Ciel sat near the world tree seedling nearing forty centimeters in height, arms resting on his knees, gaze fixed on the glowing seedling in the distance. Eve approached quietly, a soft smile on her lips and a small, rune-marked pouch in her hand.

  “You’ve already surprised us enough today,” she said gently. “But I think it’s time I taught you something else.”

  She sat beside him and placed the pouch in his hands. It was warm to the touch, pulsing with condensed energy.

  “What is this?” Ciel asked.

  “Seventy-five light green mana stones,” she replied. “A gift. And a lesson.”

  He blinked. “That’s… quite a lot, isn’t it?”

  Eren poked his head out . “How much is it worth?!”

  Eve chuckled. “Each light green stone holds 10 mana units, and one unit equals 100 MP. So you’re holding 750 mana units—or 75,000 MP. That’s enough to support a family of four for about nine months.”

  “Wait, wait—” Eren dropped to the porch, wide-eyed. “I thought living expenses were way more.”

  “For common folk?” Eve shook her head. “Not in mana. The Gaia era has optimized almost everything. A thousand units a year is more than enough to cover food, enchantments, basic utility fees, a bit of luxury, and a home’s protection under a local guild.”

  She drew one of the stones and held it up. The pale green crystal shimmered softly, like morning dew catching sunlight.

  “Most people rarely see this kind of stone unless they’re in a guild or a dungeon team. They're valuable. Not just for trade—but for training.”

  Eve placed it into Ciel’s palm. “Now, I want you to absorb it.”

  Ciel looked at her, confused. “I thought mana stones couldn’t be absorbed.”

  “They can—just not the way ambient mana is. Watch.”

  She pressed her fingers against the stone and closed her eyes. A ripple of energy pulsed outward, subtle but controlled. “Don’t crush the stone. Let your core do the work. Feel the mana—invite it in.”

  He followed her lead. The moment his focus locked onto the mana within, he felt it stir. Slowly, the stone’s energy began to flow into his core—refined, stable, and incredibly potent.

  “Good,” Eve said. “One unit equals a hundred MP. If you use mana during training and refill it using these, you can repeat that cycle faster. This is how awakeners accelerate growth without relying solely on potions or rest.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Arthur joined them, leaning against the porch railing. “Mana stones are also the only real currency,” he added. “They’re tracked by the Gaia System. Stored, exchanged, even used in territory management or guild creation.”

  He crossed his arms. “Guild registration? Five thousand mana units and Ten thousand more in assets. Crafting, enchanting, upgrades—they all cost mana stones.”

  “Most people trade for them?” Ciel asked.

  Arthur nodded. “Either trade, loot, or quest. Some get them from monster drops—there’s a chance, especially from stronger beasts. Dungeon clears also award stones, though usually lower-grade ones.”

  “But having a supply like this…” Eve looked out across the plains of the realm. “It’s rare. Most people live hand to mouth. Only high-level guilds or academies can generate mana regularly.”

  Ciel remained quiet, fingers lightly brushing the pouch.

  Eren, of course, was already scribbling numbers on the back of a napkin.

  “Okay—listen to this!” he announced, standing triumphantly. “Mom said he gets 750 mana units worth of stones today. But this realm already produces 300 mana units per day—”

  Arthur raised a brow. “Since when do you know that?”

  “He told me during the spar,” Eren said proudly. “Two mana wells give 200 units a day, and the World Tree eats 50. That leaves 150—and with his skill’s boost, it becomes 300.”

  “Wait—” Eve looked at Ciel, alarmed. “You didn’t tell me about this skill.”

  Ciel shrugged slightly. “We were... busy fighting Dad.”

  Eren continued, voice rising. “So 300 a day is 9,000 a month! That’s 109,500 mana units a year! That’s enough to support a family of four for—wait—110 years!”

  Ciel winced. “You really don’t need to calculate it like that.”

  Eren dramatically gasped.

  “As your cute little brother, I officially demand royalties.”

  Ciel chuckled. “Denied.”

  “Bribery?”

  “No.”

  “Emotional blackmail?”

  “…Still no.”

  Eren flopped onto the grass. “This is cruel.”

  Eve laughed, and even Arthur’s stern expression cracked into a smile.

  Ciel chuckled at Eren’s mock-serious tone, but before he could respond, Arthur stepped forward, arms crossed and a sly grin playing on his face.

  “You know, you practically have infinite mana stones now,” he said.

  Ciel blinked. “What do you mean?”

  Arthur gestured toward the neatly stacked pouch of light green stones. “That Realm of yours? It’s self-sufficient. as the time goes on you will have more of those wells and the World Tree seedling matures, the production will only increase. But even now, the output’s enough to give you a training resource most awakened can only dream of.”

  Eren raised a brow. “Wait… You’re saying he can burn through stones like candy?”

  Arthur nodded. “Exactly. And since you’ve got six days before your Test Dungeon, we’re going old school.”

  Ciel tilted his head. “Old school?”

  “Brute-force training,” Arthur declared with pride. “Use your skills until your mana dries up, then absorb from the stones. Repeat. Eat. Sleep. Wake up and do it all over again and again and you will be ahead of most of the fresh awakeners.”

  Eren looked horrified. “That sounds more like torture than training.”

  “It is,” Arthur said without missing a beat. “But it works. It’s how I trained when I first awakened. Back then, getting a single light green mana stone was a luxury. You? You’ve got enough to waste.”

  He clapped Ciel on the back. “Start with the basics. Grind them up. Every level-up sharpens control and power efficiency. Your goal is to get your active skills to Level 5 before the dungeon.”

  Ciel nodded, eyes narrowing with determination. The pieces were falling into place. With time running faster inside the Realm and the endless supply of mana stones, he had everything he needed.

  His path was clear.

  Ciel looked down at the mana stone in his palm, then out toward the World Tree again.

  750 units in a pouch.

  300 more units tomorrow.

  It wasn’t about survival anymore.

  It was about how far he could go.