53- A Late Night Visit

Vaynal felt genuine surprise. His concealment was near perfect—he had hidden in the shadows of powerful nobles and war-hardened commanders without being noticed. And yet, this young lord had sensed him with unnatural ease.

He let out a low chuckle before bowing respectfully. "Impressive. Not many would have noticed me so easily, young lord."

Aldric met his gaze, expression unreadable. "I make it a habit to know when I'm being watched."

The man was different from the other Shadows he had encountered. Unlike Mara, Red, Tobias, Gerrod, and Royce, there was something about him that felt… complete. More refined. Where the others were trained killers and spies, this one embodied the essence of the shadows themselves. He did not just hide in the dark—he was the dark.

The man placed a hand over his chest and gave a small nod. "I am Vaynal, Duke Alaric's most trusted Shadow. The Head Shadow. The one who trained Mara, Red, Tobias, Gerrod, and Royce."

Aldric acknowledged him with a slow nod. "A pleasure. What brings you here?"

Vaynal reached into his cloak and produced a thick, worn tome. He placed it gently on the table between them. "Duke Alaric asked me to deliver this. It is a record of an ancient civilization from centuries past—one that studied both Aura and Mana, seeking to use them in tandem."

Aldric's brow furrowed as he examined the book. "Aura and Mana together?"

Vaynal gave a curt nod. "Yes. But understand this—Aura and Mana are fundamentally opposed forces."

Aldric motioned for him to continue.

Vaynal folded his arms. "Aura is the embodiment of willpower and determination. It allows knights to surpass human limitations, reinforcing their bodies, sharpening their senses, and bending physical constraints to their resolve. It is shaped by an individual's personality, stored within the dantian, and acts as a filter, rejecting external interference—including Mana."

He tapped a gloved finger against the book. "Mana, on the other hand, is drawn from the world itself. It is an endless resource, shaped by thought and creativity. Mages manipulate it through their Mana Circles, which form around their hearts. These circles allow them to store, refine, and control Mana efficiently."

Aldric's fingers drummed on the book's cover as he processed the information. "So Aura is internal, while Mana is external. That means merging them would be…"

Vaynal's golden eyes narrowed. "Dangerous. There is no recorded case of someone successfully wielding both without consequence."

Aldric hummed in thought. "And yet, someone must have tried if this book exists."

Vaynal studied him for a moment before speaking again. "Duke Alaric believes this knowledge may be useful to you. But it is not without risk."

Aldric nodded, but before he could say more, Vaynal spoke again—his voice carrying a weight of curiosity.

"I first noticed it back at Duke Alaric's office," Vaynal said slowly. "There is something in you—both familiar and foreign. It feels like Aura, yet… it is not. That is why I am here."

Aldric raised an eyebrow. "You can sense something in me?"

Vaynal nodded. "I have trained my entire life to perceive Aura. And what I felt from you was unmistakably Aura—but different."

Aldric exhaled. "I don't know how to use Aura. I've never been trained in it. But I can manipulate Mana. However, I've struggled to form a Mana Circle. No matter what I do, I cannot construct one properly."

To demonstrate, Aldric lifted his hand, summoning a simple spell. Without incantation or gesture, raw lightning crackled between his fingers, controlled and refined with perfect precision.

Vaynal's eyes widened slightly. But it was not the spell that caught his attention—it was what he felt.

His entire body tensed as realization struck. "That was… Aura."

Aldric blinked. "What?"

Vaynal's voice turned thoughtful. "I cannot see Mana. I do not understand it as mages do. But I can feel Aura. And when you cast that spell… I felt Aura being used to gather something around you. Something I assume is Mana."

Aldric frowned. "That's not possible. Aura and Mana don't mix, right?"

Vaynal shook his head. "They aren't supposed to. And yet, you are doing something unnatural."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Finally, Vaynal exhaled. "You should consult a mage about this. See if they can explain why this is happening."

Aldric nodded, though his mind was already racing with possibilities.

Vaynal crossed his arms. "Aura is shapeless. It cannot form intricate patterns like Mana. It can reinforce, strengthen, and change its properties, but it does not take form."****"And yet, you are using it in a way that I have never seen before."

