Chapter 25 – Creating a Mana Core (Part 1)
[Gray’s POV]
After a few moments of thought, I finally settled on a name.
The moment it came to me, it simply felt... right.
I slowly raised the crimson blade before me and spoke its name.
"Eclipse."
A brief silence followed.
"Just like a real eclipse... it casts everything into shadow."
"And it will cut down everything in its path."
For a brief moment, the sword felt... different.
Not louder.
Not more aggressive.
Just...
Complete.
As though giving it a name had finally completed its existence.
Amy immediately stepped closer, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"So, what did you name your sword, Gray?" she asked excitedly.
Mother also turned her gaze toward me. Since she happened to be free today, she had stayed with us, quietly observing everything from the beginning.
I rubbed the back of my head with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Eclipse," I answered.
"...Do you think it suits it?"
Silence filled the room for a few seconds as both of them considered the name.
Amy tilted her head thoughtfully.
"...Eclipse," she repeated softly.
Mother closed her eyes for a brief moment, as though testing how the name matched the weapon.
A few seconds later, she nodded.
"It fits."
Amy grinned brightly.
"Yeah! It sounds really cool."
Hearing that, I unconsciously let out a small sigh of relief.
Not because I needed their approval...
But because it meant I hadn’t chosen poorly.
⸻
Amy suddenly clapped her hands together.
"Alright then! Since everything’s settled, let’s head to the training room!"
I blinked.
"Already?"
Before Amy could answer, Mother stepped forward.
"Yes."
Her calm voice immediately drew my attention.
"Today is your first day after awakening."
Her usually cold eyes softened ever so slightly as they rested on me.
"So today..."
"We begin properly."
I instinctively straightened my posture.
Mother continued,
"I’ll teach you the foundation of becoming a true awakened individual."
Her tone gradually became more serious.
"Awakening is not the end of your growth."
"It is merely the beginning."
She turned around and began walking toward the exit.
"Come."
Amy immediately moved beside me and nudged my shoulder.
"Let’s go, little brother."
I smiled helplessly.
"...Yeah."
"Let’s go."
Together, we followed Mother toward the training grounds.
This time...
It didn’t feel like ordinary practice anymore.
It felt like I was taking my first true step into this world’s power system.
A step that would determine everything that came afterward.
I couldn’t help smiling.
"Okay."
"I finally get to learn how to use mana."
Mother glanced back at my excited expression.
For just a brief moment...
The cold, untouchable image she showed the world completely disappeared.
A gentle smile appeared on her face before she continued walking.
She was always like this.
To outsiders...
She was the feared Matriarch of the Starlight Family.
Cold.
Distant.
Almost impossible to approach.
But to Amy and me...
She was simply our mother.
Warm.
Patient.
And endlessly supportive.
Amy quietly followed beside us.
She didn’t say much, but judging by the excitement in her eyes, she was just as eager as I was.
Perhaps she was even more curious to see how much I had changed after awakening.
⸻
A few minutes later, we entered the private training room.
Mother stopped near the center and turned toward me.
"Draw your katana."
Then she pointed toward one of the reinforced training dummies.
"Try cutting it in half."
I nodded immediately.
Without hesitation, I grasped Eclipse’s hilt.
Shing—
The crimson blade slowly slid free from its obsidian sheath.
The instant it was unsheathed, the surrounding air seemed to grow just a little heavier.
I took a deep breath.
Then pointed the blade toward the training dummy.
My stance naturally settled into place.
One step forward.
A firm grip.
Steady breathing.
Then—
I swung.
A clean horizontal slash.
The blade itself was unimaginably sharp.
It easily bit into the wooden dummy...
But my physical strength wasn’t yet enough to carry the strike all the way through.
The sword became lodged halfway inside.
I frowned slightly.
"...Not enough."
Mother observed the result quietly before giving a small nod.
"Hm."
"Good."
I blinked.
"...Good?"
"Yes."
She walked toward the training dummy and gently touched the blade still embedded inside.
"Your improvement is already noticeable."
She looked back at me.
"If you had reinforced your body with mana before that strike..."
"You would have split this dummy cleanly in two."
She calmly pulled the blade free before handing it back to me.
"I intentionally had you attack without using mana first."
"So you could understand the limits of your current physical strength."
I accepted Eclipse and nodded in understanding.
Mother gestured for me to approach.
"Come here."
"I’ll teach you how to properly utilize mana."
Without another word, I sheathed Eclipse and walked over.
Mother carefully studied me.
Perhaps she noticed the excitement I was trying—and failing—to hide.
A faint smile crossed her face.
"Good."
"Since you can already sense mana..."
"We can begin with internal control."
She gently placed her hand near the center of my chest.
"Close your eyes."
I immediately obeyed.
"Now..."
"Focus inward."
"Feel the mana flowing naturally throughout your body."
I slowly followed her instructions.
Almost immediately, I sensed countless tiny streams of mana flowing through every part of me.
"They’re everywhere..." I murmured.
Mother nodded.
"Good."
"Now guide them."
"Gather all of that mana into a single point."
She lightly tapped the center of my chest.
"Here."
"Around your heart."
"This will eventually become your Mana Core."
Her voice remained calm and reassuring.
"Don’t rush."
"If anything goes wrong..."
"I’ll stop it immediately."
Hearing those words erased every trace of anxiety.
I trusted Mother completely.
So...
I relaxed.
Instead of forcing the mana to obey me...
I simply guided it.
At first, it felt like trying to redirect a raging river with my bare hands.
Mana surged in every direction, refusing to gather.
But I didn’t panic.
Little by little...
I adjusted.
Corrected.
Guided.
Instead of controlling it by force...
I persuaded it.
Gradually...
The chaotic currents began flowing toward my heart.
"I can feel it..." I whispered.
"I’m gathering the mana..."
"And guiding it little by little."
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"What shape should I make the Mana Core?"
Without hesitation, Mother answered.
"A vortex."
"A spiraling vortex naturally gathers and circulates mana."
"It is the most stable structure."
I paused.
A vortex...
It certainly sounded efficient.
Stable.
Simple.
Practical.
But for some reason...
It didn’t feel right.
Something deep inside me stirred.
An idea.
No...
An instinct.
Something that suited me better.
A small smile slowly appeared on my face.
"...No."
"I’ve got something better."
Mother and Amy both looked toward me curiously.
I slowly opened my eyes.
"A black hole."