The strand of mana seeped inside the elf's body causing him to shudder lightly. He took a deep breath and steadied his beating heart. I inwardly nodded as I watched the mana begin its cycle around his body.

It passed by everywhere, leaving no place untouched. The old elf's expression changed after the third cycle. That was when he began to struggle. The pain intensified as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Nonetheless, Halbor gritted his teeth and did not complain.

By the fifth cycle, his eyes were bloodshot, and I could see the changes his body was undergoing. The mana was feeding him, it was rejuvenating his old cells. His gray hair slowly turned snow white, and his wrinkles disappeared, but his expression remained strained.

By the seventh cycle, Halbor was on the verge of breaking. His body was shaking heavily, his eyes turned red as he struggled to keep himself conscious against the constant increasing pain.

Thankfully for him, the mana finally settled right then. Curiously enough, it did not form a sphere over his heart aura, instead, it was in his brain. The process was extremely similar to that of the others, the only difference was that his core was located in his head, not his heart.

'Is it because of the elves' different structure? Or is there a different meaning?' I inwardly contemplated.

Halbor had his eyes closed as he tried to recover from the strain and pain he had just endured. It took him a few minutes to finally heave a long sigh of relief before he opened his eyes and glanced at his hands in wonder. He hesitantly touched his face in disbelief before he raises his eyes and stared at me.

"So how does it feel to be reborn?" I asked with a smirk.

Halbor's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds. He was at a loss for words. After a while, he simply kowtowed to me and spoke;

"Your grace, I will never forget it, great dragon lord!"

I simply nodded before talking;

"I'm sure you already noticed the differences now that you gained a core. It could be said that you have ascended. You are no longer a simple elf but instead, an ascended one."

"Ascended..." Halbor muttered to himself.

I waited for him to gather his thoughts before I continued.

"I suppose you could be considered my fourth direct apprentice."

"Fourth?"

I nodded and began to explain the situation of the other humans to him. I started by introducing the other three, and then the concept of the tournament to him.

"So, what is on your mind?"

The elf lowered his head in respect and asked;

"May I call you, master?"

I chucked and answered, "Do as you please."

Halbor's eyes lit up. A wide smile made its way across his face before he spoke;

"Then master, I shall lead the elves to build a temple dedicated to you! I will personally oversee the elimination of the ancient ways of magic! Please count on me!"

"Haha, no need to worship me. Worship the King instead."

The elf nodded, but I could see that he was not convinced.

"Then, master. Would you grant me the honor of producing mages of our own?"

"Your numbers are already low as they are. You may do as you please. Though I advise you to be careful and not start a fight you cannot win. Your fellow apprentices are all humans, I doubt they would sit ideally and watch you wage war against their race."

"I understand, master. I do not wish for much, simply a piece of land for our kind to live out in peace. We have suffered for far too long."

"Hmm. First of all, try and use the mana. See what's your element."

Halbor nodded and closed his eyes in concentration. I could see the elements leave his core and fly to the stream through the thin strand that connected him to it. As all the elements left, only one remained.

I raised my brows in surprise. Was it simply a coincidence? His element was the missing one. Wind.

When he opened his eyes, a faint green light seemed to shine through them as the wind picked up around him. A small tornado surrounded his body and made his clothes flutter.

I nodded in satisfaction. His control was much better than Jon's. Morena and Wane on the other hand had close similarities though. I watched as he played with the wind elements with a smile on his face. He had a good affinity with the mana. That would come in handy.

With that out of the way, I proceeded to explain the concepts of mana, and what I understood in greater detail. I then helped him try out a few spells and helped him discover his limits before he was exhausted.

By the time we finished, the sun already rose on the next day. I stood up and glanced at the mountain range. Halbor had his eyes closed in meditation while I approached the peak, in awe of the breathtaking scenery that surrounds me.

The jagged peaks of the range stretch out as far as the eye can see, their majestic heights reaching toward the sky. Below me, I could see the verdant valleys that lie between the mountains, their lush greenery and winding rivers created a stunning contrast against the rocky terrain. The air was crisp and pure, and the sun's warmth bathed me in a golden glow, casting long shadows that extend far into the distance.

It was then that Halbor stirred and opened his eyes. He followed my gaze and stared at the scenery before us in silence. After a while he finally spoke;

"Are you leaving, master?"

"I am."

"Will I see you again?"

I turned to glance at the elf and nodded.

"You should come to the tournament ceremony in six months' time. That will be your stage to introduce yourself to your fellow apprentices and to the world. That is if you wish to leave this life of isolation behind of course."

The elf fell silent for a while before nodding resolutely.

"I will attend! Thank you, master!" He bowed his head in respect.

"Good, then this is where we part ways. Good luck, Halbor," I said. The elf's eyes were firm as he nodded and gave me what looked like a salute.

"I look forward to seeing you again, master!"