Mana Control

[ Kai's POV ]

"Damn..."

Kicking the nearby rock, I cursed under my breath, feeling a sea of frustration pooling up inside me.

The Sun was rising on the Horizon...

Why was that a bad thing?

Well...

I could not see the stars anymore!

The stars that once peppered the night sky like a celestial blanket were now hidden from view, their brilliance swallowed by the blinding glow of the Sun.

Although I had previously drawn lines connecting the stars, mapping out constellations in my mind, now there was nothing but an expanse of empty blue.

I couldn't quite remember the exact location of the 'Stardust Beacon' and 'Rainbow Twinkle'.

"If only I were faster..."

Uttering under my breath, I looked at my feet with almost ironic disappointment.

In the Novel, Eva managed to reach the Ancient Runes within a single night, which led me to believe I could do the same.

However, I looked up at the sky again, the harsh reality sinking in.

This happened because I forgot one 'tiny' detail...

Eva found these Ruins in the middle of the story when she had already reached considerable growth in her overall strength.

She was probably moving ten times faster than me than I am now.

"Why can't I think about this beforehand..."

Muttering under my nose, I sighed in resignation.

Well, even if I knew I wouldn't have been able to change anything, so there was no need to beat myself up over it.

Anyways, I had an entire day ahead of me and...

I had nothing to do.

"..."

Looking toward the trees swaying in the gentle breeze I sighed, before taking a seat on a nearby rock and letting the warmth of the morning sun wash over me.

I allowed myself to enjoy the simple pleasure of just being in the present moment for a moment before my face morphed into a serious expression.

Blink...

Closing my eyes, I took a long deep breath, feeling the cool air fill my lungs.

Although I had lost sight of the stars and had an entire day for myself, I wasn't going to let myself relax too much.

This world is unforgiving and I'd rather spend my time enhancing my strength and honing my skills.

Rest is for the weary and, currently, I am not even a tad bit tired.

Although I was up for the entire night and continued to run on my journey with minimal rest, I was in my peak condition.

Demons are tough mentally and physically.

While Humans are born with weak bodies, we Demon beings possess incredible endurance and resilience.

If only it wasn't for our hostile and psychopathic nature...

Maybe we'd be able to coexist peacefully with other beings.

Well, this was practically impossible, at least until the Demon God was killed...

With him, all the problems would disappear.

That piece of shit!

Ahem...

I'd rather bite my tongue, although he was truly evil, cursing him in my thoughts would give me nothing of value.

Well, a little bit of satisfaction...

Anyways!

It was time to use this day wisely and make the most of it.

Whoosh...

Closing my eyes, I willed my Dark Mana to flow through my veins, feeling its familiar tingling sensation.

The energy channeled throughout my body, traveling from my fingertips to my toes, making me frown slightly as I concentrated on controlling its flow.

Although it was hard, the constant flow of Dark Mana was essential for my survival.

Currently, I was training my Mana Control, focusing on maintaining a steady and precise flow of dark mana within my body.

I could spend time trying to cultivate my Core and try to break through into the Fiend Rank, but it was useless...

The only Dark Mana Training technique I currently knew was a simple breathing exercise that would slightly increase the amount of Mana particles attracted to my core.

It was very inefficient and time-consuming.

I'd much rather spend my time training my Dark Mana control than wasting it on ineffective techniques.

I will get one of the Ancient Techniques in a few days, so I'd rather spend my time wisely and prepare myself for when I obtain it.

Control over one's Mana is as important as the Rank of the Core itself.

For example, a Fiend Rank Demon could be easily defeated by an Imp ranked one if they lacked sufficient mana control and mastery over their abilities.

This was just a simple fact...

Huff...

However, training Mana control was hard!

I'm only a few minutes into it but my focus is slipping away and I'm finding it difficult to maintain my concentration.