After a while of sitting on the ground, Ares still could not feel his spirit flowing through his body. Nothing was coming out yet, and his frustration grew, his teeth grinding as his anger threatened to burst.
"Damn it! Why can't I feel my spirit?" Ares thought, clenching his teeth.
Beside him, Magnus had already fallen asleep. Instead of meditating, he was softly snoring while sitting in his meditative pose. Annoyed by the distraction, Ares moved a little farther away from him, trying to regain his focus.
An hour passed, yet his spirit still did not appear. Sylphir, who had been watching with growing irritation, finally spoke up.
"You dummy! Nothing will happen if you just sit there, close your eyes, and wait for it," Sylphir snapped. "You need to concentrate on the spirit within your body. You need to feel it. As you focus, you'll start to sense it. Then, channel your mana into it. When the two combine, you'll finally see it."
Determined to succeed, Ares tried again, following Sylphir's instructions. After another hour, he began to feel his spirit, little by little, moving within his body. It flowed through his feet, legs, arms, and head, cycling through every part of him.
A rough yellow aura, like in Dragon Ball Z, encircled his entire body. After a few minutes, he could finally feel his spirit flowing within him.
Now, he needed to control it using his mana.
"Finally," Ares muttered, grinning after successfully unleashing his spirit within his body.
"Don't enjoy yourself just yet. It's only about to begin," Sylphir warned. "This will be dangerous, and you need to be careful when you channel your mana into your spirit. If you're not cautious, you might drain all your mana, which could cause you to lose consciousness. Not only that, but you won't be able to use your MP anymore, even if you buy more from the system—it will have no effect.
This is called mana overflow.
Hearing this, Ares was dumbfounded, his eyes widening as his mind raced with confusion. "What? Mana overflow?"
"Yes," Sylphir replied.
"Mana overflow happens when someone's magical energy builds up too much and becomes uncontrollable. It can cause wild bursts of magic or even harm the person using it. Sometimes, it also affects the surroundings or attracts dangerous creatures. Mana overflow occurs when a person's mana exceeds their maximum capacity, causing it to spill out uncontrollably.'"
Sylphir added, "That's why you need to be careful. If you lose control, the consequences could be dangerous—not just for you, but for everything around you."
"Well, then why would I need to do this? Isn't it dangerous?" Ares asked hesitation in his voice.
"Because if you learn to control it, you can become much stronger than you are now," Sylphir explained. "By merging your mana with your spirit, your HP and MP will increase by 10% of their current capacity. And that's not all—there are even more waiting for you."
Hearing this, Ares's curiosity grew alongside his excitement. The thought of not only increasing his mana but also boosting his MP intrigued him. He swallowed nervously, and his eyes widened.
"Then let's start," Ares thought, regaining his focus.
Then he immediately regained his focus. Now, he needed to channel his mana into his spirit.
As his spirit swirled roughly, swinging side to side, a chilly air surrounded him. Yet, his mana still didn't emerge to merge with the spirit. He needed more time to combine and control it, to ignite his spirit.
As he focused on controlling the spirit with his mana, he started to feel a sharp pain in his body, as if his bones were crackling. His veins began to swell, growing larger across his muscles, threatening to pop out. But he ignored the pain, determined to continue channeling his mana. As he pressed on, a screen appeared, showing the success rate of his effort.
[Mana channeling percentage success rate through the spirit]
[0.05%/100]
As the minutes passed, only 1% or 0.50% was added to the screen, but Ares's body started to transform, his muscles bulging and veins becoming more pronounced, giving him a monstrous appearance.
Sylphir started to worry about him. Despite her concern, she still believed in Ares's determination. If he couldn't succeed, Sylphir would immediately stop him to prevent further harm.
Damn you, human. You need to control that. If you fail at this point, everything you've done will be meaningless," Sylphir thought, her worry growing stronger.
As the hour passed, Ares managed to increase the percentage.
[Mana channeling percentage success rate through the spirit]
[50/100]
[0.05 +]
[1 +]
Ares gritted his teeth as he pushed through, slowly feeling his body return to its normal state. But the relief was short-lived, as overwhelming pain surged through him, like an inferno racing through his veins, threatening to tear him apart.
Eight hours had passed since he started, and Ares managed to raise the success rate to 85%.
"Come on, fool. You can do it," Sylphir said, offering her support to Ares.
After a while of channeling, Ares's mana and spirit merged with a loud, echoing sound that resonated through the cave, popping like a balloon.
His body began to feel better than before, the overwhelming pain subsiding. His MP and HP increased by ten percent, a surge of power coursing through him.
[You have successfully combined your MP and HP]
[Your HP has increased by 10 percent][Your MP has increased by 10 percent]
A smile formed on Ares's face as a big sigh of relief escaped him after completing it. Sylphir shared the same sense of relief.
"You really managed it," Sylphir said, her tone filled with amusement as she looked at Ares.
"Now let's go to the next floor," Sylphir added. Then, a key appeared on the screen, given to Ares.
[Unlocking the Gate to the Second Floor]
Ares grinned, ready to test his new power. As the summon was lifted, his senses widened, growing sharper and more expansive.