Reincarnated as an Elf Prince-Chapter 64: Mana Studies (2)

The soft scratch of chalk against the board filled the silent room.

Nyx’s handwriting was sharp and deliberate, each letter standing bold against the dark surface. When she finished writing, she stepped back, letting the students take in the words.

[ Mana Core Stages ]

1. Faint Core

2. Lesser Core

3. Stable Core

4. Greater Core

5. Refined Core

6. Crystal Core

7. Prismatic Core

8. Luminous Core

9. Aetherial Core

10. Ascended Core

11. Celestial Core

12. Ethereal Core

13. ????????

’Seriously? That many..?’

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Lindarion thought as Nyx finished the list with a bunch of question marks.

’So there is possibly more.’

Nyx underlined the first five ranks.

"These are what most people with at least a tiny talent, will achieve in their lifetime," she said.

The tension in the room shifted.

Lindarion caught the way some students stiffened in their seats. A few looked smug—probably nobles who already had high-ranked cores…well not compared to Lindarion of course. Others looked… uncomfortable.

Nyx continued, her tone casual. "Faint Core. Lesser Core. Stable Core. Greater Core. Refined Core. These are your foundation. Kind of weak compared to the later stages, but functional enough."

She gestured lazily at the next set.

"From Crystal Core onward, you are no longer a simple mage—you are a force. This is where raw power begins to sharpen into something dangerous. Something legendary. These people are often called experts, perhaps generals even on the battlefield."

A slow, knowing smile played on her lips.

"And that is why… some of you will never see it."

Dead silence.

Cassian tensed slightly beside Lindarion. Luneth didn’t react at all.

Nyx let her words hang before she continued.

"All of these cores have sub-ranks as you all probably know already. Low, Mid, High, and Peak…which is kind of useless. For some people without talent, advancing even a single sub-rank can take years, perhaps even decades."

Her eyes seemed to turn to Lindarion who stiffened instantly.

"Of course, there are those who have immense talent."

She turned back, tapping the chalk against the board near the final known ranks.

"The Aetherial Core? Rare. The Ascended Core? Living legends, only a couple have achieved it. The Celestial Core?" She smirked. "If you’ve met someone with one, congratulations. You’re probably dead before you even realize it. If they release even a fragment of their aura your being would cease to exist."

’That’s insane.’

Lindarion thought as a few nervous chuckles rippled through the class. Nyx’s expression remained unreadable.

"As for what lies beyond?"

She turned back to the board, her chalk hovering over the last four unknown ranks.

Silence stretched.

Then—

She didn’t write anything.

Instead, she simply smiled.

"That," she said, "is something we have yet to understand."

Lindarion’s gaze flickered to the blank space on the board.

Cassian frowned slightly as he raised his hand. "Professor… Do you mean that there are ranks beyond Celestial?"

Nyx met his gaze, expression unreadable. "I mean exactly what I said."

Her lips curved slightly.

"Whether or not you choose to believe it… is up to you."

The room stayed silent.

Then, she set the chalk down, dusted her hands off, and turned back to the students.

"Any questions before we move on?"

The entire class remained silent without any response whatsoever.

"Then let’s continue with our next lesson."

Nyx said as the entire room was silent, save for the soft tap, tap, tap of chalk against the board.

She wrote with her sharp, deliberate strokes, her eyes flickering as she worked. When she finished, she stepped back, letting the students take in the words.

[ Mana Circulation Techniques ]

She turned to face them, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Power is meaningless if you don’t know how to use it," she said. "And most of you don’t know how to maximize this power..to use it to its maximum potential."

Her gaze swept the classroom, lingering on a few students who had been foolish enough to look smug after their recent rankings discussion.

"The strength of your mana core is irrelevant if you can’t circulate mana efficiently," she continued. "A mage with a weak core but perfect circulation can defeat a fool with a high-rank core who doesn’t know how to properly channel their energy."

She softly chuckled as she continued.

"Of course, this doesn’t mean a lesser core would be able to defeat a person with a refined core. That is simply impossible if we are only looking at magic abilities."

She took the chalk again, drawing a simple diagram of the human body with a glowing core in the center of the head. Lines branched out from it, extending to the limbs, the entire body, the fingertips.

"This," she tapped the core, "is where your mana core resides."

Then she traced the branching lines.

"And this… is how it moves."

She set the chalk down and turned to face the class again.

"There are three fundamental circulation techniques that every mage must master if they want to survive beyond their first real battle."

She raised a single slender finger.

"One—Passive Circulation."

"This is the default state of mana flow," she said. "Your core naturally distributes mana throughout your body, keeping you energized, strengthening your muscles, enhancing your reflexes. Most of you do this instinctively without even realizing it."

Her smirk deepened slightly.

"However… passive circulation alone won’t keep you alive."

She lifted a second finger.

"Two—Controlled Circulation."

"This is where a real mage begins to form," she said. "Controlled Circulation allows you to direct mana where it is needed most—whether that be reinforcing your arms to withstand the recoil of a spell, sharpening your vision, or enhancing your reaction time."

She tilted her head slightly.

"Most of you should already be able to use this, of course not to its total extent."

’Total extent huh? It seemed pretty instinctual..to me.’

Well, he was blessed by mana after all…Lindarion looked at the students, but everyone seemed to be completely silent as Nyx continued.

"Without Controlled Circulation, your mana is wasted. It leaks. It disperses. And when the time comes for a real fight? You’ll be the first to fall."

A final finger rose.

"Three—Combat Circulation."

The air in the room seemed to shift.

"This," Nyx said, voice smooth, "is what separates warriors from corpses."

The chalk flicked against the board again, sketching a more intricate pathway—one where mana surged rapidly between key points of the body.

"Combat Circulation is a technique used in battle. It allows you to temporarily overload specific parts of your body, increasing power, speed, and resistance. This is what lets mages keep fighting even when their bodies should have collapsed."

Her eyes glinted faintly.

"The difference between a first-rate mage and a dead one… is how well they can maintain this technique under pressure."

Silence.

Lindarion’s fingers unconsciously curled against the desk.

’She could have used a better example, but this is important..’

More than ranks. More than raw power.

Because efficiency always beats recklessness.

Beside him, Cassian looked deep in thought. Luneth remained as unreadable as ever, but her eyes were fixed firmly on the board.

Vivienne seemed to be thinking about something as she kept tapping her fingers on her desk.