Sitting on the cold floor of his room with closed eyes, Jash's chest kept rising and falling with a slow rhythm.
Seconds passed as the surrounding mana moved towards him, as if he were a vortex sucking it in.
It was a subtle phenomenon, so minor that one might miss it if not paying close attention.
Suddenly, Jash opened his eyes and the movement of mana stopped momentarily before gushing towards his core at crazy speeds.
Naturally, the entire process remained imperceivable to the naked eye. He even felt a form of shackle breaking inside him.
Dark red mana phased out of his entire body, with light orange mana replacing it and flowing through his widened mana veins.
The process felt more natural and smoother than before, making Jash wonder, 'Is this because I am becoming accustomed to mana?'
Even the shattering of his core before being enveloped in light orange mana compressed the core back to its original size, making it denser and sturdier..
The entire process didn't last long, just an hour.
But it wasn't over yet. Jash still had to adapt to the changes brought by the breakthrough, even though he was still at F-Rank.
It wouldn't be wrong to call it a difference in the rank itself. After all, the color of his mana changed, reaching the threshold of orange, having more energy than red in the spectrum of light.
"This light thingy... the mana core color and everything revolves around it..." Jash muttered in realization as he stood up.
Despite his thoughts, he didn't waste time and started practicing basic martial arts before moving on to more complex forms.
It helped him grasp the rough increase in his power as he blurted out in surprise, "Almost TWICE!?"
It really came as a surprise to him how each step could make one feel so much stronger.
'Comparing it, I am only roughly 4 times stronger than a newly ascended F-Rank and 5 times stronger than a just awakened Hunter.'
Thinking so, Jash tried to humble himself as he didn't really want to spar with Caera to learn the difference again.
"Shit! Never Again!" Jash vowed to never be arrogant, remembering the unpleasant memory of losing to Caera pathetically.
"But damn, this feeling of getting stronger sure is addictive as hell," mumbled Jash with glee twinkling in his eyes.
'At least, it gave me a reality check and I improved,' he nodded to himself, reminiscing the hours of sleep he couldn't get because of feeling weak.
"Luckily, dad had to go and clear some dungeons, or I would be forced to go through that boring training again, " sighed Jash.
When he trained alone, he could practice without holding back, as only authorized personnel could enter the training grounds.
The training grounds were covered with runes, glowing softly in the dim light of the evening, adding an air of mystique to Jash's solitary practice.
Remembering the solo training brought a smile to his face. "Those were good times."
Finally, he stretched his arms and stopped after making sure he was somewhat used to the changes.
He felt the strain in his muscles easing as his strength increased and a pleasant tingling sensation in his mana veins.
'I have really improved from the first time I did it,' noted Jash with a serious expression.
"Anyways, first things first, gotta shower." Mumbling to himself, he went to shower.
As he stood under the shower, the water barely felt cold. He sighed, nostalgic for the prickling sensation a cold splash sent through him right after awakening.
The nostalgia prompted him to comment, "Man, the sensation of cold water was so much more intense back then. Much better than this... unfeeling water."
…
"Phew"
Taking a deep breath, Jash slapped his cheeks, "What's wrong with me? Why am I behaving like an old man, who's looking back at his life on his deathbed or something? Seriously! What the heck?"
Shaking his head to get rid of the numbing sensation on his cheeks, he exited his room to go have dinner.
Over the course of the entire year, he had developed a habit to at least have one meal per week with his family.
To be precise, it improved from once a month to once a day before dropping to once a week so that they could enjoy their meals too.
'I mean, I am no jerk, alright?'
Just because he had a problem with meat dishes, his family would remove it from the table every time he joined them.
There was also the option of telling them he was fine with it, but that would be too sudden unless he chose to explain about his past life.
However, he had already decided against it, for now.
If someone were to ask him, "Why not just ask your family to quit meat?"
He would simply answer, "There's no reason for me to impose my habits onto others', especially my family. That's just straight messed up."
Smiling as he recalled certain idiots, who believe that everyone should follow their advice, he reached the dining hall.
Taking note of Sera and Caera already seated at the table, he sat down next to Caera with a still smiling expression.
"What happened?" she whispered, intrigued at his smiling expression.
Jash smiled smugly, causing Caera to roll her eyes, as he answered, "Heh! Guess what? I reached light orange mana core rank!"
"Hmph! As if that's something great! I am already on the verge of entering E-Rank!"
"Tsk, tsk. I have only awakened for less than a year, unlike you, missy."
"So what? You are the one who chose to delay it!"
As the two continued to banter, Sera smiled warmly at the sight before a teasing glint appeared in her eyes as she turned to look on her right.
The two were so busy in their teasing, they didn't even realize Carcel had returned home!
He too smiled, looking at his children getting along well as a nostalgic feeling overcame him before getting drawn out by the intense gaze from his wife.
Her loving gaze brought a small smile on his lips as he noticed her teasing smile. "Not again. And I just arrived."
Despite his low murmur, Sera heard it loud and clear, shooting him an unfriendly look before shifting her focus on Jash and Caera.
"You two," she called out to them. "Why are you even arguing? Just go spar with each other."
"YES!" "NO!"
The two replies instantaneously, making Sera pause as a confused expression appeared on her face before she smiled, as if reaching a solution.
"Why don't you both go for a dungeon run?" she suggested slyly, looking at the dissatisfied expressions of the twins.
They turned to face her in unison before nodding solemnly.
"A dungeon, huh? Doesn't sound too bad. I just hope this poor mage can keep up with me." Jash somehow found a way to tease Caera despite the serious topic.
"Hmph! As if! I can solo any dungeon you can barely survive in! Rather, it's better you don't come, or I will have to carry you."
Naturally, she wasn't one to be left behind and immediately came up with a retort.
Before the two of them could begin their banter again, however, Sera interrupted them, "Looks like they will be going for their first hunt. What do you think, Carcel?"
'First hunt? It has a nice ring to it-' Jash thought before his eyes widened in realization.
"DAD!!"
The two called out in unison as if realizing it at the same time.