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.]
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]
[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.
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]
[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."
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.
The white expanse of the second trial dissolved as Lucian reappeared in another pristine, empty room.
The environment was identical to the previous one—cold, sterile, and impossibly bright.
The system interface flickered into existence before him:
[Trial 3: Harness Mana]
[Description: Learn to manipulate mana and successfully channel mana to strengthen your body]
Lucian exhaled deeply, his nerves steadied by the repetitive rhythm of the trials. "All right. Let's do this."
As he stood in the room, he felt it—a faint hum in the air, almost like the vibrations of a distant string.
The energy within him, newly awakened and raw, stirred faintly.
"Channel mana into my body…" he murmured, repeating the objective. He closed his eyes and focused inward, reaching for the fractured remnants of his mana core.
But the response wasn't what he expected.
Instead of the smooth flow he remembered reading about in the novel, the mana within him sputtered, erratic and unstable.
It felt like trying to grasp water in his fists—fleeting and elusive.
[Tip: Concentrate on the flow. Imagine your mana as a river; let it course through your veins and spread evenly across your body]
Lucian frowned. "Imagine it as a river? Easy for you to say…"
Still, he followed the system's advice. He visualized a calm stream, its waters flowing without obstruction.
Slowly, he guided that image to his body, mentally mapping the energy coursing through him.
A tingling warmth spread from his chest to his limbs, faint but distinct.
His hands clenched involuntarily as he felt his muscles respond, a surge of strength replacing the frailty he had known for so long.
His eyes snapped open. A faint shimmer surrounded him, almost imperceptible but undeniable.
[Objective Complete: You have successfully enhanced your body with mana]
Lucian allowed himself a small, victorious smile. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.
The room began to shift again, the walls and ceiling peeling away to reveal a larger, arena-like space. This time, the trial seemed more ominous.
[Trial 4: Defeat the Mana Constructs]
[Description: Simulated creatures powered by raw mana will appear. Defeat them using basic combat techniques]
Before Lucian could fully register the details, three humanoid figures materialized in front of him.
Their forms were crude, almost like clay sculptures, but they pulsed with a faint blue glow—a sign of their mana-powered cores.
Lucian's gaze sharpened. He recognized this type of trial from the novel's descriptions: the constructs weren't particularly strong but relied on unrelenting attacks to overwhelm inexperienced participants.
Reaching for the sword at his waist, Lucian steadied his breath.
Thanks to the fragmented memories of the original Lucian, he had basic knowledge of swordsmanship.
Nothing fancy, just the fundamentals.
The first construct lunged without warning, its movements erratic yet swift. Lucian sidestepped, narrowly avoiding its clawed strike.
"Focus, Lucian," he muttered.
He gripped the hilt of his blade and infused it with mana, as much as his fractured core could muster.
A faint glow coated the weapon, making it more than just steel in his hands.
The construct charged again, but this time Lucian was ready.
With a fluid swing, he severed its arm, the mana infusion slicing through the construct's form like butter.
The glow from its body dimmed before it collapsed into a heap of inert material.
[1/3 Constructs Defeated]
The remaining two constructs wasted no time. One circled behind him while the other attacked head-on.
Lucian adjusted his stance, his body moving instinctively.
He pivoted, dodging the strike from the construct behind him, and retaliated with a swift slash. His blade connected with its torso, cleaving it in half.
[2/3 Constructs Defeated]
The final construct was smarter—or perhaps more cautious. It kept its distance, circling him as if looking for an opening. Lucian frowned, his grip tightening.
The mana in his core flickered, unstable as ever, but he forced it into his legs.
With a burst of speed, he closed the gap between them, catching the construct off guard.
A downward slash ended the fight, his blade cutting cleanly through its glowing core. The construct collapsed, its blue light fading into nothingness.
[Trial Complete: You have defeated all three constructs.]
[Reward: Mana Core Unlocked. Your fractured core has been replaced with a functional mana core]
Lucian staggered as a wave of heat exploded within him. His entire body felt like it was on fire, his veins alight with energy.
It was as though his very being was being rebuilt, piece by piece.
The fractured shards of his mana core fused together, forming something whole and vibrant.
[System Notice: Your mana core has been successfully reconstructed. You now possess an Early Initiate-level core]
Lucian fell to his knees, gasping for air. The change was overwhelming, but the power coursing through him was undeniable.
Before he could even begin to process the transformation, the system intervened once again:
[Access to further trials temporarily restricted]
[Reason: Participant requires acclimation period for new mana core]
[Returning to point of origin]
The arena dissolved around him, and Lucian found himself back in his room. He collapsed onto the bed, exhausted but alive.
His fingers curled into the fabric of the sheets as a faint smile played on his lips.
"Not bad," he whispered.