Aldric smirked slightly. "Then perhaps I'm not the only one with something new to learn."

Vaynal's eyes lingered on Aldric for a brief moment before he gave a respectful nod. His mission was complete, and there was nothing more for him to say. Without another word, he stepped backward into the shadows, vanishing as if he had never been there.

Aldric remained seated, his fingers tapping absentmindedly against the cover of the ancient tome Vaynal had left behind. He had tried to sleep—tried to push aside the lingering thoughts of Aura, Mana, and the strange sensation Vaynal had observed in him.

But it was useless.

The words within the book gnawed at his mind, whispering unanswered questions. The idea that Aura and Mana, two forces that should never coexist, might have once been experimented upon intrigued him beyond measure. He needed answers.

And there was only one person he trusted enough to give him a proper explanation.

With that thought, he left his quarters and made his way through the dimly lit corridors.

⸻

Aldric knocked firmly on the door, the sound echoing through the quiet hall.

There was silence for a moment before the faint sound of shuffling was heard from the other side. Then, the door creaked open just enough for a drowsy-looking Seraphina to peek out. Her long silver hair was slightly disheveled, her nightgown loosely draped over her form, and her piercing blue eyes were clouded with sleep.

She blinked at him once. Then twice.

And then—

"You… You bastard!"

Aldric barely had time to react before Seraphina stumbled back, grabbing the nearest object—her pillow—and clutching it against her chest like a shield.

"To think you'd come knocking in the middle of the night! You're after my womanhood, aren't you?!"

Aldric's vision blurred for a moment at the sheer absurdity of her words. He groaned, raising his hand and lightly knocking her on the head with his knuckles. "Get your mind out of whatever twisted fantasy you're having, you idiot."

Seraphina winced, rubbing her forehead. "Ow! You brute!"

He sighed. "I need your insight on something."

She lowered her pillow, still eyeing him suspiciously. "And it couldn't wait until morning?"

Aldric shook his head. "No. I can't stop thinking about it."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes but ultimately stepped aside, allowing him in. "Fine. But you better have a damn good reason for waking me up."

Aldric entered her quarters, the soft glow of a nearby lantern casting flickering shadows across the room. He placed the book on her desk.

"I read this tonight," he explained, "It's about an ancient civilization that studied Aura and Mana together. They tried to find ways to use them in unison."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow before flipping through the pages. After skimming a few lines, she scoffed and set the book down.

"Oh, this old tale? You actually took it seriously?" she said, shaking her head. "These experiments were just legends. Sure, there are records of attempts, but no one has ever made it work."

Aldric, however, remained firm. "Vaynal—" he stopped himself before he could reveal too much. "Someone highly trained in Aura noticed something strange when I cast a spell."

Seraphina's curiosity piqued. "Strange how?"

Aldric met her gaze. "He said he could feel Aura being used when I gathered Mana."

Seraphina frowned. "That's… impossible. Aura can't gather Mana. It actively repels it."

"Then take a look for yourself," Aldric challenged.

Seraphina crossed her arms. "Fine. Show me your magic. I'll prove that whoever told you this was wrong."

Aldric raised his hand, channeling a simple spell. Blue lightning crackled between his fingers, forming controlled arcs of energy.

Seraphina observed carefully, her mage-trained senses honed for detecting magical patterns. To her eyes, it was just Mana—nothing more, nothing less.

"I see nothing but Mana," she said flatly.

Aldric smirked. "Look again. Not just with your eyes. Feel it."

Seraphina hesitated before nodding. She closed her eyes, reaching out with her magical perception, attuning herself to the flow of energy in the room.

Then she felt it.

A small gasp left her lips.

At first, it was subtle—almost imperceptible. The external Mana Aldric was gathering was somehow disconnected from him. Usually, a mage needed to release a portion of their own internal Mana to act as a bridge, allowing them to control external energy.

But here, that bridge was missing.

Instead, something unseen—something she could not sense—was doing the gathering for him. It was as if a force within Aldric was pulling Mana toward him and blending it into something else entirely.

Seraphina's eyes snapped open, staring at him in shock.

"This… this isn't how it's supposed to work."

A Discovery Unlike Any Other

Seraphina's hands trembled slightly as she withdrew them, deep in thought. What she had just sensed defied everything she knew about magic and Aura.

