It took quite some time for Zeke to adjust to this constant state of euphoria. In many ways, it was even harder to get used to than pain. While most people had some resistance to negative sensations, blissful feelings are much harder to ignore. After all, humans don't typically train themselves to shut out pleasure.
However, gradually, Zeke managed to collect his thoughts. It was frightening how quickly his body adapted to this new state, and a new worry grew in his heart. If he spent a prolonged period inside this chamber, the world outside would likely feel like a tortuous cesspit in comparison. Even now, after such a short time, he already dreaded the moment he would have to leave.
Zeke took a deep breath, clearing his mind of distractions. He would deal with that when the time came. Right now, he had a different task. He centered his focus inward, steadying his breath and concentrating on his Core.
The Core was a strange entity, existing in a state between the physical and the illusory. It was imperceptible to ordinary senses, yet any Mage was as aware of its presence as they were of their own heart or lungs. However, to anyone's Mana senses, it shone like a beacon in the night.
Zeke had always kept a close watch on his Cores growth. It was much larger than most people of his tier and age, thanks to his three affinities. However, his mixed Core wasn't just a blessing, it came with downsides as well.
For instance, he could already sense that he was nearly halfway through absorbing Blood-attuned Mana. Once that was complete, he'd have to switch to either Mind or Space, which would take even longer due to his lower affinities. If he had a pure Blood Core, he could have advanced quickly, even with conventional methods. But that wasn't the case for him.
Zeke took a breath, studying the changes in his Core. Then another, and another. He kept his breathing shallow and steady, maintaining a consistent intake of air. Only by doing so could he accurately gauge his growth.
Minutes passed with Zeke focused solely on his breathing, yet the changes in his body were remarkable. In that short time, he had already achieved hour's worth of progress. For once, the transformations in his Core were visible to the naked eye. As a Tri-affinity Mage, he was benefiting from the device far more than most Mages could ever hope to.
The reason for that was simple.
The gas, which was essentially pure unattuned Mana, nourished all three of his affinities simultaneously. Unlike with Essence crystals, where he had to focus on one affinity at a time, here he faced no such limitations. This gave him triple the benefits compared to someone with a single affinity. For once, his mixed Core provided a significant advantage in his speed of improvement.
Despite his keen observation, he was still human, and there were limits to his perception. However, the same couldn't be said for Akasha. The Spirit could make precise calculations based on the data she received. While Zeke was still trying to grasp the changes in his Core, she was already constructing a mathematical model.
After another few minutes, Zeke retracted his senses. "How is it?"
[Answer]
The improvements in Host's Core are approximately in line with our predictions. At the current rate, Host will reach full maturity of his Core in precisely 85 days.
Zeke considered that number. He couldn't spend all his time inside the device. While he could sleep in there without issue, he still had responsibilities outside, like organizing Frost's people. Even if he maximized his time in the chamber, it would likely still take him around 90 days.
It was a reasonable timeframe, and he hoped the tribe could hold out that long. But there was another concern on his mind. He needed to address it, or all his progress would be for nothing.
His advancement.
Unlike on the continent, he couldn't rely on the Ritual to facilitate his advancement to Grand Mage. That left him with only a few options. One, he could try to rebuild the ritual here. Two, he could travel back to the continent and advance there. Or three, he could try to advance without the ritual.
The first option was nearly impossible. Although he understood how the ritual functioned, recreating it from scratch would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The second option was the easiest but would take too much time, which the tribe couldn't afford. That only left the third option…
Zeke sighed. He had hoped to avoid that course of action, and he still could. But doing so would mean abandoning the tribe for his own selfish reasons. The question was, could he do that?
On the other hand, Zeke knew well the risks of an unguided advancement. The death rate among Mages attempting to reach Archmage level was staggering; even a coin toss had better odds. Although advancing to Grand Mage was less risky, it still carried significant dangers, and Zeke couldn't even guess what a failure might mean for him.
No, this wasn't a decision he could rush.
Zeke once again turned his focus inward, observing his Core. The solution to his problem, as always, lay in comprehension. With a perfect grasp of how a Core evolved, he could likely find a way to advance safely without external help. Heck, humans had done it long before the Rituals were invented, so it was definitely possible.
The question was, could he find a way before his time ran out?
In that moment, Zeke made his choice. He would spend the next 90 days studying his Core and reviewing everything he knew about the advancement. If he found a method he felt even slightly confident in, he would try it. Otherwise, he would leave. There was no other option. If he failed and lost access to his powers, he would endanger not just his own life but the lives of his followers as well.
