Dawn was barely breaking, the first hints of light creeping through the dormitory windows, when Ren carefully extracted a small package from his bag.
The early morning silence was broken only by his roommates' soft breathing and the distant calls of morning birds.
While his companions slept peacefully, unaware of what was to come, he measured out a precise amount of black powder, deep earth that he had been discreetly collecting at the limit of the permitted zone.
The powder seemed to absorb even the weak pre-dawn light, appearing more like a void than a substance.
It was a rare and difficult material to find, earth that had managed to absorb mana without transferring it to nearby crystal deposits.
At the depths they were allowed to reach, it was truly challenging to locate, but Ren's knowledge had made the task considerably easier, showing him exactly where to look and how to identify the genuine article among similar-looking but useless samples.
The deep earth was the perfect sealing agent for Taro's beetle, though this detail appeared in none of the books his friend had so diligently studied.
Ren could recall seeing Taro poring over tome after tome in the library, searching for information that had been right in front of him but misinterpreted by generations of scholars.
Liu had mentioned deep earth as a necessary component for some earth beasts, but he had incorrectly associated it with processing rather than sealing. It seemed to have been pure luck and coincidence that he'd mentioned it at all...
He could have perhaps used Liu's argument to make it easier for Taro to accept, but he knew Taro read several books about his beast. Therefore...
To avoid further discussions and potential interference, Ren had decided to keep this step secret.
The fewer questions asked about his methods at this stage, the better.
Under the protection of his sheets, he worked with surgical precision. Each grain of the black powder was measured exactly, his movements careful and deliberate.
The crystal they had processed with moonlight the previous night reacted immediately upon contact with the black powder, its glow gradually shifting until it acquired an earthy brown tone.
The transformation was fascinating to watch, the crystal's inner light seemed to pulse and swirl as it absorbed the powder's properties, like watching soil dissolve into clear water but in reverse.
This was the kind of subtle interaction that the books missed entirely, focusing instead on dramatic reactions and flashy transformations.
When Taro began to stir, showing the first signs of waking, Ren had already completed the crystal's preparation. The timing was perfect, any longer and the sealing might have been too strong, any shorter and it might not have taken properly.
"Good morning," he smiled, holding the finished crystal. "Your first crystal is ready."
"Ah, yes... yes, of course," Taro mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Here," Ren extended the glowing crystal to a barely-awake Taro, who accepted it with sleep-heavy hands.
Still drowsy and trusting, Taro took the crystal without examining its brown glow too closely. After all, he had decided to put his faith in his friend. With a yawn, he activated the absorption process.
For a moment, nothing happened. The room remained still, the early morning light casting long shadows across the floor.
Then, the mana began to flow.
Taro's eyes flew wide open as the first wave of power coursed through him. It was more intense than he had expected, far more potent than the practice crystals he had used before.
The sensation was like plunging into icy water, shocking, overwhelming, yet somehow invigorating.
Another wave hit, stronger than the first.
And another.
And another.
Each pulse of power seemed to build on the last, creating a cascading effect that made Taro's entire body hum with energy.
"This is..." Taro gasped as the power continued to surge. "It's too much..."
Liu leaped from his bed the moment he saw Taro's veins begin to glow with an unmistakable blue radiance, the telltale sign of mana poisoning.
The blue lines traced patterns under his skin like rivers of light.
"What have you done?!" Liu lunged toward Ren, panic evident in his voice. "I told you they were overcharged! Look at his veins!"
The blue lines were spreading rapidly across Taro's arms, who now struggled for breath. The mana flowed uncontrolled through his system, far too much for his body to process normally. Each pulse made the glow brighter, more intense.
"We need to get him to the infirmary," Liu was already searching frantically for his shoes. "Mana poisoning medicine is expensive, but if he doesn't get it soon..."
"Wait," Ren maintained his composure, though his eyes never left Taro. His calm seemed almost unnatural in the face of such danger.
"Wait?! He's having massive poisoning because of you!"
Min had also awakened to the commotion and watched the scene with growing concern, his water snake coiling anxiously around his arm.
"Just..." Ren raised a hand, "wait one more moment."
Taro's veins now shone with increasing intensity, his breathing had become erratic, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Every sign pointed to a severe case of mana poisoning.
"Easy," Ren gripped Taro's shoulders firmly. "Breathe with me. Slowly."
"The mana..." Taro panted, the blue lines pulsing brilliantly beneath his skin.
"It's a lot, I know," Ren's voice remained calm, controlled. "But your beetle can handle it. You just need to guide it correctly."
Liu watched from the door, torn between running for help and the strange certainty in Ren's demeanor.
"Feel the flow," Ren continued. "Notice how it's pooling in your chest? You need to move it. Make it circulate to your arms first."
Taro nodded weakly, focusing on the sensation. Slowly, the blue lines in his arms began to fade as he directed the energy.
"Good. Now, let some flow toward your back. Your beetle is an earth creature, the mana should feel more natural flowing downward."
Min held his breath as he watched the blue lines shift and gradually weaken, following Taro's control.
"Temporary mana excess isn't bad if you know how to control it," Ren explained while guiding Taro. "Your beast is designed for this, it just needs you to help distribute it properly."
Gradually, Taro's breathing normalized.
The blue lines almost completely vanished, leaving only a faint glow under his skin that looked more healthy than dangerous.
"How do you feel?" Ren asked after several minutes.
"It's... different," Taro flexed his fingers, surprised. "I feel stronger, more connected to my beetle. Is this normal?"
"It's how it should be," Ren smiled, finally releasing his shoulders. "Traditional crystals have less mana to avoid poisoning. But your beetle can handle more to shorten the period by much, as long as you guide it correctly."
Liu had approached again, his expression split between amazement and skepticism. "How did you know it would work?"
"Because I know beasts better than the books suggest," Ren replied simply. "And this is only the first day."
Taro stood up, experimenting with his new sensation of power. Not only had he survived the apparent poisoning, he felt better than ever.
The first crystal had worked exactly as Ren had planned.
Ninety-nine more, and the beetle's evolution would be undeniable.