Chapter 39 (mage mental fortitude)

A day later, at the Mental Strength

Sanctuary, a tall cylindrical building with

four floors and twenty rooms on each

buzzed with anticipation. Beneath this

building is a large crystal buried five

deep, known as the gravitational crystal.

The atmosphere became tense as

all the 69 students, all eager and bustling

with whispers, awaited the instructor in

charge. The door to the sanctuary

opened. After five minutes, Inspector

Gru stepped in, wearing a grey and white

suit. His right hand rested in his pocket,

and his footsteps were barely audible as

he glided towards the students. He

stopped in front of them, surveying the

group with a watchful gaze.

The sound of murmured, still lingering

in the air. Inspector Gru stepped forward,

clearing his throat. "Hi everyone. Please

give me your attention, as this is vital

information and I won't be repeating it.

He paused for the students to compose

themselves and focus. "Alright, before

we begin today's training, there are a few

things you need to know." He started his

explanation.

The sanctuary is designed with each

room having mana runes etched on its

floor. These runes are connected to a

large mana rune drawn above the

gravitational crystal buried beneath the

building. On the wall of each room,

there's a switch with two buttons.

Mage mental fortitude is categorised

into four stages.

First, 'Arcane Endurance.' This stage

mage can cast 1 circle to 4 circle spells

with not any strain on their mental

strength.

Nest, 'Mystic Resilience' allowing

Mages to cast 5 circle to 6 circle spells

without mental strain,

Ethereal Resolve. At the fortitude

stage, mages can handle 7 circle to 8

circle spells with ease.

And lastly, the highest stage, the

"Astral Tenacity, the current pinnacle of

mage fortitude, enables mages to cast 9

circle spells without difficulty.

The two buttons on each room wall

represent Arcane Endurance and Mystic

Resilience for mage mental strength

training. Inspector Gru, who, till

addressing the students, crossed his

index finger across his forehead, wiping

away sweat.

"Alright, that's all, but let me remind

you of something important," he said,

flipping his index finger towards the

students. "You can only use the Arcane

Endurance, and when you can't handle it

anymore, you can leave the vacuum

room. Don't be greedy, as overextending

could damage your fortitude, instead of

improving it, and the maximum time you

can spend is up to your limit, but I advise

you to leave the room after two weeks,

so you don't miss the academy market

day." A loud murmur rose from the

students, echoing like the hum of an

industrial machine at work.

They formed a single line as Inspector

Gru guided each student into the

vacuum room. Drake was assigned to

room 26 on the second floor, while Mark

went to room 18 on the ground floor.

Other students anxiously entered their

designated rooms.

They began their fortitude training,

following Inspector Gru's instructions.

They were all seated with their legs

crossed, clicking on the 'Arcane

Endurance' button, the runes etched on

the floors of their respective rooms,

activated. Instantly a powerful force

pulled them, subjecting them to intense

pressure.

Inside the 26 vacuum rooms, Drake

felt the pressure but only experienced a

third of what others endured. He decided

to use the 'Essence Sight Codex' to

monitor his body's condition. Additional

to the large sky blue mana ring was a

large burning red mana ring, revolving

around his heart, radiating heat, with

three smaller rings revolving inside it.

The two large mana rings are one with

water affinity and the other flame affinity,

orbiting powerfully around his heart,

driven by the vacuum room's pressure.

This not only enhanced Drake's

fortitude but also boosted his mana

assimilation and strengthened his

foundation.

After three days, students began

leaving the Mental Strength Sanctuary

as they reached their mental fortitude

training limit. Drake, however, felt the

pressure's impact only slightly. He

decided to increase the level of his

fortitude training. Determined to push

further, without hesitation, he pressed

the Mystic Resilience button. His body

got pulled down instantly, with a force

akin to a plane crash, the pain searing

through him like hundreds of scorpion

stings as his nose and eyes began to

bleed, but he resolved to endure it.

At this moment, the reverse crystal in

his heart started spinning clockwise,

reacting to the pressure and absorbing

the surrounding Mana. Both the large

Mana rings and the smaller ones nested

within them revolved from this impact.

A few minutes passed. Drake felt the

pull of unconsciousness, but resisted it,

forcing himself to endure the pain.

A week later, Drake's fortitude has

increased significantly. Each of the large

rings around his heart has gained an

additional minor mana ring, bringing the

total to four minor rings per large ring.

His mana core has now fully stabilised.

Even though the pressure has no

effect on his mana circulation system, he

decided to take the opportunity to study

the principles behind his body's

assimilation under immense pressure.

He noticed that unlike dragons, who

apply pressure on their hearts to create a

resonance between their two hearts.

The pressure in his case was applied

directly to the reverse crystal within his

heart. He continued experimenting with

different theories in order to develop a

suitable breathing technique.