Kaden put together very basic set of instructions and even tied it to a very simple mana system like portion. With this it was slightly better optimized to gather in whatever mana the new method had collected.

Ordinary mana system would act more like a sieve where the new method attracted what you needed. What Kaden had in his hands didn't exactly even look like a mana system. In fact, if the instructions were removed, it was hard to say what it was, if anyone would even think of it as anything useful.

Kaden had big plans for this. He wanted to integrate this system with his own method and produce even better efficiency for his cultivation. He had no time to research this new method. No... he indeed had other plans for it.

He put it aside and decided to advance. Everything was ready. He took out the mana crystals he had collected with the right kinds of mana for his core. If brought to the future, these would be very desirable ones even for those at Condensation stage. He believed he was close enough with his core, even if it was more difficult to determine. The crystals should be enough.

Kaden started to absorb mana.

With the purity and amount that was now available and considering how far Kaden had progressed himself, he soon felt a small limit with his core. At this point he stopped absorbing for a moment and prepared to extend his Formation stage to its peak and the core at the same time. He believed this was the most optimal method rather than advance them separately.

Once Kaden started this process, as expected this caused kind of a cycle, causing both of his sides to progress towards the peak.

The internal formation extended channels everywhere and they even ordered themselves in seemingly ordered state. This was what Kaden knew should happen. Yet, the state was perfect, seemingly more so than should be expected as far as learning material available to soldiers of Saint Empire explained. The better this ordering was, the more mana could be used with greater ease. Additionally this made advancing to Condensation stage better and also meant that your internal formation was good enough to lock it down for potentially getting past Condensation stage.

Yet, even this perfection did not come to Kaden as surprise. He had optimized everything in the environment provided by the cataclysm. An environment with extremely pure mana.

As for Kaden's core. Unsurprisingly similar perfection could be observed in a bit different way. The crystaline structure in which mana gathered in it became flawless. Due to it, Kaden felt it had become even more lustrous and that glow of mana to his senses was clear and perfect. The way mana crystallized inside a core seemed properly separated in layers. Kaden could even see his main mana types have their own structure within the core surrounded by the rest. Previously this had been difficult to see.

Still, Kaden didn't exactly know how a core would advance unlike the changes a human would discover as they progressed. With how the mana types had become more visible, he expected a core would reach some level of peak purity. What would happen then?

If it followed similar path as humans where internal formation would start spreading mana evenly around a body and then condense into solid mana, quite like crystals as what mana does when enough of it come together. Yet, if one was able to maintain their control over it, they could allow it to do this process and not die. If one failed, ones body would crystallize and die.

This happened once mana no longer fit inside the internal formation. Perhaps mana would start to leak out of the core, causing similar changes? Kaden felt this was the truth.

Kaden kept absorbing mana until the small limit in his core broke and his internal formation no longer seemed to grow.

"This is the peak", Kaden muttered to himself. "I better not continue further. It would be too risky to attempt advancing to Condensation stage and Lower Cari here during the cataclysm."

He had no idea what was the rough power level of the world at the time. Strongest being, as he had previously determined, were likely mana creatures. Yet, even more powerful of them were likely extremely rare. No actual living thing would be even close to Condensation stage or equivalent.

"No matter", Kaden thought to himself as the stood up. He had things to do.

He wanted to find Emina. Eventually, as it happened, Kaden discovered that Emina was also looking for him.

"Kaden! The reading show that mana changes of the time rift have started to decrease more quickly!" Emina told Kaden immediately as soon as she found him. "If our theory is right, once it becomes low enough, the rift will be aligned and will open up. We must be ready!"

Kaden frowned.

"Do you have an estimated time?" He asked.

"Previously it was anything from weeks to months", Emina replied. "Now at this rate, it will be a day or two at maximum."

"We better get ready", Kaden said with a nod. "I will finish the formations on the battle armors. You better get your crystal ready for it."

"I was going to go get one", Emina replied and then she noticed something. "Kaden, you have advanced? How?"

Kaden gave a wide grin.

"Emina", Kaden started. "Have you sensed something odd about the mana here?"

"Nothing special, its pure, but that is all", Emina shook her head. "Not that I have attempted to cultivate. This is all extremely pure chaotic mana and gods aren't here to purify it for me. I have given good look at the mana here, obviously, but I have not noticed anything special."

This was somewhat odd. Kaden had noticed the strange mana rather quickly. He had felt like he was missing something when he cultivated, but it shouldn't be hard to notice otherwise too. Did the difference in his body structure allow it?

"Try this", Kaden said to Emina and handed her the instructions he had put together. Kaden didn't tell Emina what it was. It was different enough that she wouldn't understand what it was until she used it. Kaden wanted to know if Emina could use it.

"Hmm?" Emina gave a look to the instructions. "What is this?"

