The partitioned lanes shimmered with containment wards, faint color glows in quiet intervals.

Distant footsteps and occasional spells echoed beyond their zone, but here, inside the warded circle Leon had claimed, time slowed to a quieter rhythm.

Ruvian stood where he’d been told, boots set precisely on the etched guideline at the edge of the dueling platform. He kept his hands relaxed at his sides.

Across from him, Leon Feyric rolled his shoulders, sweeping his eyes around the empty training lane. He moved around with casual ease.

“Most people think magic starts in the hands,” Leon continued, beginning to pace a slow arc around the platform.

“They imagine spells being shaped out here, in motion, in gesture. But that’s like saying a sword swing begins at the wrist. It doesn’t. It starts deeper. In the spine. In the decision to move at all.”

“Spellcore sits beneath all that. Beneath technique. Beneath talent. It’s your innermost reservoir. Crystallised and condensed. A nexus of raw mana and conscious will.”

Leon stopped, turning to face him, tapping a knuckle gently against his own chest.

“It lives here. Behind the sternum, closer to the diaphragm. You don’t feel it at first. Most people mistake it for nerves, or hunger, or nothing at all.”

“It doesn’t produce mana,” Leon went on, voice a little quieter now.

“Your body does that. Breath, blood, motion, all of it pulls in ambient essence. But the Spellcore refines it, stores it. Packs it so densely that it stops being just mana and starts becoming yours.”

He traced a circle into the air with a fingertip, leaving behind a faint trail of purple light that faded a breath later.

“And once it’s inside the core, it doesn’t stay neutral. That’s when affinity steps in. That’s when it starts to shift.”

Ruvian tilted his head slightly, just enough to signal attention, that he was listening.

“Your affinity, wind…” Leon said, nodding.

“In its rawest state, mana essence exists as undirected energy, omnipresent in the world; they're ambient and formless. This primal mana, often referred to by scholars as source-mana, and it cannot be used directly for elemental magic. Attempting to use pure mana without filtering it first would make it disperse before form ever settles in.”

“This is where the Spellcore comes in.”

He explained further:

The Spellcore is not just a battery or a reservoir; it is a living, responsive engine that interprets and restructures mana essence according to the will and internal makeup of its bearer.

Ruvian knew that pretty much.

Each person’s Spellcore passively filters and converts source-mana into a form that reflects their elemental affinity—a phenomenon shaped by their soul’s resonance.

If someone’s resonance aligns with the Wind element, their Spellcore naturally processes the ability to turn raw mana into Wind-aspected mana.

This filtration is neither mechanical nor instantaneous. It is a process that draws on the mage’s emotional blueprint, subconscious instincts, and refined intent.

Ruvian tilted his head, pretending to ask even though he already knew it. Just to confirm how deep his mentor's knowledge was.

“So, if someone wants to use a spell that doesn’t match their affinity?”

Leon nodded, a little too eagerly.

This text was taken from NovelBin. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“That’s where it gets tricky. See, your Spellcore is… well, it’s your personal thing. So if you try to use an element your core isn’t naturally aligned to – say, fire when you’re wind, you’ll need to push against what your own mana engine wants to do.”

He gave a small laugh, hands gesturing again, more animated now.

“Like asking a flute to sound like a drum. It’s not impossible. But it takes more control, more effort, more mental clarity. Your core doesn’t reject the new element outright, but it doesn’t help you either. Which means you have to do the conversion, piece by piece.”

“Some people even learn how to preload their core with multiple elemental types, but that’s like juggling knives while blindfolded.”

Leon continued, now settling down slightly, almost thoughtful.

“That’s why early on, we stick to our own element. It builds resonance. Gives the core a stronger identity. Later, once you’re familiar with your own current, then you can start bending it in new directions.”

“So far, any questions?” Leon asked.

“No. Go on.”

