Matthew opened the door to his house as he walked like a zombie to his room.  His parents were well off so they had a decent sized house that had three bedrooms, a sizable kitchen and living room, and a bathroom in each bedroom as well as a guest bath in the living room.

     Making his way up to his room and falling down on his bed, he begrudgingly opened his status screen.

Matthew Hart

Level - 1

Title - None

Skills - Mana Perception (minor)

Affinities - None

Health - 100

Mana - 0

Strength - 3

Endurance - 4

Agility - 3

Intelligence - 4

Wisdom - 4

Mana core - Tiny cracked core (Broken)

     Mana cores came in a variety of values and ranges.  The size of the core determined how much mana could be stored and could be gradually enlarged to hold more, thus upgrading it.  The sizes were: tiny, minimal, small, normal, enhanced, large, grown, and colossal.  There were also additives such as refined, strengthened, and condensed.  Matthew had the current worst out come of his classmates with his core being cracked.  This meant that he could not gather mana into his core for it to collect.

     At this moment, his mother, Sasha Hart, came into his room.  "Hey, the school called.  Are you alright?" His mother asked.

     "Does this mean I'll never be able to become a mage?" Matthew asked with tears in his eyes.

     "That's not entirely true baby.  There are many unknowns in this world.  Maybe your father will have some insight.  He will be home shortly.  Until then, get some rest.  I know this has been hard on you." His mother said.

     Sergio Hart, his father, was a doctor at the institute which dealt in mana injuries. If anyone could help him, it would be his father.

     Later, his father knocked on the door and let himself in.  "Hey bud, your mom explained the situation to me."  His father said.

     "Is there something that you can do to fix my mana core?" Matthew asked

     His father shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, there isn't anything that I can do.  There aren't any procedures currently that can repair a cracked core.  I'm sorry."

     Matthew felt utterly crushed.  If his core couldn't be repaired then there was no hope of him being able to lead a good life.

     His father stared at him for a bit before sighing.  "There might be a way for you to repair it yourself, but it will be a grueling process not to mention painful."

     "I'll do anything.  I don't care how much pain I have to endure."  Matthew stated right away.

     His father sighed again and pulled a book from his coat pocket.  It was very weathered and rough looking and the title of the book had been worn off.  It was clear that it had been well used and read through many times.

     "This is a book that your grandfather wrote.  It contains many skills and training regimens that might be able to help you, but it isn't for the faint of heart.  These skills will force you to adapt your senses to control mana without the use of your core which could be very painful.  Are you sure you want to do this?"

     Matthew didn't hesitate for even a second as he took the book.  His father could only show a look of worry as he stood up and made his way out of the room.  Leaving Matthew to study the book on his own.