Gathering Mana

"Now, sit cross-legged or in any position you find comfortable. Try to feel the mana around you, then slowly begin to absorb the mana from your surroundings and guide it to your mana core."

"Wait! I don't think I have an organ called a mana core inside of me."

"Huh? You sure do. Every living being has one. Close your eyes and try to feel the mana flow inside your body and pinpoint the location of its origin."

'Your core is the purest one I have ever seen.' Aurora thought but didn't voice her thoughts, not wanting to scare him.

Alex closed his eyes and followed her instructions, tracing the path of mana within his body, much like blood circulating through his veins.

Soon, Alex located a small, round bead-like ethereal object in the center of his chest, near his heart, which appeared to be the source of mana inside his body.

"Did you find it?" she asked, observing his contemplative expression.

"Yes."

"Now, slowly guide the surrounding mana into your body to your core, and then try to expand it if you can. Don't rush; it will happen slowly and gradually."

In just over an hour, Alex had fully replenished his mana.

'The recovery speed should be around 25 MP per hour.' Alex calculated.

"I didn't expand my mana pool, but I recovered all my mana."

'Well, his recovery speed is faster than average for his first day at it.'

"Well, other than mana potions, if you refine and absorb a monster's core, this process will be much faster." Aurora informed Alex of other ways to recover mana more quickly.

Alex continued to practice using <Dark Bullet> until late at night when it was time for dinner. Unfortunately, he needed to cast more of the spell to increase its mastery and complete his side quest.

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It was early the next morning, the sun had just risen, and it was still early for the students to wake up.

"Wake up, Alex. It's time for your morning workout." Aurora acted like an alarm clock and roused Alex from his slumber.

"What time is it? It's still early for the classes to start."

"Alex, don't you remember? You asked me to wake you up every morning, and this is just the first day."

Alex immediately woke up, his determination evident in his gaze.

In the last few years of his previous life, Alex had been confined to the four walls of his house, yearning to explore and undertake exciting adventures, which had always been forbidden to him.

He had always dreamt of embarking on daring quests, but in his frail condition, venturing into a world teeming with monsters remained a distant fantasy.

In his former life, his body's fragility had imprisoned him indoors. Given this second chance, he was determined not to squander it.

Last night, Alex resolved to strengthen his frail body. Without the luxury of unrestricted magic, rigorous physical training was his only path to survival in this unforgiving world.

So, to start with, he decided to go for a run and then follow a systematic workout routine.

The workout included a 10 km run followed by 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 pull-ups every day.

This exercise routine was done in the morning, and in the evening after classes, he practiced his magic.

It might have seemed simple, but it was incredibly exhausting for Alex to follow.

On the first day, Alex could only run nearly half the required distance before needing to rest and complete the rest.

As for magic practice, he had to be conservative and moderate to avoid mana fatigue and getting caught by someone.

Alex, however, didn't falter and continued with determination.

After five days of hard work, Alex bore fruit as he also completed his Side Quest.

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<Dark Bullet>

Tier: 1

Attribute: Dark

Mana Cost: 10

Mastery: F → E

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[The host has successfully completed a Quest]

[Side Quest: Increase Spell Mastery]

[+100 XP and +2 SP]

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Alex summoned his status screen to assess his progress.

He was pleasantly surprised to see that he had not only increased his mana capacity but also his strength.

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[Status]

[Host: Alex Blanc]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 16]

[Rank: G+ → F]

[Magic Affinity: Dark(SS)]

[MP: 30/70]

[HP: 120/120]

[Experience: 150/1000]

[System Points: 3]

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"Aurora, I completed my side quest and also increased my mana capacity along with my strength." Alex quickly told Aurora about his achievements.

"Congratulations! So, do you want to learn another spell?"

"Of course, is there a need to even ask?"

"This one is called Dark Fire."

"Hey, can I learn a spell of another element even if I don't have an affinity for it?"

"You can memorize the magic circle but not use the spell itself."

Aurora created a magic circle entirely different from the previous one on her hand, which Alex quickly memorized.

"This spell contains both the dark and fire elements, so anyone with an affinity for either one can use it. If you have an affinity for both elements, then the power of the spell increases exponentially."

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[The host has learned a new magic spell]

<Dark Fire>

Tier: 1

Attribute: Dark/Fire

Mana Cost: 30

Mastery: F

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Alex was about to use the magic spell when Aurora stopped him.

"Don't use this magic indoors; it will burn the whole room."