《Mage in a Cultivating World》 Prologue ¡®Many beings possess mana but don¡¯t need it to survive¡­¡¯ -Unknown source. I still remember the day several years ago, the Demons had invaded the kingdom. The castle walls were breached. Wails and shrieks of the dying filled the air. Demons were everywhere, I was covered in blood, my cloak was torn. Even with a Hero, it was a losing battle. I was a part of the Hero¡¯s party, we had shared many adventures and survived tribulations together. We made our last stand in the castle courtyard as the demons flooded in a maddened berserk. The wave after wave of demons was not what I nor was it death. It was what came after the weaker demons and before death, the Demon King. Most of us didn¡¯t survive even after my fear appeared right before my eyes. Only the strongest hero, who wielded a sword and shield, and I remained, the people we call friends either tried to run and were cut down or fought and were overwhelmed. ¡°So these worms are what stopped some of my best men and forced me to enter the fray,¡± says the Demon King as he stares us down with his horned head and crown held high. He stood there with his black armour giving off a suffocating aura, and his two-handed longsword, embedded with rubies and emeralds, pointed at our throats. Fate hated me. As a child, I always admired the adventures that would pass through my hometown and tell their stories of glory and hardships. I trained myself the best I could to be as strong as they were in there stories. When someone comes of age they receive their Calling. Calling allows one to grow stronger and gain knowledge, beyond normal means. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Are ready for one final battle, friend,¡± the Hero beside me said. ¡°Always, I walk into the fire and the flames without a second thought,¡± I say in reply. ¡°You were always cheery, even after not receiving a Calling. You travelled with me, fought by my side through thick and thin, learning magic like there was no tomorrow. It has been a long eight years hasn¡¯t it, Sanguis.¡± ¡°Yes, it has been a very long eight years, but let''s finish this, Gabriel, and live many more.¡± We rushed the Demon King, both of us trembling as we moved, my mana rushed through my body for the final time that day. Mana flowed throughout my body, strengthening it. I concentrated my mana into palms, producing solid short, twin blades made of mana. Eight years of travelling with Gabriel, learning mana. This is one of the many spells I know. With my remaining mana, this is the best I can do. As I dashed forward, my blades met the Demon King¡¯s sword, they shattered like glass and my body soon followed. As I was struck down that day and I don¡¯t know the result of our clash with the Demon King. I never had a strong destiny and fate weighed heavily on me, nor received my Calling. I had no real talent in anything so I learned everything the hard way, even as study parts of magic, the results came with pain far greater than the gain. I have many regrets but this is the path I walked and I will continue forward. So let me ask you a question if you could start over from the beginning again, would you do it the same or change it? The next time I will live the way I choose, regardless of how hard it gets.
The next living memory I had was a cold snow storm in the body of a toddler as a figure in a cloak leaves me underneath an unfamiliar roof in the dead of night. I can see only see the smile in the shadow of the cowl of the cloak. ¡°Grow strong Sanguis,¡± a young female voice as she disappears into the whirlwinds of white. Chapter 1 ¡® ... Cultivating is the process of strengthening the soul with world essence and in turn strengthening the body. The colour of the soul determines how accepting the soul is to world essence¡­¡¯ It has been many years since that snow filled night where I watched the mysterious woman disappear never to be seen again. My circumstances were very confusing at first as back then it was very hazy and hard to concentrate, it could have been my feeble body or something else. Spectral fragments of memories littered my mind for a large stretch of time which I estimated to be in years. I ended up living a very peaceful life in an orphanage in a small village in some foreign country. And today marks the first day I regained my sense of self and it is very peculiar if I have to say to be in a younger body. In the small wooden room in which I reside is very unfamiliar in my dominant memories from before I fought the Demon King, but from the seemingly foreign memories, it is familiar. This new body comes with a slight feeling of suffocation. Wooden boards creak behind me, with the slight squeak of a door opening. I hear a voice from the door. ¡°Sanguis, it''s time for the ¡­¡± Before the person can finish I spin around, senses stretching to the limit. Thud, thud, thud. ¡®I will not be caught off guard by a demon.¡¯ Thud, thud, thud. My mind attempts to utilize my body as a weapon. The girl standing at the door is familiar. A mana construct forms in my hand. ¡®She is a demon, there are no horns.¡¯ Thud, thud, thud The mana begins to take shape, quickly solidifying in my ready palm. I recognise the raven black hair and green eyes. ¡®You are -¡¯ Pain breaches my thoughts threatening to tear my head in two. The mana in my hand dissipates. My heart starts to burn, while my hand moves in response. Darkness begins to close in on my consciousness, my will can¡¯t withstand the coming tide of pain.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. *** ¡°This way,¡± an elderly woman ushers a bald, aged man in black robes through wooden corridors. ¡°Our orphanage is gracious to your Scarlet moon clan¡¯s support over the years. The children within the age range you requested should be awaiting ahead eagerly. But just to caution you, since we reside in a small village, there are only two children to select from.¡± The elderly man nodded in confirmation. Cries echo through the hallways, ¡°Sanguis ...Sanguis ¡­ wake up, Sanguis!¡± The elderly woman quickens her pace to a wooden door further down the hallway. She rushes over to the prone body, checking its condition. The Elderly man motions with his left hand and two transparent blue crystals appear in his hand. Holding the crystals before the children, they change from transparent to an assortment of colours. ¡®The girl has a purple soul with yin nature, a rare find. Without any guidance, she could easily become a journeyman in her lifetime. But with the correct cultivation techniques and resources she could reach or surpass grandmaster, qualifying her to become a successor to the clan. And the boy has an attributeless white soul, also rare but not as strong. He could reach Journeyman level if he worked hard.¡¯ After contemplating on the results of the soulstones, the Elder man stores the stones away, with a flick of the persistence. ¡°Calm down, Lilith, Sanguis is just unconscious at the moment with no physical injuries. He will wake up with time.¡± Lilith nodded in confirmation to elderly lady¡¯s words and calmed down. "I will be taking both children with me. Make sure both children are ready to leave by the Sun down." Ivan strides through the door leaving the room with Lilith left stunned. *** ¡°Mana is the escences of all magic. Without it we can not change the world around us. It ¡­¡± ¡°But what does mana look like?¡± ¡°Gabriel, I was getting to that,¡± ¡°But you were about to start rambling about the uses of mana, I just want to know how to use it.¡± ¡°Impacients will lead to your doom. Remember patience yields focus, and focus is essential for-¡± ¡°Mana control, I get it but get to the point where we can manifest mana.¡± ¡°There is no point arguing with you Gabriel. Pay attention Sanguis.¡± I focus on Elyanna, my friend and magic teacher, standing with her burned purple hair and azure eyes, arguing with Gabriel. Gabriel blonde hair glints in the afternoon light, his red eyes raging for a fight. ¡®I remember this. This was the first magic lesson I had with Elyanna and Gabriel.¡¯ I reach out to feel my mana, cool to the touch. I allow it to discapate with no resistance. ¡°Find us!¡± Both of them are staring at me with empty eyes. ¡°You must find us, Sangius. For that is your fate.¡±