"Just follow the instructions", Kaden said calmly.

It took some time for Emina to get the idea, but Kaden waited patiently. He had originally been worried Emina wouldn't trust him far enough to use this strange thing he suddenly offered her. Yet, he expected Emina to be smart enough to understand that, if he wanted to harm her, he could easily do it. Kaden knew he was more powerful than Emina. It would be a fight, but one that he was sure to win.

"This...", Emina gasped. "Mana? Pure mana that is usable for cultivation? Where did it come from? What is this?"

Kaden smiled. This was it. This was the important part. Anyone had to be able to use it. He had no reason to expect Emina to be somehow special. Everyone should be able to use it! Now his plan could move forward. Kaden felt ... excitement.

"Kaden! What is this!" Emina demanded to know. She was getting agitated.

"It is a mana system", Kaden said and then he grinned even more. "A special mana system that does not require gods to purify the mana for you. A godless mana system."

Emina seemed to recoil and almost dropped the information crystal in her hands.

"This is... a blasphemy of highest order", Emina mumbled.

Kaden ignored the words.

"Do you want it, Emina?" Kaden said calmly. "I will give it to you. For free! It remains to be seen, if it works still in our time, but the idea is very general. There should be no problems." Kaden was quiet for a moment to let Emina think of the consequences. "Take this to your people. The church will kill you all just in case, if they ever discover that you have such a thing. Yet, if you can refine this basic form, you can create mana systems that let you cultivate without gods and do so faster. This will bring freedom to your people through strength. If your gods want to keep you as followers, they will have to give you tanglible benefits that they do not currently give. The gods... they will serve you rather than you serve them. What have your gods done for you? Protected you from abuse from churches? Power to defend yourself? No! With this you can take all of that for yourselves! This is the power you have been looking for! Yet, you must take this chance quickly to have the advantage!"

Emina was slightly pale, but didn't say anything.

"Know that I will spread this everywhere", Kaden continued. "I will find people who will use it, spread it, study it. Such as cultists that worship God of Lies and other such people, bandits, degenerates, anyone who I think will use it. Churches will have their hands full trying to erradicate them to pay notice to your people. I will also scatter crystals with this knowledge all over the place. People will discover them as time passes even if church has managed to destroy all others."

Then Kaden grinned again. "Hehehe, the idea is general enough that I believe beasts, or the higher ones, Cari, can use it to cultivate too. I will also give this to them. They don't give a crap what human churches think. Their relationship with their gods is slightly different so they might not care about this mana system. Beast gods bless those of their worshippers that have shown strength. I doesn't matter how they got the strength."

"Kaden! You cannot! They will start growing stronger than humans and kill everyone!" Emina finally reacted. She was horrified. "The current state is a balance that might tip over!"

"I don't care", Kaden replied coldly. "The gods of humanity will have to start handing out real power. Merge Sacronan and Saint Empire to single force. Get over their differences. That is if they don't want to lose all their worshippers as beasts eat everyone or start to keep people as cattle, haha. I believe I myself will fit in with the beasts. Beasts growing stronger is not concern to me."

Another quiet moment to let Emina think a bit more.

"This is a game changer", Kaden continued. "One that will change the world. Churches will lose power and so do gods. They are a stain. Though I cannot begin to predict what this will lead to, I believe it is beneficial to me at the very least, if not everyone. Gods never give anything worthwhile. We do not need them. We will take what we need ourselves."

"What if I were to decline this?" Emina asked after a while.

"I will kill you", Kaden replied casually. "In fact, you have seen too many of my secrets and likely put things together to reveal even more. I was going to kill you anyway once we got out. That is after I used you as cannon fodder to allow myself higher chances to escape."

Emina gritted her teeth.

"But with this, you are beneficial again", Kaden explained. "Whatever disagreements we might have, this is far greater. This is my chance to strike at those detestable gods and their followers. If I can cause the destruction of the churches, I will rejoice in the flames and ashes of their remains. Your life or my secrets do not even come close. You are lucky that the elves happen to be people that stand to gain from losses of the churches. Otherwise it would be pointless to give you this godless mana system."

He was about to walk away to prepare the battle armors, should the time rift indeed open up once more. Kaden noted this thought.

"Oh, remember that our coming to this time is likely part of some causal loop as you said yourself", Kaden pointed out. "I'm not sure how exactly time works in this case, but this loop might always on each time produce a large change such as this. Perhaps all timelines from this point onwards will contain this change! Didn't our presence here always mean some large change considering the nigh impossible mana requirements? If so, this might be what connects us this time back to our own. Think of this something neccessary, if it makes you feel any better. You can tell yourself that the ensuing chaos will not have been your fault. Blame me if it makes you feel better. Know that it seems the world and its existence itself demanded it. It was... inevitable."

Kaden walked away with chuckle loud enough to hear.