(A/N: I sincerely apologize for my absence; I've been unwell with a fever over the past few days.)
Evan turned his gaze toward Ignis and spoke in a firm yet instructive tone. "Listen carefully, son. You need to mix ten drops of this potion into a small amount of water and drink it. This will allow you to train for longer periods without exhausting yourself." He paused, then added, "By the way, I never asked—how long can you train in one go before you reach your limit?"
Alenna chuckled, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Oh, you'll be shocked when you hear the answer."
Evan frowned, intrigued by her reaction. "What do you mean?"
Ignis answered plainly, "I can train for six hours straight. After that, I start feeling pain in my mana circuits."
Evan's expression went blank. For a moment, he simply stared at his son before blurting out, "What!?"
Ignis tilted his head. "Is that abnormal?"
Evan let out a dry laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Abnormal? That's beyond abnormal! Take me, for example—I can only train for three hours before my head and body start aching." His brows furrowed in thought. "Wait… does your head hurt too?"
Ignis shook his head. "No, not at all. I feel perfectly fine, aside from the pain in my mana circuits."
Evan leaned back, still trying to process what he'd just heard. "That… that doesn't make any sense. How is this even possible?"
Evan took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before explaining.
"Listen carefully, Ignis. The way we absorb mana is by guiding it from our surroundings into our bodies, allowing it to flow through our mana circuits. This process requires intense concentration, and that's why our mental power is consumed as we train. By the end of a session, those with weaker mental power often experience headaches, while those with weaker physical constitutions feel pain in their mana circuits. If someone has a balanced constitution, they usually experience pain in both their head and body at the same time."
He paused, his gaze steady. "Even the geniuses from noble families can't train for more than four hours at a time. And it's not because their bodies or mana circuits aren't strong enough—they are. But their training methods are far more refined. The mental techniques they use require them to filter out all unnecessary mana in their surroundings, keeping only the purest form of their chosen attribute. This process puts immense strain on their minds, and their mental power depletes much faster than their physical endurance. That's why they rely on specialized potions to recover. But even with those, they can barely extend their training time to six hours."
Evan leaned forward, his expression serious. "Yet you, without any additional resources, are already training for six hours straight. This is beyond abnormal. It means your mental power is exceptionally strong, and your mana circuit is incredibly resilient."
He studied his son with a mix of awe and curiosity. "Ignis, do you understand what this means? You're far more powerful than even the elites of noble families. You might not realize it yet, but this… this is something extraordinary."
Ignis nodded, fully grasping the abnormality of his training speed. "I understand."
Evan acknowledged his response with a nod, but then a thought struck him. Remembering the unique method Ignis had been using, he asked, "By the way, son, you've been training for a week now. Do you have an estimate of how long it will take for the mana getting stored in your heart to reach its limit?"
Ignis gave a confident nod. "Yes, I've been observing the rate at which I absorb mana, and based on my calculations, it should take around six months to fill completely at my current speed. However, I'll need to see how much the potion enhances my efficiency."
Evan's eyes gleamed with approval. "That's incredibly fast. Even among genius knights and magicians, such progress would be considered remarkable."
Ignis agreed but added, "Yes, the speed is fast, but I will need to complete this process twice before I can break through to a 1-Star Knight and a 1-Circle Magician."
Evan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Your difficulty has essentially doubled since you're cultivating both your dantian and heart as mana reservoirs."
Ignis simply nodded.
Ignis rose from his seat and looked at his parents. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to test how much this potion can enhance my training speed."
Evan nodded, his own curiosity piqued. "Go ahead, son. I'm eager to hear the results."
With a brief nod, Ignis turned and left the parlor.
As the door closed behind him, Alenna turned to Evan with an amused expression. "Weren't you the one who said you'd keep your composure so Ignis wouldn't get arrogant about being a genius? What just happened back there?"
Evan gave her an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his head. "Can you blame me? Everything he said was completely abnormal—anyone would have reacted the same way."
Alenna chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm just teasing you. Now, go take a bath. You must be exhausted after such a long journey."
Evan sighed in agreement. "You're absolutely right."
With that, the two of them left the parlor, each lost in their own thoughts about the future of their extraordinary son.
Ignis returned to his room and carefully measured ten drops of the potion into a cup of water, following his father's instructions. Without hesitation, he drank the mixture, feeling a faint warmth spread through his body as the potion began to take effect.
Wasting no time, he sat in a meditative position, placed his Zanpakuto on his lap, and focused. As he delved into his training, the familiar flow of mana surged through his body, tempering his mana circuits with fire attribute energy.
Time passed quickly. Six hours came and went, yet Ignis felt no discomfort. Encouraged, he pushed forward. It wasn't until the eighth hour of continuous training that a sharp pain coursed through his mana circuit, forcing him to stop.
Slowly standing, he clenched his fists, feeling the residual energy still pulsing through him. A satisfied smile formed on his lips. I managed to train for eight hours straight.
Calculating his progress, he mused to himself, At this pace, I should be ready for my second evolution in about four and a half months.
The realization filled him with excitement.
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