He set the gold bars in their designated spots along the array, making sure each one aligned with the specific node it was meant to feed.
Once everything was in place, he stepped into the center and lowered himself to a seated position.
He exhaled slowly, letting the familiar rhythm take over.
His voice began the chant, each word vibrating through the air with subtle resonance.
Almost immediately, the gold began to shine.
The runes responded in kind.
Their glow deepened until light filled the circle.
He felt the mana flowing towards him.
It was a powerful tide of energy leaving the gold and entering his body.
His brow furrowed.
The mana was heavy, and hard to direct.
It was a normal occurrence.
Mana absorption always carried the risk of backlash, and controlling it required constant focus.
Most mages spread the process out over months, sometimes years, precisely to avoid this.
Asterios also absorbed only a small amount of mana every day to do this.
