There was only one way Eliron could channel all the mana into his core without destroying his nerves, but using this pathway could be considered even more dangerous.

After all, nearly all bodily activities were influenced in one way or the other by them.

This pathway was the nerves, small fibers connecting nearly every single path of the body, capable of transferring impulse faster than one could blink.

There was only one problem with this pathway... using it would shut down whatever body function that relied on its impulse, so Eliron had to be smart about it.

First of all, he swallowed the core to make it easier to control the flow of mana, and then he converted the mana into electric surges...

Since his core was right next to his heart, Eliron sent them through the nerve pathway leading to it.

Of course, as a result of this, the self-regulating mechanism of his heart was disrupted, leading to his heartbeat grinding to a halt, his body slumping down to the grass.

No matter!

The plan was madness, Eliron knew it, yet he had willingly fallen head long right in.

At this point in the process, Eliron did not need a heart, he did not need his limbs, nor did he need his eyes.

There were only two things he needed at this point, his brain, and his mana core. As long as he was conscious, he would be able to manipulate the mana, as the core was already in direct contact with his body.

The human brain could last 3 - 5 minutes without oxygen, but for a hybrid mage like him, Eliron was guessing he had at least nine.

In nine minutes, he had to complete the absorption, or lose his life in the process!

Bright, terrifying surges of lightning coursed through his body, dancing around his form and burning off parts of his clothing.

The mana continued to rush, charging his core like a battery, each second felt like a dance with death, its whispers ever near him.

And then finally, the lightning ceased and the mana flow stopped. His body was red with heat, the grass all around him had been scorched, and a cloud of smoke was rising from their smothered leaves.

’Now let’s pray this works...’

Eliron mentally directed the final spark of lightning towards his heart, giving it a reasonable shock.

Then he waited—

Badump—Badump—-

"Haaaa—!"

Eliron immediately sat up straight, his eyes wide as he stared at the world around him.

’I —I did it?’

Tsukiko was standing on his lap, looking more concerned than she had ever been, while Satoru glared at him and sighed.

[Damn it kid, don’t try something so risky again.]

Eliron chuckled, scratching his hair. "Sure, I’ve got you. Did you think I enjoyed the — blergh!!"

He suddenly doubled over and emptied his stomach, spewing out his breakfast as well as the empty spirit shard. His eyes were bloodshot as he stifled a scream.

"Argh, damn it!"

[Kid, are you alright?!]

"What is going on??" Satoru and Tsukiko’s voices reached him.

Eliron raised a hand to stop them. "Don’t worry... It’s just pain..."

Due to overloading his nerves, he felt nothing for the first few seconds, but now everything had hit him all at once and damn, it felt like hell.

It took about five minutes to shake off the pain, and once Eliron opened his eyes, the world around him had changed.

’What is this?

He could see tiny shimmering particles of mana all around him. Some things, like Tsukiko, were filled with so much mana that they glowed like a beacon, while others had moderate amounts.

He could always ’see’ mana if he concentrated, but this one was different, it was as though he could not just see it... if he focused well enough, he could sense its flow.

And that was not all....

Eliron closed his eyes, focusing on his mana core.

’How is this possible??’

He had expected his core to grow considerably, and for the mana within it to become purer in the process, but this was far different from what he had expected.

His mana core had grown by nearly fifty percent. Something that would have taken more than fifty years for a regular mage to achieve, he had managed to accomplish in just a few hours.

Currently, the mana was already in his core, but it was still unrestrained and turbulent.

Eliron sat on his knees and closed his eyes, feeling his core, then he took in a deep breath and began slowly circulating it around his body, calming his mind and spirit.

’Concentrate...’

He had managed to force the mana into the core, but because of the speed with which he had shoved it in, it was untamed—it was not yet his own.

A few minutes passed, then Eliron opened his azure blue eyes, the soft glow within them dying down.

Suddenly, the very familiar blue screen appeared in front of him.

Ding!

