With a final breath, Reon silenced every stray thought, his consciousness sinking inward like a stone into still water.
His body felt lighter. His heart, slower. Even time itself seemed to pause.
Then, he turned his focus inward—to the gaseous sphere of mana swirling faintly within his Constitution.
This mana, absorbed by Luna from that Intermediate-Grade Mana Stone, now hovered there like a newborn sun.
"Circulate it slowly… carefully."
He began to draw a delicate stream of that mana, guiding it into his physical body. It flowed like mist through his veins and arteries.
"Only when the soul is still and the breath of nature flows through the veins, can the core be born."
The mana brushed against his nerves, warming his limbs, seeping into muscle and bone—not aggressively, but with reverent patience.
His flesh began to hum with life, preparing itself for what was to come.
Then came the next phase.