She took a deep breath before turning to Aldric, her voice carrying an undertone of excitement and disbelief.

"This might explain why you couldn't form a mana circle."

Aldric frowned. "What do you mean?"

Seraphina crossed her arms, organizing her thoughts.

"Mana circles form around the heart because mages already have internal mana to act as a foundation. But you…" She paused, meeting his gaze. "You had no mana inside you to begin with."

Aldric's eyes widened slightly. "Then how was I able to use magic?"

Seraphina smirked, her energy suddenly reigniting. "Through sheer determination and willpower, you must have formed Aura to forcefully gather mana into your body."

The realization sent a chill down Aldric's spine. He had been manipulating magic all this time—not through the natural method of a mage, but by bending the rules with his will alone.

Seraphina, snapping out of her drowsiness, suddenly jumped in excitement.

"This is incredible! I need to see more! Aldric, strip!"

Aldric froze, staring at her in stunned silence. "…Excuse me?"

Seraphina blinked before realizing what she had just blurted out. Her face turned crimson, and she quickly waved her hands.

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I meant take off your excess clothing!"

Aldric narrowed his eyes. "That's still vague, Seraphina."

She groaned in frustration. "I just need to place my hand on your back to infuse my mana into your body. I want to observe the changes when you gather mana, that's all!"

Aldric sighed but complied, removing his outer coat and rolling up his sleeves. "Fine, but next time, be more specific before you demand I strip."

Seraphina ignored his jab and placed her palm on his back. She closed her eyes, carefully releasing a steady stream of mana into his body.

"Now, cast a simple spell," she instructed.

Aldric nodded and raised his hand, forming the same lightning spell as before.

Then Seraphina felt it.

Mana coursed through Aldric's body, weaving through his blood vessels, veins, arteries, and muscles. But as it traveled, something unexpected happened—

The mana was changing.

It wasn't vanishing or dispersing as it should when used to enhance the body. Instead, it was mixing with something else. It was still mana, but it felt… different. A fusion of sorts.

Her brows furrowed. "Aldric… your muscles, your heart, even your organs—they're radiating a mana-like power."

Aldric glanced at her. "What does that mean?"

She withdrew her hand, her mind racing. "Your body isn't just being enhanced by mana—it's producing something else. Your muscles feel like they've been ripped apart and rebuilt into something far stronger. It's as if your body is transforming into a living conduit of mana itself."

Aldric's expression turned serious. He had an idea of what she meant.

"I have been using mana to enhance my body to its limits," he admitted. "Every time my muscles broke down from the strain, I used mana to repair them—forcing them to adapt, to become stronger."

Seraphina's eyes widened. "That's impossible!"

She shook her head, pacing as she explained. "Mana isn't a permanent source of nourishment. If you were using it in place of food to rebuild your body, it should have deteriorated after some time. That's why no one ever tries to enhance their body with mana alone—only Aura can do that!"

She stopped, turning back to him, her voice lowering. "But it's like… mana has replaced Aura as your foundation."

Then, a spark of realization hit her.

She gasped. "What if, instead of forming an Aura core, you use your Aura—your willpower—to create a core made of mana?"

A heavy silence fell between them.

Aldric hesitated, deep in thought. This was uncharted territory. There was no telling what could happen.

"I'll explore it slowly," he finally said. "I won't take any reckless risks, but… if this could be the key to understanding what I am, I have to proceed carefully."

He then turned back to the book, scanning the passages about Aura formation. If he was going to do this, he needed to familiarize himself with Aura first—attempting to control it on its own, separate from mana.

Seraphina watched him, her initial excitement replaced by solemn curiosity. Whatever they had just discovered, it was unlike anything recorded before.

———

Aldric spent the entire night attuning himself to his Aura. He had unknowingly been using it all along, believing he was manipulating mana. Now that he understood the difference, he quickly grasped the unique nature of both powers.

Aura enhanced his body in a way that was natural, reinforcing his muscles, reflexes, and senses with his willpower. Meanwhile, mana enhancement pushed his body beyond its limits, strengthening it unnaturally and requiring precise control.

Curious, Aldric attempted to use both powers simultaneously.

