Trinity of Magic

Over the next few days, Zeke continued to meditate on the nature of spatial mana by challenging the boundaries of the cube even further.

His recent success had only deepened his determination to explore the mysteries of space. Unfortunately, focused meditation was not something he could maintain for extended periods. The mental toll was simply too heavy, forcing him to take frequent breaks.

Fortunately, there were plenty of other tasks to keep him occupied. For example…

With his small world now steadily expanding, it was time to test the true limits of his control over the space. His first instinct was to try conjuring valuable metals like gold or Voidiron—not in their refined forms, but as they naturally occurred.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Nor did any of his attempts to summon other precious resources, or even the rare species of trees whose wood he regularly purchased from the elves.

The discovery puzzled him. How could he summon an entire landscape, complete with flora and fauna, drawn straight from memory, yet be unable to produce the very materials he truly desired?

It seemed arbitrary. However, after extensive experimentation, he finally uncovered the common denominator.

Mana.

All of those materials had one thing in common—they were magical in nature.

The reason elven trees didn't thrive outside their homeland was likely due to the unique aura of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, which nurtured them. As for Voidiron, it could only be mined from the deepest layers of the earth, where ancient, overwhelming magical forces had transformed it into a substance that outright rejected the flow of Mana.

Even gold, as common as it was, held value beyond its shine. Its exceptional Mana conductivity made it essential in the creation of enchanted devices.

The discovery was a bit of a letdown for Zeke, though he admitted he had likely been too greedy to hope the cube's realm could produce limitless wealth on demand.

If such a treasure truly existed, its Mana consumption would likely be so immense that not even Archmage-level figures could sustain it. After all, the cost of conjuring materials varied greatly depending on their properties.

Metal Mages, for instance, could summon iron and steel from thin air, but the difference in Mana consumption often forced them to favor the softer metal. There was even a theory that they could, in theory, summon magical materials too—if only someone existed with enough power to endure the burden.

Zeke wasn't sure if the theory was true, but it would certainly explain why the cube's conjurations were limited to mundane substances.