Manual Absorption

Lucas stood amidst the corpses of the goblins, the stench of death mingling with the residual crackle of mana in the air. The forest, which had once been filled with the goblins' chaotic chatter, was now eerily silent. He took a deep breath, steadying himself as he turned his attention to the system.

"System, absorb all of these corpses," he commanded, his voice firm.

[Do you want to absorb them yourself or have the system do it for you?] the system inquired, its tone neutral yet slightly condescending.

Lucas blinked in confusion. "Wait, you mean I can absorb them myself?" He furrowed his brow, trying to comprehend the system's suggestion.

[Indeed. If you choose to absorb them yourself, the efficiency will increase by 100%. However, I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to know that without my guidance.] The system's tone dripped with a smug superiority.

"The hell?" Lucas exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. "So why didn't you tell me this when I absorbed the two goblins earlier?"

[Those were mere crumbs, hardly worth mentioning. I assumed you wouldn't need to know for such trivial amounts,] the system replied dismissively.

"You're shameless," Lucas muttered, his expression a mix of irritation and disbelief. He shook his head, trying to process the system's arrogance.

Lucas stood there, flabbergasted. Was the system always like this, just holding back before, or had it suddenly developed the ability to mock him? He couldn't be sure.

Shaking off his bewilderment, he focused on the task at hand. "Alright, so how do I absorb them?" he asked, trying to keep his tone steady.

[Just cultivate as you normally would. The process will handle itself automatically, though I suppose I must spell out everything for you.]

Lucas couldn't help but roll his eyes at the system's sarcastic remark. "I see," he replied, forcing himself to stay calm.

He soon began his cultivation, focusing intently on the Divine Thunder Cultivation Manual to absorb the mana from the fallen goblins. As he delved deeper into the cultivation process, the goblins and the hobgoblin began to dry up, their mana siphoned away.

The process was anything but gentle. Lucas felt a sharp, searing pain as his body struggled to absorb and purify the raw mana, converting it into thunder mana.

Lucas groaned, the pain coursing through his veins like liquid fire. Each pulse of mana felt like thousands of tiny needles piercing every cell in his body. The electricity surged within him, raw and untamed, as if he were channeling a storm through his very being. It was excruciating, an agonizing ordeal that tested his limits.

He grit his teeth and persevered, his determination unyielding. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced—every nerve ending felt as though it were being electrocuted, each muscle fiber straining against the overload of energy.

Time seemed to stretch on indefinitely as he endured the torment. Minutes felt like hours, and the seconds dragged on with agonizing slowness. The goblins' bodies began to wither and crumble, turning to dust as their life force was completely drained. Lucas's breathing grew labored, each inhale and exhale a struggle against the relentless pain tearing through him.

Despite the agony, Lucas forced himself to continue, drawing more and more mana into his body. His vision blurred, and his muscles spasmed uncontrollably, but he refused to stop. He needed this power. He needed to become stronger.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last of the mana was absorbed. The goblins' remains had disintegrated entirely, leaving only fine ash drifting away on the breeze. Lucas collapsed to his knees, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat.

The pain from the intense absorption and cultivation process still lingered, a dull ache in his muscles that reminded him of the ordeal he had just endured.

With a shaky hand, he wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced at the level of his Divine Mask - Zeus.

[Zeus: One Star Magic Warrior (5%)]

Lucas's eyes widened in disbelief. "Only 5%? How can that be? The hobgoblin I absorbed was almost a peak one-star beast," he exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.

[The hobgoblin, while formidable to commoners, is merely a low-tier beast in the grand scheme. Its mana was weak and diluted, leading to a less significant boost.]

Lucas sighed deeply, the initial elation of victory giving way to disappointment. "That's disappointing," he muttered under his breath, feeling the weight of the long road ahead.

[Disappointment is a matter of perspective. You wouldn't compare the mana from a one-star hobgoblin to that of a one-star dragon, would you? Expecting the same results would be naive.]

Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit chastised by the system's matter-of-fact tone. He rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate the growing headache. "I understand that, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I thought the hobgoblin's mana would make a bigger difference."

[While the hobgoblin might seem formidable to someone at your current level, in the grand hierarchy of beasts and cultivators, its power is almost laughably insignificant. Reaching higher levels demands far more substantial and potent sources of mana.]

Lucas let out another sigh, his breath visible in the cool evening air of the forest. The setting sun cast long shadows, painting the scene with an orange glow. He looked around at the remains of the goblins, now reduced to dust and ash, scattered by the gentle breeze. 

"So, even the top hobgoblin only amounted to almost 4%, and that was because I cultivated it myself," Lucas reflected, speaking more to himself than the system. "It seems reaching two stars will take a long time."

[Patience and perseverance, if you can manage them, are key. The path to power is never swift or easy, especially for someone like you. Each small victory, each tiny fragment of mana absorbed, nudges you ever so slowly closer to your goal. Try to keep up.]

Lucas could hear the faint rustling of leaves and the distant calls of forest creatures as night began to fall. He stood up, dusting off his clothes, and took one last look at the scene of his triumph and struggle.

He started to walk back through the forest, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot accompanying his thoughts. As he navigated the familiar path back home, the moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting a silvery light on the ground.