CH: 7

The air in the training hall vibrated with energy as the flood of mana reached its peak. Leon had never felt anything like it before—an invisible force pressing down on his skin, seeping into the room like an ocean tide.

His breath quickened. This was pure, unrefined mana—dense, chaotic, and overwhelming. It coiled around him like mist, swirling in unseen currents. Every hair on his body stood on end, and for a moment, he felt like he was drowning.

"Focus, Leon," Garrick's steady voice cut through the tension. "The mana in the air is uncontrolled. You must shape it, guide it, or it will consume you."

Leon swallowed hard. He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, the Voidflow Absorption Art manual open before him, its orange glow faint yet mesmerizing. He had read through it, memorized every line, but knowing something in theory and applying it were two different things entirely.

Lyra stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching him with an unreadable expression. "If you lose control, the mana will tear through your channels like a raging current. Be careful, boy."

He nodded, taking a deep breath. This was his first time consciously absorbing mana, and failure wasn't an option.

Closing his eyes, Leon concentrated.

First, he had to open his internal pathways—the natural mana veins within his body that had remained dormant until now. He visualized them as thin, fragile threads running through his limbs, connecting at his core.

Slowly, he began pulling in the mana around him.

It was like trying to drink from a waterfall.

The moment he allowed the energy in, his body was assaulted by a violent rush of power. His veins burned as raw mana surged through him, uncontrolled and untamed. It felt like molten fire crawling beneath his skin.

His breath hitched. His instincts screamed at him to stop, to release the energy before it overwhelmed him.

'No—I have to control it!'

With clenched teeth, he activated the Primordial Vein Cultivation technique.

Step One: Mana Gathering

Instead of letting the mana run rampant, he visualized drawing it in slowly, filtering it through his skin like fine threads weaving into a net. His breathing deepened, stabilizing the chaotic energy as it entered his body in controlled amounts.

Step Two: Directing the Flow

He guided the mana along pre-existing pathways, forcing it to follow the natural circuits within him. It was like untangling a mess of wires—the energy resisted, trying to disperse in random directions, but he willed it into place.

Step Three: Refinement

Once the mana reached his core, it pooled into a dense, swirling mass. He compressed it, forcing out the impurities, refining the energy until it became something purer—something his body could accept without resistance.

Sweat dripped down his brow as he continued the cycle, over and over. His body trembled, his muscles tensed, but he refused to stop. The first time was always the hardest.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Then it happened.

The tension inside him snapped.

BOOM!

A pulse of energy exploded outward, causing the floor beneath him to tremble. His entire body felt as if it had been doused in ice, then set ablaze in the same breath.

He gasped, his fingers digging into the ground as a surge of pure power coursed through his veins. His muscles tightened, his bones felt denser, his reflexes sharpened.

It was as if his entire being had undergone a transformation.

A system-like notification appeared in his mind:

[STATUS UPDATE]

Strength: G → G+

Agility: G → G+

Endurance: G → G+

Perception: G → G+

Willpower: D (No Change)

He slowly opened his eyes, his vision adjusting. Everything around him seemed sharper—clearer. He could feel the mana in the air now, like a second sense, an awareness he had never had before.

He flexed his fingers, clenching and unclenching his fists. His body felt different—stronger, lighter, more robust.

Garrick nodded in approval. "Not bad. The breakthrough happened faster than expected. Congratulations on breaking through to G+-rank."

Leon exhaled heavily. His breathing was still uneven, but he had done it.

Lyra smirked. "I was expecting you to mess up at least once. You managed to avoid bursting a mana vein—congratulations, boy."

Leon gave her a tired glare. He was too exhausted to respond properly.

"You've successfully absorbed your first wave of mana," Garrick continued. "Your body is stronger, but this is just the beginning. Refining mana is a lifelong process. The more you refine, the better your foundation will be."

"Remember in trainings from now on we'll keep on going till you don't have a drop of mana left in you, then you'll begin absorbing mana," Lyra added. "So as to make sure your gaining the maximum benefit out of it."

"And make sure to always consolidate your current rank before absorbing anymore, you'll find how to in the book."

Leon nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow. He had taken his first step into true power.

Over the next few years, Leon's training intensified. His days were spent honing his swordsmanship under Lyra's strict guidance, while nights were devoted to refining his mana absorption technique.

By the time he reached nine years old, his father decided it was time for the next stage.

Blood.

Leon stood inside a reinforced training chamber, gripping the handle of his katana. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, where several mechanical doors lined the walls.

Garrick and Lyra stood behind him. His father's arms were crossed, his golden eyes sharp. "Today, you'll fight real opponents."

Leon's grip tightened. He had trained with practice dummies, sparred with Lyra countless times, but this was different.

The first set of doors hissed open.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Three creatures emerged.

The first was a Lurker Hound, a monstrous, skeletal canine with blade-like fangs.The second, a Hollow Strider, a grotesque, multi-limbed beast with scythe-like claws.The third, a Wraith Stalker, a shadowy figure that flickered between visibility.

