Dragon? Seriously? The first card ascension trial, and the one that shows up is a dragon? This has to be a joke. It has to be.

  The zero survival rate is probably not because of the candidates’ abilities, but because the trial itself is completely insane!

  Tobias immediately tried to get to his feet and ran, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the center of the flames. He felt the heat biting into his back. In a rush, he grabbed the backpack he had been carrying, only to realize it was now completely on fire.

  He could not carry this backpack anymore. In his panic, he ended up abandoning it. He had no other choice.

  Another explosion erupted, and Toby’s body was thrown again, crashing into a tree. Over and over, he struggled to keep his footing and finally pressed himself behind the largest tree he could find as a fierce wave of fire burned everything around him.

  If he stayed here any longer, he would be reduced to ash before he could even attempt anything in this trial. He had to run, to get away.

  Or maybe… Should he run toward where the figure he assumed was the dragon had flown?

  This was not easy. After everything, Toby could do nothing but run, still trying to adjust to the fire and chaos surrounding him, the bursts of flame, the explosions. Even so, he forced himself to head toward the area with the least fire.

  When he finally managed to break free, he focused on listening, tracking where the monster’s thunderous roar had moved. That way.

  He knew the forest was dense and dark, but the spreading flames and the slightly open canopy above gave him just enough light to see clearly.

  Now, run!

  Toby sprinted, fast, weaving through the trees. The ground was uneven and unstable, but he had trained enough in rough terrain like this. It would not be enough to stop him.

  Until… moments later… he leaped out from the line of trees and pushed himself even faster before finally coming to a stop.

  He stood at the edge of a hill. In front of him stretched a vast plain below, flames spreading far into the distance where the fire-breathing figure could still be seen.

  Creating even more fires in what looked like… a village?

  “Eliminate the threat haunting the village,” Toby repeated the mission given by the system.

  If he could find any beast, no matter how weak, kill it, and secure his first Prime Card, that would be enough to obtain the bare minimum he needed. And to ascend his Innate Card for the first time.

  But… he needed more than that.

  [Name: Tobias]

  [Level: 10 Novice]

  [Innate Card: Second Pulse]

  Awakening typically happened around the age of ten, though even then, not everyone was fortunate enough to experience it. From that change, something began to form within their chest, a mana core taking shape deep inside. It marked the first true transformation of their life, the moment they gained their Innate Card.

  You could say an Innate Card was a defining identity that shaped the future path of a Cardmaster. The more extraordinary and useful the Innate Card was, the easier and smoother their journey would be.

  Because of that, everyone believed Second Pulse was a useless card, a worthless ability. It did nothing more than slightly increase mana regeneration. No one saw any value in that, not without an offensive or defensive card that could make them stronger or improve their chances of survival.

  [Innate Core Card]

  [Second Pulse: Enhances internal mana circulation. Under high output conditions, excess mana may condense into temporary stabilization.]

  However, in truth, Second Pulse was far more than that. It was not a Support Card, as Toby had told everyone. It was a Core-Type Card. A classification that did not even exist within the standard card types known to the public.

  Offensive. Defensive. Control. Debuff. Support. Utility. And others.

  There was no Core Type among them. That was why Toby simply told people his Innate Card was Support Type.

  Second Pulse did not merely provide a slight increase in mana regeneration. It could do far more than that.

  Toby could still feel his heart pounding hard against his chest. He clenched his fists tightly.

  If he wanted to receive the full reward from this mission, he had to kill that dragon.

  Insane. Completely insane. But this was the only chance he had.

  Toby quickly sat down and drew a deep breath. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. He had to do whatever it took to win this mission.

  For a while, there was only noise, chaos, and unrest. Then, slowly, his thoughts began to settle. Gradually, time passed. The distant explosions and loud screams echoed far away.

  And Toby succeeded.

  He opened his eyes, but he was no longer standing at the edge of the hill. Instead, he was in an open field. It stretched endlessly in every direction. A faint light filled the space, and beneath his feet, the surface looked like liquid water, yet it held him without letting him sink.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  This was the Sea of Consciousness. Every awakener possessed one. It was the place where mana and everything connected to them existed. This was how a person communicated with whatever was linked to their very being within this space.

  Toby walked slowly, following the direction of the light. Step by step, the source became clearer. Floating in the air before him was a massive crystal-like structure. From within it, a liquid that looked like water flowed endlessly, dripping down in a steady stream.

  It was the manifestation of a Mana Core, the very thing stored within a human heart. It held mana and granted humans the power to use their Cards.

  People cultivated this mana core, raised its level, and broke through each rank. Every ten levels marked a new threshold, and with each breakthrough, they gained another card slot.

  Now at level 10, Toby had reached his first bottleneck. He had to secure his first Prime Card, which could only be obtained from a Mana Beast he killed.

  He stepped closer and looked beneath the Mana Core. There, a large rectangular frame hovered in the air, shaped exactly like a card. It looked empty, yet mana flowed into it like a thin stream of liquid light.

  “This is the first card slot,” he murmured softly.

  At Level 10, a person gained one additional slot, secured a Prime Card, and advanced to Level 11 as a Rank-1 Apprentice.

  At Level 20, they gained another slot, secured another Prime Card, and became a Rank-2 Guardian.

