Location: Behind the cabin and the dirt paths surrounding the village.
Time: Month 1 to Month 3.Lirion decided not to rely on breathing exercises alone. Magic required a physically robust vessel to withstand the pressure of mana. He devised a brutal schedule: Before Dawn: 100 deep breaths (focusing on directing mana to cleanse impurities within his bones).
At Dawn: A 5 km run. During the first week, he had to stop every 200 meters. His legs trembled uncontrollably.
After Running: Carrying buckets of water. His small back bent under the weight.
Evening: Strength training exercises. Challenges and Intervention:
In the second week, he suffered a severe muscle cramp. He attempted to use mana to soothe the pain, but his white root refused to respond to his command.
[System Alert: Mana direction failed. Purity insufficient. Continue purification.] His uncle, Alden Greenhorn, a retired warrior, noticed him training. He approached and said, "Your form is wrong. You'll break your back." Alden taught him the basics of proper lifting technique. "Strength starts from the roots, boy, just like a tree. And a magical root is no different from the root of a tree."By the end of the third month, he completed the quest. A warm sensation spread through his chest.
[Quest Completed. Reward: +0.5 years of stored mana. Root purity increased to 25%.]Lirion felt as though his lungs had expanded, the air now richer with oxygen. This was the beginning of manually constructing his "Mana Reservoir"—a feat rarely attempted by children, who typically rely solely on their natural roots.
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