With his mind made up, Zeke reviewed everything he knew about advancements. He understood that the Core underwent a significant transformation at each stage: from a mere spark in the chest as an apprentice to a concentrated orb of power when advancing to True Mage.
This was the only advancement he had personally experienced to date, and he still vividly remembered the procedure. The Spell Engraving Ritual had forced him to his limits, as it literally carved his three fundamental building blocks into his very being.
Instinctively, Zeke knew he needed to understand this fully to grasp his next advancement. The stages were interconnected, each building on the last. Just as you can't build a roof without knowing about the walls, you can't understand changes in a Core without knowing how it functions.
Unfortunately, he had little to go on.
Ever since the day of his advancement, Zeke had had many questions about the procedure. Why did a Mage need to engrave a spell onto their Core in the first place? Why only one? What were the ramifications of the chosen spell as one ascended further? Questions upon questions, and no one who could answer them.
Now, more than ever, Zeke felt the absence of his mentor. Maximilian had a unique way of explaining things that opened new doors in his mind, revealing a world far grander than he had ever imagined…
That loss might have once reduced him to tears, but Zeke was no longer that person. Instead of succumbing to sadness, the pain fueled his determination. He had moved past despair and was resolved to make the world recognize the injustice done to someone like Maximilian. But to do that, he needed enough power to make a lasting impact.
Steadying his mind, Zeke recalled every discussion he'd had with Maximilian about advancements. Though his mentor was gone, his insights remained, holding valuable lessons. Many things Zeke hadn't understood at the time might now guide him in his moment of need.
For example, he vividly remembered how serious the old man had been about his first advancement. Although his mentor never revealed all his plans, Zeke had sensed that choosing spells to be engraved was far from a trivial matter. Maximilian always spoke of the selection as a defining moment for a Mage.
But why? What was the significance of the engravings?
Suddenly, another memory surfaced, one from more recently. Cassius Leafless, one of the few Mages to advance to Archmage with a mixed Core, had discussed the unification of affinities. At the time, Zeke had thought this would be relevant only when he was ready to take that step himself.
But what if the journey toward unification started much earlier?
Zeke recalled that Maximilian had often discussed the synergy of engraved spells. He had designed them to complement each other and work together as a cohesive whole, calling it the Trinity Project.
Zeke had assumed this referred specifically to his combination of affinities. However, now that he thought about it, Maximilian had never explicitly said that. Instead, he had spoken of achieving perfect synergy among three affinities as the goal of his research, not the fusion of Blood, Mind, and Space.
Could it be that Zeke had misunderstood his mentor's goal all along?
Zeke's heart raced as he delved deeper into his thoughts. This revelation, though unsettling, opened up a world of new possibilities. If he was right, Maximilian must have believed that the fusion of affinities started with the very first advancement. This could also explain why he had needed someone so young to test his theories.
However, if that was true, then Zeke, as well as the Magic community as a whole, didn't understand the first thing about the Core. There was no book he had ever read, no lecture he had ever attended and no chatter he had ever overheard that mentioned such a phenomenon. Yet, deep down, Zeke felt he was right about this.
No. This wouldn't do!
If all the research on the topic was faulty, he couldn't rely on any of it. Zeke cleared his mind, pushing aside the knowledge he had accumulated over the years, and focused on achieving a serene, unburdened state of mind. In this state, he started to rebuild his foundational knowledge from scratch, ignoring anything he had not confirmed through his own experience.
He started with his ventures as an apprentice—his first time sensing Mana, his first time creating a spell form, his first everything. At the time, his mind affinity had been severely underdeveloped, so Zeke didn't have as clear a memory of that time as he did of his later years. However, he still managed to recall these pivotal moments with relative clarity.
From there, he began to add bits and pieces of his conversations with Maximilian. Out of all the sources of external knowledge, the old man was the only one he was willing to trust.
Time flew by as Zeke slowly created a new model of the evolution process.
It was a grueling task, and the things he didn't know far outweighed the things he knew. However, as more time passed, he slowly started to fill those holes with wisdom gained through verifiable hypotheses and stable theories that relied on Maximilian's insights.
Zeke lost all sense of time as he immersed himself in the task. His mind tirelessly sought out new insights to fill any gaps in his understanding. Days passed in complete silence, with only the occasional sip of water to break the solitude. What might have been torturous to others felt like bliss to Zeke. He could sense he was inching closer to the truth, making more progress than he had in years.
A small smile appeared on his face, unnoticed by anyone.