Ascension of the Sylvan Cosmos.

Even while Verdantia felt quite nervous, she acted as if she didn't know what Eila Neoflora was talking about before. "Teacher Eila, I wanted to ask about the <Ternary Cores>." 

Eila kept looking through the window as she listened. "Go on."

The Life Sylvan was confused about this reaction. She thought that Eila would ask why, but instead, she told her to go on. So, Verdantia continued. "Hm… I feel like I would clear the conditions for a <Ternary Core> before Level 25. So, I am asking if there are any methods to create them without the help of the <Second Energy Cycle> process." 

Eila hummed. "I see." She turned to look at Verdantia closely and commented. "How is Verena doing lately?"

Verdantia blinked and answered, confused. "She is doing great from all I know. Why?"

Eila smiled faintly. "Just asking, making a bit of conversation. Why are you acting so defensive?"

Verdantia coughed and was about to refute the accusation of defensive behavior, but she stopped. 'If I defend that, I will be truly acting defensive.' 

Instead, she said. "Teacher Eila never asked before, so I was curious… What's wrong since a while ago? Teacher Eila has been acting a bit strange."

Eila hummed. "Acting strange…" She pondered and looked out of the window again. Then, she sighed. "Okay, let's get this straight. Miss Verdantia…" Verdantia straightened, her heart beating fast, and Eila continued. "Where are those books you've taken?" 

Verdantia blinked twice, and suddenly, she realized that she had been mistaken. 'Wait, she wants me to confess about the books!?'

Eila sighed. "You are an exemplary student. One of the best. However, stealing books from the library will leave a small stain on your otherwise impeccable behavior. I can't graduate you with the highest honors if you don't return the books."

Verdantia stuttered while feeling slightly ashamed that the woman before her was worried about her graduation while she was plotting the demise of Fortuna. "Um, those books… I can't really bring them back soon. I lent them to a friend, and until the near future, she is not close, so she can't really give them back."

Eila hummed. "Well, you still have around a year until you graduate. I guess that should be enough to give the books back."

Verdantia nodded. Eila then stood up from her chair and walked to the side, searching through a few books on the shelves at the sides. She muttered. "Where was this one… I swear that I left it around here…" 

Verdantia waited patiently until Eila spoke. "Aha. Here it is." She picked a relatively thin book and returned to the table. Sitting on the chair, she spoke. "Here it is. You can read it here if you want."

Verdantia blinked. "I can't take it…" However, she quickly shut up when she saw Eila's gaze. "Ahem. Okay, I can't."

Eila rolled her eyes and looked outside of the window. "Not until you and Miss Cinderielle return those books."

Verdantia's lips twitched. 'She even knows about Cinderielle being involved… Wait.' Verdantia blinked. 'If she has looked into it personally that much, wouldn't she also know which books I have taken? All the World Tree and City Building related books… Once Golden Sap Town is revealed, Eila could easily piece together the clues and realize my involvement. She's smart enough to connect the dots, and if she does, everything could unravel.'

Verdantia thought about it hard while looking at the book. Eila commented. "You can go to the library if you feel uncomfortable here." 

Verdantia snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. "I prefer being here. If there is something I can't understand, I can ask Teacher Eila. I will move to the corner so as not to bother you."

Eila nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

Verdantia sat on the side and began reading the book. It was not a thick book, but the concepts in it were quite complex for Verdantia. 'Hm… So, when you have 100,000 <Ternary Shards>, you can transform them into <Core Shards>. Or, at least, you open the option to do it. The <Second Energy Cycle>, unlike the first, focuses on energy manipulation. The <First Energy Cycle> is more about creating paths and nets, teaching the creatures how to modify their energy circuits. The second one is more about how to harness the energy circulating in us.'

Verdantia hummed. 'The reason they are called <Cores> is twofold. The most influential one is that the [System] calls them that, so they naturally would be called like that by all. The other reason is the way they function. The ternary essences live in a person in the form of immaterial energy. In truth, creatures should not be able to interact with these energies. However, thanks to countless years of existence and some lucky discoveries in time immemorial, creatures gained such ability and taught their descendants. With countless generations of new creatures, it slowly became a basic ability that almost everyone has to a certain extent.'

Verdantia continued reading. 'They discovered that energy was scattered in particles. These particles were later named Aether, Phoer, and Anima. Influential people of that time realized that the ternary essences could be condensed, and so they did. The result was an immaterial core created in the person. That's what today, and then, is called <Ternary Core>.' 

Verdantia blinked a few times. 'Aha. And… then?' She turned the page and continued her reading. '<Ternary Cores> are inside a creature's body. Extensive research has been done by groups that tried to maintain a moral compass and others that didn't. The experiments to find the location and origin of <Ternary Cores> have been brutal and extended. Eventually, creatures would realize that the immaterial essences were inside a creature, but not in the literal sense.'

Verdantia thought, 'Are they talking about the soul?' The following words were close to her guess. 'Because everyone has possessed the system since even before the first stretches of recorded history, people realized that the <Willpower> stat didn't have an energy type accompanying it long ago.' Verdantia blinked. 'Right. Physique has Phoer, Aether is Aether Mana, and Anima becomes Anima Energy.'

