César sighed in relief as he sat down cross-legged.
He clenched his fists and drew in a deep breath. He knew the moment had come.
Inside his body, two cores coexisted—competing for control and generating constant rejection between them.
Before, whether due to battle or other matters, he had not had the time to resolve the issue. But now he knew it was time to fix it—to create his Ether Core.
César had opened sixteen Mana Veins and sixteen Aura Veins, for a total of thirty-two, forming two separate cores: one of Mana and one of Aura.
He was alone inside the wooden house. He had not called anyone. Even if they were present, they would not be able to help him—and he would only worry them. So he chose to do it without telling anyone.
He grabbed a cloth and stuffed it into his mouth to keep from screaming or biting his tongue. Though he had no personal experience with the process, he had read in the novel how painful it was.
After mentally preparing himself, he decisively took control of both his Mana and Aura cores and began spinning them with all his strength, intending to shatter them.
A few seconds later, a sound like two balloons bursting echoed from within his body.
The pain was so overwhelming it nearly made him faint—but César persevered with everything he had. He knew he had reached a crucial point. He forced himself to stay conscious.
Then he focused on guiding the Mana and Aura together, attempting to fuse them into a new core.
The process was long and complex. Every time he brought them together, they immediately rejected each other. César required immense control and patience to stabilize them.
After what felt like hours, he finally succeeded.
The Ether Core.
César was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. His face was pale and drawn, yet his eyes radiated pure joy.
At last, he had done it.
"Ether… a hybrid energy," César murmured, licking his lips in excitement.
But he quickly calmed himself. Though he wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the floor and rest, he forced himself to remain awake. He concentrated the Ether within his core, making it rotate and flow through his veins to ensure everything was stable and that no hidden complications remained.
Once he confirmed everything was functioning properly, he let out a long sigh of relief and smiled again, unable to hide his excitement.
He lay down on the animal hide he used as a bed. As his vision slowly darkened, he could not help but think of the next level he would have to traverse.
The realm he had named: Ether Adaptation… or Ether Body Tempering.
It consisted of refining the skin, muscles, organs, and bones with Ether—transforming the body into a perfect vessel.
With thoughts of his future and his boundless ambitions, César finally drifted into a peaceful sleep.
A smile filled with ambition remained on his face.