Strongest Mana Core

With that, the small inspection came to an end.

Just as Vahn turned to head toward his room, his mother subtly signaled him with a tilt of her head. Her gaze was sharp, her command not to be defied.

Left with no choice, Vahn followed her. The two of them walking side by side through the quiet hallway.

She moved with the grace of nobility, each step calculated, silent. Yet the tension between them thickened with each passing second. Occasionally, she cast a sideways glance at his lowered head, her eyes brimming with annoyance.

"How long are you going to keep behaving like this, Davis?" she finally said, her voice cold and detached.

There was no softness in her tone, no maternal affection. She was everything Noel was not; stern, distant, unyielding.

Vahn glanced up at her face, fear and guilt flickering in his eyes.

"I'm trying to change… like you told me to, Mother. That's why I went to the training camp. To prepare myself for the 2nd Awakening."

But her expression didn't change. There was no flicker of approval or understanding, just the same icy stare. Her silence cut deeper than words, a reminder that for her, effort without results meant nothing.

Inside, Vahn scoffed bitterly.

'Cold as ever… Not even a mother's intuition can see through the act in front of her. Or maybe she does… and just doesn't care anymore.'

Then she added without pause:

"You better awaken a good Mana Core during the Awakening Ceremony. I won't tolerate a worthless son dragging me down.

Because of your failed awakening, I can't even hold my head high in my father's estate in the Capital let alone reforge our connection with the Royal Family, despite our bloodline ties."

Her voice remained cold, but there was a crack beneath the surface. She was frustrated, yet she refused to show on her face.

Vahn didn't reply. He merely kept his head down, silent, obedient.

But inwardly, his thoughts curled with venom.

'Heh… As if I care about your problems, woman. You're nothing but a mask to me now. Let me play your obedient son for now.

Because I'll need that position of President of the Hades Group. It's essential for my disguise, my access, my reach.

Joining the Hero Association? Hah… even the thought makes me sick.'

After that cold exchange, Vahn finally stepped into Davis's room on the second floor.

At last, he got some time alone.

Evening had settled in quietly but his thoughts were anything but peaceful.

Revenge pulsed through his veins like fire. But without forming a Mana Core, he couldn't begin enacting his plan. He wouldn't be able to use the ancient, forbidden spells without sufficient Mana.

As such, he must formed the best Mana Core in history.

He walked to the window and opened it, letting the cool breeze wash over him in a vain attempt to calm his mind.

His gaze drifted upward—toward the sky, toward the brightest star that shimmered like a lone sentinel in the dark.

A whisper escaped his lips, soft and filled with longing.

"Calypso… it's been so long since I last heard your voice. And your smile...

Yet, you left me in this cursed world, all alone. But I know… I know you must've saved me for a reason—so I could finish what we started."

A faint, bitter smile tugged at his lips.

"Heh… don't worry. I'll get my revenge. I swear it. But… will I really never see you again?"

There was no one to answer that question.

So, Vahn pushed the thought aside and focused on the present.

The Awakening Ceremony was only two days away.

He had to begin the preparations. Not just for any awakening, but for forging the strongest Mana Core in history.

From ancient times, a sorcerer's potential had always been measured by the quality of their Mana Core.

Mana Cores are divided in 9 Ranks:

1. Gray Core (Low) – Lowest potential; rarely improves much beyond early stages.

2. Green Core (Common) – Common among civilians and weak players; basic spells only.

3. Blue Core (Uncommon) – Average; potential to become a solid mid-tier Sorcerer or Hero.

4. Yellow Core (Rare) – Above average; capable of high-rank spells and combat roles.

5. Orange Core (Elite) – Very rare; Potential for elite-level combat and leadership.

6. Purple Core (Epic) – can master dual elemental Spells or Forbidden ones.

7. Silver Core (Master) – Potential to master Multi elemental Spells.

8. Gold Core (Legendary) – chosen ones who can reshape cities or defend nations.

9. Platinum Core (Mythical) – potential to challenge world-level threats like Dragons.

-

The better the Core, the greater the talent. It governed everything: the power of one's spells, the limits of their mana pool, and even their physical prowess. The Core connected to every fiber, every muscle, every nerve.

In this Age of Heroes, those with higher-grade Mana Cores stood at the peak. They were revered, respected, and chosen to carry the weight of nations.

The irony was not lost on Vahn.

Once hailed as the greatest Hero, he now had to pretend to be someone fighting for a mere chance at power.

No matter.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes. Breathing slowed. Mana in the air pulsed faintly as he entered a meditative trance.

This time, he would ascend beyond perfection.

The first stage to becoming a Sorcerer was known as Resonance—the act of connecting oneself to the invisible threads of Mana scattered throughout the world.

Mana existed everywhere: in the air, in the soil, in all living things. It was as omnipresent as light itself. But forging a link with it was a challenge that few could overcome quickly.

For ordinary people, achieving Resonance could take weeks. Some even struggled for months, meditating in solitude, desperately reaching out to something they couldn't see or touch.

But for Vahn, things were different.

Thanks to the experience from his past life as the Wicked Hero, and the ancient power surging through his Immortal Dragon Physique, Resonance was almost effortless.

The moment he closed his eyes and focused, the mana in the room stirred like a sea rippling at the presence of a forgotten god.

His heartbeat slowed, matching the rhythm of the world.

And then, he felt it.

That subtle, almost imperceptible harmony.

He had entered Resonance.

The next stage was known as Tempering.

If Resonance was about sensing the Mana in the world, then Tempering was the process of channeling that Mana into one's body.

Like etching pathways, like rivers carving through stone, until a Mana Core could be born at the center of the body.

These pathways, interwoven through the meridians and veins, acted as conduits. Only once they were strong and stable could they carry the immense power a Mana Core formation would demand.

Vahn took a deep breath and began circulating the ambient Mana he'd drawn through Resonance.

But then, his brow suddenly furrowed.

He noticed something troubling.

Several meridians were damaged.

They were faint, like withered vines along a dried riverbed. Likely the result of Davis' failed Awakening attempt.

A moment of recklessness had scarred the body's inner structure.

"Hmph. Foolish boy," Vahn murmured.

Still, this wasn't a major setback. His Immortal Dragon Physique was already mending the damage, bit by bit. Regeneration was part of its design after all.

But Vahn had no intention of waiting.

He pressed his will forward, guiding Mana from the outside, focusing it directly into the damaged pathways. The energy surged and hissed, but under his control it bent, not broke.

As the raw Mana coursed through him, the fractured lines began to reform—smoothly, swiftly, and with a stability even greater than before.

Bit by bit, the Tempering completed itself.

And Vahn knew, with quiet certainty, that within two days, his body would be perfectly prepared.

To give birth—

The Strongest Mana Core in history.