Mana Core Formed

"Davis, The mental trial will reflect your fears, regrets, and even your desires. Remember to overcome them. "

Vahn scoffed inwardly. "I've faced worse demons, little girl."

Max, adjusting his silk gloves, snorted. "Let's see if you cry again like last year. Don't embarrass us."

Noel gave him a sharp glare, but Vahn simply smiled.

Moments later, a ceremonial gong rang and Vahn, Max walked through the stairs to the formation pillars.

As expected, whispers of mock followed Vahn.

"Tsk.. There he is."

"Hey, Isn't that Davis Blackwell. The one who failed last year?"

"Yes."

"He has the nerve to show up again? Must be desperate."

Vahn ignored the comments like dust in the wind.

Max, however, smirked smugly and walked a step ahead, trying to distance himself from the "shame" of his cousin.

As Vahn stepped onto formation pillar 49, a gentle hum welcomed him. Arcane runes beneath his feet shimmered to life, swirling softly with hues of cerulean and gold.

The air buzzed with ancient energy. A faint wind tugged at his clothes as if the temple itself was recognizing his presence, yet no one else noticed.

All eyes were drawn to the more promising candidates, those wrapped in extravagant robes or born of renowned bloodlines.

To the others, Vahn was just a footnote.

But he didn't need their recognition.

He closed his eyes.

The Head Priest's voice rang once more, like thunder wrapped in silk.

"Let the Awakening commence."

As if the sky itself heard the command, the mana density around each formation thickened. Spirals of light began to descend from the crystalline structures floating high above, funnelling into each individual formation.

Vahn steadied his breathing.

Dense Mana like mist gathered around his body—slowly at first, then faster. It pierced his skin, seeking a core to anchor itself to.

This was the trial. The moment that separated dreamers from the awakened.

The test of Will.

His veins screamed in pain, his muscles tightened.

The mana was like molten fire, digging, testing, resisting his control.

He gritted his teeth.

The pain intensified.

All around him, others were faring differently. Some had already started forming faint glimmers of mana cores inside their chest, guided by their training and talent.

"Hey, look—a Blue Core!" one of the spectators muttered, watching a boy glow with blue mana.

Another scoffed. "A Blue Core? It's uncommon at best. Not enough to reach the Apex."

"Haha.. Be positive, brother. It's a good start for our city. To reach the Apex, you need a Gold or Platinum Core," another added.

"Oh, look at that. Another commoner failed. What a waste of a precious opportunity."

"Hmph… What else can you expect from lowborns? They'll always remain beneath our feet," a noble added disdainfully.

Not just commoners, some nobles also cried out as the process overwhelmed their minds, forced off the platform by protective runes.

Max stood confidently on his formation, smiling as raw mana rushed into him with ease.

"Pathetic commoners… you won't even make it halfway," he whispered to no one in particular.

He glanced at Vahn and snorted.

"Still standing? Tsk... Let's see how long can you last."

But something was… wrong.

The mana around pillar 49 was growing more intense. It whirled faster and heavier than the others, forming a vortex of pressure.

"Huh?"

The Head Priest, standing at the altar above, opened his eyes sharply.

"That's unusual," he murmured.

High in the ceremonial tower, hidden behind enchanted glass, several nobles and senior officials observed the ritual. Among them was a stern man with deep silver eyes.

That was Dominic Blackwell, Davis's father.

He sipped his wine, watching without expression. Until his aide leaned closer and whispered, "Sir… take a look at formation 49."

He frowned. "Davis?"

Below, Vahn stood at the heart of a storm.

His teeth clenched. Sweat streamed down his forehead.

It hurts… but I can do this.

He wasn't just drawing in mana.

He was devouring it.

The formation beneath his feet flickered, unable to keep up with the influx. The golden patterns etched into the stone began glowing white-hot. Even the platform trembled slightly.

Then suddenly—

BOOM!

A shockwave rippled from Vahn's platform, sending nearby candidates stumbling.

Everyone turned to Vahn.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Did that loser explode his own formation?!"

