Mana core

Brrrrrr…

The noise from her stomach cut

through her thoughts like a rude reminder of her mortality.

Aria groaned softly. "Right.

Food." She frowned, realizing her body hadn't consumed anything substantial

since the night before. From the fragmented memories of this body's former

owner, the only sustenance she received was some vile, bland soup—so tasteless

that the former host often chose starvation over consuming it.

She shifted her gaze to the

holographic stats still glowing before her.

Unused Stats: 20.

"Alright," she muttered, her

mind already calculating. "If I'm going to survive out here, I need to be

stronger and faster. Stamina too… I can't collapse mid-fight again."

With a decisive nod, she

allocated the points:

Strength: +10

Agility: +5

Stamina: +5

Her updated stats appeared

before her:

[Stats]

Strength: 23

Agility: 18

Willpower: 15

Stamina: 14

Aria clenched her fists, feeling

the subtle change in her body. Muscles tensed and strengthened, her breathing

steadied, and a faint pulse of vitality coursed through her veins.

"Much better," she whispered,

though the gnawing hunger still persisted. Her body still ached from the final

battle, But it wasn't enough to stop her from sitting upright. As she moved, a

faint glow caught her eye. It was coming from the leader's corpse—the one she

had barely managed to kill.

Curiosity outweighed her exhaustion, and she began crawling

toward the body. Every movement sent a dull throb through her limbs, but the

soft light emanating from the corpse was too intriguing to ignore.

"System, what is that?" she asked, her gaze fixed on a

white, glowing orb. The light wasn't blinding, just a gentle radiance that

seemed almost otherworldly.

{That is the mana core left behind by the host whose life

you took,} the system replied in its usual detached tone.

"A mana core?" Aria whispered, staring at the small,

palm-sized orb. Its glow was mesmerizing, and as her hand reached out toward

it, she felt a strange pull—an irresistible temptation to touch it.

{Just grab it if you want to,} the system said flatly.

"You're not the boss of me," Aria muttered, puffing her

cheeks in defiance, though her fingers betrayed her words by darting forward

with speed.

Her hands closed around the orb delicately, as though it

might shatter if she wasn't careful. The warmth radiating from it spread

through her palm, almost comforting. She turned it over, studying its surface,

smooth and flawless like polished crystal. Marveling at its beauty. But unlike

her own green core, this one shone with a pure white glow.

{People consume these cores when they want to grow

stronger,} the system stated.

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean, consume?"

If the system could sigh, it probably would've. {There are

various ways to strengthen your mana core, and this is one of them. Let me

explain. First, there's the method you used last night—drawing mana from your

environment and filtering out impurities. This is natural but slow.}

The orb's glow seemed to pulse in her hand as the system

continued.

{Second, you can consume the mana core of another human or

animal that is your affinity. Doing so directly enhances your own core, causing

it to grow stronger and sometimes even double in size, depending on the

strength of the core you consume.}

Aria tilted her head, her fingers tightening slightly around

the orb. "So… swallowing this will make me stronger?"

{Not this particular core, it's not of nature affinity,

consumption means death. But you should note, your affinity gives you an

advantage when gathering mana from the environment. In areas rich in nature,

like forests or fields, mana flows to you with ease. However, if you were in a

desert, an ocean, or near a volcanic region, mana would not respond so readily.

Your affinity is tied to your environment.}

"So why is this core different from mine? If I remember

correctly, mine was green and dark green," Aria asked, her eyes lingering on

the orb in her hand.

{He was only able to develop a single core,} the system

explained. {In this world, magic is categorized into two parts: elemental power

and conceptual power.}

The system continued Its monotone explanation.

{Elemental cores are classified as follows:

Red core: Fire affinity

Blue core: Water affinity

Brown core: Earth affinity

White core: Air affinity

Yellow core: Lightning affinity

Green core: Nature affinity}

{Meanwhile, conceptual cores are classified as:

Dark red core: Illusion

Dark blue core: Healing

Dark brown core: Cloning

Grey core: Time manipulation

Dark yellow core: Teleportation

Dark green core: Psychic abilities}

Aria hesitated for a moment. "Since I have two mana cores,

which core does the mana flow into?"

{Your cores function as two parts of a whole. When you absorb

mana, it benefits both cores simultaneously. However, each core has its

specific functions, which is why people with dual cores absorb twice as much

mana compared to those with single cores. That's also why your mana storage

capacity is at 100 instead of 50.}

"That… makes sense," Aria said thoughtfully.

"If I can't consume this, what use is it to me?" Aria

muttered, holding up the faintly glowing white orb.

{It can be exchanged for currency on this planet, so it is

still valuable,} the system replied flatly.

"Cool," she said, pocketing the orb.

Her stomach let out another rebellious growl, the sound

cutting through the stillness around her. Brrrrr!

