It was so hard!
I could feel my blood vessels pulsating. Even the tiniest bit of error could prove fatal. Absorbing such dense energy was very risky and required the utmost level of concentration. It was fortunate that I was currently in a quiet location, else there would be no way to achieve such a degree of focus.
My little body struggled to contain the energy it received, sending it to my Mana Particles which were charged up and energized to an unfathomable degree. Quickly, I controlled the fast current of Mana Particles and guided them in the direction I wanted.
Where would my fifth core be? It had to be one of the most critical and overlooked parts of the body.
‘My back!’
Yes, that was the best spot for my newly forming Core. While offensive abilities were useful for Mages, defense was equally important. To achieve balance in my body, having a readily available Mana Core for defense was pertinent!
As I forcibly directed the torrents of mana to the center of my back, surges of pulsating energy enveloped me.
It grew more and more uncontrollable, but I didn’t relent. As the energy flower, I pushed it to the back.
‘No… it’s too much!’
Realizing that the distribution of energy was slower than my absorption rate, I needed to do something to balance things out.
There was no way to reduce the absorption rate since the mana was too dense and thick to be contained. It was like a busted pipe or a dam that was overflowing.
‘Should I cancel the whole process? No!’
I had come too far to turn back now! Time was meaningless for me since I had no idea what the clock said. My concentration was too deep to bother about my surroundings other than the mana that consumed my body.
There had to be some other method… something I could do to tame the power overwhelming me!
Suddenly an idea arrived, and while it would be difficult to execute, it boasted the most effective solution to my dilemma!
‘I didn’t think an opportunity like this would come so soon, but I guess it’s time!’
I was going to advance my White Mana Cores to a higher Grade!
Advancement required lots of Mana Particles, something I had in excess at the moment. Thanks to controlling the flow of Mana within me, I was redirecting all the particles to my forming Core. However, the energy was too much.
‘If I loosen my hold on the Mana Particles, some will naturally flow towards my other Mana Cores since they serve as Mana Magnets!’
Using this logic, I only controlled some aspects of my Mana Particles and allowed the others to move in the direction of my brain, heart, and spinal region—the nape of my neck.
Of course, I prevented any from touching my primary Mana Core since I had to ensure that it remained white no matter what! It proved difficult, but I was able to redirect any Mana Particles nearing my stomach region to my back.
“Huu…” Heavy breaths leaked out of my mouth as I could feel my body wet from perspiration.
‘No, focus!’
I was feeling it, the burden had lessened, now replaced by tingling sensations emanating from the various spots in my body where my Mana Cores were situated.
The Cores resonated with each other, giving me newfound strength and I could feel myself slowly acclimating.
‘This feeling… this is it! I’m doing it!
My back tingled as the swirling orb around it fully manifested, giving me a surge of excitement in return. I felt completely overwhelmed by the power that had just unfolded within me, but I controlled myself some more.
‘It’s not over yet! I have to continue advancing!’
It wasn’t greed, rather, it was efficiency.
I was probably never going to get a chance like this again! I had no idea how long had passed, but it was probably still within three hours or I would have been interrupted by now. Being able to make a Mana Core within such a short time was simply incredible, no, unbelievable!
But, it was a testament to the amount of effort and expert control over Mana that I had. I had been doing this since I was a baby, after all.
If I had some time left, it only made sense for me to take advantage of the surrounding Mana and promote my four Cores.
Looking at each of them through meditation, most of the Cores had reached a slight Yellow State, but it wasn’t enough. I needed more! My newly formed Core was still white too!
It would take more grueling work, but I was prepared!
*************************
“Huu, finally…” I opened my eyes to the beautiful sight before me.
Even though I had never left the Oasis, it felt like a strange land compared to the inner recesses of my body. It took a while for me to completely adjust to the change in environment, but I controlled my breathing and the tense spasms of my body.
My stuff neck made a cracking sound as I raised my head to check the time.
“2:41 PM, uh? Time is almost up…” I sighed a little.
My eyes looked around and I saw that I was the only one left in the Oasis. The balls of light that represented the Familiars had also ceased their dance and were lingering around, most likely waiting for their return to the pool.
There was little time left, too little to call a bunch of familiars, form a contract with just one, and leave the grounds. I was certain the staff who were most likely watching the whole thing from afar had already concluded that I would fail… well, Neron was probably an exception.
A wide grin formed on my face as I made up my mind. I didn’t have time to skin through the Familiars that would gather around me the moment I made a Call.
‘Instead of a Call, I should do something else… how about…’