  Then the progression continued. Rank-3 Master. Rank-4 Champion. Rank-5 Grandmaster. Rank-6 Archon. Rank-7 Paragon. Rank-8 Sage. and Rank-9 Ascendant.

  But…

  Toby kept watching as the liquid flowed violently, it was the mana from his first mana core. It continued to pour out even though the crystal already looked completely full.

  That mana streamed toward a nearby point not far from the original core, gathering there and spinning as if searching for a new vessel to occupy.

  It continued for several moments until the collected mana reached nearly half the volume of the first mana core.

  And that was when something extraordinary happened.

  [The continuous overflow of mana from Second Pulse has triggered a hidden effect.]

  [Excess mana circulation detected.]

  [Temporary Mana Core successfully formed.]

  [One Temporary Card Slot granted.]

  What happened next was simple, yet unbelievable. Two mana cores, each with its own card slot, now existed within his sea of consciousness.

  A faint smile curved across Toby’s lips.

  Anyone who discovered he could do this would probably accuse him of cheating.

  But this was simply how his Innate Card worked. Once activated, it continuously circulated mana. Even when he did not need it, the mana kept flowing, spilling outward and saturating everything around it.

  With two card slots like this, even if one was only temporary, Toby was effectively standing at the level of a Rank-2 Guardian.

  He could even feel the surge inside his body. His strength sharpened. His focus grew clearer. His vision became sharper, his senses more refined, even his hearing heightened as if the world around him had grown louder and more defined.

  More than that, two Mana Cores meant two engines. He was not just gaining increased mana regeneration. He was generating it at twice the rate.

  He slowly opened his eyes, returning to his physical senses. Heat struck him immediately. The roar of flames and distant screams filled the air again. In the distance, the dragon’s massive figure circled above the village, unleashing torrents of fire onto the helpless land below.

  “Can I really kill that dragon?” he muttered under his breath.

  Toby reached for the card case strapped against his chest and pulled out two cards from inside. These were not cards provided by the Association. He had brought them himself.

  Of course he had not come to this place unprepared.

  He flicked the first card. It displayed the image of a pair of small wings attached to a green boot.

  [Synthesis Equipment Card - Windstep Boots Tier-2 activated.]

  The card shot into the air and began to spin. A vortex of energy formed around it, and a surge of blue light rushed toward Toby’s feet. There, over his original boots, something began to take shape.

  A layer of blue light wrapped around them, and a pair of small wings unfolded at the back of his heels.

  Without hesitation, Toby sprinted forward and leaped.

  His body plunged downward at terrifying speed. The drop was deep, far deeper than it had looked from above. But these boots were built for this.

  [Synthesis Equipment Card]

  [Windstep Boots Tier-2: Mana-assisted greaves that improve acceleration and short-distance mobility.]

  The boots could also generate a brief aerial effect when activated, enhancing jumps and forward bursts of speed. They were exceptional equipment designed purely for mobility.

  Even though he possessed only the body of a Novice, with these boots he could run and leap like a Rank-2 Guardian.

  Toby focused every sense within his body. He dashed downward, his body dropping fast, yet he kept pushing off repeatedly, catching footholds with precise bursts of movement.

  Moments later, he made one final leap and slammed into the ground below. He absorbed the impact with his knees and both hands, steadying himself.

  Adrenaline surged through his veins. Sweat poured down his body, and his heart pounded violently in his chest.

  He had to finish this before his stamina ran dry and his Innate Card deactivated.

  Ten minutes. No, fifteen. Yes. Using two card slots like this, he should be able to last fifteen minutes at most before exhaustion forced his Innate Card to disengage. Before that time ran out, he had to complete the mission.

  Without wasting another second, Toby shot forward again. He ran at full speed, teeth clenched tight. He crossed a stretch of short grassland, parts of it already consumed by flames, and charged toward the village now burning under the assault of the fire dragon.

  Yes. It was a dragon. A real dragon.

  The system had better prepare an extraordinary reward for him.

  Because he was going to kill that dragon!

  Toby still held the other card in his hand. It displayed the image of a sword, its blade formed from bright blue light, with tiny mana particles scattering around it.

  [Synthesis Weapon Card - Channelblade Tier-2 activated.]

  The card shot forward and began to hover around him. A pulse of light burst from it and rushed toward his right hand. From that light, something began to form.

  A stream of blue radiance extended from his palm, solidifying into a sword. Moments later, he was gripping a weapon with a brilliant blue blade glowing intensely in his grasp.

  [Synthesis Weapon Card]

  [Channelblade Tier-2: A mana weapon designed for energy storage and controlled discharge.]

  Toby kept running. He needed to at least close the distance to the village. He dashed forward at high speed, sprinting, leaping, staying completely focused.

  He was gasping for air. His heart felt like it might burst from his chest. It struggled to keep up with the violent rush of blood demanded by his speed, along with the relentless flow of mana he was pouring out at this very moment.

  Then it happened.

  A heavy vibration pulsed through the sword in his right hand. The blade began to shine even brighter, its blue light intensifying with every second.

  [Channelblade Tier-2 charging skill: Azure Break.]

  [Skill Type: High-Output Mana Discharge.]

  [Charging… 12%… 18%… 27%…]

  The blade hummed violently, absorbing and compressing mana into its core, preparing for a devastating release.