Towards the beginning of light

From what Fluf had exclaimed, her real name was Syriellie. But I preferred calling her Fluf which my mother had given her. As a former spirit beast, she argued that it sounded way too cute. But after catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she had to admit her physical features would make anyone think she was just a fluffy little creature.

In my old world, I had a vast pool of Fon Aura. I was the one who discovered the technique of Aura Breathing, becoming its first user. By channeling every bit of Fon Aura into the sword, the technique came to be known as the Aura Blade. Just as the heart pumps blood through veins, Fon Aura was circulated through the nervous system like an invisible current. I had been called a prodigy—the strongest Aura Breathing user among humanity. Eliminating my foes and ascending to the throne was hardly a challenge for me.

However, things in this world were a bit different from Aura Breathing. Here, the term "mana essence core" was used to describe the source of magic. The ability to control mana entirely depended on the strength and development of that core. Fortunately, it seemed that everyone had core since birth. Roughly out of millions, in some rare cases some had the misfortune of being born without it. Obviously, it was unfortunate for anyone. In a world where everything was ranked by power, a person without magic was known as an "outcast."

A mana essence core was said to fully develop at the age of nine. According to recent studies from an Arcanum researcher, in rare cases, a person could awaken their core during their toddler years.

There were two types of awakenings:

1. The first happened when tiny traces of mana flowing through a human's body began to compress within the core—this was known as the natural awakening.

2. The second involved absorbing mana from an external mana item.

I could grasp the concept of the first awakening easily—it was somewhat similar to Aura Breathing from my old world. The second one I had a rough idea. It reminded me of a mana transplant of sorts.

Mana users were broadly classified into three categories: Majen mages, they channeled mana from their core, spread it throughout their body, and used it to cast spells. The most common elemental spells were fire, water, earth, and wind. Rarer elements—like light, dark, and healing—were considered exceptional.

I knew my mother was special—she could use healing magic. She'd often heal my father after he got hurt at work, or whenever that idiotic father of mine swung me around the house and bumped me into the table.

Elim class, instead of casting spells, they used mana to enhance their physical abilities—strength, agility, and reflexes. They were also naturally talented with weapons, especially swords.

Probably, my father belonged to this category. I'd seen him in the backyard behind our house, swinging a sword with ease. It was genuinely impressive—he could've beaten most of my past rivals without breaking a sweat. For someone with such a lean build, his strikes carried enough force to slice through massive boulders. Even without his sword, his fists were strong enough to crack the ground. Perhaps he would've been a formidable opponent... if we'd met in my previous life.

Beast Summoners, this class was known as the most mana-dependent of all. Summoners used their mana to form contracts with beasts. The stronger the summoner's core and control, the stronger the beast they could bond with. Once a contract was formed, the summoner could use that beast's magic and strength as their own.

Could I form a contract with Syriellie?

She had said I possessed a massive mana pool… but I still had no idea how large it really was.

But everything had a backlash—and so did using mana. If a mana user from any class failed to properly utilize or control their core, a phenomenon called 'Core Corruption" could occur. A person affected by it would experience unbearable pain, and depending on the severity, their core would mutate—eventually turning them into what's known as a "Corruption Beast."

Let's just hope I don't become one.

Mana users were ranked based on the stage of their mana core, Unawakened, Awakened, High Awakened, Ivn Awakened and Emp Awakened

As of now, I was Unawakened since I had no core yet. But that would change… hopefully within a few months.

I pondered for several moments until something clicked—Majen mages were very similar to Fon Aura, so I dedicated myself to learning it first.

Days passed quickly. I spent most of my time trying to focus on my breathing, to sense the flow of mana, and collect it into my mana essence core. I'd learned that meditation was essential for controlling mana—but this toddler body could hardly feel anything.

I let out a slow sigh when Mother yanked me up from my training station—the baby cage. She'd let out a breath and say,

"Kael, my baby… what are you doing? Are you trying to meditate?"

Mom! Just you wait—I'll protect you and Father. Let me meditate.