{Ding! User profile updated!}
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User: Vesper Evren
Race: Immortal Empyrean
Life Rank: Immortal Empyrean
Body age: 3 days 11 hours old. Mental age: 80 years
Bloodline: Evren
Mana Heart: Rank 1 / Mortal - Low.
Saturation: 5 / 9,999
…
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"Hmm, saturation's only at five? Well, I guess that's to be expected…"
I stretched briefly, allowing myself to familiarize myself with the new feeling coursing through my body. I wouldn't say I felt cold or freezing, but my body temperature was definitely cooler than before, and I had a gut feeling that even with my Rank 1 Mana Heart, I could easily survive the coldest regions back on Earth.
Hmm, will I eventually become like a cold-blooded creature?
I shook my head, clearing the thought.
Deciding to test out Touch of Dark Cold with my own mana instead of the environmental energy, I willed the ability to activate, and both of my hands were covered in a black-and-indigo mist. It held for a few minutes before flickering out and disappearing as I felt the mana in my body dissipate.
"Well, with only five mana, I guess I can't expect much from it…"
Yu Namit pulsed at my side in agreement.
I stroked the blade and turned my attention back to the saturation of my mana heart.
So nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine is the limit for Rank 1?
Hm… so two thousand to get to the beginning of Mortal-Mid rank, four thousand to get to Mortal-High, six thousand to get to Mortal-Peak, and eight thousand to get to Mortal-Perfected—but it stops right before ten thousand?
Why not ten thousand?
Some type of gap to cross between Ranks?
Well, guess Ill find out when i get there.
{Would you like to see Level 3, The Circulation Method?}
"Yeah… Let's aim to get to Mortal-Peak or Mortal-Perfected before looking through the map!" I replied, a faint spark of determination flaring in my chest.
The system chimed softly, and a translucent diagram appeared before my eyes: an outline of a body with faint indigo channels tracing the path of energy. A single thick line ran from the head to spine, with smaller streams branching off to each limb—left arm, left leg, right leg, right arm—finally converging from the spine through a small vein that connects to the Mana Heart.
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes.
The first point: the glabella. I focused there, feeling a subtle vibration beneath the skin, delicate yet persistent. The energy flowed towards me and entered like liquid darkness, threading through my skull and pooling briefly at the crown.
Then, guided by the spine, it slid downward in a steady pulse, the vertebrae humming faintly with life. A branch split off to my left arm, tingling sharply along nerves and muscles. My fingers flexed instinctively as the current traced each vein, then drew back into the spine, pooling above my chest like a river collecting at a reservoir.
The left leg followed next. The energy cascaded down, heavy and grounding, filling the muscles and bones with odd warmth tinged by cold. When it returned to the spine, the current felt thicker, more substantial.
To the right leg, the flow was smoother, more controlled, almost anticipatory, as if the energy recognized its path. The pulse returned along the spine in rhythm with my heartbeat, preparing for the final branch.
My right arm tingled as the energy shot through, precise and sharp, brushing fingertips with icy indigo sparks. The current recoiled into the spine, coalescing just above the chest.
And there it all came together: the Mana Heart. Energy swirled and folded in on itself, pulsing like a tiny star igniting within my chest. Darkness and cold mixed with warmth and life, coalescing into something tangible yet unformed, waiting to be molded.
I exhaled slowly, opening my eyes. My chest rose and fell with the rhythm of the energy.
"…First circulation… complete," I muttered, a faint grin tugging at my lips. Yu Namit hummed softly beside me, as though acknowledging the milestone. The system chimed once, confirming my partial success, and I felt a spark of excitement for the next repetition.
But before that, I checked the saturation to see the progress.
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Saturation: 200 / 9,999
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"System… I only have to do ten circulations to get to Mortal-Mid Rank?! How?"
{Environment is the main reason. You are currently in the most suitable environment for your cultivation.}
{Notice: Think of this like a fire-element cultivator going into a volcano at the beginning of their journey—they would naturally die. Your Life Rank allows for this level of environment.}
"Huuuuu, guess I got lucky!"
