Fiona Everhart kept her eyes closed, focusing intently as she carefully guided the mana that had naturally accumulated within her body, directing it to a single point with meticulous control.
Her progress was painstakingly slow, though by the standards of even noble-born, highly talented mages, her control was exceptionally swift.
Her mana flow moved at a tortoise's pace, but each movement was precise, every ounce of energy under her command.
Beads of sweat trickled down Fiona's face as her mana swirled within her spiritual body, gathering just beneath her neck, directly above her heart.
Gradually, the mana began to condense, forming a sphere that grew until it reached a diameter of about five centimeters.
"Her mana control is impressive for someone unawakened," Isabella remarked as she watched the delicate mana circulation.
"I guess she inherited your talent for magic, Aunt Freya?" Annabella observed with a slight smile.
Freya's expression softened in pride.
"Mm," she nodded, satisfaction clear in her gaze.
But at the back of her mind, she couldn't help but acknowledge that no matter how much she or her daughter achieved, someone among them possessed an even greater talent.
Her eyes flickered toward a boy with crimson hair, his irises glowing an intense neon blue.
"Is that the visual ability the twins mentioned?" Freya mused silently, observing him for a few seconds before approaching her nephew, curiosity sparking in her eyes.
"My dear nephew, what are you watching?" she asked, eager to understand the capabilities of his unique vision.
"I'm watching her mana circulation within her spiritual body," Damian replied, his tone calm yet focused. "She's forming her mana core now, but…"
"But what?" Freya pressed, sensing there was more to his observation.
"Her control is good enough, but she's running low on mana… she won't be able to complete her core," Damian said plainly.
With that, he deactivated his visual ability, and the vibrant blue in his eyes faded back to their usual green.
Just as Damian predicted, Fiona's control over her mana began to waver.
Within moments, she lost her grip entirely, and the half-formed, fingertip-sized mana core dissipated back into the nothingness.
"Ha... I don't have any mana left," Fiona muttered, catching her breath. She was completely drained, both of mana and mental energy, unable to push herself any further.
After learning that it was theoretically possible to form reservoir cores even before awakening, she had immediately attempted it herself. But despite her control, she simply didn't have enough mana—not even close.
"It would take my body at least three days to gather mana again," Fiona said with a bitter smile, "but I don't think it would ever gather enough to form a core."
"Don't be discouraged," Freya said, patting her shoulder. "No one has ever accomplished this—not even me. You may have the control, but without enough mana, it's impossible. There's a natural limit to how much mana can accumulate in an unawakened body." Freya's gaze then shifted to her nephew. "Damian, it's your turn."
"Yes," Damian nodded, taking a deep breath as he settled into a cross-legged position on the floor.
"I'll guide you, step by step, on how to draw mana to your chest to form a core," Freya offered, though she could hear the twins chuckling quietly behind their hands.
"No need," Damian replied, shaking his head.
"Why?" Freya frowned. "Have your sisters already taught you how to form a reservoir mana core?"
"No. I just learned by watching Fiona attempt it."
"You learned just by watching her?" Freya's frown deepened, but when she caught sight of the twins' knowing smiles, she realized the truth. Of course, Damian could pick it up just by observing. Freya sighed in resignation. "I don't even want to know…"
Damian smiled at her reaction, then closed his eyes, focusing as he tried to tap into the surplus of mana flowing within him.
His mana was remarkably pure—the purest she had ever encountered in a person, nearly comparable to the quality of a Mana Elixir. Though Damian's source mana core remained dormant, allowing only a steady intake of natural mana, it was still exceptionally potent.
Within seconds, Damian felt the mana within him, like hundreds of water droplets trickling over his skin.
His mind replayed every detail of Fiona's attempt, as if a precise memory loop guided him, showing him the way she directed her mana, the path she used, the shape she sought to create.
His unique ability, Eyes of Clarity allowed him to observe everything in minute detail and in slow motion, capturing and recording each movement in his mind.
Once he'd harnessed the mana with his consciousness, he began drawing it toward his heart.
The energy didn't move directly; like a serpent, it curved and coiled, weaving through every part of his body before finally settling at his heart.
Damian concentrated just above his heart, where a small, dense, dark blue sphere started to take shape.
The twins, Annabella and Isabella, along with Aunt Freya—sensitive as they were to mana—could sense the mana core's presence strengthening within Damian.
"He… he's really doing it…" Freya whispered, her voice thick with awe. "I've never seen an unawakened person able to grow a mana core like this. His talent is beyond anything I've ever seen."
"That's our brother," the twins said proudly in unison.
The mana core continued to grow rapidly within Damian, until it reached a diameter of nearly one and a half feet.
Just as it did, a faint wave of mana pulsed out from him, brushing against their faces like a gentle breeze.
But it didn't stop there.
Despite forming a mana core, Damian's body still held more than half of its original mana.
All that surplus energy began to shift again, repeating the same path as before, until it gathered alongside the existing core.
A second reservoir mana core began to take shape.
"This is impossible…" Freya murmured, her voice thick with shock.
"Even we underestimated our brother," the twins whispered, equally astounded.
A few seconds later, the second mana core solidified, just as real and dense as the first, brimming with the purest mana she had ever seen contained within a human.
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{Author's Note: If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote with some POWER STONES. It would also really help me if you could rate this book. Thank you for reading!}