Chapter 38: Secrets of the Second Realm
The old man studied Garion momentarily before finally shrugging.
"You’ve at least got the spirit, but don’t take Feron lightly. He isn’t someone you can laugh away."
Garion grinned, arms folded.
"I’ll laugh at whoever I want. But fine, I’ll keep it in mind."
The old man chuckled, then took a book from his pouch and gave it to Garion.
"Since you’ve entertained me tonight, let me give you a small gift."
Garion raised his brow and accepted it. When he looked at the book’s title, his eyes widened.
[Cultivation Secrets Vol. 2]
Garion’s grin faltered into surprise.
"What the...?"
He turned it in his hands, flipping the cover open to skim a few pages.
His grin soon returned wider.
"This is the follow-up to the first volume, isn’t it? The one about the Mana Refinement Realm."
The old man nodded, smiling faintly.
"Correct. The second volume explains the workings of the Mana Core Realm rather than the cultivation art."
The old man then stroked his beard again.
"You were walking a different path, so I think this book that explains fundamentals is worth more than other cultivation books."
Garion smirked as he closed his book gently, putting it on his cloth.
"Indeed, old man. This is what I really need, but this is no small favour. What do you want in return? I can’t just take something this valuable for free."
The old man smiled faintly, shaking his head.
"You already gave me something. A laugh."
Garion tilted his head.
"That’s all?"
The elder only nodded.
"That’s all. Tomorrow, in the arena, just tell your disciple to show me a good fight."
"Let me see if your body training can stand against the proud sects of this region. That will be enough for me."
Garion smirked.
"You got it. Tomorrow, my disciple will put on a show you won’t forget."
The old man chuckled, turning away.
"Then, I’ll be watching. Don’t disappoint me."
As the elder disappeared around the corner, Garion took out the book once more, grinning widely.
"Second realm, huh? Perfect timing. With this... I’ll make sure I’m ready for Feron or whoever else wants to play."
He tucked the book securely in his cloth and returned to his room, where Dahlia was currently sleeping.
"Rest easy, kid. Tomorrow’s gonna be a hell of a day."
---
Garion sat by the window, flipping open [Cultivation Secrets Vol. 2].
"So... the Mana Core Realm, huh? Like the name says, it’s about turning that maan pool into a proper core."
He leaned back, reading all of the theories.
The first stage was called [Condensation Stage].
The book described how a cultivator had to compress their liquid mana, refining it into something denser.
If forced tightly enough, that liquid would form a tiny, fragile crystal seed.
"So that’s why they called it the Condensation Stage. Basically, squish your pool until it turns into a shiny bead."
The book went on to say that even at this early stage, a trait begins to appear.
It could be something simple like fire, water, or wind.
It could also be rare, like sound, illusion, sharpness, or even like Dahlia’s dragon.
Garion only chuckled, knowing Dahlia’s trait.
"Guess my disciple got lucky and got the premium package already."
He then continued and found the second stage, which was called the [Stabilization Stage].
The seed would slowly absorb the remaining liquid mana, feeding itself until it began to grow steadily.
Once stable, the tiny crystal seed became a proper Mana Core.
At this point, traits could finally be used, like fire in the palm, a blade coated in lightning, etc.
The cultivator’s body was toughened to withstand the stronger mana.
"So this is the stage where the cultivator began to be able to use their element like magic, though weaker ones."
The third stage was [Awakening Stage]
By now, the core had replaced the old pool entirely.
The book explained how traits became natural extensions of the cultivator.
Garion’s brow lifted as he read a margin note.
"Huh... some even awaken extra quirks. For example, if your trait is lightning, you might run faster. Make sense. Body adapts to match the mana core."
The fourth stage was [Integration Stage]
This was where things got serious.
The cultivator had to absorb mana from the world and smash it against the core, tempering it repeatedly.
Each session made the core harder, denser, and brighter.
It had also become like a second heart, pulsing power through the body.
"So this is the fourth stage, huh? Beat it, temper it, and make it tougher. Sounds like a gym workout for the core."
The fifth stage, which was the last, was [Completion Stage]
The core had finally become flawless. It was clear, radiant, and unbreakable.
Traits at this stage were nearly mastered, able to be summoned without wasted effort.
The book warned that even though this wasn’t the most spectacular realm compared to the higher ones...
It marked the true line between children and warriors.
Garion tapped the page again, his grin spreading.
"Mana Core Realm, huh? So basically, the first realm kids are just filling water balloons, while the second realm walked around with nuclear batteries."
The last lines also made him pause.
Even the weakest cultivator of the Second Realm stands countless times stronger than the strongest First Realm.
Garion leaned back in his chair, closing the book slowly.
"Countless times stronger, eh? No wonder people act all high and mighty once they break through.
"This is the wall I’ll need to smash if I don’t want Feron breathing down my neck."
He stood, stretching until his joints cracked and watching Dahlia sleep.
"She’s already on the path. With her dragon trait, she might rocket through this realm once she hits it."
His smirk returned, sharp as ever.
"And me? Well, I’d better catch up. Can’t let the kid carry all the glory."
Tomorrow would be Dahlia’s glory fight in the arena...
But tonight would be Garion’s work to study the second realm, planning his next steps and figuring out how to put it all into his Gym Cultivation Path.