Chapter 33 - Spatial Rend.

(Arthur Leywin Pov)

The obsidian spike cleaved the earth as it manifested from a flicker of shadow beneath me making its way to my core at a thundering speed.

Before I could react to the miscalculation in the formation of the shadow, the spike had already reached me. It stabbed into my chest. However, instead of the bloody, squishy squelch of a projectile penetrating the skin, the sound of metal screeching and breaking filled the cave followed by a long, un-interrupted silence.

My primary core.

It had reached White Core before I started adventuring. However, dividing my core in the first place was not a good idea. Although, the core size doesn't increase with the passage of time as it just becomes more and more pure, dividing it into two separate parts didn't do much benefit.

In simple words; A core's volume is pre-determined. When a person awakens, the core fragments all around his body that are there from birth compact together to form a single sphere of mana core. However, this is a natural process and couldn't be manipulated unless someone had a mature brain. Someone like me---A Reincarnated person with memories intact.

Volume of a sphere was calculated using Curved Surface Area. It is the capacity of how much mana a core can hold once all impurities are gotten rid of. The volume of hollow sphere is equal to the volume of inner sphere subtracted from the volume of the outer sphere.

Hence, by dividing my core into two parts didn't make them integral but rather peripheral and troublesome.

In the end 1 core with a volume of 410.29 cm3 and Total Surface Area of 200.96 cm2 is the same as the other two cores are made from the same amount of mana fragments scattered throughout the whole body.

Making one core from 1 million particles and two cores from 500,000 particles each---in essence it all boiled down to once concrete conclusion.

I had messed up my core formation process.

Although, the multiple core formation was an exciting act as it could help in various ways but that was the least of my troubles. After white core body goes through changes. The core isn't confined to the sternum but rather the entiurety of human body changes to a core. Like becoming one with mana.

The fact that this could result in both of my cores being permenantly unusable held me back from aiming for integration stage.

However, after a year of adventuring in the Beast Glades and the final dungeon dive in which I received the three "cubes" from the crystals who referred themselves as the extinct race of "Djinn" one of the cubes had a very peculiar knowledge stored in them.

Aside from the "Spatial Rend" abilities that somehow integrated with Realmheart, I felt like my knowledge about the mana had increased itself.

Using my primary core as a regulator, I created a mana formula integrated after hours and hours of hard work that bypassed its natural process of compacting mana into a sphere but instead started to regulate it every time. It was like division of work. The secondary core which I had used to fully master the mana rotation gathered and provided mana not only for itself but rather the other core too and the primary core would gently supply mana all over the body every time.

At first it was a manual procedure but after a month, it started to happen automatically. A seed of magic formula that made it do its task was already embedded.

Like how a heart's natural function is to pump blood. The primary core had turned into a kind of "mana heart" as it pumped mana in all parts of body every time, subconsciously.

Another benefit from this was the meticulous expenditure of mana. When the roles were segregated, each core focused on its own task and the amount of mana used to augment the respective body part was just enough. There was not even a single drop of mana wasted more than what was required.

An efficient system of mana circulation.

"You really shouldn't have broken the limiter on my core." The words came out of my mouth like a strained whisper since I had to find another mana restriction artifact. I couldn't let the knowledge of my dual cores out especially when both of them were white.

"Don't bluff, pup, you'll soon di-, Huh?" His words were interrupted as he saw the pieces of artifact fall down with a clang.

"Told you." I replied as Uto looked up frantically.

The roof was awash with the glow of the crashing, pummeling boulders set on blue flames as Uto's grip on me loosened and he flew back, narrowly dodging the barrage of crushing flames before one of them hit him, burning the left half of his clothes away.

Uto made the next move, his obsidian spikes shooting towards me with incredible speed. I dodged to the side, the air around my whisteling from the sheer speed of spikes as more and mroe of them manifested now that the light that lit up the cave was gone replaced with the ocassional light from just our spells.

"Dawn." I soared towards him as Dawn landed in my hand, at the ready, and sliced through the air. Once again the mana materialised in the form of three claws made of wind mana and sliced at him, severing his left arm.

I could see the surprise in his eyes. He wasn't expecting to be beaten like this.

"YOU LESSER. HOW DARE YOU." He screamed, totally losing his sadistic nature and turned into a kid who's throwing a tantrum over a lost toy. Well in this case, it was a lost arm but its almost the same thing.

We circled each other in the air, waiting for the other to make a move. Uto's obsidian spikes were something I hadn't predicted, but I was confident in my ability to dodge them. I charged towards him again, my sword slashing through the air. Uto tried to counter, manifesting more spikes from the shadows.

Twisting my body and tightening my grip over Dawn, I let one of the metal harpoons whistle past me as I threw Dawn at Uto. The tendrils of our connection tightened as I felt Dawn drift away from me and make a wide arc around the cave, waiting for me to create a situation suitable enough for her to strike. I got closer and blocked a jab, delivering a swift kick to Uto's stomach. He doubled over, winded, and I took advantage of his momentary weakness to launch a barrage of punches.

