"Right, me first," said Arin as he took a seat near the Nature Heart sapling, which was radiating a steady stream of nature mana into the surrounding clearing. This was especially important for him, as he intended to break through using nature mana, the form of mana with which his physique had the strongest connection. Around him, various family members were also settling into their meditation positions, preparing to attempt their own breakthroughs. All in all, around thirty people were ready to begin, which was quite a large number for a single breakthrough session.
"Right, let's do this," Arin thought as he straightened his back and began circulating his breathing method through his body. He focused his mind on the goal ahead of him while allowing the nature mana around the sapling to flow toward him. At first, the process seemed relatively normal, with the mana entering his body in a steady stream and following the circulation route established by the family's breathing technique. However, that peaceful beginning did not last very long.
When Arin began absorbing the mana in earnest, the amount he drew in quickly became excessive. By excessive, Arin did not mean that he was absorbing slightly more than the people around him. He meant that he was drawing in an absurd amount of nature mana, enough that the wind around him began to pick up and spiral through the clearing. Leaves rose from the ground as the air circled his body, gradually becoming a miniature tornado centered around his meditation position.
The disturbance was impossible for the others to ignore. Several family members who had been preparing to break through were forced to stop their meditation and open their eyes to see what was happening. Even those who had been deeply focused on circulating mana could feel the pressure in the air changing around them. The Nature Heart sapling continued radiating mana, but Arin was absorbing so much of it that the surrounding flow had become visibly distorted.
"Okay, wow, this is intense," Arin thought through gritted teeth.
The moment the mana began spreading through his body, an overwhelming pain erupted from within him. It felt as though every part of his body was being torn apart at the same time, only to be repaired immediately by the nature mana surging through his flesh. His muscles twisted, his bones trembled, and even his organs seemed to be caught in the violent process. The pain was not concentrated in one particular location, either. It spread through his entire body, making it feel as though he was being dismantled and rebuilt from the inside out.
"Why is this happening?" Arin wondered, struggling to maintain his breathing rhythm.
He had heard plenty of descriptions about what it felt like to break through to Stage One. Some people had described it as an intense rush of energy, while others had mentioned feeling as though their bodies were becoming lighter or stronger. However, none of the explanations he had heard had prepared him for this level of agony. No one had mentioned that the breakthrough would feel like being crushed, torn apart, and reborn all at once.
Granted, very few people had ever described the experience as being reborn in the literal sense. Most cultivators simply explained that their bodies underwent a major transformation when they reached Stage One. Scientists, however, had developed a theory about why such a transformation occurred, even though they did not yet possess enough evidence to prove it conclusively. Despite that lack of evidence, the theory had become widely accepted throughout the world.
The theory was based on the fact that every human currently cultivating mana had been born before the System and mana arrived. Humanity had existed under the old fundamental laws of physics for countless generations, and the human body had developed according to those laws. Even after mana began interacting with the material plane, the body did not instantly become fully compatible with the new reality.
The System could assist the body in adapting, but it could not completely erase the influence of the old laws. Human beings were still carrying bodies that had been shaped by a world in which mana did not exist. As a result, even cultivators who had begun absorbing mana were still affected by remnants of the previous physical rules. Their bodies were caught between two different systems of reality, and the breakthrough to Stage One represented the first major opportunity for that conflict to be resolved.
According to the theory, the body used the breakthrough as a chance to reshape itself into a form better suited to the current world. The transformation was not merely an increase in strength or stamina. It was a fundamental reconstruction of the body, allowing it to interact with mana more naturally and efficiently. In that sense, reaching Stage One was less like improving the body and more like forcing it to be reborn under the new laws of existence.
The theory made sense to Arin in retrospect, but it did not make the experience any more pleasant.
"But nobody told me it would hurt this much," Arin thought as he clenched his jaw.
The pain became so severe that he nearly bit through his tongue. His teeth pressed together hard enough that he could feel the pressure spreading through his jaw, and for a brief moment, he worried that he might actually injure himself. That would have been an embarrassing way to fail a breakthrough, especially when the entire family was nearby and already watching the disturbance he was causing.
"No. Focus. Calm down, Arin," he told himself.
Rather than allowing the pain to overwhelm him, Arin tried to redirect his attention toward the forest. He began opening his senses and reaching outward, attempting to connect with the surrounding trees, plants, roots, and countless living organisms that made up the Crimson Forest. If he could share even a portion of the pain with the forest, or at least use his connection to distract himself from it, then he might be able to maintain his breathing method more effectively.
As soon as he opened himself to the forest, something unexpected happened.
His awareness suddenly expanded.
Arin felt as though the world around him had become clearer and more detailed. He could sense the movement of the wind through the trees, the shifting of leaves, and the distant presence of living creatures far beyond what he had previously been capable of detecting. His perception seemed to stretch farther into the forest, allowing him to notice things that would normally have remained outside his range.
