Chapter 86: The Spark of Evolution
Dahlia flexed her arms once and then turned to Garion.
"Master. I can feel it. My mana pool cells are already full."
Garion raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So you’ve reached saturation."
Dahlia nodded firmly.
"Yes. Teach me now... how to reach the Mana Core Realm."
Garion crossed his arms for a moment, then smiled.
"Alright. Let’s go to your room."
The disciples, still lying on the ground, looked up weakly.
"Wait, what about us, Master?"
Garion waved a hand casually.
"Rest. You’ve earned it."
A loud sigh of relief spread across the training hall.
Some of them even flopped back down immediately.
Garion and Dahlia left, walking down the quiet corridor toward her room.
When they entered, Dahlia sat down on the mat cross-legged, her expression serious.
Garion stood nearby, his arms behind his back.
"Okay, listen carefully. I’ll teach you how to step into the Mana Core Realm."
She nodded eagerly.
"First, you need to choose one mana pool cell. Just one, and you’ll turn that pool into a mana core cell."
Dahlia tilted her head slightly.
"But Master... we have trillions of mana pool cells. Where do I even start?"
Garion smiled, pointing at his heart.
"Start from the heart cell. The heart is the main organ that circulates mana-blood through your body. Once that one is stable, it will support the others."
Dahlia nodded again.
"Understood."
Garion then continued.
"Now, direct all the mana from your other mana pool cells into that one heart cell."
He clenched his fist.
"Compress it and imagine the liquid mana hardening, transforming into a seed."
Dahlia took a deep breath and closed her eyes, calming her body.
Minutes passed quietly.
Garion stood still, watching her carefully as faint ripples of mana began to form around her body.
After two hours, Dahlia exhaled deeply, opening her eyes.
"Master... I can feel it. One cell changed. It’s small and hard... like a seed."
Garion nodded with a smile.
"Good. That means you’ve entered the first step, and also congratulations! You already are a Mana Core Realm cultivator."
Dahlia’s eyes brightened with excitement.
"I really did it!"
But before she could celebrate, Garion raised his hand.
"Not yet, Dahlia."
She blinked.
"Not yet?"
Garion smirked.
"Just like I said, this is only the first step. Right now, what you have is only a mana seed, and it’s unstable."
He clenched his fist again.
"You must refine it further until it becomes a true mana core."
He then gestured with his hands, as if shaping something invisible in the air.
"Picture the seed being tempered by mana. Strengthen it until it’s solid and smooth, forming a rock."
Dahlia nodded and closed her eyes again, and soon hours passed.
Finally, after four long hours, her eyes opened again, glowing faintly.
"Master... I did it. The seed changed. It feels stronger now and complete."
Garion smiled proudly.
"Good. That means you’ve formed your first mana core cell."
She looked down at her hands, flexing them slowly.
"It feels... different. My body feels heavier, but also stronger."
Garion nodded.
"That’s how it should feel. But remember, this is just the start."
Dahlia frowned slightly.
"Start? I just spent six hours sitting here, Master."
Garion chuckled.
"And you’ll spend even longer on the next part."
She groaned.
"Figures..."
Garion crouched slightly so she could see his face clearly.
"The next step is to make your mana core cell perfect. Right now, it’s stable but not flawless. Keep tempering it until you feel it can’t be refined anymore."
Dahlia nodded.
"And when it’s perfect?"
Garion smirked.
"That’s when the real magic happens. Once a mana core cell becomes perfect, it will begin to absorb mana to divide on its own, or you know... cell splitting."
"Cell splitting?" she repeated.
Garion nodded.
"Yes. You know how cells naturally divide? This will be the same, except your perfect mana core cell will eat the mana pool cells and replace them."
Garion shook his finger, smirking.
"That way, you don’t need to turn every single one manually. Just one perfect cell can transform the rest."
Dahlia’s eyes widened in realization.
"So it spreads... like evolution."
Garion smiled.
"Exactly. You only need one spark to light a fire."
He stood up straight.
"For now, focus on changing all your heart’s mana pool cells into mana core cells. That’s your goal."
Dahlia nodded, determination in her eyes.
"Understood, Master."
Garion smirked.
"Good. I’ll be checking your progress later."
He turned toward the door.
"Don’t rush. And don’t blow yourself up."
Dahlia laughed softly.
"I’ll try not to."
Garion walked out, leaving her to her cultivation.
As the door closed, Dahlia took a deep breath, her eyes focused.
"Alright. Let’s do this. I’ll catch up to you, Master."
---
Garion had just left Dahlia’s room when he turned his eyes upward.
"Alright, System. Dahlia’s reached the Mana Core Realm. Give me my reward."
The familiar screen appeared.
[Mission: Help Dahlia break through to the Mana Core Realm.]
[Progress: 1/1]
[Reward Unlocked: Learning Hall constructed.]
Garion blinked.
"Learning hall? What the hell is that supposed to be?"
Before he could ask further, another notification flashed.
[All Missions Completed]
[Reward Unlocked: God Gym Upgrade]
"Wait...What?"
The ground started to rumble, and the entire God Gym began to shake violently.
Garion grabbed the wall for balance.
"Ah, not again..."
Outside, the walls gleamed faintly as mana surged through every part of the structure.
Dahlia, deep in her cultivation, didn’t seem to notice anything, completely focused on her own cultivation.
The other disciples, exhausted from their brutal training, were passed out in the training hall, barely stirred even as the tremors continued.
After what felt like an hour, the shaking finally stopped, and another bright screen appeared.
[Upgrade Complete: God Gym Leveled-up]
Garion rubbed his chin and quickly opened the status window.
---
[God Gym Management Interface]
[Level:2]
[Owner: Garion Gravithor]
---
[Current Abilities:]
[1. Divine Training Resonance]
[2. Divine Equipment Creation]
[3. Divine Supplement Creation]
---
[Current Facilities:]
[1. Training Hall]
[2. Learning Hall]
[3. Restaurant and Bar]
[4. Dormitory]
---
[Members]
[Direct Disciples: 2/5]
[Inner Disciples: 0/50]
[Outer Disciples: 100/500]
---
[Active Missions:]
[1. Fill All Members Slots.]
[2. Turn All Direct Disciples into Mana Core Realm Cultivators.]
[3. Reached The Third Realm.]
[4. Locked]
[5. Locked]
---
Garion stared at it for a long time.
"Damn..."