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.