I backed off for a moment, watching as Uto regained his composure. He looked up at me, his eyes narrowed, and I knew that he was going to try something desperate.

"Your sadistic nature seems to fuel your strength. Hey Uto, tell me," I asked as I took a step towards him, "Why do you seek strength."

"Heh," A sinister smirk formed on his face as he looked up at me, "I love it. Love it when they scream. Its music to me. I love it when you lessers squirm like insects, hoping you'd be spared. I love that despair in your eyes. And I will see that despair in your eyes too as I rip your family members limb by limb."

"Ohhh, that's all? A very useless reason it seems." I replied, knowing this was what he was going to reply with. His weapon was his pride that came from his lineage from Vritra. But if the sole source of his power was gone, he would lose it all.

"Realmheart." I whispered as Sylvia's draconic will manifested. A pair of extra runes appeared on my body as I had gained them after completeting the first relic. I saw an influx and outflux of huge amounts of mana from his horns.

So this was why he was so mad earlier.

Suddenly, Uto disappeared into the shadows. I looked around, trying to locate him, but he had vanished completely. I could feel the air around me growing colder, and I knew that Uto was preparing for another attack. Uto, with his dark cloak and sinister air, seemed to blend into the shadows . A series of razor-sharp spikes that formed from the shadows around him, glinted ominously in the dim light.

"You reek." I said, looking back and I felt the dark blue aura from my eyes lighten up the surroundings as I moved my neck to the side and dodged his attack. "You're bleeding. Sooner or later, you'll die slowly of blood loss."

"I WONT DIE. A LESSER LIKE YOU WOULD NEVER-"

"You talk a lot." I said gripping his hair and plunging my knee in his sternum. I could feel my blow's effect reaching all the way to his core as my hair and eyes started to change. My hair grew longer, whiter while my eyes transitioned between blue and amethyst before turning lavander.

Uto looked back and he paled.

There was something about the way he looked at me. Like my features were too recognizable.

He stood up once more and took his cloak off revealing a brutal amount of piercing and iron stubs that formed shadows inside his own body, helping him to form spikes even in sunlight.

"I might not win, but I will surely take you down with me." He spoke.

"Not so confident in putting a lesser in his place now?"

"You aren't one. But you will still die. And the fate of your beloved will not change. You have no idea what's coming for you." He said and I felt his core swell, mana compacting in it as the particles brushed against each other, forming a concerning amount of energy.

"Now." I said and like a missile, Dawn striked, penetrating Uto's sternum, cracking his core. He fell to his knees and whatever he was doing ended, as his core wasn't able to even contain the rapidly fleeting mana.

"I will be taking these." I said and placed my hands on his horns, breaking them in one swift moment. He tried to resist but all his attempts were like an infant trying to fight a mage. He was helpless.

'Master. I sense mages.'

'Papa. There are many mages coming. One of them is a Lance.'

I looked at Uto. He was slowly dying but my mana signature was all over the place. I couldn't let them investigate this place.

'Take Lance Alea out, Sylvie, and return to campus. I will be back once I am done with things here.'

'Ok, papa, take care.'

'Dawn, cut of the paths for the lance. I will take care of the dungeon.'

'But, master, we can't really destroy the whole dungeon. Its impossible to hide it.'

I looked at Dawn who was levitating in front of me, "I can't?" I asked out loud.

Letting Realmheart still active, I reached for my new power.

Pointing at the roof, I reached for the purple motes that powered this spell. The tip of my finger started to glow, and an amethyst mist formed around it.

Forming an "X" on the roof, I muttered, "Spatial Rend."

As the X continued to grow in size, the air around it crackled with energy, and the ground shook beneath my feet. The walls of the dungeon began to crumble and collapse, and the debris was pulled towards the center of the X, disappearing into the void that was opening up.

The purple motes that were clinging to the X started to glow brighter and brighter, casting an eerie light across the room. I could feel the power emanating from the X, and it filled me with a sense of dread.

The X that I formed was consuming everything in its path, leaving behind nothing but empty space. It was like a black hole, devouring everything in its vicinity, and I knew that if I didn't act quickly, I would be swallowed up too.

Before it could reach me, I grabbed Dawn and got out of there. Phasing out of Realmheart, the backlash finally hit me as I groveled to the ground.

'Papa, I am coming.'

The spatial rend ended, leaving a gaping hole in my core, as it was half depleted.

"Let's save it for a more desperate moment." I murmured to myself before sheathing Dawn and flying back to the school. I had to go back home tomorrow before the official dive into the Dire Tombs. But it seems like it will be cancelled. I hope I can still go back home.

"After destroying a whole dungeon. you're thinking about your mom's cakes?" Sylvie asked, catching up.

"I mean... they're good." I replied as I felt Sylvie sigh.

What did I do this time?

(*****)

Basically a space tear like the one below.

Also Lemme know the mistakes. I am going to disappear for a while now. Will update the COTE x Tensura fic tho.