Chapter 300 - Why Sad?
~~
The initial forging of the Mana Core is always the most strenuous and difficult of the process. Inexperience and ignorance play a major role in that distinction. While the next steps take more mastery and continually raise the bar for performative execution, the experience gained allays some of that.
Constructing or forging your first Circle or Star, depending on how you refer to it, is harder, but not in the same way the initial forging is.
To forge a Mana Core, one must handle the mountain of mana inside one's pool, while also supplementing more from outside, in addition to managing the regeneration one naturally produces.
It takes the skill of manipulating all the mana in your body and more, while also not letting anything slip. The sheer amount needed to keep under control is what stops many from making that first step, especially in the early Ranks where their manipulation is sloppy at best.
Since you are reading this, then that means you've already taken it and know of the process. Now, after gaining entry onto the Path, you must make your next Step.
That Step is different for many Techniques, but it can be generalized for most by Forging your First Circle. Then, you will join the ranks of First Circle Mages.
While confusing at first to reference the Second Step as the First Circle, you can gain clarity by considering the Core the Initial phase, or the Foundation. Something must be built first before it can be added on to.
Generally, the First Circle is forged when the practitioner is in the E-rank. If completed, it will allow them to retain the System's aid during the evolution.
Unlike Laws, which takes a certain Mental Willpower and stout persistence of the Mind, Mana Cultivation belongs to the Body Path and does not rely on evolutions.
It is completely dependent on Essence, or in simpler terms, stat points. The amount of Essence in what are considered the 'Magical Stats' determines when, or if, a Circle can be forged.
Generally, the First Forging should take place when at least one Magical Stat is above 250. Now, as an approximation, there is some variance for different Races. Not every Race processes Essence equally for every attribute. Additionally, that variance can change based on mastery and skill with mana manipulation, but as a rule of thumb, 250 is the threshold.