"No… it's still intact—wait, that's Davis Blackwell?!"

Noel shot to her feet, her eyes wide. "He's… suppressing the formation?"

The Head Priest moved quickly, raising his hand to stabilize the mana vortex. But something pushed back against him.

"This isn't natural at all. His soul… what kind of willpower is this boy hiding?"

Vahn's body convulsed slightly.

Deep within his spiritual sea, he was facing the mental trial:

Darkness enveloped his senses.

Then came the whispers.

"Traitor."

"Wicked Monster."

"You're not worthy of becoming the Hero."

"You have Fallen."

"Disappear!"

The voices wrapped around him like chains, dragging him into a pitch-black abyss.

Images from his old life flickered: his body crushed, his spirit torn apart, his helpless screams in the void.

But then, another voice echoed in the darkness. A gentle, melodic whisper.

"Vahn… you have to live. You can't die here. "

"With my heart, you will be Immortal. But you nust take care of them."

"This is goodbye, Vahn."

He gasped. His whole being cried tears of despair.

Then a bright Violet flame came to life in his soul.

He cannot let her sacrifice be in vain.

"No," he said aloud. "I came back to change everything. I won't be bound by fate again!"

"BREAK!"

Suddenly, the darkness cracked like glass.

The illusion was shattered.

Then within his core, a brilliant Violet-gold-black flame surged up. The mana around him stirred wildly, responding to his call.

His Abyssal Immortal Dragon Physique responded as if roaring with approval. The damaged pathways in his body cleared, becoming translucent and glowing.

Finally a spiralling orb of chaotic mana pulsed within him, threatening to shatter from its own density.

'I've failed her once. I can't fail again. Give me the Strongest Mana Core.'

He drew willpower from every ounce of memory—every betrayal, every pain, every lose.

They had called him Traitor.

They had erased his name from the records.

They had replaced him with fake heroes.

This world was wrong.

And he would rewrite it.

He pushed forward.

The mana orb condensed.

Once.

Twice.

Then—

BOOM.

A second, more powerful shockwave exploded outward.

A blinding column of violet and gold light surged into the sky from Vahn's pillar, piercing the temple's protective dome.

Cracks webbed through the platform beneath his feet. Crystalline shards of mana spiraled into the air, dancing like fireflies.

Then came silence.

Everyone stared, frozen.

Vahn stood at the center of the aftermath, steam rising from his body, clothes partly scorched. His head was bowed, eyes hidden.

Then he raised his gaze.

And his eyes… were glowing.

Twin rings of Violet and Gold swirled within his pupils like mana incarnate.

The Head Priest spoke in awe. "...Impossible. A Dual-Elemental Gold Core? No, not just that…"

He turned to the shocked nobles in the tower above.

"This child… has forged a Hybrid Gold Core. The rarest of all: "

Gasps echoed from every direction.

A Hybrid Gold Core meant the individual had multiple elemental affinities at perfect harmony.

A feat so rare it was said to appear once in a generation, if at all. More than just talent; it required absolute mental dominance, control, and a soul refined in hardship.

Max's face turned pale. His own formation flickered as his mana became unstable.

"No way… No way!! How did he do it? Impossible!'"

Noel clenched her fists, lips trembling. "You did it, Davis… you actually did it…"

"Is he my own Son?'

Dominic Blackwell stared in stunned silence, wine glass slipping from his fingers and shattering on the floor.

Vahn took a slow breath.

His Mana was still settling, but the strength flooding his veins was undeniable. His body, once frail and overlooked, now pulsed with vitality. With every heartbeat, mana surged through him like lightning riding bloodstreams.

The Head Priest raised his staff and declared in a solemn voice:

"From this day forward, the name Davis Blackwell shall be recorded in the Sacred Records as the first Hybrid Gold Core Awakened in the last two centuries."

"Whoa??"

The crowd erupted.

Some cheered. Others wept. Many simply stared, dumbfounded.

But amidst the storm of praise, Vahn smiled faintly.

Not because he had proven them wrong.

But because this was only the beginning.

He was finally ready to pay the world back.