Sam started by creating a small core.
Slowly, carefully, he forged one after another until he had formed eight mana cores once again.
Then, just like before, he set them in motion.
The same process.
The same pain.
The same trial of endurance.
As time passed, Sam created another set of eight-element mana cores,
and then another.
He repeated the process until he had formed four sets—a total of thirty-two eight-element mana cores.
Then, he began to rotate them all.
The pain was still there, but it barely affected him now—
he had grown used to it.
************
Sam increased the speed.
With it, the pain surged too.
But just as something began to feel… off, he slowed it down again.
The new core was the same size as the old ones—
but now, it shimmered with eight distinct colors, each one swirling and mixing like a storm of elements.
---
Sam collapsed to the ground.
He had no strength left.
No energy to move.
His body and mind were completely exhausted.
Lying there, barely conscious, he opened his mouth and whispered,
"Status… open."
A faint light flickered.
A light blue screen appeared before his eyes.
---
[STATUS SCREEN]
Name: Sam
Age: 15
Race: Human
Memory: 3 / Locked
Mana: 3,369,000 / 3,369,000
Mana Regeneration: 1 per second
(Skill Active: All Mana Manipulation – 10 per second)
---
Light Mana Core
Core Type: Eight-Element Mana Core
• Evolution: 0 / 100
• Status: Stable (100%)
• Affinities:
• Water — Control over water
• Light — Control over light
• Fire — Control over fire
• Dark — Control over darkness
• Wind — Control over wind
• Earth — Control over earth
• Ice — Control over ice
---
Skills
• All Scan – Lv. 7
→ Evolved: Scan all beings simultaneously
→ Analyze environments and living entities in great detail
→ Mana Cost: 1 per 10 minutes
→ Depth increases with focus
• All Mana Manipulation – Lv. 6
→ Evolved: Freely manipulate mana
→ Control and guide all types of mana within a 1 km radius
→ Precision improves with training
• All Elements Transport – Lv. 5
→ Evolved: Elemental teleportation
→ Instantly transport self or object up to 700 meters using any element
• All Conversion – Lv. 5
→ Evolved: Master-level mana conversion
→ Convert any mana type into another
---
System Level: 3
---
"My mana… it's 32 times more than before."
"Oh my god… in a single day…"
Sam whispered to himself in disbelief.
Than eye land on core option
********
Sam stared at the blue screen, his eyes unfocused.
His body refused to move, but his mind was wide awake—running in circles.
He was thinking.
Thinking real hard.
"What happened to my high-level magic?"
"Before… I needed scrolls to learn them. I had the casting option too."
"Now it's completely gone."
He frowned, frustration rising beneath the exhaustion.
"Did the system erase it?"
"No… maybe it's locked."
"Maybe it's tied to the evolution of this new core."
His gaze shifted back to the core section on the screen—
Evolution: 0/100
>"Is that the key?"
"Do I have to evolve this new core to unlock high-tier casting again?"
"But how do I evolve it? And how much time will it take?"
He exhaled sharply, bitterness on his tongue.
"Back to square one… no, even further behind than that."
But still—somewhere beneath the frustration,
there was a flicker of determination.
"Fine. If evolution is what it takes..."
"Then I'll evolve this core—no matter what."
"Ten years of experience... all reset in a single day."
"Damn… I really feel like crying."
***********
In this world, high-level magic scrolls were rare—
extremely rare.
Only the royal family, dukes, and top-ranked nobles had access to them.
Without those scrolls, a mage could only perform basic spells.
For example—water magic.
Changing the shape of water, or controlling its flow.
Even with a vast mana pool, all it allowed was to create a bigger water ball—nothing unique or truly powerful.
To cast advanced spells—
to shape magic into something extraordinary—
one had to learn from a magic scroll
********************
After a while, Sam's body slowly began to respond.
The numbness faded, and a faint strength returned to his limbs.
He pushed himself to his feet, breathing deeply.
"Let's not get too attached… time to move."
He activated All Conversion,
turning every drop of mana in his body into Wind Mana.
Then, with All Mana Manipulation,
he pulled it all out—
stripping his body clean of mana.
Only small amount remain
Once the process was complete, he deactivated both skills.
...
He walked toward the door and opened it.
Outside, a temple servant stood silently near the gate.
Noticing Sam, the man didn't bow, didn't smile—
he simply gave a lazy gesture toward a stone pedestal and said flatly,
"Place your hand on the stone."
There was no warmth in his voice.
Just procedure.
Sam followed the instructions without a word.
A soft glow shimmered across the stone,
and moments later, a magic screen appeared above it:
---
• Name: Sam
• Age: 15
• Mana System: Wind-Type
• Mana Core: Wind Mana Core
• Mana Capacity: 30,000
• Placement: 102
---
The servant barely glanced at the screen.
His expression didn't change.
No surprise. No praise. Just a faint air of disinterest—
as if this kind of result wasn't worth remembering.
With a bored tone, he muttered,
"Congratulations. Awakening successful.
Ranking: 102."
Then, without giving Sam a second look,
he turned his back and walked away—
not even waiting for a reply.
As if Sam was nothing more than another number.
********************
Sam didn't feel sad about the temple servant's cold behavior.
In fact, he felt relieved—almost happy.
Because it meant his efforts were working.
All the time he had spent trying to blend in, to be overlooked, to become just a background character...
It was paying off.
And that was exactly the kind of life he wanted—
a quiet, peaceful existence, far from the spotlight.
He had no desire to get involved with princes or princesses,
with dukes' heirs or chosen heroes.
He didn't want to be dragged into their power struggles, their destinies, or their chaos.
Most of all,
he wanted no part in the kind of drama that had unfolded earlier—
between the Young Mistress of House Friz and the Young Master of House Silver.
He wanted to live simply.
Unnoticed.
Free.
And when it came to love,
he didn't dream of some destined heroine or legendary romance.
No—he wanted someone ordinary.
Someone like him.
Another background character,
living their life in peace… together.
Sam thought to himself:
"I just want a background life...
A quiet, simple one.
To live peacefully with my family...
Sleep in a little longer each morning...
Share breakfast together at the table...
Watch my siblings play—and maybe join them sometimes...
And one day... find a girl like me.
A background character.
Someone who doesn't crave power or fame.
Someone who just wants a normal life.
I'd love her with everything I have...
Fulfill her little wishes...
Take her out...
Spend time with her...
Hold her hand...
Take care of her when she's tired...
Comfort her when she's worried about me...
Then, one night beneath the stars... I'd ask her to marry me.
We'd build a home together.
Have children...
Live a life filled with warmth and laughter.
Not a legendary tale... just a real one.
Like my mother and father had—
but without the pain of running away.
And all I want...
just enough power to protect that."