Reforged Core

After resting and meditating for twenty minutes by the shoreline, Ren finally regained some of his stamina and mana. 

He looked up at the sky and, realizing that dawn was only a few hours away, decided to proceed with the process of evolving his mana core.

Removing his shirt, he exposed his bare upper body, revealing the bruises and scars inflicted by Donovan and his gang on his frail frame. Then, step by step, he waded into the mana lake and swam towards its center, carrying the precious ingredients he had brought along in his saddlebag.

Madeline covered her mouth to stifle a gasp at the sight of the wounds on Ren's frail figure. She couldn't fathom how he had sustained such severe injuries but knew better than to ask. Instead, she watched silently, her gaze filled with certain resolve and a tinge of motherly instinct.

Ren was unaware of the thoughts running through Madeline's mind. His focus was entirely on the evolution process.

He had no qualms about revealing that a mana core could be evolved. In fact, he intended to introduce the theory to the public. With the support of influential nobles like Abigail Nightwind and Madeline, he hoped that the theory of core evolution would spread beyond the Empire's borders and reach the entire world.

Once the theory spread far and wide, commoners and lowborns would have the same opportunities to grow stronger as the nobles. Achieving this could usher in the next era of mages a decade earlier, potentially averting the impending apocalypse.

With ample time for the next generation of prodigies to develop, humanity would have a better chance against future invasions.

Moreover, the most crucial aspect of the theory is the method and path of evolution. These can only be explored through trial and error, a process for which he alone possesses the knowledge. Being the Magic Lord overseeing the Empire's research department in his previous life, he held a significant advantage over everyone else.

Upon reaching the lake's center, Ren gradually submerged himself in the water. Once completely immersed, he manipulated the flow of mana within his body, initiating the reversal process to break his mana core almost instantly.

To elevate his mana core to a higher potential, Ren needed to destroy the original one. This posed significant risks, as it could easily result in death. However, with the assistance of external mana to guide the reformation process, the risks could be mitigated to some extent. Since Ren had no one to aid him, he had to depend on the mana within the lake to fashion a new core from scratch.

Risking his life in a bid to become stronger, he had uncovered this perilous method to grow stronger in his past life. To repay her kindness, he was willing to take a gamble with his life.

"Hukk!"

As Ren's mana core shattered completely, a large amount of blood spewed from all over his frail body, staining a large section of the lake crimson red. Alongside the deep wounds that appeared all over him, even his eyes and mouth were tainted red from the constant outflow of blood. Fortunately, with the mana from the lake continuously being absorbed by Ren, his life still hung by a thin thread.

Madeline clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white as she watched the process unfold. Despite her deep concern for Ren, she resisted the urge to dive into the water, remembering Ren's instructions not to intervene. Without any means to assist him, she devotedly prayed for Ren's safety.

While Madeline prayed at the shoreline, Ren was struggling greatly beneath the water on his own.

While evolving a G-rank mana core to an C-rank mana core like the one in his previous life was challenging, he could manage it effortlessly with experience. However, driven by the desire to protect his loved ones and become even stronger, he resolved to evolve his mana core to its utmost potential.

This would be a core capable of harnessing the might of ancient elemental beasts, fueling his growth in power—a rainbow, multi-affinity core!

Theoretically, his ability to stimulate plant growth could potentially extend to pure elements as well! At least, that was what he had come up with through a decade of research and experimentation!

Despite the intense agony from his body literally tearing apart, he focused on the task at hand and reached for the saddlebag tied to his waist. With determination, he opened it and retrieved the items stored inside.

From the bag, he extracted mana cores from several monsters. Though these cores belonged to creatures of rare rarity, they shared a common trait: each contained a small amount of their powerful ancestors' blood.

By harnessing the potential contained in their blood as a conduit, he believed he could cast spells of comparable magnitude to their ancestors!

Ren commenced the incorporation by crushing the core of a fallen Hellhound, then assimilating the shattered fragments into his body. Sensing the scorching heat of a thousand degrees engulfing him, he proceeded to acquire the core of an Ice Serpent from the bag, repeating the procedure.

Much like alchemy, rather than using a cauldron as the vessel for the potion, he employed his own body as the vessel instead, with each step fraught with peril and danger. By incorporating the fragmented core of the Ice Serpent, the burning sensation in his body was neutralized, thereby saving his life. 

Without the vast knowledge that he gathered and held, it would be a suicidal thing to do!

After absorbing all the fragments of the Ice Serpent's core, Ren moved on to the core of Earth Golem, Chimera, Dream Eater and finally the core of a baby wyvern. Throughout the process, every bone in his body was repeatedly broken and reconnected, leaving not a single one intact.

By the time he reached the final stage, he barely had enough blood left to spill. 

Despite his increasingly labored breath and weakening body, he persevered, barely hanging with just his mental strength. If there was one thing he was proud of, it was his resilience. Even in the face of apocalyptic despair, he believed he could stop it all, or at least die trying.

At last, with the integration of the wyvern's mana core, his own core began to take shape. As the final step of the procedure concluded, a brilliant light burst forth from the center of the lake, giving rise to a massive pillar of light that ascended into the night sky.

Ren had successfully reforged his mana core.