Today marked the true beginning of his path, not as a noble, nor as a scholar, but as a cultivator.
He walked in measured steps beside his father, mother, and Marian, his tutor, while Alaric followed at a respectful distance. The Aodh estate was quiet at this hour, though the servants who caught sight of their solemn procession bowed deeply, their eyes lingering on Fin with quiet curiosity. The aftermath of his Affinity Test still lingered in the air, unspoken yet undeniable. He had done something unprecedented, something dangerous, manifesting an Embodied Lightning affinity alongside High affinities in Transfer and Fusion.
And today, he would take it one step further.
They moved through the eastern wing of the estate, passing the great hall before descending the spiraling stone staircase that led to the Aodh family's private cultivation chambers. Unlike the underground chamber where his test had been conducted, this room was designed not for revelation, but for growth.
The chamber was vast, lined with polished blackstone inscribed with golden runes that pulsed faintly with stored energy. The air was dense with ambient mana, though it remained inert without a practitioner to draw it forth. In the center of the chamber stood a circular platform, inlaid with silver lines forming complex geometric patterns. It was an attunement array, meant to help guide elemental energy into the body.
Fin exhaled slowly. This was it.
His father was the first to break the silence. "You're ready to begin forming your core. We need to decide how you'll proceed."
Cahira stepped forward, her expression carefully neutral. "Most choose one element to form their mana core, Fin. Two is possible, though difficult." Her gaze flickered to the resonance marks on his wrist, each representing his affinities. "With your options, you'll need to be certain."
Fin didn't hesitate. "I'm going to use all three."
Silence fell over the chamber.
Marian blinked, adjusting his spectacles as if certain he had misheard. "You mean…"
"I mean all three," Fin confirmed. "Lightning, Fusion, and Transfer. I will form my core using them together."
Donovan's arms were crossed, his expression unreadable. Cahira's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.
It was Marian who spoke first. "That's... not done. No cultivator in recorded history has successfully integrated three elements into their initial core formation. Even two comes with significant risks, imbalances in elemental energy can lead to instability."
Fin met his tutor's gaze evenly. "That's because they approached it the wrong way. They see elements as opposing forces, fighting for dominance within the core. But what if they weren't meant to fight? What if they were meant to work together?"
Cahira frowned slightly. "And you believe yours will?"
Fin took a steady breath. "Lightning is pure energy. Transfer allows movement and circulation of that energy. Fusion takes separate forces and blends them into something greater. They aren't opposing elements. They complement one another."
A long silence followed.
Then, Donovan let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "Well, damn."
Cahira shot him a sharp look, but he only grinned, rubbing his jaw. "Can't say I've ever heard of someone thinking about it like that."
"It makes sense," Alaric observed from where he stood. "At least, in principle."
Marian, though clearly skeptical, was thoughtful. "Your logic is sound. But logic and cultivation rarely follow the same path. You are attempting something unprecedented."
"I know." Fin met each of their gazes, unwavering. "But I have to try."
Donovan's smile faded slightly, replaced by something more serious. He exchanged a glance with Cahira, then nodded. "Then you'll start with Lightning."
He stepped aside, revealing a carefully arranged set of objects, artifacts and beast cores, each pulsing faintly with Lightning energy.
Fin stepped forward, studying the items. Among them, he recognized the deep violet hue of a Thunderhawk Core, its surface crackling with faint electric arcs. Nearby sat a Stormcaller's Gauntlet, designed to attract and store Lightning energy for controlled release. Other, smaller artifacts were present, inscribed rods, rune stones, and crystalline conduits meant to ease the absorption process.
"These will help channel the energy," Donovan explained. "Start with the core. It holds condensed Lightning mana, you'll need to draw it into yourself, let it become part of you."
Fin nodded. He picked up the Thunderhawk Core, its surface tingling against his skin. Carefully, he lowered himself onto the attunement array, centering the core in his lap.
He closed his eyes.
Breathe in.
Focus.
He reached outward, not with his hands, but with his mind, his senses. The world was made of energy, currents unseen but always present. And Lightning was never still. It danced, it moved, it sought paths of least resistance.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Fin visualized his body's internal landscape, the complex network where mana veins would soon form. Unlike the natural meridians of his physical body, these pathways would be created through deliberate cultivation, channels specifically designed to conduct and refine elemental energy. In most cultivators, these veins followed standard patterns, flowing outward from the dantian like rivers from a lake, large primary channels branching into smaller tributaries.
But Fin had studied enough to know that conventional approaches would not work for him. His Embodied Lightning affinity meant the energy was not just compatible but fundamentally intertwined with his essence. He needed to create a network that honored this connection.
He envisioned a more complex system, lightning-shaped pathways that branched and forked like electricity seeking ground, intersecting with circular Transfer channels that would allow energy to flow in loops rather than linear paths. Where they met, Fusion nodes would form, points where different energies could combine and transform.
The first spark was subtle, a whisper of sensation along his skin. Then came the hum, the low thrum of energy responding, shifting. The Thunderhawk Core pulsed in his hands, the mana within sensing the call.
And then, it surged.
A sharp crack echoed through the chamber as a bolt of pure Lightning arced from the core to Fin's chest. His breath hitched. The energy didn't burn, it sank into him, threading through his limbs, his bones, his very nerves. He felt his heartbeat quicken, not in fear, but in resonance.
