When Altair entered the training hall reserved for First Years, he saw that others were already present. Zeze Solaria was busy pummelling a wooden, humanoid golem with flame-encased fists, while the blonde Nezra was exchanging sword blows with another golem in the corner. In the centre of the room was a mat, where Nephelae was sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, seemingly deep in meditation. Altair could perceive Mana shifting ever-so-slightly around her, like a slow moving current, and knew she was building her finesse over Mana.
He had learnt a bit more about the Fae, either from Elizabeth or Jace, and he had a better grasp of just what it meant to be a "Mana-born Race". As creatures born directly from Mana, the Fairies could manipulate it better than almost all other creatures on Orvonia, second only to the Dragons. They were apparently even better than the Elves, but Altair didn't know too much about that. Neither did he know why all Fae were female, as it was a major quarry amongst researcher and even the Fae themselves being unaware. Some theorised that it was the result of a God's influence, but there was no material proof.
Making his way over to a different mat, Nephelae payed him no mind as he walked past her. Altair was far too young to be building muscle mass so physical training was useless to him and neither did he possess any Techniques so weapons training was also pointless. According to the System, his Strength stat wouldn't rise until he hits puberty, or has an extraordinary encounter and forcefully raises it. He knew for a fact the System could raise Stats freely irrespective of one's build, but for some reason it refused to do so with him. In any case, body building was out of the equations for a long time yet.
That left Intelligence, Luck, Charm and Mana since Vitality, Speed, Defence and Strength were all untouchable for Altair's current self. Out of the four options available to him, Intelligence was the highest and thus hardest to improve. Luck could only be affected via supernatural means, with Rituals being infamously difficult or expensive to pull off. The easiest way to increase Luck was by Ranking or Levelling up. Charm was similarly difficult to improve on.
'So Mana it is' thought Altair.
There was a reason why Ascenders focused on their Rank first and foremost, and Level second. One only needed to sit in a Mana-rich environment and soak everything up to increase their Rank, while Levelling required you to risk life and limb in a battle. The System was also adamant on covering any loopholes: killing a creature that can't fight back, or relying on others to subdue it and then dealing the finishing blow, would only give you paltry EXP. The exact mechanism behind this was something Altair wasn't clear on, but it was proof of the System's grip over reality even in this world.
Of course, Ranking also had its drawbacks. Bottlenecks between Ranks was more extreme than Tiers, and really depended on your Bloodline. A Magi would have a much easier time than a commoner, but they would have the same experience when going up a new Tier. In this regard Altair was just dandy though, since he possessed two Lineages, both descended from Gods.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Altair closed his eyes and got into a comfortable position. Gradually, the world around him began to fade away as the noise of Nezra and Zeze drained away. He could hear his heartbeat thumping away, and a prickly sensation roll over his skin. Reality around him transformed into a mute, white void where only he existed, the textbook description of a Mana trance. After a few seconds, bright and swirling colours began to appear in the void, dying everything in their hue. Mana.
Mentally reaching out, Altair commanded the reds and soft blacks to come to him. Altair had a dual Shadows and Wind Affinity thanks to his two Lineages, so those were the only Mana types he could absorb. Anything else would simply be pushed back out by his body after taking them in, something he found quite unpleasant from the one time he tried it. As he (as Endyr) had done to that Space Vampire, forcefully injecting incompatible Mana into someone's nobody was a recipe for disaster. Best case scenario, they would be violently ill and be forced to purge all the Mana in their bodies, a highly perilous procedure. Worst case scenario? A gory and explosive death.
Plucking the desired strings of Mana from the air around him, Altair felt a sensation of euphoria bubbling up deep within his soul, one no drug could easily replicate. Ranking was an addictive process, since you were nourishing your soul in real time, and the market for drugs that can recreate the sensation were a goldmine. Indeed, what was once used to help Ascenders grow stronger in the time of the Almighty has now fallen into the hands of the debauched and disdainful. But when the world was more or less at peace, what use has a tool of war? In any case, the price of herbs and potions able to increase your Rank were worth their weight in gold.
'That's why the System's shop section is so desirable. I have no need for it now, but in the future it could come in handy. I could also give a potion to Sia or Mother too...'
Altair let his thoughts wander for a bit before sinking back into his trance, emptying his mind once more. In the outside world, the Mana surrounding his body began to churn and twist, moving closer to him like a swarm of serpents. Zeze and Nezra failed to notice anything, but Nephelae had opened her eyes at some point, two lilac orbs observing the sitting boy with an impatient gaze. In her eyes, a kaleidoscopic cloud comprised of a myriad of colours was settling over Altair, a gaseous clump of Mana larger than his body. Watching the Mana in the atmosphere dance around the small child, indecipherable emotions danced in Nephelae's eyes before she closed them, focusing on her own training again.