"Not now," she muttered, placing a hand over her abdomen.

She knew she needed to prioritize recovery first—food would come later. Turning

away from the corpse, she staggered to the nearest tree and settled into a

cross-legged position beneath its shade.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused

inward, initiating the mana gathering process once again. This time, it was

smoother. She had learned from her earlier experience and carefully avoided

pulling in the unclean, chaotic glows that threatened to destabilize her flow.

Instead, she drew in the soft, vibrant green and dark green lights that

resonated with her dual cores.

Time passed as her mana reserve steadily climbed. She

remained still, her breaths measured despite the sweat beginning to bead on her

forehead. Her focus was absolute. Finally, her mana surpassed 100, pushing past

her limit. As it approached its new peak, a suffocating pressure built in her

chest.

Her lungs tightened, forcing her to stop. She gasped for

air, breaking the flow. Panting, she wiped her drenched face with the back of

her hand.

"That's enough," she murmured.

Without wasting time, she activated her new skill, Symbiotic

Recovery, and felt a gentle warmth spread through her body. She watched as her

injuries slowly began to close. Scrapes and bruises disappeared, leaving her

skin smooth except for a deep scar running down her back—evidence of the tree

she'd slammed into earlier during the fight.

Her headache eased, the sharp pain in her ribs subsided, and

the throbbing ache in her feet—bare and covered in cuts from running—faded.

"Looks like it works," she muttered. "Though I guess when I

upgrade my tier, recovery will be even more effective."

Finally standing, she stretched her stiff limbs, rolling her

shoulders and testing her balance. Her body still felt weak, but she was no

longer in pain.

"Okay," she said, exhaling deeply. "Time to eat."

Aria made her way back to the camp, searching for any food

left behind by the men she had killed. She rummaged through the scattered

belongings near the extinguished fire, lifting overturned crates and scanning

bags, but found nothing edible. Her frustration grew as it became clear they

hadn't stored any rations—or perhaps they hadn't expected to need them.

"Great," she muttered, wiping dirt off her hands. "Guess

this means I'll have to hunt for food myself." She sighed, cracking her

knuckles, "how hard can hunting be?"

Little did she know, the forest had its own dangers lurking in the shadows.

Noticing The clothing she wore was ill-suited for hunting—or

fighting, for that matter. A battered nightdress offered little protection, aabsence of footwear left her feet exposed to the rough terrain. She needed

better gear.

Deciding to scavenge, she made her way to one of the tents.

Inside, she found little of use, but a large, furry coat caught her eye. Its

design was peculiar—ancient in its craftsmanship yet hinting at some modern

touches. The fabric felt warm and sturdy, and the fur-lined collar promised

protection against the cold.

Her gaze lingered on it for a moment as her thoughts

wandered. These men, the only people she'd encountered in this world so far,

had kidnapped her. But why?

"They targeted a duke's daughter," she muttered, slipping

her fingers over the coat. "That's practically a declaration of war."

The sheer audacity of their actions puzzled her. The mansion

wasn't a place someone could casually infiltrate, especially not her room,

tucked safely away from the world. Whoever orchestrated this had insider

knowledge.

"It has to be an inside job," she concluded.

Shaking the thought away for now, she stripped off her torn

and bloodied nightdress, donning the coat instead. The garment dwarfed her,

clearly tailored for a man far larger than her slender frame. The oversized fit

worked in her favor—the fur-lined collar covered her chest modestly, and the

length protected her legs. She appreciated the looseness, which wouldn't hinder

her movements.

"This body really is different," she murmured, noting the

curves that were foreign to her past self. She adjusted the coat, grateful for

its coverage.

For her feet, she improvised. Finding scraps of durable

fabric, she wrapped them around her soles and ankles, creating makeshift

footwear to shield herself from the cold and jagged undergrowth.

The tent she searched was sparse and poorly constructed,

held up by little more than a wooden pole at its center. It offered no real

protection against the jungle's harshness. Remembering the leader's tent, she

ventured to it next. His was sturdier and far more spacious, likely capable of

withstanding cold nights. She carefully dismantled it, rolling the material

into a bundle small enough to fit into a backpack she'd found.

Inside the other tents, she scavenged further. Three sharp

daggers were her most significant find, and she slipped them into the coat's

deep pockets for easy access. Two water bottles joined the tent in her

backpack, along with the nerium oleander she had collected earlier. Lastly, she

checked the white mana core, ensuring it was securely tucked away.

She was as ready as she could be.

From her host's fragmented memories, Aria recalled passing a

small town on their journey here. While her view had been obscured—her captors

had covered the cage she was held in—the sounds of bustling crowds and the

uneven cobblestone roads had left an impression.

"Guess that's where I'm headed," she whispered, adjusting

the backpack and taking a cautious step forward