Chapter 17: Feeling and Warning
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The young girl kept running, tears streaming down her face without end…
And in her heart, she wished for only one thing—
For someone… anyone… to save her.
But as she ran, her vision blurred with tears, and she tripped.
In that moment, her last hope of escape crumbled.
She was overcome with despair.
She cursed everyone who had led her to this hopeless moment—
Her mother, who despised her.
Her father, who exiled her from the clan.
Her siblings, who mocked her weakness.
Her entire clan, who had tormented her since birth.
She cursed them all.
But that didn't mean she'd given up on escaping the fate of slavery.
No—she wished, with all her heart, that if she ever got the chance, she would make every last one of them pay.
And in that moment—
A glowing mark appeared on her body.
She had awakened her Special Body.
She began to feel an endless power flooding into her—
A force that formed a spiritual space within her…
And began drawing mana from the surroundings without end.
Consumed by rage and a burning desire for revenge—
She picked up a small blade lying beside her on the ground…
In that narrow alleyway, as mana surged in from every direction—
A small, natural spiritual barrier formed around her.
A rare phenomenon—only ever triggered by those with a Special Body.
The girl coated the little blade with mana…
And swung it—like a child playing with her toys—
And just like that, the man chasing her lost his head.
Who said she had no talent?
She was a genius.
The older man who had been with the pursuer ran the moment he saw what happened.
A little girl… glowing with a turquoise light… holding a blade dripping with blood… standing inside a barrier.
He had no choice but to flee.
Once the girl calmed down, she exited the alley.
Her body continued to absorb mana until it reached its limit.
She soon found herself in an unfamiliar place.
Thanks to her awakened body, she had a heightened sense for mana—
And she immediately realized: this place was both real and unreal.
She was far too exhausted from the sudden breakthrough in her power…
So she chose to stay there—this place felt a little safer.
And eventually, she passed out.
…..
Meanwhile, Sayru and Ananova were on their way to the capital.
They moved through the forests, killing beasts and collecting anything useful for Ananova.
As they neared their destination—
"I think we'll camp here tonight. Set things up, Anna."
Sayru's way of calling her "Anna" instead of "Ananova" hinted that something between them had changed.
Or maybe… he was just too lazy to say her full name.
Ananova set everything up: food, a tent, and a fire to keep them warm.
The two sat and ate, and afterward, Sayru resumed Ananova's training.
"You're close to forming your spiritual space, so there are things you need to understand about mana first.
But tell me… What is mana?"
"Isn't it the energy Martial Artists train with?"
Sayru smiled and responded:
"Then what about alchemists? And spiritualists?
Do they also train with mana?"
"I know alchemists make pills, weapons, and treasures… but—who are spiritualists?"
Sayru began his explanation, forming illustrations with pure mana.
"First—mana is energy.
This energy exists within every living and non-living thing. It's everywhere.
But only certain people can manipulate it—like Martial Artists, or as they're called on this continent… Sorcerers or something like that.
This energy is refined by the user—purified of its impurities, then condensed within their spiritual core.
Every time a cultivator breaks through, it means they've gathered and condensed more mana than their core could previously handle—based on their talent and spiritual space capacity.
That's why two people can be at the same level, yet have vastly different mana reserves. It all comes down to foundation, talent, training methods, and more.
Now tell me…
What happens when someone reaches the 10th Star and attempts to break through?"
The sheer amount of information overwhelmed Ananova at first—
But after thinking for a bit, she was able to understand everything Sayru had said.
Still… she couldn't answer his question.
"That's okay. It's normal.
No one in this world has ever broken through beyond the 10th Star to tell the tale.
Or rather… no one survived to do so."
Ananova's eyes widened, and she asked what could possibly kill a 10-Star Magic Saint—beings often said to be immortal.
"There's only one reason.
To break through beyond the 10th Star and enter the higher realms, you need two things:
First—Thelma.
Second—Spiritual Energy."
Thelma? She wondered what that word even meant.
Sayru told her it was something she wouldn't understand even if he explained it.
However, he added that it could be substituted… by a more refined and powerful form of mana.
In the higher realms, that mana is called Qi.
A Magic Saint can ascend with enough Qi and spiritual energy…
But without Thelma—they die.
When a Saint breaks into a higher realm, the world itself begins to reject them.
Even the sky begins to deny their existence.
Thus begins the first calamity of a cultivator's life—an ordeal they're unprepared for.
The force is devastating: spiritual pressure, the weight of heaven and earth, and destructive phenomena like lightning strikes.
The spiritual attack strikes the soul. The energy of heaven and earth targets the spiritual space.
If they're not strong enough… death is guaranteed.
Some survive this calamity—those whose talents defy the heavens.
And a rare few have acquired the first requirement—Thelma.
With Thelma, they pass through the calamity with ease and use it to further strengthen themselves.
"I feel… so weak!" Ananova whispered.
"Of course you do. Martial arts are endless.
What matters now is focusing on condensing your spiritual space so you can become a One-Star Sorceress."
"But how do I do that?"
Sayru guided her through the process.
"The mana in your body is impure. You need to refine it—then compress it within your core.
Once it's fully condensed, it will merge and form your spiritual space."
Ananova trained through the night.
And when the sun rose…
She broke through to the First Star—with Sayru's mana supporting her the entire time.
They packed their belongings into Sayru's storage ring and left the area.
As they neared the capital, Sayru began to feel something strange.
It was as if gravity around him was subtly increasing.
He inspected his body—and noticed his tattoo glowing…
At the same moment, he felt a pull from the Stone of Fate.
"So… you've been here all along…!"