Nile sat cross-legged in the dimly lit chamber, his breathing steady but his mind tumultuous. The stone-shaped rune lay before him, pulsating gently with an ethereal glow. As the light from the stone bathed his skin, he could feel the faint but persistent thrum of energy just beneath the surface of his skin. It was as if the rune, so small in its physical form, was calling to him, pulling at his very core.
A memory from the trial on the third floor of the Mana Recharge Shop flashed through his mind, almost like a dream he couldn't quite grasp. The flood of mana that had poured into his body had felt like fire, searing through him in waves, leaving nothing but pain and the desire to scream. It had nearly overwhelmed him, pushing him to the brink of death.
But then there had been the butterfly—its cocooned form, wrapped around him, absorbing the mana as if it had been waiting for this very moment. The butterfly's power had controlled the flow, conquering the wild surge of energy, guiding it into his body like a flood tamed by a dam.
It was then that he had opened three mana circuits—unlike anything he'd felt before. At the time, he hadn't fully understood the implications. The circuits, though open, merely stored the mana, never allowing it to flow freely, never strengthening his body. They had been like empty vessels, waiting for something to happen.
And now, the Body Strengthening Rune sat before him, ready to complete the journey he had begun, to make those circuits functional and strengthen his body in the process. But there was a problem. The rune was powerful, yes. But it was incomplete until he could make the mana flow through the circuits—and it would not be an easy feat.
As Nile's fingers brushed the rune stone, a soft ripple of energy spread from his fingertips, shooting through his body. His senses expanded in all directions, and the world outside of the sphere seemed to vanish. It was as if he were no longer part of the physical realm, as if he existed inside a space of perfect stillness.
Nile blinked, and suddenly, the world around him changed. He wasn't sitting in the chamber anymore; he was inside something far more significant—the sphere. The very air within the sphere hummed with an energy all its own, like the pulse of a heart beating deep within the earth. He could feel the absolute control the sphere granted him—absolute control over his own body, the rune stone, and everything within his reach.
His consciousness was fully attuned to the sphere now, like an extension of his own will, and the rune stone, which had previously seemed like an enigmatic object, now appeared as something he could touch, manipulate, and control with his mind.
"Now," Nile whispered to himself. "This is where it begins."
In the moment his thought solidified, the rune stone shifted within the sphere, almost as if it had recognized his intent. A small line of energy snaked up from the stone and connected to his body, linking the two together in a delicate, shimmering thread. For the first time, he could feel the rune's power working—not just as a passive object before him, but actively trying to integrate with his body.
But this wasn't the first time he had tried to absorb a rune. He knew how this process worked, at least in theory. The Body Strengthening Rune wasn't simply a tool to enhance his mana—it was something more profound.
He remembered the body stimulus paste Veena had once explained to him—the low-grade, high-grade, and top-grade variations. The paste was used to stimulate the body, allowing the absorbed runes to activate again and trigger the opening of new mana circuits. Nile had heard that it could work wonders when applied after the body strengthening process had reached a plateau.
But this was different. There was no need for external stimuli. His body was being stimulated internally—through the connection with the sphere, Nile now had the ability to actively control the assimilation of the rune, starting the process in a way he had never experienced before.
"First, I need to understand you," he thought, focusing on the energy flowing from the stone.
The rune stone shimmered before him, and he could sense its power, its purpose. It wasn't just a passive object; it was a conduit, a guide to shaping his body and mind. This rune wasn't about quick enhancement—it was about steady, incremental growth.
The Body Strengthening Rune had been designed specifically for cultivators at his level. Once a cultivator reached a mana value of nine points, they were required to absorb this rune. It was at this point that the first mana circuit was opened, but the true significance lay in the rune's effect: it wasn't just about opening a circuit, it was about strengthening the entire body.
Nile remembered what Veena had told him about the process.
"The rune works through your circuits, slowly channeling mana through them," Veena's voice echoed in his mind. "As the mana flows, parts of your body will be strengthened—bones, muscles, organs. Everything that is you will become more resilient, more powerful. It's a slow process, but a crucial one."
Nine circuits. That's what it all boiled down to. Every cultivator had to open nine mana paths in their body. And with each circuit, the process would become more challenging.
Once the mana began to flow freely through the first circuit, the body would start to undergo changes. Strengthening and fortification would occur in increments—slowly and subtly. But when the first circuit was not enough to continue strengthening the body, a body stimulus paste would be needed to stimulate the rune, reigniting the process and eventually allowing a new circuit to open.
But Nile wasn't there yet. He had three circuits, but they were inactive, storing mana without flowing it. He needed to awaken the flow, to make the first circuit work. Only then could the rune continue its job, attaching itself to the next circuits.
He took a deep breath, focusing all his attention on the rune's energy. He could feel the pulse of the energy as it flickered through the stone, vibrating slightly.
Here, within this space, I have complete control, he thought. The sphere amplifies my will over my body. I can connect the rune to my body through my mind.
The first step was to link the rune's power to his body circuit. As Nile focused intently, the connection between the stone and his body grew stronger. The vibrations of the stone seemed to resonate with his pulse, syncing with the natural rhythm of his body.
The second the rune was fully attached to his open circuit, he felt it—like a gentle, steady stream of energy beginning to flow through his body. It wasn't fast, nor was it overwhelming. It was a slow trickle, a gradual strengthening that Nile could feel working through his limbs, his muscles, his bones. The energy was nourishing him from the inside, and although it wasn't a dramatic surge, the effects were undeniable.
As the energy began to circulate, Nile understood. This was the start of the process.
He could feel his body responding. His muscles were subtly tightening, his bones growing stronger, and his stamina slowly increasing. But it was just the beginning.
The sphere pulsed around him, amplifying his control. Nile could feel it—his will was molding the flow of energy, directing the mana to specific points in his body. He could see how the energy moved and shaped his body, strengthening it bit by bit.
For the first time, he felt truly in control.
"This is just the beginning," Nile whispered to himself, his mind focused entirely on the process ahead.
The sphere hummed with energy, as if acknowledging his determination.