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Ignis sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the now-lifeless mana core resting in front of him. A quiet intensity flickered behind his gaze as thoughts swirled through his mind.
Is the Hōgyoku... intelligent?
At first, he had assumed the Hōgyoku was urging him to absorb the mana because it would somehow control or suppress the violent nature within the core. But now he realized—that wasn't the case at all.
It had been Ryūjin Jakka—his Zanpakutō—that had refined the mana, taming its wild and chaotic nature into something calm and usable. The sword hadn't just served as a medium; it had purified the energy, making it harmless to his mana circuits.
He flexed his fingers slowly, feeling the familiar rhythm of mana flowing within his body.
No pain. No backlash. My circuits are perfectly fine.
Then another realization hit him.
The absorption rate… it was almost twice my usual speed. His eyes widened slightly at the thought.
Normally, without the aid of potions, he could train with mana for about six hours each day before risking strain. If he consumed a potion, he could extend that time to roughly eight hours. But now, with the help of the Hōgyoku and his Zanpakutō purifying the mana from cores—
What if these effects stacked?
What if the potion extended the time, and this method doubled the efficiency?
His heart began to race.
That would mean one day of training… would be equivalent to two days' worth of progress.
The implications hit him hard. Time—his most valuable resource—could now be stretched.
A grin broke across his face.
The excitement bubbling in his chest was difficult to contain. This wasn't just a minor discovery—it was a breakthrough. A hidden shortcut on the path to strength.
Ignis clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with determination.
Ignis took a deep breath, steadying the excitement that still buzzed in his chest. Calm down, he told himself. Getting stronger is good, but strength without knowledge is useless.
He mulled over his next steps carefully.
I need to learn more about monsters… and the mana cores inside them. What kind of creatures possess them? Where can they be found? Are they something I can face alone? I can't rush in blindly—I need answers.
With that decision, he rose to his feet and walked over to the tall bookshelf that dominated the side wall of his room. It was filled from top to bottom with books, arranged with a sort of loose order that only he understood.
Reading had become a constant in his life—not because he particularly loved it, but because there was little else to occupy his time. He wasn't like other children who ran around outside, playing games and laughing in the sun. His soul was ancient, carrying over a thousand years of memories from a past life. With such a burden, childhood play felt like a distant, irrelevant concept.
Books had become his quiet refuge and his greatest source of information in this unfamiliar world. Over time, even if unintentionally, he had grown fond of the escape they offered.
He scanned the spines until his fingers found what he was looking for—a thick tome titled Monsters. He pulled it free, the weight of it familiar and reassuring in his hands, and carried it to his reading table.
Settling into his chair, he opened the book and began flipping through the pages, his sharp eyes scanning the text with practiced ease. He still had hours before dinner, and with his speed, he was confident he could finish it in one sitting.
After all, knowledge was power—and Ignis had no intention of remaining in the dark.
By the time Ignis had finished reading roughly the first third of the book, he had already grasped the fundamentals he needed to know about monsters—and it was more than enough to reshape his plans.
Monsters, much like humans, were ranked according to a star-based power system. They ranged from 1-Star to 9-Star in strength. Beyond that were creatures of legend: the so-called Legendary Monsters, and above even them—Divine-level monsters. It was eerily similar to how human power was classified, with 1-Star Knights and Magicians progressing all the way to the mythical Demi-God and God-tier levels.
Every monster, regardless of its rank, possessed a mana core. The strength and density of the mana within a core scaled directly with the creature's power. In short, the stronger the monster, the more valuable—and dangerous—its mana core.
The book, written by a renowned author from the Lunar Kingdom, was rich in practical detail. Fortunately for Ignis, it even referenced a location not far from where he currently lived. One city name stood out in particular: Eldermere.
Eldermere City, according to the book, was a thriving frontier city nestled at the edge of a vast and dangerous forest teeming with monsters. It had become a magnet for adventurers, mercenaries, and guilds from all over the kingdom. The forest was both a battleground and a goldmine—overflowing with opportunities and dangers in equal measure. Dozens of Adventurer Guild branches operated out of Eldermere, forming the backbone of a massive trade hub centred around monster materials and mana cores.
Ignis closed the book, his eyes sharp with thought.
So that's where I need to go.
Ignis closed the book with a soft thud and rose from his chair. The remaining pages contained detailed information about individual monsters—their traits, strengths, weaknesses, and classifications. He would certainly read the rest later; knowledge like that was far too valuable to ignore.
But for now, he had something more pressing to do.
What truly mattered at this moment was what he had discovered earlier—his ability to safely refine mana from monster cores. With the help of his Zanpakutō, the violent energy within the cores was purified before entering his mana circuit. And the result? His training efficiency had doubled.
That kind of advantage was too significant to keep to himself.
I need to tell Mother and Father. This changes everything.
Without another moment's hesitation, Ignis left his room and strode down the hallway, heading straight for the drawing room—where his parents were most likely relaxing. His steps were purposeful, his mind already racing with the possibilities this new development could bring.
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