Lucian stepped through the towering black doors of the Ascension Tower, and the world shifted around him.
The bleak dystopian landscape outside faded into nothingness, replaced by a stark, empty expanse of pure white.
The room was featureless, with smooth, seamless walls that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. The air felt unnaturally still, yet heavy with unseen energy.
The system's interface appeared before him.
[Floor 1: The Awakening Trial]
[Description: Complete ten foundational trials to unlock the next floor.]
[First Trial: Overcome the First Obstacle]
As Lucian read, a section of the wall before him rippled like disturbed water. The ripples coalesced into a glowing blue barrier, its surface flickering with faint arcs of energy.
[Trial 1: Overcome the First Obstacle] [1/10]
[Objective: Dispel the magical barrier using basic mana control.]
Lucian stared at the shimmering wall. It didn't seem imposing at first glance, but the system had made it clear—this wasn't something he could bypass without manipulating mana.
He took a deep breath. This was the first test of his ability to wield mana, something he'd only read about in the novel. And with his fractured mana core, success was anything but guaranteed.
The system chimed, breaking his thoughts:
[Tip: Your fractured core can still produce mana. Focus inward and guide the flow. Success depends on control, not strength.]
"Control, not strength," Lucian muttered, repeating the advice.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. It wasn't easy—his mind was a storm of doubts and fears. But there was no other choice. This world wouldn't allow him to survive without mana.
Reaching inward, he searched for the fractured core within him. It felt faint, like a broken lantern barely holding onto its light.
Yet, after a moment, he sensed it—a weak flicker of mana, stubbornly pulsing within the cracks.
"There you are," he whispered.
He reached for it, mentally pulling at the flicker. The process felt unnatural, like trying to draw water through a clogged pipe. The fractured core resisted, but Lucian gritted his teeth and persisted.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as the faint glow of mana began to flow through him, sluggish but present. He directed the energy toward his palms, willing it to obey.
With his hands outstretched, he focused the mana onto the barrier before him.
The shimmering wall reacted instantly, flaring brightly as if resisting his efforts. Lucian staggered under the pressure, but he pushed harder, forcing the mana to connect.
"Come on…" he muttered, his voice strained.
The barrier trembled, cracks forming along its surface. With a final surge of effort, the mana flow intensified, and the barrier shattered into countless shimmering fragments that dissolved into the air.
The system chimed.
[Trial 1 Complete: Overcome the First Obstacle.]
Lucian collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath. His body felt drained, as though he'd run for miles.
"That… was harder than I thought," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow.
The interface shifted, revealing the next trial:
[Next Trial Unlocked: The Mana Sense Trial.]
A section of the wall to his right shimmered, revealing a door. Lucian pushed himself to his feet, his legs trembling slightly.
"Only the first trial, and I'm already exhausted," he muttered. "This is going to be rough."
He stepped through the doorway, entering another white room. This one was slightly different—the walls were engraved with glowing patterns, faint pulses of energy coursing through them.
The system's prompt appeared once more:
[Trial 2: The Mana Sense Trial] [2/10]
[Description: Detect the faint mana pulses around you. Learn to sense and locate weak sources of mana.]
Lucian sighed. "Sensing mana now? The system isn't making this easy."
He closed his eyes again, shutting out the distractions of the room. This time, instead of focusing inward, he stretched his awareness outward, trying to detect the energy flows the system had mentioned.
At first, there was nothing but silence. The room was eerily still, and the faint hum of the glowing patterns offered no immediate clues.
"Come on," Lucian muttered, frustration creeping in.
He steadied his breathing, remembering the novels he'd read. Mana wasn't something tangible—it was a subtle, almost imperceptible force. Detecting it required calm and patience.
Lucian cleared his mind, focusing on the quiet rhythm of his heartbeat. Slowly, he became aware of a faint sensation, like the soft fluttering of wings.
"There you are," he murmured.
The pulses were weak but steady, radiating from the patterns on the walls. The system chimed:
[Tip: Guide the detected mana toward your core. Synchronize with its flow.]
Lucian furrowed his brow, concentrating on the faint pulses. Instead of grabbing at them, he tried to align his breathing with their rhythm.
The sensation grew stronger, the pulses responding to his calm focus.
He extended his hand, willing the energy toward him. The mana flowed hesitantly at first, like a stream trickling through dry earth.
But as he continued, the flow grew steadier, converging toward him.
The faint threads of energy coiled around him, entering his fractured core. Lucian winced at the strain, but the mana was absorbed nonetheless.
The system chimed again:
[Trial 2 Complete: The Mana Sense Trial.]
Lucian opened his eyes, the room's glow now steady and soothing. He exhaled deeply, relief flooding through him.
"Two down," he muttered. "Eight more to go."
The system's interface shifted, displaying the next prompt:
[Next Trial Unlocked: The Affinity Trial.]
Lucian glanced at the newly revealed doorway ahead. His body was exhausted, and his fractured core felt as though it were on the verge of collapse.
But despite the fatigue, a spark of determination burned within him.
"I'll make it through this," he said, stepping forward into the next challenge.