[You have been exposed to wild mana from a supernatural beast]

[Strange mana is coalescing in your core] 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

***

[You have successfully gained new affinities!]

[Affinity name: Light and Life]

[You have obtained new skills]

[A-Rank Bind, S-Rank Spirit Whip, A- Rank Summon Leshy, S-Rank Grand Rejuvenation]

***

[Vestiges of the Dryad’s will has influenced your mind]

[You have obtained enlightenment!]

<•••>

[So?] Satoru asked from the side. [How did it go, kid?]

Eliron did not say a word, he glanced at his sword which was resting by the side of the tree, then raised his hand.

Swooosh!

The sword suddenly spun in the air as though it had a mind of his own, flying right into his grasp.

Satoru’s eyes widened. [Is that... Mana whispering?]

Mana whispering was the ability to manipulate objects marked with your mana without directly touching them.

Only swordsmen who had spent years honing the art of the blade and refining their mana cores were able to pull it off, and yet Eliron, who had not been a swordsman for more than six months had just done it?

[’His talent is scary...’]

Satroru thought as he watched him.

Eliron stared at the blade in his hands, then a small smile curved up on his lips as he glanced at Satoru.

"Up for a duel?" It was about time he tested out these new powers.

<•••>

Alex was climbing up the stairs once again, just like he had done every day since the war began.

He did not know why his father had placed the council room at the highest point of the castle, but these days, he was beginning to regret not opposing the idea.

"Are you sure I should be coming with you?" Ciera asked from beside him. "I know you don’t see me as a commoner, but the nobles do, they hate it whenever I am around."

"Then I’m doing them a favour." Alex smiled. "They should get used to your face, they will be seeing us together a lot in the future."

Ciera’s eyes widened slightly. She stopped climbing the steps, but Alex did not notice until he had moved three steps ahead.

"Cici? What is wrong?"

Ciera was quiet at first, her fingers tightly clamped on the hem of her shirt.

"W-what did you mean by..." her voice trailed off.

Alex tilted his head in confusion. "Sorry I didn’t quite get you—"

"I said what did you mean by that?! What did you mean by what you said?"

There was a faint tint of pink on her cheeks, the colour deepening with every second he left her question unanswered.

"Oh?" Alex took a step down, up until he was face to face with her. "Isn’t it obvious? When this is all over—"

"My prince!" A loud call interrupted Alex. He frowned as he stared at the approaching guard, trying to hold back the urge to shove him down the stairs.

"What is it?" Alex axed in an annoyed tone.

The knight noticed Ciera and tried to whisper into his ear, but Alex stopped him. "Whatever you have to say to me she can hear as well."

"But my prince—"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Alex asked in a colder tone, causing the guard to flinch under his gaze.

"As you wish your magesty..." he swallowed, stealing a glance at Ciera. "We have received a visitor at the castle today."

"A visitor?" Alex’s gaze narrowed. "And who is this visitor that has managed to get you so agitated?"

"My prince. It is Sir Cavil, the knight presumed dead in the first wave of attacks."

Alex froze.

Clack!

Ciera immediately dropped the files she had been carrying. Her eyes went wide, and her hands began to tremble.

"Ciera—" before Alex could say a word, she turned down and frantically raced down the stairs.

"Why didn’t you tell me it was him?!" Alex barked at the guard, angrily running his hand through his hair.

"Sir, I tried to tell—"

"Be quiet!"

After a few seconds, he sighed and dismissed the knight. There was no point putting his frustrations on him.

Alex bit the insides of his cheeks as he contemplated.

’This can’t be good...’

According to the reports they received, there was not a single surviving soldier left on the walls.

They were either killed on the spot, or captured to be killed later. How then did he survive? And in what state would he be?

With those thoughts weighing in his mind, Alex rushed down the stairs. He had to stop her from seeing her brother until they had confirmed certain things and cleaned him up.

Something told him that if she was to see him now, it would break her.

And as though to confirm his thoughts, just as he was leaving the staircase, Alex heard a loud scream...

It was Ciera’s voice.

He was too late.