Verdantia continued. '<Willpower> is closely related to a creature's mind. It is the stat that influences a creature's ability to withstand mental strain and other types of what we call today [Soul Attacks]. <Ternary Cores>, like <Ternary Shards> or <Ternary Essences> in general, reside in the "Shadow" of a being.'

Verdantia frowned. 'What do they mean by "Shadow"?' Verdantia went to the book's index and found the glossary. Going there, she quickly searched alphabetically and found it. 

<Shadow>: Referring to a creature's existence in the immaterial world. A "Shadow" is the creature's part that's not connected to reality as we know it. The "Shadow" plane of existence can't be observed with the levels of strength of current beings.

Verdantia blinked a few times and rubbed her forehead. 'What is this…? Sigh…' 

Eila looked over and asked. "Everything good?"

Verdantia nodded. "It's just that there are a few concepts that I am having trouble understanding. I am managing myself for now, though." 

Eila nodded and looked out of the window again. 

Verdantia refocused on the book. After a few more explanations of origins and how the ternary essences worked, things that Verdantia was somewhat knowledgeable of, she finally reached the chapter about <Ternary Cores>. 'Let's see…'

Verdantia started from the beginning and read slowly. '<Ternary Cores> are, as aforementioned, an amalgamation of <Ternary Shards> that become unified by the creature's ability to control energy. To focus and transform the <Ternary Shards>, a creature needs to gather their entire essence shards and focus on compressing them to a single point.'

Verdantia hummed. 'Sounds easy enough.' Then, she continued. 'Doing this before the <Second Energy Cycle> is extremely dangerous. Losing control of any type of the three essences can cause them to violently burst or dissipate, causing permanent damage depending on which type of essence the creature lost control of. The level of control needed to perform such tasks without the assistance of the <Second Energy Cycle> process rivals that of talented World Trees. Many World Trees would find themselves helpless on this task.'

Verdantia's relaxed brows tightened as she continued reading. 'As mentioned in our previous volume, World Trees are creatures that appear to be blessed by the system. However, in truth, there is a theory that this misconception stems from the ridiculous control over <Ternary Essences> that World Trees naturally have since birth. Other than that, being so large and expanding so far with their roots, they can manipulate everything much easier than any type of creature. A relatively mature World Tree with similar stats to any other creature would win 99 out of 100 times. Only ultra geniuses that appear once every hundreds or thousands of years can rival a World Tree's mastery over Aether Mana, Phoer, and Anima Energy.'

The Life Sylvan slumped backward and released a troubled breath. 

Eila commented. "Have the intentions to create a <Ternary Core> before Level 25 disappeared?" 

Verdantia snorted. "Did Teacher Eila know that I would react this way?"

Eila laughed faintly. "Well, I did, too. You know, at Level 24, I had well over 100,000 Aether Mana <Ternary Shards>. I crossed that mark when I was…" Eila frowned a bit, and then she relaxed. "Right. When I became Level 20." Eila smiled faintly. "It has been quite a few decades since." 

Eila sighed. "I was excited to be able to gain my own <Ternary Core>. However, I couldn't bring myself to do it once I learned about it." Eila smiled sadly. "Who would, right? Unless it is a Death and Life situation where you have no other chance, doing so can be considered suicide." 

Verdantia didn't deny it. 'A normal being having equal energy manipulation skills as a World Tree? That's insanity. Only arrogant and egotistical people would think they are even close to a World Tree's ability to manipulate energy.'

Eila added. "Worse, the lower the Level you are in, the higher the risk. After all, you have not experienced the first sub-cycle, you are too young, and you don't really understand how profound the ternary essences are."

Eila smiled faintly at Verdantia's complicated expression. "At first, you just think that they are… I don't know, rechargeable energy pools. Like a pool of water that has a constant filling trickle of water filling it. However, as you get older and learn, you realize that you couldn't be more wrong." 

Verdantia sighed. "I see." She smiled and frowned a bit. "Teacher Eila, do you have a copy of this book?"

Eila asked, confused. "Why?"

Verdantia coughed. "I want to buy one if possible."

Eila blinked twice and sighed. "You really love books." 

Verdantia scratched her head. "Well, I do."

After thinking for a bit, she said. "I'll let you copy it if you promise me not to share it with anyone."

Verdantia smiled. "Thank you, Teacher Eila!" Then, she turned around and left.

Before Verdantia left, Eila spoke. "Verdantia."

Verdantia was halfway out, so she turned around, confused. Eila looked outside of the window and sighed. "Golden Sap Forest… The future is bleak. Think it through."

Verdantia's body trembled, and her brain froze for a second. She was unable to come up with an answer as only one thought repeated in her head. 'S-She knows about Liu Shu.'

Eila didn't stop looking out of the window. "No need to answer. Go now. I hope to see you at the graduation ceremony, Verdantia." 

Verdantia nodded and closed the door, leaving with hurried steps.

A gentle and all-reaching voice appeared in Eila's head. 

"Why is the Golden Sap Forest's future bleak?"

"Fortuna…" Eila muttered. "Well…" She looked at her table, where a white, half-opened letter stood out against the brown desk. "... Too young."