Chapter 69: The First Life Flame

Monica’s voice echoed through Elias’s consciousness as she calmly continued explaining the difficulty of finding the life flame.

"There is no need to feel disheartened," she said reassuringly.

"Even a prodigy takes about three days before being able to find their life flame—"

"I found it."

The words immediately interrupted her.

"...What?" Monica asked after a brief silence.

Elias remained focused on the tiny green flame floating before his consciousness, and without any hesitation, he asked, "What do I have to do next?"

Monica remained silent for several moments.

Her blue eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Elias.

’Is he joking?’ she wondered suspiciously. ’Is he trying to act before me?’

She couldn’t understand what Elias was attempting to accomplish, especially since she had expected him to spend at least several hours searching for his life flame. Finding it this quickly was simply absurd.

Still, Monica decided to humor him.

"Carefully focus on the flame and try to understand it as much as you can," she instructed.

"Alright," Elias said.

He immediately concentrated on the green flame.

His consciousness moved closer to it, and the tiny source of light gradually filled his perception. At first, Elias could only sense its overwhelming vitality, but as he continued observing it, more information began revealing itself.

The flame wasn’t simply an ordinary source of energy.

It seemed connected to every living aspect of his existence, constantly producing and circulating a strange form of vitality throughout his spiritual self.

Elias carefully examined its structure, the way it flickered, the energy surrounding it, and even the subtle changes that occurred whenever his consciousness approached it.

He continued studying it without rushing.

The more he focused, the clearer the flame became.

What had initially appeared to be nothing more than a tiny green fire gradually revealed countless layers of complexity.

Elias could sense how its energy interacted with his spiritual self, how it connected to his physical body, and how its vitality differed from ordinary mana.

He didn’t know exactly how long he spent examining it, but eventually, the unfamiliarity disappeared.

The life flame no longer seemed mysterious.

He understood it.

Elias opened his eyes slightly and asked, "What is next?"

Monica frowned.

She stared at him with a displeased expression as though she were trying to determine whether he was deliberately provoking her.

’What is he trying to do?’ she wondered.

She eventually sighed before explaining the next step.

"Return to your mind’s eye and move the mana flowing through your body toward it while imagining the life flame being created from the inside out," she instructed.

"However, make sure to project it outside of your body; otherwise, you will simply heal yourself."

Elias listened carefully.

"Understood."

"Doing this will be much harder," Monica continued, "because Replication requires your mind to remain calm while your imagination must be sharp enough to reproduce what you understand."

Elias nodded before bringing his palms together.

He closed his eyes and focused on his mind’s eye once again.

The familiar sensation appeared almost immediately, and his perception descended through his body until he reached the place where he could perceive his spiritual self.

Then Elias began moving his mana.

He carefully gathered the mana flowing through his body and directed it toward his palms while maintaining a precise image of the green life flame he had just understood.

He imagined its shape, its structure, its vitality. Most importantly, he imagined it being created from the inside out before appearing outside his body.

Nothing happened.

Elias frowned slightly but didn’t open his eyes.

He tried again.

The mana gathered between his palms, but the moment he attempted to shape it, the structure collapsed.

’Again.’

He gathered his mana once more and reconstructed the image in his mind.

This time, a faint green glow appeared between his hands before disappearing almost immediately.

Elias remained calm.

He understood the process now.

His problem wasn’t comprehension.

It wasn’t his ability to maintain the image either.

He simply didn’t have enough mana.

’Add twenty Stat Points to Mana.’

[Mana/Spirit: 11 → 31]

Another notification immediately followed.

[Mana Aptitude: B → A]

He immediately felt the difference.

The mana his body was absorbing from the environment increased dramatically, and its movement had become smoother and more responsive than before. Even without testing it, Elias could tell that his ability to control mana had improved.

Monica also noticed that change, but it only left her more confused.

’Let’s try again.’

He returned his attention to the task.

Mana flowed through his body before gathering between his palms, and Elias carefully shaped it according to his understanding of the life flame.

The structure collapsed again.

He tried once more.

Then again.

And again.

Each attempt failed, yet Elias didn’t become frustrated. He simply rebuilt the image in his mind and tried again, repeatedly adjusting the amount of mana, the shape of the energy, and the way he projected it outside his body.

Monica watched him silently from the bed.

She was nearly sure that Elias was acting like he was actually performing magic, but she didn’t interrupt him.

Instead, she watched carefully, waiting for him to admit defeat.

Elias continued.

The mana between his palms gathered.

It scattered.

He gathered it again.

The shape began forming.

It collapsed.

He tried again.

Each failure taught him something.

Gradually, the unstable energy became more coherent, and the faint green glow that had previously disappeared almost instantly began lingering for longer periods.

Elias remained completely focused.

He reconstructed the life flame in his imagination, carefully remembering every detail he had perceived within his spiritual self before allowing his mana to imitate it.

The energy slowly took shape.

First came a tiny point of green light.

Then the light expanded.

Elias controlled the surrounding mana and carefully built the flame from its innermost structure outward, just as Monica had instructed.

His breathing remained steady.

His mind remained calm.

He refused to rush.

The green light flickered several times before finally stabilizing.

Elias’s fingers trembled slightly as he maintained the spell, but he didn’t lose concentration.

Then, above his joined palms, a tiny green flame appeared.

It was no larger than a fingernail.

The flame flickered gently in the darkness of the room, casting a faint green glow across Elias’s hands.

Monica’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He opened his eyes and stared at it with a smile.

After countless failed attempts, he had finally done it.

He had successfully replicated his life flame outside his body.