Secret of radiant silver

Orion had scoured ancient tomes in search of an answer, to make even little sense of his own anomaly, the affinity with all the elements, the deep settled restlesness he felt all the time.

He had poured hours in navigating libraries that smelled of dust and time, reading the scholars who spoke in riddles. But no solutions had emerged. Eventually, he had dismissed the notion of his deep felt urgency as a product of arrogance—the natural consequence of possessing what no one else had, or so he thinks. Perhaps he was simply to arrogant, his ambitions outpacing the vastness of the world.

Orion exhaled, discarding the thought as he turned back to the book before him. The worn pages whispered secrets of advancement, the transition to the silver core described in intricate detail.

"The path forward requires balance," the text began. "To reach the silver core, a mage must undergo elemental meditation, consuming two essential elixirs to facilitate the transformation. The first elixir serves to calm the rampant mana within the body, preventing it from overwhelming the heart. The second enhances elemental affinity for a short duration, heightening the mage's connection to their magic to ensure a smooth advancement."

The book went on to list a series of rare medicines—substances so coveted they could only be obtained through vast wealth or the right connections.

Yet, as Orion read through the process, a frown etched itself onto his face. None of this had applied to him. His ascent to the silver core had been effortless, devoid of ritual or preparation. He had purified his mana core to a certain threshold, expecting a drawn-out struggle to advance. Instead, the change had been instantaneous. A surge of power. A quiet but unmistakable shift in his being.

No elixirs. No external aid. Only the quiet certainty that he had crossed a boundary others struggled to reach.

At the time, he had assumed it was his unique affinity that had made the difference. Yet as the months passed, doubt crept in. There was no precedent for his existence, no records of anyone bypassing the process so effortlessly. The lack of explanation was an enigma, one he had tried and failed to decipher.

In the past eight months, he had honed his craft relentlessly, refining his control over the seven elements. Fire, water, and earth had become his strongest allies, bending to his will with ease. Thunder, wind, and light remained reliable, though lacking the same depth of mastery. Sound magic, however, lagged behind—a stubborn force, elusive and untamed in his grasp.

He pondered this disparity for a moment before pushing the thought aside. Now was not the time for idle speculation. His focus returned to the tome, flipping through its pages until he reached the section he had sought all along.

"The Path to Ascend into the Radiant Silver Mana Core."

Without hesitation, he delved into the text.

"The silver mana core marks the pinnacle of natural mana storage," it stated. "Beyond this stage, further expansion is impossible through conventional means."

Orion's eyes narrowed. A limitation.

"To surpass the silver core and attain the radiant silver, one must fortify their mana core by consuming external sources of mana."

Two paths lay before those who sought this advancement. The first was to immerse oneself in environments dense with mana—ancient mines filled with crystalline energy, the lairs of monstrous beings that radiated raw power. In these sacred places, a mage could absorb the lingering energy and push their limits naturally.

The second path was far more dangerous. It involved the hearts of mana beasts.

Unlike humans, mana beasts did not rely on cores. Their magic was stored in their hearts, dense and untamed, a reservoir of power that remained even after death. Consuming these hearts allowed a mage to forcibly expand their mana reserves, accelerating their growth in ways that meditation never could.

But the price was steep.

"The heart of a beast is a double-edged sword," the book warned. "The process inflicts excruciating torment upon the mage's heart, a battle of resilience and endurance. The stronger the beast, the more potent its heart—and the greater the risk. To exceed one's limit is to invite death, the heart consumed by the very power it sought to wield."

A stark warning followed: "Know your limits. Choose wisely."

Orion leaned back, his mind absorbing the revelations laid bare before him. The road ahead had never been clearer, nor had it ever seemed more treacherous.

Still, he had never been one to shy away from the unknown.

His fingers traced the rough surface of the page, lingering on the words that spoke of radiant silver. The book, as if bound by an unseen law, held no further secrets beyond this point. The path to the white core—the realm beyond even radiant silver—remained shrouded in mystery. Only those who had reached the next threshold would gain access to that knowledge.

A challenge, then.

With a decisive motion, Orion shut the book, its weight vanishing as he stored it within the red runes etched upon his arm. Rising from his chair, he stretched, the firelight casting long shadows against the stone walls of his chamber. The silence of the room was heavy with unspoken intent.

He exhaled slowly, then spoke, his voice firm and resolute.

"Let's begin."