Nearly an hour of heavy, undisturbed silence passed within Iris's dim, tranquil cave. Sitting on the cold stone couches felt like applying a soothing balm to worn-out nerves. Alex used the quiet to recover, letting mana flow back into his body in steady, swift waves until it was nearly filled to the brim.
As for Iris, she had restored almost half of her mana—quite an accomplishment considering how violently she had exhausted herself earlier.
Alex was the first to break the silence, his gaze sharp with curiosity as it settled on Iris.
"Well," he said, adjusting his posture to sit more attentively, "we've rested enough. I think it's time you explained a few essential things about this world—especially the ones related to power and mana."
Iris straightened her back as well, and her expression shifted into one of calm seriousness. Her dark eyes stared into the empty air, as though she were sketching a complex diagram only she could see.
"Let's begin with the most important part, Alex. You're currently in the first stage of awakening. The stage where one's True Name stirs… and where the body begins adapting to its own mana."
She paused briefly, gathering her thoughts before continuing with simpler imagery.
"Think of the body as a reservoir, and mana as the water filling it. At the beginning, you draw mana directly from this reservoir. But doing so is inefficient for long-term use—it leads to waste, leakage, and inconsistent control."
"Inefficient?" Alex asked, committing every word to memory.
"Precisely. To refine mana and increase the quality of your power, you must gather all mana within your body and compress it into a single point—a Mana Core."
She tapped a finger against the center of her chest, then her forehead.
"When you compress your mana into a core and form a ring around it, you officially reach the perfected form of the first stage. Of course, how long it takes depends on talent and one's natural mana capacity. Not everyone is gifted equally."
Then she pointed to herself with quiet pride.
"I currently have two rings. Which puts me in the second stage."
"What about me?" Alex asked, curiosity edging into impatience. "Where do I stand in all of this?"
Iris smiled faintly, admiration mingling with confusion.
"Thanks to your strange abilities, it seems your True Name has an extraordinary capacity for absorbing mana. Your strength is far beyond others in your current stage. This is rare, but not unheard of. Some abilities use very little mana with tremendous efficiency—like your armored octopus. Everything depends on the nature of the True Name."
She continued with more precision:
"Forming your core and your first ring will increase your control over your True Name, enhance mana flow, and dramatically boost recovery speed. Your absorption rate is already faster than normal—as you've noticed. But despite all that, your current strength places you near the peak of the first ring… yet lacking focus."
"Without a core and ring, you can't truly stabilize your power. And you won't be able to properly absorb that metallic essence you're carrying later."
Alex listened intensely, engraving each word into his mind. Her explanation was crucial for everything that lay ahead.
"Alright," he said at last, anticipation growing. "So how exactly do I form the Mana Core?"
"It's simple, in a way," Iris replied calmly. "All you need to do is gather every drop of mana in your body into a single point. Most people choose the heart or the mind."
"Does the location affect anything?" Alex asked.
"Of course. Choosing the heart enhances endurance, regeneration, and physical capability. Choosing the mind enhances thought, reaction speed, decision-making, mana manipulation, and the efficiency of the True Name. Some say it grants additional abilities later on, but I haven't reached those higher levels yet."
Alex nodded. "And what did you choose?"
"I chose the mind," she answered, "and formed my core just behind the center of my forehead—at least in theory."
Alex fell silent, weighing his decision carefully. Both options held powerful advantages. His abilities, his True Name, and his instincts were tied more to the soul than the flesh. And something deep inside him whispered that the mind was the true seat of the soul—or the closest thing to it.
Thus, his choice was made.
Iris began guiding him step-by-step as he sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Gather all your mana into a single point—right behind the center of your forehead. And then compress it with everything you have."
"In a few moments the core will begin to solidify, but you must maintain pressure until the core completely hardens. Once it does, the ring will form automatically. Remember, neither the core nor the ring will appear outwardly, so you'll need perfect concentration."
Alex nodded and began.
The beginning was easy—he simply pulled the mana inward with the help of his True Name.
But the compression… that was where everything became difficult.
The mana resisted, pushing outward violently.
Minutes passed. His entire supply drained.
A small proto-core formed—but it was still fluid, unstable.
Then Iris noticed something unexpected.
Alex's "Armored Octopus" ability had automatically wrapped around him, forming a protective sphere—yet it was using ambient mana from the environment, not Alex's own.
Such an ability was rare. Extremely rare. Even in the place Iris came from.
Meanwhile Alex, drenched in spiritual effort, pressed down with all his strength. The proto-core shifted into a semi-solid state. But the final step hovered just beyond reach.
Moments stretched. Pressure mounted.
Then he roared inwardly with unyielding resolve:
"Just one more step!"
Pouring every shred of physical and spiritual willpower into the compression, he forced the mana to harden.
A brilliant emerald glow pulsed deep within his mind—right at the location of the pineal gland—as the core crystallized fully.
And in the same instant, a white ring of energy whirled into existence around it.
Alex had reached the First Stage: The First Mana ring