{Ding! Set reminder to thank Mother later?}
"Pft—hahaha! System, since when did you become a comedian? But sure, might as well." I smirked, shaking my head. The reminder blinked innocuously at the edge of my interface, harmless yet oddly charming.
Yu Namit vibrated faintly by my side, as if sharing in my amusement—or maybe approving of the success.
Leaning back, I let my gaze wander across the frozen, indigo-lit training room. The frost veins were no longer harsh; they seemed to shimmer softly, reacting to the lingering currents of energy within me.
"…Okay," I muttered under my breath, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Let's see how far we can push this."
…
Two hours later, I was lying flat on the icy platform, staring blankly at the ceiling. My chest rose and fell in slow, controlled breaths, but my mind was buzzing. Every nerve felt alive from the circulation exercises, every pulse of energy in my Mana Heart thrumming like a tiny drum inside me.
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Saturation: 9,800 / 9,999
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I blinked. Slowly. Then again.
"System… isn't this too easy?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My fingers twitched instinctively, flexing as if testing the currents still flowing beneath my skin.
{Naturally. You have a Primordial-ranked talent for Darkness and Cold, which makes gathering mana as easy as breathing.}
I exhaled, a low chuckle escaping. "Yeah… that explains it. Guess I really am overpowered for my age," I muttered, though the awe in my voice betrayed how staggering it still felt.
The indigo glow of Yu Namit pulsed faintly beside me, almost like it was quietly congratulating me—or maybe just reminding me that the real work was just beginning.
I rolled onto my side, propping my head on an elbow, eyes tracing the frost veins crawling across the platform.
Well… I guess I can just complete the last circulation and hit 9,999.
I sat up slowly, letting the chill of the room brush against my skin. The energy in my Mana Heart pulsed in tandem with my heartbeat, steady, strong, insistent.
"…Alright," I murmured, a grin tugging at my lips. "Let's finish this."
I centered my focus on the glabella, and felt the familiar tingle of darkness and cold stirring. With a deep, controlled breath, I guided the flow down the spine, into the arms, legs, and finally into the Mana Heart.
The current shimmered, brighter this time, as if aware it was the final push. Every pulse sang through me, every vein alive with potential. I let it circulate fully, letting the energy settle, expand, and fold into the heart with precision.
A soft chime echoed.
——
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Saturation: 9,999 / 9,999
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A low, incredulous whistle escaped my lips. "…Huh. That's… insane."
Yu Namit hummed beside me, the indigo glow stronger now, almost like a heartbeat in sync with my own. I leaned back, letting the energy thrum beneath my skin, the warmth and cold coexisting in a strange, perfect balance.
"…Final full circulation of Mortal-Low complete," I whispered, and for a moment, just sat there, letting it sink in.
That was way too easy.
A slow grin tugged at my lips. Darkness and cold pulsed through me, steady and responsive. Yu Namit's indigo glow shifted, almost playful, as if it knew I was already thinking ahead.
Now… I should adventure out. Adjust to my new power, test it, familiarize myself with it. But the thought brought a twinge of hesitation.
I've got no combat skills to speak of. No experience facing anything beyond simple exercises I tried out with Yu. Not even been in a real combat situation…
A shiver ran down my spine—not from cold, but from anticipation. The possibilities were intoxicating.
"…Okay," I muttered under my breath, flexing my fingers, I reached out to Yu Namit who vibrated faintly in approval. "Start small. Test the power. Learn its limits. Then… well, then the real fun begins."
I stood slowly, taking a step forward. The ice beneath me creaked faintly, responding to the subtle currents of energy in me.
"Ho? You make noise now?" I muttered, crouching slightly to get a better look at the frozen floor.
The faint frost veins shimmered under the pressure of my foot, tiny cracks forming and then sealing almost immediately as if the ice were alive.
Yu Namit pulsed in my hand, almost impatiently, as if nudging me to start experimenting. A grin spread across my face.
"Alright, alright," I whispered standing up, "let's try these out."