It was strange because he had not yet officially reached Stage One. He should not have been experiencing such a significant improvement before completing the breakthrough. However, the additional connections provided by the forest helped him maintain his focus. Instead of concentrating entirely on the pain, he could focus on the countless sensations flowing through his connection to nature.
That small advantage was enough.
Arin continued cycling his breathing method through his body, refusing to stop even as the mana continued tearing him apart and rebuilding him. Every circulation brought more pain, but it also brought him closer to the transformation he needed. He understood that the stronger his body became now, the greater the benefits would be in the future. If he gave up halfway through the process, he would only be wasting the opportunity that had been placed directly in front of him.
So he endured.
The pain continued for nearly half an hour, each moment stretching out as though time itself had slowed down. Arin's muscles remained tense, his teeth were clenched, and sweat covered his body despite the cool air of the clearing. The wind around him continued to spiral, forcing the nearby family members to remain alert as they watched him struggle through the process.
Then, without warning, something inside him broke.
Arin felt a barrier collapse somewhere deep within his body. The moment it happened, an even greater amount of mana poured into him, surging through his newly transformed body with enough force that it should have overwhelmed him. Yet this time, he could handle it. The mana no longer felt as though it was tearing him apart. Instead, it flowed through him smoothly, as if his body had finally become capable of accepting it.
At the same time, Arin felt a strange space open near his heart.
He instinctively understood that this was the location where his image was stored. The sensation was difficult to describe, as it was not exactly a physical space, nor was it entirely spiritual. It was something between the two, an internal location connected to his existence as a cultivator. He also realized that he could potentially move the image elsewhere if he wanted to.
However, the family's breathing method clearly stated where the image should be placed, and Arin had no reason to ignore that guidance. If the method had been developed and had already received Gaia's approval, then there was no point in experimenting unnecessarily. He left the image exactly where it was supposed to be.
After confirming that the breakthrough had succeeded, Arin slowly opened his eyes.
"Sorry for the commotion, guys," he said.
The moment he looked around, he saw that nearly every member of the family was watching him with concern. Several people had stopped meditating entirely, while others were still sitting in their positions but had clearly been distracted by the noise and wind he had created. Arin had not realized just how much commotion he had caused during the breakthrough.
"Are you okay, Arin? You looked like you were in a lot of pain," Avela, Arin's mother, asked with a worried expression.
"Yes, Mom, I'm great," Arin replied immediately. "It hurt a lot, probably because of my physique, but aside from that, I feel better than ever."
To demonstrate that he was fine, Arin sprang up from his meditation position.
Unfortunately, he had not yet adjusted to his new strength.
Instead of rising normally, he launched himself approximately thirty centimeters higher than he had intended. His body shot upward with such sudden force that he nearly lost his balance upon landing. Arin blinked in surprise as he realized just how much power had entered his body during the breakthrough.
"Wow. See, Mom? Everything is fine," he said, looking down at himself with amazement.
Avela, however, did not look reassured.
"Yes, it looks like you're all good to go," she said carefully. "Now I'm going to hug you, and you are not going to hug me back. I am not prepared for your strength yet."
She had just watched her youngest son nearly jump over her head simply by standing up. There was no way she was willing to let him accidentally crush her ribs because he had not yet learned how much strength he possessed.
"Yes, Mom. It's good to see you too," Arin said, smiling. "But now I'm going to my room to check what changed and practice the new breathing method."
Arin was genuinely excited to test the family's improved breathing technique. Reaching Stage One had changed far more than just his physical strength, and he wanted to understand every alteration as soon as possible. There were likely changes to his mana circulation, his body, his perception, and possibly even his connection to the forest. Sitting around answering questions could wait.
Before anyone could stop him, Arin turned and sprinted out of the small clearing where the Nature Heart sapling had been planted.
Unfortunately, he ran a little too quickly.
The first tree in his path suddenly appeared much closer than he had expected, and Arin narrowly avoided crashing directly into it. He twisted his body at the last moment, stumbled slightly, and then forced himself to slow down. It took him several seconds to regain control of his movements and properly adjust to his new strength.
"What about our questions?" Dennis asked in a low voice as he watched his nephew disappear.
Dennis had clearly been preparing to ask Arin several things about the breakthrough, especially after witnessing the strange amount of pain and mana surrounding him. However, Arin had escaped before anyone could properly question him.
"Don't stress so much," Karl replied calmly. "If you have any questions about breaking through, I'm more than happy to help everyone with it."
Karl had already eaten breakfast and was now ready to help Haven get his newfound strength under control. Arin might have been the first to complete his breakthrough, but he was certainly not going to be the only one who needed assistance. With around thirty family members preparing to reach Stage One, the clearing was likely to remain busy for quite some time.