{Argus's POV}
Argus decided to rest for another day to fully enjoy the final day of the festival. By the time the day ended, he felt his soul had completely recovered and returned to its peak condition.
With his energy restored, Argus chose to leave the village. It took them a full day of travel to reach the nearest city, where Argus used a teleportation device to return to the capital.
Instead of heading back to their apartment, Argus made his way straight to the cave beneath the waterfall—the place where they had discovered Astrea's star core. He believed this secluded location was ideal for him to form his own core.
Although there were plenty of places in the capital or nearby cities where he could rent a space for this purpose, Argus had a strong feeling—guided by his intuition—that something unusual might happen once he formed his core. Unsure of what it might be, and not wanting anyone else to witness it just yet, Argus opted for the isolation of the cave.
As he looked around the cave where they had first discovered Astrea's star core, Argus could still see the remnants of their battle with the golem.
"The Mana here is still abundant. There might be a hidden Mana vein nearby," Argus muttered to himself.
Certain locations were known to be rich in Mana, usually due to the presence of a Mana vein or a hidden treasure, such as a spiritual plant or artifact.
Sensing the flow of energy around him, Argus concluded that it was likely a newly formed Mana vein. The Mana wasn't as dense as that of a fully mature vein, but it was still significant enough to aid him in his upcoming task.
This insight was based on what he had learned during his time at school.
---
Mana Veins
Mana Veins are natural concentrations of Mana flowing through the earth, acting as powerful sources of magical energy. These veins are characterized by their intense concentration of Mana, which significantly influences the surrounding environment. Creatures and plants in proximity to Mana Veins often experience accelerated growth and may evolve into spiritual plants or mutated monsters due to the Mana's transformative effects.
As Mana Veins age, they release increasingly concentrated and purer Mana. Over time, a Mana Vein can evolve into a more advanced form known as a Dragon Vein.
Dragon Veins are distinguished by their heightened magical potency and may even develop a form of sentience, making them not only sources of immense power but also entities with their own awareness and will.
Mana Veins are highly coveted by various cities and factions, as they represent prime locations for establishing strongholds and harnessing magical power. The most influential and powerful forces are known to possess Dragon Veins, underscoring their status and control over vast magical resources.
Mana Veins are categorized by their potency, ranging from levels 1 to 9:
Levels 1-3: Low Star Level Forces
Levels 4-6: Middle Star Level Forces
Levels 7-9: High Star Level Forces
The higher the level, the more concentrated and pure the Mana. Mana Veins that evolve into Dragon Veins signify an extraordinary level of power and are owned by what are termed Super Forces. These Super Forces, such as prestigious academies, powerful guilds, and even powerful kingdoms, possess the highest level of Mana resources and wield significant influence and control.
Mana Veins are highly sought after due to their profound effects on those who are within their influence. Being near a Mana Vein slows down the aging process and enhances physical capabilities over time. The stronger and purer the Mana vein, the more pronounced these benefits become, leading to significantly slower aging.
Spiritual plants, which can be harvested from these areas, also benefit from enhanced growth, leading to more abundant and powerful resources.
These advantages make Mana Veins crucial assets for any city or faction, driving intense competition to control and secure them.
Mana Veins offer significant benefits beyond personal enhancement. They greatly aid auxiliary classes engaged in activities such as forging, alchemy, talisman creation, and formations. The enhanced Mana available from a Mana Vein improves the quality and efficiency of their work, leading to:
Forging: Superior materials and increased success rates in crafting powerful weapons and armor.
Alchemy: Higher potency and success rates for concocting potions and elixirs.
Talisman Creation: Enhanced effectiveness and durability of magical talismans.
Formations: Increased stability and power of magical formations and arrays.
The abundance and purity of Mana in these areas elevate the capabilities and outcomes of such auxiliary class activities, making Mana Veins highly valuable assets.
Additionally, all regeneration skills, particularly energy regeneration, are significantly enhanced in the presence of a Mana Vein. This greatly benefits Battle Class individuals, allowing them to recover energy spent during training or combat without relying on mana potions. The continuous and accelerated regeneration of energy supports more intense and prolonged training sessions, improving their overall combat effectiveness.
That is why the discovery of a Mana Vein, especially a mature one, often leads to intense conflict. High-level Mana Veins and Dragon Veins are particularly coveted, as they offer immense benefits and can significantly impact the balance of power. The competition for such valuable resources has historically led to wars among powerful forces and will likely continue to do so in the present and future, given their critical importance.
---
"This Mana Vein can support up to 100 people. It's an ideal location for a phalanx force and far from the city. Should I make it my hidden base?" Argus mused.
He seriously considered the idea but knew he would need to hire a trustworthy Formation Master for the task.
"I could ask Alice, but..." Argus thought, contemplating the additional requests that might come with that.
Shaking his head, he refocused.
"That's not important right now. I need to form my core first, then enter the Arcana Academy. I'll keep this place hidden for now."
With a sigh, Argus acknowledged that he still needed Alice's advice but decided against building a base for now. The Arcana Academy, being the oldest and most prestigious academy, naturally possessed Dragon Veins. Rumors claimed that the Dragon Vein at Arcana Academy was the oldest and most powerful in Vesmir, leading some Academies and Sects to attempt to disband it. Success would either divide the Dragon Vein or spark a battle over it.
