It's just like it sounds. Pumping any foreign object into the core of your soul causes such intense pain. Especially mana that can take different shapes.
It's not like blunt force trauma. It like an needles poking all around your head while a migraine messes your concentration up.
The first manual I tried was the warrior one. I slowly start gathering the mana in my body using my will. Then I take a wisp of it and direct it into my brain. Slowly I inch it forward until the tip has just about touched my soul shell.
I take a deep breath and push it through the thresh hold. After that all I could feel was the pain. I started nose bleeding from that first push and it was only a little bit.
Apparently because of my age, I gotta take it extra slow. I continuously do this same process over time. Puncture, pain, recover, until I start getting used to the pain and slowly drive it a little bit forward. I'm being extrémelo careful at this point.
Once the mana was deep in the core I began to swirl the mana together with the essence.
Besides the immense pain, I noticed the mana turning into essence in a peculiar process as it's mixing.
Like a blender willed with a smoothie, adding more water then blending only makes more smoothie.
[bad analogy]
I gave it a shot.
Anyway the amount of essence in my shell is slowly increasing. Now the next step is to condense. This is done by using mana to pressure the gas together.
This is going to be the hard part. Too hard, and my essence can outright shatter. Too little and I do nothing.
The way to do this with mana is to have it copy the properties of the shell by having it copy the inner lining of it then condensing.
Every time I condense my essence it's 1 rank.
Currently I am at the cusp of rank 2 so me condensing my core for the first time should be possible.
Because I have not studied the Warrior manual for physical training, I do not know how this increase in will would affect me but I do know the stronger my soul, the strong my intelligence.
As I coat the inside the shell I'm gritting my teeth. I'm currently meditating on the floor of my study because I thought it would be appropriate. There are blood spots everywhere on my clothes because of all the nose bleeds. My hands and clenched so hard I'm bleeding.
As the coating completes, I gradually shrink the spear. First I slowly pushed so as to not damage. I tested how much effort is needed. And low and behold I finally saw the gas started to clump into pockets. I continued to condense more figuring out the pace I must condense at already. At some point, all the clumps were clumped together. It looked like a sphere of playdo that was constantly rearranging its shape.
That was my first condensing. Every rank I have to fill my core with more mana and condense until that playdo is a solid diamond.
Fortunately I don't have to wait to long to give it shape. Im to shape it into a seed tomorrow.
I am to tired today so I asked Alfred to call Hilda to bathe me and take me to bed.
For once in my life I'm happy to see her.
The next day I got up and went straight to the courtyard skipping breakfast. Luckily both my parents were already there smiling.
Of course they would know I would come here first.
My father spoke first. "How did it go?"
"I did my first condensation, I was gonna complete the druid manual now," I said in response.
His eyes started glittering.
"Good, before you do the druid manual we need to discuss a few things including the physical portion of your training," he said.
My mother spoke this time, "Besides offering you my grimoire of spells for druids, you've already completed the basics of being a druid and are ready for self practice. You may ask me for help whenever you have a question. I will stay here after this to help you with the druid soul manual."
"Currently you will be practicing the warrior physical manual every on every other day like your last training except instead of druid training the day after, you will learn forgemastering the whole day. The only time you have now for druid training will be on your two rest days after Freya's Day," my father said. "You will continue this for a whole year. A whole year later your leaving the city to The Forest Giants capital to see your grandparents in secret. It's about time you begin to see the world."
"We of course aren't gonna have you be bored alone this whole time. We've decided to allow some friends in the courtyard with you if you guys want to train together. This way you can be like every other boy", my mom said kindly.
I guess they heard my deal with Aegir and Ulr and are gonna allow me to go adventure.
"Your grandparents will look after you and teach you how to live in the tribes on your own. Ulr's assured me his son is an expert woodsman and tracker so you should have no problem getting around the forest on your own. You may be smaller in stature for a bit but you should be able to take a mercenary job if you want. Whatever you do, just be careful. Bring honor to the tribe," My father said strictly.
So their giving me autonomy. Ironically enough, this can be seen as a way to increase my reputation. The more good deeds I do, the More likely diplomacy will win out with the southern tribes.
"Im okay with all that. Also mom can you come to my office later, I have something about alchemy I wanted to ask you", I said in a normal tone so my mother wouldn't be suspicious.
My mother had a shifty look but then with her normal smile said, "Of course sweetie, whatever you need. I'll go get some tea and come back before you need to do the druid soul manual".
[you have finally decided to confront her]
Yea, there's too much I can tell she knows and or hiding. I need to ask her about it. I know she wouldn't harm me, but that necklace thing she pulled during the trial has me weirded out.
[And about the trial itself?]
... Im still trying to process it
"Okay son it's time I talked to you about what a warrior is all about. First I'm going to give you a basic overview of the schools of thought for warriors. It has a long rich history of many people tweaking it so don't scoff at it even though we're not scholars like the druids." My father said smiling.
"The first school is called the school of enhancement. They use the elements to enhance their bodies to be granted strength in combat. It goes based off affinities so an example would be an earth affinity man having stronger skin than normal."
Im already intrigued. Apparently the rule of three schools keeps up for warriors too.
"Water gives better regeneration and wind better speed. Compound elements like yours could have the amplification of their parent elements with some special abilities."
Im gonna become a lightning bolt I just know it.
[I am Speeeeeed]
"The second school is the school of tranquility. They focus on honing your mind using mana to sharpen your reflexes. Those at mastery level can likely see a few seconds on the future during combat." My father continued while smiling.
"The final school is the school of rage. You use heightened emotions to reinforce your body with pure mana temporarily leading to extraordinary strength. Unfortunately it also makes you prone to bad decision making so these last two schools can't be used equally. You can only choose a dominate one".
So basically a berserker skill.
"you can think on that for now. I'll have Vili come over tomorrow and teach you the specifics... oh look your mother is coming. Go ahead and complete the druid manual now". My father said ruffing my hair.
I nodded and got in the ground in my meditation position. I then looked for my soul and found it.
I felt a second force enter my body. I can tell it was mother. It looks like she's supporting me.
I move my mana toward the shell. I now split the man into three strands and send them to the top of the shell.
I slowly press the mana against the top of the shell in three different spots. Gently so as not to puncture. I'm actually now sending another three strands to push from the inside.
Their goal is to thin certain areas of the shell. It's not as painful though because my mother is diffusing the pain.
As I push from both sides I feel the shell near a breaking point and stop.
Next is the easy part.