Inside his body, the first mana vein began to form.
It was nothing like the descriptions he'd read in cultivation manuals. Those spoke of careful, methodical creation, slowly etching pathways through one's spiritual body over weeks or months. But as the Lightning energy coursed through him, Fin felt the vein carving itself, following the pattern he had visualized but with a will of its own. It wasn't painful, but it was intense, like feeling a river cut through virgin soil, reshaping the landscape of his inner being.
The primary Lightning vein formed first, a jagged channel running from his dantian up his spine to the crown of his head, then branching outward to his limbs. Unlike traditional cultivators whose veins were usually smooth, uniform tunnels, Fin's Lightning veins pulsed with energy, expanding and contracting like the breathing of some living thing. They weren't merely conduits, they were alive with his Embodied affinity.
As the Lightning vein stabilized, he felt the energy begin to pool in his dantian, not sitting still, but spiraling, creating a dynamo of raw power at his core. This was the foundation upon which he would build his cultivation.
It was exhilarating.
A shout rang out, Cahira stepping forward, alarm in her eyes, but Donovan raised a hand, stopping her.
"Wait." His father's voice was quiet, but firm.
Fin exhaled slowly, his fingers twitching as arcs of blue-white danced between them. He could feel it now, the energy flowing through him, part of him. The first step toward his core. Toward his path.
Now came the critical moment, directing the Lightning to create secondary veins, smaller channels that would eventually connect with Transfer and Fusion pathways. These would be the scaffolding upon which his entire cultivation system would build.
Fin concentrated, guiding the energy like a sculptor shaping clay. Where traditional cultivators might force the mana to follow predetermined routes, Fin instead suggested paths, allowing the Lightning's nature to inform the structure. The result was beautiful in its complexity, fractal patterns of energy channels spreading throughout his body, following the natural laws of electrical discharge while still maintaining the structure needed for controlled cultivation.
Where each vein formed, he felt a new awareness bloom, a heightened sensitivity to the world around him. Through his hands, he could now sense ambient electrical energy in the air. Through the veins near his eyes, his vision sharpened, allowing him to perceive subtle energy fluctuations. Through those in his feet, he could feel the latent charge in the earth below the castle.
The Thunderhawk Core in his hands grew dimmer as more of its essence transferred into Fin's body. Unlike ordinary cultivation where the energy would be processed and refined before use, his Embodied nature allowed direct integration. The Lightning wasn't foreign, it was coming home.
He felt the first vein network complete itself, a circuit closing as the energy made a full cycle through his system. A surge of power followed, as if testing the newly formed pathways. They held firm, resilient in a way that made Fin realize his body had been waiting for this, prepared for it in ways he hadn't understood until now.
He opened his eyes, and for the first time, electricity crackled in his irises.
Donovan let out a slow breath. "Well, I'll be damned."
Fin curled his fingers, watching the arcs dance across his knuckles before fading. The process had only just begun, but already, he understood…
Lightning had never been an external force to control.
It had always been waiting for him.
Ding.
Another chime. Was it the System acknowledging him, Fin thought.
"The first network is complete," Fin said, his voice carrying a subtle resonance that hadn't been there before. He could feel the mana veins inside him, pulsing with energy, ready to grow and expand as his cultivation deepened. "The Lightning pathways are stable."
Marian stepped closer, his academic curiosity overcoming caution. "Extraordinary. Most initiates require weeks to form even a rudimentary channel. You've created an entire network in minutes." He peered at Fin through his spectacles. "Can you describe the sensation? The structure?"
"It's not like the diagrams in your books," Fin replied, closing his eyes to better visualize his internal landscape. "The veins aren't uniform tubes. They're... alive. Branching and forking like lightning itself, but with purpose, with direction." He opened his eyes again. "And they're ready for more."
Cahira's expression was a mixture of pride and concern. "More? Fin, you should rest before attempting the next element. Core formation is exhausting, even for those working with a single affinity."
But Fin shook his head. "The Lightning veins are incomplete without the others. They're waiting for connection." He could feel it, the new pathways humming with anticipation, reaching out for something that wasn't yet there.
Donovan studied his son's face, then nodded slowly. "Bring the Fusion artifacts," he instructed Alaric. "If the boy says he's ready, we continue."
As Alaric moved to gather the next set of items, crystalline matrices and alchemically treated metals designed to facilitate Fusion energy, Fin closed his eyes again, visualizing where the next set of veins would form. The Transfer pathways would need to intersect with Lightning at specific nodes, creating junction points where energy could flow between systems. And the Fusion veins would need to connect these intersections, creating a triangular network where all three elements could interact.
Traditional cultivation doctrine held that such a complex system was impossible for a beginner, that one must master a single element before attempting to incorporate others. But Fin was beginning to understand that his path would never follow tradition. His Embodied Lightning affinity had changed everything, it wasn't just a power source, but a part of his very being.
And now, with the first network established, he could feel the pulsing of potential within him, the beginning of something unprecedented. His mana veins didn't just carry energy, they were reshaping him from within, setting him on a path of progression unlike any the kingdom had seen before.
The journey had only just begun, but Fin knew with absolute certainty, there was no turning back now. His core formation would either make him something extraordinary or destroy him in the attempt.
He was ready to find out which.