The moment he did—

A violent reaction erupted within him.

A searing pain shot through his entire body. His veins bulged, his muscles spasmed, and suddenly—blood gushed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Seraphina's eyes widened in horror.

"Aldric!" she cried, rushing forward.

She could feel it—two forces clashing violently within him, repelling each other with terrifying intensity. It was a power conflict, something that was recorded in books as a common and deadly phenomenon while attempting to experiment both aura and mana.

But there was no solution.

Seraphina panicked. What was she supposed to do?!

Aldric's body trembled, his breathing ragged, his vision blurring. His body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside. But amid the agony, his mind had never been clearer.

He could see it, he could feel it.

During this struggle, he instinctively pushed his brain's thinking and observational abilities to their limit, enhancing them with mana.

And then—he understood.

The reason Aura and Mana were clashing was because… he saw them as two separate forces.

He had been treating them as individual sources of power, trying to wield both while maintaining their distinct identities. But what if—

What if they weren't separate at all?

Aldric took a slow, shuddering breath. He had a hypothesis.

Aura and Mana were both created through willpower and creative thinking. If he could convince himself—will himself—to believe they were the same, then perhaps…

Perhaps they would merge.

He closed his eyes. Instead of thinking of them as conflicting energies, he visualized them as one. Not separate forces, but a unified existence within him.

And then—

The pain stopped.

The raging storm inside him stilled, the violent repulsion fading into perfect harmony.

Aldric opened his eyes, exhaling shakily. His body, still battered and bloodstained, no longer felt like it was on the verge of collapse.

Instead—

He smiled.

Seraphina, still frantic, froze when she saw the expression on his face.

"Aldric…?" she whispered hesitantly.

He looked at her, his eyes gleaming with newfound understanding.

"I figured it out," he said. "They're not two separate powers anymore. They're one."

———

Still immersed in his newfound clarity, Aldric wasted no time. He crossed his legs, took a deep breath, and began gathering both Aura and Mana—not separately, but together.

This time, instead of letting them clash, he guided them with precision, allowing them to merge naturally.

Rather than forming a core in his dantian, as most aura practitioners did, he chose a different location—next to his heart.

The process was slow, meticulous. The energies swirled within him, shaping themselves into a tangible form. Unlike a traditional Aura Core, which was smooth and refined, or a Mana Circle, which consisted of intricate layers, his core was different.

It had the density and raw power of an Aura Core, but etched across its surface were runic designs similar to a Mana Circle.

At that moment—it was complete.

Aldric had created something entirely new.

A core that blended both life force (Aura) and magic (Mana).

A core that embodied both power and control.

He needed a name for this new force.

After a moment of contemplation, he whispered, "Arcanis Core."

Inspired by the fusion of arcane magic and life essence, Arcanis represented the perfect balance between body and spellcraft.

Aldric wasted no time refining it. He instinctively channeled the impure remnants of mana and aura within his body, pulling them toward his core for purification.

Then—his body reacted.

His skin prickled, his pores widening as an unholy stench filled the air.

Dark, viscous filth oozed from his body, forming a thick black sludge that dripped onto the floor.

The smell was so vile that Seraphina instinctively gagged.

She hastily cast a barrier around herself, shielding herself from the suffocating odor.

"By the gods—!" she coughed, covering her nose.

The stench was so potent that it woke up her apprentice from another room. The young girl stumbled in, eyes watering from the unbearable smell.

Seraphina, still shielding herself, immediately cast a second barrier to protect her apprentice.

"Stay back! Don't breathe it in!" she warned.

Her mind raced as she observed Aldric's state. Was this a purification process? A forced evolution?

After what felt like an eternity, Aldric slowly opened his eyes.

The stench hit him immediately.

"What the hell is that?!" he recoiled, nearly gagging himself.

Seraphina sighed in exasperation.

"That's your filth, idiot! You just excreted impurities from your body!"

She snapped her fingers, casting a cleansing spell to remove the disgusting sludge.

However, she noticed something even more concerning.

The ambient mana in the room was nearly depleted.

She paled. Aldric had consumed it all.

Realizing this could be dangerous, she acted fast—pulling out her precious stash of Mana Stones.