“Alright. Spellcore has 7 Tiers. 7 stages of development…”

In the structured chaos of modern sorcery, Spellcore Tiers form the only real scaffolding between the fumbling of the beginner and the devastation wrought by an Archmage.

‘No mage begins with mastery. They begin with sensing the trembling awareness that mana exists.’

Ruvian had edited this power system before, so he was familiar with it.

The Spellcore, a metaphysical construct within the soul, doesn’t simply store mana. It shapes it. Governs it. Limits it. And most importantly, evolves with the one who wields it.

But it does not evolve on its own.

“Tier 1 is the spark of awareness,” Leon said.

Most scholars spend their first year here. At this stage, the Spellcore is untrained and unstable, capable only of processing Chanting Spells.

“At Tier 2, mages can begin modifying Conceptual Spells, manipulate the elements freely, adjusting range, size, or duration. Passive Mana Regeneration is unlocked here as well.”

“At Tier 3, mages now allowed access to more complexity in form, intent, and effect. You should strive for Tier 3 first before you're moving to the second year.”

Then, as if flipping a page, his tone changed.

“But reaching a new Tier doesn’t mean you’ve mastered a spell. That’s another road entirely. Mastery that comes from you.”

‘Of course.’

Ruvian acknowledged that there are three stages to mastering a spell.

In the study of magic, spellcasting is not a singular skill, but rather a layered process that deepens through familiarity, insight, and bodily instinct.

A mage’s proficiency with a particular spell progresses through distinct stages, each one signifying a shift in how intimately the caster understands the nature of the spell itself.

‘The Chant Stage is the stage where most beginners begin their magical journey. At this point, the caster relies heavily on verbal incantations and external frameworks, usually taught word-for-word from textbooks or instructors.’

These chants serve as cognitive scaffolding: a stabilizing set of instructions that walk the mind through the process of shaping raw mana into a coherent effect.

Chanting is not merely theatrical. It slows the caster down, which is necessary when they have yet to grasp the abstract logic of the spell.

Every word and syllable acts as a switch, nudging the Spellcore to process and refine mana in specific patterns.

‘But because this stage depends on memorization rather than true comprehension, the spell remains fragile, rigid, and vulnerable to interruption. A mispronounced word or lapse in focus often leads to failed results.’

Leon continued. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel-fire.ɴet

“The next stage is Conceptual. Here, the caster has internalized the theory behind the spell’s architecture: its shape, flow, and purpose. Instead of relying on spoken commands, they engage with the spell through visualization, mental modeling, and willpower.”

The Conceptual Stage signifies understanding.

The mage has in essence, ‘reconstructed’ the spell inside their mind. Through repeated practice and familiarity, they learn what the spell wants to be, and how to guide it there.

It is in this stage that the spell becomes more fluid.

Mana efficiency improves. Cast times shorten. Variations in form or function become possible, allowing for personal modifications.

“However, concentration is still required, and spells can still fail if the visualization collapses or is disrupted.”

And finally…

The Chantless Stage.

The pinnacle of mastery.

A state of instinctive execution, where the spell no longer needs to be remembered, imagined, or constructed. It simply happens. Like drawing breath or blinking an eye.

This level of mastery emerges when the spell has been ingrained into muscle memory and subconscious thought.

The caster does not think about the spell, they only feel it. The flow of mana, the concept, the transformation, they all occur in unison.

Most mages only achieve this with basic or frequently-used spells, and only after countless hours of disciplined training.

“But once reached, it allows for effortless, reflexive casting even in high-stress or life-threatening conditions. Spells at this stage no longer need a reason to exist, they simply answer their caster’s intent.”

Leon stretched his arms.

“I’ve got a couple of wind spells I can teach you.”

“Simple stuff. One for burst movement, one for low-force deflection, and a wind projectile. We’ll start there, and see how your core responds.”

Ruvian stood, joints complaining quietly as he did, and rolled one shoulder.

‘Let's see, this will be my first time casting some magic. Kinda nervous.’

PP= 2450

ME= 172