb every last bit of it.
‘If this is the power of my unique constitution, then it should mean no harm to me,’ he thought, reassuring himself as he prepared to harness the death mana.
Closing his eyes again, he began the process of circulating the mana within his body, drawing the cold energy toward him.
The death mana flowed like a dark mist, coiling around his form before seeping into his skin. It was a slow, deliberate process—Lucavion was careful not to rush, knowing that this was still uncharted territory for him.
As mana entered his body, he felt a strange sense of empowerment, a cold strength that seemed to bolster his physical and mental state.
It was different from the fiery energy of the [Serpent Flame Spear]—this was a power that felt ancient, almost primordial as if it carried the weight of countless deaths with it.
Lucavion focused on absorbing every bit of the death mana he could. He wasn’t going to let any of it go to waste. As he drew in more and more of the energy, he felt his strength returning, his wounds mending faster, and his mind sharpening. The man seemed to fuel him in a way that ordinary energy never could
But as he continued, Lucavion noticed something peculiar. The amount of mana he was absorbing wasn’t as much as he had anticipated.
Despite the number of bodies around him—twenty-nine in total—the death mana was not as abundant as it should have been. It was as if the energy had already begun to disperse, slipping away into the ether before he could claim it.
‘The more time that passes, the more the death mana disperses,’ he realized, a twinge of frustration creeping into his thoughts.
The longer he waited, the less he could absorb. It made sense now—the bodies he had slain earlier in the battle had already lost much of their death mana, leaving only faint traces behind.
‘That’s why the amount is way less for these twenty-nine dead bodies,’ he mused. ‘The ones I killed earlier had their mana dispersed… I need to act faster next time.’
The realization sharpened his focus. If he was going to harness this power effectively, he would need to absorb the death mana as soon as possible after the kill, before it had a chance to dissipate.
It was a race against time, one that added a new layer of urgency to every battle he fought.
Determined to make the most of what remained, Lucavion intensified his efforts, drawing in the last vestiges of death mana from the battlefield.
His body hummed with energy, the cold power settling into his core alongside the fire-attributed mana. The two energies didn’t blend, but they coexisted, each keeping the other in check.
Finally, when there was no more mana left to absorb, Lucavion opened his eyes. The battlefield was eerily quiet, the dead bodies now devoid of any lingering energy.
He felt stronger and more attuned to the strange power within him, but he also knew that this was only the beginning.
‘Even now, I am unable to use this energy within…..While stuffing it into my core is not bad, the technique is not even close to being complete. I am unable to draw the energy, which means, for the time being, that energy is useless.’
Lucavion understood the basics of mana cultivation, and he knew that it involved two distinct types of techniques.
The first was for mana accumulation, a process that required specific breathing techniques to draw in and store mana within the core.
The second was for drawing mana and using it effectively in combat or other applications. He had a handle on the former, at least when it came to the death mana, but the latter still eluded him.
‘I’ve figured out how to accumulate the death mana, but I haven’t figured out how to use it,’ he mused. ‘This energy is sitting there, potent but inert, and until I can find a way to draw it out and control it, it’s useless in a fight.’
It was a significant problem, one that couldn’t be ignored. He needed to address it sooner rather than later, but he also knew that now was not the time. His body and mind were both exhausted from the day’s events, and pushing himself further would only lead to mistakes.
Lucavion took a deep breath, deciding to set aside his concerns for now. There was no point in overthinking it at this moment. He needed to recover his strength and replenish his primary mana core—the one that still housed his familiar, starlight energy.
He turned his gaze upward, the night sky glittering with countless stars. The sight calmed him, reminding him of the vastness of the universe and the smallness of his current worries. With a final glance at the battlefield, he moved to a quiet spot and sat down, crossing his legs and settling into a meditative position.
‘One step at a time,’ he reminded himself, closing his eyes.
Lucavion began to focus on his breathing, drawing in the energy of the night sky through the [Devourer of Stars] technique.
This technique, taught to him by his master, was one he had used countless times to refill his mana reserves.
It allowed him to draw in the ambient mana from the environment, especially under the open sky, and channel it into his core.
As he meditated, he felt the familiar warmth of the neutral mana flowing into him, filling the spaces that had been depleted during the battle.
The energy was smooth and consistent, a stark contrast to the chaotic death mana that now lingered within him.
For a moment, he allowed himself to relax, letting the steady rhythm of the technique soothe his mind and body.
The stars above seemed to pulse in time with his breathing, their light flickering as if responding to his presence.
Lucavion felt his core gradually filling with energy. On the other core, the cold power of death and the fiery essence that he had accumulated were standing still.
The balance between these forces was delicate, but for now, it held.
He remained like that, drawing in the mana of the stars until his core was nearly full. The process was calming, giving him a sense of control amidst the uncertainty of his newfound abilities.
When he finally opened his eyes, the night had deepened, and the battlefield was bathed in the silver light of the moon. Lucavion felt refreshed, his mana core replenished, but the weight of the death mana still lingered in the back of his mind.
‘There’s still much to learn,’ he thought, standing up and stretching his limbs. ‘But for now, this will have to do. I’ll need to find a way to use that energy, to draw it out and control it like any other mana. But that’s a problem for another day.’
He began to walk away from the battlefield, his mind already turning towards what he needed to do right now.
‘I need a place to sleep and rest,’ he thought, the weariness from the long day of fighting starting to catch up with him.
This was the first thing he needed to do. In the wilderness, sleep was a luxury that could be hard to come by, especially with the constant threat of predators and other dangers.
But rest was essential, and Lucavion knew that he couldn’t push his body any further without risking serious consequences.
He reached into his spatial pouch, a small but invaluable tool that held a variety of items. With a quick flick of his wrist, he pulled out a map of the forest.
The parchment was worn and creased from frequent use, but the markings on it were still clear. Unfolding it, he scanned the map, looking for a suitable place to rest.
The forest was vast, filled with winding paths, dense thickets, and hidden dangers. Lucavion’s eyes moved over the familiar landmarks—streams, clearings—until they settled on a particular spot.
A small mark stood out from the rest.
‘A resting place,’ he looked at the notes on the corner of the map.
‘If you’re ever in need of shelter, look for the cave marked on the map. It may need a cleaning, but once cleaned, it will be hidden and secure. You’ll find it near the base of the hills, where the terrain starts to climb.’
There, the term ‘cleaning’ meant clearing the location from the possible monsters that could be inhabiting it.
‘Since it is not that deep, the monsters that could be inhabiting it should not be that strong.’
Lucavion’s gaze lingered on the mark, a tiny symbol of a cave nestled among the hills on the map. It wasn’t far from his current location, perhaps an hour’s walk if he kept a steady pace. The idea of a secure, sheltered spot to rest was too good to pass up, especially in his current state.
‘That’s where I’ll go,’ he decided, folding the map and slipping it back into his spatial pouch.
With his destination set, Lucavion adjusted his gear and set off in the direction of the cave.
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