The Dragon King's massive azure head tilted, its golden eyes reflecting Kyle's small, shivering form.
"If that is your answer," Asteria's voice boomed, shaking the very fabric of the white void, "then listen well. The world of Mages is blind. They look to the heavens for Mana, but they ignore the power beneath their own skin."
Asteria coiled its massive body, the sapphire scales grinding together like tectonic plates.
"Aura," the Dragon hissed. "It exists in the world just as Mana does, but it is a primal force. Think of it as the ultimate grade of body enhancement, yet fundamentally different. A Mage stores Mana in a Mana Space—a hollow room. But a Warrior... a Warrior stores Aura in the very fibers of their being. Their muscles, their bones, their blood,their cells"
The Dragon leaned in,
"Because the human body is not a dimension that can expand like a Mana Space, you must compress the energy. It is a path of agony, Kyle. As you pack more Aura into your flesh, your density will increase. Your weight will increase. To the world, you will look like a boy, but you will possess the mass of a mountain."
Asteria's horns began to glow with a soft, pulsing light.
"I will give you the first method: The Marrow-Forging Breath. It is the foundation of Body Tempering. You will pull the raw Aura from the air and hammer it into your skeleton. If you fail, your bones will shatter. If you succeed, you will have stronger Vessel." only by making your vessel strong you can store large amount of aura.
The Dragon's tail swept through the air, and a bolt of azure light struck Kyle directly in the chest.
"Wake up, Number 809. The Overseer's whip is falling. Begin your tempering... and survive."
The Outer Region – Present Moment
Kyle's eyes snapped open.
He was back in the mud. The transition was like being hit by a lightning bolt. Above him, the sky was still a bruised bronze, and the silhouette of Overseer Krell stood over him, the blue mana-whip raised high for another strike.
"Get up, you useless piece of meat!" Krell screamed, his face red with fury. "I don't care if you're dying! You'll die while you're digging!"
The whip whistled through the air, glowing with jagged magical energy.
Normally, the lash would tear through Kyle's skin and leave a bloody trench. But as the whip descended, Kyle didn't move. He didn't even flinch.
Inhale.
He followed the vision Asteria had burned into his mind. He didn't look for a "Space" in his chest. Instead, he felt the "Heavy Air" around him—the very pressure that had been killing him for two years. He realized it wasn't just pressure. It was Aura.
He pulled a massive breath into his lungs.
Compress.
He imagined the aura turning into liquid , forcing it down from his lungs and into his collarbones, his ribs, and his spine.
CRACK!
The mana-whip struck Kyle's bare shoulder. But instead of the sound of tearing flesh, there was a metallic clink.
A faint, golden spark ignited at the point of impact. The whip bounced off Kyle's skin as if it had hit a statue of solid granite.
The Overseer froze. His mouth hung open. "What... what did you do?"
Kyle slowly stood up. His movements were heavy, as if he now weighed twice as much as he did a moment ago. His black hair shadowed his eyes, but a faint, golden steam was beginning to drift off his skin.
"I'm not finished digging," Kyle said. His voice was no longer that of a ten-year-old boy. It was deep, resonant, and carried a weight that made the ground beneath his feet crack.
He looked at the heavy iron plow. Two years ago, it was a burden. Now, as the first sparks of Aura began to settle in his bones, it felt like a toy.