She crushed several into powder, scattering them around the room to replenish the lost mana.

As the mana levels stabilized, she let out a deep sigh—before glaring daggers at Aldric.

"Do you have any idea how much those cost?!" she cried, her voice trembling with heartbreak. "Those Mana Stones were worth a fortune! I saved them for YEARS!"

Her hands balled into fists, tears forming in her eyes.

Aldric gulped. Oh no.

Understanding the gravity of what had just happened, he quickly bowed his head.

"I'm sorry! I swear I'll make it up to you!"

Seraphina crossed her arms, pouting. "You'd better. Or else."

Trying to change the subject, Aldric picked up one of the now drained Mana Stones, turning it in his hands.

It was a clear, crystalline material, but according to Seraphina, it once had a radiant, glowing blue hue.

"This is a Mana Stone?" he mused, examining it closely.

Seraphina scoffed. "It was. Now it's just a useless rock. Because of you."

Aldric scratched his cheek awkwardly.

He really needed to find a way to repay her.

The Birth of Man-Made Mana Stones

Aldric held the drained Mana Stone between his fingers, his curiosity piqued.

"Where do you usually find these?" he asked.

Seraphina, still sulking over her lost fortune, casually waved a hand.

"Oh, you know, the usual places— Near dragon lairs at the base of volcanoes, beneath the ocean floors where mystical creatures lurk."

She said it as if it were common knowledge, but the sheer absurdity of her answer nearly made Aldric choke.

"…Excuse me?" he deadpanned.

Seraphina smirked, crossing her arms. "What? Did you think they just grow on trees?"

Aldric sighed. "Of course."

But something about her explanation struck a chord in his mind.

With his newfound clarity, his thoughts moved sharper, faster. His reasoning, logic, and memory retention had improved significantly.

For the first time, his past life as Joshua Martin felt as vivid as watching a movie. Memories from Earth and his past as Aldric overlapped seamlessly.

And then—he saw it.

Buried deep within Aldric's old memories, a single, overlooked detail.

A hooded man.

A well-known alchemist specializing in poison.

He had been meeting with one of Darius Velthorn's administrators.

Could this man be the one who poisoned Aldric? The one responsible for Joshua Martin's reincarnation into Aldric's body?

Aldric clenched his fist. He would investigate later.

For now, he turned his attention back to the Mana Stone.

If Mana Stones were found in volcanic regions and ocean depths, there had to be a common factor.

Pressure.

Volcanoes and deep oceans exert immense pressure on their surroundings.

But more than that—heat.

If heat and pressure were required to form Mana Stones, then what if he recreated those conditions himself?

Then, it clicked.

High-pressure environments. Volcanoes exert immense heat and geological pressure, the deep ocean has crushing water pressure, Dragons radiate mana, potentially accelerating the process.

This realization sparked a memory from his past life.

Back on Earth, diamonds weren't naturally formed overnight. They took millions of years to develop under intense heat and pressure deep within the Earth's mantle.

However, humans had found a way to artificially create diamonds using technology.

They placed carbon in an enclosed chamber.

Applied intense heat (over 2,500°F / 1,400°C).

Then subjected it to immense pressure (725,000 psi or 5 GPa).

This forced the carbon atoms to rearrange into the tightly packed structure of a diamond. And if carbon under high pressure became diamonds…

Could raw mana under high pressure become Mana Stones?

Aldric focused.

Holding out his palm, he gathered raw mana, but this time, he did not let it enter his Arcanis Core.

Instead, he compressed it.

He forced it into a tiny sphere, applying immense pressure.

At the same time, he heated it using his own energy—mimicking the extreme temperatures of molten lava.

A tiny, glowing speck began forming in his palm.

The mana condensed further, growing denser by the second.

Then—it crystallized.

A small, perfectly formed Mana Stone appeared before his eyes.

Silence.

Aldric blinked. 

"Did he just… make a Mana Stone?" Seraphina's jaw dropped.

Her eyes were filled with an impossible mixture of emotions—awe, fear, admiration, excitement, jealousy, joy.

"You… just…" she stammered, at a complete loss for words.

One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the magical world—how Mana Stones were formed—had just been solved.

Right in front of her eyes.