Reincarnated Genius: The Goddess Made Me OP By Giving Me Dual Systems

Over the next week, Raiden buried himself in researching every bit of material he could find about Mana Hearts.

The family library offered only a meager collection—introductory texts on magic theory and physiology. Most of it was vague and carried only surface-level knowledge while sorely lacking specific details.

Still, there was one thing he knew for sure: the Mana Heart was the true seed of magical power, located on the right side of the chest. Creating one was considered an accomplishment reserved only for prodigies—or so he was advised.

Furious by the lack of concrete information, Raiden decided to directly pay a visit to his mother, Lady Elise. But to his dismay, her answer took him by surprise.

"Raiden," she said, her wide eyes fixed on her three-year-old son. "Why on earth would you ask about designing a Mana Heart at your age?"

"Because I want one," he answered simply, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lady Elise's initial shock softened into a gentle smile, but her eyes revealed a hint of concern.

Setting a hand on his shoulder, "My little one, it's… far too early for you to worry about things like Mana Hearts," she said. "Most children don't begin forming theirs until they are close to ten years old. Trying it now would be… well, unworkable."

"Even if I have great riches?" Raiden asked, his voice full of hope.

Lady Elise laughed as she combed his hair. " EVEN WITH YOUR ENDOWMENT, Raiden. But considering your determination, I think I will tell you just a little about it.

She sighed and squatted down to explain, in terms he could understand. "A Mana Heart is like a reservoir for magical energy. It is formed by gradually condensing and guiding Mana into a focused, controlled space within the body."

Raiden absorbed every word as though his life depended on it, but she warned him that the process was incredibly difficult and required total control over one's mana.

Still unsatisfied, Raiden chose to ask the Goldheart family's hardened veteran with years of experience and had a Mana Heart of his own, the Chief Guard, as his conversation with Lady Elise had only heightened his obsession.

Just like his mother, the Chief Guard was surprised at first and then amused. He laughed, not sure whether to call the young lord ambitious or stupid.

"Well, if you're this interested in Mana Hearts," he said with a grin. "I suppose a bit of information won't hurt."

Although the Chief Guard had gone into great detail about the steps he had personally taken to form his Mana Heart, he made one thing absolutely clear—the procedure was dangerous and not something a three-year-old should ever consider attempting.

But for Raiden, the words like "impossible" and "too young" only seemed to sharpen his resolve.

_____

Armed with everything he had learned, Raiden felt he was ready to put his hand in things. He waited patiently for the perfect opportunity—an evening when the estate was empty and quiet, especially when no one would be monitoring his movements too closely.

He slipped out of the main building and wandered the estate grounds until he reached an old, abandoned building at the estate's edge. Abandoned and crumbling, it was a relic from the forgotten past.

Examining the poorly lit construction, Raiden quickly discovered a small staircase descending into a secret chamber under the building.

As soon as he walked in, he felt it—a faint but distinct veil cloaking him from the outside senses. The chamber was shielded by a lingering Mana barrier, likely a remnant from past building remnants. With its presence, any external Mana senses wouldn't be able to detect him here.

"Perfect," Raiden remarked, a small smile playing across his face. "Four-star luck; you have done it once more."

He sat cross-legged on the cool stone floor, adopting the lotus posture he had studied countless times in his books. Closing his eyes, he took a steady, long breath to calm his thoughts and clear his mind of all distractions.

Reaching outward with his senses, he began to feel the faint traces of Mana all around him. The dim glow of the chamber gradually faded from his awareness as he focused entirely inward.

Raiden began carefully, deliberately drawing small doses of Mana from the air. He focused sharply, guiding the delicate spiralling threads through his body and toward the proper side of his chest.

As he kept building his Mana pool there, a subtle and gentle warmth radiated outward.

'This is it,' he thought, his heart thumping with excitement. 'I really am a genius, aren't I?'

But he knew this was only the beginning, and the toughest obstacle still lay ahead. Creating a Mana Heart required a disciplined, compressed form, something that was solid and permanent and was capable of containing Mana without letting it disperse.

He envisioned the shape of a heart, a reservoir that would match the pulse of his own and serve as the foundation for his magic. With slow, deliberate focus, he molded the Mana into this shape, syncing it with the steady thrum of his own pulse.

Raiden worked with unflinching attention, his breath coming in deliberate short puffs. He resisted stopping even though his brain felt stretched, as if he were reaching out to touch something just beyond his grasp.

Little by little, the gathered Mana began to change, to compress and coalesce, until it had solidified right inside his chest. Raiden could sense the weak vitality pulsing through him, as though testing its new existence.

Then he understood—his creation should have been a star instead of a heart. Others formed "stars" as the base of their power, which would rank as his first Mana Heart. Every "star" produced translated to having ever more power.

Raiden had made a heart. A real, living, and powerful heart. Maybe it was a deviation, or perhaps it was a breakthrough.

Nonetheless, Raiden was pleased that he had succeeded in laying his foundation. He had a real Mana Heart; he didn't care if it was different from others.

Maintaining his focus, he continued to guide the Mana as it shaped channels all across his body with thin threads of mana like veins, allowing it to flow freely.

The process was exhausting. His whole body felt heavy, as though the very focus he needed to keep control was dragging him down. Still, he refused to stop. He kept the mana flowing, resisting the urge to collapse.

Then, finally—it happened.

After what felt like hours, he felt a weak, rhythmic pulse—a Mana heartbeat.

Raiden's eyes slowly opened, gleaming with triumph. The Mana Heart pulsed steadily in his chest, fierce and alive.

The feeling was unlike anything he had ever known—it was thrilling and powerful.

He had completed it. He had done what others said was impossible for someone his age. And yet, he had created his Mana Heart.

But the moment of victory came at a cost.

As the adrenaline faded, Raiden's fatigue hit him like a crashing wave. His body felt impossibly heavy, his limbs like lead. Every bit of strength seemed to have been lost, and everything blurred. With a weak sigh, he swayed unsteadily.

"Well," he whispered, his voice slurring with exhaustion, "looks like I really am… a prodigy…"

As his Mana Heart continued to steadily beat inside him, his eyes fluttered shut before he could finish the idea and slumped to the floor, fast asleep.