All three were ranked at his current level—not overwhelming, but enough to be a true test.

Leon took a deep breath, calming his nerves.

'This is it. My first real fight.'

Then, without warning—

They attacked.

The Lurker Hound lunged first.

It was fast—faster than Leon expected. A blur of skeletal muscle and gnashing teeth.

Leon barely had time to react. He pivoted on his heel, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws as the beast's momentum carried it past him. Its claws scraped against the stone floor, kicking up dust as it wheeled around for another attack.

'Too slow!'

A whistling sound cut through the air—

Leon's instincts screamed. He ducked just in time as the Hollow Strider lashed out with a bladed limb, slicing through the space where his head had been. The air itself seemed to shudder from the force of the strike.

A second attack came immediately—its scythe-arms arcing toward him.

Leon stepped into the attack rather than away from it.

His katana flashed as he deflected the first strike, shifting his weight to parry the second. Sparks flew as steel met chitin. The impact rattled his arms, but he gritted his teeth and held firm.

But before he could counter—

SHRIIIEEK!

The Wraith Stalker disappeared.

Leon's body tensed, eyes darting across the battlefield. A shiver crawled down his spine—then—

'Behind!'

Without thinking, he rolled forward just as the Wraith materialized where he had been standing, its shadowy claws slashing through the air.

He landed on his feet, pivoted, and slashed in one smooth motion.

His blade cut through the Wraith's form, but it barely did anything—the creature dispersed like smoke before reforming again a few feet away.

'Damn it. It has no physical body?'

Leon barely had time to think before the Lurker Hound charged him again.

This time, Leon was ready.

Instead of dodging, he stepped toward it, lowering his stance. The moment it pounced, he twisted his body, angling his katana upward in a diagonal slash.

SHLICK!

The blade cut deep into the beast's exposed underbelly. A pained howl echoed through the chamber as blood splattered across the floor. The Lurker Hound crashed down, writhing in agony.

Leon didn't hesitate. He reversed his grip, raised his sword, and stabbed downward, piercing the monster's skull.

It convulsed—then went still.

Leon barely had time to breathe before the Hollow Strider came at him again.

'It's bigger than me—stronger. I can't block directly.'

Instead of facing it head-on, Leon moved low and fast, dashing to its flank. The Hollow Strider lashed out, but its long limbs worked against it in close quarters. Leon slid beneath its sweeping attack, coming up at its side—

His katana flashed.

SLASH!

One of its scythe-arms flew off, severed at the joint. A screeching cry filled the chamber.

Leon didn't stop. He spun around its wounded side, dodging its frantic strikes, and delivered a second precise cut—this time to the base of its segmented neck.

The blade carved through with a sickening crunch.

The Hollow Strider collapsed, its lifeless body twitching.

Two down.

The Final Challenge: The Wraith Stalker

Leon turned, breathing heavily. His arms ached, sweat dripping from his brow.

Only the Wraith Stalker remained.

It flickered in and out of existence, studying him with glowing yellow eyes.

Leon's brows furrowed. 'How do I kill something I can't hit?'

He closed his eyes briefly, calming his breath. The mana in the air… he could feel it now.

'Wait… what if I don't hit its body, but the mana that forms it?'

Leon slowly raised his katana, steadying his stance. He exhaled, letting the world slow down.

The Wraith Stalker vanished—

Then reappeared—directly in front of him.

Its claws lashed toward his throat.

But Leon was faster.

With one precise slash, he cut through the core of its mana signature.

The Wraith froze, its eyes flickering in shock—then its form shattered like glass, dissipating into the air.

Silence fell.

The battle was over.

Aftermath

Leon exhaled heavily, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. Blood—some of it his, most of it from the monsters—dripped from his clothes.

Garrick approached, arms crossed, his golden eyes gleaming.

"Not bad," he said. "You adapted quickly. That's good. But you were too hesitant in the beginning."

Leon nodded, still catching his breath. He was painfully aware of his weaknesses. If this had been a real battlefield, hesitation could have gotten him killed.

Lyra smirked. "You've got potential, boy. But potential means nothing if you don't refine it. Keep training."

Leon wiped his blade clean and sheathed it. His arms felt heavy, but his mind was clear.

He had taken his first step into real combat.

And he would only grow stronger from here.

==================================================

Monster Descriptions

Lurker Hound

Appearance: A towering, wolf-like beast with matted black fur and exposed sinew. Its body was unnaturally elongated, its spine protruding like jagged knives along its back. Its front legs were larger than its hind legs, giving it a hunched, predatory stance.

Hollow Strider

Appearance: A grotesque, towering insectoid with a pale, segmented exoskeleton that looked like cracked porcelain. It had six spindly legs, each ending in bladed appendages, capable of slicing through solid stone. Its torso was elongated, with a thin, almost skeletal humanoid ribcage embedded in its chest.

Wraith Stalker

Appearance: A humanoid shadow, shifting and flickering as if made of pure darkness. Its body had no definite form, constantly distorting. Occasionally, elongated, clawed hands emerged from the void-like mass, curling and twitching

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