Argus set these troubling thoughts aside as he moved forward, preferring not to dwell on such complex matters at the moment.
Argus then summoned all of his Soulbounds.
"Oh, this is..." Astrea began, noticing that they were back at the place where they had discovered the star core. Sylvan and Ying Zhu tilted their heads in curiosity.
Astrea took it upon herself to recount their adventure in the cave, sharing the details of how they had found the star core and their experiences during that time.
"I will start forming my own core now. I need you all to make sure no one disturbs me." Argus instructed.
He glanced around the familiar surroundings of the cave, the place where they had first found the star core. "Even though this place is well-hidden, it's important to be cautious. If anyone comes looking, make sure they don't get too close."
'Well, no one can find this place unless they're deliberately searching for it,' Argus thought.
He knew that even he wouldn't have found this location without Astrea's guidance and the clues she had provided back then.
"You can do whatever you want while I'm busy with this. Feel free to go out and hunt if you're hungry. Also, Astrea, make sure Ying Zhu levels up during this time."
"Yes, Master!" Astrea responded eagerly.
With these instructions, Argus began preparing to form his core. He found a comfortable spot within the cave and arranged himself to meditate without disturbance.
"Hmm, I need to check my stats first. It's been a while since I last saw my status. Open Status Window..." Argus thought.
A blue floating panel only visible to him appeared.
Status Window
Name: Argus Orpheus♂️
Race: Human
Level: 25(???%)
Realm: Beginner(Peak)
Class: Twilight Battle Summoner (Unawakened)
Attribute:???
Health: 100%/100%
Mana:550
VIT: 479(↑70+60)
STR: 460(↑120)
DEX: 400(↑70)
INT: 380(↑70)
Free Stats: 0(↓50)
Skill Points: 84(↑44)
Skill Slot: 12(↑5)
Cultivation Art:
«Asura Hegemon Battle Art»
•Rank: Unrank
•???
Innate Skill:
«Sovereign's Intuition»
•Rank: Unrank
•???
«Sovereign's Apathy»
•Rank: Unrank
•???
«Asura Hegemon Battle Physique»
•Rank: Unrank
•Break the Limit of Physique
•Every 2 Strength Stat will add 1 Stat to Vitality
•Drastically reduce any type of suppression
•Regenerate 1% of Health Every 5 Second
•Heal Body in Peak State once a month.
•???
Weapon Skill:
«Weaponless Specialization Lv. 5»
•Rank: Elite
• Increase damage by 50% when fighting weaponless
«Pole Weapons Specialization Lv. 10»
•Rank: Elite
•Increase 100% damage when using any pole weapons.
Active Class Skill:
«Tame: Lv.3»
•Rank: Special
•Allows you to make a contract with a monster and make it your battle companion.
Mana Cost: None
«Twilight Beast Assimilation»
•Rank: Unrank Active
•Allows the summoner to merge with a chosen summoned beasts, combining their overall stats including energy and can use their skills limited by the Summoner's current form.
Passive Class Skill:
«Eyes of Twilight: Lv.2»
•Rank: Unique
•Allows the user to find weakness.
•Allows the user to see flow of energy.
«Twilight Battle Summoner Lv.2»
•Rank: Unique
•When fighting close combat, increase basic stats by 40%.
•When fighting close combat, increase summon's basic stats by 10%.
«Soul Link Lv.2»
•Rank: Unique Passive
•For every Unique that is bound to your soul, increase base stats by 12% when in combat.
Passive Skill:
«Swarm Slayer Lv.1»
•Rank: Common Passive(Can Grow)
•Enhances the user's ability to target and eliminate swarms of miniature beasts.
•Increases damage dealt to beasts by 5%.
•Reduces damage taken by beasts by 5%.
•Reduces the defense of the beasts by 5%.
«Unique Insight Lv.10»
•Rank: Unique Passive
•Enhances the Awakener's ability to discover and acquire items and entities labeled as "Unique"
•+ 10 All Stats after discovering entities and things labeled as 'Unique"
•Every time the Awakener kills or acquires items and entities labeled as "Unique" +10 All Stats.
•All Stat increase as the realm Increases.
«Heightened Movement Lv.7»
•Rank: Elite Passive
•Increase movement speed by 75% when navigating and traversing vertical surfaces like trees, walls, or cliffs.
«Dungeon Conqueror Lv.1»(New)
•Rank: Unique
•Increase damage by 20% when fighting inside dungeon.
•Reduce damage received by 5% when fighting inside dungeon.
«Harbringer Of Death»(New)
•Rank: Unrank
•Reduce presence by 200% when not in combat mode.
•Increase damage by 100% when wielding Scythe.
•Reduce Stats by 20% when facing the harbinger of Death
•???
Active Skill:
«Nebula Step Lv.1»
•Rank: Special Active
•Teleport within 5 meters using the that can bypass any obstacle.
Titles:
«Mini Beast Horde Killer»
•Rank: Common
«Unique Summoner»
•Rank: Unrank
«Cliff Ascender»
•Rank: Elite
«Limit Breaker»
•Rank: Unrank
«Dungeon Conqueror»
•Rank: Unique
«Harbringer Of Death»(New)
•Rank: Unranko