Izumi sat atop the corpses, his posture steady despite the sickening stench that clung to the air. The Mana Focusing book rested open on his lap, its worn pages revealing forgotten knowledge.
His eyes skimmed through the text.
Mana Distribution.
A method that allowed one to sense mana more efficiently, guiding it through the body to awaken its flow.
Izumi inhaled sharply.
"I've tried this before… it never worked."
But now, there was nothing to lose.
He adjusted his position, straightening his back as he followed the instructions. His hands rested gently on his knees, his breathing slowing. The corpses beneath him felt like a morbid meditation cushion.
He closed his eyes.
Focused.
Minutes passed. Maybe hours.
Nothing.
No warmth. No energy. No sign of mana.
Izumi clenched his jaw but didn't stop.
"One more time."
Again.
Again.
Again.
He remained there, unmoving, his mind sinking into the depths of concentration.
Time blurred. His hunger faded. The pain in his body dulled. His thoughts became weightless.
And then—
A flicker.
A strange sensation rippled inside him.
Izumi's breath caught.
It was faint, like a whisper in the dark, but undeniably there. A presence within him, something he had never felt before. A drifting energy.
"Mana…?"
It wasn't powerful. It wasn't even stable. But it was real.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The world looked clearer.
Not by much, but enough to notice the difference. The dimly lit room seemed slightly brighter, the details sharper. His body didn't feel as weak.
Izumi flexed his right fingers.
There was strength. Just a little. But enough.
A new determination burned inside him.
He could climb.
Gritting his teeth, he slowly pulled himself up, balancing on the mountain of corpses. His legs trembled but held.
For the first time since being thrown into this pit, he was standing.
His gaze moved toward the monster.
Now that his vision had improved, he could see it more clearly.
A massive beast that's he don't even see it the book of guided monster.
Four times the size of a bear. Its body was covered in deep scars, its limbs wrapped in thick iron chains that rattled with every breath.
Izumi's heart pounded.
"This thing… is it waiting to evolve?"
The Black Sun Guild's plan—to force this tower into a Fifth Tier.
They had sacrificed countless lives to make it happen.
Izumi clenched his fists.
"I need to get stronger. Now."
He scanned the area, carefully moving to where the monster couldn't see or reach him. Behind the massive pile of corpses, hidden in the shadows.
Sitting down again, he resumed his training.
More time passed—hours or days, he wasn't sure.
But slowly, his vision sharpened even further. His body felt lighter.
His mana was awakening.
Izumi exhaled.
He glanced at the monstrous beast in front of him.
"It's time to push myself further."