Inspecting the changes in his profile, Kael noted that the system had adapted, especially in mana capacity.
In this world, talent was vital to each person's growth, as it practically determined their future. It also defined how much mana essence someone could store in their core.
In his past life, Kael lit only 17 lotuses, so his talent was rank D. With a core that barely reached 17%, his strengthening was slow, almost pathetic.
A normal person, with a C-rank talent, had a recovery speed of one hour and forty minutes. Someone with a D-rank talent, on the other hand, took two hours and twenty minutes!
So, the better the talent, the faster the recovery of mana essence in the core. But there was also a way to recover mana essence, and that was utilizing mana stones.
Mana stones functioned both as currency and as a method of strengthening.
However, Kael was not too concerned about this aspect. His talent was SSS rank, so his recovery speed was far superior to that of someone with an S rank talent.
Kael put aside his thoughts regarding talents and fixed his attention on the part of his profile where it said "Rank: 9", which referred to power ranks.
In this world, ranks were divided into 9, with 9 being the lowest and 1 the highest.
But there were many speculations about a rank 0, which could only be reached once a person reached the Divine Throne.
Each rank was divided into small levels: Beginning, Intermediate, Highest, and Peak. But this only applied to Zu Masters, as for mages and knights, it was completely different.
This was what fascinated Kael.
To become a mage, he had to create a magic circle to convert mana essence into magic, and to become a knight, he had to create his dantian to transform mana essence into aura.
However, all of this depended on the mana core: without it, none of it was possible.
Complex, yes... but fascinating. Just as he remembered.
In his past life, he had chosen the path of the knights. It was more practical, as his mediocre talent did not allow him to aspire to more. But now...
"I can follow these three paths, with their variations." Kael's eyes glowed with a dark light.
He closed his profile and looked at the gold coin mask, the coin sword, and the Zu. Now that he had awakened his core, he could use the Zu, as well as the mask's concealment.
With the Zu that looked like a pearl, Kael did not send his mana essence to activate and refine it. He knew this was the Blood Wolf Zu, and the abilities it had were attack and defense.
And since the Zu is a creature, it needs food, but that was not a problem for Kael, since the food is blood.
After a long time reviewing every anomaly in his body and the memory of those hallucinations that had haunted him for months, Kael closed his eyes. Tomorrow, at last, he would take the next step.
...
The next morning. January 1st.
The sun was just beginning to peek out when the cold of the night was still clinging to the mountain.
Snow covered everything, accumulating in thick layers on the roofs of the houses and the bare branches of the trees.
The wind was blowing hard, cutting, tearing chunks of ice from the branches and making them fall to the ground with a dry crunch.
The ice-horned rabbits, slippery, nervous creatures, moved through the bushes with quick, cautious steps. Their ears kept twitching, alert to the slightest sound.
The sun was shining in the sky, but its light was deceptive. It wasn't warm enough to melt the frost, and the air was still cold enough to freeze the breath.
It was a clear day, but a harsh one.
In the city, people were beginning to move. Peasants were leaving their homes, wrapped in thick layers of wool and hides, with tools in their hands and empty wagons ready to be filled. Some were heading for the forest in search of firewood; others for the fields.
Meanwhile, along the main streets, the carriages of the nobles were already moving. Their horses, well fed and covered with embroidered blankets, snorted in the frosty air as they pulled the vehicles with a firm step.
On the doors of some carriages were displayed the emblems of the noble houses.
In the Medici mansion, Kael was sitting near the window, watching the snow falling on the territory. His expression was calm.
"Young master, would you like chamomile tea or black tea?" asked Lydia in an extremely respectful tone. Her eyes sparkled with some pride.
The young master, whom she served, had a talent of rank S. She had never expected this kind of event, ever since the blow of the blue three-horned horse calf. Everything had changed too much.
"Chamomile tea, with three squares of sugar," Kael replied in a calm tone. He was waiting to be summoned to the vault.
Lydia poured the tea quickly into a white porcelain cup, the clan emblem etched in gold next to the rim. On the side, she set a piece of purple apple pie, its crust still crisp and the flesh shiny.
Kael lifted the cup calmly. The first sip was a revelation: the golden sugar melding with the earthy bitterness of the chamomile, a warm caress that spread from his tongue to his chest.
Then the cold, heavy, flawless gold fork sank into the cake with a satisfying crunch. As he lifted it to his mouth, his taste buds awoke.
The purple apple burst on his palate, tart and sweet at the same time, mingling with the toasted butter of the dough.
Kael closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed this kind of pie.
Not long after, the door to the room opened, producing a soft creak of the hinges, and one of the clan elders appeared.
"Young Kael. Follow me," the elder said, with a gentle smile.