Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

Kyle stared at the pool for one last time before turning to Lina so as to reply her question.

"It's a mana origin source—"

"An origin source?!" Lina repeated before Kyle could continue, with deep surprise evident in her expression and tone. They all knew what a mana origin source was as well its implications and everyone was similarly shocked to be standing before one.

"Yeah," Kyle continued with a nod. "It should be the reason for the beast tide. It is also the cause of the wolf's corruption."

They all nodded their heads in pondering expressions when they heard Kyle's explanation to them.

"It all makes sense," Finn said. "But... How come we didn't encounter any mana beast on our way yet?"

"True," Zara added. "A mana origin source is meant to attract alot of beasts as it can help them evolve if they cultivated within its vicinity."

With their speculations made, they all looked at Kyle, demanding answers.

"Uhm..." Kyle thought for a while on what to say. He couldn't tell them that he had killed them as that would pose alot of questions. There was also no way for him to explain what happened to the beast corpses so he had no other option than to lie again.

"Except for a few beasts I encountered while adventuring the forest, which by the way, are in my space ring at the moment; I saw no other beasts," he raised his hands in denial before concluding, "Honestly speaking, I'm as shocked as you are."

"Hmm," Celine murmured, looking like she was about to ask another question. But Kyle was quick enough to prevent that from happening.

"Enough with the questions. We could use this time to cultivate given how rich and concentrated the mana is."

"He's right," Finn said. "If the mana here is this dense, cultivating now could help us grow faster than we ever imagined."

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"Exactly!" Zara exclaimed. "I've never seen or felt anything like this before. Who knows how much progress we could make?"

Even Lina, who had been skeptical earlier, nodded in agreement. "If we cultivate here, we might be even able to break through to the next stage."

Kyle took a moment to assess his companions. He decided to gauge their current progress to understand their potential gains.

"So, what stage of cultivation are you all at?"

Lina spoke first, puffing out her chest slightly. "Third stage. But I'm really close to breaking into the fourth."

"Same here," Zara added with a smile. "I can feel the barrier getting thinner with every session."

Celine nodded. "Me too. Just a bit more, and I'll push through."

Finn rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Third stage as well. I think I'm a little further behind than the rest, but I'm not too far off."

Kyle gave an encouraging nod, hiding the small smirk that threatened to leak from his lip. "That's good. You're all making solid progress."

He briefly considered sharing his own cultivation stage but decided against it. Telling them he was far beyond their level would only create unnecessary tension.

"Alright," he said, clapping his hands together. "Let's not waste any more time. Start cultivating. This kind of opportunity doesn't come often."

The group nodded eagerly, moving closer to the mana pool. Before they began, Kyle remembered something and decided to add, "We don't know how long this origin source will last, so cultivate as quickly as you can. And remember to pay attention to the pool itself. If it starts to ripple, we'll need to leave immediately."

They all nodded their head in understanding. They didn't need to question Kyle further as they clearly understood what he meant by the ripple stage.

From what they has learned in class, a mana origin source goes through several stages.

The first stage was the formation stage. Mana origin sources didn't just appear randomly. They were born from the immense pressure and compression of mana.

When vast amounts of mana accumulated in a specific area, for reasons known to none, the Mana would compress into a source which could be in any state.

During this stage, creatures sensitive to mana, that is, mana beasts would be drawn to the site, hoping to bask in its energy and evolve.

Right now, it wad in its essence stage, where the mana is compressed and concentrated, making it perfect for cultivation. However, after a few days from the day of its creation, the pool would start to ripple and become chaotic. That was sign that it's about to reach its burst stage.

The burst stage is when the mana in the origin source becomes unstable and explodes outward. It spreads thin across the surrounding atmosphere, increasing the general mana saturation. But the increase is so small that it's barely noticeable to anyone.

However, the burst itself is incredibly violent. Anyone near the pool when it happens could be seriously injured—or worse.

The group moved into position around the pool, each finding a spot where they could sit comfortably. Kyle watched as they crossed their legs and began focusing their energy, their expressions turning serene as they entered a meditative state.

Satisfied, Kyle found a spot for himself directly in front of the pool. He sat down cross-legged, his gaze fixed on the shimmering surface.

He took a deep breath, letting the dense mana wash over him. The air felt alive, charged with an energy so pure that it seemed to hum in harmony with his very being. He closed his eyes and began breathing it in, feeling the mana flow into him like a gentle stream and merging with his core.

[EXP +10]

Kyle opened his mouth in awe when he saw the system notification. '10 EXP per second? That's 10 times my usual amount!' he thought with a grin.

[EXP: 1341/18000]

'I can go on without breathing for about 5 minutes now. That means I could see a break through if I continue for 6 hours,' Kyle calculated. 'I just hope the pool holds on till then.'

With that, Kyle resumed his cultivation session, inwardly steeling himself to push it until he broke through.

***

1 hour later...

Celine was the first to get up, she exhaled deeply as she stood and her legs trembling slightly from the extended period of cultivation.

She stretched her hands to free up some exhaustion before going after the first thing that came up in her mind. Water.

Her palm grab up to catch a meal cup that she retrieved from her space ring before using her magic to fill it up with water, gulping down the cool liquid and savoring the refreshment it always brought to her.

Cultivation was no small feat. The process required the utmost focus and discipline. The long hours of holding one's breath, circulating mana, and maintaining a steady mental state weren't easy and each session always left one exhausted.

Celine clenched her fists after she was done with her water and had returned her cup, her lips curling into a satisfied smile as she felt the newfound strength coursing through her veins.

'Finally, after what felt like an eternity stuck at the third level, I had broken through.' The feeling of her success was exhilarating and it only made her smile wider.

Her gaze shifted toward Kyle, the boy who had made this possible. He sat cross-legged on the ground with a perfectly straight posture. The moonlight kissed his face, highlighting his sharp features and his dark blue hair swayed gently in the cool breeze, amplifying his aura multiple times.

Celine found herself staring and a soft smile formed on her lips. "Isn't he so handsome?" she muttered.

As she admired Kyle, Lina stirred beside her, rising to her feet. The movement startled Celine, and she jumped as if caught stealing something.

"What are you doing?" Lina asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Celine blurted hastily, her face flushing with a red blush. "I was just... admiring the moonlight. It's so pretty tonight, don't you think?"

Lina raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. She was far too excited to focus on Celine's strange behavior.

"Well... I finally broke through!" she exclaimed, throwing herself down onto the bare ground. She let out a long sigh of relief, her grin wide as she basked in the feeling of success.

"Congrats, me too."

One by one, the others began waking as well. Finn was the last to stand, shaking off the stiffness in his limbs with a satisfied groan.